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Martski here, and if you're like me you've got big convention plans this year. With the Convention season pretty much upon us, I wanted to share some tips I've learned over the years while attending many shows, including the grand daddy of them all, San Diego COMIC CON. Think of this as a survival guide for attending an event as small as your local Toy Show to something as big and grand as Comic Con. These are in no particular order.

Take care of yourself! These shows can be/are very exhausting. Never sacrifice comfort for style. You will be doing a lot of walking and standing so make sure you have comfortable shoes.  If anything get some Dr. Sholl's for your shoes. They are not very expensive and trust me, your feet will thank you. Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water. If possible keep a bottle of water on you at all times. Not sure how you feel about public fountains but refill as often as you can. Feel free to drink what you want but make sure to mix in water as often as you can. It's cheaper than most drinks and free if you use a public fountain. 


Backpack it. You'll get cool and sometimes HUGE swag bags (Warner Brothers) at the shows but it's best to try and keep your hands free. Double strap it! I carried a side bag for a few years and halfway into the day it was killing my shoulder so I would switch it to the other and sure enough that one started killing me to. With all the freebies and stuff you'll buy its gonna fill up and get heavy fast so why get your arms all tired. If possible and your hotel or car is close enough, make a few drop offs and unload some of that weight. The backpack isn't just for swag, there are a few things you should keep in there. Aspirin for possible headaches and body aches. Gum and or Mints (do you want to meet Stan Lee with stank breath?). Snacks like trail mix, candy bars, fruit snacks or even power bars. A pen and or Sharpie. A bottle of water (remember stay hydrated). Coins, I always find myself needing quarters at these things. Your phone charger or one of those portable power packs for your phone or other device. 

Have patience. Be prepared to do a lot of standing around and waiting. Remember your not the only one trying to get a sketch or book signed. Another thing to remember is just because you're in line doesn't mean you'll see the end of it. There are times when they will cut lines off for whatever reason, so make sure it's worth the time and effort. Ask the people already in line how long they've been waiting and if it's been moving. 


Be nice and polite! These things can get awfully crowded and your personal bubble may get popped every now and then. Accidentally running into people or getting run into can and will happen. It's very rarely on purpose so if and when it does happen simply apologize and say excuse me. Your favorite writer or artist would be happy to sign your books, but not their whole twenty issue run on X-Men. Remember there are other people who want to meet them too, don't be that guy or gal. If you see someone drop something and they don't know it, pick it up and give it to them. There's nothing worse than losing your badge, phone or wallet on vacation. 


Bring Your Own Food (B.Y.O.F.). Now most of the food at conventions is very expensive and not worth the price. Sure there may be plenty of spots around the convention center to eat but you can't leave to hit up Jack In The Box and be back in time for the Kevin Smith panel! Remember you do have some snacks in your trusty utility belt (backpack) but you should pack a lunch or at least buy something before you go into the show. Anyone who's spent all day in Hall H at SDCC know how important it is to bring a lunch and dinner with them. Eating throughout the day is just as important as drinking, you want to keep your energy up. Those snacks aren't just there to save you money, they also keep you energized. 


Knowing is half the Battle! Bigger shows like San Diego Comic Con are excellent at providing you with resources to help plan for the weeks events. Get to know and love the event guide they provide you with. There is a ton of useful information in them like a map layout of the main exhibit floor with booth numbers and aisles to help you navigate your way to whatever it is you want to see or do. The map also shows you all the bathrooms (remember all that water your drinking). They let you know who's gonna be at the show. Whether it's your favorite actors, writers, artists or companies like DC and Marvel, it tells you where and when you can see or meet them. 

You can't see and do it all. I know you have your heart set on seeing that Big Bang panel but you should have a backup plan in place just incase you can't get in. These shows don't clear the rooms out after each panel so you may have to show up early and sit through a few things you don't care for in order to see the panel you want, especially if it's to see some of the more popular stuff. I've slept outside overnight in the infamous Hall H line just to see that thirty second clip of Batman vs Superman and it was worth it! Ok there was a lot of other cool clips and stars there too but my point is, sacrifices must be made if you really want to see something. Make a list of all the panels and/or signings you want to go to even if they start at the same time. You won't know for sure which ones you'll actually get into, so it's always good to have a few back ups just in case. 


The Buddy System. If you're at the show with your friends the chances of you guys wanting to see separate things is pretty high. Sure we all love Superman but say he wants to meet the artist drawing action comics and I want to meet the actor playing him in the movies (Henry Cavil), we'll need to split up, but before you go your separate ways, there's a few things you want to establish. Be sure you know your buddies phone number, and I don't mean having it saved in your phone, I mean actually having it written down in your pocket or having it memorized because if you lose your phone or it dies you could find yourself in a sticky situation with no way of contacting them. Always establish a check in time or meeting place. For example, we will meet at the Marvel Booth in a couple hours or I'll text every half hour to see if you're ready to meet back up. Staying in constant contact is important. 


Venture Outside. It gets pretty crowded and stuffy in those halls not to mention ripe (yes the stories are true about "Con Stench") so take a break and get some fresh air when you can. Fresh air isn't the only thing outside either. Shows like SDCC have tons of things to see and do outside the convention center. If you thought there were tons of freebies in the exhibit hall there are just as many outside the convention center. Let's not forget there's a whole city out there. Unless you're in one of the twenty four hour Anime rooms, you might not want to go home when the exhibit hall closes. See what the city has to offer. Check out some of the local restaurants or maybe even enjoy some of the night life. Remember it's a vacation so make the most of it. I will admit though, some of those days can be long and exhausting, going straight back to the hotel room to get some rest is perfectly acceptable. 

I hope some of these tips help make your Con experience a little more enjoyable and I'll see you out there on the Exhibit Floor!



Written by: Ray Fawkes


Published by: DC Comics

Price: $2.99

"Millions will die tonight...if we are not strong."



The dark side of the DC Universe. The supernatural side. The straight up freaky side. These sides are represented perfectly in this book. And who better to illustrate these pages than Ben Templesmith? I'm afraid this review is going to turn into a Templesmith fanboy session, but the guy is absolutely phenomenal. His style fits almost too perfectly with the story being concocted by Ray Fawkes, who has been on a roll lately. His work on Batman Eternal and Constantine have really solidified him, at least in my opinion, as one of the most creative people in the business right now.




Jim Corrigan has a secret. An extremely potent and powerful secret. One his team, the Midnight Shift, has been kept in the dark about, until now. He can contain it no longer! When a menacing entity named Ikkondrid comes to Gotham City seeking retribution, there's only one thing that can stand in it's way...The Spectre!




But this salvation comes with a heavy price. The Spectre operates divinely, and Gotham is full of sin. Did Ikkondrid appear in Gotham to destroy it himself, or to act as a catalyst to bring forth the Spectre and let him do the dirty work? Corrigan has a battle of his own. Can he shut down the Spectre, or will Gotham fall?

Oh, and how silly of me, what would a nightmarish catastrophe in Gotham be without Batman blasting onto the scene?!



Now, I said I didn't want this to turn into a Ben Templesmith lovefest, but I think I lied about that. There isn't anything he does that I won't read. His writing is eerie, hair-raising and twisted, which meshes with his art in ways I've rarely seen. I'm sure Gotham feels like home to him. Mr. Templesmith recently had a Kickstarter (which I pledged for) to fund a re-imagining of H.P. Lovecraft's short story Dagon, and I suggest supporting it if that's still an option. 

Get the book, guys. Hell, start from issue #1. This series is relatively new and there's still plenty of time to jump on this roller coaster and enjoy the ride. I've been trying to keep the reviews to series' that are in their early stages so that you have an opportunity to pick it up if it seems like something you'd like! As always, thanks for checking this out, and leave some damn comments so I know whether I should give this hobby up forever or not. Thanks! 



Favorite Quote: "The Spectre is not a superhero. He's not here to protect us." - Jim Corrigan

Suggested Listening: "Judgment" composed by Steve Jablonsky for the Gears of War: Judgment score



Twitter: @BiGNasty91_
Action figure customizing is the art of creating, modifying or rebuilding action figures.  You can do this for the purpose of making characters that the evil toy companies won't touch or even improving existing figures. You can do those things by switching around parts, sculpting parts and/or painting them.  This is a hobby I was really in to a few years ago. I use to make them for myself or to sell on Ebay and I would even take commissions for people.  I wasn't as good as a lot of people out there but I tried to have my own style with it.


There was also really cool communities of people that are also into customizing, like Figurerealm.com and the Fwoosh forums. Both of those places have people that are knowledgeable about customizing and they were very supportive in helping me learn what I know.



 Being a customizer also makes you a different kind of collector. Instead of crying about Hasbro not making Earth X Captain America you are excited they haven't so that you can do it your self. Instead of being excited about a new White Iron Fist coming out, you are excited about a white base body so you can make a classic Karnak without paint rub. Or instead of being mad that your Black Series Luke Skywalker doesn't have a paint wash, you are excited to try out your new washes and dry brush technique on a new fantastic sculpt.  You also kind of go from sounding like nerdy collector, to sounding like a deranged Dr. Frankenstein type of psychopath when you make comments like "all I need is the head, the body is useless", like I did when I saw the DC Direct Aquaman.

I recently posted a couple of my old customs eBay.  I sold my Drax, Triton and Ghost.  I didn't really mind selling Ghost but it hurt getting rid of the others. Drax sold for more then I expected though, so that was cool. I made them for myself and they've been on my shelf for a couple of years now, but Mezco Batman was coming out and sacrifices had to be made.

             
What was cool though, is that I  was contacted by a lot of people that were familiar with my customs and wanted me to do commissions. So the fact that people were still actually into my customs made me very happy and kinda reignited the fire to make them again. With that being said, I have started on a few new customs and I've taken a few new commissions. I am excited to post them here on the blog and see what people think. Thanks for reading!

Peace.


**all of these customs are a few years old but I will be posting new ones soon.
Written by: Robbie Thompson

Art by: Stacy Lee

Published by: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

"Really starting to get the hang of this. Crazy stuff happens, I punch it."



Awesome. That word flew out of my mouth as soon as I flipped the last page of this issue. Wow. I'm absolutely loving this new character in the Spider-Verse. From the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man run with Dan Slott at it's helm, she web-slung her way into our lives and our hearts. Well, mine at least. Cindy Moon is very much a child at heart and she's growing right before our eyes.





She was bitten by the same radioactive spider that gave our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man his powers just moments after he received his bite. She tried to control the awesome web-slingin', wall climbin', ass kickin' powers that she shared with Peter Parker, but unfortunately they were too much for her. Her family was approached by a man named Ezekiel and she locked herself in a sealed, windowless bunker underground. 

In an attempt to keep this review concise, we'll fast forward a bit. She was released from the bunker, the epic Spider-Verse catastrophe concluded, and she now roams the streets of New York a free woman. But how do you just pick up the pieces of a life that you were torn from so abruptly and hardly remember? As a start, Cindy begins the search for her family, whom she hasn't seen in many years. So far this Silk solo series has illustrated her efforts to resume the life she led, while also balancing her powers and her new life as a force for good.





What makes Silk so relatable is that you can really see her struggling to make sense of everything. It's apparent as she fights her enemies that all of this stuff is insanely foreign to her, yet she tries her hardest to be the best she can be. When faced with a "Hydra tentacle-monster-robot-thingie", she pretty much beat the shit out of it. Silk has a lot of potential to be one of my favorite new Marvel characters, and I can't wait to see how she grows as a character and a superhero. Remember, don't take my word for it, pick this book up for yourself!







Favorite Quote: "We've got one last night together. And I don't want to waste it fighting."


Suggested Listening: Becoming Spider-Man composed by James Horner from The Amazing Spider-Man score




HEY! Don't forget to check out the rest of the blog. Awesome action figure reviews and more! We're just some nerds who want to share it with the world. Check us out and spread the love! Comment and let me know if you like it! Thanks guys.

Twitter: @BiGNasty91_


Check out my review for the new Marvel Select Cable figure!






Thanks everyone!



Could this be true? Is MARVEL STUDIOS really not gonna have a presence at Comic-Con this year?! I find this hard to understand considering all of the movie plans they have for the next several years. Could some of the movie execs really be HYDRA agents?! It's the only thing that makes sense. DAMN YOU RED SKULL!!!!
                      
So what does this mean for us, the fans? Well let us not confuse MARVEL Studios with MARVEL COMICS. Yes, there will still be a MARVEL presence at Comic-Con. MARVEL STUDIOS is not the only one making MARVEL movies. Did we forget about X-Men: Age of Apocalypse or the Fantastic Four reboot? You did? Well never mind then. As hard as it is to believe, they do more than just movies people. What about the small screen and the upcoming NETFLIX shows they have planned? We still get a chance to see and meet all our favorite writers and artists who work on the books we know and love. With several projects in the PC and gaming world, not to mention their mobile APPS, I'm sure they will have something for all that as well. Not much has been announced yet, but it's only a matter of time till we hear about all the great panels MARVEL will have lined up for us. Breaking into comics the "MARVEL" way is always a popular one.


Unfortunately this news has brought out the worst in some. It hurts my heart to read comments like "I'm glad I didn't get tickets this year" or "MARVEL's not gonna be there, good who needs 'em?" Was that really the only reason why you wanted to go to the biggest show around? Just to see the latest test footage or gawk at the latest Avengers cast? Come on! Look, I get that there are some out there that don't even like MARVEL but "Who needs em?" We do! The rivalry between MARVEL and DC has spawned great stories and characters that we love all because these two giants are constantly wanting to outdo each other. FANBOYS please before you HULK out and SMASH the Interwebs with your comments of RAGE, remember, there's more to MARVEL than just movies.



Written by: Peter J. Tomasi

Art by: Viktor Bogdanovic, Art Thibert

Published by: DC Comics

Price: $3.99


"I'm heading home, Alfred. Arkham City is closed."


Okay, so before I get started, I want to say something.....Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks?! Holy shit I did not see that coming. Alright, anyway! Video games! I grew up on video games. It was a large part of the culture of my generation. If you're reading this, chances are you've spent hours either with your face 2 inches from your GameBoy trying to level up your Squirtle or sitting criss-cross apple sauce in front of the TV with drool dripping down your face....or maybe that's just me. Either way, I believe that the storytelling aspect of video games is what first attracted me to comic books.

What's great about Batman is that he translates extremely well to gaming. The stealthy approach, brutal combat, and critical thinking are elements that make the Arkham series so much fun to play. If you've ever played Arkham Asylum, Arkham City or the prequel Arkham Origins, you're already familiar with the framework those games have set. I won't try to break down the story of three games in this review, but I encourage you to at least read up on the happenings in Arkham City, considering this book is the official prequel to the finale of this game series.





So I'm just going to assume you at least know what happens at the end of Arkham City moving forward. The Joker is dead, Arkham City has been shut down, and Gotham is safe once again. (Is it ever, though?) We see a small glimpse of this Arkham Knight character, who remains pretty mysterious. So far as we can tell from this issue, Batman isn't even aware of his existence yet. 

Bruce's internal struggle between juggling the lives of both his public, multi-billionaire philanthropist persona and the Batman is weighing heavy on his mind. The aftermath of these events have both Alfred and Bruce wondering which side of Bruce is the best crusader for the good of Gotham. In an effort to not spoil the ending, I won't tell you what happens. What I will say, is...you must have seen it coming.





There's not much to say about the art, really. It's satisfactory art that delivers the mood of each scene fairly well. Nothing crazy stands out to me about it so far except the eerie images of Joker's dead body. With that said, it's absolutely worth the read and you should definitely keep up with this series if you plan on playing its video game successor later this year. I can't wait to see what's next! As always, don't take my word on this. I'm just a guy with an opinion. Go pick this up and see for yourself!


Favorite Quote: "I simply suggest that your focus on Gotham's nights have left it's days vulnerable...and one cannot thrive without the other."

Suggested Listening: The Shadows Betray You - The Dark Knight Rises score by Hans Zimmer


A quick note about the blog, we have a new contributor and you should go check out his posts and say hi! Holy hell I said "Arkham" a lot in this post.

Twitter: @BiGNasty91_



Martski here, the newest member and contributor to the Unparalleled Universe Comic and Action Figure Blog family. As an infant, I was born on a doomed planet. My parents, unbeknownst to our government, built me a rocket ship and hurled me into space so I may escape my planets fate. I roamed the galaxy until my ship crash-landed on a planet called Earth. Discovered by a rich childless couple, they took me in and raised me as their own. As a kid, life was good until one fateful night leaving the theater. My adopted parents were gunned downed in a back alley, and from that night on, I swore revenge on those who would prey on the innocent. I knew in order to fight crime, I had to become someone else. I had to become something else. With billions of dollars and nothing better to do, I had a Super Soldier Serum created that I then injected into a radio active spider which in turn bit me on the lip while I was asleep. When I awoke, my world had been changed forever. I had been changed forever. I walk among you not as a man, no, I am something more. I am The Unoriginal MARTSKI!
                  
So some, if not all, of that might not be true. I'm just a guy who loves comics and anything comic related. I like to think of myself as a pretty well-rounded geek. A fan of anime, action figures, movies and gaming. Most of my posts will relate to one, if not all, of these categories with maybe a few I didn't mention in between. I don't claim to be an expert on any of these topics, but I do have an opinion on them and whether you love or hate what I have to say, remember, it's just my opinion. If anything, I'm sure you'll get a laugh out of my posts or at least a chuckle. I look forward to sharing my love of Geekdom with you.






Hey everyone check out our review of the new Mezco One:12 Collective Dark Knight Returns Batman Video Review. Thanks for watching!

Written by: Jeff Lemire

Art by: Dustin Nguyen

Published By: Image Comics

Price: $2.99

"We need you, Doctor. Get to the central terminal NOW!"


It's been a pretty fantastic time for sci-fi these past couple of years, especially in comic books. Saga has been a monumental reason for that, Warren Ellis' Trees offers a unique take on an alien invasion and the resurgence of the Star Wars universe is here, whether you like it or not. Now I'll admit that I may be coming to this conclusion a bit prematurely, but I really believe Descender has the potential to be one of the best ongoing science fiction books out right now.


Jeff Lemire starts us off on the planet Niyrata, the "technological and cultural hub of the group of nine Core Planets", all of which comprise the United Galactic Council. This can be compared to a kind of interplanetary United Nations. It was a day just like any other, pedestrians weaving between each other and the streets and skies filled with commuters (hover cars!) A Galactus-sized robot loomed over the planet and changed their world as they knew it.  



I really like the world that Dustin Nguyen has constructed. It's everything you would imagine a futuristic city would look like. From the awesome hovercrafts to the coexistence between humans and many different kinds of alien life. It instantly makes me think of the Citadel in the Mass Effect video game series. And of course, who can forget the robots?



What you're seeing above is the TIM-21 series android, ten years after the catastrophic event brought on by the giant robot from earlier. This TIM-21 is reunited with his robotic sidekick in this panel. Personally, I don't think you can ever have too much robot sidekick (Claptrap or R2-D2 anyone?) Dustin Nguyen's art so far has really stood out to me. It's not often you see this watercolor-esque style art in a science fiction book. To me, it contrasts the idea of this futuristic universe in a way that's really fun to watch and the colors splash beautifully against the light backdrop.

Overall I had a really good time reading this issue. The potential story ahead is exciting to me, and the pages are wonderful to look at. But don't take my word for it, go out and get the book for yourself.

Favorite Quote: "The council is in a panic. They've scrambled all available UGC warships and are waiting to launch a full assault if we can't figure out what the hell these things are."

Suggested Listening: No Time For Caution - Hans Zimmer. From the Interstellar score


Follow me on Twitter: @BiGNasty91_

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