Right White Night...

So I think I am a bit surprised when things that should happen, actually happen. Like when the TTC (our not so reliable transit service here in Toronto) is on time with the buses and trains, the extra time on my hands is always welcomed. So I was a bit surprised to find out that this years Nuit Blanche is moving to some bigger streets in the city, instead of going down Yonge and Bay. I am pretty sure I've complained here on the self destruction of Nuit Blanche, and the big reason was how bat shit crazy crowded it got. But with the change to Spadina all the way down to Fort York, this may have a chance at redemption. Or not. I've been wrong before, I am a Maple Leafs fan. But I bring this up, because I have so very cool announcements to make that are going to be taking place on Nuit Blanche, so Toronto storm clouds listen up and be sure to share this post around...

So what to do on an all nighter that is dedicated to the arts? More art that's what! And by that I mean random sketches, all night long and to anyone and everyone. This is something I am going to be doing with my fellow brothers from other mothers, to take in the night and share something with the city. We will be tweeting our different locations all night long and we will be posting up all images on Instagram as the night goes on and on and on. So come find the ChileanStorm, Tea Em, Maddsketch, Pepper Pots and other friends through out the night! Get some cool sketches and other possible cool stuff as well. The night is young and it will be ours! 

So let's art people! Art! Art for freedom! 

The other event will be taking place at Guerilla Printing, over at 413 Spadina Ave, right by College street. So in celebration of the all night event, GP is going to have not only on display a ton of incredible art on the walls from Vince Sunico (man of action) and Lamin Martin, but there will also be live music as well from the Toronto women kulintang ensemble, Pantayo. And as well, Vince will be doing a live art piece based on Grendizer! So classic anime fans, don't miss this spot on Nuit Blanche! The event will get going at around 9 PM on Saturday, so be sure to check it out! 

So now you know guys, Nuit Blanche just got 50% cooler! Be sure to get some coffee or energy drinks in you, because it is going to be a long night of fun, art and surprises! Remember to dress for the weather and be ready for anything. I may see some you guys out there this weekend, so until then keep chasing the storm! 

Why you should be NYCC Jelly...

There aren't a whole lot of shows or conventions that I would now in days go out of my way and try to go as a fan. Being behind the table and doing all these conventions, man, it's hard to go back there and wait in lines and stuff. Sure that sounds like a jerk face thing to say, especially considering the obvious that most of the readers here are more fans then artist, I am not sure, but I am guessing here. But man, New York Comic Con. Damn I really want to be there! As a comic book fan, I would have to say, it is probably the best show out there for comics. Strictly comics I mean. And hell has it been a while since we have had an honest to heart all about comics kind of show. I've been to anime shows, video games shows and hell even home hardware shows, but I yet to go to one that is religious to the following of comic book geeks. That might be TCAF come to think of it, but that things is too big in a building too small, but I will blog that one later. With that being said, I just saw a lot of really awesome show exclusives that will be on hand at NYCC this year, these ones from Midtown Comics. So my fellow American Storm Clouds, I highly urge you to go and soak this show up, and I highly recommend you pick up these exclusives at the show...

The Death of Wolverine 1-4, J.Scott Campbell Variant Covers: 

These are really awesome show variants and they all connect as well to make a bigger image, and while all of them are really really good, I have to gush on the third cover of this series. And you know, it probably stems from my personal love of these two characters together, but Wolverine and Mariko, holy cheese this cover looks incredible! It says it all in one image, when I think about Wolverine, that is what I think of, the lone ronin warrior who is loved by one. And man does it look great, Logan has got the samurai look down so well, it's a shame he doesn't rock the look that often. 

But if you like Jean, Silver-fox and that other girl as well, then be sure to get all four. 

Thor #1, Paul Renaud Variant Cover:

So much to see in this series, and plenty to get excited about overall. I love that we get to see the entire costume up front and in all it's Asgardian glory! So for fans of Thor and everything under the nine...I guess ten realms now, I highly suggest you guys get your hands on it as soon as you can.

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #1, Mike Mayhew Variant Cover:

The card concept for this variant is so cool, even the ad on the back connects to make the whole book look like a poker card. That is just an awesome attention to detail, kudos to Midtown Comics! But the front has both Enchantress (meh) and Scarlet Witch (yeah) looking as great as they do! So if you are looking forward to the next big Marvel event, if you definitely want to get this cover. 

Wytches #1, Sean Gordon Murphy Variant Cover:

The cover alone looks incredible, but if you don't know, this is a new title that is being written by Scott Synder and drawn by Jock. Cha-ching! Take my money now! Seriously this is a power trip as far as comic book creators go, I can't wait to see this book and now you can get the exclusive variant as well. 

So yeah, jealous. This guy.

I am sure a lot of you guys will be going to NYCC, and if you are then let me know what are you looking forward to the most? Who are you going to meet? And more importantly, what books are you going to be picking up at the show? Let me know in the comment section below, or give me a tweet (@ChileanStorm) or send me an email. I love to hear back from y'all. But that's all I got for today, gotta go eat and rest up for another day of work tomorrow. Much love y'all and keep chasing the storm!

Not Just a Game...

Quick blog post here guys, just a couple of links that I think everyone should take a look at which deal with some pretty big issues that have been going on in the Gaming Community and on the internet for sometime now, and that I feel could be very well direct towards comics as well. I highly suggest you give it a read and you share it with as many people as possible, we need to spread tolerance and knowledge across the mediums that we love. 

Storify Video Games

Video Games are for Everybody

I don't want to get into this too much, seeing as I am more of a comic book guy now in days but I just want to say my part. 

Humans are the most evolved species on the planet, but only because we can announce it and place a flag down. We are still years away from being an alpha species and in my opinion it is because of fear. We allow our self to be afraid and to hate on anything that is different. And it's stupid and territorial kind of fear; don't let a Hispanic man marry a white women, make sure your kid isn't gay and god forbid you let a woman write your pay check. This is all a load of crap that majority of "modern" society has been fed for years and years, and are taught to fight these "evils". This is ancient mentality and a new age is coming, an age of acceptance and compassion. But the old and new minds are at a verbal war, and take it from me, I don't really care about ever being "right" but when being right means saving the lives of thousand of LGTBQ youth in Eastern Europe or allowing a women to make a commentary on the current state of gaming, I will fight to be right. I feel that ignorance and a lack of education are the real enemies here, and that only together can we help and educate one and other on the grand importance of human rights and dignity. In other words, the right to live in peace.

Famous Chilean singer, Victor Jara.

Thank you guys, remember to spread love and tolerance everywhere you go. Keep chasing the storm. 

Let's Riot!

So it goes without saying, it was a riot! An incredible day with amazing performances by some of my favourite bands, incredible food and great company, thanks to my best bro, Toby! I haven't been to show like this, let alone a concert in ages, so this was pretty awesome. I also got to see for the first time, Death Cab for Cutie, one of my favourite bands which I had not seen live, so that feels good to mark off my list. Although I would definitely go see them again, an hour set list isn't enough for me. I loved Tokyo Police Club, Metric and City & Colour performances, it shows a great strength in the current Canadian music scene. To any readers out of Canada, check these guys out for sure, some great music to be found here.

I could try and describe my day for you guys, but as they say a picture is worth a thousand words...

It's been a long day but it was well worth it, ready to take on this week ahead at full force. Rock on Storm Clouds and keep chasing the storm! 

The Moon Must Die...

It needs to be said, Marvel Knights kick ass. Daredevil, my favourite comic book hero of all time sets the bar high for all comics and represents the Marvel Knights proudly, The Punisher is the ultimate vigilante of all time, Ghost Rider is a hero who punishes evil and makes sure they go straight to hell (woah right) and Moon Knight...well he's insane. No, like for real insane. Multiple voices in my head kind of crazy. Rip your enemies face off kind of crazy. God worship kind of crazy. But most importantly, my kind of crazy. Moon Knight is another one of those heroes who most people either love or have never heard of, I really started getting into these books when they relaunched with David Finch as the lead artist, I remember asking my brother to wait in line for me to pick up the first issue and get it signed by Finch as well (thanks Fernando) and I still have that issue until this day, one of my treasures in my collection. But today I am going to take a look at the collections of issues dealing with what happens when the goverment decides to step in and take Marc Spector, the Moon Knight, out of the game for good. And if S.H.I.E.L.D can't catch you, then the Thunderbolts will kill you. Today we take a look at Moon Knight: The Death of Marc Spector, collecting issues 21 to 25 of Moon Knight and the Silent Knight one shot as well. And don't you worry, there will be blood. 

So what happens in an post Civil War world, with Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D trying to stop all unregistered super heroes and a crazy multiple personality hero out on the loose. You do the only logical thing and call in the Thunderbolts, a team of hired villains and psychopaths used to bring anyone who goes against the government. And did I mention this team is being run by Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. You also have world class crazies like Bullseye, Moonstone and Venom on the team as well. Fight fire with fire I guess. So it's a race to see who can stop or kill Moon Knight first, that's if anybody can put the white knight down. As we see even alone, with out any allies, Marc is still working away as a vigilante. And when the Thunderbolts come knocking, Moon Knight knocks back, in some the coolest fight scenes, especially when he kicks Swordsman's sorry ass all over the pages. A particular panel with Moon Knight kneeing him right in the face is absolutely incredible, a Marvel moment in my books. And the show down with Bullseye is really good as well, would love to see these two fight again sometime. And how does it all end up? With an ending that makes a lot of sense, in the insane upside world of this dark comic of course. I highly recommend this collection. 

The gritty tone of the story fits in the pages with the art and dialogue moving it along nicely, although I would have loved to see more fighting and perhaps some longer fights between all these characters, I think this could only have been done if this was a crossover story with the run of Thunderbolts as well. But for what you do get, it's pretty incredible. One of the things I loved most about this collection though were the covers by Arthur Suydam, some incredible painted covers showing Moon Knight facing off against Venom or Bullseye, some really cool work. I would as well highly suggest readers to start at the beginning of this series run to have a better understanding of the current story being told, otherwise you would think Iron Man is just being mean or something. But regardless it still holds as a really good dark super hero story, and good reason to get into Moon Knight. 

Another thing to point out before I go, is that I got this graphic novel book over at my local comic book store, Excalibur comics! You can get a points card, collect point and redeem for a selection of different graphic novels or comics, it's a great deal for crazy comic book fans...like me. So if you are in the Etobicoke area or if you are looking for a classic comic book store in Toronto, check them out. That's all the time I have for today, but I will be back with more comic book related blogs and reviews. Don't forget to comment below, share and subscribe to the page! Until then keep chasing the storm! 

An Old Birds Tale...

Looking through my collection this week and I came upon this Amazing Spider-man, written by Dan Slott and that got me thinking, how long has he been behind the friendly neighbourhood Spider-man? It has been for some time, the modern time spider we all know and love has been crafted and moulded by Slott for sometime now. I think to the upcoming Spider-verse arc that is coming up and I wonder on how far ahead have the writers and editors been planning these events, I am curious about all the little hints and clues as well, the things we may have overlooked. And since I've been enjoying the current run of ASM, I decided to take a look back at this issue, spanning just after the events of "Spider Island" and with a classic Spidey villain, the Vulture! Although this time he's got a flock of Vultures at his disposal to do his dirty work, he is old or lazy or both, who knows with that guy? So how bad can it be for our hero, let's find out...

We see Spider-man with his new ex girlfriend, Carlie Cooper investigating the recent "accidents" from teens literally falling from the sky. The theory is these are teens who have been de-powered after the events from Spider Island, were everyone in Manhattan had Spider-man powers and also eventually transformed into giant hairy spiders. Meanwhile we see the Vulture getting his gang ready for another robbery, letting the newest member of his group understand the situation he is in and who is really pulling the wings around here. We see that while each of these young hooligans are under the Vulture talon per say, they enjoy the benefits and the powers that come with it, the money and the respect as VIPs at their hideout club. As they fly off for the next heist, Spider-man and Carlie connect the dots and are off to stop the Vulture and his crew. Action ensues and we see the fight break out between the spider and the vultures, the young ones and the really really old one...who I gotta wonder, how old is he? I mean shouldn't he, you know retire or something, especially if one punch from Spider-man could turn him into dust. But no, actually he ends up throwing a large water container at Spider-man and ends up getting away. The ending though is pretty great, with both Carlie and Mary Jane meeting up to talk about Peter. The look on his face as he has the feeling something bad is going to happen is pretty priceless. Sucks to be Parker.

The whole issue had a really nostalgic feel to it, really felt like watching an episode of the cartoon Spider-man. And in some ways, isn't that we want from our web headed hero? The art and the writing feel perfect for this kind of story, it's a light hearted comic book adventure, if you looking for something dark and gritty call Frank Miller or something. In retrospect, maybe that's why some people didn't like Spider-man Reign, the book was pretty dark. But I really liked it and will definitely review it here when I find myself a copy. The one thing though out of a light hearted Spider-man book, is that it is something you can share with the younger generation and in many ways, we need to get the kids involved with comics, make them care and love the characters. And also, let them find the other characters as well, the other books aside from the mainstream classics. And while it may not be the most epic story ever written, it's a good light hearted super hero read. Worth a check out for every Spider-man fan. An easy read is what was needed after the events of Spider Island and this one fits the bill just right. 

So remember, while it may not do much for the bigger picture, I can't find any problems with issue 675, any problems without being a super nit picky comic book guy. And trust me, no one wants to be that guy. The only thing I would say is to find issue 674 first, only because it completes the entire story. And since it has been some years now, you should be able to find this one at a really low price. That's all the time I have for today, going to go grab a coffee and look through some more potential books to read and review. But as always I am open to any and all suggestions in the comment section below, be sure to subscribe and tell others about this page, until then, keep chasing the storm.

Shuma Mighty

There is a lot that can be said about the current and new Mighty Avengers team that is now part of the current Marvel Now of comics. Another Avengers team, I thought we already had like 10 of them. Or hey, a cool new multicultural team of heroes kicking ass on the streets. Or why not just call them Marvel Knights? But of all the things out of the first arc here of Mighty Avengers, my personal favourite part of all this is that during the Infinity fight that is taking place in New York, we find these heroes fighting off no other then the God of Chaos himself, Shuma-Gorath. Can you say, hells yes. 

We start issue 3 with the currently released Shuma-Gorath wrecking havoc on Times Square. If you don't know much about this one eyed monster, well he is a classic villain of Doctor Strange. A being of absolute power, he generally has to be summoned by some evil magic user, or in this case a mind controlled Doctor Strange. But gamers may remember him from plenty of the Marvel vs Capcom games, and I for one, always thought he was a really kick ass character. He is a one eyed tentacle monster from a chaos universe, how is that not awesome! So with Shuma-Gorath wrecking the entire city up, our heroes are trying to work together and figure something out. We got Luke Cage, Superior Spider-man, Spectrum and Spider-hero...? It's someone relatively important in a store bought costume, it's pretty funny actually. They also get some help in this issue from White Tiger, Power Fist and Blue Marvel. This I am guessing will be the first line up to the new Mighty Avengers team. And they work really well together, especially considering what they are up against. You get to see most characters use their abilities and even help one and other out, a classic presentation of super hero teamwork. But do they save the day? Not going to spoil that for you, so you should check it out! 

It goes without saying, I like Mighty Avengers. It's a different team, but it's one that has a more human connection then the other Avengers team, and I really like that. When reading comics, I really don't want to see how godly a super hero can be, honestly I could careless about freeze breath, laser eyes and crapping gold bricks. The more powerful a character is the less I feel like I should care. And while Blue Marvel seems like a Superman, I like the fact that he is more brain then brawn.  We know Blue Marvel has power, but he has the knowledge and wisdom not to abuse it. So I highly suggest you give Mighty Avengers a chance if you are looking for a group of heroes that are really down to Earth. And I assure that is more then a play on words.

So go out and get your self some Mighty Avengers, they are only up to issue 13 as of writing this, so it's enough time to catch up with the current stories. Or get the collection as well, a very cool way to see how New York City and the world deals with the Infinity and Inhumanity events of the Marvel universe.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestion, let me know below or on any of the many forms of social media! That's all the time I've got, until then keep chasing the storm!