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.