I was reluctant to write a piece on 9/11, but on this day as I sit in my office cubicle, I contemplate on the actuality of what a hero is. Reminiscing on the cover of the 9-11 Volume 2 book that delves into 9/11 related comic art, I find the cover intriguing. It has superman and his loyal super-dog Krpto looking up at a banner with an array of 9/11 respondents.  

Some of the most brutal music to date does not belong to death metal, black metal, thrash, grind, or anything near traditional. No, the honor is bestowed upon many of the Black Noise bands coming out, and those that have been around for a minute. Using sounds that seal the listener away, helplessly, into a cocoon of strange sounds, hisses, modulated feedback, and anguished vocal attacks, BN pushes an envelope that can cause supreme anxiety into the listener. One such album, to drop from a sea of writhing sounds, is A Means By Which To Break The Surface Of The Real by Theologian. Here’s a review of this diabolical dance music straight from your parents nightmares!  

“Good cannot exist without evil and evil cannot exist without good…” -M. Night Shyamalan describing the films use of superhero archetypes. After 15 years, M. Night Shyamalan’s film Unbreakable stays as a cult classic in regards to its symbolism and modern take on heroes and villains. Coming out in 2000 before the super-hero cinematic universe exploded as a franchise spectacle, Unbreakable delved into a world that was still considered an underground medium in regards to the comic book world. Also, one needs to realize that while coming out PRE-September 11th, 2001, the United States did not face a terrorized attack to this magnitude that required the security coping mechanism of comic book themed heroes as... 

What can I say about the legacy of Dragon Ball Z. With its latest film, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, series creator Akira Toriyama helps to supervise this latest installment with the return of the vile, and evil Freeza. Now, what differentiates the return of this antagonist into the DBZ world from any other rendition of Freeza’s schemes? Can when expect a lackadaisical approach to a rehashed franchise? On the contrary, it separates itself very nicely from a recycled use of characters. How have these heroes and villains evolved within a showdown of classic nostalgia? For starters, Gohan who from my perspective was always the “chosen one” of Goku’s offspring, is actually a former shell of his martial arts... 

So, is 2016 the year of “The Super-Hero” in regards to cinema? With six films slated, are we expanding the comic universe for better or for worse? First and foremost, lets differentiate the DC and Marvel realms into a pro and con faction. Then lets delve into the styles of each brand, to distinguish if each version is over-saturated or properly immersed with proper substance.  

Album CoverHailing from the beautiful Hamburg, Grim Vision combines the reckloose speed of hardcore through the bleak aggression of black metal, creating a cinder block of heavy, grinding metal on their newest slab, War Agony. Here’s a review about it!  

Grind Thrashers from the prison continent (Australia), King Parrot, have dropped their newest problem child on an unsuspecting world, the deliciously heavy Dead Set! Here’s a Review!  

When so many bands are going for the long, complex songs that drag an album out, Forced Order brings the brutality back to the fore front with a 14 song, 21 minute exercise in beating faces in, on the newest Vanished Crusade.  

When: July 13th, 2015 Where: Friendz Bar/Zombie Burger Who: Cosby, Pills, and Hash (working title) Never The Victim MOTHERFUCKING GARTHOK Cancer Bats  

Is too much of a good thing, really a bad thing? Is it possible that Marvel movies have been over-saturated to the point where they are causing there own cancellations?  

Ancient Greeks believed in the multitude of Gods and Goddesses dwelling on mount Olympus, Hindus used complex iconography to develop deep symbolism, and Egyptians mastered hieroglyphics to demonstrate a polytheistic beings of utmost omnipotence. What DC has done with Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, was develop and master a world of heroes and villains that represent the archetypes that harness our unlimited boundless imaginations.  

“I thought if I was going to direct a movie like this, which I would like to do at some point, I need to have something of a refresher course of how these movies are done…..” These are the words Ben Affleck told Entertainment Weekly in regards to him ever directing a super-hero movie.