Dormammu — The dread lord has been a longtime adversary of Strange. Dormammu rules over the Dark Dimension, which he conquered by force and by overthrowing the established leader. He has challenged Strange many times in an attempt to take over the Earth realm but has lost. He is a being of immense power and a master of chaotic magic.

Mephisto — Basically, Mephisto can pose as the Devil, but he is not Satan and does not rule over Hell. He is a ruler of a hell dimension and has established himself as a broker of souls. Mephisto, father of Marvel stalwart Blackheart, is responsible for the the creation of Ghost Rider.

Nightmare — Nightmare rules over the Nightmare World in the Dimension of Dreams. He is capable of manipulating the dreams of humans and gaining control over them. Nightmare is a demon attempting to take over the realm of the awake.

Shuma-Gorath — Shuma-Gorath is one of a race of creatures — known collectively as Shuma-Gorath — that take the shape of a cycloptic tentacled eye. In Strange’s time, Shuma-Gorath attempts to enter the mainstream dimension through the mind of the Ancient One. This results in Strange having to kill his master to prevent Shuma-Gorath’s manifestation. Shuma-Gorath again tries after Strange absorbs him and begins to turn into him. It is eventually killed but resurrects itself through Chaos Magic.

NAME:

AFFILIATION: Avengers, Squadron Supreme, Defenders

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Overall, the most Supreme mastery of magic and mystical energies than anyone else on Earth. Astral projection, telepathic communication and possession of mystical objects that enable flight as well as invisibility.

BACKGROUND: Stephen Strange was a master surgeon who was brilliant yet arrogant. Strange injured his hands, depriving him of his livelihood. Using all of his money and resources, Strange went broke and became an alcoholic. Seeking a cure to restore the use of his hands, Strange journeyed to Tibet and met with the Ancient One. Strange stayed for years, training alongside Baron Mordo in a competition to succeed the Ancient One as sorcerer supreme of Earth. When Mordo revealed himself as a traitor, Strange took the position as apprentice. After the Ancient One died, Strange took on the full title and position.

RELATIONSHIPS: Ancient One, mentor; Clea, lover

FIRST VERSUS GAME APPEARANCE: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

APPEARANCES IN OTHER MEDIA: Marvel Ultimate Alliance (multiplatform), The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin (Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear), Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems (SNES), Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (PC), X-Men the Animated Series (television), Spider-Man the Animated Series (television), Dr. Strange (film), Dr. Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme (animated film)

Brandon Beatty, contributing editor

Readers, welcome back to Otaku Corner. In this issue we continue to look at the worldwide smash manga series “Death Note.” For those that have just started to read Otaku Corner and Death Note, I would like to get you up to speed.

Death Note is the perfect blend of gothic horror fused with an intriguing storyline in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, only this time it is in manga form. So far, I have reviewed three volumes of Death Note and took some time off to only review other animated series to keep from exhausting Death Note. So, hold one and get ready: Your friendly neighborhood otaku will once again present to you a battle of wits between high school achiever Light Yagami and ace detective L, two chosen men brought together by the Death Note, a notebook that will kill anyone whose name is written in it. Light aka Kira, who has one copy of the death note, vows to rid the world of violent criminals, while L vows to stop Kira’s numerous killing sprees and restore justice.

In the fourth volume of Death Note, written by Tsugumi Ohba, illustrated by Takeshi Obata and published by Viz Media, we last left L (aka Ryuzaki) and Light (Kira) recovering from an attack on TV news personalities. Light’s father, a top officer in Japan’s National Police Agency, was instrumental in uncovering evidence at a local TV station of a second Kira. As a result, the two dueling geniuses called a truce to track down the second Kira, who is later revealed as Misa Amane, a up-and-coming model/actress who not only has her own death note, but the shinigami with her, Rem, has given her the ability to see people’s true identities. The drawback is that it would cost half of her lifespan.

Light, as a member of Ryuzaki’s team and Kira, is found quickly by Misa who offers to help him kill L in exchange for Light becoming her boyfriend. Light, at first, tries to threaten Misa with death, but Rem threatens to kill if any harm falls upon Misa. At the same time, Light tries to balance life as Kira, an investigator and college student while plotting to kill L. When Misa arrives at Light’s college and tells him L’s real name, Light seems ready to declare victory. However, L’s wits strike again as Misa is taken into custody by the NPA and is held by L in an undisclosed location.

Light, noting that the odds are against him, acts on his plan to keep suspicion from himself and Misa by begging Ryuzaki to confine him for a period of time. Light’s father, Socihiro, protests Light’s decision, which results in him requesting confinement as well. L agrees to Soichiro’s request except that his confinement would be different in that Sochiro would still have access to information, while Light is separated and cut off.

DN Vol. 4 keeps all of the thrills and mystery intact, complete with the psychological tactics that L and Light use, which are associated with high risk and high rewards. L decides to go underground to protect himself, while Light, who has a an ally in Misa, ponders if she is either a liability or an asset to his plans as Kira.

Obata’s illustrations are still top notch, capturing every character’s emotion, while at the same time Obha’s story line remains flawless by keeping the fusion of supernatural and mystery elements intact. I also like the backstory to Misa in how she received her death note and Rem via another shinigami’s death in which Rem killed her stalker. In short, the fourth volume of Death Note, while short on high-octane action, continues its lure of preparing readers for the next action-filled volume.

Volume 4 has take a break from the fast-paced action and focuses mainly on emotions, yet continues the strong pace of supernatural horror and mystery. You should be warned that the action and mind games will pick up again in its high-paced style with even more twists and turns that will keep you guessing who has who. My fellow otaku, come back to “Otaku Corner” for more Death Note reviews. A piece of advice: be wary of the gothic blondes. They are VERY possessive.

Brandon Beatty is contributing editor of Gaming Insurrection. He can be reached by email at brandonb@gaminginsurrection.com

Photo courtesy of the Marvel wikia

Dr. Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme

Lionsgate, 2007

Dr. Strange DVD conjures fine story

Dr. Strange is strange, indeed. He’s got the potential to be a top-tier character, yet he’s not out there for Marvel that much. However, he has received the animated movie treatment like most of the peripheral Avengers so he has some prominence. And his film isn’t that bad.

Dr. Strange takes some time getting into. Starting off slow, the film handles Strange’s backstory with care, mixing in different parts from the mainstream and Ultimates incarnations. We see how Strange is at the top of his game, loses everything and hits rock bottom and finally becomes Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. In his journey, Strange learns to care about others and that money and position in life aren’t everything. Even though Strange has one of the most cliché tales, especially involving a friend-turned-foe, the story isn’t bad and it’s paced pretty well. The addition of the backstory involving his sister’s death is slightly weird, since it’s not in the actual comics. While it gives Strange some emotional depth and makes him more relatable than his comic counterpart, it’s not actually necessary.

What really makes the film worth watching is its voice acting cast. The voices chosen are perfect. With Kevin Michael Richardson among them, the cast is pitch perfect and almost could have been considered for the same roles in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (ed’s note: Richardson does make an appearance in MvC3, not as Baron Mordo but as Galactus). Bryce Johnson, as the voice of Strange, is also excellent. There are a few more well-known names such as Phil LaMarr, Marvel stalwart Fred Tatasciore and Tara Strong that round out the strong cast.

Also standout is the quality of the animation. The characters animate beautifully and the lines and style are clean. It’s in the same vein as The Avengers movies, but look better than Hulk Versus.

Dr. Strange is an interesting character, and his animated feature provides a decent-if-not-cliché look at his memorable background and struggle to become something greater than himself. Give it a go if Strange’s tale of might and magic will intrigue you.

HOW WE GRADE

We score the prop­er­ties in three cat­e­gories: Cast­ing (or voice act­ing in cases of ani­mated), plot and sim­i­lar­i­ties to its source mate­r­ial. Each cat­e­gory receives points out of the max­i­mum of 10 per cat­e­gory and 30 over­all. The per­cent­age is the final score.

Like the comics?: 6

Casting: 9.5

Plot: 8

Overall: 23.5/30 or 7.8

Lyndsey Mosley, editor in chief

Charles Xavier: Former leader of the X-Men, founder of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. Morally ambiguous leader who mind wipes foes. Yes, Xavier is capable of great things and then there’s that tendency for him to get into the dark side of his humanity and kill people.

Just where did Xavier go wrong?

First, let’s examine the good that came from Xavier’s actions. In creating the X-Men, his strikeforce for perpetuating the good of mutantkind, Xavier gave a home to and helped many a mutant with a tragic background. These people may not have had any other place to go, killed themselves or others if not for the benevolence of the professor. However, there’s two sides to every story and Xavier didn’t always practice what he preached in taking in wayward mutants.

The list of questionable actions arising from the creation of the X-Men didn’t come to light until much later, and when it did, Xavier had to pay. I mean, who does things such as: tamper with a mutant’s mind to prevent their assassination (Wolverine); let a sentient being remain enslaved while knowing they are capable of advanced thought and feelings (Danger Room); tell a mutant for years that he can help them when he really can’t (Rogue); and erase the memory of fallen comrades that he sent unprepared into the field and who subsequently died solely to cover his tracks (Vulcan, Petra, Sway)? That would be Xavier in a number of story arcs. When even Cyclops and Wolverine are disgusted with you, you have a problem.

I’ll be the first to admit that I love the early character of Xavier. He was modeled after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a personal hero, so there’s much to love about him. However, his problems with lying and secret-keeping are an immediate dealbreaker in terms of character likability. The more recent story arcs seem to be rehabilitating Xavier into a broken-but-honest man. Let’s hope they continue down that path.

Lyndsey Mosley is editor in chief of Gaming Insurrection. She ponders the humanity of the X-Men at gicomics@gaminginsurrection.com

Photos courtesy of the Marvel Database Wikia

ULTIMATE AVENGERS

Lionsgate/Marvel Animated Features, 2006

Ultimately awesome: Avengers cartoon passes test

We should start out by saying that we’re longtime comic fans. We’ve followed Marvel’s heroes for years and we’ve read issues of the Ultimates when it debuted. There’s one word that describes the Ultimates perfectly — cinematic. From the dramatic art to the epic storytelling, the comic had all the makings of a great film. We always hoped they’d make a live-action version of it, but it’s easy to see why Marvel would choose it as the first of their adult-oriented animation.

So, how did it translate from the printed page to the small screen? Not too shabby in our opinion.

The first thing any fan of Marvel will note about this animated movie is that the dark and violent edge has been taken off of Mark Millar’s story. This is understandable since they want to market this film to the widest audience possible, but it also removes some of the plot points that made it unique.

For example, Hank Pym doesn’t abuse his wife, Janet. They bicker, but there’s no domestic abuse anywhere. Captain America doesn’t beat the crap out of Hank and break his jaw. The Hulk is also violent, but he isn’t the embodiment of the male psyche run amok. (He doesn’t want to kill Freddie Prinze Jr. for being on a date with Betty.) That being said, though, elements of that edge are still present mainly in the action scenes. The Hulk breaks Giant Man’s knee. The Wasp flies into Hulk’s ear in a memorable moment. We also see Captain America fly a plane into a German base from the spectacular opening of the comic. So, though it has been watered down to a degree, there’s still a little bit of the edge left.

The film takes a few key scenes and the overall alien invasion plot and reshuffles it around to fit the needs of people with attention deficit disorder. For example, you have memorable scenes like the Hulk’s rampage (now at the end of the story), Captain America’s opening battle and Steve Rogers’ revival. However, you also have some changes like a new action scene involving a battle at a SHIELD base, a plane rescue scene by Iron Man and the alien invasion set in New York. There are also some changes to the characters. In the comic, Iron Man had a huge staff helping him maintain the suit while in this film Tony Stark works solo and anonymously. Thor is also a little different: He’s still an activist, but this time, the Norse god is saving the whales, which is ironic since Norway is one of two countries still hunting whales. You’d think Vikings would like whale burgers.

The animation in the film is a bit different. The character designs and backgrounds look pretty good, and the characters are highly detailed and full of color. There are times when the animation is spectacular, mainly during the fight scenes, however, the quality seems to waver between a Saturday morning animation and big-screen animation. It never quite achieves the level of excellence that most adult audiences have come to expect. They seem to be aiming for anime level of quality, but it never quite reaches it. The end result seems to be just what Marvel intends — animation that is just good enough to tell the story and cheap enough that they can crank it out quickly cash in, then move to the next film.

The voice actors of this movie did a great job. Each voice seemed to fit with each character. There is some heavy star power for this project. And you feel that experience in every line and scene. Fred Tatasciore, who voices Hulk on many projects is here. He makes you think that he has always been the Hulk with every roar, scream and referring to himself in third person. Justin Gross (Captain America) is Ryu Hayabusa in Ninja Gaiden series and the Dead or Alive series. Nolan North has made his name known all over the place, notably as Deadpool in “Hulk VS.” The voice acting works great and nothing seems dry or out of place. And if you think you can make a better Thor, you should watch some of the other people try out for those parts and see if you add up to these experienced actors.

The Ultimate Avengers is a great movie for superheroes fans of all ages. There is something for everyone here: There’s a love story, someone trying to find their place in this world, a guy who wants to protect the world from the people in it, and a story of friends from different world. This is what the kids of all ages look for in a superhero story.

HOW WE GRADE

We score the properties in three categories: Casting (or voice acting in cases of animated), plot and similarities to its source material. Each category receives points out of the maximum of 10 per category and 30 overall. The percentage is the final score.

Casting: 9/10

Plot: 9/10

Like the comics?: 8/10

Overall rating: 8.6

Brandon Beatty, contributing editor

Welcome back to another segment of “Otaku Corner” where my job is to review anime and manga for your leisure. In a previous OC review, I covered the first issue of Viz Medias’ adaptation of the “All New Tenchi Muyo!” graphic novel series in which good times of watching Tenchi and Co. on Cartoon Network’s “Toonami” block were revived. “Long live the Absolution Revolution,” I say. Now, with my shoutout to a legendary show complete, let us board Ryo-oh-ki Airlines, Flight 803 to check out the second installment of the “All-New Tenchi Muyo: Doom Time.”

In this second volume, Tenchi and Co. are at it again doing what they do best: Flirting, bickering to no end, and keeping Earth and the rest of the universe safe from the most outlandish and roguish villains ever known though seven chapters. In “Doom Time,” hence the subtitle, Washu invents a very cool device to alter time; trouble is, everyone except Ryo-oh-ki and a cute little visitor named Taro are trapped in time where Team Masaki is literally fighting against the clock to stay alive and keeping young Taro safe. Next, our favorite goofball in uniform, Mihoshi, finds herself in the middle of a bank robbery that quickly goes beyond awry when the proposed robber grabs Mihoshi ‘s gun resulting in teaching would-be criminals why crime does not pay at all.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Poor Sasami has three chapters in which she is the star; only she is helping the others to fight against cute-yet-murderous building restoration robots and to somehow keep her father from annihilating her fellow classmates. Finally, Washu and the gang face off against an old enemy, Dr. Clay, and his newest weapon: an evil clone of Washu. Programmed at first to strike at Washu, it has the entire household facing off against not one but five clones known as “Dark Washu,” setting off a “to be continued” storyline for Vol. 3.

While reading this second installment of “Tenchi Muyo,” I found that everything that pulled me to this series is still here, keeping the sprit of the Tenchi anime and manga series intact and introducing a new generation of anime fans to harem manga that isn’t just girls domain. The action elements are superb in feeding adrenaline junkies their lust for action without overuse of “Gundam” or “Dragon Ball Z” elements. I must inform you that there is fan service abound in this issue. Ryoko’s cover shot, while alluring, passes the standards and practices rules.

Viz Media has earned the respect of Tenchi fans by having the English adaptation team of writer Fred Burke, translator Lillian Olsen and editor Eric Searleman dive into the Tenchi Muyo phenomenon, understanding that Tenchi Muyo is a cornerstone of Japanese animation and not the latest moneymaking franchise. Hitoshi Okuda’s talent in the storyline and art areas will make you feel as if you’re watching your own personal episode of TM without any commercial breaks.

My favorite scenes of the manga were in chapter five when King Jurai tries to teach one of Sasami’s classmates about manners in his own way, and in chapter seven when Washu and Dark Washu engage in intellectual and physical combat. I felt the action and the intense rivalry seeming from the pages. Anyone who is fortunate to pick a copy of a Tenchi Muyo manga will definitely get their money’s worth as great care in the English adaptation and the combination of excellent art and storyline ensures a great time for all without compromise.

As I close out this edition of Otaku Corner, I would like to take this time to say thanks to you, the readers, for reading this column; it was something that Lyndsey, Jamie and myself thought about for a while within GI and finally added to the video game realm in which anime and manga have a strong connection with Japan. Again, I say thank you, and now must fasten my seat belt per stewardesses Mihoshi, Ayaka and Ryoko as Ryo-oh-ki Airways Flight 803 has safely landed and awaits its treat of all things carrots. I wonder where was she when I needed a veggie wingman?

Brandon Beatty is contributing editor of Gaming Insurrection. He can be reached by email at brandonb@gaminginsurrection.com

AFFILIATION: X-Men, New Mutants/X-Force, Six Pack

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Telekinesis and telepathy. Enhanced eyesight through his techno-organic eye and enhanced strength and durability in parts affected by the virus. Cable is also proficient in most weaponry created.

BACKGROUND: Cable is the son of Scott Summers (the X-Men’s Cyclops) and Madelyne Pryor, a clone of the X-Men’s Jean Grey. When Cable was born, Pryor tried to sacrifice the child who was already supposed to be a weapon for Mr. Sinister to use against Apocalypse. Sinister had created Pryor to continue his manipulation of the Summers bloodline. Shortly after Pryor committed suicide, Cable was infected with a techno-organic virus by Apocalypse. To save the child, Cyclops sent him to the future with the Clan Askani, headed by a future version of Cable’s sister, Rachel Summers or Mother Askani.

While in the future, Mother Askani did two things: First, she halted the spread of the virus so that it is just on the left side of Cable’s body; and two, she created a clone of the child. This clone, later stolen by Apocalypse, was raised to become Stryfe. Once the child was healed, and had been raised by Scott and Jean in the future, he defeated Apocalypse and Jean and Scott returned to the present time. Cable later was framed for an assassination attempt on Professor Charles Xavier by Stryfe, who lead a rebel group against him. Cable married and had a child, Tyler, but his wife was killed by Stryfe. Cable then traveled to the 20th century when Stryfe fled there. He founded Six Pack and reformed the New Mutants into X-Force. He also destroyed the present-day Apocalypse and rescued and cared for the mutant messiah infant Hope.

RELATIONSHIPS: Madelyne Pryor (Goblin Queen), mother; Scott Summers (Cyclops), father; Jean Grey (Phoenix), mother; Rachel Summers (Phoenix), sister; Alex Summers (Havok), uncle; Christopher Summers (Corsair), grandfather; Katherine Summers, grandmother; Gabriel Summers (Vulcan), uncle; Nate Grey (X-Man), genetically identical alternate reality version; Stryfe, clone; Aliya, wife; Tyler, son; Hope Summers (adult), wife; Hope Summers (infant), adopted daughter

FIRST VERSUS GAME APPEARANCE: Marvel vs. Capcom 2

APPEARANCES IN OTHER MEDIA: X-Men the Animated Series (television), X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (Sony PSP), X-Men 2: Game Master’s Legacy (Sega Game Gear), X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse (GameBoy Advance); Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (multiplatform)

Is there anything better than watching your favorite superheroes using their superpowers to save the world from certain doom? The answer: Yes, listening to those same superheroes deliver some of the best and memorable lines you will hear at some of the best moments in Marvel’s Ultimate Avengers animated film. This quarter, we salute the Avengers crew’s witty delivery in the face of danger.

Tony Stark (to Black Widow): “I’m free for nightcaps later. Interested? You can bring your gun.”

A billionaire by day and Iron Man by night, Stark is known to have a soft spot for the ladies. He has never met a woman who has resisted him or that would ever turn him down. So, when the Black Widow meets Mr. Moneybags and undresses him using her gun, the billionaire isn’t turned off, making him more hardcore than that other billionaire who wears a cape.

Bruce: “Any questions?”

Lab workers raise hands

Bruce: “Any questions not about the Hulk?”

Lab workers lower hands.

This genius is known for his brilliant mind and his hulking desire to destroy when he is angry. He is willing to do whatever it takes to be with the love of his life, Betty. That includes leading a lab trying to redevelop the Super Soldier Serum. Sometimes, people in his lab just ask too many questions.

After taking a beating from Hulk, Captain America walks up to the Hulk.

Captain America: “Hey! We are not done yet!”

Captain America then punches Hulk in the face … twice.

This all-American soldier is known for inspiring everyone — team members and readers alike — to be the best person you can be. But Cap also practices what he preaches.

Thor: “… and though we are but peaceful protesters, do not assume that we cannot be provoked.”

Whale hunter shoots at Thor

Thor: “ Like that.”

Lightning and wind batters the hunters

The son of Odin is no pushover. But, he doesn’t openly look for fights; he fights for only what he believes in. So, Thor, who, is from Norway — one of two countries that still hunts whales — is helping a group of people protect the whales from whale hunters. A noble cause, indeed. And all protests are peaceful unless he is provoked

Giant Man (while holding Hulk in his hand): “You’re still a little man, Banner. Now, knock it off or I’m gonna squish you.”

Hulk breaks the hold and grabs Giant Man by the neck. Hulk then punches Hank in the knee, breaking it.

The Hulk doesn’t have to speak for you to understand what he wants. You just know when he looks at you to either run or hope that Hulk is distracted by the time he gets to you. In fact, Hulk is the only person on the list who doesn’t have an actual spoken line. Hardcore.

Lyndsey Mosley, editor in chief

I don’t know where the inclination to bash a direct comic book movie has come from in recent years, but it honestly needs to stop.

I don’t know about the various movie critics out there, but I love a good comic book movie. And, if it just so happens that to achieve this rare feat someone must copy a comic panel by panel, then so be it.

That’s much more preferable than watching some mangled chop job by a director hack who doesn’t “get it.”

Take for instance “Sin City.” Every time I turned on the TV or read a review, someone was bashing the film because it was “too close to the comic.”

You’ve got to be kidding me. It was perfect. Everything that I knew about the comic actually came from the movie and inspired me to pick it up, not the other way around. So what if it was lifted nearly word for word? I’d rather have that than a butchered idea based on something that might resemble a video game movie (see: every Batman film after Returns and and Super Mario Bros.).

Another example? “Watchmen.” It, too, was criticized because of its close proximity to the comic book, and yet, what some critics didn’t realize was that the movie changed some key elements.

If they’d actually bothered to read the comic AND watch the movie, they would have known that. But somehow, it was too abstract and “comic-like” to do well. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. If it hadn’t been just like the comic, someone would have criticized the movie for straying too far from its roots. But because it was identical to the comic in nearly every respect, it was deemed too close to its source.

Really, movie critics, throw me a bone here.

As a comic book fan, I’m glad we’re moving past the point where movies based on properties are garbage adaptations that have nothing to do with the characters’ past or present activities and don’t make a drop of sense. If someone wants to give me exactly what I can pick up a book and read, more power to them. In an analogous school turn, I’d rather they study and do their homework than to not do the reading.

Lyndsey Mosley is editor in chief of Gaming Insurrection. She enjoys direct panel lifts at gicomics@gaminginsurrection.com