Welcome to another edition of the Doctor's Prognosis! I am your host Dr. C-LOS.

I meant to do this blog sooner but I have been sick for like 2 weeks. It's my fault though because I was feeling better and went out with friends even though I wasn't 100%. So I got worse again.

Anyway, let's get on with the show! Random stuff today with novels, movies, and games...

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth

Another graphic novel I read recently. It's VERY dark stuff. Even for Batman. It's more like a psychological horror story than anything else. Joker and the other inmates get loose and have only one demand: to meet with the Batman. Very good read and part of the inspiration for the new Batman game that was recently announced. The artwork is amazing. Very surreal and portrays the insanity of the story and characters very well. Highly recommended.

V for Vendetta

I just saw this movie for the first time and I thought it was amazing. Poetic at times and I was surprised how well it fits with what is going on with the U.S. political climate at this time. Especially with what many are afraid of where the country might end up. We may one day pray for a masked man to fight for our liberties. Now I really want to read the original graphic novel which was written by Alan Moore, who also wrote Watchmen. Big thumbs up.

Lego Batman

OK so after the grim Dark Knight film and the creepy Arkham Asylum, we are soon getting the upbeat Lego Batman. And believe it or not, I am excited for this game. It may not be very gritty but it has most of your favorite Batman characters and the gameplay has been consistently good in these Lego games. I will probably be picking this one up. Look for it on Sept. 23rd. Just two days before my birthday!

Batman: Arkham Asylum

This was recently announced and looks amazing. Check out more shots here. The plot revolves around Batman turning the Joker into the asylum but he soon gets loose. Joker got caught on purpose in order to get his hands on a serum at the asylum that is supposed to cure people but has some nasty side effects. Now Batman has to fight his way out of the asylum.

The game runs on the Unreal 3 Engine which is why it looks so great. The gameplay is 3rd person combat but will involve stealth-like elements that the developers call "Predator gameplay." For example, you might run into some guards and you can take them out one at a time in various ways until maybe one is left. The great thing is there is a fear element too. The remaining thug will become scared and begin shooting at nothing. Making it easier for Batman to take him out.

Combat also yields experience points where you can level Batman up and then use skill points to spec Batman how you want. So there are some RPG elements as well.

Furthermore, Batman gets to use cool CSI type gadgets to look for clues like fingerprints so you can really act like the "World's Greatest Detective." Hopefully this element will be used well and will make you actually use your head.

The game also seems to work similar to Metroid, Zelda, and Castlevania in that you will run into areas that are inaccessible at first but that you will come back to later as you advance in the game.

There are also supposed to be cool boss fights that you must approach differently depending on yor enemies strengths and weaknesses. Some are even supposed to be as big as you see in Zelda. Killer Croc might be one of these bosses as he can be seen in the screen shots. And boy does he look scary. Huge and scaly, Croc looks similar to a Locust from Gears of War.

The game is being developed by Rocksteady who are largely unproven. Their only game is Urban Chaos which got a decent score from Gamespot. Since this game isn't being rushed to tie in to anything, and because what I have read and seen looks so good, I am cautiously optimistic about this. Keep an eye out for this game which is slated for next year. Make it good Rocksteady! I'm keeping my eye on you!

Cosplayer of the Blog

This time we get a trifecta of the same cute girl dressed as 3 different characters. I have no idea who they are but who cares?

The new semester begins for me next week so I will be on here much less. I will try to be on here as much as possible but please don't be upset if I am unable to read or comment your blogs as often. My blogs may be fewer and farther between as well... because they are so consistently posted now....

Anyway, see you on your next appointment with The Doctor's Prognosis!

Welcome to another edition of the Doctor's Prognosis! I am your host Dr. C-LOS.

I haven't been very active lately for trying to finish Bioshock before the year anniversary for the game's release, and before Too Human comes out. I really want to give that game my full attention. I have also been a little under the weather so I haven't done a new blog as timely as I would have liked to.

Anyway, since watching the Dark Knight, my brother and I have been on a graphic novel kick. I recently read some great stuff so I thought I'd share them. They are mostly Batman but there are some other gems as well.

Batman: The Long Halloween

This is to many one of the best Batman stories. It's a detective story that focuses on Batman trying to determine the identity of a serial killer that only kills on one holiday for the month. The story begins and ends on Halloween so it's basically 13 chapters put together. This is one of the novels that Nolan based his characterizations of Batman, Gordon, and Dent on for his film so it's highly recommended.

Batman: Year One

This novel was written by Frank Miller of Sin City fame. It covers Bruce Wayne in his first amateur vigilante outing and when he first becomes the Batman. It also features Gordon when he shows up in Gotham City for the first time. Great story for those new to Batman. Interestingly, some elements were taken from this story for Nolan's Batman Begins including the budding friendship between Gordon and Batman, and the inclusion of the mobster Falcone.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Also by Frank Miller, this is Batman's omega as an aging Bruce Wayne returns to fight crime in an increasingly dangerous Gotham City. This is probably my favorite Batman graphic novel featuring many older variations of the familiar Batman cast with a great appearance by Superman himself. Any Batman fan should check this out.

Batman: Hush

This is one of Batman's more recent graphic novels featuring many appearances by various villains as Batman tries to figure out who is manipulating them before he ends up dead. Quite a few surprises are in this one. You can find it in two volumes.

Bone: Out from Boneville

Written and illustrated by Jeff Smith, this was quite a surprise. It has quite a cartoony look to it but I found it endearing. It was also hilarious at some points. I found it addicting and read the entire first volume in one night. It is very much set in a fantasy world with dragons, rat creatures, and odd little white men from a place called Boneville. The characters are what makes this so great. They all have their own personalities and their interactions make for some funny moments. Especially between cousins Fone Bone, Phony Bone, and Smiley Bone. I can't wait to finish this series. Highly recommended.

The Metabarons

This is an awesome series with great art. It's actually the art that attracted me to the novel in the first place. But the story kept me coming back for more. It's a science fantasy epic that chronicles the lives of the 5 generations of the dynasty of perfect warriors known as the Metabarons. I believe it was originally published in French but they have been available in English for a few years now so I highly recommend this if you're into science fiction fantasy type settings. It's like a space opera with Greek tragedy elements. Big thumbs up.

Watchmen

What can I say about this work of art? It's written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Watchmen is the only graphic novel to win the Hugo award which is an award for excellence in science fiction or fantasy. It's also the only graphic novel to be featured in Time Magazine's 2005 "100 best English language novels." It's set in an alternate history 1985 where costumed vigilantes are real and nuclear war with the Soviet Union is an ever present danger. What further sets this novel apart is that the superheroes are presented as real people battling personal problems and ethical dilemnas. I highly recommend reading this soon. At least before the film comes out next year. Even if the film is good, I doubt it can be anywhere near as good as the novel. It was thought to be unfilmable because there is just so many layers to it. It really takes advantage of the graphic novel format in a way that would be difficult to reproduce in any other way. That would include film and non-graphic novel. I give it my highest possible recommendation.

Cosplayer of the Blog

I can see Mai winning a lot of matches based solely on the fact that her oufit is very distracting....

This is distracting but in the wrong way.....

Yikes....

Anyway, I hope you got something out of my graphic novel blog. I highly recommend checking those titles out.

You may see me less on here as school is rapidly approaching and my retail job gets more hectic as Christmas rears it's ugly head. I will try to get on here as much as possible.

So I will see you all on your next appointment with the Doctor's Prognosis!

Welcome my peeps to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! I am your humble host, Dr. C-LOS.

Freakazoid!

I just wanted to mention that one of my favorite WB cartoons, Freakazoid!, is now on DVD. I still think it's funny but I think it's not for everyone. Purchasing the first season was a no brainer for me. They also just released Tiny Toon Adventures on DVD which was a fun show when I was a kid. WB is usualy very good at making smart, funny cartoons so check these releases out if you're into that kind of thing like I am.

SoulCalibur IV

Well I don't really have too much money, I get paid tonight, but I bought SoulCalibur IV anyway. I just charged it...

So far, it's a great game and plays similar to the original Dreamcast iteration. I admittedly never played the sequels or SoulEdge though.

This time around they have armor pieces and you can break the armor if you stay offensive and your opponent likes the guard button. This can put them at a huge disadvantage where you can eventually break their guard and perform a critical strike that will finish them off.

So the game actually forces you to play smart. It's more about knowing when to react and strike instead of mashing buttons and hoping you pull off long combos.

So far it seems like the meat of the game is the Tower of Lost Souls Mode. The Story Mode is too short and the Arcade Mode offers nothing new. The Tower will have you ascending and then descending several floors filled with fights with multiple characters. The cool thing is that you can unlock treasures/items for the game by completing challenging objectives in each floor. Some are easy like just throwing an opponent once but some are more difficult like performing a critical finish on all opponents on the floor.

I haven't tried the online yet but so far I think this is a great game and will have you playing for hours in the Tower or with multiplayer. Definitely pick this up if you want a good fighting game.

DS Games

This is kind of random but I recently been playing some DS games my friend let me borrow and here are some notables.

Arkanoid DS: I was a fan of the original and this new iteration is a blast. Of course you get some nice power-ups but I was surprised with the quality of the music in this game. It actually tries to have a story to it which is kind of odd but not really needed. The great thing is that you can quick save during gameplay so you can come back to where you left off. Great update to a cla.ssic and worth looking into if you want some quick fun on the go.

Space Invaders Extreme: I was surprised with this one as well. Reminded me of Meteos, Rez, and Lumines in the way that it incorporates puzzle and/or music game elements into the gameplay. The music is great and you help it along with your actions which I thought was cool. It also seems like you get bonuses for nailing same-colored groups together. I only played it a little bit but it was a lot of fun and I think is another great update to a cla.ssic.

So there you have two new iterations to cla.ssic games which I thought for sure would suck but I was pleasantly surprised. Definitely check these game out as they're great additions to the DS library.

Cosplayer of the Blog

I thought this was pretty bad ass. It doesn't hurt that Samus is cute too.

Here is some advice for cosplaying... try not to look like you hate doing it.

That is all for this edition of the Prognosis. Thanks for reading my peeps!

Make sure to come see me again next time!