The Quest AllStrike adds yet another dimension to the art thats innovative and lends itself to precision fighting ...
593006
The Quest AllStrike is so much different than using a kickshield or punch mitts. Not to diminish the value of them, but blind punching doesnt necessarily help with accuracy. The oversized head will allow the MMA fighter to hone those skills and develop much needed accuracy.

The Quest AllStrike head is a larger than life model of the human head. It feels like a silicone exterior and dense foam interior. Theres some give, but most fighters would still want to use MMA gloves or hand wraps. The AllStrike has a great degree of realism, but realistically the surface is solid and unprotected use can sting the hands.

The inside grip is made of a tapered, hard plastic thats very easy to hold and control. I could move it easily without fear that if it were kicked it would go flying. The AllStrike, in addition to allowing for precision strikes, is much more compact that a hanging grappling dummy.

FEATURES:

 Durable, realistic striking surface simulates the human head
 Allows users to develop pinpoint striking
 Soft, yet rugged surface will not damage your hands or feet
 Great for users with or without gloves on
 Ergonomic grip bar on the inside of the head gives trainer maximum control and maneuverability
 Size: 8.5 x 8.5 x 9-Inch

Im not a MMA arts coach or practitioner, but have a friend who runs a popular studio. The Quest AllStrike adds yet another dimension to the art thats innovative and lends itself to precision fighting. Its a great way to hone technique, especially for those who want to be MMA championship fighters.
3130374
After the coming-to-grips-with-who-you-are of volume one, this book deals with using-your-inner-demons-for-rectification.  If you believe every weakness can turn into a strength, Xenon is for you.  Kanzaki continues to delve into his characters making it easy to identify with them or see the character in people you know.  The Bloody Sea moves from a `hitman' to an organized attack to destroy Xenon.  Xenon has also improved in the way of commitment plus now he has others supporting his cause.  He faces the Demon Three who is truly morally sick because they will do anything to get the upper edge.  I have to say Kanzaki is gifted with creativity (and the translators were top notch).  Kanzaki did a fantastic job at the artwork giving the reader nothing to impede the story.  He must be extremely talented because he goes outside of the norm and simplifies his style to express the bumbling of the characters (totally unintrusive).  This is the next level of manga; it goes into character depth and emotions beyond fights.  I believe if you are a person who likes to be a part of the story, Xenon is perfect.  This is one of the hidden gems.
1667499
Bandai Tamashii has created the new benchmark in action figure collectibles.  Much like Revoltech figures, this line combines articulation and detail to a high degree.  Naturally, when it was announced that Tamashii was releasing "Power Ranger" figures, the little kid in me was doing cartwheels with excitement.  This is the single brand that I probably associate most with my childhood.  Sure, there was "Spider-Man", "Ninja Turtles", "Batman the animated series", but "Power Rangers" was to me what "Breaking Bad" is to mature adults who lost their imagination decades ago.

The first figure I bought was the Green Ranger.  To me, and many MMPR fans I'm sure, the Green Ranger was the first badass character we probably really remember.  For our ages, there was nothing more epic than the five original rangers facing an evil, more powerful versions of themselves.  Tommy stole the hearts of many children that year and his character has become a pop culture legend ever since.

The meticulous detail of this figure captures the Green Ranger's appearance on every level.  The "fin" on his uniquely shaped helmet, the teeth and eyes around the visor are clean and perfect, the shield adds some nice color, and the trim on his gloves and boots are spot on.  His weapons are even more stunning considering how small they are.  The dagger, which in the show was not only just a weapon but also summoned his Godzilla-like zord, is so well-detailed.  The Sword of Darkness though is jaw-dropping beautiful (and actually kind of sharp!).

The articulation is pretty remarkable.  There are just so many joints and pivots so any pose is virtually a possibility.  He comes with separate hands so you can pose Green Ranger holding his weapons in attack stance, or the group action-shot hand gestures the rangers were famous for, or even playing the flute/dagger as if he was piloting Dragonzord into battle.  The options are practically endless.  With this brand, sometimes you have to be a bit wary that you don't get a figure with the joints being loose to the point he can't stand on his own, which is always possible when dealing with these kind of figures.  But I don't think this issue has been too common (thou8h man isn't as sturdy as my red ranger and has done a face-plant a couple times).

These are collector figures.  So $40 isn't bad.  If you are looking for something cheaper, every Toys R Us has plenty of Power Ranger figures that look cheaper and are cheaper and naturally have a cheaper price tag.  Think about what you are looking to do with this figures.  Will they be displayed?  Will they be played with by kids?  It makes all the difference.  For display, these are the best option.  I cannot wait to get the rest of the team.
4505487
a hidden fighting force style gem..more complex but awesome nonethless
4632577
At a first glance, you might not consider the Thunderbolt line of HG kits to be part of the same line as the others due to its unique styled boxart- but down in the plastic runners this is a modern HGUC through and through!

Gundam Thunderbolt was a Gundam side story manga that featured some pretty radical redesigns of classic Gundam MS.  Its an interesting read, and, as mentioned before, has pretty rad mechanical designs in comparison to their "classic" counterparts.

The "Thunderbolt" GM is- as usual- the Federation's standard production suit and features an additional shield and a double barreled beam gun on its left arm.  The NASA spacesuit inspired backpack has "arms" to hold the shields, and have a decent range of movement, although you'll need to be pretty creative to make some of the poses featured in the manual.  As its primarily molded in a single thin piece, I try to be as delicate with it as possible- often finding how I'm going to pose it BEFORE I attach it.

The rest of the model is molded in the colors you see in the picture- white, yellow, dark grey, a greenish grey, a darker bluish grey, a unique brown for the joints, and lastly a clear green piece for the visor.  The part separation for the most part is pretty good, but the yellow markings on the skirt armor are actually stickers.  The sticker sheet is fairly large, but if you're willing to do some paintwork, most are unnecessary.  It also comes with a decal sheet with some "EFSF" seals, as well as some smaller decals for additional (and optional) detail.  A nice touch in my honest opinion.  Is poseability is fairly standard for modern kits, with a ball jointed neck, ball jointed elbows, ball jointed waist, hips that can move the legs 90 degrees forward and to the sides (but very limited backwards,) elbow and knee bends just shy of 180 degrees, and excellent ankle tilts.

It comes with a beam rifle, double barreled beam gun, two shields, two additional "mounting" arms for the shields, and two sets of manipulators- closed fists and trigger finger hands for the weaponry. It also comes with "standard" shield mounts so that you can mount the shields on the forearms like "standard" GM and Gundam units. Unlike most HGUC Gundam esque units, it lacks beam sabers- but its understandable considering they were never used in the source manga.

Overall, I think its a really nice model- even without the stickers and additional decals.  Its a pretty unique design, and I had a blast building it.

Pros-
+ Standard HGUC Color separation
+ Excellent mobility and poseability
+ Plethora of weapon and accessory options
+ Additional marking decals for extra detail
+ Unique, if somewhat unorthodox design for a GM
+ Freaking awesome Boxart

Cons-
- Backpack sub-arms can be finicky, and are a bit fragile and awkward to work with
- No beam sabers or saber holding hands
- some decals can be a tad tricky to apply- notably the yellow skirt stickers
- some of the small yellow thrusters pop off pretty easy- I'd recommend gluing them in place.
4034487
Concept art is always something that I have had a deep interest in. My experience in the video games industry has shown me that concept artists are not always the rock stars that some people would expect, and are in fact often the unsung heroes of the professional art world. I have seen many a concept artist spend weeks (or months) working their fingers to the bone on art that the public will never see or projects that may be quietly cancelled and forgotten altogether. This means I have an extra appreciation for this particular segment of the art community, whom are often talented people with big imaginations and the skills to match.

Atomhawk Designs is a UK based concept art studio that is fairly modest in size and has only been in existence since 2008. In this time however, they have worked on some exciting projects with very high visibility. Projects including;  Injustice, DmC, Dead Island, Driver : San Francisco, Pottermore, Mortal Kombat, Enslaved and Doctor Who - The Adventure Games.  Being a big DC Comics nerd myself, I especially loved the stylish work that they did for the videogame Injustice: Gods among us.

This offering published by 3DTotal is very much a best of collection, featuring a variety of work from their current and past projects. It contains a really good mix of character design, environment art and mood pieces. I felt like their stable of artists is exceptionally talented at creating these large dynamic set pieces, full of tension, fully rendered explosions and weather effects. I was happy to see that most of this material was very fresh and new to my eyes. I find that most professional concept art has made the round on art websites and forums for years before finding its way in to print. For me this often means that by the time I get my hands on a book like this, I have already seen much of the material in it and that can kill the magic.

I was very taken the books presentation, with its protective case and reflective cover. The pieces are printed on thick glossy pages which show a production quality equal to the art that is contained within. Nothing bothers be more then great art printed poorly, I am glad to say that this is not the case here.

While Atomhawk Designs are not yet equal to the size and notoriety of other concept art houses such as Massive Black and SIXMOREVODKA. I have no doubt that they are well on their way to becoming the next big kid on the block.

If you enjoy grand visuals, stunning designs and collections of video game concept art in general, then this book is definitely for you.
982369
this contains the first 6 issues of the "dreadstar" comic book series which were a continuation of the saga of jim starlin's vanth dreadstar, the character who first appeared as a groundbreaking fully handpainted truly epic saga who's first installment was the anchor, appropriately, of marvel's adult comic magazine epic illustrated #1.

planets and cityscapes populated with wild and varied humans, robots and aliens, all created by starlin and in jim starlin's trademark ultra-precise pencils and inks. maybe the closest another current comic artist has come is gene ha's mesmerizing endless fine-line details.

but jim starlin doesn't just draw this stuff, he invents every single aspect of the worlds, the characters and the storylines. and it's brilliant and entertaining stuff. it's proof that you definitely do NOT need the saturation of computer-painted illustrations to be entertaining as hell.

starlin's pencils and inks are so precise they almost look like three dimensional blueprints. and his anatomical drawings are also precise and carefully laid out to clearly explain the action and the dramatic exchanges. starlin is well known as a brilliant storyteller, and this book definitely demonstrates why. i own nearly all the comics in this entire series (up until starlin bowed out as writer and illustrator), and his comics are some of the very few that i have actually been so enthralled by that i actually tried to read them while i was driving home from the comic book store, because i was so caught up in the suspense.

starlin does not put gimmicks or over-stylization above the core storytelling. not that he can't bust out some beautiful stylization to accentuate a climactic moment in the story, but he does not over-use these tricks. starlin has a very neat, organized, clear way of unfolding the wildly imaginative worlds he creates. and his stories, characters and places he builds are deeply layered with sophisticated commentaries on society, politics, religion, and psychology.
4319481
I'm a big fan of this game and while still in beta we're seeing almost constant patches and character updates. Hopefully this will continue after the game goes full release.

The in game combat is tons of fun and relies upon your own personal skill. Movement and activating abilities is incredibly intuitive for anyone that's ever played a PC game. The visual style is impressive and is constantly updated.
4266178
The art style and gameplay mechanic really come together to offer an experience like no other. Can't wait until the sequel comes out.
1677671
You fight off an army. You beat back the hammer and the anvil. You steal a warship and you slip into Edo. You make a fool of a man that would be a god. Yes, every action has a reaction and the reaction to this is not a pretty one. It is instead one that brings out the guns that work in silence - the tasters of food and the people who can poison you if you make any mistakes.
The world is not a safe place for a man and his child.

This book and the next few editions are dedicated to the chase that takes a dfferent route than before. Instead of seeing flashing swords and noting bodies flowing like rivers as they lose pieces of their heart, soul, and varied appendages, Lone Wolf and Cub are now chased by marketers. They are also chased by a woman that seems harmless at first, but that brings a weapon with her that can kill or cause addiction just by allowing yourself one little slip-up. Add to that the power behind these people - the food-tasters are held in the highest regards because of the service they provide - and you can see how much they can harm you.

The way the story evolves here is a continual tribute to the talents that both write and illustrate this book. The story knew it needed to change or grow stagnate, so it found a new way to continue the saga. It also knew that targeting the father was not the only way to play, and that many readers would wonder if the boy would be caught in the crosshairs. to answer this they brought in something everyone fears, something tampering with their food, and they go after the fleeing in yet another route. combine to that more ecclectic characters with derrangements that include strange forms of sexual contact, a spider tattoo that seems to rip from the owner's back, nighthawks that pimp anyone that gets in the way, and a man that needs his fears removed by having two women play with his nipples and you have the opposite side of the spectrum. i like the way this is done, too, showing us the meager living that empowers the samurai versus the things it takes to move the other side of the spectrum. It creates the yin and the yang, and it shows us what type of trickle down impact that was noticed by one sword and his son.
It is powerful on many levels.

If you haven't seen this series, go to the beginning and read it. It won many awards because of what it is, and deserves praise for what it accomplished. It is very time-oriented, too, and comes with something to tell the readers about the many menaings that a single word could have or about a specific tool or weapon that is seen in the book. It doesn't leave you in the dark, doesn't disappoint you by not finishing up, and doesn't make our characters forces of nature. They all have flaws, even if it is love, and they all have something that drives them.
Exploring that is exploring humanity and thereby exploring the self.
I really love this series.
1699631
The best one of the all Storm's series. The idea of combination of ultimate jutsu is a brilliant addition to the game.
537858
Ninja Slayer Kills, which is an adaptation of a novel that isn't published in america, is an accessible and fast paced mature take on the ninja action genre of stories. The plot may be been there done that offering nothing new beyond cybernetics tied into the ninjas, but man is it charming. I found myself initially turned off by how standard it was but by the time the second arc was going on, I started to really want to see Ninja Slayer-san succeed in his mission. The enemies too with their personalities ended up making it enjoyable, Darkninja-san was easily the one to make this special as well as the first major enemy. I even liked the sensei too. Im hyped for more of this series just to see where it goes as the Six Gates antagonists of the dark syndicate get a focus to take down Ninja Slayer-san.

In terms of translation quality and readability, it was on the more challenging side. It appeared that the editor and translator decided to go with using two types of translation pages for this instead of footnotes on a page or using their translated terms in the text bubble. For people who are familiar to anime and some Japanese words, they wouldnt have trouble understanding gomen and domo, but for others it would be annoying turning to the end of the volume to understand these terms as well as many more technical way of the ninja type of terms. I would have preferred the translated words or footnotes be used in the pages with the words instead of going for the stylish choice and putting it at the end of the volume.  Also, this manga leaves the honorifics in the translation as well.  Oh the positive side, there were no typos anywhere. The text flowed easily. Sound effects were translated underneath the Japanese characters (katakana). Extras (design sheets of the characters) were translated as well which was pleasing. The design commentary ended up being pretty chuckle inducing at times. There was also a translated afterword.

All in all, Ninja Slayer Kills may be a story that we've all encountered before but its pleasing and stylish artwork, cybernetic ninjas, page spreads that ooze coolness in everyday imaginable, and charming characters, makes it worth checking out.
4621466
Fans of classic Macross, Robotech or the original Battletech/Mechwarrior tabletop RPG will recognize this guy. Kyron's Zentradi battlepod. Or in Battletech terms the devastating and wildly popular Marauder. The figure is magnificent. By far the best rendition of the craft we have yet seen. I'm still finding hidden and impressive points of articulation. It's astonishing in just how jointed it is. Much of the jointing, especially in the legs is borne by nice soft metal ratchets which easily support the weight of the Beast. Do be warned while well articulated it can be an awkward one to pose as it's chicken legs and central body make it a little counterintuitive to get balanced.

The level of paint and detail on the figure is impressive. Sharp colors straight off the anime with nice Tampa markings. Nice little trans clear orange sensor lenses throughout the figure. A nicely detailed cockpit (no figure sadly). Even some delightful common sense details. Such as the top long barreled cannon cannot move in a way that would damage the antennae on the cockpit. The cannon has full 360 range of motion, but cannot come in contact with that bit. Well thought out. This figure even revealed details that even after decades of being familiar with the mecha, I had never noticed, such as the articulated grabber claws down near the feet.

Metal content is decent, but pretty much all internal. You can see the metal at most joints. Even some surprising arm joints. But most of the outer surface has a plastic skin. The figure is a little lighter than expected, but understandable given its distinct balance issues and tendency toward backheaviness. It's well engineered and does what it has to.

Flaws/Cons; honestly I only have one, and it's really really nit picky. It has to do with scale. Sadly the Glaug as it appears on screen suffers more than a bit from anime "Tardis Magic". The result is in trying to match the figure to the Veritechs the Glaug is enormous. The VF-1J barely reaches its hip. Which is fine, until you realize, compliments of the show, that the Veritechs in Battroid mode are the same size as the Glaug's pilot. But the figures cockpit is designed for a 2" pilot figure at best. (About the size of a Megabloks Halo figure). This discrepancy comes from the source material. Bandai did a decent job of splitting the difference and making a workable scaled figure. Be warned though, this beauty takes up as much shelf space as a basketball. It's in the same ballpark as the SH Monsterarts King Ghidorah figures. Especially if posed on its stand in flight mode.

Oh and for Old School Battletech fans? Rejoice! It is now possible to build a fairly sizeable 1/100 scale force of 3025 "unseen" mecha using Bandai's Hi-Metal R lineup. With the Valkyrie variants you now have the Phoenix Hawk, Stinger, Wasp and Crusader, the Glaug gives you the Marauder. The Dougram just released and gives you the Shadow Hawk, the Destroid Spartan aka The Archer releases in may, and the Destroid Defender aka the Rifleman was just announced. The Rifleman will also quickly give us a Warhammer and a Longbow as they use the same lower body. The Dougram line up should also give us the Griffen, Wolverine, Thunderbolt and Battlemaster. Along with possibly the Goliath and Scorpion. The Roundface aka Griffen is pretty much a lock as samples have been seen. It's a good year to be a robot fan!
1602457
Finally book six arrives. It feels like a long wait for this volume and with two years between it would have benefitted from a basic "the story so far" blurb but I settled back into the story fairly quickly. The plot is piquing at this point and we have the first resolution within this intricate quest fantasy. The main characters have developed and progressed so much since we first met them. Kibuishi gives the story real emotion by allowing characters to perish in the act of duty or as inevitable retribution but we also see the return of characters set aside a few books ago which always brings delight when there is a lovable recurring cast. The art, as always with this series, is stunning and almost seems ready for big screen. Great addition to the middle grade quest fantasy series.
1226364
Joshua Williamson and Andrei Bressan continue to be full of surprises in this fun, emotional, action-packed, and original story. The world-building and storytelling continue to impress, and it seems we are getting closer and closer to discovering just who Lore is, why Mikey sold his soul to this being, and whether Mikey is a force for good or for evil. In this volume, Mikey's older brother, though younger in appearance due to Mikey's having aged in the other world, develops his own strength as well. Williamson doesn't forget the parents, including a touching scene where MIkey's father admits to his own faults and his mother begins to realize the hulking sword-wielding man might actually be her son. There's also the appearance of a pregnant winged being, Mikey's girlfriend, who seems to come straight out of Brian Vaughan's Saga.

Bressan's artwork is terrific, showcasing large fantasy landscapes and original creatures and objects. His art lends to the world building, including the introduction of a being called a Diviner, which is capable of great power, though it has a one-track mind that cares nothing about collateral damage. This seems to be a commentary on America's war on terror, where civilian casualties seem to be an acceptable cost for defeating terrorism. Not that I'm saying Birthright is political. It's pure, fun action fantasy that continues to add twists and turns.
1118503
Without a doubt "The Art of Thief" is an amazing experience into this Thief franchise.  Your first exposure to this 6 year in the making Thief rebirth needs explaining.  This artwork is so beautifully detailed of, characters, their attires, weapons and tools.  The dark world that this story is in.  Visually stunning and alluring.  The background art provides us with the inside minds eye to play and understand this complex tale.  Garret's outfits, weapons and tools are worth the price of admission alone!  The background is a must to immerse one into the World of Garret the Master Thief.  This also explains why this is totally a stealth game of Thievery.  I love this art and I approach the game in the designers eye now not my preconceived notion.  This book is the total visual ingredient to Thief!  Enjoy.
3413887
Beatrix has been in hiding and now has returned for revenge. Her devious plan is to kill all of the former Group 15 members who have betrayed her; however, she is carrying out her hits, face to face, using the most brutal, bloody and painful techniques she has learned with years of training and experience as an international assassin.  The last thing her victims see is an impassionate, predatory stare, while knowing they are going to die slowly and painfully.

This book has depth and intrigue combined with pure adrenalin that won't let you put it down. Like a miniature edition of Shogun, you are told what the plan is, but what you don't know is how and when. It has twists and unexpected turns that a good action novel should have, but it is reality based and not controlled by the authors literary license.