Harvey Dent

I've been watching Breaking Bad, halfway through season 2 now. It's a good show and everything, but it's filled with so many totally unlikable dickbag characters.

Far Cry 3 is absolutely wonderful. The environment and wildlife are the best bit, it's the first game since Skyrim to really make me just want to go out and explore and it really thrives on that.

I was looking through my sniper rifle at an outpost to scope out the pirates and I hear a noise. Didn't think much of it at first but then I let go of the scope and there was a fucking leopard just sitting next to me. Casual, you know, like leopards do. I didn't know whether to try and turn and unload an SMG clip into it or run for it. I took the second option and the leopard chased me into the camp where the pirates attacked me and set off all the alarms. Molotovs were thrown and a caged tiger was released in the camp. Being shot at whilst being chased by 2 predatory animals whilst everything burned to the ground was ridiculously awesome, even I did eventually die when I ran out of medical syringes and couldn't heal myself in time. Moral of the story: don't sit next to leopards, they're right pricks.

How much quieter, if it is possible to explain in words, is the slim black xbox compared to the loud-as-fuck original versions? It puts me off watching DVDs on it because it's so noisy.

 

I don't know about the slim version, but all the newer 360s in general run MUCH quieter than the original. With the original, if I wanted to play games late at night I'd have to wear headphones, as I had to turn the tv volume way up to hear it over the console. I haven't had that problem with my more recent ones, they're pretty much silent in comparison.

It is noticeabley far better for me since getting my slim console a couple of days ago. I had to install everything to the hard drive on my old one to get to down to even a dull roar, the new ones are so, so much better. I should've upgraded ages ago.

1 out of 1 for my tour through Woy's film list of the ones I haven't seen. Bernie was a fucking treat. Easy to forget that Jack Black is a pretty capable actor sometimes. Terrific film.

That is an absolute steal. Can't recommend it highly enough to anyone on the fence about it.

Yeah I just brought home a shiny new 250gb Xbox with Skyrim and Forza 4 for

@Harvey Dent

 

In regards to the X-Box, is it a newer style or the old white/black/elite model?

 

With the older ones a good hoovering may do the trick, my brother had an original white one up until last year when it finally conked out and he had it for a good five/six years and easily hammered it for a good 6-8 hours a day.

 

His started playing up as you described yours and a hoovering/lens cleaner did the trick. It will go eventually though so I'd start saving now for the inevitable.

 

Got an extra pad, HDMI cable and Saints Row 3 - the full collection for

Yeah everyone else I've mentioned to it to has said the same. Also whenever it gets turned off at the mains or I take it somewhere else, it doesn't recognise the wireless adaptor and that takes a few plug ins and unplugs to work. I also need a new controller. I'll probably have a look what deals are for a new console at Game as I have a voucher.

On the PS3 side, I was chuffed to get WWE 13 for Xmas and thought I'd have a bash on that this morning, I only to be bombarded with tons of installation and software updates. Just once it'd be nice to turn on my playstation and play a game hassle free.

Bought myself Far Cry 3 as a Crimbo pressie from Game for 22.50. Banged it in the old 360, and within 20 minutes my 360 crashed with 2 red lights. Now it shows 2 red lights within about 4 minutes of starting.

 

So, thanks Far Cry, thanks a lot. That's Xmas without games or DVDs.

That's shitty dude. I had an xbox conk out like that on xmas eve 2 or 3 years ago and was livid. Luckily the mrs surprised me with a new one for xmas that she went out and got me that day. She probably only did it to save me being miserable.

My current xbox is on its last legs though, it just doesnt want to seem to read disks. I have to eject and reload it 3 or 4 times before it'll recognise a game disk as being a game. Is there anything I can do about it, or is it just the laser is knackered? I don't really want to have to fork out for a new one this close to the likely new console launch next year.

Is Watchmen really all its cracked up to be? I know some people totally bum it as somekind of masterpiece, but it is really 'that' good?

Yes, quite simply.

As far as Miller goes, a lot of his Daredevil stuff is supposed to be pretty good, never been a Daredevil fan myself. The only other thing I've read,bar the ones you've mentioned, is Dark Knight Strikes Again which isn't great.

Anyone reading anything else other than the DC/Marvel stuff recently? I've been picking up Grant Morrison's Happy! which is good, along with the wrestling related, digital-only Swerve, Bedlam (which I've yet to read yet, despite owning issues 1 and 2 or 4)

Happy! is awesome, shame its only a 4 issue series. Love Darick Robertson's art in it too, he's great. First issue of Bedlam was cool, though the second was a bit flat story wise. Didn't really kick on from the first. But the art is brilliant in that too, superb use of red. There's only been the 2 so far so its definitely one to keep an eye on.

I was reading the Boys until it finished. Might pick up some of the Shadow stuff though.

 

On a different note, just picked up Avengers vs. X-Men. Good golly I enjoyed this book. I've read some X-Men stuff and thought Cyclops was becoming quite the prick throughout so it was great to see it all come to a head. I thought it was really well written and you felt for both sides and, I don't really think I can say more without giving something away, but I thought it was great

I was reading The Boys in the trades and just finished the last one, thought it finished really strong. I always loved Hughie and how the ridiculousness of the series was grounded in his innocence. I can see peoples qualms with it, its so OTT, but thats all fine with me. It struggled to be consistently great to a match the level Garth Ennis has previously reached, but I still really enjoyed it. AvX for me, and a lot of others, was a little flat. Too much fighting and not much story development. It all looked great and cool as shit, but like a lot of big events, its left a little wanting. However the fallout from it all has lead to some interesting titles and some cool stuff moving forward.

Deadpool has gone to heck lately. Desperate stuff...

I haven't been to up to date with Deadpool recently, but I have been reading the Marvel Now series which just launched which I quite like. In fact a lot of the Marvel Now stuff has been pretty good so far. It's been a pretty good year for comics all told, hopefully next year follows suit. My series of the year is Saga, if you could all stop what you're doing and go read that right now, that'd be great. I keep banging on about it to anyone who will listen. Or not listen.

Mass Effect 3 is still comfortably my Game of the Year, though I havent put the time into Far Cry 3 or Dishonored yet. Walking Dead is right up there in second.

I'm way into Batman at the moment. The down time in work has really given me the opportunity to check out the TPB's and Graphic Novels and I'm borderline obsessed.

 

Currently I have,

 

The Dark Knight Returns

Knightfall vol 1 & 2

A Death in the Family

Gothic

Arkham Asylum Living Hell

Batman Year One

Cacophony

The Widening Gyre

Batman & Robin Must Die!

Broken City

The Killing Joke

R.I.P.

 

Half of which I've read over the last couple of weeks. So Bat-fans what I'm getting round to is any recommendations? I expect I'm going to order Hush and The Long Halloween soon but after that I'm buying a bit more randomly. I think I'm done with buying single issues though, TPBs are the way forward as much as it goes against my comic geek tradition instincts.

Definitely get The Long Haloween, one of my favourite bat books. Dark Victory is a great follow up too. Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum is a must too, its like a fucked up moving painting. I'd also recommend Scott Snyder's recent works The Black Mirror and Court of Owls too, I love his writing. I find continuity isnt that important with Bats. Obviously things happen and change but most arcs are fairly contained an you can enjoy them without knowing everything that ever happened to The Dark Knight.

I'm really enjoying the current Death of the Family stuff. Some of the tie in issues have been really good too, especially this weeks Batman and Robin which has some great one on one stuff with Damien and Joker. I also recently got hold of both the original run and all New 52 issues of Batman Incorporated as it intrigued me, so I look forward to diving into that soon.

I still haven't done episode 4 yet, I best get those soon.

Dead Island is a decent game but it's so much better when playing co op with mates. It is buggy and the accents on the voice acting is laughably bad but it's definitely worth a go, especially if you know others with it. I liked Dead Rising 1 but couldn't get into the second at all. The logic of having parts nigh on impossible on your first play through annoys me and the time limits and frustrating save system is annoying. Might check out Off the Record sometime though based on what Triple A said there.

I'm currently enjoying Blops 2 and Ass Creed 3 at the moment. Haven't really had a lot of time to play of late and still have Halo 4 to go back too as well. Even with the lack of time I still bought Dishonored the other day as Game had it for

I hope they throw in some Zombie DLC. I've always got time for something like that, despite how overplayed it is. Fingers crossed for 'GTA Race' too. Hours of fun with that shit.

In theory zombie DLC would be cool, but the RDR one was tedious as fuck. Go burn this graveyard, go burn the next graveyard, something interesting sets up and then it just ended. Disappointing.

Trailer looks damn tasty though.

Anyone given the new Soundgarden record a spin? I'm loving it. Been a huge fan for ages and they've recaptured the essence of what made them so great first time round. It's got that sludgy grunge sound with a bit of weirdness and really feels like a continuation of where they left off. Saw them play a lot of it live at Shepherd's Bush last Friday and it sits nicely with the older material and the band is sounding great. Give it a go if you're a fan.

for anyone who enjoyed the recent adaptation of the Dark Knight Returns: Part 1, the trailer for Part 2 is up

 

is this the Batman 13 that peeps were refering to?

 

 

will try and pick up a coy when I'm paid

The second print of Batman #13 is due next week I think, it won't have the Joker die cut cover so it'll just be Bats on the front.

I still really enjoy Walking Dead. It has gone over itself a fair bit but the last dozen issues or so have been really good. I read the first issue of Bedlam last night and really enjoyed that. I'm catching up on The Boys in the trades, up to the eigth one now. It's ridiculous and over the top for the sake of it, but I like that. I also got the first couple of Locke & Key which I've been meaning to do for a while. I will keep recommending Saga until everyone reads it and/or my keyboard explodes, you can get the first trade of that now.

Cancelling Hellblazer and bringing Constantine into the wider DCU just seems a needless decision though. He's pretty much the poster boy for Vertigo and it's a shame to see the label take a big hit.

Anyone given the new Stone Sour record a go? Part 1 of a 2 part concept, its cracking. They've got a real good balance on here, some of their strongest material. Heavier in places without sacrificing the melody. Big fan of the band, so much more than a side thing with a couple of dudes from Slipknot these days.

I said a few months back on here how much I've been enjoying Scott Snyder's stuff, I think I've read most of his work since then. He's doing a Superman book with Jim Lee next year which has my interest.

I just loved how off the wall Happy! was, it where Morrison is at his best. Its only a 4 issue series at the moment, but if it keeps up the standard of the first issue hopefully there'll be more. Theres some awesome stuff on Image at the moment, EVERYONE GO READ SAGA!

I only read the 12 issues and prologue, you'll be fine reading just those. I do have the "AvX Consequences" first couple of issues on their way to me though, heard good things.

By the way, Batman 13 is fucking awesome if anyone hasn't read it and has anyone else read Grant Morrion's Happy! ? Its absolutely mental.

AvX was 12 issues and various tie in issues.

Any Marvel fans got an opinion on the Marvel NOW! "re-boot" or whatever it is?

 

I've never read any marvel comics, but thinking of picking up All New X-Men next month and maybe making that a regular title to pick up

Well it is and isn't a reboot. It's continuing on from Avengers v X-Men (which I quite enjoyed, but I know others didn't) and they're mixing and matching the creative teams. I'm pretty excited about it, got a lot of titles on my subscription. So far the only one out is Uncanny Avengers which was pretty good. It's a good time to jump on but you might wanna look up the events of AvX just to get an idea of what happened.

Earths Mightiest Heroes is a cracking show. I love the ultra cheese theme song.

He wasn't slagging the role off, he said he's glad he did it, just saying he didn't want to reprise it. Nothing wrong with that.