The Rebirth of NBC's Heroes

For months now the buzz around Heroes’ third season, Villains, has been out of control. Everyone who had already seen the two-hour season premiere could not stop talking about how great it was, and NBC was really emphasizing to fans how accessible this season would be to new viewers. It was almost the anti-Lost marketing campaign, telling anyone who would listen that you don’t need to have watched any of the show’s previous episodes to enjoy this season.


I have to say that I was really impressed with what a great job the show did last night in establishing its large cast of characters without bogging down the season premiere and boring loyal viewers. Monday night’s episode actually lived up to the hype and did a good job of introducing a handful of new characters in a way that was not off-putting. Both Heroes and Lost have had a hard time in bringing in new core characters to their respective shows and I think Heroes did a nice job of it Monday night.

Best of all, I can honestly say I am really excited to see what’s coming up next. The introduction of future Peter brings a whole new dynamic to the show and I am really jazzed about potential pairing of Noah Bennet and Sylar by the Company as it tries to round up all of its recently released villains. I am a little annoyed that Heroes decided to rip off the recent X-Men Summers brothers (i.e. Cyclops and Havoc) plot line and tease the fact that Sylar may be Peter and Nathan Petrelli’s long lost brother.


But, all in all I’m happy with the new direction the show has taken. Mohinder is finally being given an interesting storyline, Wonder Twin Maya is no longer a whiny cry baby, Linderman sort of returned from the dead, and Zachary Quinto’s Sylar looks to become a major focal point of the show. I just want to know how the Company plans on keeping Sylar under control.

As for the show’s female characters, the only one that really seems interesting to me anymore is the multifaceted Angela Petrelli. Ali Larter’s Niki Sanders lost my interest long ago and it always seems like Hayden Penettiere’s Claire’s storyline moves at a snail’s pace. Although, she did have some pretty cool scenes with Sylar this week.


So, what did you all think? Hopefully most of you saw this week’s season premier as Heroes has definitely gotten out of its sophomore slump and back on track with the same quality storytelling that made Season 1 so popular with television fans. I’d love to hear some other viewers’ takes on the show, so give The Blot a shout or leave a comment.


Heroes airs Monday nights on NBC at 9/8c.

Kaws x Star Wars Storm Trooper Vinyl Figure

How awesome is this figure? Kaws kills it with his newest Star Wars collaboration produced by Medicom Toy. In fact, the Kaws Storm Trooper figure is so great that it almost makes me wish I had purchased the Kaws Darth Vader figure when I had the chance last year. Seeing the Kaws Vader figure in person almost convinced me I had to have it, but there was something about the figure’s $700 price tag on the secondary market that kept me from pulling the trigger.


The new Kaws x Star Wars figure will be released on September 27, 2008 exclusively at the OriginalFake store in Japan (meaning no online sales). The store will hold a lottery for the opportunity to purchase the limited edition figure and you must be 15 years or older to even qualify for the lottery.


While the figure’s price and run size is currently unknown, this figure will sell out immediately and should fetch a pretty penny on the secondary market. It’s too bad really, because I would love to add one of these awesome figures by the legendary street artist Kaws to The Blot’s vinyl collection.

Barneyism of the Week - How I Met Your Mother Season Premiere

It’s not sweet. It’s…it’s like a disease.

I slept with Robin one time and I caught feelings.

I caught feelings bad. I used protection and everything.

- Barney Stinson

"Do I Know You?"

How I Met Your Mother

The great Barney Stinson is back! Did everyone catch How I Met Your Mother last night? It was a pretty great all around episode that highlighted all of the show’s five main characters. As I think about last night’s show I can’t even pin point my favorite part. Was it the Star Wars test that Ted and Marshall put Stella through? Or was it Robin’s hilarious lines at dinner with Barney? I guess I’m going to have to go with Robin as Barney’s wing woman. She really does fit the role so well, doesn’t she? I have a feeling this isn’t the end of the Barney/Robin love affair. I’m glad to see HIMYM has picked up right where they left off and is still bringing the funny.

The Spirit Male Character Movie Posters

I can’t figure out what took so long for these new The Spirit character movie posters to be released. Especially since the first four The Spirit character movie posters, which featured the film's femme fatales, came out last June. Thankfully the movie’s hero and villain are finally being paid their due respect with these all new theatrical one sheet movie posters. The first poster features The Spirit’s star Gabriel Macht as Denny Colt a.k.a. The Spirit.


The second poster features the hardest working man in showbiz, Samuel L. Jackson, as the movie’s villain The Octopus. Both posters follow the trend of the The Spirit’s previous promo posters by incorporating the movie's script directly into the poster image. Here the lines of dialogue form the buildings in the posters’ backgrounds.


On a side note, it’s nice to see some additional shades of color finally making their way into The Spirit’s advertisements. For a movie that is supposedly not just black and white, so far all we’ve seen is a whole lot of black, white and red in the film's trailers and promotional artwork.

The Spirit hits theaters on Christmas 2008.

Set Your Calendars - How I Met Your Mother Returns This Monday

The Blot is heading out of town today for a much deserved long weekend. But before I depart, I wanted to make sure everyone and their mothers knew that the greatest sitcom currently on TV returns this Monday, September 22, at 8:30/7:30 C. Yes, that’s right the awesomeness that is How I Met Your Mother is back!


Will Ted ever get married? Is Stella “the Mother”? Does Barney really have feelings for Robin? Will Marshall and Lily ever move into their new Dowisetrepla apartment? All these questions and more are sure to be answered in this, the fourth season of the hit CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother!


I can’t lie, I’ve missed Barney, the Bro Code and even McLaren’s Bar. But thankfully it’s time to Suit Up once again for a whole new season of Barney-isms. Believe the hype people and set your DVRs now!


You know, I tried to hide my excitement for the return of HIMYM, but I think the overuse of exclamation points may have given it away.

Fall Out Boy - Folie à Deux Album Cover by Luke Chueh

I know I’ve never mentioned artist Luke Chueh before, but the Los Angeles artist is really awesome. It always amazes me when an artist can do one thing so well and in so many different ways that each piece of art looks unique and original. Much of Chueh’s work involves a sad bear and is the perfect “juxtaposition of cutenss with the macabre.” (link)

If you aren’t familiar with Chueh’s work I highly recommend going to his official website and looking through his extensive gallery. Whether as a print or the highly sought after Possessed vinyl figures, Chueh “stylistically balances cute with brute, walking the fine line between comedy and tragedy” in a way I have never seen before. (link) It is because of this that I was shocked and excited to hear Chueh would be providing the cover art of Fall Out Boy’s fifth studio album Folie à Deux.

I love the mixture of Chueh’s signature bear with Fall Out Boy's emo style. On the one hand I’m excited for Chueh because now a much larger audience will be able to experience his amazing talent. But on the other hand, Chueh is now sure to become an international sensation, causing the prices of his art and vinyl figures to go through the roof. Regardless, this is great news for Chueh and very exciting news for all of his fans.

Folie à Deux by Fall Out Boy will be released in the U.S. on November 4, 2008.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno American One Sheet Movie Poster

Since Zack and Miri Make a Porno’s original movie poster was banned in the United States by the MPAA, writer/director Kevin Smith had to act quickly and come up with an all new theatrical one sheet movie poster to be used in U.S. markets. Since time was running out and the poster needed to be in theaters in enough time to properly promote the movie, Smith decided to go the simple route.


To be fair, I love all things Kevin Smith so I am especially biased when it comes to reviewing this movie poster, but I think the stick figure Dick and Jane-esque approach is genius. Besides, when your movie’s title is Zack and Miri Make a Porno I think less is probably more.

The Blot’s Hurricane Ike Update

The Blot is happy to announce I now have power, cable and internet again. Life is almost completely back to normal after the rumblings of Hurricane Ike last weekend. Now, if we can only get more gasoline supplied to the city so I won’t have to continually dodge the long lines of cars waiting for gas at the few gas stations currently open as I go out in hunt of open restaurants.


Thanks to everyone who checked in to make sure Aly and I were ok and to all the men and women out there patrolling Houston’s streets and restringing our power lines! I can’t even tell you how glad I am to have power once again.

MK vs. DCU - Bring On The Villains

Did The Blot call this one or what? Ok so Raiden isn’t exactly a villain, but he is now included in the upcoming Midway game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. I could have sworn I read somewhere there was only going to be 16 playable characters, 8 from each universe, but boy am I glad that I was wrong.


As for the villains I alluded to in the title of this post, there were two additional villains added to the list of MK vs. DCU’s playable characters. Along with Raiden, you will also be able to play as Mortal Kombat’s knife wielding villain Kano. The other villain added to the game is one I never expected to see in the game, the DC Comics villain Deathstroke.


Over the past few years Deathstroke has grown into one of the premier villains of the DC Universe and is now always included in the upper echelon of DC’s villain brain trust. Even with that being said, Deathstroke the Terminator has never been a mainstream DC character. I do think the Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans cartoon has vastly improved Deathstroke’s marketability, but he still is not on the same level as other popular villains like The Joker, Lex Luthor, The Riddler or even Wonder Woman's foe the Cheetah.


I cannot explain how excited I am that DC decided to include good old Slade Wilson in MK vs. DCU. Deathstroke was made for this type of fighting game and I am pretty excited to one day play as Deathstroke against the likes of Batman, Green Lantern, Scorpion and Shang Tsung.

The Nightmare In Jeremyville 8 Inch Dunny

The new Nightmare In Jeremyville 8 inch Dunny really signifies what I love about Kidrobot’s Dunny platform. Not only does this designer vinyl figure feature a very cool, unique design, but it introduces me to an artist I had not heard of before, Jeremy Ville.


The design on the front and back of this crying, pink Dunny actually tells the story of this figure’s horrifying nightmare and includes a comic strip poster detailing the Halloween themed adventure. This is the kind of 8” Dunny I have been patiently waiting for Kidrobot to release, especially after the last 6-9 months of generic characters. This figure returns to Kidrobot’s roots and actually pushes the boundaries of what an artist can do with a Dunny canvas.


The Nightmare In Jeremyville 8” Dunny retails for $50.00 and will be released on October 2, 2008. This limited edition figure also includes a decaying carrot accessory and a 14 x 17 inch comic poster (as shown above).