Filming with Mikael Hafstrom kicks off this spring in Louisiana and producer Mark Canton is ecstatic to see this going forward, we even have a quote from him on the venture.

“I am thrilled to be making THE TOMB with two film icons – Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger,”

“It is the perfect pairing for this high-octane thriller. Robbie Brenner, Emmett/Furla, Kevin King-Templeton and I have been working long and hard with Summit to bring them together for this dynamic project.”

The duo will also share a massive spotlight in The Expendables 2 later this summer, we have the trailer uploaded if you missed it. Hafstrom’s recent portfolio of movies includes The Rite with Anthony Hopkins, Shanghai with John Cusack, Derailed with Clive Owen, 1408 with John Cusack and Evil with Samuel L Jackson. Hopefully he’ll be able to bring a mix of tension and action to The Tomb as well.

Feeling adventurous this Valentines Day? Stuck trying to find that gift for the guy who doesn’t have it all but is still incredibly picky? Or are you just wondering what levels of madness this team is up to for this holiday approaching? It doesn’t really matter, you’re here and I’m blasting you with interesting goods from the 2012 Geek Love sale at Think Geek.

Treats

Everyone loves treats, if they’re sweet or painful… well that’s your choice. I have a bit of both and one that could prove to be too hot to handle.

Star Wars – Han Solo Chocolate Bar – Han never deserved this one but this season he gets a sweeter punishment. Cast into dark chocolate, Han is cast with remarkable likeness to his Star Wars form that we’ve all come to know. The only difference is you’ll be tasked with his fate, will he stay shelved to admire  over the years or will you devour him when craving strikes? – $9.99

Zombie Bon Bon’s (Cherry) – Nothing says love like biting a zombies face in half, these dark chocolate heads come with syrup and cherries inside to give them an extra touch of effect. Coming in a Pack of 6 you’ll have to figure out who that special someone is you want to share them with. Will it be your stomach to collect them all or a special someone to share with? – $9.99

Ghost Pepper Super Hot Candy Balls – Need to seal the deal on a proposal or to test that til death do us part section of those vows? This will come close enough, trust me, after having sauce I couldn’t imagine trying these… yet.

Reasons to buy:

1. You like romantic evenings spent in the ER
2. You both hate your colon and organs
3. You feel taste buds are over-rated and would like to go without them for a while

These will burn like hell in your mouth, make no mistake – $7.99

Cupcake Mints – Nervous about that first date experience on the day? Escaped from work early but you still pack a punch of chips salsa and burritos from lunch? These treats could be the answer that not only helps break the ice but also distracts from any immediate problems as well. Honestly I’m kinda craving one right now. Given the standard flavors out there these mints offer that little extra that you can’t just find at the store. – $2.49 – 5.99

Clothing / Attire

Clothing is always a welcome gift when done properly, I’ve highlighted a few stand out pieces in this collection.

Agloves Capacitive Touch Screen Gloves – hate freezing your hands or know someone who does? The conductive fibers in these may not win style awards but they’ll allow you to avoid frostbite on your fingers when typing in the cold.  Compatible with an array of platforms they should keep fingers toasty and typing. – $15.99

8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt - couples shirts are a sketchy area, these dynamic life shirts try to tempt the wearer by using Zelda life hearts to refresh your gauge as you close in on hugging distance with that special someone. Otherwise you’ll linger at 2 1/2 hearts when distanced too far apart. An interesting shirt to have but it might not appeal to a wide audience, should get eyes if worn in darker places like a theater. – $17.99 – 24.99

Less Than Three Babydoll – ASCII love knows no bounds, now it’s leaping onto shirts, when you’re stuck trying to find that perfect something for her this is always a safe bet, cute and sure to get that “awww” moment once unwrapped. It’s simple and gets the point across when words can’t fill the gap. – $19.99

Inflatable Tentacle Arm – … just skipping into the reasons on this one, also keeping it PG. – $11.99

Reasons to buy:
1. You want the challenge of picking up items or opening your fridge with no hands
2. Playing tag always sucks because you’re 1ft shorter than everyone else, this evens the playing field.
3. You plan to glue them to your face and make a super red mustache

Accessories

Star Wars Lightsaber Candlestick – many have their own versions of keeping it classy, for a Star Wars fan, nothing says it as well as a Lightsaber Candlestick. Unfortunately the options are limited with only Darth Vader’s saber available and it coming in a single package unit. If you want 2 you’ll need to break open the wallet a little more. Either way it’s very cool and a unique way to put your own twist on an evening. – $29.99

Portal Weighted Companion Cube Plush – Portal has won hearts and frustration with gamers of all types, the companion cube was part of that epic story that people enjoyed. It’s one of those items you can buy anyone, guys and girls tend to have a special place for the inferno torched box that could. The only thing they could do to top it off would be to also throw in the cake. I don’t think we’ll be that lucky this year. – $29.99

Gummy Bear Light – Sweet sweet gummy bears, well at least one and it’ll double to keep your room lit at night. It’s a cute accessory to show you’re sweet  and loom as a reminder of it every time they need to light up their room or office or dorm. – $27.99

I’d give you a link to the update but all you need to do is let Steam do it for you. For any additional details check out the official Skyrim website for more.

*Update: Changed out video, Bethesda direct feed keeps dumping errors

The group is met with a devastating finding in the opening scene, the men stand at a loss and their unity takes another hit. Their mission and future both come into question and they’ve only just begun on this path, not all is as it seems though within the ranks and questions rise forward from the viewer on what’s really going on. It’s a troubling scene and their return to the villa only shows the fracturing that has begun within this group of escapees.

Glaber faces his own problems, Asher’s return brings Oenomaus but his cooperation still lacks, on top of this situation of finding Spartacus, Ilithyia brings not only her father to the Villa but Vorenus as well. Their arrival brings an announcement of the city playing host for  2 weeks of games to distract the attention of the public from the rampage of Spartacus and his men. The twist of the knife comes from Glaber’s role to this event and further damage to his ego from this incident with Spartacus not only in this slaughter but from his attack at market as well.

Lucretia and Asher have their own story spinning off, the current role rides on Asher and his information extraction to prove the gods are really favoring Lucretia in her prayers and sacrifices to them. Will it be enough to win Glaber and keep control over him, it’s not exactly certain given Oenomaus has extreme loyalties to the house and to his fellow gladiators.

Spoilers if you can’t wait

Vengeance episode 3 is a series a twists and turns and the fanning of the story is already in full swing as they scramble in every direction to find those pieces that matter most. Crixus continues a tale of woe and Spartacus struggles to find his place as a leader as his people conflict, the stakes get even higher and he puts lives on the line in these missions. He’s learning but he shows that he’s only human in all of this chaos and even the best plans are not immune to roadblocks. Episode 1 left many people concerned about the progress of the story, with these viewing’s it’s clear they’re on a very clear path with it and we just need to hold in. As a whole Episode 3 strikes hard at the viewers, the balance of good and evil will always sway side to side in a show like this, but there are those moments you just cringe hoping for the better and this was one of those times.

Visually they’re able to muster many creative areas, the Arena returns in full glory, the forests provide a pleasant change of pace and the mines even hold a unique touch in their presentation. The location and set design has evolved after being so isolated to simple dungeons and areas of the Villa and it gives Vengeance added depth. They’re not just figures locked in a box that goes a to b to c, they have dessert sections, forests, mountains and more and no story will just occupy one area.

Story:	4.5/5.0
Cinematography:	5.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.5/5.0
Overall:	4.5/5.0

Benjamin Carre Cover

Zayne Carrick seems to have no luck at all, after trying to flee to start a new life he’s drafted into the Republic war effort and as we left him in issue #1… he’s about to switch sides in the same war after being captured. The Mandalorian’s are pushing with full force in their effort to conquer, capture and expand their footprint in the galaxy against the Republic with their own stockpile of Jedi on their side including Zayne. Was it Zayne’s best move to rush into the Mandalorian filled forest to warn them? We find out in this issue as the Mandalorian’s are exposed outside of just being a conquering group of mercenaries and slaves in this war.

The intro of course doesn’t support that last line, the Mandalorian Knights and soldiers are storming a new planet, tactically crippling their communications and taking over their people as a whole. Zayne is pressed to learn the ropes of this outfit as they go in guns blazing and everyone holds their own or dies trying. The Mandalorian way seems to escape him as he fails to preserve life and narrowly dodges enslavement. It’s war and he has to get with it or be destroyed by it, unfortunately this message doesn’t ring through all of the new recruits and it slaps Zayne right in the face.

Issue #2 of War takes us not only through the struggles of Zayne but the world of the Mandalorian faction, they’re builders and survivors, instead of living as slaves they have a surprising optimism to their lives and work. Going so far as to continue the new chapter by even setting roots as they go from planet to planet expanding their front in this war. It’s a shock to see the death mask removed from them even though some are unable to accept what they see before their eyes.

As I complain that some stories go by too fast, KOTOR War #2 extends itself out to give background while still showcasing the battles and personal struggles of Zayne as he’s caught up in this battle and learns that he might have a role to still fit in all of it.

The art and style of the book are consistent and filled with pure tones, taking on more of a comic form they’re stressed around accuracy to the Star Wars franchise and conveying emotion through the words more than just the art. The controlled strokes of the book rely on shadowing and faster gestures to really only emphasize deep thought and action sequences. The rest retain a very straight forward gesture as wounds, gunshots and more are all clearly depicted. For those who have enjoyed the KOTOR series so far, War is a worthwhile investment as it dives right into this battle and creates an early bond with the reader.

Preview it: Dark Horse Comics
Pre-order: TFAW 

Release Date: February 8th, 2012

Story:	4.5/5.0
Art:	4.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.5/5.0
Overall:	4.5/5.0

The question stands, will you be out celebrating Valentines day with that special someone or that special Xbox? I guess only time will tell, keep an eye on the market and load it up as soon as you can though because there will no doubt be a rush of downloads that day.

btw: that means you’ll be able to use that Gold Subscription for other games and features as well during the demo period

Links – Bioware | Xbox Live Marketplace [Game goes up February 14th]

Garry Brown Cover

Stasis has not been kind to our crew in Dark Matter, awakened into turmoil and forced to find their instinctive knowledge or face death the crew raced into action. Issue 2 continues the escape from their mysterious attacker and plans of survival after being confronted with this blank slate. The issue brings a very rough ride for the crew, losing gravity at one point and their comfort as they confront a new world after a high-speed burst.

The issue rushes through in the same speedy pace as issue 1, the chase is on as they strive to escape attackers and find their own histories through the wiped logs of the ship. The art of the pages keeps urgency and the same high contrast styling and pauses as needed when even the crew are caught off guard in new revelations about their erased objectives. If you can’t hold on much longer for spoilers click below.

That’s all, and I left out a ton of goodies too!

There’s a certain cinematic or scripted drama to Dark Matter, it moves quickly and honestly feels like a blip in a time as you wait for more. I honestly hope this story can wrap up all the drama before this series is up, it has so much promise and yet it simply teases readers with little bits here and there in each issue. We’ve gone from near destruction in stasis to escape from an unknown enemy to a planet of survivalist  humans and now to the truth about all of the team… well almost all of them.

The art is crisp and clean, it emphasizes speed, stress, awakening without a hurdle, the speed of the strokes translates the urgency or situation with every line, the dialog personalised each character and brought them into their own in this issue. Showing that while they were a team, they’re very different and have their own agendas lingering underneath their amnesia filled awakenings. Anyone that felt hooked by issue 1 will feel the rush return with this installment, the tensions are high and the mysteries just keep getting worse. Who are they, what are they up to, what will they do with this clean slate on their plate, who set them up and who is behind this new pursuit? They’re working on all these questions and it just gets better and better.

If you desperately need a teaser check out Dark Horse Comics for the teaser pages to hold you for now. Alternatively, secure your copy from TFAW before it releases.

Release Date: February 8th, 2012

Story:	4.0/5.0
Art:	5.0/5.0
Dialog:	4.0/5.0
Overall:	4.0/5.0

We left Spartacus just finishing a lesson in leadership, having to watch for the sake of his people who joined him over his own personal desire for retribution. Episode 2 starts on a different foot, instead it shows us the story to a young man in the mines, trying to fight for his life against an ogre of an opponent. As we know from Blood and Sand, the mines are a kill or be killed environment so it’s no surprise to see such a brutal demonstration. There is a twist though, Titus Batiatus returns from the grave for what will be a long flashback through the episode.

The followers take on a new goal, the search for Naevia is on and the group will stop at nothing to see that fulfilled… well at least Crixus will stop at nothing. Fans of his character will get some excitement seeing his drive igniting again as he pushes with determination to find his lost love, each Dominus gets a target on their back during this search and Crixus struggles to control his rage. Spartacus and the others use this time to recoup and take pleasure, even then the times are not so simple as social clashes continue with the Gauls and the limited numbers of their men at hand. As the first episode brought viewers to see the struggle and lack of organization, this episode shows that it will take more than slight collaboration to keep them together in this fight.

The life of the Romans gets just as complicated, Ilithyia has had her mind take her elsewhere, traveling to another, is it a slip or is it a tease? Either way this will continue to be the least of her problems as Lucretia continues to win the favor and interest Glaber in her reborn state, so much so that she’s able to call to the gods on his behalf for assistance. Add on the struggle of Glaber to recruit men in his venture to capture Spartacus and his plea to the gods gets greater understanding, his inherited title through marriage still haunts him as he tries to draw favor and men from those around him.

Spoilers for those unable to wait:

The story pushes forward in episode 2 into many branches, just as everything condensed into a single moment at the end of Blood and Sand it’s all exploding again as so many mysteries lay open. One thing is for certain, this is going to be a hell of a ride this season with so many wildcards in play. While I did include spoilers of this episode I did leave some bits out that you’ll just have to tune in to see, or cheat and wait until our Episode 3 review goes up and simply run from there.

Visually the episode takes a shot above episode 1, the moods, lighting and settings are all more developed. The action sequences feel seamless where they stuttered before, the transitions are clean and the slow motion sequences are balanced in their use to showcase the space they battle in and everyone involved not just one figure. There’s a lot of growth happening this season for the entire crew and it shows as they find their rhythm again. The engaging sequences are a draw to any fan of the series or newcomer, you get the tension struggle and thirst for blood throughout. The breaking of the stories is a welcome twist, the series often thrived on everyone being at their worst for intent, hopefully we will see that rise in the coming episodes.

Story:	4.5/5.0
Cinematography:	4.5/5.0
Dialog:	4.0/5.0
Overall:	4.5/5.0

Check out the video below for the teaser. We’ll keep you posted when it breaks.