Weekly Pull List: 3/19/2014

Another Wednesday, another pull list.  Be sure to check out Comixology for all the comics available this week, and stay up-to-date on breaking news at Comic Book Resources.

DC Comics
Batman and Robin #29
Harley Quinn #4

IDW
Magic the Gathering: Theros #5 (of 5)

Image
Sex Criminals #5

Marvel
Daredevil #1
Daredevil: Road Warrior Infinite Comic #4 (Online Only)
Deadpool: The Gauntlet Infinite Comic #11 (Online Only)
Iron Man #23.1
Nova #15
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #10
Superior Spider-Man Annual #2
Uncanny X-Men #19
Wolverine and the X-Men #2
X-Men #12

Be sure to pick up:

Daredevil #1
The new Daredevil series kicks off with this first issue.  Daredevil heads to San Francisco, which is the only place left that he can still practice law.  It has the same creative team as the last series, so it should be just as good.

Iron Man #23.1
This issue kicks off a major storyline where Malekith, the dark elf from Thor: The Dark World, gets a hold of the Mandarin's rings of power.  What could go wrong?

Superior Spider-Man Annual #2 
Another week, another Spider-Man title on my list.  This continues the Goblin Nation storyline, and it's going to start winding down.  Only a few more issues remain before Peter regains control of his body.  Jump on board before it's too late.

That's all for this week!  Comment below and tell us what books you're picking up this week!

Review: NASCAR '14

I picked up NASCAR '14 when it came out a few weeks ago.  Like a kid on Christmas morning, I drove to GameStop to pick up my pre-ordered copy.  I couldn't wait to pop in the game and race with all the new updated paint schemes.  I was also excited to see all the improvements in this game since the last one was so buggy.  Unfortunately, it seems the developer did not go far enough with their improvements.

Using your custom cars is a bright spot of this new game.

Eutechnyx has developed the past three NASCAR games.  And each time, they've come closer to getting it right, but they're just a bit off.  The new game has a few new updates, including an updated AI difficulty system.  Instead of picking easy, medium, hard or very hard as the levels, you can now choose anywhere from 0-100% difficulty.  Good idea right?  It seems, however, that the difficulty skews just a bit to the hard side.  You can easily win races on 30% difficulty, but when you push it up to 40% the field blows by you.  I believe they are working on including a fix for this in the patch that should be out within the next few weeks.

The AI is also not very realistic.  When you try to wreck a car, it will do everything it can to stay straight, and normally it does.  This is great if you don't want cautions, but when you try to cause a lot of 43-car pileups, it can get frustrating.  Let's be serious, if I hit Danica going 200 mph in Turn 3 of Daytona, there's no way she keeps that car straight.  Just saying.  I believe a fix for this will also be included in the patch.

Another problem they run into deals with the challenges.  They unveiled the new challenges in the last iteration of the game, using NASCAR's loop data to accurately portray where the cars are on the track.  Unfortunately, the cars would ONLY run where they were running in real life, paying no attention to the player.

I thought they would fix that in this game, but of course I got my hopes up for nothing.  The challenges are plagued by the same problems as the last game, but to an even greater extent.  Not only will the cars drive into you if you're using their line, they will not try to avoid you AT ALL.  I have spun in front of the field, and seen cars flip over my car and fly right back to where they should be running with all four tires on the ground.  Very lifelike.

In the past games, I've wished for the ability to spin the tires.  Well, they sure delivered.  As in, every time you restart you'll spin the tires.  The game starts out with you sliding towards the car next to you without giving you any guidance about how to stop it.  Eventually I figured out how to time the restarts and use the restart lines, but a little heads-up would have been nice.

I have tried to play some online as well, but have been unable to find a stable room.  Though that may be due to a poor internet connection at school, so I won't hold that against them.

I have also broken the game on numerous occasions.  I was at a race at Daytona, and decided to turn backwards at the start of the race and wreck the field.  I didn't cross the start finish line to start the race, and the field crossed into lap 2.  But the game decided that was the final lap, and Denny Hamlin was the winner.  I then drove around the track to complete my lap, and the field started slowing down as if the race was over.  After the race restarted from the checkered flag/caution, I was the only car on the track.  Weird.

The game isn't all bad though.  A highlight of the game is the ability to use your custom cars in career mode.  This is a nice touch that had been missing from the previous games.  I enjoyed winning the championship with my custom Deadpool/Marvel Comics car.

Overall, this game hasn't really changed a lot from its predecessors.  It seems more like a facelift with the new paint schemes rather than a brand new game.  I would have rather paid $20 for DLC than $50 for a new game that is still plagued by recurring problems.

Final Score:
6.5/10

Have you been playing NASCAR '14?  Have you been enjoying it?  Run into any problems?  Let us know in the comments below.

Weekly Pull List: 3/12/2014

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for this week's pull list!  For all the comics available this week, head on over to Comixology, and check out Comic Book Resources for any breaking comics news.

Dark Horse
Star Wars #15
The Star Wars Lucas Draft #6 (of 8)

DC
Batman #29
Nightwing #29

Image
Invincible #109
The Walking Dead #123

Marvel
All-New X-Men #24
Captain Marvel #1
Daredevil: Road Warrior Infinite Comic #3 (Online Only)
Deadpool: The Gauntlet Infinite Comic #10 (Online Only)
Deadpool #25.1
Fantastic Four #2
Hawkeye #17
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #9
Superior Spider-Man #29
Wolverine #3

Be sure to pick up...

Batman #29
This is the conclusion to the "Dark City" storyline of the Zero Year story arc, and it's been absolutely fantastic.  This is an over-sized issue, so it'll be $4.99, but it should totally be worth it.

Captain Marvel #1
I don't really know much about Captain Marvel.  I was only introduced to her through the first couple issues of Avenging Spider-Man a few years ago.  But I've heard good things about the previous Captain Marvel book, and this is a new #1 in All-New Marvel NOW!  I'm excited to pick this one up and give it a chance.

Superior Spider-Man #29 
This issue is another part of the Goblin Nation story.  This has been a really good storyline, and it has quickly gone downhill for Doc Ock.  Spider-Man 2099 is also going to be back in this issue, after he's been creeping around in previous issues.  There have been rumors of a new Spider-Man 2099 series, and I really hope they're true.

That's it for this week's pull list!  Comment below with the books that you're picking up this week!

Brad Keselowski Wins the Kobalt 400 in Las Vegas

Originally written for CLNS Radio.


Brad Keselowski won the Kobalt 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel on the final lap.

Photo courtesy NASCAR via Getty Images

Keselowski started in second, and ran up front all day.  He had to chase down Earnhardt after the final restart, and Keselowski made the winning pass after Earnhardt’s car sputtered coming out of Turn 2.

Keselowski’s crew chief made a good call during the final caution to get him up front, and he was able to push Earnhardt to drive faster than he wanted to.

“Heck of a call to get us out front,” Keselowski said.  “At the end, this car was really fast; really proud of it.”

Earnhardt has now started the season with a win and two second-place finishes.  Earnhardt said he was disappointed with the end result, but that he knew he might come up short.

“We tried to save as much as we could and make it work,” Earnhardt said.  “It’s no shock to us to run out.  We knew we were a lap short; got it as close as we could.  Made a gamble, but it didn’t work out in our favor but we still finished second.  Got to look at the positives today.”

Keselowski’s Penske teammate Joey Logano started on the pole for the race, and he jumped out to the early lead.  Josh Wise blew an engine on lap 17, which brought out the first caution of the day.  Under the caution, the leaders came down pit road, but Keselowski stayed out to take the lead.

When the race restarted, Logano once again jumped ahead of his teammate for the lead.  He led until the caution came back out for debris on lap 44, and some drivers used pit strategy to gain track position.

When the race restarted, Logano had fallen to 12^th, and Jimmie Johnson led the field.  But Kyle Busch quickly worked his way through the field, and took the lead on lap 76.

Busch led through a round of green flag pit stops, but Kevin Harvick worked his way to the front to take the lead on lap 129.  Harvick maintained the lead through another round of green-flag pit stops before the third caution came out for debris on lap 155.

Busch led the field off pit road during the caution, but Keselowski stayed out again to take the lead.  Keselowski led the field to the restart on lap 160.

Photo courtesy NASCAR via Getty Images

Harvick was running up front when his car slowed, and he had to take his car to the garage.  He said there was a problem with the right-front, but that he would remain positive.

“It looks like the right-front hub is locked shut,” Harvick told FOX Sports.  “It’s hard to complain.  Little parts failure there.  We’ll figure out the cause of it.”

Keselowski led until the final caution came out on lap 220, once again for debris.  During the caution, Earnhardt inherited the lead by staying out while the rest of the leaders pitted.

Earnhardt led the field back to the green flag on lap 225, and he tried to save as much fuel as possible.  But his car slowed coming out of Turn 2 on the final lap, and that allowed Keselowski to take the lead and the checkered flag.

Here are the unofficial results:

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

3. Paul Menard

4. Joey Logano

5. Carl Edwards

6. Jimmie Johnson

7. Ryan Newman

8. Kasey Kahne

9. Jeff Gordon

10. Matt Kenseth

11. Kyle Busch

12. Denny Hamlin

13. Brian Vickers

14. Martin Truex Jr.

15. Jamie McMurray

16. Austin Dillon

17. Jeff Burton

18. AJ Allmendinger

19. Kyle Larson

20. Trevor Bayne

21. Danica Patrick

22. Greg Biffle

23. Clint Bowyer

24. Marcos Ambrose

25. Aric Almirola

26. Kurt Busch

27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

28. Casey Mears

29. Michael Annett

30. David Gilliland

31. Justin Allgaier

32. David Ragan

33. Tony Stewart

34. Reed Sorenson

35. Ryan Truex

36. Cole Whitt

37. Alex Bowman

38. Timmy Hill

39. Travis Kvapil

40. Parker Kligerman

41. Kevin Harvick

42. Josh Wise

43. Michael McDowell

Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to “Thunder Valley.”  The Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway can be seen next Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on FOX.

Photo courtesy NASCAR via Getty Images

Weekly Pull List: 3/5/2014

Wednesday means it's time for the pull list! As always, all the comics available this week are available on Comixology.  And be sure to check out Comic Book Resources for breaking comics news.
 
DC Comics
Batman/Superman Annual #1
Detective Comics #29
Green Arrow #29
Green Lantern #29

Marvel
Avengers A.I. #10
Daredevil: Road Warrior Infinite Comic #2 (Online Only)
Deadpool: The Gauntlet Infinite Comic #9 (Online Only)
Iron Man #22
Loki Agent of Asgard #2
Magneto #1
Moon Knight #1
New Warriors #2
Night of the Living Deadpool #4 (of 4)
Nova #14
Punisher #3
She-Hulk #2
Uncanny X-Men #18
Wolverine and the X-Men #1

Be sure to pick up:

Loki: Agent of Asgard #2
The first issue of this book was fantastic, and this one should be too.  If you were a fan of Tom Hiddleston's Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you'll love this.  It also doesn't really have that old-English speak that turns me off to the Thor series.

Magneto #1
This new book spins off from Uncanny X-Men, where Magneto is still trying to figure out his powers after the events of AVX.  I love Magneto.  He's just a little misunderstood, like any former mutant terrorist would be.

Moon Knight #1
March is a big month for Marvel Comics, as a lot of new books are starting for All-New Marvel NOW!  The previews of this book look good.  Moon Knight is one of those characters that I've been introduced to through old Spider-Man comics, but I don't know much about him.  This is going to be a great jumping-on point.

A big pull list this week!  What books are you picking up this week?  Leave a comment and let us know what your highlights are this week!

Harvick Dominates in the Desert, Wins at Phoenix

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Kevin Harvick won at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday after having the most dominant car all weekend.

Kevin Harvick celebrates his first victory with Stewart-Haas Racing after leading 224 of 312 laps (Photo courtesy Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

Harvick had the fastest car in both practices during the weekend, but qualified 13^th after the debut of NASCAR’s newest qualifying procedure.  He was able to work his way through the field, and passed Joey Logano for the lead on lap 73.

Logano never left the front of the field, and found himself in third during the final restarts.  He was able to give Harvick a run for his money in the final laps.

“The 22 [of Logano] was able to time the restarts there, and I tried the best I could,” Harvick told FOX Sports.

The win was also Harvick’s first with his new team.  Harvick left Richard Childress Racing for Stewart-Haas Racing during the offseason.  After leading 224 of 312 laps, the win reassured everyone that the change was a good one.

“This just solidifies so many things and so many decisions,” Harvick said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second to continue his momentum from the Daytona 500.  Earnhardt said he may have had something for Harvick if he hadn’t had a side-by-side battle with Brad Keselowski on the final restart.

Photo courtesy Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

“We thought we could run him down there, but he was just too far away,” Earnhardt said.  “We ended up where I thought we should have finished.”

Keselowski and Logano started on the front row, and Logano jumped out to an early lead.  Logano led until Harvick took the lead on lap 73 for the first time.  

Harvick led during the longest green-flag run at Phoenix, until the caution finally flew for debris on lap 161. 

Harvick continued to lead during the following caution periods.  The first came on lap 170 when Danica Patrick, Justin Allgaier and Travis Kvapil got together.  Patrick spun again after cutting down a left-rear tire on lap 186 to bring out another caution.

Harvick led through the next round of green-flag pit stops, and Ryan Newman led after pit stops had cycled around.

Newman led until the caution came out on lap 247 for debris, and Harvick returned to the top spot after Newman pitted.

Harvick held off the rest of the field during the final three restarts to win the race.  

Here are the unofficial results:

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

3. Brad Keselowski

4. Joey Logano

5. Jeff Gordon

6. Jimmie Johnson

7. Ryan Newman

8. Carl Edwards

9. Kyle Busch

10. Jamie McMurray

11. Kasey Kahne

12. Matt Kenseth

13. Clint Bowyer

14. Casey Mears

15. Aric Almirola

16. Tony Stewart

17. Greg Biffle

18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

19. Denny Hamlin

20. Kyle Larson

21. Marcos Ambrose

22. Martin Truex Jr.

23. Paul Menard

24. Austin Dillon

25. Brian Vickers

26. AJ Allmendinger

27. Cole Whitt

28. David Ragan

29. David Gilliland

30. Justin Allgaier

31. Reed Sorenson

32. Brian Scott

33. Michael McDowell

34. Michael Annett

35. Ryan Truex

36. Danica Patrick

37. Blake Koch

38. Travis Kvapil

39. Kurt Busch

40. Joe Nemechek

41. Alex Bowman

42. Parker Kligerman

43. Morgan Shepherd

Next weekend, the Sprint Cup Series stays out west at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The Kobalt 400 will be live next Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Photo courtesy Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Weekly Pull List: 2/26/2014

It's another Wednesday, which means it's time for another pull list!  As always, all the comics available this week are available on Comixology.

DC Comics
Batman/Superman #8
Batman: The Dark Knight #28
The Flash #28

Image Comics
Sex #11
The Walking Dead #122

Marvel Comics
Daredevil: Road Warrior Infinite Comic #1 (Online Only)

Deadpool #24
Deadpool: The Gauntlet Infinite Comic #8 (Online Only)
Empire of the Dead: Act One #2 (of 5)
Fantastic Four #1
Guardians of the Galaxy #12
Hawkeye #15
Indestructible Hulk #19
Origin II #3 (of 5)
Superior Spider-Man #28
Wolverine #2
Wolverine and the X-Men #42

Monkeybrain
D4VE #3 (Online Only)


Be sure to pick up...

Sex #11
I recently added a couple new books to my rotation, and this is one of the four Image books I added.  I really like it, and the story's pretty good.  It's like if Bruce Wayne stopped being Batman, left Gotham, and then came back completely removed from being Batman.  Like all of sudden everything has just been turned down to a dull roar.  It's pretty good, but it's also hard to find.  It's not on the Comixology app, and I'm not sure if it's in a lot of comic book stores.  Know why?  Too many boobs.  Definitely for mature readers only.

Superior Spider-Man #28
In the last issue, we found out that the Green Goblin knows that Doc Ock is just chillin' inside Peter's head.  We also saw Peter jump into Ock's body (in his mind) and become Otto Octavius.  Confused yet?  Yeah, well answers are going to start coming with only a few issues left in this book.

So what books are you picking up this week?  Leave a comment below with your pull list!