Weekly Want - Premium Format Darkseid, Super Robot Wars, & More!

Darkseid is...expensive.

We may be in a bit of a pre-SDCC funk as far as huge reveals go, but "ooh" and "ah"-worthy product images are always trickling out here and there. The recurring theme of the week seemed to be official shots of previously-teased items, but there were still a few surprises in store. Now, on to my personal highlights!

Marvel Legends Infinite Series Avengers 5-Pack (Price & Release Date TBD)

These might be made from existing molds, but the vibrant decos have really won me over. It doesn't hurt that I'm a bit of a sucker for "gift set" releases in general. Unfortunately for many of us, this appears to be a European Disney Store exclusive.

10 Of The Best Comic Book Covers Of February 2015

Is it seriously the end of the month already? The calendar can't be argued, so we may as well get our retrospection over with before moving on to March. Here are 10 of Castle Geek-Skull's favorite comic book covers of February 2015!

Batman Vol. 2 #39 by Greg Capullo

Weekly Want - Toy Fair 2015 Highlights!

Just. Take. The. Money.

With Toy Fair 2015 now behind us, it seems fitting to dedicate the latest Weekly Want to some of the event's coolest featured items. The fun just never ends here on Castle Geek-Skull. Let's get to it!

DC Collectibles Batman: Mask of the Phantasm 2 Pack ($32.99, Oct. 2015)

Harley Quinn Valentine's Day Special #1 Review

Pucker up.

Oh look, it's Valentine's Day. Since I'm going it alone this year, I may as well take the opportunity to indulge in a little "me time." I'll give you a moment to get your mind out of the gutter; I'm saying it's time to read some comics!

I may not be in the hearts n' kisses mood, but what the hell; let's see what Harley Quinn Valentine's Day Special #1 has in store!

10 Of The Best Comic Book Covers Of January 2015

The monthly Spider-Man cosplay party is getting out of hand.

Near the end of my 2014 wrap-up, I decided to pick 14 of my favorite comic book covers of the entire year. Electing such a small number from 12 months worth of comics turned out to be quite a difficult task! Moving forward, I'd like to highlight at least 10 per month. For the first time on Castle Geek-Skull, here are 10 of the best comic book covers from January, 2015.

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #13 by Olivier Coipel

DC Collectibles' Roxy Rocket Looks Perfect

The final stunt is the best.

Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's thrill-seeking Batman villainess Roxy Rocket is set to join the ranks of DC Collectibles' Batman: The Animated Series toyline this fall. While I failed to think of her when compiling a character wislist for the assortment, I couldn't be happier that she's being included. Even better, she actually comes with a full-sized rocket vehicle alongside several other accessories. This opens up a new "deluxe" scale that could have tons of potential moving forward.

14 of Castle Geek-Skull's Favorite Comic Book Covers of 2014

Batman #31: one of many beautiful comic book cover images from 2014.

Ever the rapscallion, Time did everything it could to keep me from enjoying comic books as much as I would have liked to in 2014. I'm far from out of the game entirely however, as I can confidently say that I kept up better than I have in a good while. I even finally got around to showing my face at Free Comic Book Day!

As I kept an eye out for the next must-have issue, tons of preview images fell before my smoldering gaze. The cover art is always front and center, and I often want everything I see based on the quality of the illustrations alone. Choosing a limited number of highlights is a daunting task, but please join me as I go through 14 of my favorite comic book covers of 2014!

Greg Capullo's Batman #31 cover proves yet again that the simplest layouts can be the most effective.

Castle Geek-Skull's Santa Hat Party - Christmas 2014

Ahoy there, jolly internet users! Let's celebrate the Christmas season with 25 pictures of iconic pop-culture characters wearing Santa hats! Hit it, Google Image Search!

Santa Doom from What The?! Vol. 1, #10

My Mother's Love Of Comic Books Helped Inspire My Own

A handful of my mother's funnybooks.

My mother was always a big kid at heart. As far back as I can remember, she collected toys, watched cartoons, and occasionally played video games. Her biggest hobby was a love of reading however, and she often read comic books between whatever novel might have caught her eye. She was a big fan of the DC Universe in particular, especially Superman. I have fond memories of visiting comic stores (and the comic sections of book shops) with her on weekends. Sometimes we even made trips up to the big city in our state just to see what issues we could find. Comics were at the center of a lot of really good times for us.

I'm not sure if my own interest in the medium started separately or not, but I know my mom's enthusiasm for comics clearly had an effect. They were always around, and I loved looking through them even before I knew what most of the words said. Rather than keeping me away from them, this was actively encouraged. I quickly formed interests in tons of characters that I still hold dear today, and I immediately took to drawing them in whatever rudimentary way possible. That ultimately lead to one of the biggest aspects of my creativity and overall identity.

2014's Monster Cereals Have Absurdly Multilayered Appeal

Given their two-month-per-year sales window, General Mills doesn't need to get overly fancy with the packaging of their Monster Cereals. I'm pretty sure plain white boxes with the names scribbled on in Sharpie would sell just fine. Even so, they really went for the throat this year.

Greg Capullo's Batman #36 Cover Is Pure Nightmare Fuel

'Sup. I'm about to eat your soul.

I don't know about you, but I find the cover of the upcoming Batman #36 quite disturbing.

Naturally, illustrator Greg Capullo has a wealth of experience in the realm of the hellish and horrific given his many years of work on the Spawn franchise. When your story calls for casting one of the most heroic of all superheros in a creepy light, I can think of no one better to make that happen. Just look at those eyes, man. Yeesh.

Weekly Want - Revoltech TMNT, SDCC Exclusives, & More!

Revoltech Raphael

Toys and collectibles, am I right? I often want them. For your viewing pleasure, here are a small handful of notable examples from the past week:

Third party toy maker Keith's Fantasy Club is venturing into the world of the Brave series with Captain Shark from The Brave of Gold Goldran. Images of the mold in full color just hit Facebook, and it's looking quite lovely. The face sculpt looks a bit too "mean" for my tastes but this is still a toy I'd love to own. Named "Sencho Barbossa" for legal reasons, the $90 release is expected to hit "in-stock" status on various sites fairly soon.

If you're unfamiliar with the character, here's a bit of Captain Shark in action:

Star-Spangled Superhero FanArt Frenzy!

The United States' Independence Day has fallen upon us once again, and of course, I've been seeing Captain America this and Captain America that all day long. I like Cap just fine, but I haven't seen a single mention of any of the myriad of other superheroes that don the stars and stripes. It'd be great if there was a little more love going around for the rest. With that in mind, the latest edition of FanArt Frenzy was born:

Irene Flores of beanclam.tumblr.com brings us this incredibly striking image of America Chavez, the most recent character to don the "Miss America" name in Marvel Comics. Those unfamiliar with her should check out the 2013 Young Avengers series.

Weekly Want May 26-Jun 2 feat. Kre-O Grimlock & More

Me Grimlock say empty your wallets now!

Toys and collectibles. I often want them. On the "Weekly Want," I share the latest product reveals and promo shots that have struck my fancy. Last week's "Weekly Want" had cool thangs such as Revol Mini Iron Man Mark VI and Transformers Masterpiece Wheeljack. Now, let's move on to all of the lovely wallet draining goods from May 26th through June 2nd!

Twitter Reminds Me Of Oldschool Myspace in the Best Way

How could I possibly say no?

When Myspace was still huge back in 1812 (ooh, such original and scathing commentary!) my favorite aspect of it was not in listening to low quality music uploads or keeping up with anyone I actually knew. I had much more fun filling my friend list with endless parody accounts.

There were many wonderfully bored individuals spending their time creating entire Myspace profiles under the guise of characters like Batman, Leon Kennedy, and even freakin' David Lo Pan. It was actually pretty amusing. Even better? More and more began to send me friend requests over time. Aww, shucks. It was a blast while it lasted.

It's not something I ever thought I'd say, but Twitter is actually reminding of Myspace these days. Rest assured, if there's a character or personality you like, you'll often find someone essentially roleplaying as them for all to see. Let's check out a few of my recent finds!

How Twitter Helped Me Fall in Love with Kenner Toys All Over Again

This is also the title of a new show I'm pitching.

From the Star Wars toys of the late 1970s to all-things Batman in the mid-90s, Kenner Toys produced heaps and heaps of awesome action figures that kept millions of kids (and kids-at-heart) entertained. No matter your interest, be it comic books, cartoons, sports, or even movies you probably shouldn't have been watching just yet, Kenner likely had several product lines that were right up your alley.

Batman: Arkham City Big Head Mode!

Thanks to a discovery by SuperSwiftyOne of the Youtubes, fans and players of Batman: Arkham City can now engage in Big Head Mode, wherein Batman and all other character models take on a fun super-deformed look. To activate this mode, just hold down the left and right triggers while rotating the left analog counter clockwise - and the right clockwise. Good times!

Arkham City Graphic Novel Giveaway from The 52 Review

The 52 Review is giving away a copy of the Batman: Arkham City Graphic Novel to one of its lucky readers! All you have to do is give the site a Like on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Oh, and if you do both - you'll double your chances! Sounds good right? Visit the site for full details: The 52 Review: Win the Arkham City Graphic Novel!

Batwoman #1 Review

Just in from The 52 Review is an depth look at Batwoman #1 by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman. As a title that was announced long ago but delayed time and time again, how does it fare now that's it finally come to fruition under the DC Relaunch? Thanks to The Masked Ndi, any concerns you may have will be addressed. Head on over and check it out: Batwoman #1 Review from The 52 Review

DC Relaunch Hawk and Dove #1 Review from The 52 Review

Concerning "Hawk and Dove" from the DC Relaunch, there's only two things you need to know:

1) Rob
2) Liefeld

Got it? Good. Keep that in mind. Now venture over to The 52 Review where Electric Nerd will tell you whether or not Hawk and Dove #1 managed to stay readable despite the Liefeldian horrors within: Review: Hawk & Dove #1 ~ The 52 Review