A few questions for indie author Alexandra Engellmann aka that author in the red dress.

If you don’t know (and you don’t) I’m Belart Wright, indie author extraordinaire of the glorious book Average Joe and the Extraordinaires.  Today I’m going to ask a good friend of mine: Alexandra Engellmann, indie author...Sky Ghost-inaire..?  Sorry, I tried to use her book title in her intro, but it doesn’t have the same ring as extraordinaire.  Unwarranted egotism from me aside, she’s one of my favorite people on the planet and super interesting besides all that and this interview will show a side of her that you all aren’t even ready for.  Let’s begin.

BW: First and foremost, who the hell are you?  The people deserve to know.  First describe yourself in five words, then elaborate on that.  Don’t lie, the internet knows!

AE: Okay, here are the first five words that come to my mind. I am a:
 

bookworm
artist
storyteller
thinker
nerd

The first means that whatever the world out there holds, I’d prefer spending my time reading whatever gem I’ve just discovered. 

The word ‘artist’ describes much more than just an occupation. I see the world as a piece of art, and I live to find beauty in little things around me.
 

I prefer ‘storyteller’ over ‘writer’, because the last is too big of a word. You can write about anything, but what I do is share stories about my characters, many of which come to life on their own by some weird glitch in my brain that prefers to be thinking about imaginary things rather than real.
I like to think a LOT about everything that happens to me. I think my writing is a way to avoid thinking too much and keep myself distracted from obsessing.
And lastly, nerding out is my profession, and I love it.

BW: Okay with that out of the way, I feel as if we all know you a little better, but still we can always dig a little deeper.  I’ve heard it said that all writers are narcissists.  We’re conceited enough to think we have something important to say that the world should hear.  Why should the world hear your voice?  What have you always wanted to share?

AE: I don’t think it’s my voice they should hear, but the characters’ voices. I think it’s more about giving a life to someone who’s persistently asking for it in your head, about giving them a chance to show who they are and who they can be. And on the other side, it’s about entertaining people with all kinds of emotions they can find in your book. So, I guess it’s emotions that I’m sharing with the world.

BW: Okay, I went a little deep with that last question so let’s lighten it up a little bit...with more psychological questions.  So Pain and Marco, my two favorite characters in the Sky Ghosts series, have a very interesting relationship.  It’s a friendship that goes beyond normal boundaries.  There’s a lot of unspoken feelings that get communicated through physical means rather than verbally.  In my opinion, that’s the best kind of relationship.  Why was this the method you chose for their relationship?  What type of relationship communication do you prefer?

AE: I don’t think there are any boundaries for friendship, and I’m one of those people who believe and respect friendship way more than love that’s often too complicated because of selfish emotions we people bring into it. The friendship between Pain and Marco is the only type I’ve ever had and will always prefer. I’m very open to whoever I meet and can easily share personal things with any stranger if I feel like it, or if the conversation is interesting. I hate formalities and limitations, and it’s often hard to stop myself from saying what’s on my mind. It entertains me how shocked people are sometimes by it, especially those who aren’t used to laughing at themselves. I’ve never really chosen anything for my characters, including their relationships, so that was how it naturally unfolded in my mind.

BW: Continuing from that last question: what type of sick person imagines a relationship like Pain and Marco’s?  They’re animals!

AE: Me, the animal :) Considering their lifestyle, it’s impossible for them not to bring a little extra blood into it.

BW: Last question...for now.  So your action scenes in Sky Ghosts: All For One and Sky Ghosts: Marco had a grounded reality to them even though they involved superhuman combatants.  I attributed this to your descriptive style and attention to detail.  The action was always bloody and intense so that clues me in that you may have an inner warrior in you.  So I’d like to know what are your top 3 fighting disciplines worldwide?  And what existing fighting styles match your favorite 3 fighters that we’ve met in Sky Ghosts?  If none exists, make ‘em up.

AE: That would be boxing for Marco, because he’s one of those who can kill with a single blow.
Krav Maga for the sisters, because they have to finish the fight quickly without giving the opponent the chance to get hold of them, and also because they’d go for the vulnerable points.
The third one would be Taekwondo, and that’s certainly Ryan’s style because of its emphasis on kicks, which someone as tall as him would make really powerful.

Well that's it for now folks.  Hope it was as fun for you as it was for me.  If you have more questions for Alexandra please go visit her at her website: www.engellmann.com or her twitter: https://twitter.com/engellmann or really anywhere you find her on these world wide interwebz.  She's good at responding.  You can find my own interview on her blog too.

Also check out her books via the links below.  Just click the picture link and it'll take you to each book's Amazon.com page.  Again, thanks for the read my glorious readers and til next time.

Book #1

Book #1.5

Average Joe, Free TODAY (1/21/15), but just what is it?

 

Click here to download Average Joe and the Extraordinaires for free!
1/21/15


  

Free Download Today

What is Average Joe and the Extraordinaires?

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is a book about an ordinary teen, named Joe Black, who's life takes a drastic change after he meets a few truly extraordinary people.  In the beginning he fights to escape a terrible situation with his life and afterwards he tries to prove to his town that he's not the terrorist that he's now been accused of being.  The rest of his tale includes him trying to reconcile his regular life with this crazy new life that he's unfortunately been involved in.

But it's not all about Joe.  Behind the scenes there is a monumental plot taking shape.  There is a shadowy trio of men who've spread a lot of misery throughout Orangetown and the rest of the Sunshine State.  These men are not above kidnappings, murder, extortion, manipulation, and mass destruction to get what they want.  How the heck does regular ol' Joe even stand a chance against men this dangerous?  Well he has friends.  Enter the extraordinary talents of the super-spy Beauty, the no-nonsense ex-Detective/ex-FBI/P.I. Hank Borland, his tough-as-nails protege Dahlila, and the mysterious and unnaturally even tempered little Melissa.  Together these talented folks try to untangle deadly plots and most importantly keep Joe alive against threats that now want him dead.  Will they succeed and even if they do how will normal ol' Joe cope with such a mighty change to his status quo?  Find out within the pages of Average Joe and the Extraordinaires!

International Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon IN: www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon DE: www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon FR: www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon ES: www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA
Amazon IT: www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA
Amazon NL: www.amazon.nl/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon JP: www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon BR: www.amazon.com.br/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon CA: www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon MX: www.amazon.com.mx/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Amazon AU: www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00R7EMRXA

Are You Average or Are You Extraordinary?

So a thought popped into my head during my endless work with AJE.  It was an easy thought to come by looking at my title. It was a thought encapsulated by this very title question.  Are you average or are you extraordinary

Average 

-ordinary or usual

-about midway between two extremes

Extraordinary

-very unusual :very different from what is normal and ordinary

-extremely good or impressive

This seemingly easy question can be a little tricky to answer, when you think about how you were raised.  Were you a part of Generation Me and always told you were extraordinary no matter what?  Did you and all your classmates all get a gold star all the time?  Has your amazing skill in something recently seemed not so awesome in comparison to others you've noticed?  Did you just recently find out that you were really good at something, like no one else? Did you think you were average for a big part of your life and then realize that you and your family were anything but?  Did it happen when you moved to a different town?  Changed schools?  Grew up? What happened there?  Did these questions bring you any closer to finding out if you were average or extraordinary?  Let's find out.

Okay here's the truth.  I only offered you a false dichotomy.  An either/or.  I offered you black and white when there's at least...50...shades...of...gr...adients in between. I challenge you to look at your life and not find something that is average and conversely something that is extraordinary.  You are capable of both facets in every area of your life.  Maybe you have an extraordinary talent but like to do normal stuff like watch TV and sports, or attend weekly social activities that are more well known.  Maybe it's the opposite and you don't feel you do anything extraordinary but you like all manner of weird and niche stuff or activities that no one else even knows exists like urban exploring, LARPing, or even that new indie book series that you recently got into.

Whatever the case I think it's great to acknowledge both of these parts of our lives.  Embrace the Average because it helps connect you with others.  It's our common ground so to speak.  It's a bridge for connecting with others and a reference for beginning long lasting friendships.  Embrace the Extraordinary because it naturally comes out of you.  It shouldn't be stifled because you're scared to stand out and be who you were naturally meant to be.  That extraordinary-ness is within you and sometimes it separates you from the crowd and that's okay.  It's such an uplifting feeling to embrace that side of yourself that I recommend everybody try it.  To do so you only need to find out what part of you is extraordinary and cultivate it.

So are you average?  Are you extraordinary?  Which one will it be?  Or have you realized the truth?

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires Released TODAY

Today is the day.  My novel, Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is now available on the Amazon Kindle Store.  You can find it at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R7EMRXA.  I'm super excited and ecstatic that the release went smoothly.

Bonus Post This Week!

As an  apology of sorts for my lack of posts last week, I've decided to post more this week.  You can expect at least two Average Joe posts and at least one video game post this week.  As always, thanks for browsing!

Character Profiles: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires

With  the upcoming release of my first novel, Average Joe and the Extraordinaires, I've decided to give out a little insight into the characters and world of AJE.  To that end, I'm going to release at least one character profile every week with physical descriptions and a few details about the character.  I believe this should be fun for both you and me my glorious readers.  If I'm not lazy, there will also be a crudely drawn picture to accompany each character.  As always, thanks for the browse and let me know what you think.

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is out now!  Pick up your copy today!

What is Average Joe and the Extraordinaires?

Who is Average Joe?
In the case of my book, Average Joe is the main character of the tale, Joe Remington Black.  He is a very normal kid.  He's well adjusted though slightly scarred (as most of us are).  He's lived a life of mediocrity but wants something more.  Like a lot of us, he doesn't quite know what he wants at this point in his life.  He is a high school student and is sixteen years old at the start of this story.  He has a girlfriend, a best friend, and is fairly social.  He lives with both of his parents in a small town in the golden Sunshine State.  He used to play team sports though not anymore.  The most important thing about Joe, I'd say, is his heart.  He was raised to be a good person and it truly shows.

What's an Extraordinaire?
An extraordinaire is someone who is really good at something and who simply and effortlessly stands out from the rest.  In short: to be an extraordinaire, you must be extraordinary.  For some people it takes a lot of work to be extraordinary and for others they are born with natural gifts that put them "above" the rest.  In the culture of America those who are extraordinary are revered.

What's wrong with Average?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being "average" or enjoying things and activities that are considered average.  I've spent a long time in combat with being something other than average and despising what is considered average.  It's taken a lot of growing up but I see that average has its place and that average is very different than how I used to view it.  As a matter of fact "average" is totally based from our personal perceptions of the world anyway.  What I find average, you may not find average and vice-versa.  Average is common ground, something we all can share.  Average can be bad if we see those who are outside the norms as threats or targets.  Average can be good when we all use it as a frame of reference for understanding each other and the world.  Where I'm from, liking basketball is considered pretty average.  I'm not the biggest basketball fan by any stretch of the imagination but I can get into it with my family and friends who are, though not as deeply, and can even watch it on my own and enjoy it.  It's something "average" that can easily connect others who share diverse backgrounds and interests.  For that, I like average.

What is Average Joe and the Extraordinaires?
I'll try to explain this without using my awesome book blurb or familiar talking points as you'll see those when I hit the marketing trail.  Average Joe and the Extraordinaires is a book about an ordinary teen who's life takes a drastic change after he meets a few truly extraordinary people.  In the beginning he fights to escape a terrible situation with his life and afterwards he tries to prove to his town that he's not the terrorist that he's now been accused of being.  The rest of his tale includes him trying to reconcile his regular life with this crazy new life that he's unfortunately been involved in.

But it's not all about Joe.  Behind the scenes there is a monumental plot taking shape.  There is a shadowy trio of men who've spread a lot of misery throughout Orangetown and the rest of the Sunshine State.  These men are not above kidnappings, murder, extortion, manipulation, and mass destruction to get what they want.  How the heck does regular ol' Joe even stand a chance against men this dangerous?  Well he has friends.  Enter the extraordinary talents of the super-spy Beauty, the no-nonsense ex-Detective ex-FBI P.I. Hank Borland, his tough-as-nails protege Dahlila, and the mysterious and unnaturally even tempered little Melissa.  Together these talented folks try to untangle deadly plots and most importantly keep Joe alive against threats that now want him dead.

There's a lot more to the book but I don't want to spoil too many surprises.  I'll be announcing my release date for the book pretty soon so keep an eye out...for excitement, intrigue, and...average-ness!  Again thanks your the browse my glorious readers!

Preview chapters below

http://belartsstories.blogspot.com/2014/07/kindle-book-preview-average-joe-and.html

http://belartsstories.blogspot.com/2013/04/kindle-story-preview-average-joe-and.html

My plan might actually work.

After spending a day looking at so many maps of Ann Arbor that I feel like I already live there I can honestly day that I am about halfway prepared for my little excursion there in the coming days.  Why am I looking at maps of Ann Arbor you ask?  Well I'm looking to move there soon and it looks like I finally caught a lucky break.  Today I was called up for a job interview there at Briarwood Mall.  Very excited about that and I have been preparing for it all day since its such short notice.

At the start of the year I had planned to move there but couldn't find work or apartments in my price range.  Hopefully it all works out now and I can finally get some alone time to write all these great novels that I've been planning and maybe get to know a few local writers and artists.  Wish me luck!  I think I'll do some fun stuff while I'm there too and write about it.

Focus is hard to find

I had plans for this week but have only barely accomplished any of them.  First and foremost on my list was to write some chapters on my nearly complete book Average Joe and the Extraordinaires which can be previewed here.  Then I wanted to work on the characters and AI ratings for FlubberKnuckle's game Flipz.  I wanted to finish the latest Story of K chapter and finish my latest analysis of Guardian's Crusade for my A Closer Look series.  None of that was done and I blame it on my wavering levels of focus.

I did have plenty of distractions such as video games, my friend Will, The Young Turks on Youtube, my friend Will, Facebook, my friend Will, and just generally forgetting about everything that I wanted to do.  Now to be honest it's totally not fair to blame Will for my lack of concentration, that was my own doing.  It is indeed tough for me to find a groove to start any sort of writing that requires concentration as long as I'm distracted but that's something that I definitely have to work on and I also have to work on saying no which strangely enough has become a lot harder lately especially since I'm becoming more tolerant of other people's desires.

I did manage to plot my story out to its end over the last few days which I am glad of.  Writing for me is weird like that but I notice that I can definitely do more of it and better quality while alone which is why my next move must be a singular one.

I'll have to either learn some meditative concentration techniques or hope that this move happens sooner rather than later.  If anyone has any suggestions please let me know because other than having fun this week has been disappointing as far as productivity.

Rediscovering the Joys of Video Gaming

With all this newfound time on my hands I have been able to do the one thing that I haven't been able to really do lately and that's play video games.  I have truly experienced a gaming renaissance not unlike the one that I experienced when I first started buying games for my PS2 years ago.  For the past few years all I've been able to do is play a game here and there, get a major ways through it and then drop it because of some other life priority but now I'm actually actively juggling about 5 or 6 games.

Let's see where to start.  I guess we can start with the games that I have decided to analyze and post here like Guardian's Crusade which I finally beat and am actively analyzing to post soon (bear with me please), Dead Rising, Condemned 1 and 2 which I finally beat, Castlevania Aria of Sorrow, Shining Force, Dragon Warrior 3, and Shin Megami Tensai 3: Nocturne.  Most of the games on this list I actually did start playing for fun but then realized that they were so cool and "different" that they warranted a closer look.  Though I beat Condemned and Nocturne I'm still "collecting" in those games.  I play SF and C:AoS on my laptop's GBA emulator and am having fun and learning many gameplay "tricks" from those.  I beat DW3 years ago as a kid but picked it up again because (Nostalgia mainly) I remembered it had such original ideas in it.  This is one of those games that needs to be remade.  Dead Rising started as me telling myself that I was about to have fun and troll around in the game but it looks like I was trolled and that game frustrates me to no end.  I added it to the Closer Look analysis queue because although I hate it so much I am still compelled to pick it up and challenge it again.  My friend Ryan shares my same opinions of the game and yet he loves it while I hate it.  I find that dynamic interesting.

Beyond playing to learn I am ecstatic that I can also play just to -- you know -- play.  I was able to play and beat both Onimusha 1 and 2 in only a few days and then started the third one.  I am delightfully enjoying this series but have decided not to put it in my Closer Look series.  Some things should just stay fun.  I had a nice run at Dungeon Fighter Online until the makers, Nexon, decided to shutdown the North American servers in June.  I'll be sad to see that go but oh well.  I'm always playing Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown and thanks to my friend Will have improved my technique at that.  I started a game called Dust for the Xbox but watched my friend Will run through it and was exhausted by the end of it.  I've even started playing the Indie Game Dreadmor and am having a blast (and high blood pressure) playing that.

So I can honestly say that I feel like a kid again, getting lost in so many worlds and exploring all these characters and situations and gameplay types.  It's a good feeling and even better because I'm both learning and playing for fun.  It's great because beyond all that I still manage to write, hang with friends, help out my mom, make a little cash, and live life the way I want.  I won't be able to keep this up for too much longer but I will remember this time and I will remember it fondly as a golden period.

(Belart)

Guardian's Crusade Wrap Up Coming Soon

I just got everything that I needed in order to successfully finish playing this game.  I left off at just about the halfway point before but now I'm back.  To be continued...

Comic Book Review: Dragon Ball Multiverse Chapter 29 Special

Dragon Ball Multiverse Chapter 29 Special – Universe 3, Two Great Heroes

Drawn By: Beta

Story by: Salagir and Gogeta Jr.

Colors by: Faye

 

Time for my review of Dragon Ball Multiverse the weekly released fan comic of Salagir and Gogeta Jr.  This week we’ll be reviewing Chapter 29 which is titled Two Great Heroes.  This isn’t the latest DBM chapter but the current one, chapter 30, continues directly from this one so I thought it appropriate to start here.

Two Great Heroes starts off oddly enough with two movie villians.  We have Dr. Raichi from the Dragon Ball Z OVA, A Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans and Hoi from Wrath of the Dragon.  Hoi is trying to get Raichi to open his mysterious music box.  Wrath of the Dragon watchers will instantly figure out what’s in the box.  Raichi does not appear interested in the least.  Hoi then tries to appeal to Raichi’s sense of good since the Raichi of this universe appears to be a great hero; one that successfully beat back the Saiyan tyrants (and killed them apparently).  Hoi says that Raichi is a great hero and as such should help free the other hero Tapion who is trapped within the box.  Raichi is reluctant but agrees to do it and revels in the challenge of using science to open the magic box.


Raichi is successful in opening the box.  His lab is engulfed in an immense amount of swirling energy and eventually Tapion emerges from the maelstrom.  He isn’t happy though and asks why he was freed.  When Hoi tries to escape and Raichi blocks him he releases a deadly creature that’s locked deep within himself…well half of a creature – the bottom half.  The creature wrecks Raichi’s lab and all hell breaks loose.

This is where badassery appears in the form of Ghost Saiyans and I must say where the story hits its crowning moment of awesomeness.  The Saiyans look completely badass in their new armor designs and the way they’re introduced is dripping with cool.  I don’t want to spoil any more than that but seeing the Ghost Saiyans piqued my interest and made me more interested in this special and universe.  It really made me more interested in how the battle between Raichi and the Saiyans went down and how their ghosts came to serve him.

ART

The Art of this special was superbly good.  The artist Beta takes Akira Toriyama’s character designs and makes them all her own.  I really liked her design of the Ghost Saiyan’s armor and of the female Saiyans.  Everybody else from Tapion to Hoi to Raichi were translated right from the movies to the page.  My only complaint would be that the backgrounds looked a bit bland and simple, especially towards the beginning but I’ve never been good at drawing them myself and most of the time don’t notice them so it wasn’t a big deal for me.

STORY

Pacing:

This time a special finally didn’t seem rushed or like it was just delaying the inevitable.  The sort of mysteriousness of the Ghost Saiyans gave this special more life at the halfway point where these specials typically burn out at with repetition.  The fight with the creature’s lower half dragged on for a bit but still never got stale.

Plot:

The chapter had a strong plot.  The mysteries of Raichi, Tapion, Hoi, and then the Ghost Saiyans got me intrigued.  The rest of it was just seeing how Raichi handled all of this chaos and what he had in store for Tapion and vice versa.  They’re a weird combo but this is definitely a weird universe.  It also had a nice cliff hanger-ish ending which setup the next chapter.

Dialogue:

There were really good translators this time.  There were no awkward phrases or sentences in this special like the series is typically known for.  The character interactions also felt natural and character specific which isn’t saying too much because we never really get to see these guys too much in their own movies.  Everything felt natural and the dialogue flowed smoothly.

Characters:

This cast of characters is really strange to say the least.  The choice for these characters would leave most people wanting for more but the writers used what they had and to great degree.  The only “main” character from the original series here is Kakarott aka Goku but he shows up here for a second and dies almost instantly.  For a special with no main characters and all class B villains I feel I got more out of each character.  The characters stayed true to themselves and their interactions were really good.  Also credit goes to Beta for some really cool looking original character designs for the Ghost Saiyans.

THE AWESOME

+        Mysteries that keep you turning the page

+        Great characterizations

+        Solid action

+        Strong plot

+        Great Art

+        Ghost Saiyans!!!

+        Interesting universe

THE FLAWED

-        Somewhat repetitive fight sequence

-        Bland backgrounds

-        Lack of a strong “leading” character

Overall: 8/10

This special is a page turner and not because you just want it to be over either.  This special did what the others could not in regards to the story and art as far as quality is concerned.  I hope that the specials to come are as good as or better than this one.  Universe 9 is a particular one that I want to see on this level.  Anyways go check it out and get lost in the Multiverse starting here: http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/page-629.html.  Thanks for the read and may your dreams be at your fingertips!

(Belart)

Comic Review: Dragonball Multiverse

Dragonball Multiverse is a fan comic created by Salagir and Gogeta Jr, two extremely talented, creative, generous and patient artists from France.  Salagir is the writer and Gogeta Jr. is the artist or cartoonist if you will.

Now this comic has been going on for years for those not familiar and continues where the Dragonball manga left off, you know after Buu was destroyed and everyone lived in peace.  It takes place a few years after that in an alternate universe.  You see that’s the whole premise of the book.  Like Trunks’ universe there exists others where the timeline was altered in a major way forever changing that universe from the one that we’re used to.  In most of the universes the good guys simply lose and the villains rule but in other universes major changes to who the good guys are occurs.

This comic uses that premise of alternate universes and runs with it.  Initially everyone from the universe we know and love, which is universe 18, are greeted by these creatures called Vargas.  Vargas are little bird people with technology that allows them to travel between the multiple universe.  They are a new creation by Salagir and Gogeta Jr. but seem to compliment to Dragon Ball-verse well I think.  They seem like a natural fit and I can definitely see them being in an Dragon Ball Z OVA.

Well anyway the Vargas have come with the help of the Kais and the Nameks to host a gigantic Multiverse tournament with the prize being any 3 wishes for the winning universe.  The Vargas say that the biggest prize though is the chance for warriors to test their mights against other warriors from other universes with virtually no risk factor since they’ll simply be wished back at tournaments end.  All of the Saiyans go along with Piccolo, and Videl and thus starts the multiverse tournament.

Everything here is a nice setup for some dream fights.  Since alternate versions of our heroes lost in other universes, we get to see some of our most hated (or loved) villains and old grudge matches flare up again.  Most of the villains seem to have gotten stronger so there are some good matches here and even a few nifty (and hilarious) mirror matches as well.  My favorite matches so far were Cell versus Dabura and Nail versus Recoome.  Those are matches many fans have been wanting to see.

 

There’s also some surprises in the form of crazy/cool/wtf author created characters.  This one group of all girl fighters from - of all universes - Bojack’s universe, sport all manner of unique and crazy powers.  One girl has the power to swap her gender with her opponent and you’d never guess who she fights!  Another group of author created characters are these mercenary guys with nanotech armor that gives the abilities to match up with the high powered gods of the tournament.  One guy has a blade that seems to be able to cut through anything to one character’s painful astonishment.  But for all the good author created characters there is one that most people dislike with myself included.  I won’t throw any shade there but you’ll figure it out once you start reading.

That’s the basic premise for the comic and there are now a total of 658 pages for it which is amazing because at one point there was only one new page a week.  Damn, how long have I been reading this?  I won’t be reviewing it from the beginning because it’s so long now but I will at least start from the beginning of the last special.

The Awesome:

+        Comic made by fans and it shows

+        Great Art that matches and at times exceeds Akira Toriyama’s own style

+        Awesome battles

+        Dream matches for the fans

+        Lots of comedy

+        Minor characters are given some spotlight

+        Cool Scenarios for the various universes

+        The promise of there being specials explaining the different universes series of events

+        The Human universe lead by Old Turtle Hermit Krillin, Super Tien, Cyborg Yamcha, and Mystic Videl

+        Gast Carcolh

+        It’s free!

The Flawed:

-        Pacing. It’s rarely “just right”, it’s either too slow are too fast.

-        Some fights are a waste.  I’m looking at you Frieza vs. Nappa and Tien vs. Son Wukong

-        The specials are usually bad because they’re slow and predictable.  They also seem sloppily put together

-        Not enough out-of-ring plot development

-        Wasted plot potential

-        Bra, though she is cooler than most give her credit for

-        Not enough of “our” heroes in action.  Universe 18 rarely gets any plot development.  I’ll even say that so far they’ve been given the least amount of plot development

Check out the comic at http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/chapters.html. Thanks for the read!

(Belart)

Blogger.com experiments

Still testing various page formats and layouts.  Expect the blog to change periodically throughout the week as I try different templates and visual styles.  My page layout for the other sections such as Belart's Stories, etc. will most likely change too as I add more content.