Spideys and Batmen highlight this week’s new media releases. Come on in, take a look and maybe win yourself a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!

HO BOY! Here’s your chance to shop the latest in new games, movies and TV shows AND a zero cost way to support your pals at Laser Time simply by shopping for shit you want from the world’s leading online retailer. Don’t wanna buy a tshirt or Donate to Laser Time? Fine… but you’re a jerk, quite frankly. Anyhoo, simply take a gander at our curated list of new games and DVDs, our updated links to exclusive video game pre-order bonuses and Cape Crisis comic book recommendations. Even if you do not desire these specific items highlighted, we humbly suggest you click through any of the links below and on the right hand sidebar to BUY ANYTHING YOU WANT, because Amazon kicks LT a small commission we send a purchaser into the store. To get you started on your consumeristic journey, we’ll give one lucky commentor a FREE $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD! Enjoy!

The Amazing Spider-Man  360  |  PS3
This looked to have potential, although I’ve had my fears confirmed by people I consider very trustworthy (Hank!) The interesting dilemma Activision and Beenox have put themselves in is that A) Spidey is now an annual franchise and B) it’s a licensed movie tie-in. So the equally interesting way they’ve chosen to deal with that is by setting the game after the film, which is weird, because the game hits before the movie, technically contains spoilers, and makes you fight a less compelling menagerie of villains. While Spidey’s overall web-slingin’ and movement look slicker than in years past, I’m told it doesn’t quite rise above movie tie-in status, nor anywhere close to 2008’s phenomenal Web of Shadows.

Christopher Nolan Director’s Collection (5 MOVIES!)
JESUS CHRIST! EVERYONE OF THESE MOVIES IS WORTH OWNING! Even if you own two out of the five fantastic Christopher Nolan films included in the set, the price is still good enough to warrant a pick it up. $29.99 for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, Momento, and Insomnia in HD for $29.99?!?!?! There is no deal more splendid anywhere out there this week. I know we all assumed we’d eventually pick up a Dark Knight trilogy, but since Nolan seems to have shied away from commentaries and special editions thus far, this is probably a purchase you don’t have to over think. If this set would’ve included The Prestige, I probably would’ve devoted the rest of the year to doing pro bono PR for it. Nolan’s one our generations greatest artistic treasures, and quite frankly, you’d be a fucking moron not to pick up this cheap  ass collection of masterpieces (give or take an Insomnia.)

21 Jump Street
Jesus, who the hell woulda thunk that Hollywood scraping the bottom of the TV adaptation barrel would’ve yielded something hailed as both funny and good!? I’ve yet to see it for myself, but the praise for it is pretty much unanimous from everybody I’ve heard from. Anyone in the comments see it?!

Spec Ops: The Line  360  |  PS3
I certainly hope people give this a shot, because according to people I’ve spoken to, this game lives up to the rather unorthodox expectations it presented itself with. (I was so blown away by a demo I took some months ago, you might’ve seen the lead protagonist slide underneath my highly embarrassing pull quote in the commercial.) While it may be difficult to get the world to care about yet another “modern warfare” game, let alone get people interested in a rebooted franchise few remember/care about, Spec Ops: The Line does one thing astonishingly well that I’ve never seen other games attempt: It makes you feel every kill you perform. This isn’t all “Hoo-Rah!” bromance, this is a small squad asked to take down their fellow American AWOL soldiers in a story loosely inspired by “Heart of Darkness” (Apocalypse Now!) It’s not so much a political statement, nor a way of questioning morality, but a thoroughly engrossing, uniquely refreshing approach to portraying what it must feel like for a modern day soldier to perform grand-scale atrocities in the name of duty. It’s incredibly uncomfortable and unflinching in its execution, as you watch your Delta squad mentally unravel (in a ridiculously cool Dubai setting) and the devs should certainly be commended for having the player experience an emotion other than accomplishment and adrenaline. I mean, in other words: DO RECOMMEND

The Artist
My God… I cannot wait to see this! Sure, its silent approach is a bit of a novelty – one that successfully paid off in Oscar gold! – but at least it’s a ridiculously ballsy one that you can bet your ass won’t be ripped off or recreated in a tiresome fashion. Everyone I’ve spoken to in regards to The Artist gets a little excited when heaping it with glowing praise, and that just makes me incredibly happy, especially because it’s something so original, old school, and downright celebratory. I didn’t get a chance to see this in theaters, but I’ve been waiting for what feels like centuries to pick up a Blu-ray copy. WILL GET!

Dead Island: Game of the Year  360  |  PS3
I know it’s hard to trust a guy who wrote and starred in a series of web shorts based on this title, but I can unbiasedly say I still had a ton of fun with Dead Island. The characters are idiotic, and the game is often hilariously flawed, but damned if I didn’t experience hours of dumb ass fun playing through this entire game in all of two or three sittings (several dozen hours at a time, mind you!) The fundamental gameplay of bludgeoning zombies and weapon customization is every bit as addictive as it is awesome and this low-priced $29 GOTY edition also includes 3 DLC packs at no extra charge, so I encourage those who haven’t played it to consider doing so. [FUN FACT: The money made from writing and producing the Dead Island: Secret Origins script after hours basically financed Laser Time into existence!]

Green Eggs and Ham
Strangely, I actually remember the Green Eggs and Ham jam a lot less vividly than the two other shorts included in this 1973 special. The Zax and The Sneetches were already standout stories of stubbornness and superiority, and they’re done ultra-fine animated service even by today’s standards. In fact, if you need to wonder why these shorts a far more accurate to Dr. Seuss’ message and vision than the horseshit you see in theaters these days, it’s immensely fucking important you know that the man himself coproduced the special and was heavily involved with the writing of every word. Even the new lyrics. WILL BUY!

Wrath of the Titans
I’ve actually been a bit bias in my aggressive indifference towards this one, but hey, I don’t need a PG-13 retelling of Greek violence when I’ve got God of War, baby! And just so you know, I’m not even one of those old farts pissed to see the classic Harryhausen Clash of the Titans remade (that movie was made before I was born, anyway 😛 ) No, I hate that this is a sequel to a movie critics and audiences seemed to universally dislike, yet saw in droves anyway? While I hear Wrath is a modest improvement, I still can’t stand that it’s a dumbass sequel to a dumbass movie everybody was warned against seeing in the first place. It’s a shitastic remake that never should’ve got a second chance and something about these movies existence reminds me of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World bombing at the box office, and that just gets me even angrier. Fuck you, America! (And please, shop through us.)

Mirror, Mirror
Oh, here’s that other Snow White movie… wait, was this the funny one, or the Labyrinth looking one? Joking, this is the sillier take on dwarfs and Snow, and judging by the performance of the more serious Snow White and The Huntsman, it proably defied expectations by being the lower performing of the two. Whatevs, after his performance in The Social Network, I’m honestly interested to see anything with that baking soda guy.

Record of Agarest War 2
“What the hell is this?!” you ask. No idea, really… although, I do recall Hank singing the praises of the original, calling it something of an unsung gem. Whatever, I don’t trust my memory anymore. People release stuff, we point it out – that’s the gig. So, whatever the hell this might be is also available in a Limited Otaku Collector’s Edition!

UPCOMING VIDEO GAME AMAZON BONUSES – Pre-order and support Laser Time

Listed in order of release date

The Secret World  
-Early game access, plus special beta access with pre-order
-FREE Loyal Pet Hound (offers protection and XP boost)
The Amazing Spider-Man  360  |  PS3  
-Pre-order for FREE Stan Lee Adventure Pack DLC
Spec Ops: The Line  360  |  PS3  
-$10 in-store credit
-Free upgrade to Premium pack and FUBAR Pack DLC with pre-order
Gravity Rush 
-FREE Military Costume DLC with pre-order
-FREE 4 Extra Missions, which include 2 Side Missions and 2 Challenge Missions
NCAA Football 13  
-Free Nike Pro Combat premium uniform pack – Amazon exclusive
Silent Hill: Downpour  360  | PS3
–$10 in-store credit
Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy
-FREE gripped stylus and 17 stickers with pre-order
Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance 
-FREE AR cards that unlock exclusive in-game Dream Eater with pre-order
Persona 4 Arena  *NEW*
-FREE Persona 4 Arena Arranged Soundtrack based on the music of Shoji Meguro
The Last Story   *NEW*
-Pre-order and receive a 44-page softcover Art Book in a special custom case
Sleeping Dogs  360  |  PS3
-FREE Martial Arts Pack, with Shaolin Showdown mission, Shaolin Warrior outfit (with increased striking damage), Bonus Triad XP points, and Wing Chun decoration for your safe house with pre-order
Madden 13
-Free  Andrew Luck Future Stars Draft Pick Madden Ultimate Team Card for immediate use in Madden 12
Borderlands 2  360  |  PS3  |  PC
-$10 in-store credit
Resident Evil 6  360  |  PS3
-Pre-order for FREE Exclusive Mercenaries stage – The High Seas Fortress 
Assassin’s Creed III  360  |  PS3  
-EXCLUSIVE: FREE Steelbook Case upgrade with art by Alex Ross
Hitman: Absolution  360  |  PS3  -FREE Bartoli Custom Pistol, with built-in, high-spec sight and silencer to give excellent accuracy and an extremely high rate of fire with pre-order

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