james urbaniak

(S03E07) Now, that was a Venture Bros. episode. In fact, throw the cake and eat some confetti, because I think I may have a new addition to my top five favorite episodes. After my less-than-confident review of last week's episode, "Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman", this was a very pleasant surprise. The episode didn't have any real ties to previous ones, but we got the chance to explore yet another part of the compound and some dark secrets of the original Team Venture.

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(S03E06) I'm not sure what I just watched, and I'm not sure if I liked it. I recently realized that my anticipation from week to week has been less about looking forward to another episode and more about waiting for something as awesome as "Escape to the House of Mummies, Part II" or "Twenty Years To Midnight" to come along. The show is still amazing and all, but it's not packing the same punch as before. Last season, I had a new favorite just about every week, but this time around, I have to watch the episodes multiple times before I really like it. It's like I've built up a tolerance to The Venture Bros. Soon, I'll have to cop four or five viewings a week, just to get that same high.

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Once again proving that I will listen to any nonsense Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer spit, I fought crippling 3AM sleepiness just to get through this commentary (hidden under the "Extras" buttons) for the latest Venture Bros. episode, "The Buddy System". That's right, no need to wait for the Season Three DVD to come out, because you can learn about Doc and Jackson's thoughts on above ground pools right now. Best of all, it's video, so we feel the full impact of their wildly off-topic conversations and also get to admire how these two look more like rock stars than the minds behind Metalocalypse. Compared to their DVD commentaries, though, they managed to offer quite a bit of episode-specific information.

(S03E05) In last week's review for "Home Is Where The Hate Is," I mentioned how I felt the season so far has all been set-up, set-up, set-up and we're still waiting for the punchline. I mean, it's been hilarious and beautifully animated set-up, but it's been set-up nonetheless. With "The Buddy System," we're finally getting back to everyday life on the Venture compound. It feels good to get a better sense of the family's present.

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(S03E04) Wow! An episode with absolutely no flashbacks or crazy hallucinations. That's a change. However, this was definitely the slowest episode out of the four that have aired, and I feel like we are missing something. Don't get me wrong. I have loved just about everything from this season, but it seems like we should be a bit further at this point. Only now do we see the direction for the rest of the season and who our major players are going to be. It's been two hours of set up. When are we getting the punchline?

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(S03E03) The Venture Bros. has some of the most incredibly strong secondary characters in the entire cartoon universe. I love their intricate back stories and the delicate explanations of their tendencies and motivations. It's like Lost, but with more robot hands and bad break-ups. That said, is Season Three going to be the season of back stories? I mean, seriously. The first episode was all about the origin of The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend, the second was an in-depth exploration of Rusty's past affecting his future, and "The Invisible Hand of Fate" taught us more than we ever wanted to know about the early days of Billy Quizboy and Pete White.

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(S03E02) After the season premiere left us with a depressing lack of Venture, this episode more than made up for it, taking place entirely on the family's compound. Plus, bonus Henry Killinger (and his magic murder bag)! "The Doctor Is Sin" marked a turning point in Dr. Venture's character and vulnerabilities. I don't really mind when an entire episode sacrifices fast-moving plot and crazy ninja fights to allow a character to come to critical realizations about himself/herself, as long as said realizations affect his/her future actions. I cannot begin to explain the frustration I feel when seasons carry on as if these moments never happened. Here's to hoping that Dr. Venture's new awareness of his occasional villainous tendencies provide some interesting changes in upcoming episodes.

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(S03E01) It's tough to believe that it has been over a year and a half since we last saw The Venture Bros. Granted, last season's cliffhanger wasn't quite as intense as Hank and Dean's death in Season One, but that didn't stop fans from speculating about Dr. Girlfriend's confession all through those twenty months. "Monarch, I'm..." what? Pregnant? A man? Ready for round two?

Even though I was looking forward to a bit of closure on that, I was also excited about hearing from the Ventures. Strangely enough, there was a surprising lack of Ventures in this episode of The Venture Bros. Instead, we got a whole lot of backstory about the Monarch, Dr. Girlfriend and good ol' Phantom Limb. It didn't pack the punch that one would expect from a season premiere, but it certainly delivered all the amazing things that one would expect from the show. I mean, apart from the actual Venture brothers.

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Those of you Venture Bros. fans that watched the Season Three teaser I posted in my NY Comic-Con report probably didn't catch all the jokes. After all, the footage was a recording of a recording and the massive auditorium was packed with people screaming and laughing throughout the entire thing. Heck, I was actually there in-person and I could barely tell what was going on.

Quickstop Entertainment has finally posted high-quality versions of the exclusive teaser. Now you can watch it crouched over your laptop, ears pressed to your cheap speakers, the way media is meant to be enjoyed. Regardless, it looks like we are in for quite a season. According to Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer only had three and a half completed episodes to use for this trailer and this is definitely not a collection of the best of Season Three. If the best is truly still to come, then I'm sure the new season, starting June 1, will be nothing short of crazy spectacular.

Okay, I'm finally back from the New York Comic-Con and I still smell like the Javits Convention Center. Fandom seeps into the deepest layers of one's skin and take at least a few weeks to wash out. It's a scientific fact.

The first panel I attended wasn't even TV-related. Worrying that the Battlestar Galactica room would fill before I could even step into the line, I sat through the preceding panel for Wall-E and Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian to guarantee a seat. As it turns out, the theater is absolutely huge and two big screens were on either side of the stage, so my worry was kind of pointless. I was reminded of what I already knew: Wall-E looks insanely cute, Chronicles of Narnia has a greasy-haired new guy and the Jesus lion again. However, this is when I began to play a game that lasted throughout the entire weekend: Analyze the differing levels of scary devotion throughout various fanbases!

Last month, I reported on the Venture Bros. panel at the New York Comic-Con. One of the highlights of the evening was the fantastic Season Two DVD teaser -- disguised as a film that used "hypnotic suggestion through overt sexuality" -- that kicked off the discussion, but I felt like I was missing out on some great lines because of all the cheering and laughter. I have already watched online audience videos of the panel multiple times, trying to hear better, but, alas, it all sounded the same as it did in the room.

Now, thanks to Quick Stop Entertainment, the teaser is online! And there is no hooting, no cheering... only quiet whimpers as I cry with joy. Was that a bit much? Sorry.

Some lovely soul has uploaded a full video collection of Saturday's New York Comic-Con's Venture Bros. Spotlight, during which creator Jackson Publick confirmed the rumors of a third and fourth season. I reported on my experience in this post, but be sure to watch the videos as well if you want to have a good laugh. The Season Two DVD trailer alone is worth it. Oh, and if the audio in the beginning sounds rather poor, trust me when I say that's exactly what things sounded like in the room. All the cheering and laughing made it really difficult to hear.

Fun Fact: In the sixth video (around 2:20), you can hear me share an obscure pop culture moment with Mike Sinterniklaas when he talks about Monkey... Marvel at the unusually high voice that suddenly squeaks, "Yeah! Journey to the West!" to Sinterniklaas. Yup, that was me. I swear, my voice is much more silky and sultry when I'm not talking to Dean Venture.

Anyway, enjoy the videos after the jump. I'm going back to count the number of times that any of the Venture Bros. guys may have looked at me in the front row.

My femurs feel like they have been broken in several places and each step I take sends the sensation of broken glass into the soles of my feet. The odor of hordes of people still lingers around me, but I don't know where it's coming from because my clothes smell fine. Next to me, I have a large bag of various free things, half of which I don't need nor like (so much manga). You see, I have just spent the entire day at the New York Comic-Con. I shall share the story of my short Saturday with you, not just as a reporter, but also as a fan and a first-time convention-goer.

Upon closer inspection, I think the "hordes of people" smell is coming from my shoes. Ew. Convention feet.

Jackson Publick has announced on his livejournal that season two of The Venture Bros. is scheduled to be released on April 17th. He and Doc Hammer are currently finishing up the supplemental material for the set which includes commentaries for every episode. If you've seen the season one set, and listened to the commentaries there, they are sometimes rambling, and often off-topic, but always entertaining.

This go round James Urbaniak and Mike Sinterniklaas are also featured on some of the commentaries. In addition to that, you can look for more live action Venture Bros. and some 30 deleted scenes. Jackson also links to the season one set on Amazon which is now going for a ridiculously low price of $8.99. Just in time for Christmas.

[ thanks Lacey ]