Greg Rucka is one of the most acclaimed comic book writers and novelists in the business. Along with wife -- and fellow comic writer -- Jen Van Meter, Rucka is at the forefront of modern comic book writing, as evident from his work on Queen and Country, Whiteout, Gotham Central, Superman: World of New Krypton, DC's Action Comics, and most recently Detective Comics, starring Batwoman.

So you can imagine how excited we were when he agreed to guest host Fresh Ink Online in place of host Blair Butler, who happens to be one of his biggest fans. So sit back and enjoy this special edition of Fresh Ink Online, where Greg chats about three of his all-time favorite comics, The Question, Justice League International, and Mage: The Hero Discovered. Enjoy!

Make sure visit us on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

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For the last year or so, I’ve asked multiple companies when they thought their next-next-gen systems would be arriving. Everyone seemed to agree this generation will most likely break the mold of the typical 5-year console cycle. Now with Microsoft exec Steve Ballmer dropping word on his company bringing out a "new console" next year, my stomach's getting a little uneasy. Sure, Microsoft as a company is denying it, but Microsoft can keep a secret about as well as TMZ.

Dear console makers: We don’t need new machines yet.

There are a number of things that push the coming of a new generation, the main two being current hardware becoming dated and developers can’t push the hardware any further. The third push comes from companies trying to one-up each other; if one thinks the other is making a new console, the others will follow suit. Last? The consumer is demanding it.

We're all patriots here, and before you start scarfing down tubes of meat that were heated on an outdoor fire pit, why not take a moment to check out this week's MMO Report. This week Casey tells you all about the upcoming Final Fantasy XI add-on scenario, the Bioware/Mythic merger, and all the troubles World of Warcraft has been having in China. Be thankful you live in the Western Hemisphere. So sit back, press play, and enjoy your 4th of July weekend!

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As you probably know, the very existence of G4 correspondent Blair Herter causes strong feelings in everyone he meets. Sometimes those feelings become too much to take, and they must be expressed on the internet. I say this by way of introducing you to the We Hate Blair Herter... Get Him Off of X-Play facebook group. 

The group was started by X-Play fan Chelsea K., but was brought to the attention of G4 by Herter himself. Now all of Herter's co-workers, friends and just about everyone Blair has ever met has joined the group. I hear his own mother is the treasurer.

I tracked Blair down to get his feelings on this important development, and he said "As someone who hates myself more than anyone else possibly could, and as a man who lives his life by the rules set forth by the Constitution of this great United States of America, I think it's only fair that everyone support the beautiful freedom of expression this group represents." 

"I really do suck," he added.

Join up, and register your own contempt. Seriously, it's fun.

Do you have an iPhone? Are you as obsessed with it as I am? Don't you think that the AI in the Peggle challenge mode cheats?!?!?!

Moving on, this week Adam takes a moment to discuss the gaming possibilities offered by Apple's iPhone. Do you buy fully-functional games for the iPhone? Or do you follow in Adam's footsteps and read the paper or do some crossword puzzles on your iPhone in your spare time? Either way, it's a subject begging for a debate, so check out this week's Soapbox and let us know what you think.

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Fresh Ink Online host Blair Butler ran into legendary comic book writer Grant Morrison at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles, and talked with him about some of the highlights of his long and storied career, which includes having written Animal Man, Final Crisis, and We3. They talked about what's next on Morrison's docket, and where he sees the future going for the world of comics. 

Here, Grant Morrison talks about the film adaptation of his comic, We3:

As we ramp up for Comic-Con ’09 in San Diego, host Blair Butler blasts through a slew of new comics to wet your appetite, including Viking, Berserker, Gotham City Sirens, Northlanders, GI Joe: Cobra, Elektra and Utopia. But is it Runaways or Batwoman’s run in Detective Comics that nabs Pick of the Week? Stay tuned and find out…

Make sure to tune in next week when the great Greg Rucka guests hosts! Make sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace as well, kiddies!

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Yes, we know you all enjoyed our special guest host Morgan Webb last week, but Casey never lets a nerd flu keep him down.

This week Casey has a wide collection of stories; from information about Aion's launch in September, to new Champions Online screenshots, to a Russian porn star getting a web address tattooed on her breasts. Yeah, it's a good week. Oh, and WTF Second Life is back, this time for the hearing impaired. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the triumphant return of the one and only Casey Schreiner.

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The one game that took everyone by surprise at E3 2009 was a little Nintendo DS title called Scribblenauts. This little nugget of genius stood head and shoulders above an astounding amount of fantastic video games, so you know that there has to be something very special about this incredibly simple and yet infinitely complex game.

Such is the topic of this week's Soapbox. Adam talks about how he not only can't wait to play the game, but how he thinks  Scribblenauts stands as an example of how amazing games have gotten in recent years. Are you as excited for this game as The Sess? Hell, I might buy a DS just so I can play it. Enjoy.

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This morning, it was announced that the parent company of Bethesda Softwarks (Fallout 3, Oblivion), ZeniMax Media, had acquired id Software (Doom, Quake), which will continue to operate autonomously with no staffing changes. This is huge news and X-Play's Adam Sessler and G4tv.com's own Billy Berghammer just had to sit down and talk it out!

Adam Sessler & Billy Berghammer on id Software's Acquisition

They discuss their surprise that this news wasn't leaked before or during E3 2009, what this means for the id Tech 5 engine, and how Splash Damage (Brink, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars) fits into all of this.

As you have no doubt guessed by the headline, my name is Jake Gaskill, and I’m a writer here at TheFeed. Now, my tale is a long and sordid one (i.e. reverse pirate vampires, above water adventure napping, bi-coastal experimentation, etc.), and by “long and sordid,” I of course mean “depressingly dull and uneventful.”

So here’s a short list of things that should tell you everything you need to know about me: Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Bob Dylan, The Simpsons, Looney Tunes, Monty Python, David Letterman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Star Wars, Caddyshack, Fletch, The Third Man, Miller’s Crossing, His Girl Friday, The Tune, The Sun Also Rises, Hunter S. Thompson, Stephen King, Half-Life, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Goldeneye 007, GTA III, Psychonauts, BioShock.

That’s a fair smattering if I do say so myself. It’s obviously a woefully incomplete list, but it should do the trick for now. So until we speak again, farewell dear readers. You rock!

Chasing dinosaurs,
Jake

Interview: Jake Gaskill - Writer, TheFeed
By: Raymond Padilla

Ray: You received your bachelor's degree from Florida State University. Isn't that a party school? What was your drink of choice?

Jake: Hey, I resent that! There wasn’t a school in sight, as far as I could tell. As far as a drink, what’s the one that’s kind of on the watery side?...Oh right, Solitarily Weeping Into Your Glass Ale. Ah, college.

On this very special webisode of Fresh Ink Online, Blair welcomes two very special surprise guests. Plus, she reviews the latest and greatest comics, including Phonogram: The Singles Club, The Invincible Iron Man, Punisher, Red Mass For Mars, Destroyer and Batman: Streets of Gotham. But it’s the gore-tastic Invincible that really has her talking. Did it make Pick of the Week? Tune in and find out.

…and make sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace…

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This week, we have something very, very special for you. Casey Schreiner was too ill to host this week so we got the one and only Morgan Webb to guest host. I know, I'm just as stoked as you are.

This week the beautiful Morgan Webb tells you all about how CCP plans to announce their follow-up to EVE Online, the new Smuggler class in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Warhammer Online's latest live expansion the Land of the Dead. Yeah, it's a great week, so press play and enjoy.

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So you saw the X-Play's God of War III hands-on preview with game director Stig Asmussen, but as an added bonus, we're bringing you the raw, uncut video in HD.

God of War III Direct-Feed Gameplay

The footage you're about to see is from the E3 2009 demo of the game, but I doubt you've seen an uninterrupted, direct-feed presentation of this demo. If you have, watch it again!

Some things to look out for:

• Kratos using the Blades, Cestus, and Bow.
• The Chimera enemy, which fights in 3 stages corresponding to its 3 animal representations.
• The fight between the Titan and Helios in the background during the beginning of the scene.
• Entrails!!!

What was your favorite part (or parts) of the video?

Fight Night Round 4 drops next week for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but we've already been putting the game through its paces here at the office. Up first, we're showing off the game's improved "Legacy Mode", which starts off with the boxer's first amateur tournament and follows him throughout his entire career. You can also elect to play this mode as one of the real world boxers, by the way.

Instead of just choosing your next fight like in Fight Night Round 3 followed by one training minigame, the career in Round 4 follows a calendar. You'll have to account for things like recovery time and training days before each fight. Do you cram in as many fights as possible without fitting in a lot of training or do you hit the gym and build your stats for a few big fights?

Additionally, Round 4's Legacy Mode is built around the fact that all boxers must retire. The question is, what will your boxer's record and standing be when age finally gets the best of him?

First 15: Fight Night Round 4 Legacy Mode

Also, be sure to read my hands-on preview for Fight Night Round 4.