Thought Balloon

The Dark Knight

2008-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

[Warning! This post will have SPOILERS!]

This was the one movie that I was holding my breath for this summer. Sure, Iron Man was pretty great, and the Hulk movie wasn't as terrible as I thought it's be. I liked Hellboy II better than the first, but all of my hopes and dreams were riding on the potential greatness of the newest Batman movie.

I waited until Sunday to see it, and successfully avoided having it spoiled for me. I watched Batman Begins Friday night to kind of refresh my memory, and I'm really glad I did that.

So... The Dark Knight was pretty f-ing awesome.

The film, in my own private list of greatest comic book adaptations, quickly shot to the top. Right up there with the 1978 Superman (which kind of holds that permanent number one status, for me. It came out when I was at the right age for it to influence everything that came after).

Rather than spell everything out, I thought I'd just hit on what made it great:

It was a big and more complex than most films of its kind. It had the appropriate sense of epic-ness for the franchise's debut of the Joker, and fully embraced a morally ambiguous battleground as opposed to "good guys vs bad guys". Everything in this movie revolved around character, rather than action set-pieces. Even the supporting characters got a good moral conflict or two.
That said, they didn't skimp on the action in this movie. I liked how the Nolan's have kept everything just on the side of credible, real-world physics. I liked the skyhook move in the Korea sequence the best, I think. It was so Bondian.
Speaking of Bondian: I think this movie hit on the best balance of disparate elements of Batman history. From the James Bond-ish international Batman, to the detective, to the tortured avenger, to the pseudo-deputized vigilante, to the urban myth, this movie took so many inspirations from so many different iterations of the character and blended them seamlessly. Also, it seems that they even looked to the Burton version, and slyly addressed that version as well; I'm not alone in seeing parallels between the two movies in that last fight with the Joker, and the specific choice that is made in this movie. There was also that throwaway line to Fox about wanting to be able to turn his head, which made me chuckle.
I liked that this film picked up the threads and themes from the first movie and ran with them. Watching the first one so close to the second really paid off. The first one dealt with one man becomming an idea, because an idea is harder to defeat than one man. The second one dealt with trying get that idea to stand on its own two legs without the man. We see Bruce trying to establish a structure that will perservere without him as Batman. It was very Empire Strikes Back as we see that ambition fail bitterly on so many levels. All that's left at this point is for Bruce to realize that he's not the Batman, that it's the other way around.
Every actor in this one is fantastic. Maggie Gyllenhaal was a good replacement for Holmes, as I couldn't see Holmes handling the emotional heft that this movie had. Ledger, it goes without saying, is brilliant and tragically the most perfect interpretation of the Joker we're ever likely to see.

There's more, but that's what sticking with me right now. I'm excited to see a third movie from this creative group. Since the last scene of the first movie set the sequel up so succinctly, I'm looking to the end of this one to point a clue as to where they're going to from here. It makes sense that the third would involve a lonelier Batman (no more Rachel, no more Lucius, no more Gordon). With Rachel out of the picture, it would make sense that they would introduce a new love interest*. There's been a lot of talk about Catwoman (which Warner's would be a bit gun-shy on using since her solo movie tanked so hard) which would make sense, since she moves in Batman's world as opposed to Wayne's, and would follow the theme of Wayne crossing over into his alter-ego completely.

I'd humbly submit that Talia, Ra's al Ghul's daughter, would be a better choice. It would give Wayne a chance to revisit his original mission, it would give Ghul's illusion of immortality from the first movie a bit of credibility, and could possible close the thematic arc. Plus, no slight against Selina, but Talia can kick some ass.

*I use that term, but it's something else entirely, isn't it? The inclusion of Rachel provides something more than just object of the heroes affection/damsel in distress stereotype.

Tags: the dark knight,

New Comics: Week of May 14, 2008

2008-05-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Better late than never.

Batman #676 - As much as I love Morrison, I dropped this title after the first few issues when I started to hear that other writers would be filling in arcs and there would be some crossovers coming up. That's a scenario where I usually rely on the eventual TPB (see below) to catch me up. RIP seemed like a good time to jump back on board. Morrison's the kind of writer who really leaves nothing to waste; what seems inconsequential now will undoubtedly play a part later. This issue provided a good point for new and returning readers, as Batman has seemingly reached a new level in his career. It's the kind of place one reaches right before the fall, however. Batman RIP looks to mine some of the same territory that Morrison covered in his Seven Soldiers series; spiritual death and reincarnation. I don't really believe the rumors that someone else will be replacing Bruce (for long), but I do believe that we will see a new Batman that's going to be removed from the grim-n-gritty one that has been somewhat of a killjoy for the last twenty-odd years.

Casanova #14 - Didn't see that coming. It's a great creative leap that makes me want to read not just this album, but the entire series, over again. The first album ended with a fundamental character shift for the protagonist, and this second arc does the same. Fraction is putting Cas through his paces, giving me faith that he has a direction and purpose for this series. Also, sexy super-spy action, parallel universes, mystical crows, giant robots and mad scientists. Just when things are getting to far away from anything resembling reality, Fraction does a head-check like the reveal in this issue, which brings things down to a human level. In a way, Cas has become worse than a traitor to everyone who is connected to him, just as he's gotten to a point that he might actually care about what that means. The next album can't come soon enough.

Final Crisis Sketchbook - One those things I wouldn't have picked unless it involved Morrison and/or Jones. I would have hoped for a little bit more insight into either gentleman's artistic process, but otherwise I think it was worth the purchase. Looks like Morrison is tying Final Crisis into much of his previous DC work: Particularly his Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle series, plus shades of Darkseid from his JLA run with a little bit of 52 for spice. I skipped the Crime Bible series that spun out of Countdown, but now I think it might be worth a look. I remember that being one of the elements of 52 that I thought might be Morrison's baby.

Green Lantern Corps #24 - You've got to hand it to Tomasi and Johns for keeping their corner of the DCU on track and in harmony. While the main GL title slips into an extended secret origin story setting up the next big GL event, the sister title has been working in unison laying the contemporary groundwork for same.

Late to the Party: TPB Edition

I picked up a clutch of trades at Flying Dog Comics' going-out-of-business sale.

Batman and Son - Just as I suspected: Morrison's run reads much better in uninterrupted chunks. I admire the man's chutzpah in picking up on a stray, but important, bit of continuity that no one wanted to touch for the last twenty years. He does seem to leave a bit of doubt that Damien is who his mother says he is. Paternity aside, does it even matter? What matters is what Damien believes, to an extent. He believes he is Batman's son, and that informs everything. Also: Man-Bat ninjas.

Daredevil: The Devil Inside, Vol. I - After showing up late to his run on Captain America (and his most excellent Sleeper and Criminal series), I finally got around to his run on Daredevil. Overall, I'd rate this over his other Marvel work. There's a tension that remains firmly rooted in reality in his Daredevil work that's missing from his work on Captain America. Maybe it's because Matt's world is more ground level than Cap's, what with the secret agent stuff, cosmic cube and SHIELD and all. Bonus points for bringing in the forgotten Dakota North in a supporting role, and resurrecting the whole Michael Murdock identity. Also, was I the only one who thought the interactions with Frank Castle were touching. Personally, I thought it was a nice contrast, and deepened the character of the Punisher: while he has no qualms about killing criminals, he wouldn't want to see someone like Matt arrive at that solution.

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 6 - 9 - This series is like a great TV show. It's interesting that so many reviews compare it to Lost (and ironic... doesn't Vaughn write for that show?), because everytime I read a chunk of it, I think that Lost should be more like this book (or should have been... I dropped out midway through season 3... has it gotten back on track?). It's got a focused, forward movement and knows exactly when to disclose a secret or two. So far, I've remained unspoiled as to the nature of the series end... though I suspect it's not going to be a happy one. The last trade should be out in July, and I can't wait.

That should do it for last week's haul. I know I was supposed to have a new Comic Shop Project entry up this Monday, but real life got in the way. I'll be making it up by having a two-fer next week. Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: batman green lantern final crisis daredevil y: the last man casanova

The Comic Shop Project: Earth 2 Comics

2008-05-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

After my experiences last Saturday, I wanted to start this project off with a positive note, so I chose a shop I frequent fairly often. I found it a few years ago, and drop by whenever I find myself with a little money and some time to kill. If I still lived in the San Fernando valley, it would most definitely be my primary shop.

I'm talking about Earth 2 Comics in Sherman Oaks. The shop is clean, well-lit and smartly organized. The owners proudly display their 2007 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer of the Year award, and rightfully so.

Selection: They've got a fairly wide selection of new material (though no manga). The shop is divided near equally between trades and floppies, with some toys and shirts thrown into the mix. They don't have a whole lot on the floor as far as back issues, but I get the feeling (due to the presence of Silver Age titles) that they have more in storage for a customer who is looking for something special.
Cleanliness/Organization: It's a very clean and organized shop that feels lived in. The decor has a nice balance so that the shop doesn't feel sparsely impersonal or cluttered and trashy. There the feeling of a discerning eye in the choice of decor. Personally, I like the Steve Rude Nexus skecth that they have up on the wall. When I visited Saturday, they had some kind of lifesize replica of Ultimate Thor's hammer on the counter. It was intimidating, but in a cool, geeky way. Definitely a conversation starter for many who entered the shop. I like that they have separate sections for the trades, in that you can look at one shelf and find titles in alphabetical order, or you can look on a separate shelf and see trades grouped by creator. For someone like me, who tends to follow writers over characters, this is a welcome tweak.
Staff: Probably the model staff one could wish for. They are always ready to help, but never too intrusive. I've always been greeted or acknowledged when I've entered the shop. They possess a level of professionalism and enthusiasm that I wish more shops had. What really sells me is the way they interact with all walks of customer; I've seen them walk a non-comics person looking for a gift for someone else in the most courteous manner as well as talk to hardcore fans about the smallest continuity details. It's all about enthusiasm and thinking about who you're talking to.
Bonus/Incentives: Aside from the friendly atmosphere, they offer a 15% discount on pull lists of at least 10 items. They also have something they call the Free Trade League. It's a card you get stamped every time you purchase a trade. When you have 10 stamps, your 11th trade (up to $19.99) is free. Great incentive for readers like me who buy more trades than floppies these days.

So, in short, Earth 2 is a shop I can't recommend highly enough. It's got a great vibe. It's one of few shops I would feel comfortable bringing my girlfriend to. Hell, I'd feel comfortable bringing my mother there.

Not that I would... I'm just saying.

Emergency Comic Shop Project

2008-05-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

I didn't plan on posting my first Comic Shop Project until Monday, but this is an emergency.

Anyone reading this in the Los Angeles/Ventura area will want to make their way to Flying Dog Comics. The store is going out of business after about two years. I was out driving today, looking for new comic shops when I found it. Too bad my first visit will also be my last.

Seems like a good store. Long story short, the owner's selling everything in stock for 50% off. A competitor is buying his leftover stock after the store closes for 25 cents on the dollar, so he's trying to burn off as much as he can before then, and two quarters beats one.

The selection is great. Sadly, this is a young store, so everything is fresh and clean. I ended up buying a bunch of recent floppies and four trades. I'm kicking myself already for what I didn't buy.

So, if you like a deal, and want to help this guy out, get yourself up there. He said that the sale would go on through Sunday and that the store closes Tuesday, most likely. I don't know if the sale will continue past Sunday.

Flying Dog Comics
9820 Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 700-0200‎

[EDIT 5/11]

The shop was closed Sunday, so there may have been some misconception on my part. It might be worth a call to see if the sale will continue Monday and Tuesday.

New Comics: Week of May 7, 2008

2008-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's what I ended up bringing home:

Avengers/Invaders #1 - I know Spider-Man's thing is the nervous banter... but there was a little too much here. It became downright annoying. Other than that, this issue provided pretty much what I expected. I can see the writer trying to draw a parallel between Peter and Bucky with the dual internal narration, but given Brubaker's retcon of Bucky's character during wartime, it just seemed a little off. Also, like with all of Marvel's projects lately, I'm having trouble discerning when this all takes place. Post-Civil War, sure, but Pre-Secret Invasion? Who the hell knows. It's kind of frustrating, really. Wondering if Ross just gets to make up his own stuff on projects like this.

Invincible Iron Man #1 - Strong start. Fraction hits the ground runnning, bringing a lot of brains and (surprisingly) sex to Stark. Kind of a mix of the fast pace readers expect from Cassanova with a little world building from Immortal Iron Fist. For a second, I almost thought this was going to go the way of Armor Wars, but it quickly veered into something new. I loved the connection that's made between the advanced tech of the armor and the (formerly) advanced tech behind the camera phone. Very smart, very relateable.

Small note: I am wondering about the timeline here, just as with Avengers/Invaders, but care less. Doesn't seem as tied into current (what passes for) continuity, other than Stark is director of SHIELD now.

Secret Invasion #2 - Some of the shuttle escapees turned out to be red herrings, just as I suspected, though at least one appears to be the real deal. I actually liked that part of this issue, despite the rest.

The part that threw me out of the story might seem incidental, but kind of wraps up my problem with the writing in a nutshell: Emma Frost using the word "guys" indescribing the other group. She also using the term "brainwaves". This sounds like a) every other character and b) nothing like any incarnation of Frost that I've ever read. Sure you could write it off that she's a skrull, trying to blend in with the humans, using the vernacular. Just bugged me, and yanked me right out of the proceedings.

Also, am I not all that up to date on Jessica Jones. I know Bendis retconned her as an Avenger at some point, but never really named her alter-ego. If that's true, I thought it was interesting that she was missing from the roll call on the first page. Also, I'm wondering if she's the real thing, and Bendis is going to risk invalidating everything he did with Alias by making her a skrull. Also, it would give him an opportunity to reestablish her as a costumed superhero, building her up as a major player. It sure worked for Sentry!

I did kind of like that last shot of the issue, and all of the different hybrid skrulls. Interesting that some embody whole teams, and even adopt helpful design tweaks on their uniforms to inform us of such.

Young X-Men #2 - What? I feel old. What's going on? Still no real grasp of any of the characters. Think that Cyke is probably not the real deal, but other than that... I got nothin'. The only conceivable hook for me at this point is to find out what has happened to the former New Mutants. The last page reveal did not make me want to seek out the next issue. I love Paquette's work, but somehow he always ends up on projects I'm not all that interested in reading (Bulleteer excepted).

Passed:

DC Universe Special Justice League of America - Did not see this on the stands.

War That Time Forgot #1 - Looked good, until I saw Bruce Jones was writing it. I'll hang back on this one.

Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin TPB & JLA Presents: Aztek the Ultimate Man TPB - Saw both of these on the racks. May wait til this weekend to pick them up. I have a trade discount coming up, so this may be my last bit of leftover birthday splurge.

Tags: invincible iron man secret invasion avengers/invaders

The Comic Shop Project

2008-05-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been thinking about the "death of the comic shop". There's a lot of talk floating out there predicting it, though I don't know if I could subscribe to any of it. Certainly there's a lot to be anxious about. Online subscription services, big box booksellers, competition from free online content... either singularly, or taken together, have been seen as the harbingers of doom to many.

For me, the shop represents too much for me to do away with. Sure I pick up the occassional trade while browsing in Barnes & Noble, and sure I like a good deal on my comics, but these facts don't trump the fact that I value my LCS, and try to spend more time and money there than anywhere else.

Maybe (probably) it's a generational thing: before I had my own mode of transportation and my own source of income, I got all of my comics from the local 7-11. My buying habits were limited to what that vendor received in any given week (and more often than not it was completely random). I remember discovering my first comic shop, and it was a wonderful thing that I had no idea existed; a store devoted entirely to comics. It was a huge (in my memory) shop in Davis, California, near the college. We were on our way back home from a summer boating trip, and I bought two graphic novels (I had no idea they existed either): God Loves, Man Kills and The New Mutants. We lived no where near Davis, but as soon as we got home, my mom was game enough to find a closer shop and bring me there frequently.

"Better this than drugs" she reasoned.

Oh, if she only knew.

So the shop has a strong emotional ressonance for me. It shaped the way I chose the titles I bought. Able to browse a much larger pool of publications, my own reading experience expanded and deepened. Also, I got a giddy sense of anxiety on the drive to the shop. What would I find on the shelves that day? That probably doesn't sound all that special, but take into account that this was pre-internet, and going to the shop was an adventure unspoiled by... er... spoilers. To a certain extent, I still like to be surprised at what I will find. At the very least, when I have a little extra money, or feel a little bored/adventurous, I like to browse through what's there. I've resisted pull-lists, even, adding a little bit of unpredictability to the experience. In a way, there's nothing better for me than to learn I've missed something, and now have to hunt it down.

Lately I've been trying to visit as many stores as I can. At first, it was an effort to locate shops with dollar bins, but it's grown into something else. I don't know what it is, but my girlfriend convinced me I should write it all down. Seeing as this blog has been a bit directionless for the better part of a year, it might be a good way to generate content when I don't want to talk about the books themselves. My goal is to visit as many shops as I can in the greater Los Angeles/San Bernardino/Ventura areas, and review them. Through a combination of Google Maps and the Diamond Store Locator, I've started with this:

I've visted/frequented some of the shops already. Some I haven't. I'll try to rate them all on a common criteria:

Selection: What kind of comics are carried? Mainstream superhero, alternative, manga? New comics, back issues, trades?
Cleanliness/Organization: A big one, though I'm not too prissy. Sometimes I like a grungy shop... it usually means they've been in business for a while and have a lot of hidden treasures. Some of the newer shops I've run accross are too antiseptic and cold. I draw the line at filth, though. And bugs.
Staff: Probably the biggest pet peeve that I have. I'm not that needy; I don't need to be handheld. I do like to be acknowledged. Snarky hipsters put me off. Also, some sense of professional conduct is appreciated.
Bonus/Incentives: What's going to bring me back to the store? Discounts on pull-lists, dollar bins, trade programs, etc? Anything above and beyond just stocking and selling comics.

I'm probably leaving something out, so I reserve the right to revise my criteria in the future. Also, if there's anything you feel I've overlooked, please leave a comment. I'd appreciate any advice or insight. As I usually try to get to a new shop on the weekends, I'll be running this new feature on Mondays.

The list so far (in alphabetical order):

3 Geeks
4 Color Fantasies
A Hidden Fortress
Amazing Comics & Cards
Astounding Fantasy Art Books & Comics
Beach Ball Comics
Brave New World
Bunky Brothers Comic Books
Candy Comic Books
Chamber of Comics
Collectors Asylum
Collector's Paradise
Comic Book Guys
Comic Bookie
Comic Bug
Comic Castle USA
Comic Cellar
Comic Connection
Comic Ink
Comic King Store
Comic Madness
Comic Odyssey
Comic Quest
Comic Vendor
Comics & Fun
Comics Factory
Comics Plus
Comicsmash
Continental Comics
Corner Store Comics
D J's Universal Comics
Dong Boo Comic Book Store
Dream World Comics [Simi Valley]
Dream World Comics [Venice]
Earth 2 Comics
Epic Comics
Flying Dog Comics
Funny Business [Moved]
Geoffrey's Comics Comic Cult
Golden Apple Comics
Golden Apple II
Gotham
Heroes & Villains
Hi De Ho Comics
House of Secrets
Jeff's Comics
JNJ Comic Books
JPM Comics
Kemp's Komics & Kards
Kings Comics and Cards
Korean Comic Book Store
Legacy 1
Legends for Fun
Mega Comics [now Dream World?]
Meltdown Comics & Collectibles
Metropolis Comics
Michaels Comic Book Shop
Mini Melt
Mini Melt Too
Orange Comics
Orbit Comics & Cards
Otherworld Comics
Players Comics & Cards
Pulp Fiction
Ralph's Comic Corner
Secret Headquarters LLC
Shooting Star Comics
Solomon Comics
The Flip Side
The Realm, Games & Comics
The Third Planet
Treasure Island Sports Cards & Comics
West Coast Fantasy

P.S. This list is by no means complete. Leave me a comment if there's a shop that I've overlooked. I'd hate to think I missed something wonderful (or awful).

Tags: the comic shop project

Punk'd by Wizard

2008-05-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Brought to my attention via the Blog at Newsarama from Wizard's list of events that impressed Wizard:

48. THE SENTRY HOAX (June 2000)
When this magazine broke news that Stan Lee had created a heretofore-unseen superhero in his 1960s heyday, fans practically lactated with excitement. Only problem: it wasn’t true. Acting in collusion with then-Marvel Knights honchos Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti, Wizard told the fallacious story of the Sentry, a hero devised by Lee and fictional artist Artie Rosen; writer Paul Jenkins “found” the embryonic documents and formally introduced him to the Marvel Universe. Roughly a year later, we all came clean. Bet you’re still pissed.

I wouldn't say pissed. Just sad. Sad that you think being a tool of the man is "journalism" in any sense. Also, the fact that you thought anyone was fooled at the time is double sad.

Also: "...lactated with excitement"? I don't think that word means what you think it means. Do you really want to paint a picture that fanboys were secreting excitement from their mammary glands, most commonly through their nipples?

Wizard staffer: I congratulate you on the purchase of that thesaurus but, man, check the definitions once in a while.

Tags: wizard

Prospective New Comics: Week of May 7, 2008

2008-05-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

Some items that are arriving in shops this week that caught my eye. Final decisions will be made at the shop.

Avengers Invaders #1 - Maybe. I loved the old school 70's series from my youth. I'm curious on how much of the charm will be sucked out and replaced by humorless "realism". Also, it's got Captain America, back from the dead, kinda... Can't imagine he'll be too pleased to find out what's in store for him and Bucky in the future. Awkward.

DC Universe Special: Justice League of America - Are they starting up with these already. Man, they really are trying to soak the readers of the big events nowadays. I'll check it out in the shop. If it's got a writer or artist I'm interested in, I might pick it up. Otherwise, pass.

Invincible Iron Man #1 - Totally on board for this one. I get the feeling Fraction will know how to make Tony someone I can relate to again. Also, it probably kicks ten kinds of ass. P.S. - Son of Stane!?

Secret Invasion #2 - Sure. I liked the first issue enough, though I get the feeling that this is going to go off the rails pretty early. Just a hunch. I'm already tired of trying to figure out who's a skrull and who isn't. Feel like the reveal in the first issue may be a kind of red herring. I don't think all of those folks on that shuttle are the real deal.

War That Time Forgot #1 - Dinosaurs and World War II. Worked before and it's going to work again. Surprised that this didn't happen, say, right after a glimpse of it in New Frontier.

Young X-Men #2 - Felt conflicted about the first issue. May peek between the covers to see if it develops anything interesting, like characters.

Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin TPB - Heard good things about this series, plus the covers were just gorgeous. May see how much the trades running and/or start poking into dollar bins for back issues. Unsure. It'll probably come down to packaging.

JLA Presents: Aztek the Ultimate Man TPB - Managed to find the first three issues in dollar bins. Surprised to see this coming out now. Wondering if it's just because of Morrison's role and stature at DC right now as God of All Comics or something... more. Morrison kind of wrapped up this character in his run on JLA, so it would seem like a dead end, promotion-wise. Could Aztek be coming back in some form or another in Final Crisis? Wouldn't put it past him... or them.

aztek, secret invasion, iron man

Belated Iron Man Post

2008-05-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

I'd be remiss, and risk having my nerd card revoked, if I didn't comment on the Iron Man movie:

Probably one of the more rewarding comic book adaptations for the hard core geeks in the audience. I wasn't too sure about Marvel taking over the production role, but it seems to have paid off. They do know how to make a great movie.

One of those geektastic moments: When Rhodey looks at that spare suit and says, "next time, baby." Woo hoo!

Having a character be just as interesting out of costume as in it. I can't tell you how many times in watching the last Spider-Man movie where I thought "just get to the action. This "story" is boring. Get to the web-slinging."

Great supporting cast, and Favreau's no dummy casting himself as Hap Hogan. As he said in a recent radio interview in Los Angeles: "I get to mary Pepper."

My girlfriend also liked this movie because "he's not all twisted and has his powers just dumped on him. He makes the choice to do this."

Another geektastic moment: watching different iterations of the armor briefly pop up during the paint job scene. First we see an original silver, then all gold, then a red and silver version (Secret War II era) then the final red an gold. Very subtle, very clever.

A little humor goes a long way, and actually helps the drama by humanizing the characters. The learning to fly sequences and the interaction with the robot helpers was hilarious, and helped to underline how crazy and dangerous Stark's little side project was.

I liked the SHIELD thread throughout as a kind of geek comic relief, and then thought it was awesome that they played a role in the climax and resolution. I totally want to see a SHIELD movie now, also: Captain America, Ant-Man and then The Avengers.

Thoughts on the Hulk trailer: Looks good, though I'm not super excited about it. I actually liked the much-maligned Ang Lee version. This one looks all pumped up on steroids, though it could have some nice internal moments with Norton as the lead. Bottom line: If that's the Abomination, I want to see the ear fins, dammit.

Tags: iron man

FCBD 2008

2008-05-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

I'm lucky that since they started Free Comic Book Day seven years ago, the powers that be agreed that it would be held on the first Saturday in May. This mean that FCBD always falls within a week of my birthday. As an added bonus, it seems like all the big Summer comic book movies also open around the same time, starting with 2002's Spider-Man. This means that at the time that the comics world is blowing up, I am flush with sweet, sweet birthday cash.

Usually, I try to visit as many shops as I can, often including one that I have either never been to before or am rarely able to get to. Last year, I made the pilgrimage to meet my hero (and yours) mighty Mike Sterling and his shop up in Ventura. This year, though, I stayed relatively close to home. I want to the shop I frequent most that has a nice graphic novel selection and copious dollar bins (looking to stretch that birthday loot).

It turned out to be slightly heart-breaking. When walking into the shop, I was met with the familiar FCBD sign, with an added note stating that only one comic would be free, that any additional books would cost 25 cents. That seems so opposite of the spirit of FCBD. I know individual shops are allowed to make up their own policies about how many books to give out, but it just seemed wrong that they would state up front that they would charge.

Please keep in mind I'm not upset for myself. I'd gladly pay to offset some kid getting some free comics (say, coming in from off the street, having just seen Iron Man in the movie theatre one block down, asking a lot of questions about SHIELD and Iron Man, which is what happened while I was in the shop). FCBD is about bringing in new readers, I get that. I'm not one of these ass-hat types that pushes the kids to the side so that I can get something that I could totally afford for free (which I've seen too many times at cons). I know that this is some kind of tax on the ugly obsessive types that have to have everything, who are already in the hobby, who don't really need the freebies. I don't know. I can kind of understand the intent, but there seems like a better way to handle it.

I guess I have to chalk it up to watching those kids asking the clerk what SHIELD was, and instead of handing them some free comics that might get them to come back, he just gave them a short two-sentence answer and let them leave. I guess it's the thought of some parent bringing their kids in because they saw the sign, or read about FCBD in a mainstream newspaper, and seeing the hand-written addendum stating that if they wanted more then one comic, they would be charged.

I left without buying anything that day, not knowing if I would come back to that shop. I had to process. I took my business to Comics Factory in Pasadena. The atmosphere was better there, abuzz with a lot of non-comics readers coming in for the first time, asking questions. They had a much better system for dealing with free comics moochers. They allowed one the choice of twelve titles from their selection, which made more sense. People aren't going to pick up all the titles (unless their completist, missing-the-point nerds), they're just going to pick up the ones that have the appropriate age-level and genre for their own tastes. Most of the ones I picked up, I picked up for my nieces.

I also broke down and bought some back issues. I've given up the ghost on completing some runs I have purely through dollar boxes, just because I want to read them. I was able to close the loop on Sleeper, seasons 1 and 2, picking up the five missing issues for cover price. Not bad, in the end. I also got caught up on Criminal (Brubaker, again!) and finally brought home Jack Kirby Fourth World Omnibus: Vol I. This has been criminally absent from my collection for too long. Having just read the introduction by Grant Morrison, I'm struck by how much it matches Neil Gaiman's intro for Evanier's Kirby: King of Comics, mostly by starting off with "I never met Jack Kirby...".

And, also, Iron Man totally rocked, but you already knew that.

Tags: fcbd,

No Way! New Comics: Week of April 30, 2008

2008-05-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Note: Minor Spoilers Ahead.

DC Universe #0 - Sure it's an ad for the upcoming Final Crisis, but for just two shiny quarters, it's certainly priced right. It's easy to poo poo, but I'll admit I'm a little excited. Morrison writing the next big DC event? Even if it's a failure, it's still a success. And as far as the big, possible spolier return, I don't think that there's anyone else that could pull it off.

I have a theory, which I want to put out there. I get the feeling that Morrison's take may well be that the character-who-died that he is now bringing back may not have died in the first place. Just a gut reaction, based on the first few bits of narration and some comic book pseudo-science. Isn't it possible that instead of dying, his molecules were just dispersed throughout the universe, that he became the universe? Just a thought.

Immortal Iron Fist #14 - Fantastic. What a way to end this arc. Everything reaches a satisfying end, while new avenues are opened up. I especially like the dipensation of Davos, that he was able to step outside himself and to see what he had become. I'm sad Fraction and Brubaker are leaving this title. I feel like this arc has turned a corner for this character, for this concept. I fear the team has duplicated what Frank Miller did for Daredevil all those years ago: stamped a third tier character with their own indelible style. At this point, I don't know who could follow on this title that wouldn't fall in their shadow.

Green Lantern #30 - I enjoy this series a lot, though I've voiced my reservations concerning Johns wholesale mining of the few bits Alan Moore contributed to the GL mythology. It's worked fine so far, but I feel we're getting into a dangerous area in terms of incorporating it into Hal's origin story. Who knows? So far, it's working for me, and if ever a character needed a beefed up mythology, it's Green Lantern.

Wolverine: First Class #2 - A little late in picking this up, but man... what a fun title. It recalls my favorite era of these characters (Kitty excited about going to a Dazzler concert) and combines it with clever situations (a ninja restraunt?) and some of the most ingenious use of powers I've seen in a long time. I laughed at first when Sabretooth jammed the wasabi into Logan's nose, but then I thought that it was really smart. Slapstick + brains = comic I will buy. Who knew?

Black Gas 2 #1-3 - I had picked up the first series a while ago in dollar bins, and was intrigued enough to keep a lookout for the second series if it was similarly discounted. I understand that Ellis is trying to branch off of the mainstream, trying to develop his own creator-owned properties, but this stuff from Avatar... I don't know. I'm conflicted. Both series feel like an R&D project for a movie, an incredibly gory one at that. Maybe it's my fascination/aversion to zombie stories, that prompted me to pick it up in the first place. I was hoping for more in the second series, but kind of arrived at the inevitable end with a cartoonish sad trombone.

Tags: dc universe green lantern black gas immortal iron fist

Comics: Week of April 3, 2008

2008-04-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Not many new comics to write about lately, but here's the new(ish) things I picked up this week.

Casanova #12 - Yeah, I'm only an issue behind. In my defense, I didn't get into this series until I picked up the first volume hardcover, so maybe that predisposed me to reading this series in chunks. I sat on issues 10 & 11 until just recently, just in time to see volume 2 start to come together.

Really an unexpected and heart-wrenching shift in story in this issue that was fully telegraphed in the backmatter in the previous issue. I'm starting to think I need to track down floppies of volume 1 just for the backmatter. It always struck me as superfluous and a little self-serving, but I was wrong. What the backmatter does accomplish, for me anyway, is providing a kind of transparency on Fraction and Co's creative process. It makes a series about parallel world travelling secret double agents far more intimate than one should expect, and also goes a long way in inspiring confidence in the story and its tellers.

Secret Invasion #1 - I'm of two minds on this whole thing: A) Secret Invasion is a great idea on paper and B) it will all come down to its execution. I could go on and on, but everybody else already has. I love the idea, but am worried that the fallout will reverse any kind of gains. If not handled well, this kind of thing will drive the fans bananas (ala Clone Saga).

From what I see on the page, it looks like they might be pulling off something that was done in Rom all those years ago, where they introduced a separate sect of the shape-shifting Dire Wraiths that relied on magic as opposed to technology. I remember that change significantly amped up the creep factor of the series and probably went a long way in that series lasting as long as it did. Introducing a mystical sect of the skrulls would help lend credibility to the fact that they've been sneaking around undetected for so long.

I just hope there's a reveal that the sleeper agents actually believe themselves to be who they are impersonating. That might take the edge off of finding out that for the last 30 years, say, Logan's been a skrull. If that skrull thought he WAS Logan, then well...

This sure is a weird hobby, isn't it?

Young X-Men #1 - Like many comic readers, in my younger days I would have bought anything with an "X" or "mutants" in the title. I pretty much gave up on them after the "Fall of the Mutants" crossover. My favorite mutants just weren't speaking to me anymore. I've only ever gravitated back to these titles when I've follwed a favorite creator (Morrison, David, Whedon, and, more recently, Millgan). Young X-Men represents a kind of cold pickup, a comic I knew little about beforehand, but found attractive enough to bring home (perhaps Paquette's art pushed it over the top).

I kind of liked that it was an homage to Giant-Size X-Men from back in the day, but then I thought that it was part of the problem too. Giant-Size was all about taking a mostly failed title and reinventing it with a new cast. Here... I don't know. Do the X-Men need another reinvention? Honestly, it's become the least attractive aspect of the X-titles; the constant churn of memberships and mission statements. I admit I'm an old fart, but I didn't recognize anyone here (other than Cyclops and the New Mutants on the last page... are they villains now?). Also, I'm not too crazy about the new (to me?) characters.

Tags: casanova secret invasion young x-men

Movie Review: Confessions of a Superhero

2008-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely movie. Maybe more for comics fans than anyone else... I don't know. It's really for anyone who dreams of being more than they are, but constantly feels the sting of falling short of that ideal.

The documentary follows four Hollywood "characters", the term given to people who dress up as superheroes, movie and/or cartoon characters and work the tourist-trap portions of Hollywood. By work, I mean they make themselves available to pose in tourist photos and hope that said tourists will tip them. They legally can't ask for money, so they are entirely at the mercy of tourists for their income. The late Johnny Grant, honorary mayor of Hollywood, refers to them as dirty panhandlers while they see themselves using this gig as a stepping stone to their own Hollywood dreams.

As the documentary progresses, we get to know the real people behind the masks and costumes, and what led them here. There's real pathos, and things aren't always what they appear to be. Early on, I was struck by the obsessiveness of Superman Chris, a man that seems to be buried by the Supeman identity (along with a virtual warehouse full of Kal-El ephemera). Watching him talk about Superman, I couldn't help but think of myself and wonder if I sound like that when I'm talking about comics. How obsessed am I? Am I that far gone?

Ulitimately, I realize that I'm not one to judge, no one is. Everyone has their own private passions and demons to deal with. The documentary ends with somewhat of a resolution for each character, though questions linger. The film gets under the skin of its subject much like Crumb does, and finds the unexpected. It challenges the viewer to overcome the natural reaction to dismiss these people, and actually empathize with them.

It's a beautifully shot film that makes a canny use of still photos in between segments. The photos are slightly oversaturated and framed to look like decades-old slides, borrowing the intimiate feelings of nostalgia, and a time after one's prime. The film makers also have a good eye for what to look out for, it seems, teasing out hints dropped by their subjects. In the end, I found it uplifting, like that there is hope for all of us.

Also (there's a bit of it in the trailer) my favorite part is when Superman Chris takes it upon himself to briefly mentor an newer character on the scene. The conversation between Superman and Ghost Rider goes pretty much like any comic fan should expect.

Tags: confessions of a superhero

Dollar Bin Adventures

2008-03-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been more preoccupied with hunting for and reading comics that actually writing about them. It started a year ago when I discovered a handful of shops that had dollar bins... magical, wallet-saving dollar bins. Soon, I began to seek out shops that had said bins, which led me to this:

Yes, it's a map of all the comics shops in the greater Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino areas. Well, the ones I could find online anyway, restricted (for now) to this northern swath that roughly follows the 210/134/101 freeways. Slowly, I've been visiting them, looking for the fabled dollar bins, as well as a bit of adventure. At some point, I thought I'd make a project, visiting and reviewing all of these shops, which I may still do. Mostly, I'm just having fun, rediscovering the joy of the hunt. So, I got that going for me.

Lately, I've been hunting down:

Batman: Broken City - I've got all but the second installment. I've hesitated starting to read this, figuring it will be much more satisfying in one chunk. I started picking up the 100 Bullets trades by this team a while ago. I remember reading the first one, and thinking it was a great concept, but it wasn't until the revelation of the larger

Breach - Here's an instance of me picking something up on the thinnest of premises. I remember thinking that when this series was coming out that it seemed like a retread of Captain Atom, and passing on it even though I liked the artwork. Cut to the present where I spot the first few issues in the dollar bin and remembered that bit of dialogue from Infinite Crisis where they said that the Breach would have been the Earth-8 version Captain Atom if the multiverse had survived back in the 80's. It set off all kinds of nerd connections within me, so I picked it up. Even later, I find out that it was supposed to be a kind of reboot for Captain Atom while he was out on walkabout in the Wildstorm universe. The idea of a reboot was killed, so they just made it into a separate character. Crazy comics.

The Filth - Loves me some Grant Morisson. Found a near-complete run of this and have already read the first few issues. Someone needs to write a book about this guy someday, honestly. In the middle of all the craziness of the story, he uses a pet cat to anchor the emotion and pathos. In a way, it's a clever callback to his last issue of Animal Man all those years ago; not a retread, but a reinforcing of a very personal authorial symbol. Honestly, it made me a little weepy inside.

Hard Time - Another series I always wondered about, but never managed to pick up. It was part of the DC Foucs line, which probably doomed it in my eyes. I wish I could say that it wasn't the fact that Steve Gerber passed away that made me reconsider it when I saw a clutch of issues in the dollar bin. After reading the first four issues, I beleive I'm hooked. I like the way he wrote a more-or-less all-ages book that takes place in a prison without really sanitizing it. That's some skilled writing, there.

Sleeper - Still looking for issues on this one, though I've got to read the first eight issues of Season 1. My appreciation for Brubaker grows. Honestly, this book and Criminal make his work on Captain America pale a bit in comparison.

Spider-Woman: Origin - It's okay, I guess. I'm just not sure why it was done, other than to generate some excitement about the character as she rejoined the Marvel U. Her origin is more or less the same, some things have been streamlined and retconned out. I just didn't find the dialogue or the art very compelling. The whole enterprise seems fairly mercenary and drawn out. Easily could have been a three or four-part mini.

X-Force/X-Statix - I picked up a handful of issues of Milligan and Alred's run back when it was coming out, but dropped it for some unknown reason. I was able to complete the run on X-Force and find about half of the X-Statix issues. With a little bit of hindsight, this run is brilliant. At the time, regular X-Fans thought it was too outre (much like Morisson's run on New X-Men), but I think it really connects to old-school Marvel conventions. Sure, the characters weren't all grim-n-grittied up, but they had just as much soap opera and sheer weirdness of the Stan Lee days. The great part of it is that Milligan never lets it become a nostalgic exercise, but reinterprets the old formula to fit new times. In some places, it almost seems prescient in its depiction of the relationship between the current media landscape and pop culture personalities.

That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by.

breach broken city the filth hard time sleeper x-statix

It's Magic

2008-01-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

Currently fascinated by the whole annulment-as-event going on at Marvel. Reading JMS's account of the "science" behind the reboot-that's-not-a-reboot... well, this just popped in my mind:

one more day it's magic

2007 - The Year That Was - Part I

2007-12-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

The blogging around here slowed considerably in 2007. I have to blame a new job that leaves little energy at the end of the day for reading, let alone writing about what I read. Hopefully, things are calming down a bit and I can work into a new groove.

Overall, the theme of 2007 seemed to be one of transition. We had two major events come to an end, and saw a handful of new ones start up. Even more attention was paid to the evolution of comics, from bookstore distribution of TPBs and OGNs to the major companies trying to figure out how the web would play a part of the future. The atmosphere seemed familiar to any one who was around for 1986 (Our Favorite Year™) in that the medium was getting a large amount of attention from without, especially in the area of OGNs (American Born Chinese, Dark Tower and Fun Home spring to mind). That and the continuing crest of movies and television projects adapting or riffing on comics. Exciting times, though the cynic in me feels like I've seen it all before, and saw it come to near ruin. I'm not one for proclaiming the end of comics, though I do think about the inverse of all this attention and money, and it chills me a bit.

But enough loser talk. Here's what stood out (for me) in 2007:

Putting the "Awe" in Awesome
52 - The Immortal Iron Fist - Sinestro Corp War

Above are some examples of the best of the year for me. Seeing them together like this, I realize they have some facets in common:

They feature strong central themes.
They put forth genuine and imaginative efforts to reinvigorate characters and concepts.
There seems to be a kind of geeky embrace of the past, no matter how embarrassing. I admire the fearlessness in someone thinking that they can make Booster Gold/Iron Fist/Guy Gardner really cool characters instead of punchlines.
They remained relatively self-contained. All I needed to know to enjoy each series or event was contained between the covers. Sure, there was the WWIII offshoot and some one-shots for SCW, but they were by no means essential to enjoy or understand the story. They were optional.

Also, I'd like to acknowledge the unqualified success of 52. I would have never thought that a company could pull off a weekly comic with a sustained level of quality as this. It may not have been perfect, but it produced enough goodwill that I was able to overlook its occassional flaws and pick it up week after week.

Who Wants to Live Up to Expectations, Anyway?
Civil War - Eternals - Countdown - World War Hulk

And here we have Countdown proving how successful 52 actually was. Perhaps a certain amount of event fatique set in, perhaps it had too much to live up to, but I could not drop this series fast enough. It seemed half-formed, and where 52 did everything right, it proceded to go in a "different" direction. Looking at the other titles, I notice a lot of Marvel up there, and a lot of similarities:

Simple, strong premises that get all botched up and watered down. Really, if Hulk has come back to Earth to kick the world's ass... wouldn't one expect him to take his fight outside of New York state? Less of a "World War" and more of a "Police Action" (not as catchy, is it?).
Every single one of these had some kind of reboot-worthy plot development.
Each one ended in a way that I could actually hear a cartoonish "wah-wah-waah" horn blow. Also, my head briefly turned into a giant sucker. I'd like to single out Eternals here... what the hell, Gaiman? The series read like either 1.) a lead-up to an new ongoing that never materialized or 2.) a massive reboot button for others to use later.

That's it for today. Next I'll talk about some more stuff about the Year That Was, plus a wish list for the Year That Will Be(?).

Comics: Week of December 12, 2007

2007-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Green Lantern #25 & Green Lantern Corps #19 - Overall, I found it a satisfying end to what DC treated as a minor side-event (that's what it felt like, anyway). I could be off-base, but it seemed like the company spent more time talking about Countdown and its various spin-offs than the Sinestro Corp War, which is a shame. The Corp War has much stronger central concept that tied in a lot of extraneous bits of continuity that left the two titles a lot stronger than it found them. The finale resonated strongly, as it tied into the beginning of this series and served as a symbolic homecoming to Hal, who began the run worrying about rebuilding Coast City and getting people to come back. He ends here with confidence that that will become reality at last.

I've said it before, but I really do believe that Johns has hit his stride with this book. He's retained a focus on this title that I don't think I've seen before. I nearly felt like applauding after reading the coda. It was as if he was saying "Hey, you thought that the Sinestro Corp War was kick-ass... wait til 2009!". Instead of ending with a bunch of loose tangents and unresolved threads left for others to pick up, it ended on a note of confidence... as if all this was set-up for greater things to come.

The epilogue issue in GLC was especially poignant, allowing some downtime and much-needed checking-in with the major players. I admire the way they've managed to turn Guy into a kind of one-note character to a kind of gruff, older brother figure. It suits him, and the Corp. He's the kind of mentor that no one else can be. One question, though: when did Ice come back? Did I miss that somewhere?

Suicide Squad #4 - Between picking up this title and tracking down issues of the original series, it's amazing at how consistent they are, which makes me love the new series even more. I picked up the first few issues of the original series back when they first came out, but I don't think I could appreciate them properly at that age. I just read the Secret Origins that introduced the Squad after their debut in Legends, which actaully helped set up this new issue perfectly. I'm wondering if Ostrander had the last page reveal planned af far back as the 80's. Not to knock the Secret Origins story, but it kind of seemed off in parts. Yes, it could be the result of a writer finding the right tone under a tight deadline, or it could be that he had the idea back then that some things weren't/aren't what they seemed.

Wonder Woman #15 - I missed the first issue of Simone's run, but the plot seemed accessible all the same. I've been looking forward to this takeover since it was announced. I've fished some of her Birds of Prey run out of dollar boxes over the Summer. She's a good writer, though sometimes her central themes get a bit wobbly for me. Where she surpasses many other working writers is her characters; she gives each a distinct voice and way of interacting with others. To me, she's single-handedly responsible for rehabilitating both Barbara Gordon and Black Canary, as well as a lot of other characters that have passed through her hands. It's something that Wonder Woman has needed for a long time. Perez did a good job on the revamp in the 80's, but it was more about world-building around Diana.

My only concern is how much will the company support Simone in the end. They may be looking to her to turn this character around in short order which, frankly, probably won't happen. They need to be patient and hands-off, editorially speaking. This title has been a well-documented fiasco since the restart. If the company lets Simone work, then what will happen is a slow build in character and readership that may pay off down the line. They have a shot of creating an iconic version of a character that hasn't really had one (in comics form, anyway).

Plus, I really like the idea of a good female writer on this title. It's about f*@king time. If the company starts screwing it up, it may send a bad signal in a profession that desperately needs a different point of view.

green lantern green lantern corps suicide squad wonder woman

Dollar Comics

2007-11-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been finding a lot of dollar bins at local shops. In the guise of trying to stay within my meager comics budget, I've been seeking them out. Surpringly, I've managed to find a great deal of quality material in those bins. Though I'm probably spending a bit more on comics now, you can't argue with the quantity. To be able to get a fat stack of comics for under $20... well, that hasn't been seen since the 80's. Plus, it brings back the thrill of when I was a kid and trying to track down back issues of some of my favorite titles. Say what you want about the convenience of trades, there's something emotionally satisfying about finding that missing issue in your collection tucked neatly away in some long box far from home. It's like it had been waiting for you there all this time.

So far, my criteria for picking titles breaks down to: 1) stuff I missed out on when it first came out 2) stuff I wanted to read, but didn't want to pay full price on 3) stuff I remember having in my youth, but have since lost (which I've been meaning to cover in a post all its own) and 4) goofy stuff that looks interesting enough to sample.

Here's rundown of what's in my current pile:

Batgirl: Year One #1 & 2 - I always liked the look of the art on this series, but it came out at a time when pretty much every character in the DCU had a Year One series. On a lark, I picked up the first few issues and really liked the story. Now, I'm debating whether or not to pick up the trade or to pursue the rest of the series in the discount bins. Yesterday I found issue 7, so maybe I'll stick with the hunting.

Planetary #21-23, 25, 26 - I discovered this series in trade around the time the second one appeared. I fell in love with this series, and think it's the best thing Ellis has ever done. It feels like a love letter to all the things the helped birth comics. I was content to wait for the last trade until I found this run yesterday. I may end up sitting on these issues until I can fill the holes... but I make no promises.

Sleeper Season One and Two - I ran across a description of this series and it sounded like something right up my alley. Unfortunately, the trades seemed overpriced to me. I figured I'd pick them up some day when I had some extra cash. I've run across a lot of them though, and finally started to put a run together.

Blue Beetle - This was one the new titles that came out of Infinite Crisis that I was most excited about. I've been a fan of Hamner's since Green Lantern: Mosaic and Firearm. I picked up the first few issues when they originally came out, but then lost interest after the first fill-in came. Since then, I had heard enough good things about it to give it a second try. I've been able to find the first year's worth of issues so far. It's a good series, though some of the storytelling seems a bit disjointed from issue to issue.

Criminal #1-2 - Brubaker's work has grown on me enough that I thought to check this out in trade, but then I found the first two issues. It's funny, though. I've discovered I've reverted back to the comic fan that I was when I was a kid, in a way. I'm only looking for the superhero stuff, for the most part. A crime book seemed like the last thing I wanted to pick up. Maybe it's a comfort thing as I get older. I have to remember that in the future, not be so narrow-minded.

Hitman - Oh Tommy, how I've missed you. This was one of the first series I picked up solely in trade form. It was at a point where I rarely went in the comic shop. I had been reading Preacher in trade as well, and got into this series based on how much I liked Ennis. Of course, DC stopped putting out the trades at some point. I figured it was only a matter of time before they resumed, but...

Reading the recent JLA Classified reminded me how much I liked the character and his world. Of course, I had the series ending spoiled for me. I decided not to wait for DC, and am currently hunting down back issues.

X-Men: First Class - Fun series. Almost reads like a Marvels Adventures line. I like how it jettisons all of the tortured brooding that has bogged the X-titles down over the years. Just good, clean done-in-one fun, though it's not as simple as you might think. I especially like that it gets into the gender politics of the team, and shows how hard it must be to be the only girl on the team.

Union Jack #1-4 - I always liked the idea of Union Jack, British counterpart to Captain America. The sad part was that no one had done that much with him over the years. I can't think of any highlights other than that Byrne two-parter in Captain America in the 80's. Was he connected to the Invaders in the 70's? I'm not sure.

Anyway, I sat down and read this mini a few days ago, and found it immensely satisfying. I almost think it could work as an ongoing. I liked the combination of agents from other countries and the fast pace of the story. Much like Brubakers Cap, but with more action.

Newuniversal #2, 4-6 - I had high hopes for this series, remmebering with fondness Marvel's crazy New Universe stunt back in the 80's. I picked up the first issue when it came out, but was underwhelmed. I figured I'd wait for the trade... Ellis seems to read better in trade. Now I can skip the trade as well.

Checkmate #6-15 - Also picked up the first few issues. Also figured it would read better in one lump sum. We'll see. I want to like it.

Firearm - Looking for a duplicate set of these. One of my most favorite series from the 90's. Thought that I'll never see the follow-up Robinson hinted at, or even a nice collected edition. I'm going to get a duplicate set together and make my own. Shouldn't be too hard.

The Irredeemable AntMan - Series that I really wanted to like, but just kind of fell off my radar around issue four. Now that it's ended, I'm going to check it out. Maybe the story came to some kind of point.

Terra Obscura #1-6 - I loved the idea of this series when Alan Moore first rescued these characters from the public domain. Not too sure about Hogan's writing, however. I dropped Tom Strong when he took over, but maybe this series works out better. The artwork by Paquette certainly is easy on the eyes.

Suicide Squad #2, 3, 5, 6, 8 - I bought the first few issues back when they came out, but dropped the title and lost the issues since. I think it's something I couldn't appreciate at that age. Now that I'm older, I think it's more in line with what I like. I was all primed for the now-delayed Showcase, so I think I'll go this route instead. About the same price, but I get color, too.

That's all for now. I've got my work cut out for me. Next time, I hope to share some rediscovered gems from my childhood.

Current Goings-On

2007-11-07T12:26:00.001-08:00

Haven't much felt like writing about comics lately. Not that I'm not enjoying them, it's just been hard to find time to write anything about them. I have ideas for longer posts, which may find their way here someday. For now, here's what I'm enjoying:

World War Hulk and Sinestro Corps War top the list in spandex-centric event-style comics fun. Both have their own strengths, and I have to admit I get a metatexty charge out of competing companies dueling it out with emerald-themed slugfests. I particularly like what Johns and Gibbons have done building on a decades-old Alan Moore short, and has made me realize how much they have rehabilitated the Green Lantern concept in the DCU. Pak, to his credit, has got me interested in the Hulk again, after quitting the title when Peter David left. I just hope both series don't go all pear-shaped like other recent events have, and have satisfying endings.

How is it that Captain America has grown even more interesting without its titular character? I've felt that Brubaker has a long-form arc in mind as far as the Winter Soldier is concerned, but learning that the whole Death of Cap wasn't factored into that plan makes me appreciate his skill even more. He's effortlessly incorporated it into James' journey.

Still reading Iron Fist. It grows on me more and more. It's like a master class on how to reinvent a c-list, period character by focusing and building on that characters inherent strengths rather than starting over from scratch.

Justice Society of America still feels like more of a flagship title than Justice League, though I'm worried about this return to Kingdom Come. Ross is a good artist, but I find his storytelling interests a bit muddled and at odds with his stated objectives. For someone who professes to long for simpler, clear-cut heroes in comics, he sure produces a lot of dark, tortured mediations on those icons.

ROM is Here!

2007-10-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

For a toy tie-in, Rom was pretty cool. As a kid, I passed on the toy, but loved what they did with the comic. I understand that licencing rights prevent Marvel from reprinting the series, though I'm not sure if the cost to relicence is flat-out cost-prohibitive or merely part of some corporate policy to not invest in creative work that, ulitmately, belongs to someone else.

Regardless, it's a series I would seriously consider buying if put out as an Essential. To me, Essential collections are ideal for mid to low-level stuff from the seventies and eighties, like Dazzler, Iron Fist, Champions, etc. It's a cheap format, so there's not a sense of paying too much for material that's just shy of the gold standard but is also hard to find. Nobody held on to their copies of, say, Crystar, unless they were Michael Golden completists. I think titles like Rom have enough of a cult following spurred by a sense of nostalgia that it would be profitable despite the hassle of dealing with new licencing. I mean, how much could it be? The toy died a quick death... it would be an easy argument that the comic is far more recognizable than the product that spawned it. There could be leverage there, Marvel.

So with that, I join the movement. All hail our leader, Mr. Sims.

Tags: ROM spaceknight

Bring On the Glut

2007-09-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Between the new job and tight finances, I haven't been able to get to the shop as much lately. Thankfully, there's TV to fall back on... and with the success with genre shows such as Lost and Heroes, it looks like I may not even have to read comics anymore.

We watched the preview pilot of The Bionic Woman through our On-Demand service on Sunday. Possibly one of the shows we were most excited about in the new Fall line-up. Being of a certain age, we well remember the original from our childhood, and were eager to see what modern storytelling and special effects could be brought to bear to update it.

As is, I thought it was kind of weak. All the pieces were there, yet they stop just short of coming together as a satisfying whole. Jaime Sommers has been turned into a twenty-something bartender who has been saddled with the care of her younger sister after the death of their mother. Her boyfriend is a Reed Richards type, equal parts brillaint and clueless, who gets her mixed up in some black ops/super soldier program after an awful car wreck. There's also some business about a pre-existing, evil bionic woman and the boyfriends father that sets up some adversaries right off the bat.

I think the smartest thing here is the introduction of antagonists and certain central mysteries. That may be enough of a hook to keep viewers coming back. My quibble with the show (as is... we were wondering if the pilot we saw is actually the same one that will air tonight) is that the viewer never really gets an idea of who Jaime is before, or after, her transformation. (It looks like they're playing off the idea from the original appearance of Jaime in the Six Million Dollar Man where the addition of bionics made her a little unstable) There seems to be a strong question of whether the human or the machine is actually in charge, but it would help to know what kind of person she is to start off with. I found no real connection to Jaime before she got the upgrade, so it's hard to know what is at stake for her.

On the special effects front, it was a little unimpressive. The best bits were seeing the nanites (or whatever) at work when she first wakes up and later seeing through her bionic eye. I thought the eye thing was a nice tweek, that instead of just giving her telescopic vision, the eye scans around, Terminator-style, identifying potential threats. The fight scenes seemed a little muddled, and it didn't help that the NBC sanctioned soundtrack kicks into overdrive at these times.

Also, I think they should lose the kid sister. After the first ten minutes, I turned to my girlfriend and said "I don't know if I have the patience for this." To my disappointment, I may give this show a few more episodes to see if it develops along. It already feels a little too tinkered with, so my faith is a somewhat dimmed.

During the winter break last season, we just stopped watching TV entirely. There was nothing that we felt all that urgent about, except Heroes. Somehow we missed the first few episodes when is came back, and never caught up. We dumped in favor of getting the season DVD that would surely come out before the new season got started. I kind of glad we did that. A few weeks ago, we watched the whole Season 1 over a few days, and it definitely holds together well.

The show is a comic book readers wet dream, really. I know I'll watch this show now til the bitter end. I have a much longer post in me about the show, but for now I'm just looking at the season opener.

It's a quiet opener, really. It resets the status quo from the end of last season. Most of the characters make some screen time (except Niki and clan, which leads me to believe that DL may have bought it) plus some new ones. We find out most of the fates left in the air by the climatic battle in Kirby Plaza, though some bring up new questions. We have what looks like the begininng of the central plots for this season: a) the spooky guy referred to in last season as being worse than Sylar b) Hiro in feudal Japan and c) exposing the cabal of the older powered characters.

The highlights, for me, were: to see Parkman become competent at something, Claire and Noah struggling to live "normal, ordinary" lives, and the inclusion of more non-English speaking characters. It's basically the same structure as Season 1, with everyone scattered, slowly coming together as the threat makes itself known. I'm looking forward to more.

I nearly didn't watch Journeyman. It seemed like a limited concept, and with the rush to get these genre shows out, I couldn't foresee the awesomeness that it is. Bionic Woman might want to poach some of the writers from Journeyman, because they get the character stuff right. Without getting everything spelled out for them, the viewer gets just enough to flesh out these people.

It's a genre show, but it feels like a drama first. The main character finds himself getting hauled off to the past without any warnings or any direction. Meanwhile, while he's gone, his friends and family think he's got a drug problem. So, while trying to figure out if he's going crazy or if he's actually travelling to the past, he's also trying to save his marriage and career. It doesn't help that he's apparently had issues of loss, maybe a little drug abuse and who knows what else, that make everything he's trying to describe sound ten times worse. The show has a strong emotional component, with the time travel gimmick coming in a distant second.

I was already hooked by the time a certain reveal happens in the last 15 minutes or so. I won't spoil it here, but what I thought would be a series of random jumps to help out people in the past suddenly became something far greater and mysterious. It was one last little hook that will probably keep me for the rest of the season.

Tags: heroes bionic woman journeyman

O Captain, My Captain

2007-08-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Today would be Jack Kirby's 90th birthday. My esteem for the man and his work has only increased over the years.

One of my earliest comics, one I still have today (sans cover), is an 70's 80-page reprint of some of his best Captain America stories. I'm always struck by the sheer power of those pages. In my mind it represents the apex of his style, having moved past the lumpiness of those early FF issues, finding that dynamic hard edge and energy that would forever be attributed to the King.

It is my great sadness that I never got to meet the man and thank him for his work. The closest I came was at the 1986 (maybe '87, my memory falters, and my Google-fu is weak today) at the San Diego Comic Con. But I was young and stupid, that 80-page giant buried by newer, flashier fare back home. I should have found him and shook his hand.

I miss his wide open creativity. There are only a few creators working today that get it, that get Jack. To be like Jack is not to ape his style or to trade in his ideas, but it is to embrace all the wild, crazy implications of living in the world of tomorrow today. The man lived through some crazy times, and came out the other end with a sense of optimism and abandon.

It saddens me that there is a lack of that kind of imagination today. It saddens me that there's such a focus on super-realism that takes too long to render. Jack cranked out the pages, and didn't worry if he had the right references. If the man fell, he fell forward, letting his hard-won skills and enthusiasm save the day.

Photo courtesy of Alan Light, who has posted a great gallery of photos from the 1982 San Diego Comic Con

Tags: jack kirby

Quiet Place of Reading

2007-08-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

I've been buying more comics than I can read lately, particularly in the attractive OGN/TPB format. Here's a few at the top of my to-be-read pile, and while I had to have them in the first place:

Ex Machina: Smoke Smoke TPB - Late to the BKV party, I've been picking up this series, as well as Runaways, in trade. The story arcs feel much more satisfying when presented in block form. The thing I like most about Ex Machina is the way that it supports multiple genres (political drama, superhero deconstruction, horror) effortlessly. Plus, there's always some wildcard WTF moment (like what happened to Jackson Georges and his family) that makes me worry about where this is all headed.

[Edit] Finished this last night. Kind of anticlimactic resolution to the fireman/break-in villain, though this collection certainly seems to be setting the seeds of Hundred's downfall that's hinted at in the opening to the series. We see someone close to Mitchell plotting his political ruin (whose identity isn't really a shocker) and we see a piece of the Great Machine's past catch up to him in a particularly heart-breaking way.

My favorite is the last bit, a standalone story about Bradbury. It explains why he remains so loyal to Hundred. I believe it also hints at how he could also be Hundred's worst enemy. Time will tell.

Good as Lily OGN - I read Same Difference and Other Stories by Derek Kirk Kim on friend Kiyoshi's recommendation. I liked it well enough to snap up this offering from the Minx line. The cover art reminds me of Jaime Hernandez's work.

Notes for a War Story OGN - I ran across Gipi's work in the Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006. Work like this makes me think that I am missing out on a lot of great comics by living in this country. Sigh.

Pyongyang OGN - Also brought to my attention by Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006. I worked my way through about a third of this one, and I forsee picking up Delisle's other work. The content and the style seem to be perfectly matched as it presents a journal of his stay in communist North Korea.

Back from the Phantom Zone

2007-07-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm a bad blogger. Took a powder there for a while.

All Star Superman #8 - Weep for Zibarro. Like Kal, he is a one of a kind in his world. Unlike Kal, he is on the planet of his birth. Naturally, he would turn to writing (from what I imagine) incredibly emo poetry. This title is still the most engaging incarnation of Superman I've ever read. Morrison continues to shamelessly embrace all of the whacked-out ideas from previous iterations and weave them into an entertaining whole.

Fallen Son:Iron Man - Honestly, I had no intention of buying into the whole Fallen Son line, but the promise of Cassady art was too much to resist. It's hard too read any of this and not scrutinize every little detail for the loophole that's going to bring Steve back. It's nice that his body is effectively put into a deep freeze for its final rest.

Immortal Iron Fist #6 - Through his work here, I decided to check out his work on Casanova, and I do believe that Fraction is single-handedly trying to save comics from itself. Like Morrison, he's unafraid of embracing goofier concepts other writers might be too cool for (It's Iron Fist, for crissakes!). Also, I like that I feel I get a full issues worth out of each issue.

Justice Society of America #7 - Finally, with this issue, I feel like the story is moving out of both 1) set-up mode or 2) crossover mode. Maybe I'm missing out by not reading the JLA issues, but I already gave that title two issues and it was a little slow paced for me. I don't know. What are the bets that this is the cut-off issue for the first trade? It certainly seems to complete the arc from the first three issues.

Sinestro Corps #1/Green Lantern #21 - For me, Johns seems to be succeeding more with his Green Lantern work. I've been able to hunt down the first twelve issues in dollar bins lately, and I found a pretty good read. Green Lantern's been a dull character for me for far too long, and the 90's Parallax business seemed so cynical at the time. Johns has managed to find an angle to make both the character and the mechanics of the Corps interesting (ably assisted by Gibbons over on Green Lantern Corps).

Tags: all star superman immortal iron fist jsa fallen son green lantern sinestro corps

Yo

2007-05-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

Check him out. Give him mad props for 2 years of entertaining bloggery.

He put me up to it.

Belated 52 Wrap-up

2007-05-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me as I overshot my one-year blogoversery that I negelected to post anything about the end of 52. Timely as ever, some final thoughts on the series that I've followed this past year.

Overall, I feel satisfied with the project. The execution got a little uneven at times, but as a whole, I appreciated the proceedings. It's rare to see as many creative talents working together in such an integrated fashion, especially given the diverse sensibilities of the writers involved. It spoke to a renewed commitment on DC's part to pull the disparate ends of their fictional universe together without the homogeneous grim and gritty "real-life" state that they've been stuck in for the last 20 odd years.

There were problems, chiefly the handling of World War III. That development seemed to sneak up on DC in that they suddenly felt the need to dump a last-minute, perfunctory miniseries on fans. I honestly don't think I would have bought the thing if all four issues weren't suddenly on the shelves that week. For me, at least, it didn't add anything to the issue of 52 it was expanding upon and to be honest, I felt a bit burned.

Some of the storylines held less appeal for me than others (I'm looking at you Steel), but the quick, round-robin style assured that something else would be coming along soon. Overall, given the complexity of moving parts, the thing read more like a novel.

I thought the conclusion, though telegraphed and spoiled for quite some time now, was particularly thrilling. The multiverse is back, with a nice unified reason for the variations between the 52 worlds. What this means is anyone's guess, but I'm comforted by the belief that somewhere, somewhen, Vic and Ted are still alive. The downside of that might be that the gloomy, Wagnerian Kingdom Come Earth is out there as well, probably sulking in its bedroom and playing goth music. (I wonder if Waid feels vindicated or ripped off for all the abuse he took over hypertime)

Epilogue:
As I write this, I've read two issues of Countdown, 52's weekly-format successor. Not quite knocking my socks off, but I'll give it a few more weeks to change my mind. The stakes don't seem as great or urgent as the ones for 52 (finding out about the missing year). They're banking on the tension of the central question (countdown to what?), but that's a year away and I'm event-ed out right now, just as I was last year. Sometimes I ask "why comics?"... why couldn't it have been something less compulsive, like heroin?

The Doctor is Out... for now

2007-05-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to send my thoughts and best wishes to polite Scott for a speedy recovery.

In a comicsblogoverse full niche and obscure pov's, his site is the most unique, ingenious and helpful... using his medical knowledge to review how such subjects are handled in comics and television. I always look forward to his reviews of House... I know they make stuff up in those shows, playing fast and loose with actual medical practice, but to see it deconstructed as Scott does is an entertainment unto itself.

Get well soon, Scott.

250 Mile Update

2007-05-07T09:28:00.001-07:00

Haven't been around much lately. I recently started a new job, and have had to reorient myself to a completely different schedule.

In the hubbub, I managed to miss my own one year blog anniversary. Such an occasion on its own would normally cause me to be reflective, but then my birthday came as well. All three of these events have kind of brought on a wee bought of existential crisis. What exactly am I doing here?

I mean, every blog has its thing... Sims has his karate bear-fighting, polite Scott has his medical expertise, Dave has his bad, 80's comics... What's my thing?

For my birthday, my wonderful girlfriend indulged my inner child and treated me to an iMax showing of Spiderman 3 (which I enjoyed greatly, even though it showed Raimi's weakness for the darker, character dramatics and that including Gwen and her father was too much of a red herring for the longtime fans... I kept wondering how they were going to kill the both of them). She also gave me some cash and cut me loose, instructing me to go to as many comic shops as I possibly could. What a gal.

I decided to make the pilgrimage to Ventura and see the man himself, Sterling Mike. He runs a great shop up there. A nice broad range of everything, even dollar boxes. Meeting Mike was an honor and I can now place his dulcet tones to his writing. I hope I didn't creep him out... I've been warned I can seem a bit stalker-y at times.

From there I cut a swath down until I ended up at Meltdown (open til 10 every night). I then headed home to share my haul (my major prize of the day was getting Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes #246... the very comic I remember holding as a child and thinking that I really wanted to learn how to read).

Throughout the day, I kept asking myself the question, and slowly I found my answer. I have a deep, personal relationship with this medium, and hopefully it comes through here. Not in the kind of freaky fanboy way, but in a genuine love of the stories and characters I've gotten to know my entire life, and the enduring sense of hope and possibility that the medium contains. I may have flirted with giving up on comics in the 90's, but I know deep down now that I'll never leave.

So, my mission remains... from the beginning I wanted to document my rediscovery of comics, and I will continue to do so.

Comics: Week of April 18 2007

2007-04-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

I know I teased a 25¢ bin adventure, but new comics come first...

52 Week 50 - Aside from being disappointed that WW III is about Black Adam pulling a Johnny Bates instead of the Four Horsemen and whatever batshit crazy stuff that was coming out of Oolong Island, I thought it was a good issue. I thought the resolution that Billy comes up with was quite clever, and that last shot of Adam mumbling words to himself was one of the most resonant moments of the series.

It's weird to write about in light of the events at Virginia Tech this week. I always felt sympathetic towards Adam. His actions are deplorable, but in some of his characterization in Johns' JSA, one can understand where he's coming from to an extent. I was hoping for a happier ending for him in 52, but I think he's now lost to us. There's no redemption now.

World War III #1-4 - Even the LCS owner was surprised that they dumped this all in one week. I bought it sight unseen... which may have been a mistake. Basically expanding upon the events covered in this week's 52, it felt a little redundant. On the other hand, WW III (the event within the event) would have felt pretty anticlimactic if it were merely contained to a single issue of 52. I'm divided.

Didio's column in this week's 52 would have been helpful last week, frankly. I appreciate him coming clean about the whole impetus behind having World War III (the event within the event), but I feel a bit suckered by this notice so late in the game.

I appreciate that the writers ran with the opportunities that presented themselves in the course of 52, and that WW III is basically handling the original purpose of 52 in that it's providing the bridge to where we found everybody in the OYL jump. That's all fine. I just wish that information was communicated before I bought the thing.

I'm just not sure that I care about the connections. The only threads I was interested in were the one for Manhunter (Kate Spencer) and maybe Aquaman... and I had completely forgotten about the OYL differences in Manhunter. In hindsight, I probably would have skipped WW III. It really didn't do that much for me, other than explain why the Martian Manhunter is all messed up again.

Manhunter #30 - And we have the sweet chaser of Manhunter. I think Andreyko provided a nice ending point for the series, even though it got another last minute reprieve (I especially liked the blurb on the last page about the next issue... "no really").

Not that I'm complaining, but I'm wondering why the cancellation was reversed. My assumption is that Kate's going to be tied into a big event soon, most likely this Amazons Attack I keep seeing ads for. Plus, this last storyline seemed only to serve as a kind of bonding experience between Kate and Wonder Woman.

I don't care. I'll support this book until the end. It's unique and takes chances one doesn't see a lot of these days.

The Mighty Avengers #2 - I don't know if it's just me, but I'm not overly excited about this title so far. Up until a little while ago, my reading had been relatively Bendis-free. I took a chance on New Avengers: Illuminati and felt underwhelmed by the first few issues (though I might hop back on if it's true that they'll bring Morrison's Marvel Boy into the 616).

I'm getting the same feeling from Mighty. I couldn't put my finger on it until just now when I briefly compared Bendis and Morrison. Say what you want about Morrison, it's clear he has a genuine love of the medium and the characters he's writing, and he conveys that through his scripts. Everything I have read from Bendis seems undercut by a low-level cynicism or sarcasm, and it's hard to differentiate the authors voice from the characters (or even the characters from each other). He may be a fanboy at heart, but I just don't pick up on that through the writing. Maybe I'm wrong. I've heard the man in interviews, and clearly he loves what he's doing, I'm just not convinced that he has a vision of where this is all going.

Chris Sims just ran a look back on the original World War III from Morrison's run on JLA, and it occurs to me that the man had vision of where he was taking everything from book one. Morrison had a solid idea of what the JLA was and underscored that throughout the run, building and building until the final battle in the final arc. These weren't just superheroes, they were the idealized aspects of humanity just like the pantheons of ancient myth. They were above us, but they were also us.

What is the big idea behind Mighty? No really, I'd like to know. What, that there's always a team of Avengers?

Tags: 52 manhunter world war III

Comics Mega Post!

2007-04-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've been preoccupied the last few weeks with a job search. I got to pay for all these comics somehow. Prepare for info dump.

52 Weeks 47 to 49 - I don't know what to say about 52 right now. I should have known better than hope that all the great new things I was seeing would last beyond this series. I loved the Black Marvel Family, loved the new Batwoman, and was even interested in the Great Ten.

The last few weeks have seen most of what was compelling about 52 completely reversed/dismantled/dismembered... what have you. About the only thing left to look forward to is the revitalization of the Metal Men... maybe.

Maybe it's just the event fatigue talking. It's been interesting, and it's been fun. Most exciting is that DC was able to pull off a weekly series successfully with what looks like little of the expected attrition over the year.

I just wish they weren't already rolling it over into another year long weekly. The teaser ads are compelling... but I don't know if I'm willing to make the leap to Countdown. Plus, there's the whole side-trip to World War III.

There's three issues left, and even with a rumored giant-size final issue there doesn't seem like there's going to be a satisfying conclusion for me. I don't know. Call me cynical.

All Star Superman #7 - Best Superman title ever. If only it were monthly, though I'm still happy to wait. The first two-parter of this series, though when I got to that last page cliffhanger, I'm happy to muse about the possibilities contained in the next issue until it finally arrives. That's the appeal of this title for me: the unending potential and imagination, and how much Morisson and Quitely allow for the reader to contribute. Most titles try to spell things out to the last detail, or jerk you around with promised payoffs that never materialize.

The Immortal Iron Fist #4 - Continuing to intrigue. There's a feel that anything could happen right now. I'd like to see more answers about the multiple Fists (hello Googlers), though I'm not in a rush. Like a good b-list character, Iron Fist kind of operates in his own bubble of the Marvel U right now, and has a hazy enough backstory that lends itself to this kind of retcon.

JLA Classified #37 - Long awaited story, though I think it was supposed to be it's own series or graphic novel, wasn't it? I like it enough to see where it may be going. There were certainly enough references to philosophy and religion to make me think it might lead somewhere interesting.

The Mighty Avengers #1 - Interesting. Thought balloons are coming back? When did that happen?

Aside from that, this really let me know that the whole Civil War thing isn't really over. I get the idea that Tony's gone a bit around the bend, which will lead to a sequel of some sort. I dunno. Sure it kind of congeals the Marvel U around a new status quo, but it feels a bit forced sometimes.

Speaking of forced, Marvel sure seems to be pushing Ms. Marvel on us tha last few years. It wouldn't bother if she was, you know, interesting. I'll give this series a few more issues.

Shazam! Monster Society of Evil #2 - I love it, but I'm wondering if I should just wait for the trade at this point. I feel like DC is trying to soak me. This book should be in an affordable, entry-level format and price for kids. I may be a kid at heart, but that doesn't count.

TRADED!
Runaways: Pride & Joy Digest + Runaways v.2 #25 - I'm finally getting on the Runaways bandwagon. I've wanted to pick up this series for a while now, and hearing Whedon was coming on board finally gave me the excuse, I guess. I picked up the first digest, and I have to say, I think I would prefer all my trades as digest now. They're just as legible, more portable and cheaper.

As for the story, I have to say I'm hooked. Probably one of the best premises to come along for long time. Straightforward and simple: teenagers find out that their parents are a secret supervillain society and go on the run. The first six issues require little to no knowledge of Marvel continuity, which is great since it seems not even Marvel knows their own continuity sometimes (I couldn't resist).

I also couldn't resist reading the current Whedon issue out now. Sure, I've missed everything in between, but I just couldn't wait. I kind of spoiled some developments for myself, but it was nice to see that the series was headed towards some resolution. Whedon recaps and resets the stage apart from Vaughn's initial run. Looks like it's going to be set more inside the mainstream Marvel U, which will hopefully bring new eyes to the book.

Iron Man: Extremis TPB - I like that this is basically a re-jiggered origin story for Iron Man, a restatement of who the character is. Tony's always been one of those characters that I could take or leave. Even with the alcoholism, there was never anything compelling to me about him. Ellis manages to find an angle that I can relate too in that Tony, despite being an optimistic futurist, is always making weapons. Suddenly, Tony's story has the dramatic weight on par with Greek tragedy; despite his best efforts, he may be making the world a more dangerous place.

The artwork's gorgeous. Small wonder that Granov's been tapped to lend design concepts to the movie.

That's all for now. Next up: 25 Cent Wonders!

Tags: 52 all star superman iron fist iron man mighty avengers runaways shazam

Comics: Week of Mar. 21 2007

2007-03-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

52 Weeks 44-46 - So the plot against Black Adam comes into focus, somewhat. I feel a bit disoriented. With all the talk about WW III and the Countdown weekly coming up, I was thinking that the Four Horsemen would somehow be major players/instigators, but they were merely bait to get at Adam. With all the new ads asking me if I've figured out 52, I have to profess that I'm lost. Not that that's a bad thing, I guess. I just hope it's more emotionally resonant than Civil War ended.

What will likely happen is that while the central question to 52 may be answered, it will ultimately end up asking many more, and those will have to be answered by successive events and minis.

JSA #4 - Relatively evisceration-free issue. The opening storyline feels truncated by this resolution, as it seems it's more about getting the team together than about the plot against them. Still, I admire the new direction, the clarity of purpose this title has. Before the restart, it was just cool to read about these great characters that nobody wanted anything to do with for a long time. Now, there's more of a purpose to be together.

Also, the Ross cover for this issue seemed especially warm. I'm on the fence over these black velvet paintings he's been doing... they all seem a bit too cold, too removed from the personality of the characters. Having Ted giving his son a noogie surprised me when I saw it.

Manhunter #29 - Did I hear that this title's been uncancelled again? As much as I've been underwhelmed by the (formerly) final story arc, I still want to see more.

It's not that the story's bad, it's got a lot of great moments and ideas to it. It seems awkwardly paced and choppy. The cutting between Kate, Chase and Mark's stories seems entirely disconnected and random. I'm interested in them all, but I think that in light of trying to bring a sense of resolution to each character in anticipation of the series ending, the focus is scattered.

The Spirit #4 - Just solid. Quickly becoming the best comic in my eyes. It's a good sign when I sit down and can't blow through this title like I can with others. It's deceptively dense in it's storytelling, and I always find myself slowing down to savor the experience.

Tags: 52 jsa manhunter the spirit

OT: Movie Meme

2007-03-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

In addition to comics, I like a lot of movies, so I'm lifting this Movie Meme from Bill D. who got it from others. Without further ado, Thought Balloon's first meme participation:

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.

What haven't I seen more than 10 times? I don't think I've seen a movie in the theater more than 10 times, so this brings me to video. I'll go back to the beginning and pick the first movie I obsessively watched over and over again: Blazing Saddles. It was our first video on VHS, and I played the hell out of it. Also, I had the biggest crush on Madeline Kahn.

2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theater.

Silence of the Lambs... also The Abyss.

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.

I'll see anything with Laura Linney.

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.

Rob Schneider and/or Adam Sandler.

5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.

The Big Lebowski has a wonderful selection of choice quotes for all situations in life.

6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.

Tough one. Not a huge musical fan. The closest would have to be Moulin Rouge since it's a mash-up of pop songs from my youth. Oh, and maybe Xanadu... don't judge me, I had a crush on Olivia Newton-John, alright.

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.

I don't really do that... though I like to quietly hum along in that scene from Magnolia where all the characters sing. It feels very "meta".

8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.

That's a tough one, but I'll say To Catch a Mockingbird. It's positively un-American not to.

9. Name a movie that you own.

Heat. It's a guilty pleasure I enjoy when the girlfriend is out of town.

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.

I'll agree with Bill D. and say Mark Wahlberg. The guy's really got something. He's not a great actor, but he's got an emotional vulnerability that makes him compelling to watch.

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?

Hell, yes. I practically grew up at the Burlingame Drive-In. I saw Star Wars for the first time there... as I grew older, it was a great place to take a date. I miss the drive-in, and their unique cafeteria-style cheeseburgers.

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet gotten around to it.

I've seen parts, but I've always wanted to watch the entirety of Lawrence of Arabia.

14. Ever walked out of a movie?

That Blair Witch sequel. I think we walked out during the opening credits and snuck in to O, Brother and saw that again.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.

Recently, Children of Men.

16. Popcorn?

I'm a candy guy at heart, but K usually goes for the popcorn. Damn, if that smell doesn't make me eat half of the bag.

17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?

We go once or twice a week. It's pricey... but I love the experience.

18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?

The Namesake on St. Patrick's day. We're such iconoclasts!

19. What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?

Used to be sci-fi, then comedy... these days I'm just looking for something that will surprise me.

20. What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?

In the theatre: It's a toss-up, but after checking dates at imdb.com, it would be The Marathon Man or Car Wash. I don't think my parents could afford a babysitter back then.

In the drive-in: This would have to be Jaws. Again, my parents were poor or society hadn't ratcheted up that notion that you could warp your kids minds with "inappropriate" entertainment yet.

21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?

That Spawn movie was pretty bad, even for a comic book movie. That's time I'd like back, please.

22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?

Un Chien Andalou. Got to see this one in a film class in college.

23. What is the scariest movie you've seen?

The original Dawn of the Dead has scarred me for life.

24. What is the funniest movie you've seen?

I like lots of funny movies, but the funniest one I can think of is more funny in a distrubing way. Every time I watch Network, I find it both hilarious and creepy how they depict the inner workings of those who make entertainment and news, and how the gross parody of the 1970's became our reality decades later.

Tags: movie meme

TPB Review - Grounded (2006)

2007-03-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't followed Cap in to the great beyond*... I'm still kicking. I just had a few personal projects at home to work on, and haven't had time to get to the LCS.

Still, there should be content, and looking back, I am a lazy blogger. You may have started up with other blogs by now, and I couldn't blame you, baby.

A while ago, I went nuts on the TPB's. I was a little bored as Civil War started to wind down and it looked as if it wasn't going pay off like I hoped it would. I bought up a bunch of stuff that looked different.

Grounded by Mark Sable and Paul Azaceta was one of the trades that I picked up. It has a clever concept: the main protagonist is a normal, powerless teenager who goes to high school with superpowered kids. Kind of like Sky High, except the kid never develops his own powers.

The story kind of writes itself from there. All the tension of being an adoloescent, plus super powers. There also the added dimension of the parent's life intruding on the kid's as super villains start gunning for them.

To my knowledge, this is the only writing Sable has done in comics to date (according to comicsbookdb.com). The story's packed full of ideas about the whole superhero genre, almost too packed. Maybe it's just a sign that I'm so used to decompressed storytelling, so used to writers expounding on an idea over an over again, but I almost wish that the story was either pared down a bit, or lengthened. There were a number of secondary characters in Grounded that I thought could rate their own story (I especially liked the Desire character... he/she appears as the object of the viewers desire, though no one know what gender this character is, hence no one goes near him/her for fear of falling in love with someone of the same gender). Still, there are worse things than having too many ideas, so I'll just shut up about that.

I think Azaceta's artwork is gorgeous, though with the complexity of the story and ideas, I think it's an awkward fit. Sable is writing with a near prose level of detail and ideas, and I think Azaceta's style is more suited to impressionistic, noirish tales. There are a few sequences that I wish were a little clearer, a little more detailed. Still, on it's own the art is great, so it's a minor crab.

I would highly recommend this TPB. I think it may have been intended to be an ongoing, but the six issues contained here provide a complete story and clean closure.

*comics definition of "great beyond": death of prominent character, usually short-lived. Media coverage inversely proportionate to likelihood of characters staying dead. May lead to influx of outside interest and sales, followed by exodus of same the following month. See also: Phoenix, Superman, the whole Onslaught thing, maybe Magneto, Spider-man, Batman, Bucky, Captain Marvel, Thor.

Tags: comics grounded mark sable paul azaceta

Comics: Week of Feb. 28 2007

2007-03-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

52 Week 43 - See, I knew they couldn't kill Buddy. At least, not this way. I get the feeling that Morrison's run on Animal Man is still in continuity, but what that means could be very different. I get the sense that the yellow aliens could just be figments of Buddy's imagination at this point, which is fine. This is probably the coolest "sampling" of animal powers ever, though there could be sinister implications. This series, as always, is best at linking two disparate points of the DCU together, showing the variety and abundance of ideas at play, and that they all work together.

And the fourth horseman is revealed. Pretty brutal, but the kid was getting on my nerves anyway. Now who could have written that especially bloody, gore-splattered sequence?

I'm looking at you, Johns.

Eternals #7 - Kind of what I was expecting in the end. It's all been a grand reset for this property, and I expect news of a new ongoing as a lot of things are left unresolved. I'm wondering about the additional issue to this series (as it was originally solicited as a 6-issue run). What I keep coming back to is that this series could provide a hell of a loophole for the the Marvel U. Sprite's changed the world, we got a Celestial parked in San Francisco and a stronger than needed connection to Civil War. Seems to me that Gaiman has handed them one giant, seven issue reset button.

Immortal Iron Fist #1-3 - Playing catch-up on this title. The pace is a little slower than I'd like for a monthly, but it's good.

The writers are taking the tried and true method of connecting a somewhat b-string character and revealing that they are, in fact, part of some kind of legacy. It's been used to revive Swamp Thing, Starman and Manhunter, to name a few (of my favorites), so naturally I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. It makes sense that Danny isn't the only Iron Fist ever, and I like the flashbacks to different eras using different art styles.

Power Man and Iron Fist was one of my guilty pleasures back in the day. It was a quirky title that kind of existed in its own corner of the Marvel U. Secret Wars II kind of came along and messed that up, but up until then, the title had a charm to it, and was relatively self-contained.

There's a scene in issue two between Danny and Luke Cage that kind of boils down the magic appeal these two have together. I almost wish Cage was more than a cameo, but it's Iron Fist's book. I'm going to see how this first arc plays out.

X-Factor #16 - I love Peter David. Clearly he's on a trade-length arc, but demonstrates the rare skill to actually make each issue feel complete on its own. There are titles I enjoy, but can't bear to pick up in monthly format due to the pacing.

This is not one of them.

Tags: 52 eternals iron fist x-factor

Comics: Week of Feb. 21 2007

2007-02-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

52 Week 42 - All Ralph issue as his story thread finally finds some redemption with me. Hooray! Gives me a bit more confidence in the master plan.

Civil War #7 - Um, okay. not quite the finish I was hoping for, but rather the one I could see coming. Really kind of ended on an quiet note. Maybe if i read every crossover to this thing, it might have had more kick to it, but as is it's just another status quo reset (and not even a major one). Marvel has always had this division between heroes who operated out in the open and ones that were a bit more vigilante. It's a trait of Millar's that I've noticed: the appearance of a kind of knowing, post-modern tweak or redefinition, but really it's just a return to old-school Marvel themes. Nothing wrong with it, just most times it has a bit more meat.

In the end, it didn't feel emotionally satisfying. Logically, things would make a certain sense, but in my heart things seemed wrong and out of control. I still don't understand Clor and why he was built (and why he was brought back after killing Bill Foster). I don't buy that it would take Cap so long to reach the conclusion that he does. I felt the art was choppy in areas and the wrap-up with Reed's letter was kind of a cheat.

This series ends as a set-up for a bunch of new series, relaunches and events. This series was my big sampler platter of Marvel U. I'd been avoiding most Marvel titles for years (with the odd exception here and there), and this was a chance to bring me back in to the fold. I can't say anything really interests me in any kind of follow-up. My confidence that Marvel will deliver what they say they will deliver is completely eroded. I'll buy X-Factor, but other than that, I think I'll stay away from their mainstream titles.

New Avengers: Illuminati #2 - Done. Man, I really like the idea of this series, but there's nothing to it, particularly in the tension department. How can you pretend to put characters in jeopardy that you know will survive? There are really no stakes here, and it seems to primarily be an indulgence in what is commonly referred to as "continuity porn". It's just not interesting to me.

The Spirit - Beautiful, from cover to cover, literally. Looking at the cover, I realized that DC has been using a kind of flat, semi-gloss paper instead of the high-gloss they use for their other books. It really complements the feel of Cooke's art and the colors. I like that attention to detail.

Another strong outing as we get the origin of The Spirit. Clever use of separate POVs and I loved the change-up in style, from thick brush work to scratchy line art for the flashback.

Tags: 52 civil war new avengers illuminati the spirit

Comics: Week of Feb. 14 2007

2007-02-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

52 Week 41 - So Charlie died off-panel? I'm not buying it until I see his body. This is all a trick, I tell you.

A trick!

Also, Starfire is rising in my esteem. They're really kind of forging that hard edge she had back in the day.

Astonishing X-Men #20 - Hisako, I think I may have mentioned before, is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I loved the exchange she has with crispy, dented Logan. It was so old school X-Men. I'm sad there are only four issues left in the run, but then when it's all over, I'm going to read them all in one sitting, just like I used to do back in the day when Uncanny was good.

JSA #3 - Is it just me, or has Johns suddenly embraced the ultra-violence? Punching Pantha's head off is one thing (unexpected, dramatic, a little funny) but watching some guy's family being slaughtered seemed a little over the top, especially by a speedster. I'm not complaining as long as the dramatic payoff is earned, and this isn't just a cheap way to raise the stakes.

I was trying to remember who pointed out that Ross's cover for this issue implies that not only does Maxine not wear underwear, but she also uses a depilatory product of some sort. I was sure that it would have been edited from the time it first appeared in Previews to when it hit newsstands, but no. I looked around to find other comments when I ran across the DC message boards. Here are some of my favorites:

"Is Alex Ross implying that Cyclone is the first non-underwear wearing member of the JSA? I think it is a grand move for distracting the foe, but the breezey nature could also distract your friends also."

"She's 19, if that matters. "

"I just hope it's not a factor of where her power stems from... "

"These big vagina women have been getting away with murder for too long."

And one wonders why comic readers are seen as male closet cases. I wouldn't have a problem with it all if it weren't for the typical fan boy mentality around it: the woman-as-object only for sexual desire and fulfillment. This mentality usually involves pointing and saying, "tee hee, she ain't wearing no drawers" which is quickly followed by a) some inappropriate speculation, b) lame, broad demeaning of women's sexuality and c) hasty retreat via condemnation (of the artist, company, etc) because all the crouching masturbators out there are suddenly embarrassed.

Maybe it's me. Maybe it's because the Vagina Monologues is still rattling around in my brain from last week. Maybe it's because this issue came out on Valentine's Day. Maybe it's because I'm tired of weak men treating women as inferior objects... I just want to say get over it and get to know a real girl or something.

Manhunter #28 - Seems like a little bit too much is going on to feel satisfying. We have Shaw off with the St. Dumas gang, Chase getting pulled back into a thread from her own late 90's series and then there's Kate's story. They're trying to tie things up, it's clear. Kate's story is the only one that feels open-ended, as she's being groomed in a way for her transition to Birds of Prey. The others are being resolved, either for good, or for someone else to take up the baton. Shaw's story suffers the most, I think, as there's no good way to reference the whoel Azrael thing. As far as Chase, this may give her character closure that's leftover from her own cancelled series. I'd love for DC to bring her back again, somehow.

I was hoping more for a blow-out, but who knows? There's a rumor that the next big event may stem from something out of this final arc.

Nextwave #12 - Was this planned to end? Some of the dialogue felt positively elegiac, and the interaction between the characters, for once, felt genuine. I'm greatly saddened by the end of this series.

The reveals about who's behind the whole Beyond Corporation felt appropriately weird and logical at the same time. This issue kind of ties the whole thing together in a way that it didn't before. I wonder what Ellis had planned after the first year, and I wonder if he'll ever return. These are probably the most compelling iterations of these characters, ever.

"A M.O.D.O.K. and a M.O.D.A.M. made sweet monkey love by the light of a rack of Worlds of Warcraft servers, and I was the result."

Indeed.

Tags: 52 astonishing x-men jsa manhunter nextwave

Comics: Week of Feb. 7, 2007

2007-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

A kind of comics ennui has settled over me the last few weeks. Not that I don't love comics, but once in a while, I just get bored. Here are some things I bought last week.

52 Weeks 39 & 40 - The series kind of takes a dip here, for me. Maybe I'm just not that into the Steel/Luthor storyline, I don't know. I was a pretty big build up to Luthor getting superpowers, and then nothing really happens. Alternately, I find that the leadup to the four horsemen (and presumably World War 3) kind of tedious. Get on with it, already.

New Avengers: Illuminati #1 - I like the idea of a group like this. It's the supergroup of the Marvel U... it ties together a lot of diverse corners, which can be a good thing given Marvel's eschewing of continuity these last few years. I loved the idea of Dr. Strange in space, casting spells against science. I just wish it had a little more meat in it for as an extensive retcon as this. I admire it's ambition and I hope it lives up to that.

Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil #1 - The one stand-out this week. I can't think of a marriage of style and content that would be any more perfect than having Jeff Smith on Shazam. I don't know if it's my imagination, but it feels like I've been waiting a long, long time for this. So long, in fact, I was beginning to think it was all an urban legend. My one bit of crabbing is the format. I agree with these guys that given such a kid-friendly story, DC might have thought of putting it into a more kid-friendly format/price point. Even as an adult, I thought it was a little high and unnecessary... I mean, as much as I love it, I'm seriously contemplating waiting for the trade on this. Also, and maybe it was just my shop, but every copy I picked up had damage in the interior.

Yeah, I'm pretty grumpy lately. I've also picked up a bunch of trades and independent stuff throughout the week to recharge, so I'll roll out thoughts on that throughout the week.

Is It Me?

2007-01-31T01:20:00.000-08:00

I don't know if this is something to crab about since I never look for excellence in professionalism in the comics shop retail arena. Tell me if I'm overreacting.

I was anxious to get out of the house after being cooped up with a cold for a few days. I tagged along with the girlfriend as she ran to look up a few items at Sam French. I knew there was a comics shop down the block from there, so I walked down and killed some time. I used to frequent the store when we lived in the area, but I think they had a different owner then.

The shop seems cleaner, yet more disorganized than I remembered. I know that makes no sense. The new stuff is very neat and organized while some of the older detritus (lots of 90's leftovers) seems to clog endtables, piled high for deep discount (lots of sundamaged Robocop action figures, for example).

The kids running the shop seem like the young hipsters that would want to work in a comics shop: Kind of detached, almost too cool for the place. The kind that would immediately talk about customers behind their back the second they left the shop (which I was witness to).

The thing that got me was that when I brought my purchases up to the register, I was asked if I wanted bags and boards. I usually decline when asked, though my regular LCS throws them in for free. Please note that I had a few "new" comics and a few older comics, the point being that the older items were already bagged and boarded. "No thanks," I said.

So, imagine my surprise that the clerk proceeded to remove the bags and boards from the back issues I was purchasing.

Is it me, or does that seem incredibly cheap?

The experience kind of soured me on the whole store. Granted the older issues were going for cover price, but if they were, say, $20 a pop, would he still have repossessed the bags and boards? I don't think I'll go back there anytime soon.

Comics: Week of Jan. 24, 2007

2007-01-29T01:22:00.000-08:00

52 Week 38 - In where we return to Monster Island, or wherever it is that the mad scientists are located? I'm interested in the crime bible and its references to the Fourth World. Could the missing Yurrd the Unknown, the hunger-lord, be Skeets? He did eat the Phantom Zone?

I liked the callbacks to the Question's origin in the O'Neil series. What seems like throwaway ramblings are little nods to the first time Charlie "died". I'm crossing my fingers...

Eternals #6 - I smell padding. Wasn't this supposed to be a 6 issue miniseries? What's going on?

I thought the mind control exchange between Ikaris and Iron Man was pretty clever. The new status quo established at the end of the issue regarding the dreaming Celestial really sets this mini up for an ongoing. Who knows? Gaiman's had a problem wrapping up stories before... at least for comics.

Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #9 - How could I resist the buzz around this issue? I haven't picked up a Marvel Adventures book before, but are they all this fun? It's nice to read an angst-free Marvel title. "A.I.M. barbeques"? I'd like to see that.

Nextwave #7-11 - I've put off reading these for a while. Reading them all in one go was a blast. The punk rock aesthetic of this book is hard to resist. Too bad it's coming to an end, but we'll always have battle-chaired, eye-blasting Stephen Hawking.

The Spirit #2 - Nice done-in-one. What I like about this series is that the story and exposition are nicely interwoven, like how comics used to be before writers got lazy. If you're hesitating on picking this up because you don't know anything about the Spirit, don't let that stop you. Cooke will give you enough in the story so you don't feel lost. Go now.

X-Factor #15 - I think I missed an issue. Good thing for the recap!

Yet another inventive (and slightly creepy) use of Madrox's powers. David's really turned a c-lister into a solid, entertaining character.

Tags: 52 eternals marvel adventures avengers nextwave the spirit x-factor

Fancy Comics

2007-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Between X-Mas gifts and gift cards, plus other unforeseen bonuses to my comic habit, I've picked up a few graphic novels from off the beaten path. In the case of gift cards, I always like to use them to try new stuff, or stuff I've heard good things about, but somehow never got around to purchasing.

I've been picking my way through Best American Comics 2006 from Houghton Mifflin (a new variation of their annual "Best" series). It's exciting for me that comics get this kind of recognition, and especially from a yearly anthology series. I've seen some of the included material from other like-minded literary collections (McSweeny's springs to mind), but none with the kind of personal influence of the editor(s). Harvey Pekar guest-edits with series editor Anne Elizabeth Moore. I especially liked Pekar's introduction, which shows both his enthusiasm and worry for the medium.

Of what I've read so far: Joel Priddy's The Amazing Life of Onion Jack is a great opener in that it is a helpful transition from the superhero genre into that of the more independent, personal bent of the book. Plus, it made me laugh out loud and I cried a little at the end. Rabbithead by Rebecca Dart takes Chris Ware's method of breaking page layouts into parallel, diverging timelines and literally runs with it. Thirteen Cats of my Childhood by Jesse Reklaw came so close to my own personal experiences that I feel as if he read my mind.

Those were just a handful of stories I've read so far. The rest are just as impressive, personal and accomplished. I highly recommend this volume.

Peanut Butter & Jeremy: Best Book Ever by James Kolchalka - Purchased at Earth-2 Comics through their great "Buy 10 trades, get 1 free" policy.

Like a lot of Kolchalka's work, Best Book Ever reads like a children's book that grownups can enjoy. It's the story of a sweet cat, who thinks she works in an office, and scheming crow that's constantly trying to trick her. Fairly simple, yet there are little bits of business that hint at deeper characterizations of the two. The book is divided into shorter stories that repeat themes of friendship and anxiety, with a little slapstick here and there. It's a great way to escape for a little while and indulge the kid in you.

Goodbye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson - I've heard good things about Thompson's other title, Blankets, but its size has been a little intimidating. I decided to warm up with the more manageable size of Goodbye.

This is a story for anyone who has ever had to say goodbye. The best way to describe it is that it reads like a poem. It has an internal sense of rhythm, and treads a line between the cuteness of anthromorphic cartoon animals and the darker areas of human nature (loneliness, hopelessness). Thompson draws the whole thing in lush ink strokes, which is refreshing. I always prefer to see the artists hand at work as opposed to the polished perfection of so many mainstream comics today.

Part of me wanted to see the story continue just a bit longer, which isn't a bad thing. Maybe I am ready for Blankets.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang - I really enjoyed this book when I finished it, though as time has passed, I've started to wish it had a bit more meat to it. Maybe its the National Book Award nomination... that kind of thing can screw with expectations.

The story is told on three tracks, all tied by issues of identity and an unexpected twist at the end. I liked the end for what it tried to do, but after some thought, it felt a little forced. Forced, but then totally appropriate for the medium. I don't know, my opinion changes from moment to moment on this.

The book does an excellent job of showing that awkward phase in everyone's life where they try to take control of their own identity. There's plenty of embarrassment and guilt to go around, and it's detailed fairly effectively. Add issues of race and culture, and the stakes get raised even higher. It's a good read and worth seeking out, despite my reservations about the end.

Tags: best american comics 2007 american born chinese peanut butter & jeremy goodbye, chunky rice

Comics: Week of Jan. 17, 2007

2007-01-22T00:33:00.000-08:00

52 Week 37 - At first I though it was silly to have such a spoiler cover, but then I quickly reversed myself and thought it was clever. Dispensing with the long-running mystery of Super Nova's identity just leads to more questions, and what better way to get it out of the way than to feature him on the cover. I've been loving 52 so far, but this issue felt more kick-ass than usual. Now that we know who he is and how he is, we now turn to who or what the hell is Skeets anyway? My guess? I'm thinking he's another villain in disguise... Given the penchant the writers have for rehabilitating forgotten and under-appreciated characters, would it be impossible for the Time Trapper to make a come-back?

Also, the last page went far to gain my confidence back in the handling of Buddy's death. As always, Morrison rules the school.

Astonishing X-Men #19 - Everything is coming together. Whedon looks like he's going to tie up all the loose ends on the run to the finish.

Fantastic Four: The End #2-4 - I've been a fan of Davis since he was on Batman and the Outsiders. I always marveled at his ability to maintain an uncanny consistency in characters, even incidental ones. I can't think of a better artist to handle Marvel's flagship title. I'm unfamiliar with the The End series that they've been doing, and whether they always involve such a large cast, but this book has everyone, and it's nice to see an artist who can handle drawing so much.

The story seems pretty straightforward. With the family broken up, I can only assume it's all leading to one last reunion to defeat the big bad. I like how the story seems to be dropping in on all of the various foes the Four has had over the years, though by the fourth issue, it was getting a bit predictable, especially the Super Skrull reveal and the Mole Man. Given the simplicity of the story so far, I'm thinking that the whole Kree/Skrull breach of the quarantine zone is a red herring, and that it's all Doom and one of his patented contingency plans from beyond the grave.

I loved the bit with Johnny and Ben, and the sly reversal of personality. Ben always been so fearless and bombastic, and to see him worry now that he's a family man was touching. For Johnny to give Ben the speech he's undoubtedly heard so many times before from Ben himself captured the very essence of their bond.

Irredeemable Ant-Man #4 - I like how this title has woven in other events in the Marvel universe. It's something that Marvel always kind of excelled at, until recently. Clearly I'm up for a series with an unlikeable protagonist awash in black humor. The payoff may be that this guy actually does some good, whether he realizes it or not. My only criticism is that I'm anxious to move beyond the origin story and the SHIELD stuff. It's a small one, and due to the appeal to the character. They've managed to actually make Ant-Man cool, and I want to see him out there in the larger Marvel U.

Manhunter: Trial by Fire TPB - Finally the second trade makes it to the stands, just in time for the series cancellation. I wonder, if this second trade was made available a year ago, would it have made a difference. Between hunting down back issues and the trades, I've read the entire series now, and Trial by Fire finds it hitting its stride.

It's a beefy trade that covers the period between Identity Crisis and includes some buildup to Infinite Crisis. Andreyko, in the tradition of Alan Moore and James Robinson, takes the intrusion of a company crossover and turns it into an opportunity to expand his corner of the DCU. The trial of the Shadow Thief, even though it stems from Identity Crisis, seems natural, and uses the themes of the miniseries to build on its own. The appearance of an Omac later in the trade likewise feels like a clever way to tie the series into the rest of DCU, but also tie a nice bow on the Manhunter continuity, and gives the various title holders a connection.

I'm going to miss this series.

Tags: 52 astonishing x-men fantastic four: the end irredeemable ant-man manhunter

Comics: Week of Jan. 10, 2007

2007-01-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

A little late this week.

52 Weeks 33-36 - This run has: A little resolution to the space arc, or at least the main threat is dealt with (though it seemed a little rushed). A bait-and-switch concerning the death of a character (he better not be dead... it's wrong on so many levels, and pointless). A reveal of where Rip Hunter has been hiding that I thought was quite clever.

Apparently, we'll find out who Supernova is in short order. My bet is the Ray Palmer theory that's been floated out there on the interweb. It makes more sense than it being Booster (though I'm not ruling that out). My hopes for a zombified Superboy seem to be dashed.

Agents of Atlas #6 - Nice tidy wrap-up to this series. I hope Parker gets a chance to revisit these characters, as they are some of the most interesting I've seen out of Marvel lately. The reveal at the end is along the lines of what I was expecting, but the new status quo was not. Given that Marvel seems to be throwing continuity out the window more than not, it's nice to read a series that has no baggage that needs to be forcibly ignored in order to enjoy it.

All Star Superman #6 - Simply the best Superman series I've ever read. Captures everything great about the character and world, weaving in elements from his best incarnations. The thing I like most about Morrison, a trait he shares with other great writers, is that he has his own internal sense of continuity that he returns to when he can. I like the Silver Age goodness that permeates this title, but I also like the little bits pulled from Morrison's JLA and DC One Million.

Civil War #6 - It's official: I've lost any kind of enthusiasm for this series. I know, I know, what could I expect? I don't know... I thought this thing was going to be relatively self-contained and balanced. I'm a fool, I know.

At the very least, I trusted Millar to write something that would be compelling on its own instead of the bare-bone outline that this series has turned out to be. I'm not getting the full story in Civil War, which I knew going in, but I figured I'd be getting a story. I'm getting an ad for other titles that way tell me the story...

How will all this resolve? Probably some half-ass half-measure where heroes can come forth of their own will and get government funding and training. Also, there will be fallout Marvel Angsty Moodiness (TM) for the foreseeable future... until Hulk returns and the Annihilation Wave arrives and everything dovetails into the next event I most likely will bow out on.

I may go back to waiting for trades when it comes to Marvel. At least I'll have a better idea if something turns out well or not, plus I hear Marvel puts more quality into their trades than their floppies /sarcasm

JSA #2 - Now the Alex Ross story credit makes sense. Looks like Kingdom Come is being brought into play (Can Hypertime be far behind?) as well as pre-Crisis Legion? That was Dawnstar in issue one's teaser, and as far as I know, she hasn't reappeared since. Starman looks like he might be a time-lost Thom Kallor, bouncing around alternate realities.

Manhunter #27 - I had great hopes that this series would kick out all the stops for its now-confirmed final arc, but it seems to be slowing down a bit out of the gate. Andreyko has written one of the most unique characters to come out of DC since, well, Starman and Chase back in the late 90's. It's too bad no one's buying, and the company seems all too eager to plunder the ideas and characters for other, more commercially viable properties. Sigh. I've heard rumors that somehow this series may play into an upcoming event, but I don't know. The story about Wonder Woman on trial feels like it's already been dealt with, and I'm getting a little "Is this OYL or not" anxiety. I'll hang on to the bitter end, though. It's still a better read than most.

Tags: 52 agents of atlas all star superman civil war jsa manhunter

OT: Children of Men

2007-01-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

Children of Men is a beautiful movie. We saw it last weekend on a day trip down to Pasadena. Originally, we were going to see The Good German but changed our minds as we made our way into the lobby. I'm so glad we did.

[MODERATE SPOILER WARNING]

Children of Men follows the fine tradition of great sci-fi stories that transcend the genre by being less about the fictitious word and more about the real one. The hook is that it's 2027, and humanity has mysteriously lost the ability to procreate, and no children have been born for the last 18 years or so. The story follows Theo, a former political activist, who gets drawn into a plot that may change the world: namely, he's charged with getting the miraculously pregnant Kee to a secret rendevous with the outlaw Human Project.

The filmakers sketch just enough of this world to paint a believable picture of a future without hope. The focus is on Britain, though one gets the sense that the rest of the world might be even worse off. The government serves mostly to keep the population from a collective freak-out by gross distractions (illegal immigratation) and heavy medication (the government is handing out sedatives and euthanasia kits... "You decide when" coos the advertising). Little bits cribbed from Orwells 1984 and Nevil Shutes On the Beach give the viewer just enough information to make it all seem horrifically plausible. Leaving the theatre I thought, "This is exactly what would happen".

This isn't to say that it's a minimalist sort of world. The story is rich with complexity of motives and goals for the various characters. One would figure that the first birth in 18 years would be greeted with joyous celebration as a miracle, but it's quickly spelled out how genuinely dangerous and volatile it is. The art direction for this movie is wonderful... the world is fully realized and the backgrounds and sets are packed with information that tells the viewer about this world. No space is wasted. The dialogue skirts around the crime of most bad sci-fi movies and never over-explains, or lays out clunky exposition. Everything that the viewer needs is laid out and shown, not told.

The movie does a remarkable job of painting the larger picture of society through through a smaller, more intimate one. There are a few bravura segments of violence and chaos, but they never lose sight of the individual experience. There is a climactic sequence near the end when the world erupts in war and violence that's flat-out amazing, and even more so when I realized that it was all done without a cut: the camera never leaves Theo as he negotiates a labrynth of a refugee ghetto that's under seige from multiple players.

The story boils down to a confilct of faith versus chance, hope versus cynicism. It's an especially resonant story in this day and age. The filmakers tip their hand a bit towards current events (most notably in an instance where Abu Ghraib is visually cribbed) but leave the rest of it relatively timeless. I have to admit that I was unsure of the movie before going in, expecting more of a "message" film, but got quite a bit more. It's probably one of the best films I've ever seen.

Tags: children of men movie review

Flashback Sequence: 2006 Montage

2007-01-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

What is it about the year-end holidays that makes us so reflective? Part of me thinks it's some evolutionary hard-wiring, some sense of self-preservation that we have constructed not one, but a multitude of year-end hoidays, events and traditions. As we humans head into the darkest parts of winter, we all gather round the hearth to celebrate, exchange gifts, drink and crab about the previous year. These things will keep us warm in the coming months til Spring arrives.

So, everybody's doing it...

Rather than gloss over the famous and infamous of the previous year, I'm going to try to keep this in the spirit of Thought Balloon: a rediscovery of the joy of comics and other related things. This will be more of a personal list.

Back-Issue-Bin-Diving
In 2006, I discovered a few comics shops that had actual back-issues. I had a lot of fun catching up on old series that I had missed the first time around. In particular, I was able to find runs of the late 90's series Chase and the more recent Truth: Red, White & Black and Manhunter.

Trades, Trades, Trades...
In lieu of back-issues, it seems a lot more trades are rolling out collecting past series and story arcs. I was able to catch up on a lot of more recent storylines and series in 2006. Ex Machina, Ultimate Galactus, JSA, & Captain America: Winter Soldier to name a few.

There may be a day when the trade replaces the monthly, and that will be a sad day for me. Still, the trades look awfully handsome on my shelf...

The Big Event
I know I was complaining about event-fatigue when Infinite Crisis ended, shifting it's gears to 52 while Marvel was getting the Civil War underway. Still, I think 52 is a triumph of what comics have missed in quite a while, namely excitement, or at least interest, for the next installment. Whether or not this will backfire remains to be seen. Creatively, everything on DC's side seems to be firing on all cylinders. Even when the results fall short, I find myslef applauding the attempt.

Alternative Funny Books
This year, I finally got to enjoy Charles Burns' Black Hole in its entirety. There were also offerings from Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library, a Rocketo trade and various items from James Kolchalka, mostly Super F*ckers. Reminders that if you love the medium, you've got to look for things beyond the mainstream superhero fare. It's worth it.

Podcasters
Since receiving an iPod for Christmas in 2005, I have been doing nothing but hunting for podcasts to fill it with. My favorite, by far, is the wonderful Comic Geek Speak. In conjunction with a forum that has proven to be the most level-headed place on the interweb for comics fandom, CGS is largely responsible for reactivating my nerd gene this year.

Also, I'd like to mention John Siuntres' Word Balloon, Fanboy Radio (who have been getting ridiculously great interviews lately), Raging Bullets, and Indie Spinner Rack. The future is indeed a marvelous place.

Comics Blogosphere
The friends I never had as a youngster. Look no farther than the sidebar here to find some of my favorites. A special thanks to blogging heavy-weight Mike Sterling for giving me a few link-bumps this year. Visits went from 2 to 3 a day to hundreds, and provided a bit of an ego boost here as well as a feeling of belonging to a community.

Finally, I'd like to thank my long-suffering girlfriend, who keeps the flame of my youth alive by indulging my nerdly flights of fancy. I'd like to think that I return the favor by attending the odd chick-flick/ballet/abtract theatre prodcution, but who am I kidding? How can love like this be measured? Sitting through another pre/post-Crisis compare/contrast, and the metatextual meaning of the creative process through the lens of corporate-owned characters may well prove that love is indeed infinite.

Tags: comics year in review favorite

Holiday Limbo

2006-12-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Much too busy with the holidays to get to the LCS proper. Sometime after the new year and when the finanaces rebound a bit, I will return. For no, I must content myself with the JLU DVD I received for Christmas. I've watched two episodes so far, which may have overwhelmed the nerd relays in my brain.

We did manage to get to a movie on Christmas day. K's mom is a big fan of schlocky, b-grade sci-fi/fantasy, so naturally we saw Eragon. This would be a cool movie if I were an 8-year-old boy, but it had little to offer an adult. I found myself conducting an impromptu MST3K-like commentary throughout, which can be entertaining in and of itself.

It's pretty bad: Bad dialogue, lazy exposition, schlocky performances, unearned sentiment and a kind of cynical allusion that there will be sequels to come along and tie up the sloppy loose ends. Also, there are many scenes that seem to be cribbed (at least visually) from various superior genre movies (Star Wars, Lord of the Ring... ) and even not-so-superior ones (At one point, I thought Podo and Kodo were going to show up and lend a hand... plus Malkovich puts on a performance equal to Rip Torn's in Beastmaster)

The good?: The CGI dragon is very well done and Jeremy Irons lends the whole enterprise an undeserved sense of diginity.

I've seen it; I can't unsee it.

Tags: jlu eragon beastmaster

Quick Reviews

2006-12-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Four: The End #1 - I like the way David just plunges you into this future world. At first, I thought it was going to be another distoipian take on the future, but it looks like the opposite. Reed has finally transformed the world into a paradise, but at what cost?

I get a funky feeling, though, and not to be too spoilerly, I'm reminded of the old Reed/Doom mind switch story. I'm just sayin'...

JSA #1 - Fun issue, generally. The team is getting some new/old blood. I really like the continuing development of the JSA as a legacy group, that the older heroes feel responsible to the younger ones.

The only thing that marred this issue for me were Ross' comments about Obsidian last week. The comments, taken at face value, don't necessarily point to the man being a homophobe, but they do underscore how he's kind of stuck in the past. His worries about new writers making changes to characters without the consultation of their originators seems kind of backward.

Manhunter #26 - Good kickoff to it's second life/final arc. Kate Spencer is probably one of my favorite heroes right now. It's probably not a good sign that Andreyko is referencing another series that ended before its time, but I appreciate the gesture. Glad I tracked down those issues of Chase a while back.

Newuniversal #1 - I am waiting for my mind to be blown.

I was really anticipating this one, probably as much as the younger version of myself anticipated the original New Universe. Might be a bad sign of letdowns to come.

The Spirit #1 - Fun. Huge fan of Cooke's art, and am so excited to see him on a regular series. It felt a little funny to see someone else helming a Spirit story besides Eisner, but I don't think the man would be disappointed.

Tags: fantastic four manhunter chase the spirit newuniversal jsa

Secret Santa

2006-12-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

Image done as part of the Secret Santa exchange on the CGS Forum, organized by Bluemeanie. The exchange consisted of sending along three floppies you wouldn't miss and a sketch, no matter the state of your drawing talents. I drew Sqroot443556, who asked for a Dr. Doom sketch.

Tags: cgs secret santa fan art

Catching Up

2006-12-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

When I'm not buying new comics, I'm catching up on old comics that I missed the first time around. This is a lot easier these days, what with the proliferation of the trade paperback form. The drawback is, and maybe it's just me, the thrill of the hunt is gone. To me, half the fun of reading comics when I was a kid was trying to find a crucial back issue to fill a hole in one's collection. Now I derive my fun by discovering great series I missed in convenient trade form, prepackaged to go on my shelf with other works of literature.

I've been getting caught up on Brian K. Vaughan's and Tony Harris' Ex Machina through the trades lately. I've been a fan of Harris' work since his time on Starman. I don't know why I missed this series when it first came out. I can probably chalk it up to one of my dark periods, where I was only coming into the LCS every three of four months, not really buying anything.

I read the first Ex Machina trade a while ago, and was a bit underwhelmed at parts of it. I decided to give it another try; there just seemed to be too much potential there to go wasted.

The series definitely smoothes out in the second trade, so much so that after finishing it, I went out and got the third one right away. It's a compelling story with snappy dialogue and powerful themes.

I think the main appeal is context. We're at a point in our pop culture where we're feeling the weight and stress of tragedy. A lot of genre themes explored in the wake of 9/11 have centered on the dead that cannot rest (zombies, ghosts) and the abilty to change or discover the past (time travel, flashback-based reveals). One of the main conceits of Ex Machina is that Mitch Hundred was able to prevent at least one of the Twin Towers from falling on 9/11, though that doesn't necessarily mean that events that follow are drastically changed. The fictional world pretty much hews to the course of the real one.

I'm looking forward to some of the developing mysteries, mainly: Where does Hundred get his powers from, and what does that mean? The second trade was particularly creepy in it's implications. Not that it gave me nightmares, but I did read it late at night and found ot hard to sleep after.

Also, a while ago, I managed to pick up a near-complete run of Robert Morales' and Kyle Baker's Truth. I had bought the first issue when it first came out, and really looked forward to the rest, but somehow I missed out. I believe it may have been a combination of my LCS not bothering to carry it, and I simply forgot to look for it.

After finishing it, I have a number of mixed feelings about it. Don't get me wrong, I loved it... it's probably the fact that it left me a bit churned up inside that makes me love it.

In summary, the story proposes to tell the true story of the development of Marvel's super-soldier serum. You know, the one that gave birth to Captain America. Grafting real-world incidents like the Tuskegee syphillis experiment into the story, Truth shows that Steve Rogers wasn't the only guinea pig, but he was the only willing one.

It's a thought-provoking story. It tarnishes Cap's origin story slightly, but adds complexity to the Marvel U. I'm not sure if it's entirely in canon, but it should be. Honestly, Cap needs it. He's a great character, but so often is a cardboard cutout. This retcon of his origin underscores everything he should stand for.

Tags: ex machina truth captain america

Return to Newness

2006-11-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

After a long drought, I managed to get myself to the LCS and pick up some new* comics. It's been dicey trying to avoid spoiling some of the bigger event titles for myself, but somehow I managed.

52 #23 - #28 - As always, it's nicer to read 52 issues in bulk. The Good: The development of the Black Adam Family (including an analog for Talking Tawny which made me laugh out loud in wonder as I read it). The Bad: It seems that the predictions that Vic would be getting killed off during this series have been proven correct. I don't know how I feel about this. I loved the O'Neil series, and always felt that Vic remained unresolved, especially concerning his daughter.

Agents of Atlas #4 - I've been enjoying this series, though this issue seemed a little light to me. I don't know much about Namora, and I expected at least a little exposition on her, her importance. I should probably know it, but I've been a bad fanboy.

Astonishing X-Men #18 - Probably my favorite ongoing right now. Whedon takes hits for writing what seems to be fan-fiction, but I ask, is there any other way to write the X-Men? This book sings to me, bringing in elements from my personal favorite eras of the team. I guess what elevates it from 99% of bad fan-fiction is that Whedon isn't just wallowing in the past, but seems to be investing in the future... how cool are Hisako and Blindfold coming to the rescue?

Civil War #5 - Not quite what I expected this time out. This series has been pretty good about being self-contained (for the most part) until this issue. I definitely felt like I missed the setup to Peter and Tony's big blow-up, which makes me angry. Also felt let down by the villains hunting Peter after. Was looking for a big slugfest, but he gets taken down by a couple of c-listers.

The Escapists #3 - I know I'm quite behind on this title. I still love it, though it seems to get drowned out by the other titles I buy.

Seven Soldiers #1 - Um. I liked it? Definitely not what I was expecting, and a few threads go unaswered, and really made less and less sense. I feel like I should reread the whole thing at some point. I applaud the grand experiment, but felt that the ending was a bit unsatisfying. Hell, I don't know...

Recent Trades:

Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days (Vol. 1) - I've avoided this title til now. I figured I'd give the first trade a spin. It was good, though I'm not sure it's one of my priorities to pick up in the future. I think that I'm too much of a superhero junkie to enjoy this title, which is sad to say. I want to see more flashbacks of Mitch's time as The Great Machine rather than him dealing with the politics of being mayor of New York. I'll probably check out the second trade when i have some spare cash.

Captain America: Winter Soldier (Vol. 2) - I waited a long time for this to come out. I only heard about this storyline after the monthlies had wrapped. Rather than try a back-issue hunt, I decided to wait for the trades.
Maybe it's because I spoiled the ending for myself, or the long wait between volumes, but I felt underwhelmed by this storyline in the end. Don't get me wrong, it's well written and probably the most clever way to do something I pretty much thought impossible. It changes a lot of continuity without changing the emotional subtext and relationships. I reached the end and said, "so that's how it ended." No real punch for me... I didn't find a resonance. Maybe it's part of a larger storyline involving Winter Soldier's redemption.

*New to me, anyway.

Tags: new comics 52 x-men civil war

Nexus Back from the Dead?

2006-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

I may been hasty earlier. Evidently Baron and Rude have worked out their differences.

My reservations remain in place, though. I'm hoping for a really kick-ass return of one of my favorite comics from the 80's, but I'm a bit wary over whether they'll be able to replicate the quality and tone of the pre-Dark Horse series. Not that I thought the latter issues were terrible (God Con is one of my absolute favorites), it's just that the stories kind of gelled into a holding pattern, with not much change or movement. I always chalked it up to the forsaking of the monthly format in favor for yearly minis. Hopefully, that pattern won't be repeated.

Honestly, I can't think of a better time for this series to make its return. Back in the day, it examined the fine line between mass murderers and the man that was charged to execute them. With everything that's happened in the world since the series parked itself in limbo, I imagine it would be interesting to reopen that old debate.

Also, maybe Sundra can finally give birth to that baby. What's it been? nine, ten years now?
Tags: nexus steve rude mike baron

99¢ Adventure

2006-11-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

We found ourselves in the 99¢ Store Sunday night, looking for some deals, looking to walk off a particularly greasy meal. I find walking around a store for an hour or so, looking at all the gee gaws, is good for the the old digestion.

The 99¢ Store always looks bright and clean from a distance, but like the storefront version of Jekyll soon reverts to the Hyde reality of the interior. I don't know how they do it. They always look inviting, but then something happens when you cross the automatic-door threshold. They seem uniformally dirty and depressing once I get inside.

We picked our way through the isles, scrutinizing every potential purchase. It's surprising what you won't buy, even for 99¢. As Kirsten put it "That's how they get you. A little here, a little there... before you know it, you've got a hundred things in your basket which probably cost them five bucks."

Suddenly, I was confronted with a spinner rack. I didn't know they carried comics. Confronted by such an unexpected sight, I couldn't process what I was seeing. Kirsten knew from experience that I needed to be alone, and she continued without me.

I was bouyed by the rush of discovery. I've have dreams like this, finding a hidden cache of comics in an unexpected environment (what does that say about me?). There were comics on the spinner rack, but my back-issue-bin sense tingled... I knew there had to more nearby. I found a pile of more comics stacked with the coloring books not four feet away.

What did I find? Well, it was mostly DC Comics Who's Who, issues #1 & 2. The comics seemed well preserved, but not in a bagged & boarded kind of way, but more like inventory that's been hidden in a warehouse for the last twenty years kind of way.

I was hit with such a sense of nostalgia. I've written about Marvel's Handbook before, and Who's Who was DC's answer. It came a few years after, but like OHOTMU, it seemed perfectly timed. It came out right at the point that I was starting to become interested in things that weren't Marvel. DC's continuity had about 40 years more depth than Marvel's, so it seemed inpenetrable to a new reader. Who's Who provided an entry into this world.

It's ironic though that just as DC was ready to write down a definitive guide to their shared universe, they were also thinking about simplifying it. Crisis of Infinite Earths started shortly after and with that, history was being radically rewritten. Who's Who straddled pre- and post-Crisis, perhaps featuring the last appearance of many characters and concepts.

Who's Who is graced with gorgeous art. Like OHOTMU, artists who were most associated with a character (for the most part) provided the art. Unlike OHOTMU, artists either inked themselves or were teamed with an inker that conplemented their unique style. OHOTMU relied on Joe Rubinstein to ink the lion's share on entries, giving the appearance of a house style while DC's reflected the sheer diversity of their line.

The excitement of seeing these comics again soon gave way to a certain dread. To be honest, it was like finding an old friend homeless on the street. To find these great comics of my youth stacked willy nilly in a 99¢ Store, awaiting certain doom or eventual disposal saddened me. I wanted to rescue them, but I couldn't save them all. Finally, I decided to buy a handful of each issue and hopefully pass them on to someone.

Also, I scored this:

I never got into this series back in the day, though I thought the toys were cool. I don't imagine the story holds up, but still, how could I refuse. Such a deal at 99¢... wait a minute... cover price 35¢?

Oh man.

Tags: 99¢ store comics dc's who's who shogun warriors spinner rack

Ick Factor

2006-11-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not participating in Chris' "Let's All Stop Writing Our Blogs For A While" month. To be honest, I just haven't been to the comics shop in a while and/or haven't found a whole lot to write about lately.

Until I ran across this endorsement of Heroes on Aint it Cool News. [WARNING] Before you read it for yourself, I would like to paraphrase Futurama "Once you read it, you can't unread it". To summarize, Harry endorses the show, then goes on to speculate on the nature of Claire's (the cheerleader) powers, and how they would affect her sexual life.

Aint it Cool has always had an ick factor, mostly due to the juvenile nature of respondents in their forums. I usually skip those, but have always found the reviews and sneak peaks somewhat useful (if poorly written). To have this kind of pointless speculation come from the site's founder has kind of pushed me over the edge... I don't think I'll be stopping by there much anymore.

It's creepy and says more about the author than I care to know. It also, in a way, peels back the layers of geekdom and reveals some pretty fundamental problems, not just with geeks, but our culture as well. We just can't stop sexualizing women, can we?

I'm no prude. I accept that we are sexual creatures. My only problem is that we, as a society, seem only to acknowledge this fact when it comes to women, to the exclusion that they are anything but objects of our sexual desires. Maybe it's my age, but over the last few decades, I've seen this trend grow worse. I might speculate that it's some form of reaction to the 70's wave of feminism, or a sign of our increasingly consumer culture... I'm not sure.

Evidence of the former: My girlfriend teaches college. Her reviews on Rate My Professor.com are by no means an accurate sampling, but what does it say about the next generation when the few negative reviews of her work are explained by the comment "she's a feminist" (or some variation). What does that have to do with one's ability to teach college composition?

For the former: Look around. For the last twenty years, corporate America has been turning us into consumers at younger and younger ages. Not in the "Hey kids, tell you parents you want _______ !" because now kids have their own money, and it's entirely disposable (kids have no bills to pay). Companies are free to aggressively market directly to kids. Considering that the teen market is hitting a point of extreme sexual awareness and their maximum earning potential before accumulating debt at the same time, it doesn't take a genius to see that companies need to push that sex to maximize their profits and establish enduring buying habits and brand identity.

All this results in sex seeping in to even the most inappropriate places. Geeks are all about speculation, but this kind of specualtion is off-topic. It would be one thing if the show was dealing with issues of sexuality, but it's not. Its main theme is, strangely enough, heroes and the idea of becomming a hero. To fantatsize about Claire's abilities and how they impact her having sex ranks up there with those guys who turn up at conventions and ask an artist to draw Wonder Woman naked. There is a subversion on the part of the fan/viewer to wrest the object away from its intended use and drag it into a creepy little sexual cul-de-sac.

Tags: heroes feminism sexuality

Flashback Sequence: UFO Encounters

2006-10-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

As you may be able to tell, I haven't been to the local comic shop in a few weeks, which is tolerable since I've discovered a lot of old comics I had stashed away over the years and had forgotten about. Today, I bring you UFO Encounters

This is my first graphic novel, I guess you could say. Published by The Western Publishing Company through their Golden Press line in 1978, UFO Encounters is 224 pages of reprinted material from god-knows-where. There are no writer or artist credits throughout, and the 68 stories run about 2 to 5 pages in length. Near as I can tell, these are a collection of back-up stories from some other Western book. The copyright dates stretch back to 1968.

You may be able to tell from the scan, I carried this comic everywhere. To my younger self, it was an endless source of entertainment and vital information. The cover says it all; these are illustrated stories of UFO encounters, man. I couldn't let this tome get too far out of my sight, you know, just in case.

Mostly, the stories are brief, near-nonsensical brushes with "extraterrestrial" life, told in a confessional "I was walking through the woods when...". A few stories pre-date X-Files by a few decades in their speculation that aliens live among us, or aliens has some sinister influence on real-life events. There a even a string of shorts that are hosted by the "Hoaxmaster", who resembles a dark version of Willy Wonka, that threatens to dubunk UFO stories, but always leaves the door open for the unknown.

The stories, while similar, range greatly in their depiction of the aliens and their modus operandi. My young brain struggled to make sense of everything, looking for the thread that tied it all together. As I write this, I realize this may have been the birth of my awareness of continuity in comics. Ironic that it was a fruitless search for meaning between stories that weren't meant for that (insert crossover event of your choice here for joke).

Here are some scans from a 2-page spread titled Who Flies the Saucers?

This one kind of goes against the modern conventional "hairless" E.T. so popularized by, um, E.T....

This would be around the time David Bowie fell to Earth...

Okay...

Alright, now you're just ripping off old 50's sci-fi movies...

Ah, that's just Montgomery Burns, all hopped up on ether...

I'd like to scan more, but this thing looks like I might have dropped it in the tub at some point. The newsprint is downright brittle. This is important information I need to share, yet it looks like the aliens have won.

Tags: ufo western publishing old comics the truth is out there

Oldies: Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe

2006-10-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I picked up my first Marvels Essentials: The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. This series, originally published in 1982, is probably what pulled me into comics for the long haul. It formally introduced me to the universe of Marvel comics.

I had read comics for years before, but not in any kind of conscious or organized way. Comics, as far as I can remember, had always been around the house. For the most part, they came from the 7-11 as kind of an impulse buy. It was a passive form of reading, but it grew more active as time went on.

Around the time OHOTMU was released, I had hit that magic age where I was starting to actively seek out comics. A little Spider-Man, a little Uncanny X-Men, even some Swamp Thing. I was starting to see differences in artwork and story, and I was starting to sort out my preferences and seek them out.

OHOTMU (I love that acronym) came at exactly the right moment. It was filled with the "hard facts" about a fictional universe, just as I was starting to develop some sense of mastery, some sense of control over my world. Better writers than me have written about the appeal of comics to a specific kind of kid, a kid who feels that the world is far too choatic, and how comics (or sports, even) provide an armature to build confidence on. I may not be able to understand or influence my world around me, but I know who would win in a fight between the Hulk and the Thing.

In an historical context, OHOTMU may be a kind of pinnacle in Marvel's history. There was a kind of legitimacy it conveyed. Marvel beat its Distinguished Competitor to the punch (Who's Who wasn't published until 1985), even though DC had been around for far longer, had a far more complex history. It was a coup, in a sense, proving that Marvel cared more about the fan, about giving the fan much needed clarification.

Looking back, I can see what a gift it was. Sure, it was a promotional tool, but it was also a labor of love. Mark Gruenwald clearly loved what he was doing by putting this together. Subsequent Handbooks without his guiding hand have lacked that enthusiasm, that care (I picked up the recent 70's Handbook, and the text often felt perfunctory, the product of a lot of cut-and-paste).

Tags: OHOTMU, Comics, Mark Gruenwald, Fandom

If You'd Like to Read More About Big Barda...

2006-10-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

After writing the last post, I got to thinking how Big Barda is probably one of my all-time favorite characters in comics.

Michael Chabon is far more eloquent in his essay for Allure, as befitting a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. I remember reading this essay a few years ago and marveling at his ability to unravel why certain characters work and some don't.

For myself, the character has always felt genuine, real. Taken on her own or within the context of her relationship with Scott Free. It's no surprise that that Kirby based her off of a real person (his wife no less). That real-world connection lends a tremendous gravity and grace to her character.

Plus, she's, you know, badass.

Tags: Big Barda, Jack Kirby, Michael Chabon

Flashback Sequence: 1980

2006-10-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Through our recent move, I discovered some comics that I thought I might have gotten rid of a while ago. They're a short stack, well-loved (read: not mint) and bought for me at a time before I started consciously seeking out particular comics. This stack represents some of my earliest exposures to the medium of comics.

JLA #185 (1980) Written by Gerry Conway and drawn by George Perez and Frank McLaughlin. "Crisis on Apokolips"

That's a well-loved cover right there. This comic is probably my first exposure to Jack Kirby's New Gods. As far as I can tell, this comic is part two of a yearly JLA/JSA crossover. The twist is that the New Gods are also added for a three-way crossover.

The plot involves Darkseid coming back fom the dead, teaming up with some JSA villains, and attempting to teleport Apokolips into the Earth-2 universe (destroying E-2 in the process). The heroes have made their way to Apokolips, and have split into three teams to defeat Darkseid.

Now, my favorite sequence from this issue: At one point, Superman (JLA) and Wonder Woman (JSA) bust in on Granny Goodness to break up her gig. Granny narrowly escapes through a secret passage:

I like that Granny, an alien for all intents and purposes, uses the phrase "bold hussy". It goes to show that some things are universal, I guess.

Granny's escape is short-lived, however:

Even 26 years later, that last panel is awesome. It's the kind of thing you didn't see much of back then... a totally caption-free panel. It's hightened even more by the talkiness of the rest of the issue. It says: "I'm Big Barda, and I've come to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

This sequence is followed by a cut to somewhere else, and the reader never really finds out what happens between these two... which is kind of scary, and nicely handled in a comic for kids. The fate of Granny is left to the reader.

Darkseid is defeated (and killed again?) four pages later. Conway gives his own creation, Firestorm, the honor of getting lucky and turning Darseid's own Omega Beam against him.

Tags: Big Barda, Crisis, Old Comics, Gerry Conway, George Perez,

Still Around

2006-10-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks I've been caught in a move from one apartment to another, so I haven't had time to trek down to the LCS and keep up to date on all the goings-on.

Looking to lighten the load for our impending move, I elected to thin out some of the comics I had in a garage sale. Nothing major, really. A lot of 90's stuff that I wasn't that interested in keeping around, but couldn't bear to simply throw away.

The sale was going slow, as garage sales do. You never sell quite what you expect to sell. One of the neighbor kids came down, saw that there were comics and asked if I had any Batman. There wasn't any in the box, so I ran up and grabbed up my Batman Adventures. It was all-ages and I hadn't even looked at them in years. He took all of those off my hands, plus all of my Batman: TAS home-taped VHS copies.

I didn't make any money, but it felt good to find a home for some old comics. This kid loved Batman. He ended up hanging out with us for the rest of the day, which came in handy. My Spanish is terrible, but he spoke it fluently and helped negotiate with a few Spanish-speaking customers. I ended up giving him a bunch more of the comics for free, plus a couple of board games.

New Comics: 9/20/2006

2006-09-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Bought some regular titles this week, and found myself picking up some untried titles as well. Also found myself diving into some fifty-cent bins, and found a few items I had previously missed. This review covers what I was able to read last night, and I'll get to the others later. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

52 Week #20 - Again, I couldn't wait. Nice to see that Lobo's Achilles Heel come into play. Somewhere, he's taken an oath to uphold this religion he's a part of, and for once, he hasn't figured out a way to turn it to his advantage. We get a glimpse of what's going on in Gotham with Batman's absence, and maybe a clue/red herring as to the identity of Supernova (his knowledge of the Bat-Cave, his longing look at Robin's costume... I'm holding on to my zombified Superboy theory). Also, at long last, we're getting an idea as to he origin of the Eye of Ekron.

Astonishing X-Men #17 - I just love this title, and feel sad that there are only seven issues left. My theory that Whedon is playing out some ideas from the Morrison run on X-Men is still on the table with the revelation that it was Cassandra's protoplasmy form that was locked in that container. I liked this development because it kind of explains why she stopped being such a massive threat since Morrison's run. I have speculated elsewhere that the "evil" Emma may be Esme, the bad Cuckoo, from the same run. Sure, she died, but you know how hard it is to kill any comic book character, especially anyone connected to the X-Men.

Also, the fact that Kitty named her imaginary child Michael made my inner fan-boy tingle. Seeing the way Kitty's been built up in this series, I sure hope someone takes notice and puts her in the forefront again. She's a great character, and Whedon is showing that's she's got unlimited potential. There is a shortage of female characters like her in comics.

Civil War #4 - Seems like anyone can do is crab about the wait for this issue and speculate if it was worth it. I will offer a resounding "Sure". To some, the "big" death this issue was a disappointment (there's a pun there, but I'm going to restrain myself... well, maybe not).

I thought it was fine. I hadn't heard the buzz about the death, so I was shocked to see it. Plus, the death of an underdog/c-lister makes me sadder than if it was someone with a higher profile. They'll bring back Thor... you know it, I know it... but they probably won't bring back Goliath.

Cap seems to be going into wartime mode and, for the first time, the anti-reg side of this debate lost a little favor for me. Not that I agree with the pro-reg side, but now both sides seem a bit equal in their unsavory attitudes.

The letter from Sue near the end was quite touching and surprisingly adult. Love, and its many complexities, usually gets short shrift in superhero comics. Millar gets extra points for showing that it doesn't have to be that way.

Justice League of America #0 & #1 - Playing a bit of catch-up here. I actually read #1 first (#0 was nowhere to be found for a few weeks). I actually liked #0 better, even though it was all set-up. I liked the openess, the acceptance of all eras of the JLA and the peeks into the future. I'll probably give this series a chance through its first story arc... I think Meltzer's a decent storyteller, but I long for some action with this title, plus the art by Benes is not really my cup of tea.

X-Factor #10 & #11 - I'm looking forward to a resolution to this whole Singularity Investigations/Damien Tryp thing. I think David is one of the best writers in comics, but the title feels a bit off the rails. There's too much going on and too many loose threads out there. I'd like to see some answers soon and have things quiet down enough so that we get some character development again.

OT: Black Dahlia

2006-09-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

The second movie we took in over the past weekend was Black Dahlia. The good news is that it is chock full of noiry goodness. The bad news...

I have mixed feelings about this movie. Elmore Leonard, Brian De Palma... they're no slouches, and here they kind of luxuriate in all of their personal pet themes. As a fan of both men, I can appreciate the chance to see how their storytelling styles mesh and play off of each other. De Palma, like most of his generation lately, seems to be performing a kind of greatest hits. There are shots and sequences that seem cribbed directly from his previous films*.

On the other hand, if I look past all of that metatextual frippery, the movie is problematic. I can jibe with the whole fiction-within-nonfiction genre. It's a great way to tap shared cultural experiences, and use them to underscore one's narrative. Here, I feel that the event is too close, and because of that, one cannot sustain any kind of suspension of disbelief. It's not Jack the Ripper... It's not 100 years in the past... that one could present a fictional account, purporting to reveal the "real" culprits. Elizabeth Short was a real person who met a horrible fate, and it wasn't that long ago. It's one thing to use a story like this as a backdrop for context, but it feels quite different and disingenuous to use her story as the central backbone for a fictional one.

I understand how her story, and the fictional one, serve to strengthen the ideas of the movie: Dreams make one vulnerable, dreams break, Los Angeles was built on dreams and most importantly, there is no shortage of people who would be willing to profit from one's dreams. This movie feels like it's fulfilling these truths more than illustrating them. I can enjoy this movie only when I put the facts of it out of my mind. They never caught her killer.

*There's a shock cut right near the end that's right out of the Carrie playbook. You'll know when you see it, and you'll wonder like I did: "Why on Earth would you do that?"

OT: Idiocracy

2006-09-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Took in a few movies over the past weekend, so as a public service, I post my reviews and thoughts, such as they are.

My pick was Mike Judge's Idiocracy, and because it was my pick and I try to maintain as healthy relationship as possible with my girlfriend, I have forfeited picking movies for the foreseeable future. The short of it is: it's bad, really bad.

I was interested in seeing this movie based on the strength of Judge's past work. Office Space is a flawed movie, but I still enjoy it. I enjoy King of the Hill when I catch an episode, and I think parts of Beavis and Butthead are sublime genius... remember, I said parts.

Idiocracy has a great concept behind it, and for that alone I wanted to see it. The premise, essentially, is that stupid people breed more, while educated people breed less. Throw this into the Darwinian formula, and you arrive at a distant future where mankind has grown increasingly dumb. Factor in greedy corporations, and their ability to capitalize off of that dumbness, and the scenario gets turned up to 11. Idiocracy tells the story of a government experiment in suspended animation gone awry, and an "average Joe" gets catapulted into this distopia to find that he's suddenly the smartest man on the planet.

Great concept, you have to agree. Ripe for all kinds of political and social satire.

Unfortunately, what the viewer gets is poop jokes, some prostitute jokes, a heavy dose of gay jokes... the "satire" is pretty limp, and I've seen it done better in half a dozen other films. It seemed to me, as I endured the icy stares from my girlfriend*, that this movie is only really funny to the people that it is making fun of. After the movie, I thought long and hard about Beavis and Butthead and why exactly I liked it... or parts of it...

On it's face, it was a stupid show, and I can kind of enjoy it on that level. Where it shines for me were the brief segments where the boys were watching the videos inbetween whatever was going on in the "plot". Bringing these two idiots and the insipid MTV videos together managed to finely pop the balloon of pretentiousness of the video, and also revealed that maybe the two weren't as dumb as they seemed. (I don't know if I've ever laughed as hard as when Beavis, while watching an Amy Grant video, asks if he's just stumbled into a comercial for Clearasil.)

Idiocracy is along the same vein as that show, but where Beavis and Butthead would sneak the satire by, Idiocracy brays like a mule, spraying you with bits of half-eaten potato chips, and really saying nothing new.

Meanwhile, I'll be watching a lot of period dramas and romantic comedies in the coming months*.

*Kidding, honey!

New(ish) Comics: 9/13/2006

2006-09-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Didn't really see much at the old LCS this week that was new, so I picked up a few items I missed in the last few weeks. I got Justice League of America #1 and the second issue of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters... but I'll read those later.

52 Week #19 was the only "new" comic I picked up this week, and the only one I read right away. I thought I was ready to read it as a stand-alone, forsaking my established policy of waiting until I have at least two weeks in hand. Wasn't ready, as it turns out, though it's getting better.

This Booster story ain't over, and I'm wondering what the hell's going on with Skeets. It seems like he/it has an agenda, and I'm wondering what it is. Meanwhile, a new dimension has been added to the possible identity of Supernova... something that hadn't occurred to me.

I'm wondering if Supernova is going to become more central to the overall plot of 52. He could be a lot of people... I thought he might be Booster, Wonder Girl thought he was someone else... and with all of the missing heroes, he might be a MacGuffin, or he might even be the Big Bad (though that might piss me off... so predictable). If 52 is about the whole year- without- the- trinity- but- not- a- year- without- heroes idea, then Supernova, the new, unknown hero, seems likely to take some kind of central role.

Plus, it'd be cool if he was some kind of zombified Superboy under there.

Audio: Mark Millar Interview

2006-09-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

I just finished listening to this interview on Word Balloon with John Siuntres.

I was kind of one of those readers who were on the fence about Millar since I read Wanted. That work, in particular, seems to divide readers as to whether its genius or a poke in the eye to comics fans. I personally liked it, but always felt shaky as to why... it's hard to come away and not feel a little mocked by the last page of that miniseries.

I've come away from hearing this interview with more of a mental picture of the writer, which is always helpful. Millar comes across as charming, humble and, most importantly, his love of comics is fully evident (maybe it's the Scottish accent).

Siuntres, as always, does a great job. They don't go into the whole Civil War lateness issue, which is fine by me. My favorite part is when Millar discusses his first experience reading Spiderman as a kid. I won't spoil it, but it made me laugh, then it really made me think about Millar's work in general, and how he's carried that experience through his work over the years.

Anyway, if this is your kind of thing, give it a listen.

New Comics: 9/9/2006

2006-09-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

52 Week #17 & #18 - It seems like things are settling in, and the writing is lingering a bit more on each separate story, which is good. I'm feeling less and less like I need to wait until I have four issues in hand before I continue reading. Favorite bits: I never really liked him, but I'm oddly happy about seeing Lobo again. I also liked how Buddy's story is being incorporated, mainly his experiences under Morrisson's run... Who says once you go Vertigo, you can't come back again?

Agents of Atlas #1 & #2 - I always liked the idea of that old 50's team. This is a pretty fun comic, and it looks like they're playing with the unreliability of the Marvel Universe a bit... which could work. I have the feeling that all of the characters have some kind of relationship, some connection that existed before they teamed up.

All-Star Superman #5 - Consistently good, if not great. Each issue stands alone, yet moves the larger plot along.

Beyond! #3 - Something needs to kick into high gear soon. Not that I'm against a good cliffhanger, but it's getting a bit monotonous... and the only major development is happening on the last page of each issue. I'd like to get an idea of where this is all going, where this randomness is going.

The Escapists #1 & #2 - Nice post-modern bit of storytelling. I always liked Chabon's conceit that Kavalier and Clay were real, after a fashion. It makes sense since he borrowed so much from real comics creators. I haven't read a lot of BKV, but I might want to check out more of his work now. I thought this was a pretty inventive. The previous series seemed bogged down by the fictional history of the character, so having new creators come in and try to revive the character makes my metacontextual senses tingle.

Tingle, I tell you.

Today

2006-09-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to say today that hasn't been said better by others before now. The other side of that coin is that I feel strange just letting this day pass without some kind of reflection, some acknowledgement.

Even five years later, the events seem too big to fit in my head, too big to properly understand. It sounds trite, maybe a little immature, but I could only relate to that day in terms I was familiar with, that I had at hand. The fake realities that I had immersed myself in since I was a child had abrubtly made a leap from their four-colored pages, and super-villainry was made real.

The world is rarely as black-and-white as it was that day. I mourn the losses we suffered that day, and every day since. I ask: Do we honor those fallen with our actions?

There was a moment, and it bears reminding, there was a moment in time where we could have changed the world for the better. We had the entire free world on our side, and we could have worked with them to make great changes. As much as I mourn the fallen, here on that day, and abroad since, I also mourn what could have been. I dream and I ask the fundamental question of all dreams:

"What if?"

New Comics: 8/27/06

2006-08-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

Catching up on some titles this week. Some brief thoughts...

52 Week 15 & 16 - I still think there's more to Supernova... get the sneaky suspicion that he's actually Booster, either an alternate timeline Booster or a version from a different point in time. It's time travel, folks... all bets are off.

There's been some buzz that Montoya may take over the Question's mantle. I'm a bit divided on that. It could be interesting, but I have an attachment to Charlie (mostly due to the underrated Denny O'Neil Question series from the 80's.

Astonishing X-Men #16 - Consistently good series. Beginning to see a convergence of elements from the beginning of Whedon's run. I smell a free-for-all coming. I love that Kitty's shown as strong enough to take center stage. I always felt like she never reached the potential she should have. She's always been treated either like the kid on the team, and the only time she's ever been developed on her own was as a sidekick of Wolverine's.

Beyond #2 - Just a fun title. The art's a little funky for my tastes, but fits the story. Feels like a throwback to my younger days as a Marvel Zombie. I'm curious as to the central mystery... whether this truly is the Beyonder or someone aping his style. The cast seems to be drawn from different points in continuity... or is that my misunderstanding.

Eternals #3 - Low key fun, though am anxious to see where this is going. Interesting that Stark remembers the Eternals, but there's no record of them.

Ultimate FF #32 - Nice characterization of Reed and Doom. Millar subtley reworking all the old tropes of the FF... the Doom/Richards mind switch was an old school classic. I loved the final shot of Doom... so much of his attitude in one line.

Wonder Woman #2 - Good issue, but the whole "first-it's-monthly-now-it's-bimonthly" dance puts me off a bit. Plus, if I'm waiting two months for a title, I'd like a bit more meat, you know? (though, the callback to the TV show at the end was pretty cool).

OT: Double Feature

2006-08-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

So... that Snakes on a Plane movie... you know, the one with the snakes... um, yeah. We had to see it eventually, I guess.

I knew it would be bad, not even campy bad, but bad. It just oozed bad, from its specious origins, to its internet-as-cocreator, to its wonky website that doesn't display properly on any computer or browser I try. I just focused on the man... you know who I'm talking about. I figured HE just might pull it off. I like him, I like him a lot.

But, early on (say the first five minutes) I turned to my girlfriend and asked "does this seem like an SNL skit to you, or is it just me?" To decribe the "plot" as perfunctory is to insult the very notion of perfunctory.

Wow, just... wow. We shared the theatre with some teens who seemed to enjoy it on a wholly ironic level, so I know it's not just me.

We also saw World Trade Center... how sick are we? Good movie... could have been a little better, though I did leave with the same feeling as when I left United 93... there was a moment where we, as a people, could have changed the world for the better, and we squandered it.

Waited for the Trade: Ultimate Galactus

2006-08-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

Timely as ever, I've been thinking about all the hubub concerning last weeks last-minute delay of Marvel's Civil War #4 and the ripple effect is has on all of the tie-in issues.

In the end, my main concern is for the retailers. Personally, I'd wait a reasonable amount of time to maintain the artistic integrity of the project, in fact I'd prefer it, so this really doesn't hurt me. I'm disappointed, especially since it Marvel waited until the eleventh hour to announce the delay and if the delay falls to the penciller, like they've stated, then they've had a pretty good idea this was going to happen for a while. In the end they threw comic shops under the bus, at least temporarily, sacrificing short term gains in order to gamble on the staying power of the eventual trade. By gambling I mean that they have the hope that the collected trade of Civil War will be a classic... an evergreen revenue source in future years, much like Dark Knight, Watchmen, etc...

All this happens as I manage to finish reading Ultimate Extinction, the conclusion of the Ultimate Galactus trilogy. The second series was already underway by the time I picked up the first trade, so I've followed this series exclusively through the trade format.

Overall, I found it to be a great story. I thought it was a bold reimagining of the classic Lee/Kirby tale. Ellis brings his love for hard science fiction to round off the aspects that don't hold up in the 21st century. I was mystified when I heard that Misty Knight would play a role, but when I finally got to read it, it made perfect sense. It's a disaster movie, essentially, and there's no main focus other than the Big Threat. Also, as the Ultimate line's first "big event", it provides a kind of walking tour through their world as it (maybe) comes to an end.

I don't know why the series was broken up into three separate minis when it could have been told in one maxi series. The cynical part of me thinks it's some kind of marketing tactic (more number 1's?)... which troubles me about Marvel lately. They're really angling for something bigger lately... don't get me wrong, they're a business and I can't blame them for looking to make some money. I'm just getting the feeling that if they thought they could make an extra buck, they would follow that extra buck no matter who they hurt. Today, it's the retailers. Tomorrow, who knows?

OT: Descent Review and General Feelings on Scary Movies

2006-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

It is not manly for me to admit, but I am a big baby when it comes to scary movies.

There, I said it.

I may have been scarred as a child. One of my earliest movie memories is watching Jaws at the Burlingame Drive-in in my parents Volkswagon Bug. I think the scene where Dreyfuss goes down and finds the head popping out from the hole in the ships hull may have been it. Wasn't expecting that...

Maybe it was years later when VCRS were making their big splash, and as a family, we would be invited over to other peoples houses for movie nights. Thus, I was exposed to the likes of The Shining and Don't Look Now. Movies that my parents wouldn't have brought me to in the theatres, but now that they were on TV, somehow that decision-making process was short-circuited.

The real deciding factor, or nail-in-the-coffin (sorry), was 1978's Dawn of the Dead. I think I was about twelve or thirteen at my 6-year younger cousin's birthday sleepover. That movie just unhinged me... I can't watch a zombie movie, though I've seen most of them... it's a moth-to-flame kind of thing for me: I'm horrified and I'm fascinated. Maybe it's the theme of isolation, maybe it's the whole end of the world scenario... there's a doctorate thesis there somewhere for me.

On my own, I pretty much avoid most scary movies unless there's some kind of artistic angle I can get into... Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies, but more for its psychological dimensions and artistic execution than for the serial killer porn that it has since inspired. Somewhere along the way, I managed to hook up with a girl who LOVES scary movies, and not just scary movies, but gore too. I never would have known...

To maintain a healthy relationship, periodically I "man-up" and take her to a scary movie (I imagine this is the payback for taking her to see all the dumb, frat-boy humor comedies). Which brings me to Descent. [SEMI-SPOLIER ALERT]

Story-wise, it reminded me of Dead Calm. Woman suffers traumatic personal loss and has horrific, yet cathartic, adventure. (I find it interesting that horror/thriller movies with women protagonists always take on moral dimensions, and I wonder it that can be traced back to stuff like the Grimm fairy tales).

I really liked it. It deftly sets up the characters, giving them just enough realistic characterizations without over-explaining or tipping its hand too much. I loved the monsters... good, realistic flesh chompers that don't make an appearance until halfway through the movie. Once they appear, though, things pretty much continue as they would have anyway (I'm thinking about that other movie The Cave, where once the monsters appear, it turns into an action movie with big set pieces).

The movie just builds and builds the tension all the way to the end, but not in an unbearable way.

My only problem was the ending. The movie does so well... and out of nowhere we get a schlocky jolt as the very last shot of the movie. Only by doing a little online research did I discover, accidentally, that US movie-goers are getting short-changed. They pulled a Brazil (or Blade Runner if you will) and gave us a happy(er) ending. The US ending makes no sense, while the uncut one, though a bit ambiguous from what I read, actually pays off a lot of elements peppered throughout the movie.

Though, despite this, I heartily recommend Descent, flaws and all. It's a smart piece of film.

Kids Comics?

2006-08-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

Finally managed to get into a comics shop proper this weekend, and discovered something disturbing, though not terribly surprising.

My girlfriend tagged along, and was making some purchases for herself, and decided she wanted to pick something up for her 6 year old niece. Her niece is starting to read, and we like to encourage that kind of thing.

We both started looking around the shop. I had just read some items on the CGS board about "gateway" comics... and remembered that it wasn't always superheroes for me. There was a period where I read a lot of Harvey and Archie comics as I got up to speed on the whole reading thing. It made sense to me... the non-genre stuff is more accessible to kids, especially girls. In my mind, I thought the Harvey stuff would be the most accessible: Richie Rich, Caspar, Lil' Devil...

All we could find, really, were some Teen Titans Go digests and some fairly expensive Disney properties... I thought the Scrooge stuff would be the best (natch) but the price point seemed a bit high. I asked the shop owner if they had any thing else appropriate for a 6 year old girl... I specifically asked if they had any Harvey.

I was told that Harvey hadn't been in publication for 30 to 40 years (which contradicts my memory of buying them in the early 80's, in some form, digest I think). They might have some back issues, but I imagine they'd be priced as collector's items. We were then shown the aforementioned Teen Titans Go and Disney items. Also some Justice League Unlimited and Marvel Adventures. The store employee told us, basically, that if they've seen the cartoon, they might be interested in the comic. We ended up walking away with an issue of Scooby Doo I found in the independents(?) section (Next to an issue of BPRD).

So, the message of the day is: If you're looking to get your kids into reading via comics, best soften them up by getting them to watch TV instead. Then, maybe, they'll want to seek out some expensive trades or digests with all that disposable income that 6 year olds have. And superheroes... push the superheroes.

TPB Reviews (and a little ranting)

2006-08-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

Haven't been to the LCS lately to pick up new comics, but found myself in a Barnes & Noble and managed to pick up a few TPB's.

Before I begin, I would like to say I like waiting for the trade. I know, in some respects, it's a bad thing for the comics industry. It cuts down on the monthly income and some series get cancelled before they have the opportunity to get traded. I know it has affected the way some writers approach the monthlies (writing for the trade) but I believe that that trend started before trades were even that common (I'm thinking of the long story arcs in Swamp Thing by Alan Moore...). I like trades because I can get a chunk of story and not have to worry about missing an issue.

I know, I know, I should have a pull-list... I just hate the idea so much. The best thing about buying comics, aside from reading them, is seeing them up there on that shelf, and being able to decide right then and there if I want to buy them or not. Picking through Previews and calculating what I want to buy three, four months from now has never been an exciting proposiiton. I like the surprise of seeing something new on the shelf... I also like the idea that I can drop a title immediately if it's not doing anything for me.

Which brings me to Hellboy: Strange Places. At last, I have the complete story to the minis contained within (2002's The Third Wish and 2005's The Island). I love Mignola's art, I think he's an artist's artist, but I've always been a little wary of his storytelling. I've never been all that confident that he's taking the reader somewhere... which is fine. Hellboy is a great excuse to draw all the monsters and creepy things that one would want to.

What pains me is waiting years for new Mignola art. I know he's been working on movies and what not, but it's kind of pissing me off. I think the nail in that particular coffin was The Art of Hellboy that came out a while ago. I was disappointed, really. I thought it was a great opportunity to share his creative process with his fans, but in reality, just a high-priced pin-up book, with a few sketches scattered here and there.

With that said, I liked Strange Places fine. I actually thought it was a good end to Hellboy, story-wise... Mignola says it's the end of the first chapter, but given his output, I'm thinking it may be the end, unless he's willing to turn over the art to someone else. I don't know. This probably sounds worse than I'm intending, but I just... no matter how good the story, no matter how good the art, sometimes it's just not worth the wait.

Moving on to Green Lantern Corps: Recharge. Fun, fun, fun. I've always liked stories about the Corps over the main Earth lanterns. I always thought that there was such potential in the concept. This series did not disappoint. I liked the interplay between all the different personalities, especially Kyle and Gardner. I think this is the first time I actually looked at Gardner as anything but a bullying, macho foil for others. He's actually heroic, without compromising his long-established image as the loud-mouthed buffoon. This series adds a dimension to him that I find compelling, the poozer that he is.

Who Wants to be a Superhero? - Part II

2006-08-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, while still standing by my original thoughts on this show, I thought that the twist at the end of this episode was cool, in a very comic-geek way. I didn't see it coming, but once it happened, I actually slapped my forehead for not seeing it.

I still think the show's a bit cornball, and I still think it puts out a negative image of comics and comics fans, even though it's not about comics or comics fans.

And the makeover segment... there were some where I strained to figure out what they actually "made-over". It reminded me of the home makeover shows where they have a budget of about $20, so everything is put together with felt and staple guns. This Week: Iron Enforcer gets shiny patches on his pants! Monkey Woman gets new bananas! I think that they tried to encourage a little modesty in respects to Creature's mini skirt, though it looks like she alters it later in the episode to pre-makeover peek-a-boo length.

Crap. I'm going to end up watching the whole thing, aren't I?

Who Wants to be a Superhero?

2006-08-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Missed the premiere, but caught a rerun of SciFi's Who Wants to be a Superhero? last night with the girlfriend. I've never been so mortified (this includes the time I rented this gem and convinced her it might be good).

There's a good show in there somewhere, it's just buried under what the producers think, or don't think, of superheroes in general. Stan Lee gives a dopey, "what-it-means-to-be-a-superhero" speech, and though it's scripted and he's a bad actor, it rings true, and I could see a good show from that premise. Too bad that premise is buried under a ton of artifice and willful distortion. The production definitely treats the contestants as weirdos, and has little empathy for them.

And who would? My girlfriend had an excellent point in that they should have done this show with kid contestants, and I agree. Kids would be natural, free from the cynicism that plagues adults and they would have a greater wealth of imagination. They wouldn't look like the freaks/opportunists that populate the show now. Plus, there wouldn't be the creepiness of watching adults dress and act like this, coming across as infantile, emotionally unstable closet-cases.

This show puts out a bad image... it reflects badly on fans of superheroes and, by extension, comics. I don't believe any of the contestants are really fans of comics, but they are there representing us. Stan Lee's "performance" is cringe-worthy... and a little out of character from what I've seen of him in the past (I've really never seen him as a scold). Also, and this is just me, but does anyone else out there get the feeling that the contestants have no real interaction with him, that his scenes are filmed entirely separate from theirs? It was the way he responded to Nitro G's plees in that "I'll take that into consideration" way that made me think it was a prescripted, generic response. It came across like they filmed all of Stan's bits already, that the winners have mostly been decided upon by the producers.

I don't know. I could almost enjoy it on a camp/train-wreck level, but it's hard to ignore the damage it does all around. Stan Lee has made a career out of bringing comics to the masses. The difference is that when he started, he started out with college crowds, elevating the perception of funny books by courting the hip and the literate... with this show, all I see is a pandering to the lowest common denominator by selling out one's lifelong career of inspiring imagination.

New Comics & Pet Theories

2006-07-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Finally managing to catch up on new comics from the last few weeks.

52 Weeks 9 to 11- Seems to be losing that post-event glow/urgency/momentum. Finally get to see the debut of the new, much-heralded Batwoman. I think I would have been more excited by this if it was a little more low-key. The whole gay thing doesn't bother me, but what does is the kind of stereotypical tone that's being taken. The whole scene with the Question finding Renee in the gay bar left a bad taste in my mouth, especially in the depiction of the attitude of the bar-goers in general. Also, not really digging the whole "she's a lesbian, but she's still super hot" approach to Batwoman.

Pet Theory: Concerning Booster/Supr Nova... I think they are one in the same, somehow. Either Booster is trying to permanently bury his huckster/opportunist rep for good by replacing himself, or this is some kind of Mirror, Mirror story, where Super Nova is an alternative timeline version of himself... I don't know. Maybe it's in the way that Booster has acted so out of character and is so vexed by Nova's presence... we'll see.

Eternals #2- Moving along. More plot movement. Still compelling. Liked the dilemma at the end... a nice cliffhanger.

Pet Theory: Somehow, the Eternals have all forgotten who they were. It would be formulaic if this was the Deviants doing, and thinking that Gaiman has a curveball in here somewhere, I'm suspecting that the Eternals did this to themselves somehow, whether inetentional or not.

Superman- I don't have access to the issue number, but it's the first post-Up, Up and Away issue. Good, solid, interesting Superman story. Enjoyed Busiek's way of balancing the roles in Clark and Lois's marriage. She holds her own with a guy who can punch planets... it's nice to see what she brings to the relationship rather have her be a damsel in distress. Nice call-back to the beginning of Byrne's reboot all those years ago.

Pet Theory: That Busiek will continue to write good Superman stories. It's not really a theory.... though I suspect he will concentrate on what he does so well: grounding these fantastic, unearthly characters so that the reader will be able to relate.

Manhunter #24- Awesomeness. Good payoff to this storyline. Snappy writing and fluid art. Quickly one of my most favorite monthlies. Please don't let them cancel it.

Pet Theory: It will be cancelled... but brought back all sexed-up. That, or they'll transfer the character to one of the group titles, like JSA.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters- Not fair... I'm halfway through it. I was just too tired. The preview for this series was one the best things about Brave New World, but this first issue wasn't holding my attention the way it should. Plus, knowing how much was inspired/dictated by Morrisson's ideas, I feel a little cheated... not that the writing is bad, it's just... you know, hold off on this. Like I said, I was tired.

Pet Theory: I'll get some sleep, and in three months, this will be my favorite book.

A Call for... Something...

2006-07-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

In a post-SDCC fog at work today, I ran accross some ideas floated about moving it from San Diego.

Call me a sentimental old fart, but I don't like the idea a bit. San Diego is an ideal setting, and over the past two decades I've seen the area flourish around the Con. It is just right, in my opinion. Sure, every year, it gets more and more crowded as it increases in general popularity, and a more diverse set of exhibitors flock to take advantage, but I can't think that a change in location would even help ease that.

The alternate locations floated were Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Both, in my opinion, would be disasters. Think of all the problems one has with driving, parking and available hotel space now in San Diego, and multiply those problems by ten... that's Los Angeles. I live here... and I wouldn't go to a Los Angeles show.

And Las Vegas... Las Vegas is the only place I can think of that is less attractive than Los Angeles. My girlfriend's mom lives there and we visit her often, so I speak from experience when I say: Las Vegas is a s**thole... there, I said it. Call me a prude, but I can't think of a less family-friendly place to host something like the ComicCon... You can't drop a majority of the geek population into a town like this. They would eat us alive there.

"But MD... Las Vegas has rehabilitated its image... It's family-friendly now." I hear you say... I say, "Bulls**t, no it's not. Go there and see for yourself." I've never been somewhere where the desperation of people hangs in the air like a smog so much as it does in Las Vegas. Never have I seen the disparity between garish opulence and abject despair so cleanly and expansively as I have in Las Vegas. It's an okay place for mature, confident adults... but not the best place for geeks, who I love in my heart, but aren't always the most sophisticated of souls, and could be easily harmed by a place like Las Vegas.

***

What worries me is that the thing can get bigger than it is now. I've seen the Con go from a virtual basement to the Convention Center, and then watched as that Convention Center had tripled in size. How much bigger can it get? Would that even be an attractive thing? It barely is now.

As it is now, it's a monster. The last few years, I've limited my attendance to a single day... there's only so much moshing about, elbow to elbow, all day, that I can take these days. And the payoff... well, it seems like there's a lot less actual comics around. Sure there are huge multimedia exhibits for the latest movie project and/or video game, more collectible ephemera than ever, and more panels and screenings to attend... but where are the comics? I truly miss the days where I could leisurely peruse the wares... now the experience is akin to planning the Normandy invasion, and excuting it.

What worries me is that all these big spenders are going to price the Con right out of business. I'm waiting for that downturn, and it may not come I admit, that will cause the movie studios, gaming companies and even comic companies to scale back their presence... what would happen? I can't help it, but I smell a bust coming... there's just too much floating around, vying for my dollar. How thin can a geeks dollar be stretched before it snaps?

***

I don't know where I was going with this. My feelings about the Con run deep, and every year it becomes less and less a pleasureable experience. This year I went more to meet up with old friends than to see the Con itself. I bought a small present for the girlfriend and a few independent comics from a friend... and as soon as the after-Con get-togethers ended, I got the Hell out of San Diego. It shouldn't be that way, but it was the only affordable and sanity-retaining for me to be there at all, and that's not right. It's frustrating... and makes me pine for the years of my obscure and weird hobby, where we would all get together in a hotel basement.

Less Comic... More Con

2006-07-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Went down to the big show in San Diego yesterday. Had a great time catching up with old friends.

Every year I am amazed at how much bigger the event gets and how much less it has to do about comics. The first time I went to SDCC was back in 1987, before the organizers moved it to the Convention Center. I remember it was in the back conference rooms (not the main ones) of some hotel I forgot the name of. At the time, I didn't think it was all that big... certaintly no bigger than some of the other conventions I had been to. I think the only difference was that the Big Two actually came out to represent themselves.

Things I remember from that Con:

- The generosity of Kevin Maguire. He had come out of nowhere and had started doing Justice League at the time. In the days before the internet, he politely answered my questions that nowadays would draw bored eye-rolling from less humble artists. A true gentleman.

- ...contrasted with the punk rock attitude of Bill Sienspellcheckwicz, who gleefully sneered as he ripped the cover of the comic I handed to him as he signed it. Does that make it an art object?

- Harlan Ellison taking over the PA system. Jack Kirby had received a lifetime award the night before (may have been an Inkpot... I'm unsure) and someone had swiped it from his table as he was doing signings. Ellison proceeded to exhort the crowd to essentially beat the crap out of anyone found to possess the award. Apparently, the award was returned anonymously later that day.

- The anime viewings. Long before cheaper multimedia systems were available... it was basically a darkened room with a few rows of foldout chairs around a small TV/VCR cart (like the kind you find in public schools nowadays).

I miss that ComicCon a bit. One was free to wonder around and browse the plethora of bins and wares, to discover new things and chat leisurely with creators and other geeks. Yesterday, in contrast, felt like spending a few hours in a mosh pit.

Superman Returns (Spoiler-Free)

2006-07-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

I had to wait to see this one. It was hard to do, but I waited until my girlfriend and I were briefly in the same state. I knew that this was an experience I would have to share with someone. She's not so much a comic nerd like me, but she loved the 1978 Superman.

The new movie owes a lot to the 1978 movie and it's sequel. We both worried at times that it crossed the line between loving homage and slavish aping, but she made a great point about why it was done this way. There's no way, as long as my generation is still around anyway, that one can get out from under the shadow of the 78 version. They leaned so heavily on it in order to introduce some of the more controversial additions. The visual and storytelling echoes serve to instill confidence in the new direction that it does take. (I'm trying to write this as spoiler free as possible... there's a major development in this movie that has no precedent in previous films or comics that, on paper, sounds near sacriligious, but actually goes a long way to complete a thematic arc that runs through Superman I & II)

Just as he did with X-Men, Singer plays fast and loose with the details, yet nails the themes and characters perfectly. I especially like the way that the traditional Clark-Lois-Superman love triangle was put to rest, in a way, and replaced with a stronger one. There's just the right amount of goofy Clark, but it's clear that Lois would never love him and shouldn't. Taking Clark out of the equation and replacing him with Richard White was genius. I was worried for the actor, James Marsden, thinking he'd get the same treatment as he did in the X-Men movies, but he actually gets a strong pressence in this movie. He is made to be a true competitor for Lois's affections; midway through the movie, I realized that he is Superman, in a way, he just doesn't have the powers.

Kevin Spacey brings the right balance of humor and malice to Luthor. I especially liked the physical confrontation he has with Superman late in the movie. For all his protestations of being enlightened and cultured, his acts literally show what a thug he is at heart.

Overall, it was a richly satisfying movie. My girlfriend said it best when we left the theatre: "I wish it were real, that there really was a Superman". It was the exact same thing I thought some 28 years ago.

Life and Other Things

2006-07-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Skipped visit to comics shop this week. I've been busy working on SDCC and non-SDCC projects drawing projects, so I tried to limit my distractions. To the left is a quick fan art exercise for the CGS board. The goal was to attempt a redesign of Superman. As you can tell I was stymied, and fell back on the version of Kal El from DC One Million.

In other news, friend Kiyoshi has finally emerged from the wilderness of luddism and joined the masses. His self-published Drunken Master zine finally has a place on MySpace. Filled with not only with comics goodness, but also interesting prose pieces and interviews with some of his favorite bands. An unflinching look into his own interests and obsessions, including: old school wrestling, punk bands, falling in love with the wrong girls, classifying myriad forms of physical excretions and homicidal relatives. Look for him at SDCC this year.

Also, I've started a second blog Sequential Life, a place to post homemade cartoons. For the past three years, the girlfriend has travelled out of state for writing conferences and other events, and these cartoons basically narrate the day-to-day goings-on in the home while she's away. They're quick (under an hour) drawings or strips done before I go to bed everyday. I'm posting the ones that are safe for public comsumption. Over the years, I've found it's a good way to keep myself drawing even when I don't feel like it, and it also loosens things up mentally. More than that, it's just fun to do. I may try to keep it up even after she gets back this time.

New (and Old) Comics 6/28

2006-06-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Picked up the final issues to the story arcs running through both Superman and Batman books. I have to say that Busiek's story had a much more satisfying conclusion. Robinson's felt too saddled with the idea of getting everything back to the status quo, and lacked some of the sharp wit that his stories had before his sojourn from comics the last few years. I have to admit, though, that Bruce's idea of helping Robin at the end was an inspired way of bringing back an old school element and upping the ante, so to speak.

Brave New World was kind of a mixed bag. To be honest, barring the Freedom Fighters revival, none of these stories look interesting. I'm a liitle apprehensive about what the hell they're doing to J'onn... to me, he's kind of the bedrock of the DCU, the one constant. You can do what you want to the others... you can give Superman a mullet again for all I care, just leave J'onn alone. Besides, hasn't this kind of been done before. Sure feels like it.

And what's up with bringing back that guy(s) at the end? Seems a little "jump-the-shark" to all the reality realigning going on lately. Sometimes, a character should stay dead.

I ashamed to admit that I've totally missed Manhunter up til now. It was always on my "meant to pick up" list. I got the trade a few months ago and loved it. Given there probably won't be any more trades, it's back to the old school hunting down back issues. I found the four issues that came out OYL, and read them in a sitting. If it ends up cancelled, I at least hope the character lives on, perhaps through the JSA. Also, if it's cancelled, it's probably my fault...

Yay, Comics!

2006-06-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

Had an unexpected influx of income this week. So what did I do? Why, I blew it on some comics, naturally. I haven't read through all of it, but here is what I got:

Wonder Woman #1 I read right away. Most of it was spoiled for me already, but I usually don't mind that. Much like the other two DC trinity OYL titles, it looks like it's going to be back to basics, though this one has the twist. I think it's going to be more about the IDEA of Wonder Woman as opposed to the woman herself... if that makes sense.

Chatting with the guy at the store, he noticed I picked up the second Wolverine: Enemy of the State trade. He recommended Wolverine: Origins. I had heard the CGS guys interview Daniel Way a few weeks back and liked his attitude, plus I had the dough, so I took a chance on the first three issues. Not totally bowled over, but if next few issues pan out like I think they will, I might be in for the long haul. Getting into Logan's origin always bored me to tears, and I was horrified in the 90's when they started to jerk the readership around over it. Way seems intent on repairing the damage already done to the character's history, and creating something new.

Secret Six #1, 52 #7, Super F*ckers #277 and some issues of Detective and Batman... I may comment on those later. Also picked up a copy of Mouse Guard for my girlfriend. I may have to read it as well*

And, finally, I picked up 2nd JLA DVD. I just finished the first season and, man, that show just got better and better. I already can't wait for the Unlimited series to come out.

*My girlfriend doesn't go to comic shops as much as she used to. When she does find herself in one, she has an uncanny knack for finding strange titles that just slip beneath my radar. She's got a great intuition about these things. Back in the day, when we first started dating, I found out she had been collecting Sandman. I had picked up the first issue, but decided not to buy it again. Wanting to impress her, I tracked down the few issues I missed and got hooked. Both on the comic and her. The rest, they say, is history.

Comic Book Crushes

2006-06-24T01:17:00.000-07:00

I've long had a thing for Carol Danvers, known also as Ms. Marvel, and Binary, or Warbird... and what? I think I lost track around there. Like an old flame, we lost touch somewhere around the time she got messed up by the Brood in the 80's. But she just wasn't the same then. She'd lost her memories, lost her sense of style.. I even heard she had a kid.

I ran into her in the pages of the Marvel Legacy: 1970's Handbook. I picked it up on a whim, and bam... there she was. It was awkward, sure, but I was glad to see her. We caught up on old times, old friends we'd seen around. We made plans to get coffee some time, but we're both busy. Between my job and my freelance, it's hard to make time, and she's got the New Avengers to worry about. If it's not some pushed up deadline on my end, then it's some alien invasion on hers... We may never see each other again, but I'll never forget her.

Short Stack

2006-06-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's a small buy this week, but only in the amount of issues, and not in the quality of the work.

All Star Superman #4 was a blast and I really liked the way Morrison weaves elements from different eras together. Jimmy as Doomsday was just... breaktaking in a totally geek way. They finally made Doomsday cool. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but I believe that Morrison has been working to bring back the Silver Age for most of his career, and it's never been more evident on this title.

I found Eternals #1 nicely understated. I've always had that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach when I read Gaiman back in the day, especially as he progressed on Sandman. It always felt like I was reading "literature", with all the baggage that entails. Not that it's not enjoyable, but it requires a whole different mindset when I sit down to read. To be honest, I got to this book last, figuring that the tone would be a lot different than everything else in my pile. I'm glad I was wrong. It's a comic book, like all the others. I remebered Kirby's characters from their original series, and I liked the way Gaiman sticks to conitnuity. This doesn't seem to be a whole-cloth reinvention, which I applaud. I even like the reference to events in Civil War... proving that this series doesn't exist in its own little Vertigo-like bubble. And the art... that Romita has really come into his own.

Astonishing X-Men #15... I just about, what's the term the kids today use?... lost my sh** with this issue. Whedon and Cassaday are killing me with goodness. I loved what's done to neutralize Wolverine... that reveal was probably the best comic moment of the year for me. "Terribly pretty" indeed. Also, that last panel... just awesomeness.

And Ultimates 2 #11 was good at setting the stage for big reveals/big battles for the final issue. Looks like Millar and Hitch are going out with a bang on this one.

Nexus, R.I.P.

2006-06-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

I caught it on The Comics Reporter that the attempted resurection of one of my most favorite titles Nexus has been aborted.

Apparently scuttled by Rude, citing differences in his expectations and Mike Baron's scripts. This doesn't surprise me that much, and to be honest, it's kind of a relief. After the series left First Comics, and hopped over to Dark Horse, the tone of the stories shifted. The pre-Dark Horse had a kind of magic; both men were flexing their individual creative talents to the limit. Baron crafted serious stories that mixed morality and philosophy, while Rude provided beautiful artwork that somehow incorporated all of his influences, yet never aped them. (Which reminds me of that editorial John Byrne wrote sometime after Jack Kirby passed away, intimating that he might be the successor to the King. I remember reading that and thinking, "No way. If anyone is, it's Steve Rude.")

After they went to Dark Horse, the stories seemed to get away from the original tone. Maybe it was because it was now being published as a series of minis. Both men had spent some time working for more mainstream publishers, so I chalked it all up to them somehow losing that independent spirit. Later, as I noticed that the writing seemed to cater more and more to Rude's interests, I suspected that it was the artist.

This theory would be verified later in interviews with Rude in Comics Journal, most notably in his opinion that the comics from the 60's were far more superior than anything published since. During this time he was doing limited runs on Marvel comics, and he was doing them flat-out 60's style. It seemed that he only aspired to recreate a style from the past, and it was hard to fathom. Later he published the Moth, which I bought in support, but I just couldn't get into.

So, I'm a bit relieved. As much as I would love to have a new Nexus series, maybe this is for the best.

Catching Up

2006-06-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wasn't able to get to the LCS for a few weeks. Real life, and all that.

Got caught up to Week 6 of 52, which confirms my thought that I should wait and read a month's worth in a sitting. The weekly gets a little frustrating, but reading four issues in a sitting feels a bit more rewarding. All of the stories are compelling enough, and it looks like they are going to intersect... I'm getting more of a feeling of an overarching story.

Got Civil War 2... though the spoiler had long been blown by now. It felt a little stunty to me... and others have made the observation that it should all be retconned out in short order, along with the new costume. Still, an interesting story.

Read Action 839 and Superman 653, and thought that it all looked familiar. Than I realized that I had just seen the new Supeman Returns trailer, and it seems to be the same plot (Superman vanishes for a while, returns, CONFRONTED BY WHAT APPEARS TO BE LUTHOR USING KRYPTON TECHNOLOGY, MOST NOTABLY A PIECE OF THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE)... ahem. Didn't realize I was shouting there. Was this all planned out, or some kind of creative serendipity?

I liked Green Lantern Corps 1. I always liked the concept, just never felt that it was executed right. I like the friction within the Corps. They've always been played so straight, so cardboard. It never made sense that so many alien races would serve together so seamlessly. This series kind of plays off of the different viewpoints that have always been missing.

X-3: Funeral for a Franchise

2006-05-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Really upsetting in it's dumbassery. I had known it wasn't going to be good when I heard Ratner was going to take it over, but I think I kind of psyched myself out at the last minute. What the hell?

Really missed the mark. Singer knew how to really communicate the essence of the characters, and he also knew how to take them on an arc. Look at the first two movies... they actually tell a story where people grow and change, just like real life. If you never read the books, you would still know everything you needed to know about those characters and that world. X-3 has none of that. It's just plot... and all the characters are there to serve it, and it relies too much on having gotten to know the characters through the first two movies.

Like a good nerd, I did like some things:

- I liked the explanation of the Phoenix. Good way to get around the whole "Cosmic Entity" aspect.
- Fastball Special.
- Kitty Pryde (More for seeing her in action rather than her usage as a wedge between Bobby and Rogue.)
- Beast (Same as above, but replace "as a wedge between Bobby and Rogue" with "as a replacement for Nightcrawler.)
- Wolverine really making use out of that healing factor of his.

Some things that bugged me/made me laugh out loud:

- Xavier dropping the whole "I put blocks in her mind" bit. Felt unnatural, not that he wouldn't do something like that, but that he chose that moment to reveal it to Logan without any kind of provocation.
- Scott totally gets punked and killed off-camera. Wow, Fox must have been pissed at Marsden.
- Logan totally gets punked and made to cry like a baby, twice!
- Magneto needing the whole bridge to get to Alcatraz. Also, it seems there are some missing hours between when he drops the thing and when he turns to attack. Goes from day to night in one cut.
- Depowering Mystique. She was one of the standouts from X2, and I wanted to see more of her.

New Comics 5/19

2006-05-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

I didn't buy much new this week.

Batman: Year 100 #4- Emotionally satisfying conclusion to a good Batman story. I think Pope played this out just right, and I wonder if he was keyed into the same desire to make the character more accessible as he is on the OYL books. I like how his identity is resolved in the end.

52 Week #2- Like a lot of people reading this, I'm wondering how long I'm going to stick with this series, not that I'm not enjoying it, but the portion control is a bit much. There are a lot of storylines going on, and they don't seem to be connecting anytime soon. I may switch to just buying a month's worth, and then reading all four issues in one go. One critique: the scene with Montoya in bed seemed totally gratuitous...

Young Avengers: Sidekicks TPB- I picked this up on recommendation by one of the CGS guys. I'm about halfway through it, and am enjoying it. The dialogue has a snap to it and it is steeped in enough continuity to reward older readers but won't hinder new readers.

Trading Spaces

2006-05-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that the comic shop of my youth is mostly gone, and I just realized what it is being replaced with.

It used to be that a comic shop carried new books and back issues... long box after long box of back issues. Part of the fun back then was filing through those long boxes, looking for that handful of issues that would complete a run, or discovering something by accident. The hunt, to me, was half the fun of reading comics.

After the bust in the 90's, fewer and fewer shops maintained their back issues. Mostly they were replaced by gaming paraphenalia or toys or both. Older shops that survived might have them, but newer shops mostly didn't even bother. I understood the economics of this, the burden of devoting so much floorspace to an archive, but I just didn't agree with it. The most attractive aspect to comics is the strong sense of continuity, and how can that sense be maintained without a way to verify it (ie. back issues)?

And then I just had the most startling revelation, startling in that I didn't catch on sooner. The trades have replaced the back issue. It occurred to me in a shop yesterday... lately I've been trying to catch up on a few series I missed during my years of semi-retirement from reading... as I perused through the selection of trades available. To me, trades were always a sign of a successful miniseries or particular run on a regular series, dressed up and represented for collectors to place on their bookshelf. It never occurred to me that they were simply a viable replacement for back issues.

Event Fatigue

2006-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Not to crab, but I'm kind of wiped out right now. In the last week we saw one company's major event wrap up (kinda) and another company's start. Whew.

Not that I mind the Big Event, mind you. It's one of the reasons that drew me further into this kind of storytelling in the first place. I was only collecting a handful of Marvel comics when the first Secret Wars dropped, and that Big Event fully activated my geek gene. Soon after, the original Crisis came along, and then I had two universes to keep tabs on. I love the idea of a shared universe, and characters from different creative impulses or origins coming together and interacting (And this is not limited to comics, as my girlfriend can attest. She would watch me geek out over the old, semi-regular Law & Order/Homicide crossovers).

I just feel I need a breather, almost. Infinite Crisis, with it's preludes and buildups, has been going on for over a year (Longer if you count Identity Crisis) and the story tension kind of got rolled over into 52 and the miriad OYL series, so it's almost like it's not over. Civil War just started, and I'm checking that out (at least for a few issues, anyway).

Some brief thoughts:

Infinite Crisis 7- Kind of a mixed bag, for me. In terms of the Trinity, I felt that there was a nice resolution to their conflict. If you figure that they are the hub of the DC universe, then any changes one would want to effect on the universe as a whole would stem from them. Having them "gone" for a year is brilliant move, I believe. I know there will be bits of retcon here and there, but having them go on vacation is a great way to reinvent them without starting from scratch.

I feel a bit iffy about the resolutions regarding Alexander and Superboy Prime. I missed the Secret Files special, but I still feel the main series lacked any kind of depth on their end. I think as a reader, I was asked to fill in too much as far as their motivations. What perfect Earth was Alexander looking for, and why would villains taking over this Earth be an acceptable plan B? I'm not alone in thinking he was being manipulated himself, but in the end he was acting alone. I'm also uncomfortable with the idea of holding over Superboy Prime as some kind of boogeyman for future exploitation (interesting observation here on the logistics of keeping Superboy in lockdown).

52- Loved it. I never really cared much for Booster, though I always thought he had potential. He's a loser from the future, looking for fame and fortune in the believed certainty of the past. There's a great character arc for a writer willing to take him on that journey. Also glad to see the Question will be involved, as well as Ralph Dibny. Since Identity Crisis, I've been craving some kind of resolution for him.

Civil War- I didn't intend on buying this book. The Marvel universe has seemed so chaotic to me since the 90's that I'm rarely interested in picked up anything on a regular basis. Usually a writer I trust or pretty artwork will tempt me. I saw that Mark Millar was involved, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

It's an interesting premise. Many bits of current pop and news culture sprinkled in for that air of plausibilty: reality show featuring c-listers and has-beens, a Cindy Sheehan-like figure (though her son's name was Damien... Damien... does that strike anyone else as odd?) My favorite bit was the Secretary sharing that Cap bought lunch for the pilot he hijacked... I don't know if it's literal or anecdotal, but it doesn't matter, because it's both in a way. Cap's a living legend, and this detail nicely underscores that perception of his character.

I'll hang out a bit on this one, though I need to do some research... Ms. Marvel and Jessica Drew are back? And when did Bryan Deemer find his way into the Marvel universe?

What the Fuh?

2006-05-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Points to my girlfriend who, during last night's climax on Lost, said, "Just because they got a DUI?"

(According to this interview, apparently not.)

Still rattled over what I saw. I can only guess is that (a) Michael has upped in his desperation to get Walt back, desperate enough to kill a few people and blame Henry Gale, leading to a war with the Others or (b) He's been brainwashed somehow by the Others, and this is part of some plan. I'm thinking (a) is more likely, though I'd hate to see his character take that turn, unless, of course, he's just cracked right now. Up until he shot himself, I thought he might be a brainwashed assassin, sent to kill Henry.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there is more than one group of Others... I can't explain it, it's just a feeling. There's a duality in their actions so far that's been bugging me up to now.

***

Haven't been to the comic shop this week. I'm putting off a visit until FCBD, just to gauge if it's having any effect on bringing in new readers.

Like Comicon, but with Books...

2006-05-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, we attended the LA Times Festival of Books. We've gone the last three years, but this was the first time that I actually attended one of the "Conversations with..."

I went to see Chip Kidd. He's been my favorite graphic designer for a while. I think I first saw his work in the Batman Animated book from a while ago. It isn't just your run-of-the-mill survey of the show. It's clearly aimed at those who are interested in how a show is made, and puts the reader behind the scenes. It's filled with beautiful photos of artwork, as opposed to reproducing the art, they reproduce the context. It's one thing to be able to see the art, but it's another to see the stray pencil marks and the texture of the paper.

I went to get a sense of his personality. His work, to me, has a subversive sense of humor to it. In school, it seemed like the prevailing attitude of working designers was one of a kind of snobbish disdain for poor or obvious design. I gambled and wanted to find out if one of my heroes also shared this view. Gladly, he seemed more down to earth than I could have guessed. It turns out that he originally wanted to work in animation or comics, but realised he didn't have the talent, so he kind of backed into graphic design. Over the years, as he has gained more clout, he's been able to involve himself in cartoon/comics-related projects.

Later, I blew some money at the Hi De Ho Comics booth, sadly the only comics offering at the festival. I got the new Acme Novelty Library and Rocketo. I'm working through Rocketo first and I'm saving Acme until a time I'm feeling better about myself.

Fighting traffic on the way back from UCLA, I spotted Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash. I had remembered that they had opened a store in the Westside a few years ago, but never made the trip. The store was decent, though half of it was kind of a Planet Hollywood-style display for the various Kevin Smith projects, or even friends (they had Ben Affleck's Daredevil costume). Pros: Good selection of trades and friendly employees. Cons: No back issues, monitors play a loop of moments from Smith's movies, which I understand, but then makes me think the store is less about comics and more about Smith.

Crisis of Inifinte Youth

2006-04-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Last night she said, "Look at you... you're a big bundle of nerd."

I'm in the process of returning to the halcyon days of my youth, I think. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis. Comics and I go back as far as I remember.

I first consciously started collecting in the early 80's. Spiderman and X-Men, which soon progressed into just about every other comic Marvel published at the time. I shied away from DC, confounded by the continuity, though I picked up some issues of Swamp Thing around the time of the Wes Craven movie. Of course Crisis of Infinite Earths changed all that, and I was soon buying as much as my allowance could afford.

I think my enthusiasm for comics waned towards the beginning of the 90's. I dropped my sacred X-Men sometime after the Fall of the Mutants storyline. For the most part, the mainstream wasn't speaking to me anymore. I retreated into my Vertigo and independents for a while, found myself going down to the comics shop less and less as the creators I followed retired or left the medium entirely.

Identity Crisis brought me back. Maybe I was looking for an excuse to get back in, or maybe the story was compelling enough to bring me back, or both. Slowly, my active interest in the medium has been rekindled.

So last night I hit a kind of critical mass. Last December I received an iPod, and have lately discovered podcasts. My nerd interests converged as I tried to articulate some thought about the way comics were evolving. I had been listening to a compilation of interviews about the upcoming 52. It seems to me that Dan Didio is running the show closer to the television/movie model. He's creating a more collaborative atmosphere between the creators, it seems, as opposed to the old editorial fiefdoms that used to exist. I think that is showing through on some of the OYL titles that have been coming out. There's a much stronger sense of cohesiveness between the titles.

At this point, my girlfriend made the above observation, and I realized that I was indeed back in. This blog, I guess, is reserved for those moments: Observations, reviews, fond memories... which is probably nothing special, but to quote Homer from The Springfield Connection, "They saw a crowded marketplace and thought, me too!"

Header 2

2006-04-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Thought Balloon!

Header

2006-04-01T00:01:00.000-08:00