Saturday, July 28, 2007

Some random thoughts and stuff....

Hey there everyone. Time for me to put some thoughts down on to paper and let you, the gentle reader decide how nuts I am.

First off, on a rather personal note, my birthday has come and gone. Yes, I know you are crying in your beer at the thought of not getting me that elusive present. But fear not. I know that you are out there somewhere in the nether regions trying to find a piece of sanity. I only wish that you have a better birthday than yours truly did. It wasn't the worst by any means, but didn't really make me go, "wow am I glad I was born" either. Now, I need to preface this by saying my family has been there for me more times than I can remember. I love them to death and would do just about anything for them. But they really don't understand me. I am not really all that complex, but for some reason, my family just doesn't see it. I know I sound ungrateful. I feel that way too, after all I should be happy I have a family that is close by and willing to put an effort into getting me anything. This will not change in anyway how I feel about them. If it did, I would be one shallow, vain asshat. So now that's of my chest, let's move on.

The trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT has been released. My copy was a bit choppy, but was still enough to get me moist. Check out my good friend Shawn's (naked imagination on the right) website for more info. On a related note, the IRON MAN pictures I have seen posted really have me jazzed to see this. I thought the casting of Robert Downey Jr. was a good call from jump street, and so far it looks like I was actually right on something, for once.

The big comic-con was this week in San Diego. Lots of big news comes out of this magilla, and the one I really got happy about was the casting of Star Trek movie. It's a prequel ( and yes I know that ENTERPRISE technically is a prequel, sheesh dad!) to the original series. The one casting that I have heard of is that Zachary Quinto (Sylar from the show HEROES) is going to play Spock. This is great as I think he can pull off the silent, understated control needed to play the greatest Vulcan ever. I just hope it doesn't take him off of HEROES for too long. That show was really good and has the potential to only get better.

Lastly, this weekend is a big deal in Baltimore. Cal Ripken is being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Some of my family members have made the trek up there and all I can say is:Congrats Cal!

Now, go play in the hot sun and get all sweaty. Remember, showering together can be fun!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

OK, Comics time!

Here is the post you have all awaited for. OK, now that I'm awake from my delusional coma, reality time. What I read in comics. This is not a total list, but sort of my greatest hits.

First off, Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8. This book, written in canon by Joss Whedon and others, has been a welcome homwcoming to the characters that Joss made famous. He shows that he had not forgotten how to write these characters, giving them the voices and humor they had in the show. I eagerly await the next arc, due out this week I think.

World War Hulk- The newest issue came out last week and this book has not disappointed. It has everything I want in an "event" book; ACTION!! No whining, no character exposition, just action from start to finish. I have come to enjoy Greg Pak's writing more and more. His grasp of what the Hulk is and how he is motivated has been joy a to read since he came on to the regular Hulk comic at the start of Planet Hulk. The fact that John Romita Jr. is doing the artwork is just icing on the cake for me.

Ultimate Spider-Man- I have enjoyed this book from the first issue and while it has suffered ups and downs, it remains a must read for me. Brian Michael Bendis has been the writer since it's inception (a rarity in today's comics) and his collaboration with Mark Bagley was gone very well. Both have gotten their chance to shine and Bagley, who did some Spidey work in the 90's, made the pages jump with excitement. I sometimes wondered if this is how kids felt way back in the 60's when they first got their hands on ol' Webhead. But then I think about other things, DUH.

Captain America-This book has been in the news lately due to the "assignation" of Cap. This book had been starting to falter lately due to being involved in the big "event" books of the last year or so. Ed Brubaker had been doing a great job up until then and his handling of one of the sacred lambs of comics (Bucky's alive!) was terrific. He didn't bring back the character just out of nowhere. He gave him a backstory and made the reader feel that this was plausible and worth continuing to read. Unlike that "other" rebirth (Jason Todd) this has become a storyline that makes you want to read where it will go.

Robin-Anyone who has listened to the Cosmic Comix conversations knows of my love for Robin. It was one of the best books of the "1 year later" reboot DC did. Adam Beechen has written him as a character who can be part of "Batman and.." yet still stand on his own. His civilian problems mirror Batman's to an extent, but with a teenager twist. I tend to think that if DC had given Robin a solo book way back in the Dick Grayson days, with the right writer it would have looked something like this.


Detective Comics-This, along with Robin, has been one of the best Batman books in the last year. Paul Dini, a writer from the revered (at least by me) animated series in the nineties, has handled this book exactly how the title implies. Every issue is a detective story. Batman is doing what he does best, working the clues to solve the case. Just about every issue is a one and done featuring a villain from the best rogue's gallery in comics. Of course, the Joker got 2 issues, but even then it was worth it. I can only hope that Dini will stay longer. He has made this book a "top of the pile" book for me.

Well, that's it for now. If you care to know what I think of other books, such as Countdown, Iron Man, Daredevil, Teen Titans, Superman, Fantastic Four, Invincible, PvP, Amazing Spider-Man, Punisher, and more, feel free to post a question or ask me in person. I am always happy to stop and chat about the things I love. See Ya!























Thursday, July 19, 2007

Some Personal things.......

I know that I said I would post about comics, but it can wait. The comics aren't going anywhere. I am feeling sort of introspective and I would like a few minutes of your time if you can spare.

I have a birthday fast approaching. Not one of the biggies (21,40, etc.) but still one nonetheless. I find myself feeling sort of wierd (or wierder) as it approaches. I consider it a rare honor that I share this birthday with a family member (hey Mike!) and someone I considered a comic genius (Robin Williams). My birthday tends to stick out from my family and friends. Most, if not all, have their birthdays in the spring or fall. Mine occurring in the middle of summer always felt out of place, not sure why.

My family has always been there for me, even in the worst of times.I consider myself incredibly blessed as I have seen the wreckege of other families, and mine still holds together. We aint the Brady Bunch, but we sure as hell aren't the Manson's either. I bring this up as we are heading into the homstretch of an upcoming wedding of my niece, Jenny. Her impending nuptials to Matt have me feeling somewhat old and aware of my age. I remember fondly her childhood and playing around the house with her and their dog, Beau. She was the happiest child I had seen and was so fun to play with. Karen and Bob, my sister and brother-in-law, instilled some great values and a sense of irrevrence in her that has been strong in my family. While I look forward to seeing her walk down the aisle and starting a new chapter of her life, I will always remember her as a fun loving child.
I guess what I am trying to get at is that no matter what happens, no matter how much life craps on you, if you have family and some friends that care about you unconditionally, you can get through just about anything. Again, I feel blessed that some people care enough about me to actually talk to me.
Jim and Shawn have been nice guys and I have grown to enjoy their company and I can only hope that they enjoy mine. Dan, Tammy, Cory and Sara are a family in every sense of the word and they have made Cindy (my wife) and I feel like a part of their unit. I only hope that one day I can convince these people the difference they made in my life with the kindness that they all have shown me. As for Cindy, there are no words to express. Yes, I admit to being "whipped" and living for pleasing my wife. But you know what? She gets me. She understands who I am and never tries to change that. For that, I love her more than I cna ever say.

OK enough maudlin crap. Time to go read some comics. See ya!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Wow quite a week....

Hey everyone. It's been quite a week for me. The Harry Potter movie on Tuesday night, and caught the Transformers movie this afternoon with friends. I have to say that these two movies saved me from my only celluloid memory of this summer being (shudder) Spider-man 3. Now I know that SM3 was not all that bad. But my God, if they had cut out the middle 40 minutes and gotten rid of Venom, they would have saved it. In fact, after seeing the finale of HP and the entire Transformers movie, Venom suddenly looks kinda cheesy to me. My opinion, but really they could have done better.

About the Transformers, this was a guys movie. I admit that I liked the cartoon way back when (and I would still probably watch it today as I am a cartoon geek), but this was off the charts. The story was really kinda cool and not hard to follow. Fluff? Maybe. But I wasn't looking for a dissertation on policies here. I look forward with anticipation to the potential DVD bonuses about how they did these and maybe some extras that were left out.

Oh, I mentioned that I would talk about comics? well, unless something really weird happens (which is always a possibility), next post I promise.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Some random thoughts.....

It's the end of the week and I thought it seemed like the right time to put some thoughts down on paper (21st century style).

I worry about my friends. Not so much worry, but concerned that they are OK, and that they will still be a friend if they find out what an absolute moron I am.

I think Jim Martin is the smartest man I have ever encountered who still reads comics and does not seemed fazed or jaded by what the general opinion is of the great unwashed who still view comic fans as nerds. He wears his badge of honor proudly and makes me want to do so as well.

I understand the hype of the Harry Potter book that is coming out next week. I also think it is going to be the Super Bowl of literature. That is, months of build-up, massive hype as the event draws near, and the actual thing is a colossal let down. Considering I will be living with one of those who could become massively disappointed, I am bracing for the worst.

A couple of political thoughts....It becomes more clear to me the older I get that we as a nation still just don't get it. We get all excited and jump up and down when something is screwed up in politics (like the war) and wonder how we got here. I never really was naive about our system, but lately it seems that the common man has no voice in national politics. We are drowned out by special interests and big business. Instead of having hearings on how we got into this mess, both overseas and here, congressmen posture about having hearings about baseball and wrestlers on steroids. Like it was suddenly happening.

Speaking of wrestlers (and yes I have been a fan), I found it fascinating to sit and watch the Internet basically eat their young over the Chris Benoit story. They published glowing eulogies the night he was found dead, and turned on him so fast you would have gotten whiplash if your computer was a car. Now, I am in agreement that what happened was a horrendous crime and that we may never really know what happened that weekend. And the death, any death of a child, is tragic. But these morons, these asshats who thought they knew a performer really demonstrate the problems of the Internet and fans in general. I love the actors from "Heroes" but if I met them I wouldn't expect them to act like their character. Wrestling is the same thing. People expect them to be like that all the time.

OK that's enough for the moment. I will put some thoughts down on the state of comics and give you a taste of what I read later on in the weekend. Take it easy and stay cool, wherever you are!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Harry Potter, a movie review.....

It's 3 in the morning and I've just come from the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. First off, the crowd was so into the movie, clapping and laughing and cheering at the right spots, it made it a blast to be there. I wish that comic movies would get a midnight premier so the fans can get into it that much more. I think it makes for a more enjoyable experience to be around people who get the jokes and things, as opposed to those who are only there because it's the new movie of the week.



The good- Man, just about everything. I have seen everyone of these bad boys (my wife is a self-described Potterhead) and this was the best going away. The 2 1/2 hours (!) flew by and I never felt a need to check my watch or think about heading out. The actors have taken to their roles and have fleshed out the characters so much that you really felt worried, or happy for them. The fight sequence near the end was one of the coolest battles I have ever seen. To finally see magic used in a massive battle was a great achievement and the actors never gave you the sense they were acting against a green screen or anything to that effect.



The bad- Not really much, but little things. Like I had no idea who "Padfoot" was until towards the end. They really could have taken a minute to explain that. But other than that, difficult to pick this to shreds.



So there you go. I give this 3 and a half stars. I would even recommend this to parents. It's not as scary as Spider-man 3 (in spots) and provides a thrilling end that makes the next movie a tough one to live up to. Laters!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

A little peek behind the curtain....

Well, I think it's time to give a little look into who I am. If you one of the few who have read my blog on the MySpace page, you probably know by now. I am an avid comics reader. I enjoy and escape into comics as a refuge from what has been a really tough patch of things. Now, I am also a realist and know that the time spent reading these books is fleeting at best. So, time to let you know what kind of comics reader I am. Oh, you didn't know there are categories to that? Well, let me clue you in.

First off, you have the guys who any and everything. These guys are really nice guys at times and generally are not snobs about what you do or do not read. They have an opinion on most of the books and tend to look at things philosophically. Jim and Shawn, I'm looking in your direction.

Then you have the fanboys. These guys read books from either a particular company (DC,Marvel, Image, etc.) and are rabid in their love of them. So much so that they tend to be difficult in praise of other companies and in criticizing of their favorite. These guys are becoming a dying breed, but if you stand in a comic store long enough, they appear. Pretend you're on safari and it will be fun!

Next is the Indy readers. These people (generally teenagers and college age kids) think that superheroes suck and read books from smaller presses (Oni, Dark Horse, Boom Studios, etc.) that tend to have a more diverse cross-section of things to read. Now, these guys are OK, but they tend to have a snobbish view of the big companies. What they fail to realize is that if the big companies didn't sell the way they do, and bring people into the stores to read the books, the smaller companies may not have as big an avenue to distribute their wares.

Finally, you have me. What do I read? Well, I guess that I am a fanboy, but of comics in general. I have read the biggies (Batman, Spider-man, X-men, etc.) for years and will not change. But I have also grown to love the smaller, not as high profile books. I am a HUGE fan of PvP, both online and in comic form. If you have ever listened to the show on Cosmic Comix's website (I'll post the address later), you know that I am a major fan of the book.

There you go. Whew, quite a post! I hope that others will be shorter in length. Later!

Hello to the real world!

Hi there and welcome to my blog page! It will contain random thoughts on such things as Comics, Televison, Movies and general stuff. As for who I am, that will come in a later posting. Thanks for stopping by.