Well, I threatened to do this, and I make good on my promises. I am doing this a little differently than some others. I go by company and I will try to be brief as possible, so bear with me.
DC COMICS-
Action 857- 3rd part of the "Bizzaro World" arc. The cover alone is almost worth the price. Eric Powell (The Goon) did a real nice job giving it a silver age feel. Geoff Johns continues to show his grasp of heroes and the history to them.
Countdown 27- I'm sure that Jim like this simply for featuring Detective Chimp in it. The big shock was given away on the cover, so they lose some points for that. The first hint of where they are taking the villains to in the DCU, setting up the "Salvation Run" mini coming up.
Flash 233- Wally takes down the monsters with an assist from the Justice League, who then confront him about his kids. Love the line from Wally to Batman about putting kids in harm's way. "I'm getting lectured on child safety from a man who's gone through 4 Robins?" Priceless. Waid continues to show his mastery of Wally' world. I only wish he was staying on it longer.
Green Arrow Year One 6- The wrap-up of the arc. Andy Diggle did a real nice job taking the story of Ollie's beginnings and re-imagining it without straying too far from the mythos. Other than that, sort of a blah ending.
Robin 167- A "one and done" by Brandon Thomas. A nice story told by Tim in a dialogue to his dead father. This has been done a few times with Batman as the narrator, but this had a nice touch to it. The bad news is that Freddie Williams, the artist who has done a phenomenal job, is moving over to Teen Titans.
Superman 669- The 3rd Kryptonian is revealed. So much back story in this issue, its difficult to capture. Not a big fan of Rick Leonardi's art, I think he's done better. I am wondering what the deal is with the push behind Kandor.
Teen Titans 52- 2nd part of the "Titans of Tomorrow" arc. The story got a little convoluted toward the end, but still lots of action and battles galore.
Marvel Comics-
Daredevil 101- Second part of "Without Fear" arc. Not really much here. Some nice tender moments between Matt and Milla. Basically just DD tearing up Hell's Kitchen looking for Mr. Fear.
Thunderbolts 117- "Caged Angels" part 2. Warren Ellis has really taken this group and made it a great, consistent read. This issue had an interview between Doc Samson and Penance about who he really is. Also, it seems a group of bad guys (?) wanted to get caught so they can destroy the T-Bolts. Also, there is the ongoing mental battle for Norman Osborn's soul with a nice twist this issue. Can't wait to see who is behind it.
Ultimate Spider-Man 115- If you've listened to the show, or if you've read any of the other "ultimate" books, you know that this is the top dog. Peter is in the custody of SHIELD. Kitty tries to break him out while Osborn goes on a rampage to find his money. They get drafted into SHIELD and the battle is on. The banter between Peter and Osborn is vintage Spidey. It reminded me of all those battles and the snappy banter that was part and parcel of Spider-Man.
Wolverine Origins 18- For the life of me, I have no idea why I am reading this book. I enjoyed Daniel Way's run on Wolverine, but this has just been crap. To waste a great talent like Steve Dillon on this drek is a crime that Marvel should have to answer for. Put him back on Punisher, for God's sake!
Others-
PVP 35- I have pimped this book to the moon, so I won't bore you with a breakdown of the issue. But if you love comics, and you consider yourself a nerd or a geek, pick this book up. It will make you smile. You will find either someone in there who you recognize, or a situation that will look familiar. Scott Kurtz is coming up on his 10th year doing these characters, and deserves alot of credit for sticking with it through good times and bad in the industry.
There you have it. Sorry if it ran long, I tend to have a blabbermouth. I promise that I will work on shorting these up in the future.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Almost.....
OK, maybe it was me last night. I wasn't in the greatest of moods. But I really look forward to Monday night for HEROES. It's my only serious hour of television by myself that does not involve sports.
Last night was one of the worst episodes I've seen. I can't really put my finger on why it sucked, but it seemed that every twist, even Hiro's, was telegraphed so badly. It doesn't put me off the show, but it did make me pause for a moment. I know that Shawn is probably reading this and thinking, "I told him so, the asshat". After a few hours rest, and some caffeine, I think that I'll go all geek on you for a minute.
In comics, during a big story arc, there are what we sometimes refer to as a "placeholder"story. It doesn't advance the story too much, and provides the artists and writers a chance to focus and gain momentum into the next part of the overall arc.
Considering that the November sweeps begins soon, this episode had that feel. The overall story wasn't advanced that much. And I have to think that after next month, they go into repeats until after the first of the year. So they have a lot to get to in the next few weeks. Oh, and yes, I do tend to think that they are sometimes forcing characters into the story just for the sake of it. They don't want to lose any of the big guns from last year, but also want to keep introducing new ones as well. That can make for some scatter shot storytelling. That is what last night's HEROES felt like. So, it's a bad episode. Won't make me jump the ship, just know that when it re-airs, I can go watch something else. Later, folks.
Last night was one of the worst episodes I've seen. I can't really put my finger on why it sucked, but it seemed that every twist, even Hiro's, was telegraphed so badly. It doesn't put me off the show, but it did make me pause for a moment. I know that Shawn is probably reading this and thinking, "I told him so, the asshat". After a few hours rest, and some caffeine, I think that I'll go all geek on you for a minute.
In comics, during a big story arc, there are what we sometimes refer to as a "placeholder"story. It doesn't advance the story too much, and provides the artists and writers a chance to focus and gain momentum into the next part of the overall arc.
Considering that the November sweeps begins soon, this episode had that feel. The overall story wasn't advanced that much. And I have to think that after next month, they go into repeats until after the first of the year. So they have a lot to get to in the next few weeks. Oh, and yes, I do tend to think that they are sometimes forcing characters into the story just for the sake of it. They don't want to lose any of the big guns from last year, but also want to keep introducing new ones as well. That can make for some scatter shot storytelling. That is what last night's HEROES felt like. So, it's a bad episode. Won't make me jump the ship, just know that when it re-airs, I can go watch something else. Later, folks.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Since when?.....
I've heard that "30 Days of Night" cleaned up at the box office this past weekend. This is not really news considering the push it got. What is interesting is my involvement in it.
A friend told me last week that she was going to see it. I remarked off hand that it's based on a graphic novel. I can't help that, it's a comic geek thing. She said "Well, I guess you'll be going then, huh?". I replied that no, I wasn't for several reasons. The biggest of which is money, of which I have none. Secondly, horror is not really my thing. There is enough real life horror to go around. But the comment she made caused me to stop and think.
Why is it assumed that if I read comics, that I must automatically go to every comic book based movie out there? Or that I must watch every single sci-fi show that comes out? Yes, I do watch HEROES and SMALLVILLE, but that's about it. Do we pigeonhole everyone this way? Is every sports fan supposed to have a jersey of their favorite team, and must they wear it every single time their team plays? If they don't, are they less of a fan? Do we think that adult fans of the Harry Potter series read every single book on witches and wizards?
When did this happen? Has it always been this way? I realize that the word "fans" is short for "fanatics", but aren't there shades of grey in this? I love the anime Cowboy Bebop, and would recommend it to anyone of reasonable intelligence, but I don't love all anime. Carrying this a step further, it's not a secret that I am a major animation (OK, cartoon) buff. I love the old Warner Bros. stuff with a passion, and I enjoy quite a bit of the new stuff too. But I have heard from time to time; "oh, you must have seen HAPPY FEET or CARS, since they're toons.". WHAT?!?!
I don't feel that I have to waste my time and money going to and viewing every thing. If something catches my eye or attention, then cool. But don't expect me to be a sheep and automatically flush my money away just because it's a comic or a cartoon. I didn't go to the Simpsons movie this past summer because I really didn't feel like plunking 10 bucks down for it. I still love them, and watch every Sunday, so I don't think I'm less of a fan.As for "30 Days", more than likely I'll catch it when it comes on cable or borrow someones DVD. For those who went and enjoyed it, I'm glad for you. Hope it brought you the chills and thrills you were seeking. If it didn't, go read the graphic novel.
A friend told me last week that she was going to see it. I remarked off hand that it's based on a graphic novel. I can't help that, it's a comic geek thing. She said "Well, I guess you'll be going then, huh?". I replied that no, I wasn't for several reasons. The biggest of which is money, of which I have none. Secondly, horror is not really my thing. There is enough real life horror to go around. But the comment she made caused me to stop and think.
Why is it assumed that if I read comics, that I must automatically go to every comic book based movie out there? Or that I must watch every single sci-fi show that comes out? Yes, I do watch HEROES and SMALLVILLE, but that's about it. Do we pigeonhole everyone this way? Is every sports fan supposed to have a jersey of their favorite team, and must they wear it every single time their team plays? If they don't, are they less of a fan? Do we think that adult fans of the Harry Potter series read every single book on witches and wizards?
When did this happen? Has it always been this way? I realize that the word "fans" is short for "fanatics", but aren't there shades of grey in this? I love the anime Cowboy Bebop, and would recommend it to anyone of reasonable intelligence, but I don't love all anime. Carrying this a step further, it's not a secret that I am a major animation (OK, cartoon) buff. I love the old Warner Bros. stuff with a passion, and I enjoy quite a bit of the new stuff too. But I have heard from time to time; "oh, you must have seen HAPPY FEET or CARS, since they're toons.". WHAT?!?!
I don't feel that I have to waste my time and money going to and viewing every thing. If something catches my eye or attention, then cool. But don't expect me to be a sheep and automatically flush my money away just because it's a comic or a cartoon. I didn't go to the Simpsons movie this past summer because I really didn't feel like plunking 10 bucks down for it. I still love them, and watch every Sunday, so I don't think I'm less of a fan.As for "30 Days", more than likely I'll catch it when it comes on cable or borrow someones DVD. For those who went and enjoyed it, I'm glad for you. Hope it brought you the chills and thrills you were seeking. If it didn't, go read the graphic novel.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Smallville
Promised I would be more active. So here are some thoughts and musings about Smallville.
*WARNING* Possible minor spoilers ahead. So if you Tivo the show and are waiting to watch in one sitting, turn back now.
SMALLVILLE has gotten off to a decent start. While I wanted the Bizzarro Clark to stick around for a few more episodes, they handled it much better than the Zod/Lex ending a season or so ago. Lois is still smoking hot and Chloe is still a much better fit for Clark than that doe-eyed loser Lana. I admit that I approached the season with some trepidation after hearing they are introducing Supergirl (Kara) into the show. So far, it's been...OK. Not great, but fine. I initially worried that they were going to make her some slave to Luthor (and who remembers that god awful storyline with the bearded Luthor posing as his son? *shudders*) but at this point they have sent her off to find her lost ship. But they let fall a major plot point that, I think, will play a factor in the ending of the season. Clark had been getting help from the Martian Manhunter, who said that he worked with his father on Krypton. When he and Kara met, some real serious sparks flew, intimating that one, if not both are whom they seem to be.
The addition of Dean Cain has shown the creative team still continues to tip the hat to those who have come before Tom Welling. He played a villain (Vandal Savage?) in the recent episode. I somehow get the feeling that if Chris Reeve or George Reeves (the original TV Superman) were alive today, they would have some part to play. Of course, Chris Reeve did have a part, but it would have been fun to see where they would have gone with his character.
I have hopes for this season, as I do for any show that I enjoy. I hope that they bring back Green Arrow and some of the other heroes. I hope they will get around to what happened to Lionel Luthor, since I am a huge fan of John Glover. Most importantly, I hope that this show stays true to the mythos that is Clark Kent and SMALLVILLE. Yes, its been different and not a totally faithful adaptation, but if it's done right, the changes make the show better. I hope to have a posting after HEROES Monday night. Have a good weekend all!
*WARNING* Possible minor spoilers ahead. So if you Tivo the show and are waiting to watch in one sitting, turn back now.
SMALLVILLE has gotten off to a decent start. While I wanted the Bizzarro Clark to stick around for a few more episodes, they handled it much better than the Zod/Lex ending a season or so ago. Lois is still smoking hot and Chloe is still a much better fit for Clark than that doe-eyed loser Lana. I admit that I approached the season with some trepidation after hearing they are introducing Supergirl (Kara) into the show. So far, it's been...OK. Not great, but fine. I initially worried that they were going to make her some slave to Luthor (and who remembers that god awful storyline with the bearded Luthor posing as his son? *shudders*) but at this point they have sent her off to find her lost ship. But they let fall a major plot point that, I think, will play a factor in the ending of the season. Clark had been getting help from the Martian Manhunter, who said that he worked with his father on Krypton. When he and Kara met, some real serious sparks flew, intimating that one, if not both are whom they seem to be.
The addition of Dean Cain has shown the creative team still continues to tip the hat to those who have come before Tom Welling. He played a villain (Vandal Savage?) in the recent episode. I somehow get the feeling that if Chris Reeve or George Reeves (the original TV Superman) were alive today, they would have some part to play. Of course, Chris Reeve did have a part, but it would have been fun to see where they would have gone with his character.
I have hopes for this season, as I do for any show that I enjoy. I hope that they bring back Green Arrow and some of the other heroes. I hope they will get around to what happened to Lionel Luthor, since I am a huge fan of John Glover. Most importantly, I hope that this show stays true to the mythos that is Clark Kent and SMALLVILLE. Yes, its been different and not a totally faithful adaptation, but if it's done right, the changes make the show better. I hope to have a posting after HEROES Monday night. Have a good weekend all!
M.I.A.
Or maybe I should be labeled Missing In Inaction. Sorry you guys haven't heard from me in a bit, but I've been seriously sidetracked. Last week was Cindy's birthday, we took a day trip, Ravens game (always takes priority on Sunday!), and a lot of other things to distract me from the task at hand. Namely, entertaining you.
Call this weird, but I have entered my self-imposed embargo. From about this time until after the holidays, I don't buy anything for myself that I would ask for at Christmas. I have done this for many years so that those who want to get me something don't have to worry about whether or not I have it yet. It may sound stupid to you, but it beats having to fake excitement at getting something you already have.
This year promises to be both easy and tough. Easy, because I have no money to spend on myself. I have no wiggle room for anything resembling extras. Tough, because there are some really good things out there. The movies, such as the FF, Spider-Man, and Transformers. I am sure that sometime in the next month or so the Harry Potter movie will be released. These fall into the category of; never seen it and want it (FF), seen it and want it to complete the trilogy (SM), and saw it and really liked it (TF and HP). There are other things out there I would like, but I'll keep them to myself. If you really care, feel free to ask. In person.
OK, this was a simple check in to let you know that I am alive and vertical. More to come and I promise to be more on top of posting. Thanks for your patience!
Call this weird, but I have entered my self-imposed embargo. From about this time until after the holidays, I don't buy anything for myself that I would ask for at Christmas. I have done this for many years so that those who want to get me something don't have to worry about whether or not I have it yet. It may sound stupid to you, but it beats having to fake excitement at getting something you already have.
This year promises to be both easy and tough. Easy, because I have no money to spend on myself. I have no wiggle room for anything resembling extras. Tough, because there are some really good things out there. The movies, such as the FF, Spider-Man, and Transformers. I am sure that sometime in the next month or so the Harry Potter movie will be released. These fall into the category of; never seen it and want it (FF), seen it and want it to complete the trilogy (SM), and saw it and really liked it (TF and HP). There are other things out there I would like, but I'll keep them to myself. If you really care, feel free to ask. In person.
OK, this was a simple check in to let you know that I am alive and vertical. More to come and I promise to be more on top of posting. Thanks for your patience!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
When did it happen?
I have been mulling over this post for a few days. I read a post on my friend Jim's blog by, I believe, his daughter Gwen. In it she asks why we sometimes tend to look for the negative in comics as opposed to highlighting the positive. It was a great post and got me thinking about this in general.
We are a nation, if not a world, of cynics.
This does not apply universally. But on the whole, we tend to look a things with a sceptical eye. When did this happen? Now, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I believe that this trend began in the late '60s and gained traction in the 70's. Of course, we always think that earlier times were sunny viewed through the prism of hindsight. We tend to think that kids have it easier than we did. They have better tools to learn, cooler stuff to play with. That may be true, but the pitfalls of being a kid in this modern age is not as easy as in our day. We could walk to a bus stop on a crisp autumn morning and the most you had to worry about is whether you had forgotten your homework or lunch. Nowadays, parents stay until the bus comes to ward off potential predators or other nefarious types. You could have left your kids home alone and not have to worry about either someone breaking in, or what was happening on the internet. The media certainly must shoulder some, if not most, of the blame in what has happened to our innocence. I mean the fact that some local newscasts take the attitude "if it bleeds, it leads" and playing to our voyeuristic nature is telling. And we are a nation of voyeurs, whether we want to admit it or not.
I got a little off topic there for a sec, so forgive me. Where I was going with this was, when did we lose the innocence in reading comics? For me, there is a certain happiness in going to the comics store on a Wednesday and seeing what awaits. It's like Christmas morning. OK, it's nothing like Christmas. But do you see what I'm getting at? If you don't enjoy something, if all you do is look for the negative right away, then stop doing it. Go find something that makes you happy. In this world there are so many things that can do that. Not all of them legal or good for you. But man, do something that makes you happy. For me? The day that I no longer look forward to going to the comics store to see what Batman and company have cooked up for me, that's when I'm out. I guess it's why I read "Spawn" for so long after it had jumped the shark. That book was my re-entrance to the wonderful world of comics. And for that plus all the years of happiness that comics has brought me, I thank McFarlane. He sucks, yes, but he allowed me to see other terrific things I never would have known if I had not said; "man I can't believe I stopped reading comics".
I hope you stuck it out with this post. Think it's the longest I've done. If you have, post me. What makes you happy? What makes you forget all of your troubles, even if for only a minute?
We are a nation, if not a world, of cynics.
This does not apply universally. But on the whole, we tend to look a things with a sceptical eye. When did this happen? Now, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I believe that this trend began in the late '60s and gained traction in the 70's. Of course, we always think that earlier times were sunny viewed through the prism of hindsight. We tend to think that kids have it easier than we did. They have better tools to learn, cooler stuff to play with. That may be true, but the pitfalls of being a kid in this modern age is not as easy as in our day. We could walk to a bus stop on a crisp autumn morning and the most you had to worry about is whether you had forgotten your homework or lunch. Nowadays, parents stay until the bus comes to ward off potential predators or other nefarious types. You could have left your kids home alone and not have to worry about either someone breaking in, or what was happening on the internet. The media certainly must shoulder some, if not most, of the blame in what has happened to our innocence. I mean the fact that some local newscasts take the attitude "if it bleeds, it leads" and playing to our voyeuristic nature is telling. And we are a nation of voyeurs, whether we want to admit it or not.
I got a little off topic there for a sec, so forgive me. Where I was going with this was, when did we lose the innocence in reading comics? For me, there is a certain happiness in going to the comics store on a Wednesday and seeing what awaits. It's like Christmas morning. OK, it's nothing like Christmas. But do you see what I'm getting at? If you don't enjoy something, if all you do is look for the negative right away, then stop doing it. Go find something that makes you happy. In this world there are so many things that can do that. Not all of them legal or good for you. But man, do something that makes you happy. For me? The day that I no longer look forward to going to the comics store to see what Batman and company have cooked up for me, that's when I'm out. I guess it's why I read "Spawn" for so long after it had jumped the shark. That book was my re-entrance to the wonderful world of comics. And for that plus all the years of happiness that comics has brought me, I thank McFarlane. He sucks, yes, but he allowed me to see other terrific things I never would have known if I had not said; "man I can't believe I stopped reading comics".
I hope you stuck it out with this post. Think it's the longest I've done. If you have, post me. What makes you happy? What makes you forget all of your troubles, even if for only a minute?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
WoW and people in general
Hey gang. My wife and I have been bitten by the WoW bug. For those who aren't in the know, it stands for World Of Warcraft. I never thought that a game could be so addictive. You become so immersed in it that you really do tend to lose all sense of time. Now, don't fret about me. I won't become one of those guys you read about who play for 40 hours then collapse and die. My attention span is WAY too short for that. But I bring this up because of the dynamics we encounter in the game with other people.
Our entrance to the game was through our best friends and their kid. They enjoy the game and have been playing a lot longer than we have. We got it and started it on a lark, not really sure what to expect. Cindy is not one who enjoys video games as much as I do, but after watching me for a bit, she got intrigued and started to create her characters. We share a computer, we are poor folk after all, and we have learned to give each other space to play. I feel the need to share an experience that actually changed my life and feelings about things.
A while back I was going through a bout of massive depression. Didn't really care about much of anything, including comics. Heresy, I know. I logged onto the game for what I thought was going to be a few minutes, just to check on mail and other things. Some people from the guild I had joined were on and seemed excited to see me. They asked me to come do things, quests and other tasks. They didn't care that I was feeling bad or even suicidal at that time. All they cared about was having fun with me. These people, whom I had never met face to face, cared about me. It blew me away. These people, who were in Texas, Canada, Pennsylvania, and even Australia, were life savers. They saved me from myself and pulled me from a depths I didn't even know I was headed down. For that I will always be grateful to them.
I tell you of this because lately I find myself just wanting to be left alone when I play. But because I am a sucker in the game like in real life, I can't say no to help out someone who asks. Does this make me a bad virtual person as well as an asshat? I want people to like me for who I am, not what I can do for them. It's a self esteem issue I have always had. Even today, I wonder if you're reading this out of pity, or because you really enjoy my company. I know that I am a loud, large, sometimes obnoxious and opinionated moron. I am trying to be better, but I can only lose so much weight. So for those of you who really know me, I thank you for being a friend. Or at the very least, someone who can tolerate my ass.
Our entrance to the game was through our best friends and their kid. They enjoy the game and have been playing a lot longer than we have. We got it and started it on a lark, not really sure what to expect. Cindy is not one who enjoys video games as much as I do, but after watching me for a bit, she got intrigued and started to create her characters. We share a computer, we are poor folk after all, and we have learned to give each other space to play. I feel the need to share an experience that actually changed my life and feelings about things.
A while back I was going through a bout of massive depression. Didn't really care about much of anything, including comics. Heresy, I know. I logged onto the game for what I thought was going to be a few minutes, just to check on mail and other things. Some people from the guild I had joined were on and seemed excited to see me. They asked me to come do things, quests and other tasks. They didn't care that I was feeling bad or even suicidal at that time. All they cared about was having fun with me. These people, whom I had never met face to face, cared about me. It blew me away. These people, who were in Texas, Canada, Pennsylvania, and even Australia, were life savers. They saved me from myself and pulled me from a depths I didn't even know I was headed down. For that I will always be grateful to them.
I tell you of this because lately I find myself just wanting to be left alone when I play. But because I am a sucker in the game like in real life, I can't say no to help out someone who asks. Does this make me a bad virtual person as well as an asshat? I want people to like me for who I am, not what I can do for them. It's a self esteem issue I have always had. Even today, I wonder if you're reading this out of pity, or because you really enjoy my company. I know that I am a loud, large, sometimes obnoxious and opinionated moron. I am trying to be better, but I can only lose so much weight. So for those of you who really know me, I thank you for being a friend. Or at the very least, someone who can tolerate my ass.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Comics time....again!
Well, let's try this again. I wrote a bunch last night and for some reason, the site didn't allow for it to be loaded. Didn't think they had that much creative input, but oh well.
OK kiddies, gather round and let Uncle Ron clue you in on some comics to spend your valuable money on. Or in some cases, not to waste your time even reading.
Justice League of America- Dwayne McDuffie has picked up writing the book as of issue 13. He was a major contributor to the "JLU" cartoon and did a fantastic job on it. Now, I seem to be in the minority when it comes to Brad Metzler, the last writer(*cough* Jim). I didn't think he did all that bad a job, but wow. McDuffie put more action and team chemistry in one issue that Metzler managed in his run. This is a must read for any fan of DC, team books, and big battles. It (hopefully) won't disappoint.
Robin- Consistently one of the best books since DC's "One year later" relaunch. Adam Beechen has really made both Robin and Tim Drake fleshed out, believable characters. Gave him a nice supporting cast in both hero and civilian life. For Robin, it's always been about balance. Tim has suffered so much personal tragedy it would be easy for him to head down the path that Bruce Wayne did so long ago. But as he says; "I want to be like Batman, but not be Batman." Each arc improved and even the one and dones, like Tim's first date being interrupted not once, but twice by Batman, were great. Unfortunately, Adam is leaving the book with the issue that came out this week. Chuck Dixon, the original writer for the book, is returning. I wish Adam well and say, Chuck, you've got some big shoes to fill.
All Star Batman and Robin- Since it looks like this book is coming out with some regularity, I guess I can give my opinion of the "goddamn" Batman. If you don't get that last joke, you obviously don't read the book. Pick it up. It won't take more than 5 minutes to read. But you will find yourself going back to either look at the great art by Jim Lee, or you won't believe that Frank Miller actually made him say that. It's a guilty pleasure. Just make sure to leave most of what you think of Batman at the door. I think that Frank is making this younger Batman into the one that he created in "The Dark Knight Returns".
Iron Man- I have been a long time fan of Iron Man, and the thought of next summer seeing both him and Batman on the big screen has me geeked. This book has undergone some character changes in the last year, mostly due to the "Civil War" mini. Tony now runs the military group SHIELD, and has been putting out brush fires everywhere. From Cap's death to Spidey turning his back on him, it's been a tough year. I like this book and the fact that they don't focus entirely on Tony. They give the supporting cast, like the soldiers who seem to chafe under a civilian commander, some room to breathe. I am looking forward to seeing where this book goes, but I wish they would bring more of his rogues gallery, especially Mandarin, into the book.
Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men- I lump these books together because that's what they are; a lump. I have been so disappointed by these books I cannot even bring myself to talk about them during the "Conversations" show. It takes alot for me to drop a book, since I worry that after I do that, the book will get some buzz and I find myself drawn in again. I call it the "Spawn" theory (stop rolling your eyes, Shawn). But these books have done it. The goal of the Ultimate universe was to take iconic characters and update them. But doing shock simply for shock's sake sucks. These books started out great and even managed to spawn a red hot phenomena going on in the main Marvel universe: zombies. It was a great story in the FF book and did so well they brought it over and made it a hugely successful franchise. But these books have become just that, zombies. They patrol the comics rack looking for unsuspecting readers to eat their brains. Don't waste your money.
That's enough for comics for now. Real quick hits on TV: thought "Heroes" is great. Looking forward to see how they can bring the company down and just who the big bad is this season. For "Smallville" and "Buffy" fans, James Marsters is coming back to reprise his role as Brainiac later on this season. HA! Scooped ya, Shawn. Nah, you probably knew this anyway. Well, off to reality. Sucks, doesn't it?
OK kiddies, gather round and let Uncle Ron clue you in on some comics to spend your valuable money on. Or in some cases, not to waste your time even reading.
Justice League of America- Dwayne McDuffie has picked up writing the book as of issue 13. He was a major contributor to the "JLU" cartoon and did a fantastic job on it. Now, I seem to be in the minority when it comes to Brad Metzler, the last writer(*cough* Jim). I didn't think he did all that bad a job, but wow. McDuffie put more action and team chemistry in one issue that Metzler managed in his run. This is a must read for any fan of DC, team books, and big battles. It (hopefully) won't disappoint.
Robin- Consistently one of the best books since DC's "One year later" relaunch. Adam Beechen has really made both Robin and Tim Drake fleshed out, believable characters. Gave him a nice supporting cast in both hero and civilian life. For Robin, it's always been about balance. Tim has suffered so much personal tragedy it would be easy for him to head down the path that Bruce Wayne did so long ago. But as he says; "I want to be like Batman, but not be Batman." Each arc improved and even the one and dones, like Tim's first date being interrupted not once, but twice by Batman, were great. Unfortunately, Adam is leaving the book with the issue that came out this week. Chuck Dixon, the original writer for the book, is returning. I wish Adam well and say, Chuck, you've got some big shoes to fill.
All Star Batman and Robin- Since it looks like this book is coming out with some regularity, I guess I can give my opinion of the "goddamn" Batman. If you don't get that last joke, you obviously don't read the book. Pick it up. It won't take more than 5 minutes to read. But you will find yourself going back to either look at the great art by Jim Lee, or you won't believe that Frank Miller actually made him say that. It's a guilty pleasure. Just make sure to leave most of what you think of Batman at the door. I think that Frank is making this younger Batman into the one that he created in "The Dark Knight Returns".
Iron Man- I have been a long time fan of Iron Man, and the thought of next summer seeing both him and Batman on the big screen has me geeked. This book has undergone some character changes in the last year, mostly due to the "Civil War" mini. Tony now runs the military group SHIELD, and has been putting out brush fires everywhere. From Cap's death to Spidey turning his back on him, it's been a tough year. I like this book and the fact that they don't focus entirely on Tony. They give the supporting cast, like the soldiers who seem to chafe under a civilian commander, some room to breathe. I am looking forward to seeing where this book goes, but I wish they would bring more of his rogues gallery, especially Mandarin, into the book.
Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men- I lump these books together because that's what they are; a lump. I have been so disappointed by these books I cannot even bring myself to talk about them during the "Conversations" show. It takes alot for me to drop a book, since I worry that after I do that, the book will get some buzz and I find myself drawn in again. I call it the "Spawn" theory (stop rolling your eyes, Shawn). But these books have done it. The goal of the Ultimate universe was to take iconic characters and update them. But doing shock simply for shock's sake sucks. These books started out great and even managed to spawn a red hot phenomena going on in the main Marvel universe: zombies. It was a great story in the FF book and did so well they brought it over and made it a hugely successful franchise. But these books have become just that, zombies. They patrol the comics rack looking for unsuspecting readers to eat their brains. Don't waste your money.
That's enough for comics for now. Real quick hits on TV: thought "Heroes" is great. Looking forward to see how they can bring the company down and just who the big bad is this season. For "Smallville" and "Buffy" fans, James Marsters is coming back to reprise his role as Brainiac later on this season. HA! Scooped ya, Shawn. Nah, you probably knew this anyway. Well, off to reality. Sucks, doesn't it?
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