I can go a happy man.
Yes, my life with my family and friends has been fulfilling and all, but come on.....
24-10 on national TV?!?!?!?
SNUFFING THE DEADSKINS!?!?!?!?
SWEET!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Happy Holidays and all that Jazz
Hey there guys and gals.
Sorry I've been gone for what seems like a long time. Truthfully, the game did not suck as much time out of my life as I thought (or hoped). Still a phenomenal game, but RL is a cruel bitch at times. I had to sort out some issues so that I could return to the fat jolly idiot you see beside this post. They have been resolved so that at least the holidays can be joyous with my family and all of my great friends.
And you are great, no matter what anyone else says, I dig you guys!
Sorry I've been gone for what seems like a long time. Truthfully, the game did not suck as much time out of my life as I thought (or hoped). Still a phenomenal game, but RL is a cruel bitch at times. I had to sort out some issues so that I could return to the fat jolly idiot you see beside this post. They have been resolved so that at least the holidays can be joyous with my family and all of my great friends.
And you are great, no matter what anyone else says, I dig you guys!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A Life Sucker.....and how!
Hey gang.
I promised some more reviews and there will be in a day or so. Right now, after some well deserved rest, the Kid here is going exploring. Nowhere that you guys would know about. Me and the Mrs. are headed to Northrend.
Where the hell is Northrend?
In the WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, that's where!!!! We have been eagerly awaiting this and the fact that it came out today is the only thing that kept me sane through a completely insane night at work.
So, be good to each other, look out for one another and stay out of trouble. (puts on his armor)
I AM OUT OF HERE!!!!!!
I promised some more reviews and there will be in a day or so. Right now, after some well deserved rest, the Kid here is going exploring. Nowhere that you guys would know about. Me and the Mrs. are headed to Northrend.
Where the hell is Northrend?
In the WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, that's where!!!! We have been eagerly awaiting this and the fact that it came out today is the only thing that kept me sane through a completely insane night at work.
So, be good to each other, look out for one another and stay out of trouble. (puts on his armor)
I AM OUT OF HERE!!!!!!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Your patience has been rewarded!
Yes, FINALLY some comic reviews!
Rather than focus on a particular week (last week was a small one for me), I want to pull some from recent weeks that caught my eye for good and bad.
Spawn 185- Beginning of "Endgame" by McFarlane and Portacio. The line from Godfather 3 kept repeating in my head as I walked out of the store with this issue; "every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in.". Spawn was my foray back into comics after many years and I stayed with it through good and bad times like a battered girlfriend. Finally I get the courage to say "enough" and walk away only to get sucked right back in. Todd hasn't written or drawn for I don't know how long and Whice has been in and out of things as well.
All that being said, this has both good and bad points. If you haven't read SPAWN in years, you're not going to know who this patient 47 is and why it's such a bad thing that he's awake from his coma. If someone knows, please leave me a posting. It also looks like Al (Spawn) has killed himself. Or at least it appears that way. The body is found by the Clown (Violator), sort of Joker to Spawn's Batman. The artwork is typical Portacio, for better and worse. A very dark tone in terms of shading to the book, more to make the words and actions pop. Given that it's the first part of a story arc, it's not that bad. But if they don't go about giving the backstory to this at some point, all of what has happened will be for nothing.
Ultimate Origins- I picked this up with great trepidation. I have loved ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN for the most part and read both FF and X-MEN for a while before both lost me. This is supposed to be a telling of how everything is connected within the Ultimate universe.
OK, now that the official line is out of the way let me say, WTF? Black Panther was part of Weapon X and saved by Nick Fury? Seriously?? Rick Jones is going to be the Silver Surfer? That's it? That's the "big thing"? Man. I know that Black Panther did not have the sexiest origin in the MCU, but it was organic and made sense for the character and it worked. To take it and totally screw it up is pitiful. Speaking of pitiful.....
Ultimate Spider-Man Annual 3- In this economy, I feel that we as fans should march on Marvel's offices and demand our money back from either Bendis or Quesada for this abomination. The artwork on this was sporadic at best, and the tagline about Peter and MJ was misleading. So they get back together, so what? That's supposed to cost me 4 bucks for something they could have put in the regular series? I do have to say that the introduction of Mysterio was nice, and if they had sold the issue as his intro, maybe I wouldn't have as much issue with things. Just a total bait and switch for my money.
Rage of the Red Lanterns- I loved this! Man I was looking forward to this issue and not only did it not let me down, it deepened the mysteries that will go on toward the BLACKEST NIGHT story next year. I also feel that I should throw something out there. Hal Jordan has been the model Green Lantern for the last 40+ years, but I don't think he'll be one at the end of the story next year. I think that he'll become a Blue Lantern to join Ganthet in that particular corps. One question I do have though; what did this have to do with FINAL CRISIS? It had it labelled on the cover and said it took place between 1 and 2,but in my opinion, had nothing do to with it. This was a great mix of action and talking. Having a cat as a Red Lantern? Brilliant! It sneaks up on a Yellow Lantern as they are trying to break Sinestro out of his cell and kills him. He was being transported to his home world for execution by the Green Lanterns when the Yellow Lanterns ambushed them. They appeared to have been tipped off by the Guardian who can see the other colors. The Red Lanterns appear and lay waste to all to get to Sinestro, who had imprisoned the leader Atrocitus.
The Red Lanterns don't care who is in front of them, they kill everything. The one Guardian (a chick?) who was wounded during the SINESTRO CORPS WAR seems to have to ability to either communicate or manipulate the other color Lanterns, including the Black Lanterns. Did not see the red logo or the orange logos in her eyes, but we'll see. She also can communicate without the other guardians knowledge, something that will be telling in the months to come. I look forward to the series next year and if the buildup to it is as good as this, it will totally blow FINAL CRISIS and SECRET INVASION away.
Crossed 1- I have never been a big horror fan, but I've liked most of what Warren Ellis has written. This book totally unnerved me. And not in a good way. It seemed almost like shock just for shock's sake. I know it supposed to be a look at what we would be like if all our inhibitions went away, but some of this, especially with the kid was disturbing on a level that if you heard someone talking about this, you'd have him locked up. I don't know if I'll buy another issue, I may read it in the store to see where this goes. Unlike THE WALKING DEAD, this seems to have nowhere to go, so I'm guessing that it's a mini series.
Superman/Batman 53- Part 1 of the "Super/Bat" arc. This is another book that I jumped off a while back but was sucked back into. So far though, this has been a consistently good book. Michael Green has done a nice job constructing out of continuity stories that while different, don't look too out of place. His "mini-heroes" are was short and sweet (pardon the pun) and a whole lot of fun. Had some great moments of humor in them.
Now he gets to play with Rags Morales on art with swapping the powers for the two. Okay, there are no real powers for Bats to give to Supes, but you get my drift. It appears that Silver Banshee may have caused the switch, at least on the surface it looks that way. The inner dialogue that happens is spot on and captures both heroes flaws, including some pity and jealously. This has the making for a great arc and hopefully a continuation for Green of a great run of stories.
That's it for the moment. Will return (I promise!) in a day or so to throw some more your way.
Rather than focus on a particular week (last week was a small one for me), I want to pull some from recent weeks that caught my eye for good and bad.
Spawn 185- Beginning of "Endgame" by McFarlane and Portacio. The line from Godfather 3 kept repeating in my head as I walked out of the store with this issue; "every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in.". Spawn was my foray back into comics after many years and I stayed with it through good and bad times like a battered girlfriend. Finally I get the courage to say "enough" and walk away only to get sucked right back in. Todd hasn't written or drawn for I don't know how long and Whice has been in and out of things as well.
All that being said, this has both good and bad points. If you haven't read SPAWN in years, you're not going to know who this patient 47 is and why it's such a bad thing that he's awake from his coma. If someone knows, please leave me a posting. It also looks like Al (Spawn) has killed himself. Or at least it appears that way. The body is found by the Clown (Violator), sort of Joker to Spawn's Batman. The artwork is typical Portacio, for better and worse. A very dark tone in terms of shading to the book, more to make the words and actions pop. Given that it's the first part of a story arc, it's not that bad. But if they don't go about giving the backstory to this at some point, all of what has happened will be for nothing.
Ultimate Origins- I picked this up with great trepidation. I have loved ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN for the most part and read both FF and X-MEN for a while before both lost me. This is supposed to be a telling of how everything is connected within the Ultimate universe.
OK, now that the official line is out of the way let me say, WTF? Black Panther was part of Weapon X and saved by Nick Fury? Seriously?? Rick Jones is going to be the Silver Surfer? That's it? That's the "big thing"? Man. I know that Black Panther did not have the sexiest origin in the MCU, but it was organic and made sense for the character and it worked. To take it and totally screw it up is pitiful. Speaking of pitiful.....
Ultimate Spider-Man Annual 3- In this economy, I feel that we as fans should march on Marvel's offices and demand our money back from either Bendis or Quesada for this abomination. The artwork on this was sporadic at best, and the tagline about Peter and MJ was misleading. So they get back together, so what? That's supposed to cost me 4 bucks for something they could have put in the regular series? I do have to say that the introduction of Mysterio was nice, and if they had sold the issue as his intro, maybe I wouldn't have as much issue with things. Just a total bait and switch for my money.
Rage of the Red Lanterns- I loved this! Man I was looking forward to this issue and not only did it not let me down, it deepened the mysteries that will go on toward the BLACKEST NIGHT story next year. I also feel that I should throw something out there. Hal Jordan has been the model Green Lantern for the last 40+ years, but I don't think he'll be one at the end of the story next year. I think that he'll become a Blue Lantern to join Ganthet in that particular corps. One question I do have though; what did this have to do with FINAL CRISIS? It had it labelled on the cover and said it took place between 1 and 2,but in my opinion, had nothing do to with it. This was a great mix of action and talking. Having a cat as a Red Lantern? Brilliant! It sneaks up on a Yellow Lantern as they are trying to break Sinestro out of his cell and kills him. He was being transported to his home world for execution by the Green Lanterns when the Yellow Lanterns ambushed them. They appeared to have been tipped off by the Guardian who can see the other colors. The Red Lanterns appear and lay waste to all to get to Sinestro, who had imprisoned the leader Atrocitus.
The Red Lanterns don't care who is in front of them, they kill everything. The one Guardian (a chick?) who was wounded during the SINESTRO CORPS WAR seems to have to ability to either communicate or manipulate the other color Lanterns, including the Black Lanterns. Did not see the red logo or the orange logos in her eyes, but we'll see. She also can communicate without the other guardians knowledge, something that will be telling in the months to come. I look forward to the series next year and if the buildup to it is as good as this, it will totally blow FINAL CRISIS and SECRET INVASION away.
Crossed 1- I have never been a big horror fan, but I've liked most of what Warren Ellis has written. This book totally unnerved me. And not in a good way. It seemed almost like shock just for shock's sake. I know it supposed to be a look at what we would be like if all our inhibitions went away, but some of this, especially with the kid was disturbing on a level that if you heard someone talking about this, you'd have him locked up. I don't know if I'll buy another issue, I may read it in the store to see where this goes. Unlike THE WALKING DEAD, this seems to have nowhere to go, so I'm guessing that it's a mini series.
Superman/Batman 53- Part 1 of the "Super/Bat" arc. This is another book that I jumped off a while back but was sucked back into. So far though, this has been a consistently good book. Michael Green has done a nice job constructing out of continuity stories that while different, don't look too out of place. His "mini-heroes" are was short and sweet (pardon the pun) and a whole lot of fun. Had some great moments of humor in them.
Now he gets to play with Rags Morales on art with swapping the powers for the two. Okay, there are no real powers for Bats to give to Supes, but you get my drift. It appears that Silver Banshee may have caused the switch, at least on the surface it looks that way. The inner dialogue that happens is spot on and captures both heroes flaws, including some pity and jealously. This has the making for a great arc and hopefully a continuation for Green of a great run of stories.
That's it for the moment. Will return (I promise!) in a day or so to throw some more your way.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Quick hits....
I am behind in both getting and reading the books, and that will be rectified this weekend.
But I did get some of the event books so here are some thoughts;
-OK I did not see that Turpin was actually going to become Darkseid in FINAL CRISIS. A nice surprise using a pretty good supporting character.
-I feel a little like Jim and I just want SECRET INVASION to end. I also sort of understand Rusty's long help belief that issue long fight issues can really suck. It wasn't all that bad, but should have ended somewhat earlier.
-The Lady Bulleseye run in DAREDEVIL has been.....OK. I am really not getting why there are rehashing the secret ID again with Matt. He is also becoming a little too angsty about his wife. I mean, he should feel bad about the situation, but he has to move on.
-I gotta tell you, I did not like the NIGHTWING part of R.I.P. It never even felt like it was a part of the overall story. The OUTSIDERS did a better part of conveying what the DCU was seeing of this. Now to hear DiDio tell it, the next big arc ("the battle for the cowl") is becoming not who inherits it, but who will actually wear it. Hell, I'll throw my hat in the ring for it if that's the case.
-On a related Batman note, November will see the premiere of THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD on Cartoon Network. From what I've seen and heard, I am excited for it. It is steering away from the dark and brooding Bats we've had and is looks to have more of a silver age feel, but using modern characters such as Blue Beetle. Keep your eyes and ears open and give it a chance. After all, it seems that cartoons involving superheroes are going the way of the dinosaur.
That's it for now. I promise that as soon as I immerse myself in the books, I'll come up for air and barf up an opinion.
Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Everyone be safe and watch out for the kiddies!
But I did get some of the event books so here are some thoughts;
-OK I did not see that Turpin was actually going to become Darkseid in FINAL CRISIS. A nice surprise using a pretty good supporting character.
-I feel a little like Jim and I just want SECRET INVASION to end. I also sort of understand Rusty's long help belief that issue long fight issues can really suck. It wasn't all that bad, but should have ended somewhat earlier.
-The Lady Bulleseye run in DAREDEVIL has been.....OK. I am really not getting why there are rehashing the secret ID again with Matt. He is also becoming a little too angsty about his wife. I mean, he should feel bad about the situation, but he has to move on.
-I gotta tell you, I did not like the NIGHTWING part of R.I.P. It never even felt like it was a part of the overall story. The OUTSIDERS did a better part of conveying what the DCU was seeing of this. Now to hear DiDio tell it, the next big arc ("the battle for the cowl") is becoming not who inherits it, but who will actually wear it. Hell, I'll throw my hat in the ring for it if that's the case.
-On a related Batman note, November will see the premiere of THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD on Cartoon Network. From what I've seen and heard, I am excited for it. It is steering away from the dark and brooding Bats we've had and is looks to have more of a silver age feel, but using modern characters such as Blue Beetle. Keep your eyes and ears open and give it a chance. After all, it seems that cartoons involving superheroes are going the way of the dinosaur.
That's it for now. I promise that as soon as I immerse myself in the books, I'll come up for air and barf up an opinion.
Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Everyone be safe and watch out for the kiddies!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tumbleweeds on the internet!?!?!
Yep, that's what I see blowing across my screen as I look at my page here.
I know that this is primarily my fault. I haven't been keeping up with things as much as I should have. Things have been in a big flux around here and I am simply spinning too many plates to keep track of everything. If it's any consolation (probably not) other things have been sort of pushed off to the side as well. Nothing major like the wife or hygiene, but a bunch of the small stuff that adds up to your life. I don't expect you to either understand or maybe even care, just know that I am thinking about you guys and gals while I'm out slaying the dragon. I've been doing that more than anything the last couple of weeks or so, and hopefully things will have calmed down that I can get back into a flow. It better, or else things may go sideways.
A long time ago, I promised my wife that work would never again take over my life so completely that I neglect her. That happened once or twice before and it almost cost me the most important thing in my life. After all, she is the reason I do all this crap. The last couple of weeks have been brutal on both of us. I'm not home much, and when I am, I have been pretty much a cypher. The feeling I had yesterday when I walked out of work knowing that I wasn't going to be seeing it for at least a few days was one of being sprung from jail. Finally I could devote some time and effort to things and people I love.
So, now that I've purged myself, I hope you understand why I haven't been here lately. I also hope that you will continue to come back from time to time and check in on me. I will be back more often and with hopefully better and happier posts to throw at you. I know that comics are on the horizon and will make it's way here very soon.
Thanks for bearing with me.
I know that this is primarily my fault. I haven't been keeping up with things as much as I should have. Things have been in a big flux around here and I am simply spinning too many plates to keep track of everything. If it's any consolation (probably not) other things have been sort of pushed off to the side as well. Nothing major like the wife or hygiene, but a bunch of the small stuff that adds up to your life. I don't expect you to either understand or maybe even care, just know that I am thinking about you guys and gals while I'm out slaying the dragon. I've been doing that more than anything the last couple of weeks or so, and hopefully things will have calmed down that I can get back into a flow. It better, or else things may go sideways.
A long time ago, I promised my wife that work would never again take over my life so completely that I neglect her. That happened once or twice before and it almost cost me the most important thing in my life. After all, she is the reason I do all this crap. The last couple of weeks have been brutal on both of us. I'm not home much, and when I am, I have been pretty much a cypher. The feeling I had yesterday when I walked out of work knowing that I wasn't going to be seeing it for at least a few days was one of being sprung from jail. Finally I could devote some time and effort to things and people I love.
So, now that I've purged myself, I hope you understand why I haven't been here lately. I also hope that you will continue to come back from time to time and check in on me. I will be back more often and with hopefully better and happier posts to throw at you. I know that comics are on the horizon and will make it's way here very soon.
Thanks for bearing with me.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Some Thoughts on the Recent Comics
It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but I have had a few moments to read some comics and I thought I would throw my 2 cents out there and see what you guys think.
-The craze over ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN should have been how bad the book was. Its was all over the place and at this point I am having trouble deciphering what the hell the story is. They should have placed black boxes over the entire book.
-Conversely, I liked the ending of ALL STAR SUPERMAN. Sure it took forever to get all of it out, and not alot of people are getting what the last page means (leave me a reply if you want my opinion), but it told a story from beginning to end and will look decent when they wrap it all in trades.
-Back on a sort of negative rant, I have been massively disappointed by the latest arc in BUFFY. I was never a big Fray fan (sorry, Shawn) and this whole thing feels like.....I don't know, a stunt? A reason to bring Fray back? But there has been no chemistry, no feeling like "I want to go back and find trades to enjoy her", nothing. I have been as big a supporter and defender of master Joss since the book came out, but sorry, he's on his own here. I'll still get it, I await the next arc with much anticipation. They need to get back to the overall arc.
-I have trouble believing that the whole FINAL CRISIS blame can be laid at the feet of J.G. Jones. Not sure if they are even doing that, but that seemed to be the point of bringing in Carlos Pacheco. He was supposed to be helping, but man they are taking forever to get back to the main story.
-This might be a minority feeling, but my feeling on the last issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA was good, but could have been better. At least we had some resolutions. For the time being, it looks like Steve will replace Bucky in the Marvel axiom "dead means dead". Brubaker has done a terrific job for the most part with this book and I look forward to seeing if he can sustain Bucky's role in the MCU, or will he succumb to Kyle Rayner's disease and fall into the background.
-Is anyone else getting burned out on this "Embrace change" campaign from Marvel? Just end this and get on with the repercussions. Of which, I have a feeling that there will be only a few and probably neither any big or long lasting ones.
-Had a blast at the Baltimore Comic Con last weekend. Some highlights? Getting to see the old crew from the conversations show. I miss them and it was great to talk face to face and catch up.
A big highlight for me was meeting Scott Kurtz from PvP. Yes, I've met him before. Several times in fact. But this year he recognized me and greeted me like and old friend. It was terrific to talk about non-comics stuff with him and he is an awesome guy. Also, spending a few minutes with Herb Trimpe while he was working with Matthew on his HULK sketch was very nice. He is a nice guy and had great things to say about the show, which made me feel great that some people have a good opinion of our little show. I say that like I run the damn thing, but Marc Nathan and crew have done a fabulous job and I look forward to next year.
That's about it for now. Thanks for stopping by while your porn or bootleg movie downloads. Come back soon!
-The craze over ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN should have been how bad the book was. Its was all over the place and at this point I am having trouble deciphering what the hell the story is. They should have placed black boxes over the entire book.
-Conversely, I liked the ending of ALL STAR SUPERMAN. Sure it took forever to get all of it out, and not alot of people are getting what the last page means (leave me a reply if you want my opinion), but it told a story from beginning to end and will look decent when they wrap it all in trades.
-Back on a sort of negative rant, I have been massively disappointed by the latest arc in BUFFY. I was never a big Fray fan (sorry, Shawn) and this whole thing feels like.....I don't know, a stunt? A reason to bring Fray back? But there has been no chemistry, no feeling like "I want to go back and find trades to enjoy her", nothing. I have been as big a supporter and defender of master Joss since the book came out, but sorry, he's on his own here. I'll still get it, I await the next arc with much anticipation. They need to get back to the overall arc.
-I have trouble believing that the whole FINAL CRISIS blame can be laid at the feet of J.G. Jones. Not sure if they are even doing that, but that seemed to be the point of bringing in Carlos Pacheco. He was supposed to be helping, but man they are taking forever to get back to the main story.
-This might be a minority feeling, but my feeling on the last issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA was good, but could have been better. At least we had some resolutions. For the time being, it looks like Steve will replace Bucky in the Marvel axiom "dead means dead". Brubaker has done a terrific job for the most part with this book and I look forward to seeing if he can sustain Bucky's role in the MCU, or will he succumb to Kyle Rayner's disease and fall into the background.
-Is anyone else getting burned out on this "Embrace change" campaign from Marvel? Just end this and get on with the repercussions. Of which, I have a feeling that there will be only a few and probably neither any big or long lasting ones.
-Had a blast at the Baltimore Comic Con last weekend. Some highlights? Getting to see the old crew from the conversations show. I miss them and it was great to talk face to face and catch up.
A big highlight for me was meeting Scott Kurtz from PvP. Yes, I've met him before. Several times in fact. But this year he recognized me and greeted me like and old friend. It was terrific to talk about non-comics stuff with him and he is an awesome guy. Also, spending a few minutes with Herb Trimpe while he was working with Matthew on his HULK sketch was very nice. He is a nice guy and had great things to say about the show, which made me feel great that some people have a good opinion of our little show. I say that like I run the damn thing, but Marc Nathan and crew have done a fabulous job and I look forward to next year.
That's about it for now. Thanks for stopping by while your porn or bootleg movie downloads. Come back soon!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Holy Crap...
I refuse to make this a place for politics. There are enough places out there for that. However, I feel compelled to say something about what has happened with the economy the last few days;
Are you freaking kidding me?!?!?!?!?
The stock market looks like a train wreck, banks are failing, people are losing their houses, and McCain says with a straight face that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong"? Then, when caught completely depantsed by both the news and the media, he tries to peddle it as "I was referring to the workers as the fundamentals of the economy".
Yeah, right.
Anyone else feel like a "fundamental"? Because I sure as hell don't.
Feel more like a prostitute. Willing to do what it takes to make a buck and stay alive for another day.
OK, that's it. Back to the fun things in life. Be good.
Are you freaking kidding me?!?!?!?!?
The stock market looks like a train wreck, banks are failing, people are losing their houses, and McCain says with a straight face that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong"? Then, when caught completely depantsed by both the news and the media, he tries to peddle it as "I was referring to the workers as the fundamentals of the economy".
Yeah, right.
Anyone else feel like a "fundamental"? Because I sure as hell don't.
Feel more like a prostitute. Willing to do what it takes to make a buck and stay alive for another day.
OK, that's it. Back to the fun things in life. Be good.
Monday, September 8, 2008
A nice start
Have to admit, but Sundays this fall are going to be weird for me.
I am a diehard Ravens fan. I am also a realist at heart. I am not one of those drooling fans who think they are going to win every game and win the Super Bowl each year (see Redskins fans for that). I just want them to play well and hopefully win a few more games this year. I also work late Saturday night and Sunday night, so sometimes a 1 o'clock game may be tough for me.
That being said, I watched the game yesterday from start to finish. It was a nice first game. Not great, but good. They still have things to improve on and hopefully they will. The kid Flacco looked comfortable running the offense and made good decisions for the most part. I still like Troy Smith, but the guy looked like he knew what he was doing back there. I think the pickup of Lorenzo Neal is going to be the thing that could turn this offense around. A few years ago, they picked up Sam Adams for the defense and he turned out to be a cornerstone of a record breaking defense. Now, I'm not saying that the offense will break records, but Neal brings an attitude that has been sorely missing on that side of the ball for some time. The defense looked like the nasty unit we have become accustomed to seeing in this town. Smartest thing management did was keep Rex Ryan the coordinator. The defense loves playing for him and it shows.
It's just one game, and there are a lot of season to go, but all in all, a nice start.
I am a diehard Ravens fan. I am also a realist at heart. I am not one of those drooling fans who think they are going to win every game and win the Super Bowl each year (see Redskins fans for that). I just want them to play well and hopefully win a few more games this year. I also work late Saturday night and Sunday night, so sometimes a 1 o'clock game may be tough for me.
That being said, I watched the game yesterday from start to finish. It was a nice first game. Not great, but good. They still have things to improve on and hopefully they will. The kid Flacco looked comfortable running the offense and made good decisions for the most part. I still like Troy Smith, but the guy looked like he knew what he was doing back there. I think the pickup of Lorenzo Neal is going to be the thing that could turn this offense around. A few years ago, they picked up Sam Adams for the defense and he turned out to be a cornerstone of a record breaking defense. Now, I'm not saying that the offense will break records, but Neal brings an attitude that has been sorely missing on that side of the ball for some time. The defense looked like the nasty unit we have become accustomed to seeing in this town. Smartest thing management did was keep Rex Ryan the coordinator. The defense loves playing for him and it shows.
It's just one game, and there are a lot of season to go, but all in all, a nice start.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Anyone else?
Anyone out there having a weird week too?
Man I am so out of sorts it's not funny. Work and other things are so out of whack at the moment I feel like I'm standing in the eye of a hurricane. Take one wrong step and you get hit with a flying cow.
OK, back to sleep for a bit. You guys be good and look out for yourselves. I'll be back, I promise.
Man I am so out of sorts it's not funny. Work and other things are so out of whack at the moment I feel like I'm standing in the eye of a hurricane. Take one wrong step and you get hit with a flying cow.
OK, back to sleep for a bit. You guys be good and look out for yourselves. I'll be back, I promise.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Batman, R.I.P....or DOA? Part 2
Before I get rolling, I have to make a correction. The R.I.P. story began in BATMAN 676, not 675 as I alluded to in the last post. Also, the trade ad has it in BATMAN and the OUTSIDERS, but I have not seen it, nor do I really care about it.
It was pointed out to me by Jim that the spin-off books have been not really all that helpful in driving the story forward. I would agree. To me the poorest effort has been in ROBIN. He spends the night looking for someone who took a camera phone picture of Batman to determine if he really has gone nuts. OK, challenge time. Go find the issue (#176) and look at the photo on page 5 ( or maybe 6 if you count ads). Go ahead, I'll wait. Find it? Good. Tell me something. Other than some stubble, how can you tell if he's gone nuts? Wouldn't Batman look like that to any street thug or criminal lowlife? Wouldn't he scowl at them to make them wet their pants? This is the determining factor that Robin us using? I know he found the dossier that Bruce made in his early days, but the photo was the tipping point? And don't get me started on the whole Spoiler thing. I think she brings waaay to much drama into Robin/Tim's life. Should have stayed with Zoanne, but that's for another time. NIGHTWING is just started to get into the R.I.P. story, or at least I think so. In his book, Dick is taking on a task for Two-Face and gets shot by someone. There is very little if any mention of what is going on in BATMAN. Then why do they bother to put the R.I.P. label on the top of the book? Considering that Dick is in Arkham drugged out of his mind over in BATMAN, we have no idea where Nightwing is going to end up.
Onto the main book, BATMAN. Maybe this is a slow burn, I'm not sure or not that smart. There are plot threads which only have 2 more issues to wrap up. How does Jezebel Jet fit into all this and where the heck is she? After showing her the Batcave, is most intimate place in the world, she basically calls him psychotic and implies that the whole "Black Hand" could be in his head. Is Alfred supposed to be the mastermind behind this? One moment it looks that way, the next he's getting the living snot beat out of him in the Batcave. Then out of nowhere, Bat-Mite appears and Bruce spends most of the next issue having a conversation with him. The Black Hand has taken control of the Batcave and the next issue teases the Joker. They sprung him in the first part but haven't seen him since.
I think we'll find out that this "Zur-en-arrh" trigger was planted in Bruce's mind when he was Narda Parabat while he has mediating during the 52 mini series. Someone, maybe Ra's al Guhl did this to him to strike at Bruce's heart and soul. I found something recently and it grabbed my attention. In DC UNIVERSE Zero, basically a primer for all the big series they are going to be doing, there is a conversation between Batman and Joker in Arkham. In it, Joker tell Batman that he is about to get his head handed to him by some "some very, very bad people have decided to hurt you. Because they can, Because they think you deserve it.". Obviously the Joker will play some part in this, because "Robin has been promised to him.".
So, what is the endgame here? Will Bruce give up the mantle of the Bat to someone like Dick or Jason? Unlikely, since Dick is doing well over in NIGHTWING and I don't think that Tim would trust Jason enough to continue on as Batman and Robin. We saw in the opening page of this story that Batman and Robin are still together six months in the future. Will there be some wild card out there who will show up to help? Again, unlikely. Does anyone out there have a clue, outside of Grant Morrison? Because I fail to see where this is going to end. I guess I'm just not that savvy.
Overall, I've enjoyed the story. It does take you out of your comfort zone in reading it, and if done properly, that can be an enjoyable thing. I do know this. Once this wraps up, I'll be breaking out all the issues to see where I missed something and how it will all be tied together nice and neatly.
I hope.
It was pointed out to me by Jim that the spin-off books have been not really all that helpful in driving the story forward. I would agree. To me the poorest effort has been in ROBIN. He spends the night looking for someone who took a camera phone picture of Batman to determine if he really has gone nuts. OK, challenge time. Go find the issue (#176) and look at the photo on page 5 ( or maybe 6 if you count ads). Go ahead, I'll wait. Find it? Good. Tell me something. Other than some stubble, how can you tell if he's gone nuts? Wouldn't Batman look like that to any street thug or criminal lowlife? Wouldn't he scowl at them to make them wet their pants? This is the determining factor that Robin us using? I know he found the dossier that Bruce made in his early days, but the photo was the tipping point? And don't get me started on the whole Spoiler thing. I think she brings waaay to much drama into Robin/Tim's life. Should have stayed with Zoanne, but that's for another time. NIGHTWING is just started to get into the R.I.P. story, or at least I think so. In his book, Dick is taking on a task for Two-Face and gets shot by someone. There is very little if any mention of what is going on in BATMAN. Then why do they bother to put the R.I.P. label on the top of the book? Considering that Dick is in Arkham drugged out of his mind over in BATMAN, we have no idea where Nightwing is going to end up.
Onto the main book, BATMAN. Maybe this is a slow burn, I'm not sure or not that smart. There are plot threads which only have 2 more issues to wrap up. How does Jezebel Jet fit into all this and where the heck is she? After showing her the Batcave, is most intimate place in the world, she basically calls him psychotic and implies that the whole "Black Hand" could be in his head. Is Alfred supposed to be the mastermind behind this? One moment it looks that way, the next he's getting the living snot beat out of him in the Batcave. Then out of nowhere, Bat-Mite appears and Bruce spends most of the next issue having a conversation with him. The Black Hand has taken control of the Batcave and the next issue teases the Joker. They sprung him in the first part but haven't seen him since.
I think we'll find out that this "Zur-en-arrh" trigger was planted in Bruce's mind when he was Narda Parabat while he has mediating during the 52 mini series. Someone, maybe Ra's al Guhl did this to him to strike at Bruce's heart and soul. I found something recently and it grabbed my attention. In DC UNIVERSE Zero, basically a primer for all the big series they are going to be doing, there is a conversation between Batman and Joker in Arkham. In it, Joker tell Batman that he is about to get his head handed to him by some "some very, very bad people have decided to hurt you. Because they can, Because they think you deserve it.". Obviously the Joker will play some part in this, because "Robin has been promised to him.".
So, what is the endgame here? Will Bruce give up the mantle of the Bat to someone like Dick or Jason? Unlikely, since Dick is doing well over in NIGHTWING and I don't think that Tim would trust Jason enough to continue on as Batman and Robin. We saw in the opening page of this story that Batman and Robin are still together six months in the future. Will there be some wild card out there who will show up to help? Again, unlikely. Does anyone out there have a clue, outside of Grant Morrison? Because I fail to see where this is going to end. I guess I'm just not that savvy.
Overall, I've enjoyed the story. It does take you out of your comfort zone in reading it, and if done properly, that can be an enjoyable thing. I do know this. Once this wraps up, I'll be breaking out all the issues to see where I missed something and how it will all be tied together nice and neatly.
I hope.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Batman- R.I.P......or DOA?
Hey there gang.
Rather than write a review of an individual book, I was asked for my opinon on the storyline of Batman- R.I.P. (Thanks for the suggestion Jim, I am sorry about the lateness of the post.)
Now, I have to say that while I am not a Grant Morrison fanboy, I have enjoyed most of his work. JLA, X-Men were fun reads more often than not. So far, this has been a disorienting read. Bruce has gone certifably nuts and is talking to not only Bat-Mite, but gargoyles and other objects. The wording and look of his word balloons give the appearence of someone who has come completely unhinged, almost like someone from Arkham. The Black Hand has taken control of the Batcave and have beaten the living crap out of Alfred. Poor Alfred. The Star Trek redshirt of the Batman universe. The guy controlling the Black Hand is "Thomas Wayne". I put quotes around this because we are expected to believe that this is Bruce's long-dead father? If this turns out to be true (and I suspect it won't), Morrison will have committed the ultimate sin in my book. At least when they have brought back Bucky and Jason Todd, they have done it with some conviction and a decent backstory as to why (Bucky's is better than Jason in my book).
Originally I thought that this was going to be self-contained in the two core books (BATMAN and DETECTIVE), but this was spun into both NIGHTWING and ROBIN. This illustrates my point about "event" books. If had stayed with the two, you would have had only input from 2 writers (Paul Dini writes DET.) but now you have to include 2 more (Peter Tomasi writes Nightwing and Fabian Nicieza has just taken up the writing chores for ROBIN right before this started) so now Grant's story becomes even more diluted. Yes, I'm sure that the other writers had a hand in planning this, but this is supposed to be Grant's opus. The spin-off books have been just that. DETECTIVE is working the origin of Hush into this. It turns out that he was introduced to one of Bat's rogues (Scarecrow) at an early age. It looks as if the 2 are working together. My one problem with this is continunity. Not the Scarecrow/Hush angle. That I can live with. It's the fact that in here, Batman is sane and working with Robin and Nightwing and even Catwoman. He hasn't gone 'round the bend yet. There is a mention of the Black Hand in here, but would it be too much to put a box saying "These events occur before Batman 675"?
There is so much to go on about that I am going to break this post up into 2 parts. The next post will address ROBIN, NIGHTWING and BATMAN books and what I think it going to come out of all this.
Rather than write a review of an individual book, I was asked for my opinon on the storyline of Batman- R.I.P. (Thanks for the suggestion Jim, I am sorry about the lateness of the post.)
Now, I have to say that while I am not a Grant Morrison fanboy, I have enjoyed most of his work. JLA, X-Men were fun reads more often than not. So far, this has been a disorienting read. Bruce has gone certifably nuts and is talking to not only Bat-Mite, but gargoyles and other objects. The wording and look of his word balloons give the appearence of someone who has come completely unhinged, almost like someone from Arkham. The Black Hand has taken control of the Batcave and have beaten the living crap out of Alfred. Poor Alfred. The Star Trek redshirt of the Batman universe. The guy controlling the Black Hand is "Thomas Wayne". I put quotes around this because we are expected to believe that this is Bruce's long-dead father? If this turns out to be true (and I suspect it won't), Morrison will have committed the ultimate sin in my book. At least when they have brought back Bucky and Jason Todd, they have done it with some conviction and a decent backstory as to why (Bucky's is better than Jason in my book).
Originally I thought that this was going to be self-contained in the two core books (BATMAN and DETECTIVE), but this was spun into both NIGHTWING and ROBIN. This illustrates my point about "event" books. If had stayed with the two, you would have had only input from 2 writers (Paul Dini writes DET.) but now you have to include 2 more (Peter Tomasi writes Nightwing and Fabian Nicieza has just taken up the writing chores for ROBIN right before this started) so now Grant's story becomes even more diluted. Yes, I'm sure that the other writers had a hand in planning this, but this is supposed to be Grant's opus. The spin-off books have been just that. DETECTIVE is working the origin of Hush into this. It turns out that he was introduced to one of Bat's rogues (Scarecrow) at an early age. It looks as if the 2 are working together. My one problem with this is continunity. Not the Scarecrow/Hush angle. That I can live with. It's the fact that in here, Batman is sane and working with Robin and Nightwing and even Catwoman. He hasn't gone 'round the bend yet. There is a mention of the Black Hand in here, but would it be too much to put a box saying "These events occur before Batman 675"?
There is so much to go on about that I am going to break this post up into 2 parts. The next post will address ROBIN, NIGHTWING and BATMAN books and what I think it going to come out of all this.
Friday, August 15, 2008
DC Superheroes- The Filmation Adventures
A review.
If you're older than 35, you probably remember Saturday morning cartoons. From usually 7am until noon, they populated our universe. Sadly, like much of what was good and fun, it's been taken away or diluted. If you were a comic lover, it was a great time. There was Spider-Man, and the Superman-Batman Adventures. Sure the animation wasn't Disney, but there were our heroes in all their technicolor glory having the fights and adventures with the bad guys we read in the comics.
This DVD is composed of those adventures with the "supporting cast" of the SBA crowd. I always look forward to these since they were a cool change of pace from Supes and Bats. The lineup consists of the Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, Justice League of America, and the Teen Titans. Their origins and even the titles are taken from the Silver Age, which fits since these were all created in 1967 or '68. There is 3 stories for each character or group, with no real underlying story thread tying them together. They were written by George Kashdan, except for one Flash cartoon.
I must raise my geek flag and nit pick a little. They introduce Aquaman in the JLA cartoon beginning but never use him. They use Superman, I guess for name recognition, but not Batman? Also, they use Aqualad in the Teen Titans but not Robin? Upon reflection, maybe it was because the live action show was on at the time. But back then there wasn't a term like "synergy", so I don't know why he wasn't there. I wasn't a big GL fan the way I am today, but the kid sidekick from Venus? What's up with that? Hawkman and Atom didn't have sidekicks (OK there was a bird for Hawkman, but he wasn't getting into trouble, so he doesn't count) in their toons.
In watching these, you remember that while you loved these, you were also somewhat frustrated at them. The use of stock footage over and over became a gag for shows like the Simpsons and Family Guy. The fast and easy resolution to these were sometimes (OK most of the time) hokey and headscratching. You wanted to see more action, more of your hero doing what he does best. The use of flashing lights and piercing sounds could give you a headache if watched for hours. Still, these are great peeks into the past. The voiceovers are a trip in the way back machine (anyone else remember and love Ted Knight from the Mary Tyler Moor Show? He does all the narration and some of the minor character voices.) and consistent. The actors who do the voices for Superman and Aqualad do them here. They strike a tone of who the character acted like in the comics back then. For Silver Age fans, these are a great look back at your heroes in their prime.
Fun? Yep. Mindlessness? You betcha. But also a nice remembrance of a time not that long ago that we may never see again.
Grade: B-/C+ (would it have killed Warner to clean these up just a little?)
If you're older than 35, you probably remember Saturday morning cartoons. From usually 7am until noon, they populated our universe. Sadly, like much of what was good and fun, it's been taken away or diluted. If you were a comic lover, it was a great time. There was Spider-Man, and the Superman-Batman Adventures. Sure the animation wasn't Disney, but there were our heroes in all their technicolor glory having the fights and adventures with the bad guys we read in the comics.
This DVD is composed of those adventures with the "supporting cast" of the SBA crowd. I always look forward to these since they were a cool change of pace from Supes and Bats. The lineup consists of the Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, Justice League of America, and the Teen Titans. Their origins and even the titles are taken from the Silver Age, which fits since these were all created in 1967 or '68. There is 3 stories for each character or group, with no real underlying story thread tying them together. They were written by George Kashdan, except for one Flash cartoon.
I must raise my geek flag and nit pick a little. They introduce Aquaman in the JLA cartoon beginning but never use him. They use Superman, I guess for name recognition, but not Batman? Also, they use Aqualad in the Teen Titans but not Robin? Upon reflection, maybe it was because the live action show was on at the time. But back then there wasn't a term like "synergy", so I don't know why he wasn't there. I wasn't a big GL fan the way I am today, but the kid sidekick from Venus? What's up with that? Hawkman and Atom didn't have sidekicks (OK there was a bird for Hawkman, but he wasn't getting into trouble, so he doesn't count) in their toons.
In watching these, you remember that while you loved these, you were also somewhat frustrated at them. The use of stock footage over and over became a gag for shows like the Simpsons and Family Guy. The fast and easy resolution to these were sometimes (OK most of the time) hokey and headscratching. You wanted to see more action, more of your hero doing what he does best. The use of flashing lights and piercing sounds could give you a headache if watched for hours. Still, these are great peeks into the past. The voiceovers are a trip in the way back machine (anyone else remember and love Ted Knight from the Mary Tyler Moor Show? He does all the narration and some of the minor character voices.) and consistent. The actors who do the voices for Superman and Aqualad do them here. They strike a tone of who the character acted like in the comics back then. For Silver Age fans, these are a great look back at your heroes in their prime.
Fun? Yep. Mindlessness? You betcha. But also a nice remembrance of a time not that long ago that we may never see again.
Grade: B-/C+ (would it have killed Warner to clean these up just a little?)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Is it just me?
Gang, I really, really need some input on this please.
Is it just me or does it seem that people really don't give a crap about how they go about their job anymore? I realize that I am wired differently than most. But it drives me nuts when in the course of doing my job, I encounter some shabby or really shitty work done by someone who is supposed to be in a position of authority. When I go to someone else in management, I usually get dismissed or told something along the lines of "well, that's the way so and so does it".
But if they are doing it in a halfassed way, shouldn't someone say "look assclown, either do it right or don't bother doing it at all."? Maybe they are waiting for someone to say that so they don't have to do the work, I really don't know.
I know that I am old school. I don't care what your job is, take some freaking pride in doing a good job. It should reflect well on you and hopefully someone will notice.
So, am I stupid or what?
Oh by the way, review is on deck for tomorrow.
Is it just me or does it seem that people really don't give a crap about how they go about their job anymore? I realize that I am wired differently than most. But it drives me nuts when in the course of doing my job, I encounter some shabby or really shitty work done by someone who is supposed to be in a position of authority. When I go to someone else in management, I usually get dismissed or told something along the lines of "well, that's the way so and so does it".
But if they are doing it in a halfassed way, shouldn't someone say "look assclown, either do it right or don't bother doing it at all."? Maybe they are waiting for someone to say that so they don't have to do the work, I really don't know.
I know that I am old school. I don't care what your job is, take some freaking pride in doing a good job. It should reflect well on you and hopefully someone will notice.
So, am I stupid or what?
Oh by the way, review is on deck for tomorrow.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
DUH!!!
That above sentiment is directed at yours truly after seeing that he labeled the last 2 post the exact same thing. ASSHAT!
-Caught a bit of the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. Wasn't going to, but took a peek and man was I glad I did. That opening part was mindblowing. The choreography, the tech, the costumes, it was awe inspiring. I don't give a crap about the politics of the country, all I know is that the people put on one hell of a show.
-I am deciding which book to review for your enjoyment later on in the weekend. Have a couple of obvious choices, but may go off script.
I take my leave of you all as I go climb into bed next to the love of my life. Yeah the wife will be there too (KIDDING!!!).
Be good all! =)
-Caught a bit of the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. Wasn't going to, but took a peek and man was I glad I did. That opening part was mindblowing. The choreography, the tech, the costumes, it was awe inspiring. I don't give a crap about the politics of the country, all I know is that the people put on one hell of a show.
-I am deciding which book to review for your enjoyment later on in the weekend. Have a couple of obvious choices, but may go off script.
I take my leave of you all as I go climb into bed next to the love of my life. Yeah the wife will be there too (KIDDING!!!).
Be good all! =)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Some thoughts and musings
I'm awake so it's time to put some things down.
-Why are the "event" books this summer feel like they are just spinning their wheels? I know this may seem like heresy, but the 3 I am following (RIP,SI,FC) feel like maybe a too slow a burn. But it's probably me.
-The news that THE DARK KNIGHT is about to overtake that piece of crap TITANIC fills me with both elation and dread. I can finally stop hearing from my wife every time she pops that piece of dung in the DVD player that, "well, it is the highest grossing movie ever." If she stopped after grossing I would have agreed with her. My dread is that this is it. We have it hit the pinnacle of movies as comic fans. After living through DAREDEVIL and and the first HULK film, we have climbed the mountain to achieve our little piece of success. We saw the fantasy genre hit the high water mark with the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, and they have not been able to top that since. Mind you, it was the BATMAN franchise that sort of killed us before (thanks Joel Scheumacher) and we have been slowly climbing back from the rubble since. The X-Men and Spider-Man franchises were big components to letting us shine our geek and comic lights. Now with both IRON MAN,HELLBOY and TDK earning both critical and commercial success, we stand proud in the light and say "Yes, I do read comics! And you know what? 300 and so on are based on comics! HA HA! We WIN!" But as we all know, once you've hit the top, there is only one way to go: down.
There is hope that the inevitable fall will not be so dramatic as last time. The WATCHMEN movie has people giddy and non comic fans asking about it. But, even there some of my fears are being realized. It's almost a year before it is due for release, and it's on the cover of Entertainment Weekly? Most of us were worried about the hype surrounding TDK killing it. WATCHMEN may outdo that, if that's possible. Some of the other ones that have been announced (Ant-Man?!?!?) leave me scratching my head. But for now, I will enjoy my walk in the sun as a proud unabashed fan of comics and will never let my flag hang low. I will, however, enjoy bashing the hell out of the posers who claim they "know" the comics of which they try to speak of. Let's try to keep them from eating us from within, shall we?
-On a final note, I read my friend Jim Martin's blog about the Image previews. Jim, I used to read SPAWN for many years, much to Shawn's dismay. The solicit for not only McFarlane but Portacio to come back to it on a regular basis has me somewhat geeked. I might (stress the word MIGHT) be tempted to pick an issue and see what happens. SPAWN was the comic that brought me back to comics (much to my wife's eternal frustration) so I feel like a first love or girlfriend has asked me to try again. I've been burned before, but you can't say no to that first love.
-Why are the "event" books this summer feel like they are just spinning their wheels? I know this may seem like heresy, but the 3 I am following (RIP,SI,FC) feel like maybe a too slow a burn. But it's probably me.
-The news that THE DARK KNIGHT is about to overtake that piece of crap TITANIC fills me with both elation and dread. I can finally stop hearing from my wife every time she pops that piece of dung in the DVD player that, "well, it is the highest grossing movie ever." If she stopped after grossing I would have agreed with her. My dread is that this is it. We have it hit the pinnacle of movies as comic fans. After living through DAREDEVIL and and the first HULK film, we have climbed the mountain to achieve our little piece of success. We saw the fantasy genre hit the high water mark with the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, and they have not been able to top that since. Mind you, it was the BATMAN franchise that sort of killed us before (thanks Joel Scheumacher) and we have been slowly climbing back from the rubble since. The X-Men and Spider-Man franchises were big components to letting us shine our geek and comic lights. Now with both IRON MAN,HELLBOY and TDK earning both critical and commercial success, we stand proud in the light and say "Yes, I do read comics! And you know what? 300 and so on are based on comics! HA HA! We WIN!" But as we all know, once you've hit the top, there is only one way to go: down.
There is hope that the inevitable fall will not be so dramatic as last time. The WATCHMEN movie has people giddy and non comic fans asking about it. But, even there some of my fears are being realized. It's almost a year before it is due for release, and it's on the cover of Entertainment Weekly? Most of us were worried about the hype surrounding TDK killing it. WATCHMEN may outdo that, if that's possible. Some of the other ones that have been announced (Ant-Man?!?!?) leave me scratching my head. But for now, I will enjoy my walk in the sun as a proud unabashed fan of comics and will never let my flag hang low. I will, however, enjoy bashing the hell out of the posers who claim they "know" the comics of which they try to speak of. Let's try to keep them from eating us from within, shall we?
-On a final note, I read my friend Jim Martin's blog about the Image previews. Jim, I used to read SPAWN for many years, much to Shawn's dismay. The solicit for not only McFarlane but Portacio to come back to it on a regular basis has me somewhat geeked. I might (stress the word MIGHT) be tempted to pick an issue and see what happens. SPAWN was the comic that brought me back to comics (much to my wife's eternal frustration) so I feel like a first love or girlfriend has asked me to try again. I've been burned before, but you can't say no to that first love.
Monday, August 4, 2008
MIA....again
Hey there all.
I am really sorry about not posting more, but things have been conspiring to keep my brain fried.
I promise that in the coming weeks, there will be more content.
Oh, and one other thing. I have decided that when I do a review of some comics, it will be a one at a time deal. That way I can give it more time and thought.
Thanks for your patience. I love ya, guys! =)
I am really sorry about not posting more, but things have been conspiring to keep my brain fried.
I promise that in the coming weeks, there will be more content.
Oh, and one other thing. I have decided that when I do a review of some comics, it will be a one at a time deal. That way I can give it more time and thought.
Thanks for your patience. I love ya, guys! =)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Some movie thoughts
Hey there gang.
Did something unusual for my birthday the other day. Caught THE DARK KNIGHT again. I'm not one for repeat showings in the theater. But it did sort of expose the fact that there are two types of moviegoers. I sat with the first bunch on Thursday night/ Friday morning. Those people are the fans of either the movie, an actor, or the character. These folks went nuts the first time you see the Joker in action, laughed at the right moments and got into the movie and left it clapping and happy.
The group I was it with on Monday night was an entirely different group. Most of them sat there silent and while there were some chuckles and gasps at certain things, they were as about as much fun as a dead fish.
I use the truck flipping stunt as an example. No real spoilers here, we've all seen the ads. Thursday night's crowd? Clapping and whooping it up. I can only imagine how this must have looked in the IMAX format. Monday? No real reaction, maybe a "wow" or two heard, but that was my brother-in-law, who we treated to the movie.
Oh and the fact that a new SPIRIT trailer (with footage!) appeared Monday was lost on most of the crowd. But I remember the reaction by quite a few people (excited to see it and how Dr. Manhattan looked)when the WATCHMEN trailer started on Thursday.
So, if there is a point to this, I guess it's this: if you really want to see the movie, to enjoy it with people who are going to enjoy it (not to say that they went and had nothing better to do), then go as early as possible. The fans who do tend to make it a more enjoyable experience.
Not that there is anything wrong with waiting. I understand that some of us have difficulties with crowds and life in general. Just think that at least once you should do this. It could be great fun.
Later.
Did something unusual for my birthday the other day. Caught THE DARK KNIGHT again. I'm not one for repeat showings in the theater. But it did sort of expose the fact that there are two types of moviegoers. I sat with the first bunch on Thursday night/ Friday morning. Those people are the fans of either the movie, an actor, or the character. These folks went nuts the first time you see the Joker in action, laughed at the right moments and got into the movie and left it clapping and happy.
The group I was it with on Monday night was an entirely different group. Most of them sat there silent and while there were some chuckles and gasps at certain things, they were as about as much fun as a dead fish.
I use the truck flipping stunt as an example. No real spoilers here, we've all seen the ads. Thursday night's crowd? Clapping and whooping it up. I can only imagine how this must have looked in the IMAX format. Monday? No real reaction, maybe a "wow" or two heard, but that was my brother-in-law, who we treated to the movie.
Oh and the fact that a new SPIRIT trailer (with footage!) appeared Monday was lost on most of the crowd. But I remember the reaction by quite a few people (excited to see it and how Dr. Manhattan looked)when the WATCHMEN trailer started on Thursday.
So, if there is a point to this, I guess it's this: if you really want to see the movie, to enjoy it with people who are going to enjoy it (not to say that they went and had nothing better to do), then go as early as possible. The fans who do tend to make it a more enjoyable experience.
Not that there is anything wrong with waiting. I understand that some of us have difficulties with crowds and life in general. Just think that at least once you should do this. It could be great fun.
Later.
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Dark (and long) Knight
Hey there all.
I promise that I won't spoil a thing for anyone. Nothing that the ads may or may not have done.
All I'll say is a one word answer to the question "is it worth the hype?"
Well, what do you think?
YES!! OMG YES!!!
I am sure that there will be naysayers out there, that IRON MAN or HULK was better, and I will admit that IRON MAN was VERY GOOD.
But this? This was a tour de force for just about everyone who appeared on screen.
That's all I'm saying for now. Go and judge for yourself.
I promise that I won't spoil a thing for anyone. Nothing that the ads may or may not have done.
All I'll say is a one word answer to the question "is it worth the hype?"
Well, what do you think?
YES!! OMG YES!!!
I am sure that there will be naysayers out there, that IRON MAN or HULK was better, and I will admit that IRON MAN was VERY GOOD.
But this? This was a tour de force for just about everyone who appeared on screen.
That's all I'm saying for now. Go and judge for yourself.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #1- A review. Writing, art and "heart" by Mike Kunkel. Lettering by Steve Wands
First off, sorry that I don't have a picture to put up. No scanner and DC's website was not cooperating.
When I first saw the solict for this in Previews, I had to do a double take. There was Mike Kunkel doing a DC book? And a "kids" title at that? Holy crap! To explain my reaction, let me give you a quick flashback. Several years ago I was wondering thru my comic store and happened upon an indy book called "Herobear and the Kid". The cover reached me for some reason and as I opened it, I was instantly captivated. The art, the style of writing, the characters were a perfect marriage. I became a Mike Kunkel fan on the spot. Since that book many years ago, I have been scanning the comic horizon for more of Mr. Kunkel, but to no avail. The only time recently I had seen him was in the Batman/Superman tribute book to Sam Loeb.
When you pick up this book, you are transported back to a few years ago. Not so much the story right off, but the fact that this book is priced and looks exactly like comics did before the speculator boom. Even though this book is not in current DC continuity, they saddled him with with the story done by Jeff Smith (Bone) a few years ago. Billy is Captain Marvel, his little sister is Mary Marvel. To be honest the first couple of pages are sort of lost to me. It's because the dialogue is written in The Monster Society Code. I am not sure if this is something that Smith came up or if this as old as the original Captain way back when. At least they give you the code up front and let you decipher it. Smith's book has the titles done like this and you had to wait until the final issue to get the code. Don't fault him for that, just sayin'.
After a brief recap of what's happened lately, the story jumps to Cap and Mary flying to save a train with no brakes. The interaction here is what you would expect from a brother and sister. We learn that while they both have the same key word to change, their powers are slightly different. Billy uses Cap to pose as an adult to get them an apartment and to meet the principal of the school they are to attend. As he goes to change, he is summoned to the Rock of Eternity by Solomon. Also introduced is the villain of the book, Theo Adam (Black Adam). Turns out at the end of the Jeff Smith mini, as Cap was tossing the bad guys into a vortex (don't ask), Theo escaped from another dimension, but he returns as a kid. He was placed there by Solomon for some reason. Solomon tells Cap of this threat and that the 7 evils are opening their eyes, which is not a good sign. Theo sees Cap and recognizes him, sort of. He knows there is a word that will give him power, but he can't remember it. He also sees the change from Cap into Billy and knows that he can do that as well, as soon as he remembers the word.
This book has all the things that make Mike Kunkel a terrific creator, in my book. First off, the interaction between the characters is spot on. Cap has Superman powers, yet retains Billy's innocence. Theo acts like a snooty prince talking to kids his own age. Billy and Mary act like you would expect siblings to act. The art is exceptional. I have always thought of Kunkel's work as "storyboard-ish", that is clean and static, but conveys a sense of motion and emotion. His ability to convey the emotion of a character simply by observing their face. The humor both broad and subtle is refreshing.
Now, this is not the perfect book. Several things are somewhat troubling me. First off, since this a "Johnny DC" book, why burden him with current events? Why not let him take off and retell things using his own spin? Also, using the Monster Society code at the beginning and end of the book for dialogue may tax or lose younger readers who don't want to work that hard to decipher it.
Still, this is a very, very good book. It's something that old Captain Marvel fans would enjoy as well as the younger set who the book is aimed at. I hope that DC gives Mike a good chance to create some stories that will entice and entrance you as he did me.
Grade: A minus (sorry, they lose a point for the code)
First off, sorry that I don't have a picture to put up. No scanner and DC's website was not cooperating.
When I first saw the solict for this in Previews, I had to do a double take. There was Mike Kunkel doing a DC book? And a "kids" title at that? Holy crap! To explain my reaction, let me give you a quick flashback. Several years ago I was wondering thru my comic store and happened upon an indy book called "Herobear and the Kid". The cover reached me for some reason and as I opened it, I was instantly captivated. The art, the style of writing, the characters were a perfect marriage. I became a Mike Kunkel fan on the spot. Since that book many years ago, I have been scanning the comic horizon for more of Mr. Kunkel, but to no avail. The only time recently I had seen him was in the Batman/Superman tribute book to Sam Loeb.
When you pick up this book, you are transported back to a few years ago. Not so much the story right off, but the fact that this book is priced and looks exactly like comics did before the speculator boom. Even though this book is not in current DC continuity, they saddled him with with the story done by Jeff Smith (Bone) a few years ago. Billy is Captain Marvel, his little sister is Mary Marvel. To be honest the first couple of pages are sort of lost to me. It's because the dialogue is written in The Monster Society Code. I am not sure if this is something that Smith came up or if this as old as the original Captain way back when. At least they give you the code up front and let you decipher it. Smith's book has the titles done like this and you had to wait until the final issue to get the code. Don't fault him for that, just sayin'.
After a brief recap of what's happened lately, the story jumps to Cap and Mary flying to save a train with no brakes. The interaction here is what you would expect from a brother and sister. We learn that while they both have the same key word to change, their powers are slightly different. Billy uses Cap to pose as an adult to get them an apartment and to meet the principal of the school they are to attend. As he goes to change, he is summoned to the Rock of Eternity by Solomon. Also introduced is the villain of the book, Theo Adam (Black Adam). Turns out at the end of the Jeff Smith mini, as Cap was tossing the bad guys into a vortex (don't ask), Theo escaped from another dimension, but he returns as a kid. He was placed there by Solomon for some reason. Solomon tells Cap of this threat and that the 7 evils are opening their eyes, which is not a good sign. Theo sees Cap and recognizes him, sort of. He knows there is a word that will give him power, but he can't remember it. He also sees the change from Cap into Billy and knows that he can do that as well, as soon as he remembers the word.
This book has all the things that make Mike Kunkel a terrific creator, in my book. First off, the interaction between the characters is spot on. Cap has Superman powers, yet retains Billy's innocence. Theo acts like a snooty prince talking to kids his own age. Billy and Mary act like you would expect siblings to act. The art is exceptional. I have always thought of Kunkel's work as "storyboard-ish", that is clean and static, but conveys a sense of motion and emotion. His ability to convey the emotion of a character simply by observing their face. The humor both broad and subtle is refreshing.
Now, this is not the perfect book. Several things are somewhat troubling me. First off, since this a "Johnny DC" book, why burden him with current events? Why not let him take off and retell things using his own spin? Also, using the Monster Society code at the beginning and end of the book for dialogue may tax or lose younger readers who don't want to work that hard to decipher it.
Still, this is a very, very good book. It's something that old Captain Marvel fans would enjoy as well as the younger set who the book is aimed at. I hope that DC gives Mike a good chance to create some stories that will entice and entrance you as he did me.
Grade: A minus (sorry, they lose a point for the code)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Better, thanks
We are starting to feel better. Still hurts like a magilla, but things are settling down.
If I can get some rest, maybe some reviews will follow.
One thing: Even though I have heard some positive feedback about the HULK movie, I am still not convinced to open my wallet.
Oh, and my choice for dead movie of the summer? SPACE CHIMPS. I know that Jim will love it, he loves all things chimp, but it opens the same day as THE DARK KNIGHT. So you know it will be DOA, except for those parents who can't take their kids to Bats.
Be good, everyone. I love you guys.
If I can get some rest, maybe some reviews will follow.
One thing: Even though I have heard some positive feedback about the HULK movie, I am still not convinced to open my wallet.
Oh, and my choice for dead movie of the summer? SPACE CHIMPS. I know that Jim will love it, he loves all things chimp, but it opens the same day as THE DARK KNIGHT. So you know it will be DOA, except for those parents who can't take their kids to Bats.
Be good, everyone. I love you guys.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
A week fom hell....
And now to top off the perfect week, we had to put our other cat Sophie down last night/morning.
I had to leave work to do this, and go back after it was over. I am so freaking numb right now I can't stand it.
Who the hell did we piss off to put us thru this hell?
It's moments like this that come close to drive me back into a bottle of booze.
But I can't do that to Boo. I love her too much. So I buck up for her and bury myself.
God, the rest of this month has got to get better, right?
I had to leave work to do this, and go back after it was over. I am so freaking numb right now I can't stand it.
Who the hell did we piss off to put us thru this hell?
It's moments like this that come close to drive me back into a bottle of booze.
But I can't do that to Boo. I love her too much. So I buck up for her and bury myself.
God, the rest of this month has got to get better, right?
Friday, June 13, 2008
What would you do?
Hey gang. There will be reviews to come, I promise.
But first, my wife and I are dealing with some things. You should know that I grew up a "dog person". Had one since I was little and never cared for cats. While I was dating my wife she was given a couple of kittens by her family. She named one of them Spice and the other Sugar. I told her that I couldn't live in the same house as two ridiculously named cats so she changed one to Tink, short for Tinkerbell. My wife lived in a rowhouse apartment in Towson at the time and I remember coming over the first night she had them. They were tiny, meowing balls of fur. I was ignoring them when Tink climbed up on the sofa, climbed on my chest, and curled up in a ball and fell asleep. I was smitten. Tink went on to become my wife's cat, sleeping beside her and sensing things that are unspoken.
Last night, at 4 am, we had to decide to put Tink down. She was 15 years old and had become very, very sick. We were going to take her to our normal vet but decided that she was suffering too much. We were there at the end, with both of us in tears and devastated. We know that we did the right thing in ending her suffering, and we take (or will take) some comfort in know that we gave her a terrific life, full of love and happiness. But right now, we are 2 people who are mourning. We can't have kids of our own, and they had become our children. Think it's stupid? Screw you. Why does doing the right thing hurt so damn much? It's what Boo asked me last night. I told her if it was easy, everyone would do it. The truth is, I don't know why it hurts. It just does.
Rest in Peace, Tink. You will always be loved and remembered.
But first, my wife and I are dealing with some things. You should know that I grew up a "dog person". Had one since I was little and never cared for cats. While I was dating my wife she was given a couple of kittens by her family. She named one of them Spice and the other Sugar. I told her that I couldn't live in the same house as two ridiculously named cats so she changed one to Tink, short for Tinkerbell. My wife lived in a rowhouse apartment in Towson at the time and I remember coming over the first night she had them. They were tiny, meowing balls of fur. I was ignoring them when Tink climbed up on the sofa, climbed on my chest, and curled up in a ball and fell asleep. I was smitten. Tink went on to become my wife's cat, sleeping beside her and sensing things that are unspoken.
Last night, at 4 am, we had to decide to put Tink down. She was 15 years old and had become very, very sick. We were going to take her to our normal vet but decided that she was suffering too much. We were there at the end, with both of us in tears and devastated. We know that we did the right thing in ending her suffering, and we take (or will take) some comfort in know that we gave her a terrific life, full of love and happiness. But right now, we are 2 people who are mourning. We can't have kids of our own, and they had become our children. Think it's stupid? Screw you. Why does doing the right thing hurt so damn much? It's what Boo asked me last night. I told her if it was easy, everyone would do it. The truth is, I don't know why it hurts. It just does.
Rest in Peace, Tink. You will always be loved and remembered.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A Warning
OK, if I can get it together in the next 24 hours, there will be comic reviews to come. I decided to wait until the big events started to gather my thoughts.
I know that you all await breathlessly, so I promise that I will not disappoint.
In the mean time, be good and be safe.
I know that you all await breathlessly, so I promise that I will not disappoint.
In the mean time, be good and be safe.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Tired.....
....so freaking tired. And now I have to go to work. Man, sometimes it's tough to be the king.
More to follow in the coming days. Stay tuned.
More to follow in the coming days. Stay tuned.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Settling in
Hey gang.
It is a big period of adjustment over here for the household. It's one thing to be a nightowl, it's another to be one and working at the same time. It ain't brain surgery, but there are worse things out there. It's great to be close to home (saves on the gas) and the Mrs. is going thru her adjustment as well. She hasn't had to deal with me being gone for long periods of time, but I think this will benefit us both in the long run
Some comic quick hits:
Secret Invasion 2- not as good as 1, but I'm willing to give it a go.
Buffy- Man this book is just too good. Each one has that episodic feel that Joss infused into the series.
Batman- the start of the R.I.P. story left me sort of lacking. I'm sure that the story will pick up speed over the coming months (at least I hope so).
Titans- Man, did the artwork suck this last issue. They look more like bend-it figures than heroes. Totally threw me out of the story, but Winick is worth reading.
Punisher- The last Garth Ennis arc is really good, but the "book" pages sometimes disrupt the flow. Still, it's a great read.
I am looking forward to the Final Crisis and Trinity stories. Oh and I read the FF Secret Invasion book in Rusty's store the other day. Not bad, did a good job of explaining what happened in SI 1.
That's it for now. I don't think I will be doing a whole lot of posting on the weekends (have to sleep sometime) but will still keep you all on your toes, so watch out.
Oh, and the IRON MAN movie ROCKED!!! Only problem? I missed out on the Nick Fury cameo after the credits. Oh well, I'll wait for the DVD. Other than that, it looks like Marvel has another solid franchise on it's hands.
Be good! =)
It is a big period of adjustment over here for the household. It's one thing to be a nightowl, it's another to be one and working at the same time. It ain't brain surgery, but there are worse things out there. It's great to be close to home (saves on the gas) and the Mrs. is going thru her adjustment as well. She hasn't had to deal with me being gone for long periods of time, but I think this will benefit us both in the long run
Some comic quick hits:
Secret Invasion 2- not as good as 1, but I'm willing to give it a go.
Buffy- Man this book is just too good. Each one has that episodic feel that Joss infused into the series.
Batman- the start of the R.I.P. story left me sort of lacking. I'm sure that the story will pick up speed over the coming months (at least I hope so).
Titans- Man, did the artwork suck this last issue. They look more like bend-it figures than heroes. Totally threw me out of the story, but Winick is worth reading.
Punisher- The last Garth Ennis arc is really good, but the "book" pages sometimes disrupt the flow. Still, it's a great read.
I am looking forward to the Final Crisis and Trinity stories. Oh and I read the FF Secret Invasion book in Rusty's store the other day. Not bad, did a good job of explaining what happened in SI 1.
That's it for now. I don't think I will be doing a whole lot of posting on the weekends (have to sleep sometime) but will still keep you all on your toes, so watch out.
Oh, and the IRON MAN movie ROCKED!!! Only problem? I missed out on the Nick Fury cameo after the credits. Oh well, I'll wait for the DVD. Other than that, it looks like Marvel has another solid franchise on it's hands.
Be good! =)
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Some news and notes
Sorry I haven't put anything up in a while but I've been directing my energies elsewhere.
So where to begin???
-How about this: I finally, FINALLY have a job!!!!
Yeah, yours truly has gotten off his rear and entered the working force. Actually, I caught a major break. A friend I bowl with in a league told me that his store was looking for overnight help. Seeing as I'm a bit of a nightowl myself, I went and applied. After a couple of nervous weeks, it came through. Someone finally is willing to take a chance on me (I know that you guys would as well, but I'm speaking of a workplace). It's not a full time (32 hrs.), and it is weekend nights, but shoot, I'm happy to be working anywhere. I know that one or two of you may say "well, I would have tried to get him something if he asked". I know that, but I could not bring myself to use my friends and family like that. It's just how I'm wired. This was something that fell into my lap, and for once went my way. There has been much rejoicing in the house. Actually it's more like a sense of relief.
-The Mrs. and I are going to catch IRON MAN tonight as a way of celebrating. That, and next week is our anniversary. 15 years, holy crap. We have been through the ringer at times and hope that the next 15 are slightly less uneventful than this 15. Less hospital visits, less bill collectors, and more of you guys and the fun that is out there in life.
-On a comic note, I am slightly perplexed by the DC Zero issue. One the one hand, it's really nothing more than an ad for the other upcoming events. But it was only 50 cents. I know that there as been a slight hue and cry about why they released the book on the week of Free Comic Book Day and that it should have been given out then. But I don't fault them. Their choice of FCBD is a great one (All-Star Superman #1). If you haven't read it, go to your local comic store on Saturday and pick one up. In fact, pick up a bunch of books that interest you and give them a try. Maybe you'll find a diamond in the rough.
OK, that's about it for now. See ya!
So where to begin???
-How about this: I finally, FINALLY have a job!!!!
Yeah, yours truly has gotten off his rear and entered the working force. Actually, I caught a major break. A friend I bowl with in a league told me that his store was looking for overnight help. Seeing as I'm a bit of a nightowl myself, I went and applied. After a couple of nervous weeks, it came through. Someone finally is willing to take a chance on me (I know that you guys would as well, but I'm speaking of a workplace). It's not a full time (32 hrs.), and it is weekend nights, but shoot, I'm happy to be working anywhere. I know that one or two of you may say "well, I would have tried to get him something if he asked". I know that, but I could not bring myself to use my friends and family like that. It's just how I'm wired. This was something that fell into my lap, and for once went my way. There has been much rejoicing in the house. Actually it's more like a sense of relief.
-The Mrs. and I are going to catch IRON MAN tonight as a way of celebrating. That, and next week is our anniversary. 15 years, holy crap. We have been through the ringer at times and hope that the next 15 are slightly less uneventful than this 15. Less hospital visits, less bill collectors, and more of you guys and the fun that is out there in life.
-On a comic note, I am slightly perplexed by the DC Zero issue. One the one hand, it's really nothing more than an ad for the other upcoming events. But it was only 50 cents. I know that there as been a slight hue and cry about why they released the book on the week of Free Comic Book Day and that it should have been given out then. But I don't fault them. Their choice of FCBD is a great one (All-Star Superman #1). If you haven't read it, go to your local comic store on Saturday and pick one up. In fact, pick up a bunch of books that interest you and give them a try. Maybe you'll find a diamond in the rough.
OK, that's about it for now. See ya!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Moving Forward
Yep, I'm back.
Thanks for bearing with me. I think that I've finally turned a corner. It happened the other night when I actually slept for more than 2 hours at a stretch.
You guys have been great with the support and thoughts. I can't begin to tell you how much you all mean to me. It took something else to shake me from the fog. I have been a loyal listener to "The Don and Mike Show" for a long time. Dang thing makes me laugh so hard sometimes. A couple of years ago Don lost the love his life in a car accident. He came back to the show even though he said at times he didn't want to. He met someone else recently and even though he didn't anticipate it, he fell in love. He realized that the show was reminding him more and more of his former wife and life, and decided that it as time to move forward. That meant leaving the show and all the people that have supported him over the years. He has earned that right to move forward. Anyone should be able to move forward if they so choose.
Why am I bringing this up, you may ask? Because in listening to this man pour his heart out, to lay himself bare to the world, it has sparked something in me. I have to start moving forward myself. No, I am not leaving my friends or family. Nor am I leaving the love of my life, Cindy. But it's time to stop wallowing in the fog that has occupied my brain for the past month and get on with things. So when you see me, I may look the same and probably sound the same, know that there is something different about me. Not bad different, hopefully good different. I just know that my perspective has been kicked in the ass, and that's not a bad thing at times.
See you out there in the real world! =)
Thanks for bearing with me. I think that I've finally turned a corner. It happened the other night when I actually slept for more than 2 hours at a stretch.
You guys have been great with the support and thoughts. I can't begin to tell you how much you all mean to me. It took something else to shake me from the fog. I have been a loyal listener to "The Don and Mike Show" for a long time. Dang thing makes me laugh so hard sometimes. A couple of years ago Don lost the love his life in a car accident. He came back to the show even though he said at times he didn't want to. He met someone else recently and even though he didn't anticipate it, he fell in love. He realized that the show was reminding him more and more of his former wife and life, and decided that it as time to move forward. That meant leaving the show and all the people that have supported him over the years. He has earned that right to move forward. Anyone should be able to move forward if they so choose.
Why am I bringing this up, you may ask? Because in listening to this man pour his heart out, to lay himself bare to the world, it has sparked something in me. I have to start moving forward myself. No, I am not leaving my friends or family. Nor am I leaving the love of my life, Cindy. But it's time to stop wallowing in the fog that has occupied my brain for the past month and get on with things. So when you see me, I may look the same and probably sound the same, know that there is something different about me. Not bad different, hopefully good different. I just know that my perspective has been kicked in the ass, and that's not a bad thing at times.
See you out there in the real world! =)
Friday, April 4, 2008
Hitting the Pause Button
On life that is.
I really appreciate all the kind words and thoughts you guys and gals have given me over the past few weeks. I mean that sincerely. It's been more of a morale booster than I can possibly express.
But for the next few days, you won't be seeing hide or hair of me. I am hiding out for a couple of days. I need this to remove that last little bit of fog that is clouding my brain and keeping me from enjoying the things I love in life, including you guys. So I hope that you'll bear with me while I take a small siesta and just veg out with the Mrs.
I will see you on the other side of this, I promise.
Be good! =)
I really appreciate all the kind words and thoughts you guys and gals have given me over the past few weeks. I mean that sincerely. It's been more of a morale booster than I can possibly express.
But for the next few days, you won't be seeing hide or hair of me. I am hiding out for a couple of days. I need this to remove that last little bit of fog that is clouding my brain and keeping me from enjoying the things I love in life, including you guys. So I hope that you'll bear with me while I take a small siesta and just veg out with the Mrs.
I will see you on the other side of this, I promise.
Be good! =)
Saturday, March 29, 2008
HELP!!
Seriously.
I am in need of some assistance. Things have gotten so far out of whack for me that I am not sure if I am coming or going.
Let me explain. I have been trying to play the good husband for my wife and be there for her whenever or wherever she needs me. We had to call 911 earlier this week because she was experiencing chest pain and pressure and it was something we did not want to screw around with. Turns out after spending 8+ hours in the ER that she was experiencing normal pain that comes from having the cartilage in her ribs cut and put back together. But you can see where we would not want to mess around with it.
My overall issue that that the last 3 weeks has really thrown me off kilter. I have had no real energy to go onto WoW, no desire to read the few comics I do get, and no real motivation to do anything. I am hoping that this is temporary, but there are moments that I worry that I have lost the spark to do those things that I love.
I am a worrier, I can't help it. It's how I'm wired. If you can offer any advice, no matter how small or simple, I would greatly appreciate it.
I am in need of some assistance. Things have gotten so far out of whack for me that I am not sure if I am coming or going.
Let me explain. I have been trying to play the good husband for my wife and be there for her whenever or wherever she needs me. We had to call 911 earlier this week because she was experiencing chest pain and pressure and it was something we did not want to screw around with. Turns out after spending 8+ hours in the ER that she was experiencing normal pain that comes from having the cartilage in her ribs cut and put back together. But you can see where we would not want to mess around with it.
My overall issue that that the last 3 weeks has really thrown me off kilter. I have had no real energy to go onto WoW, no desire to read the few comics I do get, and no real motivation to do anything. I am hoping that this is temporary, but there are moments that I worry that I have lost the spark to do those things that I love.
I am a worrier, I can't help it. It's how I'm wired. If you can offer any advice, no matter how small or simple, I would greatly appreciate it.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Sprung!
That's right sports fans, she's on the loose! Well, about as on the loose as someone with a bunch of staples in her chest can get.
But seriously, I have to take a moment and thank you all. There are no words to express my gratitude and appreciation for the words and thoughts you guys sent our way. I must confess something that happened. I came home from the hospital late Saturday night and turned on the computer to check my email. On a whim, I checked out the blog here, and actually started to cry. It's been tough, really tough to get through this. To know that you guys are out there gave me the strength I needed to see this through to the end and keep her spirits up.
I will post later in the week once we both can get some rest.
I love all you guys and gals. You're the best friends a slob like me could hope for.
=)
But seriously, I have to take a moment and thank you all. There are no words to express my gratitude and appreciation for the words and thoughts you guys sent our way. I must confess something that happened. I came home from the hospital late Saturday night and turned on the computer to check my email. On a whim, I checked out the blog here, and actually started to cry. It's been tough, really tough to get through this. To know that you guys are out there gave me the strength I needed to see this through to the end and keep her spirits up.
I will post later in the week once we both can get some rest.
I love all you guys and gals. You're the best friends a slob like me could hope for.
=)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Out of the loop
Hey there everyone. You'll have to forgive me if this seems sort of incoherent, but it's 4 am, and your boy here is tired.
Why, you may ask is this dazzling young urbanite doing at the keyboard instead of sleeping? Don't worry, I'll fall back soon enough. But before I go, I wanted you all to know where I've been since Sunday.
four words:
Howard County General Hospital.
Late Sunday night, my wife, the love of my life, my reason for my existence, had a major medical issue. I will not go into details, because; 1) it's really disturbing, and 2) it's fucking (sorry my inner filter is gone) private. Just suffice to say that we were in the ER from 3:30 Sunday night until 8 Monday night, when they had to perform and operation on her. It was on an unrelated matter, but they found fluid around her heart. A lot of it. They drained almost a pint of it from her. The other thing, the thing that we went for, has since corrected itself, thank the good Lord above. But she has been in an ICU unit for the last 4 days. They have since moved her to another location but there is still some things to be rectified. I have been by her side every waking (and some not so waking) moment of the day. I thank the stars that we don't live a long way from the hospital, because there would be a better than average chance that I would have fallen asleep at the wheel and wrapped my car around a tree.
You may be asking yourself at the moment; "dude, if you're just sitting there, how tiring can it be?" Tell you what. You go have a loved one have something go wrong, put them in peril, hooked up to more tubes and wires than the damn Terminator, and see how you do. Then be there every time he or she wakes up to assure then that they're OK, that things are getting better. Do that for 10 to 12 hours a day for 5 days, neglect just about everything else in your life (eating, sleeping, keeping a house in order) and see how draining you find it. Overdramatic? Maybe. But it's how I'm wired. My wife and family come first at the expense of everything, including me. My friends are right there below that, but I will get some sleep before I do anything with you guys.
OK, I'm rambling now. Anyway, that's where I've been. The worst is over but there is still a bit of recovery for her, so that's why you won't see me here for a few more days, possibly a week. When I get her home, she and I are going to crawl into bed together and fall asleep in each others arms for a few days.
You all be good, OK? =)
Why, you may ask is this dazzling young urbanite doing at the keyboard instead of sleeping? Don't worry, I'll fall back soon enough. But before I go, I wanted you all to know where I've been since Sunday.
four words:
Howard County General Hospital.
Late Sunday night, my wife, the love of my life, my reason for my existence, had a major medical issue. I will not go into details, because; 1) it's really disturbing, and 2) it's fucking (sorry my inner filter is gone) private. Just suffice to say that we were in the ER from 3:30 Sunday night until 8 Monday night, when they had to perform and operation on her. It was on an unrelated matter, but they found fluid around her heart. A lot of it. They drained almost a pint of it from her. The other thing, the thing that we went for, has since corrected itself, thank the good Lord above. But she has been in an ICU unit for the last 4 days. They have since moved her to another location but there is still some things to be rectified. I have been by her side every waking (and some not so waking) moment of the day. I thank the stars that we don't live a long way from the hospital, because there would be a better than average chance that I would have fallen asleep at the wheel and wrapped my car around a tree.
You may be asking yourself at the moment; "dude, if you're just sitting there, how tiring can it be?" Tell you what. You go have a loved one have something go wrong, put them in peril, hooked up to more tubes and wires than the damn Terminator, and see how you do. Then be there every time he or she wakes up to assure then that they're OK, that things are getting better. Do that for 10 to 12 hours a day for 5 days, neglect just about everything else in your life (eating, sleeping, keeping a house in order) and see how draining you find it. Overdramatic? Maybe. But it's how I'm wired. My wife and family come first at the expense of everything, including me. My friends are right there below that, but I will get some sleep before I do anything with you guys.
OK, I'm rambling now. Anyway, that's where I've been. The worst is over but there is still a bit of recovery for her, so that's why you won't see me here for a few more days, possibly a week. When I get her home, she and I are going to crawl into bed together and fall asleep in each others arms for a few days.
You all be good, OK? =)
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The Reason You're Here
Hope everyone remember to jump ahead this week. There will be something of an announcement at the end of this post. Nothing large or life changing.
Onto the comics!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer 12- Beginning of the "Wolves at the Gate" are penned by Buffy writer Drew Goddard. A terrific start to the arc. It's clear that Goddard has not lost his voice for these characters, Andrew in particular. I have been remiss in crediting Georges Jeanty as the artist in this series. He has done exceptional work without resorting to some sort of photo shopping and drawing over it. He has made the stories jump and crackle with a nice energy. There is a controversial part to this story. Buffy is shown in bed with another slayer. The one who woke her from her "sleeping beauty" curse during the first arc. I thought that it was handled well, and even had some of the typical Whedon humor at the end to break the tension. No, Buffy is not a lesbian. She was lonely for some companionship and the slayer, Satsu, confessed her feelings for Buffy last issue while on patrol. The issue ends with a "holy sh!t" moment that leaves you wanting to read the next issue NOW. I won't spoil that for you, go read it and see for yourself.
Thor 6- A bunch of people have been critical of the writer (JMS) for his pacing of this book. Not me. This has been a really fun read every issue. The town meeting involving the Asgardians was hysterical. I loved the conversation between Blake and Thor in the diner, like it was so matter of fact to be conversing with your alter ego in public. Also, the townspeople relating their stories of the interactions with the Asgardians was cool, especially the one with Hogun, who walked from Asgard (which is located above Oklahoma) to Texas for a wild boar. Olivier Copiel again does a magnificent job, conveying the scope and spectrum of the Gods and the task that Thor has undertaken. I understand he will be taking a few issues off, but will return. I eagerly await his return.
Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder 9- Here again there has been a real diversity of opinions on this book. Some love it, some think it's a parody, others hate it. For me this has been an OK read. I must admit to not really being in love with the way that Frank Miller has written Bats. Some have suggested that if I read him like a "Sin City" character, I would enjoy it more. But this issue has saved the book in my opinion. The beginning of the issue, not so much. Have to go get my eyes checked after seeing all that yellow. Man, DC must have had a vat of that stuff left over to use since "Sinestro Corps"ended. What made me turn the corner was the last 4 pages. After realizing that he has rushed Robin into action and almost cost another hero (Green Lantern) his life, Batman cracks. He knows now that he has had the advantage of time and people like Alfred to hone his skills and crusade. Dick has had maybe a couple of weeks, and Bruce has been exceptionally tough on him. In fact, it wasn't until this issue that Robin finds out that Bruce is Batman. He takes Dick to the graveyard where is parents are buried to let him mourn properly. This is a great jumping on point for anyone who either hasn't read this yet, or gave up on it. I hope that going forward this will be seen as a great turning point.
Green Lantern 28- The first appearance of a red Lantern. A disgraced Green lantern who killed Amon Sur, Laira's hatred is the beacon for the first ring. This was a great issue and shows that even though Geoff Johns isn't doing the next major crossover until 2009, he is introducing plot threads a little at a time to entice us. The Guardians enacting their 2nd law leads Hal to talk to Sinestro. You get the feeling that even though he is in jail, Sinestro got exactly what he wanted in the end. The conversation leaves us with a lot of questions, including one I have; will Hal stay with the Green Lanterns, or will he join another corps before the next major event?
Captain America 35- Bucky enters Washington D.C. to discover that the public is on edge and that just about every level of government has been corrupted by Kronas. Ed Brubaker does a nice job building the tension of a mob on the edge and ready to be ignited. You can feel that Bucky is still dealing with the emotions of taking up the mantle from Steve. Next issue looks to be a big battle between Cap and the Serpent Squad, who have invaded Congress.
Batman 674- I know I am in the minority, but Grant Morrison's run on this has left me wanting. At least he tied up the string of where the 3 Batmen came from. Turns out they were police officers developed by a character named Simon Hurt, who managed to convince Batman to take part in an experiment. I know, your eyes are probably rolling and you're feeling drowsy, but hang in there. They were designed to take Batman's place if something should ever happen, but the experiment got out of hand. Bats escapes from them and is left to wonder who activated them. There are as many questions as answers at the end of this, so I am reserving total judgement until all is revealed. I'm guessing this will be great in trade format.
Detective Comics 842- Peter Milligan fills in for Paul Dini on a one and done. A suit of armor is given to Bruce by Talia (his on and off again lover) and gives him the feeling of invincibility. He begins to realize that the suit is causing irrational behavior from him and he sets out to discover where the suit originated from. It's a long and complicated story, so I won't bore you with details. Turns out is was a gift originally from Ra's Ah Gaul passed to Talia. While this is going on, Bats is tracking a killer in Gotham. As the chase for him ends, he passes a test of the suit and realizes that he should never wear it again. A nice one and done, but I look forward to Dini's return to give the rogue's gallery a work over.
Teen Titans Year One 3- The end of the first arc. Nice work of teaming up to take their mentors down, although Aqualad still seems to be useless. Batman is still something of a hardass, expecting alot for Robin. This is a 6 issue mini, so the two arc should work well in unison.
Amazing Spider-Man 552- This is a pivotal issue. Not for them, but for me. I am really close to dropping this forever. The fact that they introduce one of the grossest looking villians is not helping matters. I would have hoped that with this reboot, they would have tried to introduce some of the classic rogue's gallery. After all, Spidey had the best one in the Marvel universe. But alas, it looks like my dreams will turn to dust.
Nightwing 142- I am thinking that this will move up to tnear the top of the pile. Peter Tomasi and Rags Morales are a great team, in my opinion. Tomasi is crafting a great story on various levels, and Rags art gives a nice sense of action. The scene in the Batcave with Tim and Alfred felt...organic to me. Especially Alfred's reaction to the note. I am also digging two other factors at play here; Dick's involvement in other areas of the DCU, specifically the JSA; and the relating of a story that took place in the BATMAN book by Tim. It gives you a sense that all of these are connected, which it should be.
That's about it for now. There were other comics out there that were good, like ACTION, or surprising good, like UNCANNY X-MEN. But I've decided that maybe later on, if anyone cares, I'll post some reactions.
Oh and the announcement? Two really. First, I will be doing this week to week instead of waiting 2 weeks. It tends to drag. The other is the books that I am cancelling. Wolverine:Origins, Ultimates, Amazing Spider-Man, Ghost Rider are all biting the dust. This hurts more than it freaking should (well maybe only for ASM) but I just cannot see myself spending good money for stuff I just am not into. On a quick side note; I would have bought the NEW FRONTIER SPECIAL, but there was no way on God's green earth I was spending 5 bucks on a comic that, with the exception of the first story, felt like a straight money grab.
Later.
Onto the comics!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer 12- Beginning of the "Wolves at the Gate" are penned by Buffy writer Drew Goddard. A terrific start to the arc. It's clear that Goddard has not lost his voice for these characters, Andrew in particular. I have been remiss in crediting Georges Jeanty as the artist in this series. He has done exceptional work without resorting to some sort of photo shopping and drawing over it. He has made the stories jump and crackle with a nice energy. There is a controversial part to this story. Buffy is shown in bed with another slayer. The one who woke her from her "sleeping beauty" curse during the first arc. I thought that it was handled well, and even had some of the typical Whedon humor at the end to break the tension. No, Buffy is not a lesbian. She was lonely for some companionship and the slayer, Satsu, confessed her feelings for Buffy last issue while on patrol. The issue ends with a "holy sh!t" moment that leaves you wanting to read the next issue NOW. I won't spoil that for you, go read it and see for yourself.
Thor 6- A bunch of people have been critical of the writer (JMS) for his pacing of this book. Not me. This has been a really fun read every issue. The town meeting involving the Asgardians was hysterical. I loved the conversation between Blake and Thor in the diner, like it was so matter of fact to be conversing with your alter ego in public. Also, the townspeople relating their stories of the interactions with the Asgardians was cool, especially the one with Hogun, who walked from Asgard (which is located above Oklahoma) to Texas for a wild boar. Olivier Copiel again does a magnificent job, conveying the scope and spectrum of the Gods and the task that Thor has undertaken. I understand he will be taking a few issues off, but will return. I eagerly await his return.
Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder 9- Here again there has been a real diversity of opinions on this book. Some love it, some think it's a parody, others hate it. For me this has been an OK read. I must admit to not really being in love with the way that Frank Miller has written Bats. Some have suggested that if I read him like a "Sin City" character, I would enjoy it more. But this issue has saved the book in my opinion. The beginning of the issue, not so much. Have to go get my eyes checked after seeing all that yellow. Man, DC must have had a vat of that stuff left over to use since "Sinestro Corps"ended. What made me turn the corner was the last 4 pages. After realizing that he has rushed Robin into action and almost cost another hero (Green Lantern) his life, Batman cracks. He knows now that he has had the advantage of time and people like Alfred to hone his skills and crusade. Dick has had maybe a couple of weeks, and Bruce has been exceptionally tough on him. In fact, it wasn't until this issue that Robin finds out that Bruce is Batman. He takes Dick to the graveyard where is parents are buried to let him mourn properly. This is a great jumping on point for anyone who either hasn't read this yet, or gave up on it. I hope that going forward this will be seen as a great turning point.
Green Lantern 28- The first appearance of a red Lantern. A disgraced Green lantern who killed Amon Sur, Laira's hatred is the beacon for the first ring. This was a great issue and shows that even though Geoff Johns isn't doing the next major crossover until 2009, he is introducing plot threads a little at a time to entice us. The Guardians enacting their 2nd law leads Hal to talk to Sinestro. You get the feeling that even though he is in jail, Sinestro got exactly what he wanted in the end. The conversation leaves us with a lot of questions, including one I have; will Hal stay with the Green Lanterns, or will he join another corps before the next major event?
Captain America 35- Bucky enters Washington D.C. to discover that the public is on edge and that just about every level of government has been corrupted by Kronas. Ed Brubaker does a nice job building the tension of a mob on the edge and ready to be ignited. You can feel that Bucky is still dealing with the emotions of taking up the mantle from Steve. Next issue looks to be a big battle between Cap and the Serpent Squad, who have invaded Congress.
Batman 674- I know I am in the minority, but Grant Morrison's run on this has left me wanting. At least he tied up the string of where the 3 Batmen came from. Turns out they were police officers developed by a character named Simon Hurt, who managed to convince Batman to take part in an experiment. I know, your eyes are probably rolling and you're feeling drowsy, but hang in there. They were designed to take Batman's place if something should ever happen, but the experiment got out of hand. Bats escapes from them and is left to wonder who activated them. There are as many questions as answers at the end of this, so I am reserving total judgement until all is revealed. I'm guessing this will be great in trade format.
Detective Comics 842- Peter Milligan fills in for Paul Dini on a one and done. A suit of armor is given to Bruce by Talia (his on and off again lover) and gives him the feeling of invincibility. He begins to realize that the suit is causing irrational behavior from him and he sets out to discover where the suit originated from. It's a long and complicated story, so I won't bore you with details. Turns out is was a gift originally from Ra's Ah Gaul passed to Talia. While this is going on, Bats is tracking a killer in Gotham. As the chase for him ends, he passes a test of the suit and realizes that he should never wear it again. A nice one and done, but I look forward to Dini's return to give the rogue's gallery a work over.
Teen Titans Year One 3- The end of the first arc. Nice work of teaming up to take their mentors down, although Aqualad still seems to be useless. Batman is still something of a hardass, expecting alot for Robin. This is a 6 issue mini, so the two arc should work well in unison.
Amazing Spider-Man 552- This is a pivotal issue. Not for them, but for me. I am really close to dropping this forever. The fact that they introduce one of the grossest looking villians is not helping matters. I would have hoped that with this reboot, they would have tried to introduce some of the classic rogue's gallery. After all, Spidey had the best one in the Marvel universe. But alas, it looks like my dreams will turn to dust.
Nightwing 142- I am thinking that this will move up to tnear the top of the pile. Peter Tomasi and Rags Morales are a great team, in my opinion. Tomasi is crafting a great story on various levels, and Rags art gives a nice sense of action. The scene in the Batcave with Tim and Alfred felt...organic to me. Especially Alfred's reaction to the note. I am also digging two other factors at play here; Dick's involvement in other areas of the DCU, specifically the JSA; and the relating of a story that took place in the BATMAN book by Tim. It gives you a sense that all of these are connected, which it should be.
That's about it for now. There were other comics out there that were good, like ACTION, or surprising good, like UNCANNY X-MEN. But I've decided that maybe later on, if anyone cares, I'll post some reactions.
Oh and the announcement? Two really. First, I will be doing this week to week instead of waiting 2 weeks. It tends to drag. The other is the books that I am cancelling. Wolverine:Origins, Ultimates, Amazing Spider-Man, Ghost Rider are all biting the dust. This hurts more than it freaking should (well maybe only for ASM) but I just cannot see myself spending good money for stuff I just am not into. On a quick side note; I would have bought the NEW FRONTIER SPECIAL, but there was no way on God's green earth I was spending 5 bucks on a comic that, with the exception of the first story, felt like a straight money grab.
Later.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Some thoughts and feelings
Thought I would put keyboard to internet and throw some stuff out there:
-I am a registered Independent voter. Which basically means I go whichever way I want. I am not really sure about the candidates at this point. I respect the stuff that McCain went through as a POW, but I don't think that translates into being a President. His apparent waffeling and cowtowing to the radical right does put me off a bit. Hillary? Keith Olberman said it best. She never attended a daily briefing, got taken into the situation room, and any of that other stuff while Bill was in office. She was closer to the action than the other two, but I don't know how close. And I think that some people (NOT ME) believe that if you vote her in, Bill will be puppeting her, sort of how Chaney has been with Bush. Obama? Too clean, I want to see if he's willing to get down and dirty with things.
-On a lighter note, or maybe a sadder note, the rumor is that Lex and Lana want out of SMALLVILLE. Or at least the actors do. My wife cannnot stand Lana and is all for firing her out of a cannon into space. I don't think the show will do as well without Lex. After all, he is Clark's main foil. Unless they make Brainiac the big bad next season, I may travel elsewhere.
-Speaking of TV, do you think we all should pay the writers for going on strike? I think I owe them some money, since I find myself watching less and less TV these days. Sports are still at the top of my list, but other than SMALLVILLE, there is nothing really out there these days. Two shows I had liked, CHUCK and HEROES, are gone until September. I hate just about all reality shows and wish that someone, anyone would put American Idol out to pasture. Unless you have someone who is on this show, why are you going to waste your time and valuable money voting for these asshats?
-Will be posting comic reviews later on, possibly before the weekend. Early results? BUFFY and THOR were some of the best of the past two weeks.
Well, time to head out into the night. Destiny awaits me and she can be a cruel mistress if left standing around.
-I am a registered Independent voter. Which basically means I go whichever way I want. I am not really sure about the candidates at this point. I respect the stuff that McCain went through as a POW, but I don't think that translates into being a President. His apparent waffeling and cowtowing to the radical right does put me off a bit. Hillary? Keith Olberman said it best. She never attended a daily briefing, got taken into the situation room, and any of that other stuff while Bill was in office. She was closer to the action than the other two, but I don't know how close. And I think that some people (NOT ME) believe that if you vote her in, Bill will be puppeting her, sort of how Chaney has been with Bush. Obama? Too clean, I want to see if he's willing to get down and dirty with things.
-On a lighter note, or maybe a sadder note, the rumor is that Lex and Lana want out of SMALLVILLE. Or at least the actors do. My wife cannnot stand Lana and is all for firing her out of a cannon into space. I don't think the show will do as well without Lex. After all, he is Clark's main foil. Unless they make Brainiac the big bad next season, I may travel elsewhere.
-Speaking of TV, do you think we all should pay the writers for going on strike? I think I owe them some money, since I find myself watching less and less TV these days. Sports are still at the top of my list, but other than SMALLVILLE, there is nothing really out there these days. Two shows I had liked, CHUCK and HEROES, are gone until September. I hate just about all reality shows and wish that someone, anyone would put American Idol out to pasture. Unless you have someone who is on this show, why are you going to waste your time and valuable money voting for these asshats?
-Will be posting comic reviews later on, possibly before the weekend. Early results? BUFFY and THOR were some of the best of the past two weeks.
Well, time to head out into the night. Destiny awaits me and she can be a cruel mistress if left standing around.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Ramblings of a Sick Man....
Hey gang. Thanks for wandering over to look in on me. Time to throw some reviews at you and see what sticks.
Before I begin, a note on change in format. Ever since I started this thing, I have reviewed comics by company. Starting with this post, I will be reviewing "top to bottom". That is, from stuff that sits at the top of my meager pile to the bottom.
Lets begin, shall we?
Robin 171- Begins with what has to be the stupidest villain ever since the TV series days. But from there Chuck Dixon continues a stellar run. The interaction between Batman and Robin, while brief, is great. Conveys a real sense of family. Love the new "redbird" car. Dixon looks intent on bringing back everything interesting from his run. Speaking of that, the mystery of Ives gets a little deeper and more interesting. Having Tim without a girlfriend in his civilian life means that we will probably see Spoiler in an issue or two. Oh, and falling asleep on a roller coaster? Funny as all hell, and something that a guy who jumps from rooftop to rooftop would do.
World of Warcraft 4- Well, some of you must be reading this since #1 went into a second print. Our heroes escape and meet up with some resistance fighters in Ashenvale. During the conflict, we see the awesome powers that Broll can inflict. Talk about an epic fighter! I had been wondering how Walter Simonson would handle a "raid" like battle, and he did a terrific job. In most "raids", there are no clear cut winner or losers, just a show of strength. This portrayed that perfectly, counters and moves that mirror the game. The story elements get some side coverage and look to show more and more of the Kingdoms. Can't wait.
Fantastic Four 554- First part of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's run. This has been debated about on the forums and there seems to be a mixed reception. For me, this was a great jumping on point. You don't have to have read the last 500+ issues to get up to speed with this. A nice starting point to (hopefully) a defining run. Hitch handled the art with feeling, even giving the Thing great expressions. I look forward to the next issue to hear more about how the earth is going to die. Knowing Millar, probably something gruesome. Sweet.
Wolverine 62- This shot to the top of my pile after looking at one page. I am so freaking happy that Ron Garney got rid of the style he was using on SHAZAM and got back to pencils. And wow are they good! Not sure about Jason Aaron's story, but I like where this is going. I am so freaking tired of him chasing crap, this looks like a start to a chase that could be intriguing. The fact the Mystique can become anyone must be driving Wolvie nuts. Also, I liked the interaction between Cyclops and Wolvie. Sanction without really saying that? That's Logan's bread and butter. And the fact that he's going it alone instead of one of the other tired books? Yep, there's going to be a decent bodycount here.
Invincible 48- I admit to coming late to the party on this book, but man it rises to the top of my pile everytime it comes out. The in jokes about the other heroes? Funny as all get out. Loved the interaction between the mom and the director. The battle between Mark and the underground dwellers was beautifully rendered. The fact that Doc Seismic looked surprised for half a beat before proclaiming victory was kinda funny, sort of the look you would see on the Joker or Dr. Doom's face if they actually succeeded. Should be a great next issue.
Superman/Batman 46- I must admit that I dropped this a long time ago when budgets over ran my love for comics. But after hearing the promo for this, I had to pick it up. Our intrepid heroes are travelling the world looking for all the remaining Kryptonite. Turns out there is a new color, silver Kryptonite, which causes Clark to revert to teenage attitudes. This was a really fun issue and may, just may, convince me to put it back on my list. Michael Green did a wonderful story full of fun and humor, and if you don't like it "ssik ym ttub." If you read the story, you get the joke.
Green Arrow/Black Canary 5- Telling the backstory of Connor, we see Ollie at various stages in his life. Turns out he knew all along about him and was (I think) ashamed of his actions. Dinah proposes to him and an intimate wedding occurs. However, someone has taken Connor and the chase is on. I know that people either love or hate Judd Winick's work, but I must cop to falling somewhere in the middle. This is an example of good Judd, nice characterizations, a plot that moves ahead even if it's not the main thrust of the issue. Hopefully, the good Judd will stick around for a while.
PvP 38- What, you think I would let this slip by? Oh hell no! The only reason it falls where it does is that after all the fighting and exposition and posturing, it's great to read an issue that can make you laugh. Sometimes so hard you show your teeth. The guys from "PvP" get a new officemate who seems reluctant to share who and what they are, so they break in. Mayhem and hilarity ensue. Kurtz brings in a guest artist for a brief story that has an ending, while gross, could make even the sourest puss smile.
Countdown 11 & 10- The battle begins in earnest on Apokolips. All the storylines seem to be converging there for the Great Disaster, which I hear will be shown in COUNTDOWN before the next mini. Mary Marvel gets her power, her true power back, while Harley and Holly get granted powers by the gods as well. Una becomes infected by Brother Eye, don't really know what will happen there. I am wondering who killed Granny. I don't think it was Darkseid since he didn't use his Omega-beams. OMAC assimilates Apokolips and looks to be the beginning of the end. Two great issues that really ratchet up the action.
Flash 237- A one and done to fill in between Mark Waid and Tom Peyer. A nice issue dealing with the kids. They are given the task of stealing Superman's cape and watching them interact with each other and how they handle villains was nice. Also liked the interaction between Supes and Wally. Looks like the kids have the values we want all out kids to have; Jai by an unconscious Superman with his cape hanging in the breeze: "No. Stealing is wrong." I am willing to give Peyer a chance simply because he's bringing Freddie Williams back do to the art. I have loved his stuff and look forward to see his take on the Flash.
Amazing Spider-Man 550 &551- I have been taking a beating on why I am still buying this from some. I know I hated OMD, and I am not really all that thrilled with how they have handled the FUBAR reboot so far. But if I am willing to stick for some (FF), then I should be for others. I wanted to give each writer and artist team their first arc to see if they could do something interesting with a (supposed) clean slate. So far, a mixed bag. Nice humor, some good action, but just not a lot there to hold people. I have been collecting ASM for a long time and it's tough to give up something you love, something that got you into reading comics. Unfortunately, it may be time. OMA, or "one more arc", then I'll decide.
New Avengers 38- Jessica and Luke end their marriage. Yawn. This would have been better done in CIVIL WAR as opposed to this stuff. Man, it looks like Bendis has been watching daytime soaps to come up with this dialogue. Only redeeming part? That Lentil Yu was not the artist. The fact that he is doing the SECRET INVASION may put me off of it.
OK, that's it for now. Go savage or praise me, but at least give me credit for having an opinion!
Before I begin, a note on change in format. Ever since I started this thing, I have reviewed comics by company. Starting with this post, I will be reviewing "top to bottom". That is, from stuff that sits at the top of my meager pile to the bottom.
Lets begin, shall we?
Robin 171- Begins with what has to be the stupidest villain ever since the TV series days. But from there Chuck Dixon continues a stellar run. The interaction between Batman and Robin, while brief, is great. Conveys a real sense of family. Love the new "redbird" car. Dixon looks intent on bringing back everything interesting from his run. Speaking of that, the mystery of Ives gets a little deeper and more interesting. Having Tim without a girlfriend in his civilian life means that we will probably see Spoiler in an issue or two. Oh, and falling asleep on a roller coaster? Funny as all hell, and something that a guy who jumps from rooftop to rooftop would do.
World of Warcraft 4- Well, some of you must be reading this since #1 went into a second print. Our heroes escape and meet up with some resistance fighters in Ashenvale. During the conflict, we see the awesome powers that Broll can inflict. Talk about an epic fighter! I had been wondering how Walter Simonson would handle a "raid" like battle, and he did a terrific job. In most "raids", there are no clear cut winner or losers, just a show of strength. This portrayed that perfectly, counters and moves that mirror the game. The story elements get some side coverage and look to show more and more of the Kingdoms. Can't wait.
Fantastic Four 554- First part of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's run. This has been debated about on the forums and there seems to be a mixed reception. For me, this was a great jumping on point. You don't have to have read the last 500+ issues to get up to speed with this. A nice starting point to (hopefully) a defining run. Hitch handled the art with feeling, even giving the Thing great expressions. I look forward to the next issue to hear more about how the earth is going to die. Knowing Millar, probably something gruesome. Sweet.
Wolverine 62- This shot to the top of my pile after looking at one page. I am so freaking happy that Ron Garney got rid of the style he was using on SHAZAM and got back to pencils. And wow are they good! Not sure about Jason Aaron's story, but I like where this is going. I am so freaking tired of him chasing crap, this looks like a start to a chase that could be intriguing. The fact the Mystique can become anyone must be driving Wolvie nuts. Also, I liked the interaction between Cyclops and Wolvie. Sanction without really saying that? That's Logan's bread and butter. And the fact that he's going it alone instead of one of the other tired books? Yep, there's going to be a decent bodycount here.
Invincible 48- I admit to coming late to the party on this book, but man it rises to the top of my pile everytime it comes out. The in jokes about the other heroes? Funny as all get out. Loved the interaction between the mom and the director. The battle between Mark and the underground dwellers was beautifully rendered. The fact that Doc Seismic looked surprised for half a beat before proclaiming victory was kinda funny, sort of the look you would see on the Joker or Dr. Doom's face if they actually succeeded. Should be a great next issue.
Superman/Batman 46- I must admit that I dropped this a long time ago when budgets over ran my love for comics. But after hearing the promo for this, I had to pick it up. Our intrepid heroes are travelling the world looking for all the remaining Kryptonite. Turns out there is a new color, silver Kryptonite, which causes Clark to revert to teenage attitudes. This was a really fun issue and may, just may, convince me to put it back on my list. Michael Green did a wonderful story full of fun and humor, and if you don't like it "ssik ym ttub." If you read the story, you get the joke.
Green Arrow/Black Canary 5- Telling the backstory of Connor, we see Ollie at various stages in his life. Turns out he knew all along about him and was (I think) ashamed of his actions. Dinah proposes to him and an intimate wedding occurs. However, someone has taken Connor and the chase is on. I know that people either love or hate Judd Winick's work, but I must cop to falling somewhere in the middle. This is an example of good Judd, nice characterizations, a plot that moves ahead even if it's not the main thrust of the issue. Hopefully, the good Judd will stick around for a while.
PvP 38- What, you think I would let this slip by? Oh hell no! The only reason it falls where it does is that after all the fighting and exposition and posturing, it's great to read an issue that can make you laugh. Sometimes so hard you show your teeth. The guys from "PvP" get a new officemate who seems reluctant to share who and what they are, so they break in. Mayhem and hilarity ensue. Kurtz brings in a guest artist for a brief story that has an ending, while gross, could make even the sourest puss smile.
Countdown 11 & 10- The battle begins in earnest on Apokolips. All the storylines seem to be converging there for the Great Disaster, which I hear will be shown in COUNTDOWN before the next mini. Mary Marvel gets her power, her true power back, while Harley and Holly get granted powers by the gods as well. Una becomes infected by Brother Eye, don't really know what will happen there. I am wondering who killed Granny. I don't think it was Darkseid since he didn't use his Omega-beams. OMAC assimilates Apokolips and looks to be the beginning of the end. Two great issues that really ratchet up the action.
Flash 237- A one and done to fill in between Mark Waid and Tom Peyer. A nice issue dealing with the kids. They are given the task of stealing Superman's cape and watching them interact with each other and how they handle villains was nice. Also liked the interaction between Supes and Wally. Looks like the kids have the values we want all out kids to have; Jai by an unconscious Superman with his cape hanging in the breeze: "No. Stealing is wrong." I am willing to give Peyer a chance simply because he's bringing Freddie Williams back do to the art. I have loved his stuff and look forward to see his take on the Flash.
Amazing Spider-Man 550 &551- I have been taking a beating on why I am still buying this from some. I know I hated OMD, and I am not really all that thrilled with how they have handled the FUBAR reboot so far. But if I am willing to stick for some (FF), then I should be for others. I wanted to give each writer and artist team their first arc to see if they could do something interesting with a (supposed) clean slate. So far, a mixed bag. Nice humor, some good action, but just not a lot there to hold people. I have been collecting ASM for a long time and it's tough to give up something you love, something that got you into reading comics. Unfortunately, it may be time. OMA, or "one more arc", then I'll decide.
New Avengers 38- Jessica and Luke end their marriage. Yawn. This would have been better done in CIVIL WAR as opposed to this stuff. Man, it looks like Bendis has been watching daytime soaps to come up with this dialogue. Only redeeming part? That Lentil Yu was not the artist. The fact that he is doing the SECRET INVASION may put me off of it.
OK, that's it for now. Go savage or praise me, but at least give me credit for having an opinion!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Odds and Ends....
Hey there gang. just thought I would take some time and throw a few things out of my brain and into your face. I've included a couple of comic reviews to wake you up so my noodlings don't totally make you sleepy.
-I was estatic over the Super Bowl. Not just the fact that the Giants won, but that it was an entertaining game. Even my wife, who had no rooting interest and was basically reading in the same room, put her book down once the game hit the 4th quarter. She puts up with me as a diehard Ravens fan, and enjoyed the fact that she could sit in a room with me and not have me totally mental over the game.
-On a side note, is it me, or are the commercials they aired just trying too hard? The trailer for the IRON MAN movie was awesome, and I admit to liking the screaming animals tire one and the Budweiser "Rocky" one, but other than that, they were forgettable at best. I think the hype over the commercials is getting bigger than the hype over the game, if that's possible. They have been slowly going downhill.
-Jim put up a nice posting of a few books that you should be reading. If I may be so bold, one I would like to pimp (other than PvP, but you guys know my love for that book) is World Of Warcraft. Issue 3 came out a week or so ago, and I would reccommend it to anyone who likes the sword and sorcerer type. Walter Simonson does a terrific job balancing telling a story and making sure to be faithful to the game and it's environments. You can tell that the artist, Ludo Lullabi, studied early Joe Madueria, and gives the characters an distinctive feel based on their races and classes. I know that Wildstorm has had some hiccups in doing some things, but so far this one has been done well. Give it a shot.
-I also started to read Dynamite's Superpowers, but found myself dozing off. For a buck, it's a great intro, but man is there a heavy cost. You know how sometimes you can breeze through a book in about 10-15 minutes? Not here, brother. I love Alex Ross, his stuff runs the gamut from pedestrian to breathtaking. But his protege, Jim Krueger, must have studied under Bendis. Still, for a buck, it did have some pretty pictures.
-I have a question....who did Leinil Yu service at Marvel to get the cherry crossover of the Skrull Invasion? Other than Bendis , I mean. Have they looked at this guy's art lately? Marvel does not seem stacked with as great a lineup of artists that DC has, but they certainly could have given it to someone better. Paul Pelletier comes to mind. They are pulling him off of Fantastic Four after a pretty good run, why not give it to him? That's a team book, right? He's worked with some great writers, don't they think he could handle Bendis? OK, spleen vented.
- I am ending this on a serious note. We have had a major health scare in my wife's family this past week. Her sister, who is 45, suffered a major heart attack. She had a blockage of the Left Anterior Decending artery, or LAD, which is called "the widowmaker" for a reason. It appears that they got to her in time, but there is some damage. I bring this up for a reason. She has been taking Plavix for clot breakage for a while, but stopped for a week or 2. While I am upset that she did that, I use this to make a point. PLEASE, if you are taking any type of meds, anything for an ongoing condition, DON'T STOP! There is usually a reason for you having to take it in the first place, like me with my diabetes.
I just don't want to see any of my family and good friends check out needlessly. I love all you guys!
Be good.
-I was estatic over the Super Bowl. Not just the fact that the Giants won, but that it was an entertaining game. Even my wife, who had no rooting interest and was basically reading in the same room, put her book down once the game hit the 4th quarter. She puts up with me as a diehard Ravens fan, and enjoyed the fact that she could sit in a room with me and not have me totally mental over the game.
-On a side note, is it me, or are the commercials they aired just trying too hard? The trailer for the IRON MAN movie was awesome, and I admit to liking the screaming animals tire one and the Budweiser "Rocky" one, but other than that, they were forgettable at best. I think the hype over the commercials is getting bigger than the hype over the game, if that's possible. They have been slowly going downhill.
-Jim put up a nice posting of a few books that you should be reading. If I may be so bold, one I would like to pimp (other than PvP, but you guys know my love for that book) is World Of Warcraft. Issue 3 came out a week or so ago, and I would reccommend it to anyone who likes the sword and sorcerer type. Walter Simonson does a terrific job balancing telling a story and making sure to be faithful to the game and it's environments. You can tell that the artist, Ludo Lullabi, studied early Joe Madueria, and gives the characters an distinctive feel based on their races and classes. I know that Wildstorm has had some hiccups in doing some things, but so far this one has been done well. Give it a shot.
-I also started to read Dynamite's Superpowers, but found myself dozing off. For a buck, it's a great intro, but man is there a heavy cost. You know how sometimes you can breeze through a book in about 10-15 minutes? Not here, brother. I love Alex Ross, his stuff runs the gamut from pedestrian to breathtaking. But his protege, Jim Krueger, must have studied under Bendis. Still, for a buck, it did have some pretty pictures.
-I have a question....who did Leinil Yu service at Marvel to get the cherry crossover of the Skrull Invasion? Other than Bendis , I mean. Have they looked at this guy's art lately? Marvel does not seem stacked with as great a lineup of artists that DC has, but they certainly could have given it to someone better. Paul Pelletier comes to mind. They are pulling him off of Fantastic Four after a pretty good run, why not give it to him? That's a team book, right? He's worked with some great writers, don't they think he could handle Bendis? OK, spleen vented.
- I am ending this on a serious note. We have had a major health scare in my wife's family this past week. Her sister, who is 45, suffered a major heart attack. She had a blockage of the Left Anterior Decending artery, or LAD, which is called "the widowmaker" for a reason. It appears that they got to her in time, but there is some damage. I bring this up for a reason. She has been taking Plavix for clot breakage for a while, but stopped for a week or 2. While I am upset that she did that, I use this to make a point. PLEASE, if you are taking any type of meds, anything for an ongoing condition, DON'T STOP! There is usually a reason for you having to take it in the first place, like me with my diabetes.
I just don't want to see any of my family and good friends check out needlessly. I love all you guys!
Be good.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Hope You're Comfortable...
Because I have a truckload of comics to review. So many that I am starting this during halftime of the Super Bowl. Not really going to comment on that until later if needed. I will say this. After seeing the IRON MAN trailer, I am convinced that it will give THE DARK KNIGHT a run for the money this spring.
So, on to the comics!
Marvel-
Amazing Spider-Man 547 &548- I really loved Dan Slott's run on THE THING. It was the best superhero book with humor out there. That being said, this has not been a great start. I know he is hamstrung by Quesada's agenda, and he probably cannot start any real good storylines because of the "Secret Invasion" stuff. (real quick sidenote on that; I may pick an issue, but having Yu doing the artwork to such a big project is turning my stomach. His stuff has not looked as strong as his earlier stuff. In my opinion.) So with all that, he managed to do put an OK start to this FUBAR hero. Not great, but OK. I will stay with it for a bit more and see what he can do before the hammer drops.
Astonishing X-Men 24- We're almost done with this Whedon /Cassaday run, and I know that a lot of you are happy about that. You know my feelings for Master Joss, and I love just about anything Cassaday does, but I think I feel the same way. He has tried to write this at times like his shows, or at least I think he does. I loved the line from Wolverine; "when does Pete get to throw me at something?" But for the most part, the story has been really sort of blah.
Captain America 34- The "new" Cap begins his run. There have been lots of stuff written about this, most of it by people who never bothered to pick up a comic in their lives. I like the fact that Bucky is using a different suit and his explaination of why he is using a gun. Steve Epting does a great job drawing the battle and Bucky's inner conflict at wearing the colors seems in place. Brubaker does a terrific job ratcheting up the suspense in this issue and the next should be as good.
Daredevil 104- Mr. Fear uses Lilly to drive Milla over the edge and beat the living crap out of her nurse. Matt is too busy plaing catch-up and discovers too late what is happening. Meanwhile, Mr. Fear and the Hood are meeting to (I guess) join forces. This has been a pretty good arc from Brubaker. He has turned DD from a reactive hero to a proactive one. The things he does to Ox with a blow torch , while not MAX line stuff, is not the usual fare from ol' hornhead.
Fantastic Four 553- This is Dwayne McDuffie's last issue before Mark Millar takes over the writing chores. Man, did this one give me a headache. Timelines, alternate timelines, Kang's 3rd law of time, yada, yada yada. Wow, felt like I needed a Phd or something at the start of this. As such, was not the best issue to start on. But we got a big battle with Dr. Doom and a nice wrap-up so I can't complain too much. On the whole, McDuffie's run has been one of the better one on FF in the past few years, with Mark Waid's really the best of the past decade or so. I look forward to seeing what Millar and Brian Hitch can cook up for the First Family of Marvel.
Iron Man 25- To begin with, I must agree with Jim's assessment of Marvel's continued gouging of it's fanbase. Charging 1 to 2 dollars more without giving more story or anything of signifigance is just wrong. If I want to read about the origin of IM, or see a preview of another miniseries, I'll look elsewhere. That being said, the main story was pretty good. We are FINALLY going to see Iron Man vs. the Mandarin. Can't wait to see that.
New Avengers Annual 2- Big battle, Jessica Jones turns herself in. Not really a whole lot more than that. Dr. Strange kicks them out of the house and leaves the group. And who the hell is the demon controlling the Hood? If it is Mephisto, I am holding a public burning of anything Marvel.
Punisher 54- We see a series of flashbacks on what made the Barracuda such a bad mofo. Man, the way that Frank finally ended him was so brutal, so final, it makes it tough to think that there will be any more miniseries.
Ultimate Spider-Man 118- First part of "Spidey and his Amazing Friends" arc. Don't know if that's what they're calling it, but I'm calling it that. So, Liz is the new Firestar? That's....cool. One thing the Ultimate universe prides itself is taking characters and putting some spins on them. This is one I like. I also like this kid Kenny. He seems somewhat grounded and has potential. Have to say I was not real thrilled with Stuart Immonen's art on this ish, but to quote Spider-Man from "Family Guy"; "everybody gets one save". So I'll consider this his.
Wolverine Origins 21- Not really much to say here except for one word; Deadpool. This issue really did nothing for me except make me laugh at a couple of times. The opening "duck" sequence was a pacesetter for how this arc is going to go.
X-Men 207- End of the "Messiah Complex" crossover. Other than *spoiler warning* Professor X ending up dead, what the heck really happened here? What is the deal with Bishop? Will he be a pariah? This is leading into the ongoing CABLE series, but sorry, not for me. Oh, would someone please tackle me and explain the deal with Rogue? I know she is one of Rusty's favorite character, but just what is her damage?
So, on to the comics!
Marvel-
Amazing Spider-Man 547 &548- I really loved Dan Slott's run on THE THING. It was the best superhero book with humor out there. That being said, this has not been a great start. I know he is hamstrung by Quesada's agenda, and he probably cannot start any real good storylines because of the "Secret Invasion" stuff. (real quick sidenote on that; I may pick an issue, but having Yu doing the artwork to such a big project is turning my stomach. His stuff has not looked as strong as his earlier stuff. In my opinion.) So with all that, he managed to do put an OK start to this FUBAR hero. Not great, but OK. I will stay with it for a bit more and see what he can do before the hammer drops.
Astonishing X-Men 24- We're almost done with this Whedon /Cassaday run, and I know that a lot of you are happy about that. You know my feelings for Master Joss, and I love just about anything Cassaday does, but I think I feel the same way. He has tried to write this at times like his shows, or at least I think he does. I loved the line from Wolverine; "when does Pete get to throw me at something?" But for the most part, the story has been really sort of blah.
Captain America 34- The "new" Cap begins his run. There have been lots of stuff written about this, most of it by people who never bothered to pick up a comic in their lives. I like the fact that Bucky is using a different suit and his explaination of why he is using a gun. Steve Epting does a great job drawing the battle and Bucky's inner conflict at wearing the colors seems in place. Brubaker does a terrific job ratcheting up the suspense in this issue and the next should be as good.
Daredevil 104- Mr. Fear uses Lilly to drive Milla over the edge and beat the living crap out of her nurse. Matt is too busy plaing catch-up and discovers too late what is happening. Meanwhile, Mr. Fear and the Hood are meeting to (I guess) join forces. This has been a pretty good arc from Brubaker. He has turned DD from a reactive hero to a proactive one. The things he does to Ox with a blow torch , while not MAX line stuff, is not the usual fare from ol' hornhead.
Fantastic Four 553- This is Dwayne McDuffie's last issue before Mark Millar takes over the writing chores. Man, did this one give me a headache. Timelines, alternate timelines, Kang's 3rd law of time, yada, yada yada. Wow, felt like I needed a Phd or something at the start of this. As such, was not the best issue to start on. But we got a big battle with Dr. Doom and a nice wrap-up so I can't complain too much. On the whole, McDuffie's run has been one of the better one on FF in the past few years, with Mark Waid's really the best of the past decade or so. I look forward to seeing what Millar and Brian Hitch can cook up for the First Family of Marvel.
Iron Man 25- To begin with, I must agree with Jim's assessment of Marvel's continued gouging of it's fanbase. Charging 1 to 2 dollars more without giving more story or anything of signifigance is just wrong. If I want to read about the origin of IM, or see a preview of another miniseries, I'll look elsewhere. That being said, the main story was pretty good. We are FINALLY going to see Iron Man vs. the Mandarin. Can't wait to see that.
New Avengers Annual 2- Big battle, Jessica Jones turns herself in. Not really a whole lot more than that. Dr. Strange kicks them out of the house and leaves the group. And who the hell is the demon controlling the Hood? If it is Mephisto, I am holding a public burning of anything Marvel.
Punisher 54- We see a series of flashbacks on what made the Barracuda such a bad mofo. Man, the way that Frank finally ended him was so brutal, so final, it makes it tough to think that there will be any more miniseries.
Ultimate Spider-Man 118- First part of "Spidey and his Amazing Friends" arc. Don't know if that's what they're calling it, but I'm calling it that. So, Liz is the new Firestar? That's....cool. One thing the Ultimate universe prides itself is taking characters and putting some spins on them. This is one I like. I also like this kid Kenny. He seems somewhat grounded and has potential. Have to say I was not real thrilled with Stuart Immonen's art on this ish, but to quote Spider-Man from "Family Guy"; "everybody gets one save". So I'll consider this his.
Wolverine Origins 21- Not really much to say here except for one word; Deadpool. This issue really did nothing for me except make me laugh at a couple of times. The opening "duck" sequence was a pacesetter for how this arc is going to go.
X-Men 207- End of the "Messiah Complex" crossover. Other than *spoiler warning* Professor X ending up dead, what the heck really happened here? What is the deal with Bishop? Will he be a pariah? This is leading into the ongoing CABLE series, but sorry, not for me. Oh, would someone please tackle me and explain the deal with Rogue? I know she is one of Rusty's favorite character, but just what is her damage?
DC Comics-
Action 861- Looks like Brainiac wasn't such a bad guy after all. Turns out the JLE is using one of the lost Legion guys to turn the sun red. Then Brainiac loses control of his planet and the universe is headed towards war. This was a really terrific issue and Gary Frank's artwork (at least to me) got really better. Maybe he just needed to get his feet wet again, as I don't think he has done any monthly work in a while. If I'm wrong, I humbly apologize. As for Geoff Johns, this guy is becoming the Bendis of DC. Or maybe Brubaker is better. Anyway, just about anything this guy touches is done right and feels like a sure fire winner.
Batman 673- I love Grant Morrison's stuff, but sometimes it takes me awhile to catch up on what the heck is going on. Case in point, last issue Bats got shot in the chest and was left for dead, or so we thought. It was not until the last page that we actually discovered what happened. On the plus side, we did get a peek into what Bruce subjected himself thru during the Nanda Parbat thing. My unconfortableness aside, this was a pretty good issue upon further reading and I am looking forward to finding out just who is this guy in the other Bat suit.
Countdown 15-13 - I can pretty much sum alot of this up in one sentence. Superman Prime is the biggest jerk in the 52 universes and acts like a petulant child. But I have to say issue 15 had the line of the week during the battle between Wonder Girl and Donna Troy; "I'm Donna Troy, bitch. Donna. Troy.". Loved it. Darkseid makes his move and Monarch is killed, maybe along with Superman Prime (I hope).
Green Lantern 27- Creation of the Alpha Lanterns. They are the internal affairs of the corps. they will police the police, as they say. John Stewart had a chance to join, but refused the offer, perhaps sensing something is not all wel and good in Oa. An interlude in the issue shows a "guardian" asking Ash to recover the corpse of the Anti-Monitor. Last panel on that page shows it all. It also shows why I love Geoff Johns. He introduced an idea during the conclusion to the Sinestro Corps War and even though it won't become a major thing until 2009, he is already starting to sow the seeds. For the love of God DC, don't screw this up and let him go without completing this epic!
Justice League of America 17- Alan Burnett takes over the main story arc here while McDuffie writes the back-up. Main story deals with some villians looking to the JLA for sanctuary from the Suicide Squad. The stories are geting back to the JLA about the planet the bad guys have been put on (see SALVATION RUN for that one) and they aren't happy about it. Looks promising. Back up is dealing with Vixen's new powers, that of being able to leach the abilites off of her teammates as opposed to animals. For me, Jon Boy Meyers drew about as sexy a Vixen as I have ever seen. This story has me curious as to where it will lead. Is this something that she can control, or is it part of something more sinster using her as a bait? We'll see.
Robin 170- Well, it didn't take Chuck Dixon long to make himself right at home back on Robin, did it? He brings back one of Tim's better supporting cast (Ives) and introduces a new female villain in purple (Stephanie? nope.) to chase around. There has been a bunch of speculation on the 'net about if Steph will actually return from the dead or not. Me? I sure as hell hope not. I like the girl Tim has in his life now, and bringing her back will just draw Batman back into the mix, and he really works well as an ancillary character here.
Well gang, thats gonna wrap it up for me right now. There are a few more that I will comment on later, since I'm back to being poor and my selection will be come slim again. But I promise that there will not be any more 3 week breaks like this again. 2 at the max, no more.
See ya! =)
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