tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87166018692949354822024-02-18T22:39:15.453-05:00Mutt's RamblingsA self-proclaimed geek who writes on comics, TV, WoW, and life in general.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-72857442365029823312010-11-25T08:10:00.003-05:002010-11-25T08:17:55.990-05:00What it really means<span style="color:#000099;">Seeing as I'm really the only one reading this, I'll guess I'll answer myself. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Thanksgiving means lots of things, but mostly it should mean exactly what is says. Give thanks for what you have, not what you want.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Me?</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I have a bunch to be thankful for.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-I'm alive.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-I have a wife and family that love me despite all my faults and problems.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-I work with some people who I do truly enjoy working with and I hope they enjoy working with me.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-Our boys. Just turned 1 and have brought some happiness into our lives.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-Our new place. Still a work in progress, but we enjoy it.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-My friends, who I really don't get to see as much of anymore. I miss them all and I hope that they miss me at times too.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Think that's about it for now. So go and enjoy the day. If you have to work, you have my sympathy. I've been there and it sucks. Hopefully your day will bring you something to be thankful for.</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-16088028348098108242010-09-24T04:51:00.005-04:002010-09-24T05:09:14.541-04:00Not the biggest news here.<span style="color:#000099;">Hey there.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">It's been the talk of the 'net lately. The fact that DC is shutting down its Wildstorm imprint and folding the books into the DCU proper. I have a small vested interest in this. I love ASTRO CITY and have been a huge fan of most of it's books. Hopefully, they will allow that one to go into the Vertigo side of things, since that is the creator owned side of DC. But other than that, it doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Jim Lee is a big gun in DC Entertainment now, so he has a right to do with his imprint (it is his after all) to do with what he wants. He did foster some great creators and some decent titles, so give the man his due. But to me this is not the biggest news to hit the 'net this week.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">No, the biggest shock to me was the fact that Jim Martin, a man whose opinion on comics I respect in a big way, is taking a step back from both his blog (Comics and...) and from the comics in general. I read his post about why he is doing this and as usual, I get his reasoning behind it. Time, money and quality are issues that most adult comic readers have to deal with. Commitments to work, family and so on take precedence over sitting and reading about the latest exploits of Superman or Batman. I met Jim a few years ago when we started doing the Cosmic Comix Conversations together. He brought a reasoned mature and (at times) a cynical approach that was a balance to my fanboy, geeky, sometimes stupid take on books. I am sure that he will continue to read the "cape books" as he calls them, in one form or another. Still, I have looked forward to reading his reviews on the big books of the day. I will miss that. Much more than that, I miss the back and forth that we had on the show. I never told him this, but I looked forward to that. Maybe it wasn't apparent at the time, but I appreciated his viewpoint on the books. May not have liked it, but I appreciated it. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Good luck Jim. Hope to see you around the store sometime.</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-61811821966787986812010-09-13T15:32:00.004-04:002010-09-13T15:44:20.941-04:00Man, It's been strange!<span style="color:#000099;">Hey there anyone.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Well, we've done it. We've finally moved. Got ourselves out into the country. It took a while, but things are slowly starting to settle down. I think I made the right decision to take a week off from work after the move to try and get things going here. The boys (our cats) took awhile to get used to things, like the utter darkness that comes at night around here. No streetlights to speak of, so when it gets dark it gets REALLY dark. Also, they've had to adjust to the floors being different. Not as much carpeting in the new place, and no central A/C. Good thing we moved at the end of the summer, don't know how we would have made out during that brutal stretch in July. I think it was 10 or more days over 90 with a heat index of 100. Anyway, it's a time of adjustment for everyone. Hopefully, if things go certain ways, we will be having friends and family over more to party and such. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I missed out on the Baltimore Comic-Con. Totally bummed out about it too. I was moving the Saturday of it and was too wiped on Sunday to go. The thing that really bummed me out was the fact that I was not able to help out my buddy Rusty, and his store. I have done it every year for about the past 5 or so years and I really look forward to doing the show. Meeting some creators, maybe getting an autograph or two, and seeing some of the cool things that you may not find other places. Oh well, hopefully there will be a next year for me to do something.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Well, that's about it for now. I know that these posts have been few and far between, but I will do my level best to try and get them up more frequently. Until next time, be good!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-57184093325034984462010-06-17T10:13:00.004-04:002010-06-17T10:42:27.380-04:00A bit late, but all things considered....<span style="color:#000099;">Better late than never.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Hey gang. Some random comic thoughts for you to ponder.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-BLACKEST NIGHT was terrific. Geoff Johns created a masterpiece that will go down in the annals of DC comics as one of the best mini-series ever. Was self contained, had a beginning, middle and end, some real surprises, and most of all, established Ivan Reis as an artist to watch in the coming years. His work on this was consistent from start to finish. This elevated him to George Perez-like territory.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-Marvel has ended an era that, myself as well as others (right Jim and Rusty?) went on far too long. It ended OK, withe the SIEGE mini being a period on the long plan of Bendis. I don't know if he had this whole thing thought out from the beginning, as Johns did over at DC, and I'm not sure if this whole HEROIC AGE thing will last. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">- I think that I am suffering with something called "event fatigue". I just want to enjoy the books I have and not have them constantly interrupted with some sort of tie-in to something else. It is really frustrating to have good storytelling stopped dead in it's tracks by some sort of editorial mandate. Plot threads left dangling for months at a time with little or no resolution just to satisfy sales tends to make hardcore readers of those titles angry and feel like they are being taken advantage of by the companies. Why can't these guys just keep their hands off a book when it's going good? Do they feel they have to justify their existence by meddling? I mean, how many people rolled their eyes when they saw the solicit for that Spider-Man mini being written by Quesada? Considering he's responsible for the mess the books became, is this his way of atoning? Probably not. And I love how these guys can't leave something alone, either a character (Deadpool is this generation's Wolverine) or a line of books that they consolidate only to expand in a few months. Cancelling a title only to pick it back up with a new number is just lazy to me. It smacks of desperation and makes me wonder if the "creative" minds at the top are really creative at all. If you want to restart a book, fine. But for God's sakes, at least let it have been gone for a minimum of a year. I wish there was a governing body that could oversee these companies and say "no, that can't happen. You must abide by these rules." Yes, we can always vote with our wallets. In this economy, now more than ever we can do that. But still it seems to be happening. One shots that replace ongoings, "specials" instead of the more traditional "annuals" and so forth are clogging the racks these days. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">OK, that's enough for now. Have more to get off my chest, such as Buffy and Batman, but that will come later.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Be good!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-12018356754834967462010-06-06T00:22:00.012-04:002010-06-06T00:48:58.208-04:00News and comments<span style="color:#000099;">Hey there all.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">First off, I think that I owe you all an apology. After reading over some of the old posts, it appears that I've made the proclamation "I'm back" a bunch. So I promise not to do it again, no matter how long I'm gone.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">When I left, the wife and I had just come through the ordeal of losing one of our beloved cats, Penelope. I still miss her and feel her presence from time to time. A month after that, we lost our oldest, Spice. She passed quietly in her sleep during the final big snowfall we had. I took the wife out in the early morning during the beautiful silence that happens during most snows and told her about it. She was upset, but we both felt at peace because we did not have to go through the dilemma of putting her down. There was the plus of the fact that she met the newest additions to our family.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479514123592470834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq18Vgav74gdiD4BJwFPVRf7LjbFRjHVDghznlQhfxrkFtyceiWDYyxVXMf2d1nXuh2kXL5seycFAWUZafXxI0lj_ahxWxun_PScJgtwV6X_ShW57K9HxRsim_vwzkedIAefiKzq2Kxfs/s200/The+Boys-close+up.JPG" /></span><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="color:#000099;">Meet </span>Burt & Benji.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">These two boys are our new kids. Seeing as we can't have kids of our own (too long a story to go into), we tend to view our pets as our children. We don't do stupid things like putting clothes on them and other inanity, but still they are our kids. We got them a few months ago when they were about 2 months old. They have already chosen who belongs to who. Burt is a mommy's cat and loves her up for treats and such. Benji, the daredevil, is mine. He comes and loves me up when it's time to eat, sleeps with me when he's tired and loves my feet. No, wait. He REALLY loves my feet. He walks with me everywhere I go. He is usually waiting for me at the door when I come home from work. They are still newborns and have a ton of energy from time to time. That can be helpful, but when you're trying to sleep and they want to play, it's a pain in the butt. Still, we love them and are thankful to have them in our lives.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Well, I think that will do it for now. I have things to get off my chest about comics, but that will wait for the next post.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">It won't be six months, I promise.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-32830006695377166982010-06-04T13:01:00.003-04:002010-06-04T13:16:34.260-04:00After some consideration...<span style="color:#000099;">I've decided not to totally blow this blog up.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">First off, hi there. It's been awhile since I've done this. To say that things have been hectic is a bit of an understatment. Suffice to say I have been preoccupied with other things rather than throwing my thoughts out into the internet for all to digest. I haven't even looked at this blog in about 2 months (judging by the comments, most of you haven't looked at this at all) so you can imagine my surprize when I saw that I haven't posted in almost half a year.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">At first I thought of just flushing the whole thing. I mean, does anybody really give a damn about my opinion on anything? I get tired of hearing my voice from time to time so I know everyone else does. I have said that I am a font of useless information. So why does that need to be added to the already crowded chorus of idiots who patrol on blogs, Facebook, Myspace, etc.? I think I will use the space to try and do a few things. First, to flush the feelings and sometimes hopeless out of me so that I can give a more positive energy to my family and friends. Secondly, I do want to express my feelings about things I do care about, like sports and comics. The fact that it is not as insightful as my friends like Jim, Rusty, Matthew and Shawn should not deter me from my feelings and opinions. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">So, in summation, I will be out here. Probably alone, but here nonetheless. I will post in a day or so about the losses and additions to my family. As well as some thoughts on comics. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Thanks for checking in and stopping by.</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-14496932792187386272010-01-23T20:40:00.007-05:002010-01-23T21:06:39.591-05:00New year...same results<div><span style="color:#000099;">Hey gang, hope you all had a decent holiday season.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">For us, not so much. Well, the holidays themselves were OK. Had to work both Christmas and New Years Eve, so that blew. The center store manager, Kevin, was a great guy and let us come in early and leave at a respectable time so we could enjoy some of the holidays. Man, is he really on the crew's side as far as work, and that scares me. Guys who know what the job entails and really understand what is needed for us to do don't last very long at the store. I hope he stays for a while, but I'm not holding my breath.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">As for the Ravens, it was an up and down season. I'm glad they made the playoffs and embarrassed the Patriots, considering no one gave them a chance. Especially that fat load Chris Berman of ESPN. Man, I hate that asshat! Dude must spend his down time giving Tom Brady a reach around whenever he calls him. But I digress. I was disappointed that they lost to the colts, AGAIN. Didn't even feel real competitive in the 2nd half. There were some big improvements to this team. Ray Rice and the offense made strides, but I think they need to find a balance for Flacco. Last year, they ran some great plays that had teams off balance. This year, not so much. Don't know why, maybe Cam Cameron was trying to establish a more traditional offense. However, the loss exposed the needs of this team. They MUST improve both the receiving and secondary corps, either through the draft or free agency. </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">On a final, sad note, we had to put our cat Penelope down the first week of the year. She had been sick for a while and we loved her too much to watch her suffer. The vets at Carrolltown Veterinary Hospital were and are truly magnificent. They took great care of her and us, giving us time and space to say goodbye. They were heartfelt in their sympathy for us, even sending a handmade sympathy card signed by the whole staff. </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">I have had many pets over the years. But there has only been 3 that have touched the soul of my core and made me a better person for their presence in my life. Henri, Beau, and now Penelope will always hold a deeply special place in my heart and I miss her in ways that I cannot explain properly.</span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430121144832726386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWsnlwrpKaW-eaReTTPA5gFTxsn5EPyUDL6iqr-Nl51Tolu38KBcVoz0dSSli7hWJqeqAZATnaZkWZ-CGOUunM4grdFrhleknu8FKVTto3rDwwrv4aQVeT2l2WcdgKf15-TDsHZpcsNQ/s320/Nelopers.JPG" /> <span style="color:#000099;">R.I.P. Penelope. Your mom and dad miss you very much.</span><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">Later, folks.</span></div>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-75143251791668151802009-12-24T07:27:00.003-05:002009-12-24T07:40:18.618-05:00Please Pray for Me<span style="color:#000066;">First off, Hey there and more importantly, Hope that you all have a safe and happy Christmas!</span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">OK, onto the matter at hand. The next 24 to 48 hours will be the most physically and mentally draining of my life. To set this up; our cat, Penelope, has been at the vet's for about 3 days now and we are desperately wanting to have her home with us. Hopefully it will be today, but to do that will require rearranging an already chaotic schedule. I have to take my wife to her family early this afternoon to spend time with them. This will be difficult since it's the first Christmas without her brother. But you guys are probably aware of that.</span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Then, to complicate matters, I have to go to work this evening and stay until who knows when. This is really turning myself and the crew I work with into a bunch of Scrooges. We are all leaving families of one sort or another to get there and the weather is supposed to be brutal. Not as bad as last weekend here, but enough to screw things up. Whenever we are done, I then have to drive back to her family's house to pick her up. She didn't want to be alone on Christmas, and I can't say that I blame her for that. </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">So, at some point I have to find the time to get our baby(cat), spend some time with her, the wife's family, work, and get some rest. Christmas day should be a snap considering we are spending that with my family. I just don't know if I can make this. I'm already starting to drift writing this. Need to get at least a few hours so I can take a run at things. </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">So, please keep me in your thoughts. I love you guys and want to be here to have fun with everyone in the new year. I hope that all you wish and hope for comes true in the holiday season and throughout the new year!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-13313677573280947132009-10-30T07:51:00.003-04:002009-10-30T08:19:40.314-04:00Tearing down the walls<span style="color:#000099;">First off, hey there everyone. Either those who are looking for me or found this by accident, welcome.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">I have three words for you.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">I'm coming back. (OK, maybe it's 4, so sue me)</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">Where have I been? Not anywhere in particular, but not really here either. I have been trying to shake myself out of things for a while and have not had much success. I have been pretty much a ghost to most people, either there or being an annoyance. Sure, I have tried different things to keep myself in the game of life, but not much has really gotten through. So sit back, take a drink while I pour some things out here.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">I have been doing things sort of on an autopilot lately. Going to work, seeing people, getting my comics and such and really haven't enjoyed what I've been doing. It's not them (or you, as the case may be), it's been me. As much as I don't want to admit it, the death of my wife's brother earlier this year has been unsettling to me in more ways than I perceived. I think in part because I had to sort of box away my feelings on it to be there for her and her family. We have had the roughest year of our marriage since...the death of our newborn son. She blamed herself for that and there was no way on earth I could hold her accountable for it. It was just one of those things. We survived that and became stronger together. This, this tragedy, has cast a pall over her that I don't know when it will lift.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">She has tried to talk to people and some have tried to give her what I call "bumper sticker" advice. Things like "buck up" and "be strong" have been repeated so much she hates the sound of them. No one knows how long you're supposed to grieve. I tend to think that it's different for everyone and how well you knew and loved the person. For some, there is a momentary loss and a heartfelt saddening for the family and themselves, but then it passes. Not that they forget the person, but life goes on. For others, the moment is frozen in time and until they can reconcile themselves, it may be that way for a time.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">I don't think she is that bad, but the loss in her life has been a tremendous void. She loved everything about her brother and you could see it when they were together, how happy they were. I know I can never make her that happy again, but I have been struggling to. I love her so very much, and it hurts to see her in so much pain from time to time. She has tried to move forward, but in doing so she shut out a lot of people in her life who love her. It wasn't until I confronted her about this that I realized I had done the same thing.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">I haven't played WoW in several months.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#000099;">I haven't called my friends to talk and hang out.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#000099;">I haven't done a bunch of things I've set out to do.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">Some of this is to be there for her, but this is a cop out. So I have to say something and I hope and pray that these people will hear me say this.</span>
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">To Shawn, Jim, Matthew, Dan, Tammy, Cory, Sara, Cathy, Tom & most especially my family:</span>
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<br />I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I haven't been there for you all. I hope that you all can forgive me and grant me the chance to try and regain your love, trust and friendship.
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<br />That's it, thats all I have for now. I will try and be more of what I was, but know that while I will laugh and smile and hopefully be fun to be around, there is a small part of me that is gone forever. </span>
<br /></span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-55618372121054059712009-08-15T21:24:00.006-04:002009-08-15T22:25:06.878-04:00As Promised!<span style="color:#000099;">I know I said tomorrow, but shoot me for being a little early for once.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I want to talk about 2 things that have caught my attention, short as it is (oooh look a kitty! whoops).</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">First up is BLACKEST NIGHT. Now, there has been much discussion and dissection of this event since it was announced last year. We are now 2 issues into the main series with one mini wrapped up and another 2 either starting or about to bow. Over the years the phrase "you only have to read the main storyline" has become one of the great lies in the comic universe. Both Marvel and DC have been guilty of this and the maddening lateness of books for the "event of the year" books and it has left many a sour taste in both mouths and wallets. So far, and it has been only a month and a half, DC has kept on pace with their checklist and not overselling this event. By that I mean, they realize it's going to be a hit so they don't have to either cut into main books or overdo the ancillary minis. A huge plus for DC is that they have no plans (at least that I'm aware of) to take this into the main DCU books.The "Tales of the Corps" was a quick 3 issue that you really didn't have to read, unless you wanted to get to know some the players in the other Corps. The timing of the issues has also been very good (again, so far). The day BLACKEST NIGHT #2 drops, BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN comes out as well and offers a really cool companion to BN. Again, you don't have to read it if you don't want to, but it is well written by Peter Tomasi. He has been tackling a version of Batman with the OUTSIDERS book and the art by Ardian Syaf is in the Kubert / Morales vein, which works for me.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">As for the main story, this is Geoff Johns masterpiece. He has been working toward this for well over 2 years now. Carefully laying down piece after piece until it all comes to a head. So far, the story has more than lived up to the hype. More often than not, that is what eventually kills the "event". It has been hyped to the roof and expectation get raised so that if that first issue doesn't automatically grab you, it's deemed a failure. The first issue did more than that. It actually raised the bar. You see Black Lanterns brought to life and what they do to the living. You have deaths in both issues that actually mean something. It has been a long time since there was a book that I couldn't wait to read, and read it again and again to savor it. This is it. To call this a page turner is like calling the Mona Lisa a nice painting of a broad. I only hope that Ivan Reis (the artist) keeps up what has been stellar artwork over the course of the main book. After this, he should be given any assignment he wants to keep him at DC.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">For my second review/ comments, I'm heading into the world of Television. I have found most commercial TV to be really boring or predictable. Reality TV just sucks canal water for me. However, there was an appearance that made me sit up say wow. BBC America recently aired the season of "TORCHWOOD:CHILDREN OF EARTH" over 5 nights. In a row. That's right, a 5 night "event" that constituted a season. To say it was gripping is underselling it. Now, before I get into this, I feel compelled to say that I had watched TORCHWOOD only on occasion and only because JR (my late brother-in-law) badgered me about it from time to time. I had seen the preview for this and with a mix of sadness (about not being able to talk with him about it) and excitedness I watched this. I was totally blown away. If this is the end of the series, it did it in magnificent fashion. I am convinced that Russell T. Davies is the best science fiction writer on television anywhere right now. He did a terrific job constructing a "series" that had enough twists and turns to satisfy a rollercoaster junkie. And while this was a "science fiction" story, it hits with some real and genuine emotion. I really don't want to give anything away, I would hope that you either go and get this on DVD or find it maybe in an "on demand" section. Trust me on this. If you love a great story of aliens, family, love and loss, and the choices that we have to make in life to get to another day, this will not disappoint. You will come away saddened that this show (at least for now) has gone away probably to never return. It will inspire you (hopefully) to seek out the first 2 seasons to learn more about this show and why it works on so many levels.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">OK, I know that these technically may not constitute as reviews since I didn't go into specifics. So sue me. I don't like giving plots away to people. I want to find out for myself if something blows or blows me away. So, if reading these got you off your butt and out to either your local comic shop or DVD store, than I consider that a job well done.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Catch you later! =P</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-87947761520395484332009-08-15T06:24:00.003-04:002009-08-15T06:31:11.171-04:00A Message from Deep Space<span style="color:#000099;">OK, not really.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Just letting you all know that I'm still here and doing OK. Jim, thanks for the kind words. It's always been a blast talking to you and I appreciate your outlook on life.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">As for the rest of you lot, I'm sure you were just too shy to say anything. Like I scared you or something. It's like that old saying; "sometimes you're the bug, sometimes you're the windshield." Lately I've been feeling more like the lightning bug you hit on a hot summer night. You know, the one that leaves a glowing stain on your windshield. However, things are hopefully turning a corner. We'll see.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Oh, and as a tease, I plan to post tomorrow with a couple of reviews of some things that might interest you. so tune in tomorrow. Same Bat-time, Same Bat-channel!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-5971202957357565212009-08-02T08:11:00.004-04:002009-08-02T08:32:19.699-04:00Opening a Vein<span style="color:#000099;">And letting it bleed all over the Internet until I stop.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">First off, Hi there.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">If you're reading this, either you're a friend, someone who trolls the net looking for stuff, or just someone looking for some time to kill. Whatever the reason, welcome to my tiny corner.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I feel a need to introduce (or re-introduce) myself. I am not giving out tremendously pertinent information, just a generalization. So, who the hell am I?</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I am a man who lives with a terrific wife who is going through the year from hell. I am a son of 2 people who give of themselves to friends and family. I've learned a ton from them and would hope that I act that way too at times. I am a brother, uncle and brother-in-law who tries to be a decent person to those I love and sometimes falls way short. I am a friend to those who I have come into contact with on a consistent basis and try to help on the way of life.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">You know what? None of these things really mean a damn thing.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I feel lost. Like I'm living outside myself. None of those people mentioned above probably take the time to even read this. I don't know what has happened to me. Sometimes it feels like I'm just going through the motions. Like I'm a ghost. If I should go away, none of these people would truly miss me. Oh sure, they would wonder about me, what happened and so forth. But in the end, none of them would give a second thought to me. Don't get me wrong. I am not feeling suicidal or any of that morose, goth crap. I am just wondering where I belong in the universe. I can't really share any of these thoughts with my wife. It would scare her too much, and she has been through too much already this year. The loss of her brother, who was a big part of her life, has left her needing to lean on me more and more. I have tried so hard to be there for her, but there is only so much I can do. I guess I'm missing him too, but I can't let that show too much to her as I worry that would send her spiraling into a depression that I can't help her dig out of. I love her so much. I try to help her, and it feels so....empty. Like it's just words. I don't know. Maybe it's just the weather that's gotten to me. I am sure that this will pass in time. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Sorry to have bothered you. </span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-32856758627641804422009-07-18T07:09:00.003-04:002009-07-18T07:51:06.036-04:00Pop Culture thoughts..<span style="color:#000099;">or ramblings as it were (see? and you thought the blog title made no sense).</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-First off, the party was great as usual Jim. You really know how to throw a shindig. (OK, that wasn't really pop culture, but it's my blog dang it!)</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-The Harry Potter movie. Man, there is a big divide between those who have read the book (a lot apparently) and those who haven't (myself included). Those who didn't read the book seem to enjoy the movie for the most part. Nice story, good character development, and the story seemed to move forward organically. To those who read the book, opinions vary from an OK movie to an outright travesty that J.K. Rowling herself should rise up and slay Warner Bros. for putting this out. All I can say to those die hard Potterheads is the same thing I have said to the comic fans who are highly offended at certain changes in their favorite stories or characters: LIGHTEN THE HELL UP!!!! Cripes, if they included everything you wanted in the movie, we would have been sitting there for close to 6 hours. Changes have to be made in order to put a good coherent story on the screen. There was this same hue and cry from the comic world over the Watchmen movie over the epic disaster at the end. It worked in the movie and made sense. End of story. If it doesn't work as a movie, it would flop epically and only the fans, large and vocal you may be, would be the only ones enjoying the movie and the studios would not make another. From what I gather, the overall story and major plot points (who is the prince, what the deuce is a horcrux) did not suffer nor did the death of Dumbledore seem diminished. At least to me they didn't.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-I must pass along condolences to the family and fans of Steve McNair. I am a huge Ravens fan, and while I hated them playing against him, I respected his talent and desire. I remember being stoked when they signed him, thinking he was the final piece to the puzzle. For the 2 years he was here, he did not disappoint. He was a leader that the team needed on that side of the ball and commanded respect from his peers. It was truly shocking how he died, and I guess that we always seem to be that when someone we put on a pedestal so high becomes human after all. On a side note, there seems to be a lot of teeth gnashing about the fact the Derrick Mason announced his retirement suddenly last week, but not from me. He was very close to McNair, and the fact that his friend was taken so suddenly and relatively young had to play a part in it. All I can say is, for the fans and the team, give him some room. Let him grieve, and for God's sake, don't badger the man. I would think that we would want him to remember his time here fondly, not that we wouldn't let up on him. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-On to some comics. Everyone seems to be geeking on the new weekly by DC called Wednesday Comics. It's been a different take on comics and while I am enjoying it, I am also enjoying the fact that it's only 13 weeks long. The weekly comics have been a steadily progression downhill for DC. 52 was fantastic for the most part; Countdown was OK, but started to weaken to the end; and Trinity was a waste of Mark Bagley's talent, in my opinion.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The Blackest Night debuted this week and has just blown everything else away. Geoff Johns has become a masterful storyteller in my book, laying the foundation for this some 3 years before it was even announced. Ivan Reis' art looks tremendous and hopefully he can keep that standard up for the coming months.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Is it me, or is DC doing a much better job in handling it's universe than Marvel? The Batman universe relaunch has been really, really good and the Superman universe has some interesting things headed down the pike. What I find fascinating is that The Blackest Night will impact these characters, but in a mini-series, not in the core books. This is great. Not only will we not have to have an interruption of a story for a 2 issue "event" that may or may not have an impact on the book down the road, it will be up to the reader of those books if they want to pick up said minis. I have also heard that you don't have to pick up any of these in order to enjoy the main event, but I have heard that before. However, as long as it's Johns at the helm, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. As for Marvel, this "Dark Reign" has taken over a ton of books but also has left some, like Thor and Captain America, alone for the most part. I personally am not happy reading about "Dark Wolverine". He was already dark in my book, they just lightened him up too much for the movie. Not all that comes out of Marvel is bad; Greg Pak is returning to Hulk as of issue 601. This got me back on the book, since I loved his work on "Planet Hulk" and dropped it as soon as he left it in Jeph Loeb's hands(ugh). The bad news is that with JMS (you know who he is) going over to DC, Thor will probably start to suffer. He did a terrific job on the relaunch and crafted stories that were really fun to read. I can only hope that he will return in time to this character he so carefully and artfully rebooted.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Well, that's about it for now. Please feel free to comment, good or bad on anything stated here. I promise to read any and all. Be good and take care of each other.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Later!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-11960569439310113992009-07-12T05:24:00.003-04:002009-07-12T05:30:12.794-04:00Sticking my toe in the water<span style="color:#000099;">Hey gang.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I'm back.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I haven't really gone anywhere, just hiding in the dark corners of the internet watching the downfall of mankind as a human race. Seriously, I'm surprised that we don't have cannibals running amok eating their own here. But after some thinking and wondering about whether or not to shutter this blog and move on, I thought that I still would need a place to vent and rant about things that I care about. Everyone else seems to prattle on about nonsense, so why shouldn't I add my voice to the din?</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">So keep checking back in so often and I'll try and make it at least interesting. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I hope.</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-28789001063397978252009-05-08T02:36:00.008-04:002009-05-08T07:25:22.264-04:00My thoughts on STAR TREK<span style="color:#000099;">Hey there.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I know that the interweb has been abuzz about how bad or good this movie is going to be. The old schoolers seem to hate that it's a big budget flick without any of the stars (well, there is one, but you already know that). The new schoolers seem to think that this was a waste of time rebooting a wheezing, decaying franchise that had been past it's prime for a long time. Well, here's some news for both of you and anyone else:</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">You're wrong. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">This is a terrific movie. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Before I go on, I must observe something, so please indulge me. My brother-in-law, JR, who passed away earlier this year was a huge TREK fan. He was excited to see the movie after I showed him the pictures of Zachary Quinto as Spock. He talked about how much he was looking forward to this movie. So it was with a strange mix of excitement and morose that my wife and I approached the movie. I noticed a couple of times that she had tears and I must admit that the first time I saw the Enterprise I got choked up, and found myself again choked up during the final part before the credits (won't spoil). I miss having him here to talk about it. OK, enough about me, onto the movie.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">This was what any good TREK fan would love, a mix of action and story. I don't really get why TOS people are clinging to their hate on this story. We never really learned back in the day how this crew came together. This story told it from a perspective of the two main leads; Kirk and Spock. I can't say enough about the job Quinto did as Spock. My wife said it best when she saw him on the screen for the first time;"uncanny". There may be some plot holes (again, refuse to spoil) and the fact that Scotty didn't appear until almost halfway through are little nitpicks on my part. What I can say is that the action did not disappoint, the actors nailed the motivations and inflections of their (older) counterparts, and that this was a tremendous reboot.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">In my opinion, this crew has earned their stripes and should fly at least a couple of more missions.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">GRADE: </span><span style="color:#990000;">A+</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-80925171521944471902009-03-28T21:02:00.004-04:002009-03-28T21:38:17.286-04:00The Future of Comics?<span style="color:#000099;">Hey gang.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Got involved in an interesting conversation at the comic shop yesterday. Marc Nathan, the man who runs the Baltimore Comic-Con came into the shop to talk to the owner Rusty (most of you know that, duh) and was discussing a meeting he attended in Memphis. The subject turned to the price point of comics, which I'm sure most of you have seen or heard about. For those who haven't, it seems that the price of comics has moved from 2.99 to 3.99. This is not done for every comic, just among the big 2 (Marvel and DC).</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">At the meeting, the Marvel president said the the price change was "something they were testing the waters on to see if there was a market for it" if memory serves. DC said the price change would affect those books that added more story, so you'll get more bang for the buck (in theory). In the course of this discussion, a motive for Marvel seemingly arbitrary price increase is to try and kill the market was posed. To drive the price so that people wouldn't want the books, I guess. There appears to be some facts behind this theory. Recently there was an announcement at a con about SPIDER-WOMAN preview or #1 being released only online for a period before heading to the comic shops. The only way to see this comic is to be a subscriber to Marvel's digital comics line, which costs an amount per month. You'll have to forgive me if I'm not completely and totally factual. I remember a time about a year or so ago that Marvel announced this and at the time, I was financially unavailable to do this. It sounded like a great idea at the time. You would eventually have access to the entire back catalogue of Marvel comics, stretching back now 70 years.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Now, I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but the idea that Marvel would eventually go totally digital and no longer have current material at the brick and mortar stores sounds....suicidal to me. I am old enough to remember when Marvel tried to make a power play to have their own distribution (breaking away from behemoth Diamond) in the early '90s. It was a disaster and left customers and retailers confused and angry. They abandoned it in a short period of time and returned to Diamond's fold. This doesn't sound like that, but in a roundabout way, could be just as disastrous. Most of us comic fans read our books in other places, like the bedroom, in a comfortable chair in the living room, or even the bathroom. We don't sit for hours on end staring at a computer screen catching up on the events in Spider-Man or Batman's lives. We like being comfortable when we are transported to another world, not hogging the computer at home (work would be another matter). I think that Marvel underestimates comic fans (no big surprise here). There would be a large section of fans who would follow them into the internet. That's why they're called Marvel Zombies. However, I think a large section of fans would head somewhere else. They would give IDW or BOOM a try. They would pick up something from DC, Image or Dark Horse instead.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">What I'm trying to say is that while there is a demand and marketplace for comics on the internet, to totally remove yourself from what made you who you are is to cut your off at the knees for no good reason. I say this while also being sad that a few months ago, Scott Kurtz announced that he was cancelling his brilliant PvP book at #50. But, in fairness to Scott, he did start out as a webcomic and is still continuing to do a 5 day a week strip. They just wont be collected in true comic form. Sad, yes, but I'm sure that there will be trades from time to time. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">So, what is your opinion? Think Marvel's idea is brilliant or sucks on ice? Drop me a comment and if I should get enough of them (more than 1) I'll post with either a comment or a polite rebuttal. Thanks!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-59290748288264312392009-03-13T13:03:00.004-04:002009-03-13T13:25:20.351-04:00Some Random (or Randumb) Thoughts<span style="color:#000099;">Thought I would throw some things at the internet and see what sticks.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-Saw WATCHMEN last night, finally. I had read some of the reviews and thought Shawn was closest to the mark. I liked it, but found myself feeling "meh" after it was over. Maybe it was because I was in a small theater with sound for a larger theater that at times pinned my head to the back wall. Couldn't get out fast enough. My wife, who never read the book, enjoyed it and thought that Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan were excellently done. I agree, and thought that at times it was a spectacularly done thing. But something I haven't seen a lot of; the fascination that Snyder has with slo-mo. Man that was totally overdone at times and seemed to almost stop the movie for me. Will be interested in seeing the director's cut when it's released on DVD.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-on the comics front, I found that my choices of books has been dwindling down without really noticing it. I stopped reading Spider-Man, Punisher, Titans (old not Teen) and the Hulk books. It hit me the other day that these were my entrance back into reading way back in the early '90s, but they have lost me. I have picked up Spawn again (sorry Shawn, I'm an addict) and have been enjoying that. I am giving Iron Man a chance again. I have kept my mainstays in the DCU, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash but they are being changed again. Other than the GL event due in the summer, what is happening in these other books has me sort of apprehensive about my continued patronage. Buffy is still a good read and I like where things are starting to go there. It really does feel like the series. They will get off the main story arc from time to time, but those detours are interesting and add to the color of the characters. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-on the WoW front, I finally hit 80 with my char. Now I look forward to doing some of the other ancillary things that make that game so freaking addictive. Like killing and maiming. Those are always fun.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">See ya! =)</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-28918180496717042732009-02-15T08:01:00.009-05:002009-02-15T08:40:05.507-05:00Where I've Been<span style="color:#000099;">Hey there everybody. Thanks for checking back in. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Missed me?</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I thought not. I wouldn't have missed me either.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Well, time to come clean with everyone. I promised in my last post that I would reveal why I had to go away for a while. There was a time that I didn't think I was ever coming back, but things have settled down for the moment and I can tell you what happened.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">On January 3rd, at 8:30 in the morning, my brother-in-law and probably one of my closest friends, JR Evens, died from a heart attack. He was 42 years old.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">He was about as close to a brother as I have had in the world, other than my sister's husband, but JR was closer in age. There was nothing that I couldn't talk about with him, from cars and comics to relationship issues. He was funny, personable, and if you got the chance to know him for more than a few hours, you left feeling better for the experience. I miss him terribly.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">As bad as it has been for me, this has been totally devastating for my wife. She was very close to him and we even bowled as a team. They had their nights when they watched Doctor Who, either on BBC, Sci-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">FI</span>, or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">MPT</span> (which used to run late night on Saturdays). They would spend the time talking about the episode and what was going on in each other's lives. I would occasionally watch along with her, but never interfered with their moment. When he was having some money troubles lately, she paid for his bowling until he got back on his feet financially. I would try and help out with some food or snacks so we know that he would have something substantial to eat. It wasn't much, but he appreciated any little bit. We thought that he had turned a corner and started back on the road again, and we were all hopeful that 2009 would be a good year for us all.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Then we got the call from his sister, who he was living with. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">We hightailed it to Carroll County General, where he was taken. We got there, and a nurse said that someone would come to get us. I had to pee and found a bathroom. I stood there for a minute and heard a wailing that at first, couldn't understand. A nanosecond later, I realized where the wailing was coming from. It was my wife. She was being told by her sister and father about JR. She was inconsolable. I grabbed her and hugged her and tried to comfort her and her father. I was about as useful as broom trying to beat back a tidal wave.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">This was about a month and a half ago. In that time, I have tried to stay as close to my wife as possible. For the first couple of weeks, I just about never left her side, except for a few things. She would sleep, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">everytime</span> she awoke, the memory of what happened would come rushing back to her and she would cry. This has diminished over time, and I think I can say that she is doing much better, but she still has her days. The first time we went back to bowling was very difficult for her, and she couldn't bring herself to bowl that night. But she promised him that she would keep doing it (he was the reason we got into it in the first place) so she went last week and did very well, both in bowling and emotions.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I am going to go now, but before I do there are some people I need to thank. My family, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">especially</span> my mom and sister have been terrific in both talking to Boo and trying to be there for her. I've said it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">before</span> and I'll say it here; I am a very lucky man to have family like this. I love all of you. On a lighter note, Rusty kept my comics warm for me (man were they the escapism I needed at the time) so thanks bud. A very big thank you goes to our friends. Cathy, Tom, Dan, Tammy, Sara and Cory, you guys have been so helpful and loving toward Boo that I can't begin to thank you enough. You were there from the moment you heard, offering unwavering love and support that even now, there are no words to accurately convey my appreciation, so the simple (but insignificant) "Thank you and we love you" will have to suffice.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">To my friends (Jim, Matthew, Shawn) I can only say that I will be back but just be patient. There are days that it's the old me, but sometimes there aren't. I promise to be around more as I can. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Oh, one last thing. I will be posting a picture of JR at some point. Sorry, I don't have a scanner so it will take some doing.</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-7187710919461217542009-01-05T22:54:00.003-05:002009-01-05T22:57:41.673-05:00I have to go<span style="color:#000099;">Due to circumstances beyond all control, I am putting this blog on a hiatus. Things are so far out of control that I cannot even begin to focus on something as trivial as this.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I don't know when I'll be back, hopefully soon. When I do come back, all will be explained.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Please keep checking back from time to time and please, keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">We'll need them.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Later</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-14059276002574555312008-12-08T06:53:00.004-05:002008-12-08T06:55:40.168-05:00God forbid, but if I should die tomorrow...<span style="color:#000099;">I can go a happy man.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Yes, my life with my family and friends has been fulfilling and all, but come on.....</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">24-10 on national TV?!?!?!?</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">SNUFFING THE DEADSKINS!?!?!?!?<br /><br />SWEET!!!!!!!!!!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-35112989290290887292008-12-05T13:01:00.003-05:002008-12-05T13:05:01.122-05:00Happy Holidays and all that Jazz<span style="color:#000099;">Hey there guys and gals.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">And you are great, no matter what anyone else says, I dig you guys!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-22088473267300020452008-11-13T09:45:00.003-05:002008-11-13T09:50:40.451-05:00A Life Sucker.....and how!<span style="color:#000099;">Hey gang.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Where the hell is Northrend?</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">So, be good to each other, look out for one another and stay out of trouble. (puts on his armor) </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I AM OUT OF HERE!!!!!!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-1715885703543585092008-11-09T06:08:00.007-05:002008-11-09T16:29:51.196-05:00Your patience has been rewarded!<span style="color:#000099;">Yes, FINALLY some comic reviews!</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Spawn 185-</strong></span><span style="color:#000099;"> 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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Ultimate Origins-</strong></span><span style="color:#000099;"> 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. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.....</span><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Ultimate Spider-Man Annual 3-</strong></span><span style="color:#000099;"> 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. </span><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Rage of the Red Lanterns-</strong></span><span style="color:#000099;"> 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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Crossed 1-</strong> </span><span style="color:#000099;">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. </span><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Superman/Batman 53-</strong></span><span style="color:#000099;"> 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. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">That's it for the moment. Will return (I promise!) in a day or so to throw some more your way.</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-60474318073434773532008-10-31T08:25:00.004-04:002008-10-31T08:42:26.260-04:00Quick hits....<span style="color:#000099;">I am behind in both getting and reading the books, and that will be rectified this weekend.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">But I did get some of the event books so here are some thoughts;</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-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. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">-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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Oh, and </span><span style="color:#993300;"><strong>HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!</strong></span><span style="color:#000099;"> Everyone be safe and watch out for the kiddies!</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716601869294935482.post-77656309821456203092008-10-24T05:34:00.003-04:002008-10-24T05:47:41.636-04:00Tumbleweeds on the internet!?!?!<span style="color:#000099;">Yep, that's what I see blowing across my screen as I look at my page here.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">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. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Thanks for bearing with me.</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14148153034219972252noreply@blogger.com3