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.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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?
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