Wednesday, 30 March 2005
Sabbatical
I won't be posting for the foreseeable future. Thanks to those who have been reading this blog; I appreciate your time and effort. I hope to be back to posting things again soon.
Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Blame it on the sunshine
The sun is shining in Old London Town, which is a pleasant change, making my mood pleasant and benign. I have no desire to criticise or comment sarcastically, even on something like Countdown to Infinite Crisis, which is obviously asking for it.
Instead, let us visit other parts of the internet, and marvel at its glory ...
Diamond Geezer tells me more about Easter Day than I ever knew, and I was raised Catholic. He is a smart and informative chap with lots to say and to say well, like his Tourist Map of London, so go and be entertained.
Kevin Smith decides to share even more than usual in this diary post. I've read his article for Arena describing anal leakage, and yet even this seems too personal. Stuff like:
Still, makes me feel better about the diary I keep.
The esteemable Greg is now a contributor over at Comics Should Be Good. This is his first column. Good job, Greg, and keep up the good work.
Ian mocks the House of M, and rightfully so.
Even though I live in England, I can't possibly absorb everything interesting that comes out here. Fortunately, Kevin is there to catch the things that get by, as in this post, where he links to a piece saying that Robert Louis Stevenson was under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. Which explains a lot.
A different David does his weekly look at what is worthy of attention from this week's shipping comics, which is always a good place to check if you're missing out on anything.
And, in leaving, I just wanted to share that I finally saw Rio Bravo, a very enjoyable film, made moreso by it being the first time I can remember a character saying 'Jumpin' Jehosophat' in a non-ironic fashion.
Instead, let us visit other parts of the internet, and marvel at its glory ...
Diamond Geezer tells me more about Easter Day than I ever knew, and I was raised Catholic. He is a smart and informative chap with lots to say and to say well, like his Tourist Map of London, so go and be entertained.
Kevin Smith decides to share even more than usual in this diary post. I've read his article for Arena describing anal leakage, and yet even this seems too personal. Stuff like:
- An awesome 2 hour session of afternoon delight with the wife.and
- I get up around six a.m. with a wicked piss-boner. Jen's still sleeping, so there isn't much I can do with it. Jerking off isn't an option, as Harley's taken to sleeping on our couch.and
- I find Jen upstairs slaving over the Bunny cake, then head down to the bathroom for a half hour shit/Nintendo DS session.
Still, makes me feel better about the diary I keep.
The esteemable Greg is now a contributor over at Comics Should Be Good. This is his first column. Good job, Greg, and keep up the good work.
Ian mocks the House of M, and rightfully so.
Even though I live in England, I can't possibly absorb everything interesting that comes out here. Fortunately, Kevin is there to catch the things that get by, as in this post, where he links to a piece saying that Robert Louis Stevenson was under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. Which explains a lot.
A different David does his weekly look at what is worthy of attention from this week's shipping comics, which is always a good place to check if you're missing out on anything.
And, in leaving, I just wanted to share that I finally saw Rio Bravo, a very enjoyable film, made moreso by it being the first time I can remember a character saying 'Jumpin' Jehosophat' in a non-ironic fashion.
Tuesday, 22 March 2005
Must. Get. Thoughts. Out. Of . Head.
My brain seems to have recovered since yesterday, although not enough last night to actually be able to read my comics haul, so reviews will come later.
But my brain is overcompensating by floating all around the place, so this post will digress. You have been warned.
I watched Teen Wolf on the weekend. I didn't go out of my way to; it was on television and I haven't seen it since I first saw it nearly 20 years ago, and I didn't want to watch anything specific while I concentrated on something else. Time is a strange thing, isn't it? The first half of the film is quite enjoyable, as Fox discovers the wolf aspect but, once he does, it's quite dire, with all that hideous 'Being True To Yourself' nonsense and excessive soft rock music to tell you exactly what emotion you are supposed to be feeling in the film at that moment.
And what sort of party with alcohol has arranged party games with the annoying Stiles dictating the juvenile fun? Ever so slightly embarrassing, especially for the writers, one of whom is Jeph Loeb, writer of many a comic book and consulting producer on Smallville. (An aside; how did he go from Joseph Loeb III to Jeph Loeb? Was it after Commando? Did his typewriter break?) The unintentionally funny scene was where the obvious body double for the 'hot' girl is removing her bra to seduce Fox in the changing rooms. All I could think of when I saw that scene was the line by Natalie Portman in Garden State when Large is being humped by the dog, 'Uh-oh, here comes the lipstick.' Come on, I'm not the only person to wonder if the wolf thing is confined to the hands and face ...
(It was also weird seeing the husband of Lynette in Desperate Housewives as Brad, one of the players on Fox's team – his name is Doug Savant, which I had to look up, obviously. Thanks, IMDB.)
In the world of television comedy, the BBC is showing The Two Ronnies again. The two chaps are both in their seventies but still the BBC will use them to get ratings, which is quite sad. I have warm memories of their show from a kid (I must have been around 12 or so when I last found it funny) with Ronnie Barker's talent for word play and the silly sketches (like the Mastermind sketch where the speciality is answering the question before last) even though, even then, I knew that Corbett's monologues were rubbish. They are mostly showing the old sketches, with some new linking material, but it still managed to pull in over 8 million viewers, which goes to show that people prefer wallowing in the warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia than finding something funny.
Talking of which, Ricky Gervais shows class {EDIT: link no longer works to Chortle news] by not taking the BBC 'golden handcuff' deal and retaining creative freedom for his new show, Extras. Turning down £5 million just so he can be proud of his work is quite something and my respect for him increases, even beyond the fact that The Office did so well in the States and he's not afraid to speak his mind. This at a time when the Americanized version is soon to air, as reviews like this discuss. I still think it is a strange idea, but that never stopped people doing whatever the hell they wanted to do.
In the blogosphere, Marc-Oliver quotes something I wrote, which is a rather lovely thing to do, so thanks for that. Check out his review site, Supercritical, which is very well written and has similar views to myself, only he expresses himself much better than I.
Finally, Harvey has the real deal on what happened to Malibu from the horse's mouth, which also goes to show that blogs can achieve something positive.
Edit: The BBC deny they offered Ricky Gervais a £5 million 'golden handcuff' deal.
But my brain is overcompensating by floating all around the place, so this post will digress. You have been warned.
I watched Teen Wolf on the weekend. I didn't go out of my way to; it was on television and I haven't seen it since I first saw it nearly 20 years ago, and I didn't want to watch anything specific while I concentrated on something else. Time is a strange thing, isn't it? The first half of the film is quite enjoyable, as Fox discovers the wolf aspect but, once he does, it's quite dire, with all that hideous 'Being True To Yourself' nonsense and excessive soft rock music to tell you exactly what emotion you are supposed to be feeling in the film at that moment.
And what sort of party with alcohol has arranged party games with the annoying Stiles dictating the juvenile fun? Ever so slightly embarrassing, especially for the writers, one of whom is Jeph Loeb, writer of many a comic book and consulting producer on Smallville. (An aside; how did he go from Joseph Loeb III to Jeph Loeb? Was it after Commando? Did his typewriter break?) The unintentionally funny scene was where the obvious body double for the 'hot' girl is removing her bra to seduce Fox in the changing rooms. All I could think of when I saw that scene was the line by Natalie Portman in Garden State when Large is being humped by the dog, 'Uh-oh, here comes the lipstick.' Come on, I'm not the only person to wonder if the wolf thing is confined to the hands and face ...
(It was also weird seeing the husband of Lynette in Desperate Housewives as Brad, one of the players on Fox's team – his name is Doug Savant, which I had to look up, obviously. Thanks, IMDB.)
In the world of television comedy, the BBC is showing The Two Ronnies again. The two chaps are both in their seventies but still the BBC will use them to get ratings, which is quite sad. I have warm memories of their show from a kid (I must have been around 12 or so when I last found it funny) with Ronnie Barker's talent for word play and the silly sketches (like the Mastermind sketch where the speciality is answering the question before last) even though, even then, I knew that Corbett's monologues were rubbish. They are mostly showing the old sketches, with some new linking material, but it still managed to pull in over 8 million viewers, which goes to show that people prefer wallowing in the warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia than finding something funny.
Talking of which, Ricky Gervais shows class {EDIT: link no longer works to Chortle news] by not taking the BBC 'golden handcuff' deal and retaining creative freedom for his new show, Extras. Turning down £5 million just so he can be proud of his work is quite something and my respect for him increases, even beyond the fact that The Office did so well in the States and he's not afraid to speak his mind. This at a time when the Americanized version is soon to air, as reviews like this discuss. I still think it is a strange idea, but that never stopped people doing whatever the hell they wanted to do.
In the blogosphere, Marc-Oliver quotes something I wrote, which is a rather lovely thing to do, so thanks for that. Check out his review site, Supercritical, which is very well written and has similar views to myself, only he expresses himself much better than I.
Finally, Harvey has the real deal on what happened to Malibu from the horse's mouth, which also goes to show that blogs can achieve something positive.
Edit: The BBC deny they offered Ricky Gervais a £5 million 'golden handcuff' deal.
Comics: Incoming Issues
I've just talked about comics not turning up for another three months and now I'm talking about the books I'll be buying this week (hopefully). I blame the blogging bug. Line 'em up:
Garth Ennis's 303 #4
100 Bullets #59
Authority: Revolution #6
Seven Soldiers: Guardian #1
Sleeper Season Two #10
Daredevil #71
Runaways #2
I'm also thinking about The Expatriate #1, based on things I've read about it, but it's a full week as it is and finances may not stretch to an impulse buy. This is a hard-boiled week, with war, crime and conspiracy dramas providing the basis for the majority of my list, so the superhero madness of Grant Morrison and the old-school flava of Runaways should offer a palate cleanser after the intensity of the others. Although, saying that, I'll probably read Guardian first because I won't be able to wait until I read the others.
Garth Ennis's 303 #4
100 Bullets #59
Authority: Revolution #6
Seven Soldiers: Guardian #1
Sleeper Season Two #10
Daredevil #71
Runaways #2
I'm also thinking about The Expatriate #1, based on things I've read about it, but it's a full week as it is and finances may not stretch to an impulse buy. This is a hard-boiled week, with war, crime and conspiracy dramas providing the basis for the majority of my list, so the superhero madness of Grant Morrison and the old-school flava of Runaways should offer a palate cleanser after the intensity of the others. Although, saying that, I'll probably read Guardian first because I won't be able to wait until I read the others.
Marvel Solicitations for June
Let us look into the future ... (or here, if you don't have the sight)
So, House of M begins. Is anybody particularly excited about this? Spinning out of Avengers: Disappointed, the New Avengers and the Astonishing X-Men team up to give Scarlet Witch a spanking or something.
(Don't you just love the use of hyperbolic adjectives in Marvel titles? Astonishing X-Men. Incredible Hulk. Amazing Spider-Man. Spectacular Spider-Man. Fantastic Four. The Mighty Thor. What's next? The No Shit, They're Great Defenders? The Fucking Brilliant Punisher? Doesn't it sound a little insecure? Come on, they're already called super-heroes ...)
Marvel must love us because we get two issues of House of M in one month. Lucky us. And the second issue features every member of the X-Men and Avengers ever. Which will probably mean a ridiculously crowded two page spread like in Avengers: Dissed where you can just about make out some figures at the back with a magnifying glass. I look forward to the blogosphere discussion when this book comes out, if not the book itself, even though I usually like Bendis's writing and Copiel's art looks quite sharp.
Spider-Man gets his own House of M special mini-series, because ten comics of Spider-related material just isn't enough. The tone of the book suggests some sort of dimensional warping thing, presumably with Wanda going mental and having a fit, just for a bit of Marvel house-cleaning (and isn't that the way, to get the girls to tidy up the mess that men make?) but I could be wrong.
Marvel Next has a new mini-series, Gravity, by Sean McKeever and Mike Norton. (For more info, see this article over at Newsarama.) This looks kind of interesting; McKeever does more character-driven work, the art looks fresh and well-designed, and the concept seems to have been well thought out. I think I'll be picking this up when it comes out (just in case the trade doesn't make it.)
Kitty Pryde and Ororo get a mini-series, because 18 X-Men related titles in a month doesn't sound like a glut, does it? Ororo: Before The Storm sounds like a Year One but using the bits of Chris Claremont-written material sprinkled through the X history to form a complete couple of books. Kitty Pryde: Shadow and Flame has the novelty of having a Japanese writer (I'm going out on a limb and assuming that Akira Yoshida is Japanese) telling a story of her going to Japan. It also has the delightful art of Paul Smith detailing her adventure, which is a perfect match, but not divine enough to actually make me buy the book.
The Ultimate books continue. Spider-Man has a 'Stand-Alone Story' for issue 70, which seems strange in this new world of six issues for the trade collection. Fantastic Four sounds like an old story even to me, who isn't a big FF fan. X-Men sees Lady Deathstrike turn up, while Ultimate Secret continues setting up Ultimate Galactus. Now, is it me, or was the whole point of the Ultimate stuff to be streamlined storytelling without lots of baggage to engage new readers? If all you are going to do is reintroduce the old stuff, but in shiny new costumes and slight variations, what's the point? Is it just selling the old stuff back to us again?
Last Hero Standing sees an event for the Spider-Girl universe: does this mean it's drawing attention to this universe of giving it a proper finale? And is it tied to House of M, if 'a major Avengers villain' is involved, or are the Avengers the Marvel flavour of the month?
Amazing Spider-Man, Toxin and Breakout all entail Spider-Man's stories from New Avengers, which is nice to see in one respect, keeping the tradition of the Marvel interaction with other titles alive in this age of the TPB, but seems strange that Bendis seems to have taken over the direction of Marvel at present. He is the Kingpin.
The Marvel Knights section seems to be a much broader scope of title that I remembered it was created as. Daredevil and Black Panther remain (although Black Panther did return to the Marvel Heroes section for most of Priest's run), but it seems to be an umbrella for titles they're not quite sure about. Hercules seems a strange fit, unless one of the tasks he is recreating is impregnating 50 women in one night, and Shanna seems to be here because they didn't want to show nudity. Do District X or 4 need to be here? Or is it just for titles that are slightly outside the norm and need the comfort of the Knights title?
Is there a Fantastic Four film coming out? I didn't know ... JMS is on the regular FF title, where The Thing is all about the bling, there's an Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe dedicated to them, and there's an adaptation of the movie in comic book form, which I really can't understand – do these things sell? Is there a point of making a comic of a movie from a comic? Don't they fold in on themselves in some sort of self-referential loop? Do people buy them? Mike, Dorian – do these things sell at all? The best part is the line about the movie adaptation: 'the sure-to-be-a-hit film' – does that sound desperate or what? I can almost here the hype writer falling on his knees to pray, 'Please, dear God, let this film be a hit, please ...' They have eight collections on sale this month to coincide with the film, including a Fantastic Four: The Movie TPB, which includes the comic adaptation (which is sold separately for the first time this month) as well as 'a selection of the classic stories that inspired the film!', although the writer is still listed as Mike Carey. Fingers crossed on the film, fellas.
Apart from nice covers for Captain America and Marvel Team-Up, the only thing to capture the eye is New Warriors mini-series. It doesn't stand out for a good reason; the cover is eye-grabbing in a cartoonish-but-good way but just the idea of reviving the New Warriors makes me do a double take. Why are they doing this? I thought they were doing some odd things bringing back Power Pack and giving the GLA their own limited series but the New Warriors? It's just another expensive ad for the back catalogue of characters available for other media to buy, I guess.
The Flip Books seem like another attempt to get around the no reorder policy that Marvel has, insulting retailers and customers alike. Or am I being too cynical?
I'm still staggered by how many X-books there are. I can't bring myself to comment on them all, perhaps because I grew up infatuated with the Claremont X-Men, and stopped when he was kicked off them during the 'Artists Are King' period, only for a brief return for the Grant Morrison stories. I just can't believe that there are that many fans of the mutants to justify this overload. The really bizarre standout is seeing Matt Fraction writing a story in X-Men Unlimited. Didn't he attack this sort of thing in his column on CBR, or am I misremembering?
JMS gets the Icon treatment with Dream Police, an ongoing title best summed up by Graeme as 'Powers meets Sandman'.
Talking of Powers, it reaches its 50th issue (sort of), which is a reason to put stuff in there and charge extra, yet still insists that 'it's a perfect jumping on point for new readers!' I really enjoy Powers, but that's stretching things, folks.
Well, that's me done. Don't Marvel give you a lot? Who could afford to be a Marvel Zombie these days, apart from Nicolas Cage? Almost makes me glad they put out stuff I don't want to read ...
So, House of M begins. Is anybody particularly excited about this? Spinning out of Avengers: Disappointed, the New Avengers and the Astonishing X-Men team up to give Scarlet Witch a spanking or something.
(Don't you just love the use of hyperbolic adjectives in Marvel titles? Astonishing X-Men. Incredible Hulk. Amazing Spider-Man. Spectacular Spider-Man. Fantastic Four. The Mighty Thor. What's next? The No Shit, They're Great Defenders? The Fucking Brilliant Punisher? Doesn't it sound a little insecure? Come on, they're already called super-heroes ...)
Marvel must love us because we get two issues of House of M in one month. Lucky us. And the second issue features every member of the X-Men and Avengers ever. Which will probably mean a ridiculously crowded two page spread like in Avengers: Dissed where you can just about make out some figures at the back with a magnifying glass. I look forward to the blogosphere discussion when this book comes out, if not the book itself, even though I usually like Bendis's writing and Copiel's art looks quite sharp.
Spider-Man gets his own House of M special mini-series, because ten comics of Spider-related material just isn't enough. The tone of the book suggests some sort of dimensional warping thing, presumably with Wanda going mental and having a fit, just for a bit of Marvel house-cleaning (and isn't that the way, to get the girls to tidy up the mess that men make?) but I could be wrong.
Marvel Next has a new mini-series, Gravity, by Sean McKeever and Mike Norton. (For more info, see this article over at Newsarama.) This looks kind of interesting; McKeever does more character-driven work, the art looks fresh and well-designed, and the concept seems to have been well thought out. I think I'll be picking this up when it comes out (just in case the trade doesn't make it.)
Kitty Pryde and Ororo get a mini-series, because 18 X-Men related titles in a month doesn't sound like a glut, does it? Ororo: Before The Storm sounds like a Year One but using the bits of Chris Claremont-written material sprinkled through the X history to form a complete couple of books. Kitty Pryde: Shadow and Flame has the novelty of having a Japanese writer (I'm going out on a limb and assuming that Akira Yoshida is Japanese) telling a story of her going to Japan. It also has the delightful art of Paul Smith detailing her adventure, which is a perfect match, but not divine enough to actually make me buy the book.
The Ultimate books continue. Spider-Man has a 'Stand-Alone Story' for issue 70, which seems strange in this new world of six issues for the trade collection. Fantastic Four sounds like an old story even to me, who isn't a big FF fan. X-Men sees Lady Deathstrike turn up, while Ultimate Secret continues setting up Ultimate Galactus. Now, is it me, or was the whole point of the Ultimate stuff to be streamlined storytelling without lots of baggage to engage new readers? If all you are going to do is reintroduce the old stuff, but in shiny new costumes and slight variations, what's the point? Is it just selling the old stuff back to us again?
Last Hero Standing sees an event for the Spider-Girl universe: does this mean it's drawing attention to this universe of giving it a proper finale? And is it tied to House of M, if 'a major Avengers villain' is involved, or are the Avengers the Marvel flavour of the month?
Amazing Spider-Man, Toxin and Breakout all entail Spider-Man's stories from New Avengers, which is nice to see in one respect, keeping the tradition of the Marvel interaction with other titles alive in this age of the TPB, but seems strange that Bendis seems to have taken over the direction of Marvel at present. He is the Kingpin.
The Marvel Knights section seems to be a much broader scope of title that I remembered it was created as. Daredevil and Black Panther remain (although Black Panther did return to the Marvel Heroes section for most of Priest's run), but it seems to be an umbrella for titles they're not quite sure about. Hercules seems a strange fit, unless one of the tasks he is recreating is impregnating 50 women in one night, and Shanna seems to be here because they didn't want to show nudity. Do District X or 4 need to be here? Or is it just for titles that are slightly outside the norm and need the comfort of the Knights title?
Is there a Fantastic Four film coming out? I didn't know ... JMS is on the regular FF title, where The Thing is all about the bling, there's an Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe dedicated to them, and there's an adaptation of the movie in comic book form, which I really can't understand – do these things sell? Is there a point of making a comic of a movie from a comic? Don't they fold in on themselves in some sort of self-referential loop? Do people buy them? Mike, Dorian – do these things sell at all? The best part is the line about the movie adaptation: 'the sure-to-be-a-hit film' – does that sound desperate or what? I can almost here the hype writer falling on his knees to pray, 'Please, dear God, let this film be a hit, please ...' They have eight collections on sale this month to coincide with the film, including a Fantastic Four: The Movie TPB, which includes the comic adaptation (which is sold separately for the first time this month) as well as 'a selection of the classic stories that inspired the film!', although the writer is still listed as Mike Carey. Fingers crossed on the film, fellas.
Apart from nice covers for Captain America and Marvel Team-Up, the only thing to capture the eye is New Warriors mini-series. It doesn't stand out for a good reason; the cover is eye-grabbing in a cartoonish-but-good way but just the idea of reviving the New Warriors makes me do a double take. Why are they doing this? I thought they were doing some odd things bringing back Power Pack and giving the GLA their own limited series but the New Warriors? It's just another expensive ad for the back catalogue of characters available for other media to buy, I guess.
The Flip Books seem like another attempt to get around the no reorder policy that Marvel has, insulting retailers and customers alike. Or am I being too cynical?
I'm still staggered by how many X-books there are. I can't bring myself to comment on them all, perhaps because I grew up infatuated with the Claremont X-Men, and stopped when he was kicked off them during the 'Artists Are King' period, only for a brief return for the Grant Morrison stories. I just can't believe that there are that many fans of the mutants to justify this overload. The really bizarre standout is seeing Matt Fraction writing a story in X-Men Unlimited. Didn't he attack this sort of thing in his column on CBR, or am I misremembering?
JMS gets the Icon treatment with Dream Police, an ongoing title best summed up by Graeme as 'Powers meets Sandman'.
Talking of Powers, it reaches its 50th issue (sort of), which is a reason to put stuff in there and charge extra, yet still insists that 'it's a perfect jumping on point for new readers!' I really enjoy Powers, but that's stretching things, folks.
Well, that's me done. Don't Marvel give you a lot? Who could afford to be a Marvel Zombie these days, apart from Nicolas Cage? Almost makes me glad they put out stuff I don't want to read ...
Monday, 21 March 2005
Threadless post, concerning comics
Even after a great weekend, I feel like crap, so I could be coming down with something. Nevertheless, my urge to blog is overwhelming. Let's see what we can do ...
There was a lot of news from Wizard LA over at comic news websites, much of which didn't signify much, as evidenced by the lack of note by the blogosphere. One thing that got to me was in this article, where Joey Q worries me concerning the upcoming Mark Waid Spider-Man stories. About the authors writing the three main Spider-Man titles, he says:
I was thinking about the news of Whedon and Wonder Woman. I was wondering what the story could be. Wonder Woman has a strange history, having been created by a psychologist, suffered the curse of the bondage cover, had DC attempt to shoe-horn her into a position of importance in the DCU, while the most successful series in the books has seen the Amazonian aspect pushed to the fore. And, yet, to my mind, more people have the television series as the influence for the film. I only have vague memories of Lynda Carter swinging around to change costume, a painful looking leotard and a memorable theme tune, and I consider myself a comic book fan. Who are her main villains? How will Joss tell the origin story (as this must surely be the source for the film)? While X-Men and Spider-Man have years of stories and strong protagonists to choose from, what will Joss have to pick through? I'm hopeful, because I've enjoyed the various stories that Joss has given us, but I'm a little hesitant.
I was going to have a bash at the Marvel Solicitations for June, but I really don't have the energy. Hopefully I'll be up to the task of pouring through the hype tomorrow, and share my thoughts with you.
And in some good news, I have finally got round to buying my comics for the last three weeks. I'd be reading them now, but work tends to frown on me not actually doing the work they pay me for, so that will have to wait. I've got some serious reading to catch up on, followed by some serious reviewing.
There was a lot of news from Wizard LA over at comic news websites, much of which didn't signify much, as evidenced by the lack of note by the blogosphere. One thing that got to me was in this article, where Joey Q worries me concerning the upcoming Mark Waid Spider-Man stories. About the authors writing the three main Spider-Man titles, he says:
telling more "unified" stories about Peter Parker. Quesada also said they've "plotted out the next two years for Spider-Man."Personally, I want people telling the stories they want to tell, not a committee working out stuff that will happen over multiple series. Did that triangle thing work for Superman? I don't want to buy other comics to enjoy a story from someone with ability and a vision. Is it too much to ask for Marvel to produce Mark Waid-written, Mike Weiringo-drawn Spider-Man comics? Or is it just me?
I was thinking about the news of Whedon and Wonder Woman. I was wondering what the story could be. Wonder Woman has a strange history, having been created by a psychologist, suffered the curse of the bondage cover, had DC attempt to shoe-horn her into a position of importance in the DCU, while the most successful series in the books has seen the Amazonian aspect pushed to the fore. And, yet, to my mind, more people have the television series as the influence for the film. I only have vague memories of Lynda Carter swinging around to change costume, a painful looking leotard and a memorable theme tune, and I consider myself a comic book fan. Who are her main villains? How will Joss tell the origin story (as this must surely be the source for the film)? While X-Men and Spider-Man have years of stories and strong protagonists to choose from, what will Joss have to pick through? I'm hopeful, because I've enjoyed the various stories that Joss has given us, but I'm a little hesitant.
I was going to have a bash at the Marvel Solicitations for June, but I really don't have the energy. Hopefully I'll be up to the task of pouring through the hype tomorrow, and share my thoughts with you.
And in some good news, I have finally got round to buying my comics for the last three weeks. I'd be reading them now, but work tends to frown on me not actually doing the work they pay me for, so that will have to wait. I've got some serious reading to catch up on, followed by some serious reviewing.
Friday, 18 March 2005
Image Solicitations for June (and other stuff...)
Before we get to my comments, a few quick bits:
Warren Ellis is going mad and doing a 12-hour revisit to the glory days of his forum here.
Greg is holding a contest to win a copy of Scurvy Dogs and all you have to do is amuse him by talking like a pirate.
Logan is holding a contest where you don't even have to think, just send him and email, and you might get your hands on James Kolchalka's Sketchbook Diaries. He also posts some memories of comics inspired by this post by Tom Spurgeon, both of which are excellent, and makes me think about doing the same.
For those who like quizzes, even if they are simple to the expert, the Guardian newspaper has one on comic books & films, to coincide with Constantine making its way over here.
And, as CBR has the list of Image comics solicited for June right here, it's time for me to take a look and commence commenting.
Battle Pope is getting reprinted (in colour) – doesn't say if this is a one-off or anything – which seems a bit strange, but what do I know? I have the TPB of the original series and, although I like mocking of Catholic ideas, it's a great name, and the Tony Moore art is very nice, it didn't rock my world, so I won't be needing this.
I'm one of those people who don't get Kirby. This might make you wonder why I like comics, but I guess I'm missing the Kirby-appreciation gene or something. Even artists whose style look like his make my eyes gloss over, so I won't be getting Godland, the new series by Joe Casey. That said, cosmic stuff doesn't always work for me anyway, so it's probably for the best. Hope it works for them, though.
I have to admire Image for their diversity – Flak Riot, Blacklight, Godland, Strange Girl – all new series and all different, even if they aren't my thing. I hope they find audiences.
Invincible gets the hardcover treatment, collecting #1–13 with lots of extras, which looks very impressive. (My order for the first TPB is coming, Logan, so I can't comment on the quality of the series yet.)
The Ride collection has some artists I really dig (Pearson, Stelfreeze, Hamner, Haynes) but the names in the 'written by' section (Marz, Dixon) send shivers down my spine and prevent me from picking this up. Anyone have an alternative view to make me change my mind?
Legitimate ad copy for NYC Mech: Beta Love – 'Pick up the critically acclaimed series people are calling "BLADE RUNNER meets 100 BULLETS"!' Which people? I'd like to meet them.
I feel embarrassed now; I've gone through the various comics and there is little in list that grabs my attention or does something for me to comment upon. I feel like I'm a sketch about a Mr Floppy incident: 'This has never happened to me before, I don't know what to say. It's not you, it's me, I've been under a lot of stress. Maybe we could try again later?'
A man should know his limitations. These are obviously mine. I shall stop. If you have been, thanks for reading.
Warren Ellis is going mad and doing a 12-hour revisit to the glory days of his forum here.
Greg is holding a contest to win a copy of Scurvy Dogs and all you have to do is amuse him by talking like a pirate.
Logan is holding a contest where you don't even have to think, just send him and email, and you might get your hands on James Kolchalka's Sketchbook Diaries. He also posts some memories of comics inspired by this post by Tom Spurgeon, both of which are excellent, and makes me think about doing the same.
For those who like quizzes, even if they are simple to the expert, the Guardian newspaper has one on comic books & films, to coincide with Constantine making its way over here.
And, as CBR has the list of Image comics solicited for June right here, it's time for me to take a look and commence commenting.
Battle Pope is getting reprinted (in colour) – doesn't say if this is a one-off or anything – which seems a bit strange, but what do I know? I have the TPB of the original series and, although I like mocking of Catholic ideas, it's a great name, and the Tony Moore art is very nice, it didn't rock my world, so I won't be needing this.
I'm one of those people who don't get Kirby. This might make you wonder why I like comics, but I guess I'm missing the Kirby-appreciation gene or something. Even artists whose style look like his make my eyes gloss over, so I won't be getting Godland, the new series by Joe Casey. That said, cosmic stuff doesn't always work for me anyway, so it's probably for the best. Hope it works for them, though.
I have to admire Image for their diversity – Flak Riot, Blacklight, Godland, Strange Girl – all new series and all different, even if they aren't my thing. I hope they find audiences.
Invincible gets the hardcover treatment, collecting #1–13 with lots of extras, which looks very impressive. (My order for the first TPB is coming, Logan, so I can't comment on the quality of the series yet.)
The Ride collection has some artists I really dig (Pearson, Stelfreeze, Hamner, Haynes) but the names in the 'written by' section (Marz, Dixon) send shivers down my spine and prevent me from picking this up. Anyone have an alternative view to make me change my mind?
Legitimate ad copy for NYC Mech: Beta Love – 'Pick up the critically acclaimed series people are calling "BLADE RUNNER meets 100 BULLETS"!' Which people? I'd like to meet them.
I feel embarrassed now; I've gone through the various comics and there is little in list that grabs my attention or does something for me to comment upon. I feel like I'm a sketch about a Mr Floppy incident: 'This has never happened to me before, I don't know what to say. It's not you, it's me, I've been under a lot of stress. Maybe we could try again later?'
A man should know his limitations. These are obviously mine. I shall stop. If you have been, thanks for reading.
Thursday, 17 March 2005
DC Comics Solicitations for June
CBR has the full list. Time to poke my nose in the waters of the future ...
How much Batman stuff can people read? I know he's a popular character but come on; fifteen Batman-related titles, plus two TPBs and an archive in one month? And that doesn't include the Superman/Batman books as well. That's just taking the piss. I'm glad that I'm only interested in Gotham Central, which has an intriguing new storyline started with what looks like the body of Robin on the front cover and Rucka & Brubaker together on writing duties. And should I be worried about enjoying Adam Hughes's cover for Catwoman? Not enough to try the book, I'm sorry to say Mr Pfeifer, but best of luck. An aside, which may show my lack of comic history knowledge: how classic is the team of Englehart, Rogers & Austin? Was the comics world crying out for their return? Just curious.
Wow. Byrne's cover for Action #828 is uglier than the last one. That's talent. I feel sorry for Gail Simone. And his cover for Blood of the Demon #4 looks equally hideous. Are the people at DC too scared to tell him anything negative? Or was that in his contract? 'I shall be allowed to draw whatever the hell I want, and there's nothing you can do about. Moo-hahahahahaha. And don't call him Supes!'
I either grew up too much with Marvel books or listen too much to Warren Ellis when he talks about keeping corporate licenses alive, but most of the DC books do nothing for me. They have a lot of old characters being revived – Donna Troy, OMAC, Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern – and old stuff being renewed – Breach, Firestorm, Demon, Doom Patrol – that it just doesn't sizzle with excitement. (And what the hell is Son of Vulcan? Do people get memos on this stuff?)
Which is why we should get down on our knees and thank whatever gods Grant Morrison believes in for his Seven Soldiers; Klarion Witch Boy, Shining Knight and Zatanna miniseries all continue this month with some gorgeous covers, competing with James Jean's and Jock's Losers for cover of the month.
After a huge rant against the old stuff, I have to point out some old stuff. Irony, we meet again. The Ballad of Halo Jones is fabulous stuff (I still remember reading the first time in the pages of 2000AD, with her fighting on a planet with such huge gravity that it affects time in the battlefield, and fine penmanship of Ian Gibson) and there is another Rogue Trooper collection to bring more adolescent memories flooding back, of Rogue, Helm, Bagman and Gunnar and their adventures on Nu Earth, in war comics that aren't written by Garth Ennis.
That said, I don't think I'll be trying Albion, as I prefer my Alan Moore full-fat, not the skimmed version of 'plot by'. Still, it's an interesting experiment, if nothing else.
I'm looking forward to finally reading Astro City: The Dark Age, so I hope Kurt is fully recovered and up to the story that's been brewing at the heart of the series.
I didn't read the previous Authority/Lobo book, and I'll probably give the Spring Break Massacre a pass too, but respect to them for a great title. Anyway, there's too much Wildstorm for me to take in as it is, what with Authority: Revolution, Ex Machina, Intimates as singles, and City of Tomorrow & Matador on the trade-wait list.
Is it me, or is Wildsiderz the most embarrassingly stupid name for a new comic of late?
Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, originally a book, then a television programme (or was it the other way around? My chronological memory is appalling ...) is now a comic book adapted by Mike Carey and the strange choice of Glenn Fabry on art. What next? Video game? Animated series? Interactive hologram?
We3 is collected into trade paperback this month, allowing me to catch up on the series that had the comic blogosphere on fire when it was released. I didn't buy it at the time because I didn't enjoy Seaguy very much and the glowing reviews make me regret that choice. But, I was wondering if there is extra stuff in the TP, as it is 104 pages for $12.99, which seems a lot when the original issues were $3 each, and the Seaguy TP is $9.99 for the same number of pages.
Finally, a question to anyone reading this. I would like to know: do you buy any of the merchandise listed at the end of the solicitations? I read comics because I love the stories and the combination of word and art, and have never been tempted to buy anything related to comics, like action figures or statues or busts or replica rings or t-shirt. Is there something wrong with me? Am I not geeky enough? Is my nerd gene recessive? Please let me know what you bought and why, as I'm genuinely interested.
How much Batman stuff can people read? I know he's a popular character but come on; fifteen Batman-related titles, plus two TPBs and an archive in one month? And that doesn't include the Superman/Batman books as well. That's just taking the piss. I'm glad that I'm only interested in Gotham Central, which has an intriguing new storyline started with what looks like the body of Robin on the front cover and Rucka & Brubaker together on writing duties. And should I be worried about enjoying Adam Hughes's cover for Catwoman? Not enough to try the book, I'm sorry to say Mr Pfeifer, but best of luck. An aside, which may show my lack of comic history knowledge: how classic is the team of Englehart, Rogers & Austin? Was the comics world crying out for their return? Just curious.
Wow. Byrne's cover for Action #828 is uglier than the last one. That's talent. I feel sorry for Gail Simone. And his cover for Blood of the Demon #4 looks equally hideous. Are the people at DC too scared to tell him anything negative? Or was that in his contract? 'I shall be allowed to draw whatever the hell I want, and there's nothing you can do about. Moo-hahahahahaha. And don't call him Supes!'
I either grew up too much with Marvel books or listen too much to Warren Ellis when he talks about keeping corporate licenses alive, but most of the DC books do nothing for me. They have a lot of old characters being revived – Donna Troy, OMAC, Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern – and old stuff being renewed – Breach, Firestorm, Demon, Doom Patrol – that it just doesn't sizzle with excitement. (And what the hell is Son of Vulcan? Do people get memos on this stuff?)
Which is why we should get down on our knees and thank whatever gods Grant Morrison believes in for his Seven Soldiers; Klarion Witch Boy, Shining Knight and Zatanna miniseries all continue this month with some gorgeous covers, competing with James Jean's and Jock's Losers for cover of the month.
After a huge rant against the old stuff, I have to point out some old stuff. Irony, we meet again. The Ballad of Halo Jones is fabulous stuff (I still remember reading the first time in the pages of 2000AD, with her fighting on a planet with such huge gravity that it affects time in the battlefield, and fine penmanship of Ian Gibson) and there is another Rogue Trooper collection to bring more adolescent memories flooding back, of Rogue, Helm, Bagman and Gunnar and their adventures on Nu Earth, in war comics that aren't written by Garth Ennis.
That said, I don't think I'll be trying Albion, as I prefer my Alan Moore full-fat, not the skimmed version of 'plot by'. Still, it's an interesting experiment, if nothing else.
I'm looking forward to finally reading Astro City: The Dark Age, so I hope Kurt is fully recovered and up to the story that's been brewing at the heart of the series.
I didn't read the previous Authority/Lobo book, and I'll probably give the Spring Break Massacre a pass too, but respect to them for a great title. Anyway, there's too much Wildstorm for me to take in as it is, what with Authority: Revolution, Ex Machina, Intimates as singles, and City of Tomorrow & Matador on the trade-wait list.
Is it me, or is Wildsiderz the most embarrassingly stupid name for a new comic of late?
Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, originally a book, then a television programme (or was it the other way around? My chronological memory is appalling ...) is now a comic book adapted by Mike Carey and the strange choice of Glenn Fabry on art. What next? Video game? Animated series? Interactive hologram?
We3 is collected into trade paperback this month, allowing me to catch up on the series that had the comic blogosphere on fire when it was released. I didn't buy it at the time because I didn't enjoy Seaguy very much and the glowing reviews make me regret that choice. But, I was wondering if there is extra stuff in the TP, as it is 104 pages for $12.99, which seems a lot when the original issues were $3 each, and the Seaguy TP is $9.99 for the same number of pages.
Finally, a question to anyone reading this. I would like to know: do you buy any of the merchandise listed at the end of the solicitations? I read comics because I love the stories and the combination of word and art, and have never been tempted to buy anything related to comics, like action figures or statues or busts or replica rings or t-shirt. Is there something wrong with me? Am I not geeky enough? Is my nerd gene recessive? Please let me know what you bought and why, as I'm genuinely interested.
Train of Thought Derailed
A bit all over the place, which might mean I'm coming down with whatever illness is beating my girlfriend's immune system at the moment. Still, might be fun, eh?
First all, don't mention St Patrick's Day. I'm half Irish and I get annoyed by the way the festival has been usurped for commercial purpose, and even by the harmless Google's shamrocked front page. At least the BBC provide you with facts. What was once a break from the harshness of Lent for Irish Catholics and a religious feast day, has now become something similar to a corporate identity, so I try to ignore it. But, in a world where you can buy Happy Halloween's cards, I think I'm in the minority.
In other news, Joss Whedon will be handling Wonder Woman (ooer, missus, sounds a bit rude, etc.), which could be very interesting indeed. And Empire lets us know that Matthew Vaughan is still in talks about X-Men 3 [EDIT: link no longer available], so no official confirmation yet. Newsarama informs us that Marvel will be increasing prices of their cheapest comics; in other news, water is wet.
I've seen some other films recently and didn't feel up to full reviews but did feel the urge to waffle on about them here. I saw Million Dollar Baby and couldn't understand why it won best film and the acting Oscars. I have never had formal film studies training, so it's possible I'm missing a lot, but I thought it was a good film with some nice directing but nothing more. Certainly, I couldn't see what was so special about Hilary Swank to get her second statue and, although I certainly don't begrudge the wonderful Morgan Freeman his Oscar, I thought there was nothing here to say he deserved it for this film, so it could be just the delay factor (for example, see Al Pacino getting his for Scent of a Woman instead of The Godfather, or Paul Newman for The Colour Of Money, instead of any of the other seven films he was nominated for before). I could, of course, still be dealing with my issues from Marty not winning ...
For some reason, I saw John Carpenter's Ghost of Mars. I can't remember why I thought this was a good idea but I'm getting old, and my brain plays tricks on me. Let's see; some criminals and cops team up in an enclosed location to deal with a bunch of motive-less psychos who are trying to kill them. That sounds familiar. Oh yes, his own Assault on Precinct 13, which was a remake of Rio Bravo, which is appropriate given the Western tinge to this version, but with some sci-fi and ghost hues to it. If you like watching Ice Cube biting on his lower lip when he thinks he's acting tough, then this may be the film for you. But perhaps I was burned after watching Escape from LA or Vampires or any other Carpenter film he's done recenlty. And keep that man away from a synthesiser, for crying out loud!
I also finally got round to seeing Anchorman, which was funny but not as funny as I'd been led to believe. There are some very funny lines in it that make me smirk remembering them ('they called it "San Diego", which in German means "whale's vagina"' or 'I don't know what we're yelling about! or 'It's so hot ... milk was a bad choice.' or 'The Human Torch was denied a bank loan.') but I thought the film didn't hold together as well as a film as, say, Dodgeball. (What is it with giving comedy films really long titles at the moment?) I think Will Ferrell has to watch out for being too Will Ferrell-ish at times, where he seems to give off the vibe 'look at me, I'm being really funny now'. Could be just me, and I like Will Ferrell, even if he did make Old School, which I found deplorably bad. The reason for my not thinking that it works completely as a film was clicked into place by the 'Making of ...' on the DVD, which informed me that the director and co-writer was Adam McKay, who was head writer on SNL, and how he was throwing in adlibs to the actors, even when they were improvising, explaining why it has the feel of an extended SNL skit. Still, some good comedy stuff going on, with Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate and Steve Carell doing some lovely work, and it leaves you with a goofy grin on your face after it's finished, so you can't hold a grudge against it.
Well, that's enough film stuff for now, I guess. I think I'll have a peek at the DC Comics Solicitations next, even if I'm joining the party late. You stay classy, blogosphere.
First all, don't mention St Patrick's Day. I'm half Irish and I get annoyed by the way the festival has been usurped for commercial purpose, and even by the harmless Google's shamrocked front page. At least the BBC provide you with facts. What was once a break from the harshness of Lent for Irish Catholics and a religious feast day, has now become something similar to a corporate identity, so I try to ignore it. But, in a world where you can buy Happy Halloween's cards, I think I'm in the minority.
In other news, Joss Whedon will be handling Wonder Woman (ooer, missus, sounds a bit rude, etc.), which could be very interesting indeed. And Empire lets us know that Matthew Vaughan is still in talks about X-Men 3 [EDIT: link no longer available], so no official confirmation yet. Newsarama informs us that Marvel will be increasing prices of their cheapest comics; in other news, water is wet.
I've seen some other films recently and didn't feel up to full reviews but did feel the urge to waffle on about them here. I saw Million Dollar Baby and couldn't understand why it won best film and the acting Oscars. I have never had formal film studies training, so it's possible I'm missing a lot, but I thought it was a good film with some nice directing but nothing more. Certainly, I couldn't see what was so special about Hilary Swank to get her second statue and, although I certainly don't begrudge the wonderful Morgan Freeman his Oscar, I thought there was nothing here to say he deserved it for this film, so it could be just the delay factor (for example, see Al Pacino getting his for Scent of a Woman instead of The Godfather, or Paul Newman for The Colour Of Money, instead of any of the other seven films he was nominated for before). I could, of course, still be dealing with my issues from Marty not winning ...
For some reason, I saw John Carpenter's Ghost of Mars. I can't remember why I thought this was a good idea but I'm getting old, and my brain plays tricks on me. Let's see; some criminals and cops team up in an enclosed location to deal with a bunch of motive-less psychos who are trying to kill them. That sounds familiar. Oh yes, his own Assault on Precinct 13, which was a remake of Rio Bravo, which is appropriate given the Western tinge to this version, but with some sci-fi and ghost hues to it. If you like watching Ice Cube biting on his lower lip when he thinks he's acting tough, then this may be the film for you. But perhaps I was burned after watching Escape from LA or Vampires or any other Carpenter film he's done recenlty. And keep that man away from a synthesiser, for crying out loud!
I also finally got round to seeing Anchorman, which was funny but not as funny as I'd been led to believe. There are some very funny lines in it that make me smirk remembering them ('they called it "San Diego", which in German means "whale's vagina"' or 'I don't know what we're yelling about! or 'It's so hot ... milk was a bad choice.' or 'The Human Torch was denied a bank loan.') but I thought the film didn't hold together as well as a film as, say, Dodgeball. (What is it with giving comedy films really long titles at the moment?) I think Will Ferrell has to watch out for being too Will Ferrell-ish at times, where he seems to give off the vibe 'look at me, I'm being really funny now'. Could be just me, and I like Will Ferrell, even if he did make Old School, which I found deplorably bad. The reason for my not thinking that it works completely as a film was clicked into place by the 'Making of ...' on the DVD, which informed me that the director and co-writer was Adam McKay, who was head writer on SNL, and how he was throwing in adlibs to the actors, even when they were improvising, explaining why it has the feel of an extended SNL skit. Still, some good comedy stuff going on, with Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate and Steve Carell doing some lovely work, and it leaves you with a goofy grin on your face after it's finished, so you can't hold a grudge against it.
Well, that's enough film stuff for now, I guess. I think I'll have a peek at the DC Comics Solicitations next, even if I'm joining the party late. You stay classy, blogosphere.
Wednesday, 16 March 2005
Quick links
These may be behind the times because I've been out of touch, but I wanted them for posterity:
Funny comic book covers (via Greg)
Stan Sakai interview (via Kevin)
That is all. Back to your interwibblywebnetlinksurfing.
Funny comic book covers (via Greg)
Stan Sakai interview (via Kevin)
That is all. Back to your interwibblywebnetlinksurfing.
Clandestine Critic - A Life?
Have I been doing anything, then?
Well, I went to the theatre and saw Patrick Stewart and Joshua Jackson in David Mamet's A Life In The Theatre. Stewart was great, and Jackson kept his own, even though he was mostly reacting to Stewart, as two actors in the theatre and their lives. It is odd but I felt that we didn't really get to know the full story, not helped by the amount of changes in scene, going from one to the next, sometimes after a few lines, even if the dialogue was always interesting.
It was unlike other shows I've seen, where you get to feel as if you are witnessing significant parts of peoples' lives, but similar to another Mamet play I saw on the stage, Sexual Perversity In Chicago, with Matthew Perry, Hank Azaria, Minnie Driver and Kelly Reilly (who acted all the former off the stage, it has to be said). The rapid scenes and the change to others seemed disorienting and random, giving an almost strobe-like quality to the lives witnessed. I confess that I might not be sufficiently well-versed in the intricacies of theatre, but it was slightly disconcerting and made me wonder if Mamet plays are all like this and if I've been dazzled by all the good films I've watched that he's written.
I've also watched an Ashton Kutcher film, Dude, Where's My Car? and still feel slightly dirty and soiled. How did that film get made? Why were Brent Spiner and Andy Dick in it? The only worthwhile aspect was learning that 'Sugayna!' (or equivalent spelling) is the Japanese for 'Sweet!', which is hardly a ringing endorsement of a film. Why did I watch it, I hear you ask? Because I'm a weird cinematic masochist with a taste for watching absolute dreck even when there are more important things to do in the world, like getting a life.
I read at The Beat [EDIT: link no longer available] that Matthew Vaughan is going to direct X-Men 3 and am still stumped by that one. I'll have to get Layer Cake out on DVD and find out what to expect. And I was only watching X2 on the weekend as well, wondering when the third film was going to move ahead …
Finally, I thought I should mention that a new block of flats is being built near where I live, called Lingham Court, which I find very amusing, as Lingham is a Sanskrit word for phallus.
Well, I went to the theatre and saw Patrick Stewart and Joshua Jackson in David Mamet's A Life In The Theatre. Stewart was great, and Jackson kept his own, even though he was mostly reacting to Stewart, as two actors in the theatre and their lives. It is odd but I felt that we didn't really get to know the full story, not helped by the amount of changes in scene, going from one to the next, sometimes after a few lines, even if the dialogue was always interesting.
It was unlike other shows I've seen, where you get to feel as if you are witnessing significant parts of peoples' lives, but similar to another Mamet play I saw on the stage, Sexual Perversity In Chicago, with Matthew Perry, Hank Azaria, Minnie Driver and Kelly Reilly (who acted all the former off the stage, it has to be said). The rapid scenes and the change to others seemed disorienting and random, giving an almost strobe-like quality to the lives witnessed. I confess that I might not be sufficiently well-versed in the intricacies of theatre, but it was slightly disconcerting and made me wonder if Mamet plays are all like this and if I've been dazzled by all the good films I've watched that he's written.
I've also watched an Ashton Kutcher film, Dude, Where's My Car? and still feel slightly dirty and soiled. How did that film get made? Why were Brent Spiner and Andy Dick in it? The only worthwhile aspect was learning that 'Sugayna!' (or equivalent spelling) is the Japanese for 'Sweet!', which is hardly a ringing endorsement of a film. Why did I watch it, I hear you ask? Because I'm a weird cinematic masochist with a taste for watching absolute dreck even when there are more important things to do in the world, like getting a life.
I read at The Beat [EDIT: link no longer available] that Matthew Vaughan is going to direct X-Men 3 and am still stumped by that one. I'll have to get Layer Cake out on DVD and find out what to expect. And I was only watching X2 on the weekend as well, wondering when the third film was going to move ahead …
Finally, I thought I should mention that a new block of flats is being built near where I live, called Lingham Court, which I find very amusing, as Lingham is a Sanskrit word for phallus.
Purchase-Worthy Floppies
Being a list of illustrated story booklets considered exquisite enough to warrant completion of monetary transactions upon immediate release:
Ex Machina #9
Wonder Woman #214
PVP #15
Ultimates 2 #4
That being stated, the calamitous nature of recent events has necessitated an absence of acquisitions. The accumulation of these desirables should precipitate action on this behalf forthwith, at which time I should consider it a privilege to disperse my critical considerations.
Good day, dear reader.
Ex Machina #9
Wonder Woman #214
PVP #15
Ultimates 2 #4
That being stated, the calamitous nature of recent events has necessitated an absence of acquisitions. The accumulation of these desirables should precipitate action on this behalf forthwith, at which time I should consider it a privilege to disperse my critical considerations.
Good day, dear reader.
Moaning post - ignore if genuine content is your desire
Halfway through March and a handful of posts? Where is the dynamism of January and February? And why am I doing what sounds suspiciously like an apologetic post when rule 29 in this post tells you specifically not to?
There are many reasons, involving not freelancing, birthdays, home internet connection and laziness. But the strongest reason was trepidation. People are actually reading this blog, which is a shock, a nice shock. Now, when I sit down to write something, I become a little paralysed with fear at the thought that my words should be intelligent, funny, interesting, or at least readable.
All part of the process, I guess. Hopefully, I can overcome this nonsense and get back to reviewing, chatting, linking and slagging off things, which is what this blog is all about. If you've been checking in on me, thanks for doing so. I promise to do better and make it worth your while.
(Looks like I took the 'clandestine' bit a tad too literally ...)
There are many reasons, involving not freelancing, birthdays, home internet connection and laziness. But the strongest reason was trepidation. People are actually reading this blog, which is a shock, a nice shock. Now, when I sit down to write something, I become a little paralysed with fear at the thought that my words should be intelligent, funny, interesting, or at least readable.
All part of the process, I guess. Hopefully, I can overcome this nonsense and get back to reviewing, chatting, linking and slagging off things, which is what this blog is all about. If you've been checking in on me, thanks for doing so. I promise to do better and make it worth your while.
(Looks like I took the 'clandestine' bit a tad too literally ...)
Wednesday, 9 March 2005
But you just posted reviews
Am I over-compensating? Meh ...
Reasons to head towards my beloved comic shop:
Fables #35
Gotham Central #29
Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1
Vimanarama #2
An all-DC week, with a double helping of GMM (Grant Morrison-Modified) comic books. I must be living right or something.
Reasons to head towards my beloved comic shop:
Fables #35
Gotham Central #29
Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1
Vimanarama #2
An all-DC week, with a double helping of GMM (Grant Morrison-Modified) comic books. I must be living right or something.
(Not So) Current Comic Comments
I'm back. Miss me? No, I didn't think so ...
I still love you though ...
Reviews, reviews, reviews ... HO!
I still love you though ...
Reviews, reviews, reviews ... HO!
Comics bought 24/2/05
Fantastic Four #523
Waid tries to give Galen some humanity, which is something I’ve never seen before, and gives nice moments to Johnny Storm, which is the most sincere I’ve felt he’s been treated. And the last page is priceless (I wonder if he got this idea when Jemas told Waid that he wanted to make the FF into a sitcom?)
Hunter-Killer #1
Apart from Silvestri overdoing the heroine’s breast size, he does okay. He pulls off the trick of making it look like he’s trying too hard yet at the same time that he’s just sketching it. I think he’s a good artist, if a little inconsistent, and prone to the ‘flash’ art that is associated with Image. His mech stuff looks slack but actually quite detailed.
Waid’s writing doesn’t seem as controlled as his other stuff, which may be deliberate, but it has an affect on the story, allowing Silvestri latitude to do what he wants. The captions don’t sizzle, like in FF, and some of the story points seem a little odd; Wolf, the in control tough guy, gets knocked out by some bits of wood falling on him? And Ellis comes off as gormless, instead of naïve (which might be what they’re aiming at). Still, I’m interested, but needs improvement.
Legion of Super Heroes #3
Triad or Triplicate Girl? I prefer the former, personally. Anyway, we get to the three, and the art stops being good – Art Thibert is a good inker but not a good finisher for Kitson, in my opinion. This is not a good idea for a new series trying to get its feet off the ground.
Interesting reinterpretation for Lornu, having her as the only person to survive on the planet, instead of being something that everybody could do. The story splits (haha) into three, with our heroine on three dates with different members of the LSH, which gives us a nice look at them without it coming across as blatant expostion. The end is a nice twist, with a hint of darkness in the brightness of the future.
There is plenty of humour, which is a good vibe for this iteration of the LSH. 'She can’t be Triplicate Girl, I am!' was very funny, and the line 'Use your power' suggested that sex isn’t going to be ignored either. Good stuff.
Powers #9
The dialogue between Christian and Deena is one of the main joys of this book, and this issue has some great exchanges, with Bendis on top form. Deena’s boyfriend comes back in a subplot that will return. A multi-multi panel interview keeps Oeming on his toes, keeping talking heads interesting. The twist at the end was good (well, I didn’t see it coming until the dialogue in the interrogation room) so I’m looking forward to see what happens next.
Seven Soldiers #0
It’s wonderful seeing Morrison being allowed to do his thing in the DCU – great dialogue, interesting characters, something sinister and big going on in the background, a sense of history and fanboy love of the form and the buzz of creativity. JH Williams does a great job, from the weird to the normal to the superhero, and his Whip is a sexy lass in the S&M. I got a great a great rush from reading this, feeling the same sensation I got when I first encountered Morrison reading Zenith back in 2000AD, and this journey has started just as well. Bring on the story.
Sleeper #9
The mind games continue, with everyone playing an angle and trying to come out on top. The tension is electric and, although it’ll be sad to see this series end, at least it will come to a definite end, which will hopefully put an excellent cap to a wonderful series. Phillips does the noir so well; this is a perfect blend of story theme and artistic atmosphere, from the talking to the shoot out. Bring on the denouement.
Wonder Woman #213
The politics of Greek gods are played out using Diana as a pawn in a coup against Zeus, including a big fight with the hundred-armed Briareos. James Riaz does a better job than his last issue, and Rucka keeps his plates spinning. This reminds me a little of Simonson’s run on Thor, except without the brilliant bombastic art and perhaps a little slower, but good stuff nonetheless.
Tuesday, 1 March 2005
Links: Ohhh, that's why they call it the Web....
I've recovered from my over-reaction yesterday to Marty not getting an Oscar. He and I will survive, I think.
I'm still in a linking mode, for some reason. A comic and cinema related link: Bob Evans & Stan Lee to make superhero franchise [EDIT: Empire no longer stores this page]. Why? Sweet Zombie Jesus, does the world need more rubbish superhero from Stan Lee's UV-addled brain? I mean, all credit to him for co-creating the Marvel Universe and everything, but just stick to taking a cut of Marvel's bank and appearing on television every now and then. It's just embarrassing. And I'm reading Evans's autobiography at the moment and, while some of the things he has done in his life are impressive, he has shown spectacularly bad judgement in a lot of things, which colours my view of this news no end.
Not apropos of anything other than making me smile, but Oxford Union invites Ron Jeremy to speak. With the extra twist of Jenna Jameson coming there before him ... (couldn't resist that, sorry).
Even though I've been enjoying the C4 sitcom, Nathan Barley, not everybody else has been, according to a Chortle item [EDIT: which no longer exists]. It's not the typical feed line/punch line format, and has quite an emotional core to it about the selling of the creative soul to work (well, that's the way I see it), but it's a shame when the good stuff is ignored. Like TV, like comics ...
Talking of Channel 4, they posted their 100 Greatest Cartoons from their programme of the same name last Sunday – and they accuse blogs of being inward-looking and unusual?
David (good name) at Yet Another Comics Blog shares details about himself via a meme in his Ten Things I've Done That You May Not Have. I'd have a go myself, but I've not done anything near as interesting as he has, and so feel inadequate by comparison.
I'm still in a linking mode, for some reason. A comic and cinema related link: Bob Evans & Stan Lee to make superhero franchise [EDIT: Empire no longer stores this page]. Why? Sweet Zombie Jesus, does the world need more rubbish superhero from Stan Lee's UV-addled brain? I mean, all credit to him for co-creating the Marvel Universe and everything, but just stick to taking a cut of Marvel's bank and appearing on television every now and then. It's just embarrassing. And I'm reading Evans's autobiography at the moment and, while some of the things he has done in his life are impressive, he has shown spectacularly bad judgement in a lot of things, which colours my view of this news no end.
Not apropos of anything other than making me smile, but Oxford Union invites Ron Jeremy to speak. With the extra twist of Jenna Jameson coming there before him ... (couldn't resist that, sorry).
Even though I've been enjoying the C4 sitcom, Nathan Barley, not everybody else has been, according to a Chortle item [EDIT: which no longer exists]. It's not the typical feed line/punch line format, and has quite an emotional core to it about the selling of the creative soul to work (well, that's the way I see it), but it's a shame when the good stuff is ignored. Like TV, like comics ...
Talking of Channel 4, they posted their 100 Greatest Cartoons from their programme of the same name last Sunday – and they accuse blogs of being inward-looking and unusual?
David (good name) at Yet Another Comics Blog shares details about himself via a meme in his Ten Things I've Done That You May Not Have. I'd have a go myself, but I've not done anything near as interesting as he has, and so feel inadequate by comparison.
Comics: Incoming Issues
So, tell us David; what new comics will you be buying when they come out this week? I'm glad you asked ...
Initmates #5
Rising Stars #24
At last, a small week. Makes up for the last two weeks, at least. Intimates is still on the 'Maybe' list, as it hasn't hit home, but it's interesting, and Casey has goodwill from Wildcats. I think I'm one of the few people who cares enough to want to find out how Rising Stars finish; with all the delays and art changes and problems JMS had with Top Cow, I'm amazed anyone else will be there for the end, but I'm either stupid or stubborn, depending on your point of view.
Initmates #5
Rising Stars #24
At last, a small week. Makes up for the last two weeks, at least. Intimates is still on the 'Maybe' list, as it hasn't hit home, but it's interesting, and Casey has goodwill from Wildcats. I think I'm one of the few people who cares enough to want to find out how Rising Stars finish; with all the delays and art changes and problems JMS had with Top Cow, I'm amazed anyone else will be there for the end, but I'm either stupid or stubborn, depending on your point of view.
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