Four-color Fiend: Just a few things

First Wave #1 of 6 (DC Comics)
DC has gotten the rights to several pulp characters and rather than simply do solo tales they have created separate Earth where they co-exist with alternate versions of DCU characters. It remains to be seen, I guess if it is one of the former Elseworlds or part of the 52 series of Universes. This new world of non-powered heroes was first shown in the DOC SAVAGE/BATMAN one-shot. That issue introduced the Bruce Wayne and Clark "Doc" Savage, Jr. of this earth brought together in Gotham. As usual, for this type of thing, they fought and then teamed up although not totally trusting the other despite having a goal in common. I'm not clear if the one-shot adventure takes place before or after the events in this first issue, but it will probably become clear later.

This mini-series introduces some of those 'new' versions of characters we have seen before, either in the DCU or elsewhere. The first issue gives us Doc's old adversary John Sunlight, a new Rima of the Jungle (even though she is not identified by name here), The Spirit and a new generation of Black Hawks. Writer Brian Azzarello does a good job bringing this diverse group together, although it's not clear yet if they will work together or at odds. It has been announced that we will also be meeting a new Black Canary, The Avenger and possibly The Shadow. It's a large cast but artist Rags Morales gives the main characters distinctive looks so they are easily recognizable. I just heard that writer Will Murray will be producing new prose adventures of Doc Savage, but those will have nothing to do with this comic version. Along with the pulp reprints from Nostalgia Ventures, this is a pretty good time to be a fan of the Man of Bronze.

Walking Dead #70 (Image Comics)
Rick Grimes and his band of followers finally reach what may be a safe-haven in the outskirts of Washington, D.C. Writer & co-creator, Robert Kirkman introduces a new group of characters to his already large cast of survivors. Naturally, given all that Rick has gone through he continues to have his doubts about the situation. However, as he has since the beginning Rick's chief concern is his son Carl. Since the boy seems to be accepting his new surroundings Rick decides to give it a chance. Unfortunately, as the case often is in this world in which the undead roam, it appears that there are more secrets yet to be uncovered. From the first few issues, Kirkman has made Walking Dead into more than another zombie comic book. The undead still show up every so often, if only for a panel or two, but Kirkman has shown that the survivors of the plague can be much more dangerous than those who died and returned.

American Vampire #1 (Vertigo/DC)
Here's another must-have for you Stephen King fans out there. King (at least for the first five issues), along with comics scribe Scott Snyder present tales involving a 'new species' of vampire, unique to this country. The idea is that vampires, as other lifeforms do, will occasionally mutate into something different from their parents. Why should those who rise from the dead here, be exactly like those that came from Europe or other places? Might they not have different powers, different weaknesses? Snyder opens the issue with a story that takes place in the Hollywood of the Silents. Pearl a young lady, trying to make her start in films is attacked by a group of 'older' vampires. Earlier she had met a mysterious, cowboy who had begun to show up at the hotel where Pearl was living. In King's tale we find that the cowboy is actually Old West bank-robber & murderer Skinner Sweet. Sweet is not a likable character, having killed children in escaping from a robbery gone wrong. Captured by the Pinkertons, Sweet escapes when the train he is on is derailed by his gang. Before he can get away, he is attacked and turned by another vampire whose money Sweet had stolen. Both tales end, in this first issue, at the point where Sweet & Pearl become tainted, Snyder & King plan to give us the history of this new breed, from their origin up through the major events of the last century. I'm in for at least the initial run with King.

Is he still here?

Yes! In point of fact, I am still here, but not posting much at all. Well, except for the occasional videos from YouTube, as you can see in this morning's post. To be honest, that's about the only time I even remember that I have a blog, or rather two. Hell, I'm actually supposed to be posting to a third, but I don't think I've even read that one for almost a year.

I'm still enjoying, for the most part the main BLACKEST NIGHT titles & cross-overs at DC. Depending on how this all wraps up I will probably keep getting the Green Lantern titles, but I'm unsure about some of the others. I already dropped JSA and the current JLA book is borderline. That has more to do with the bad scheduling of JL: Cry for Justice, where things were given away in the regular JLA book before the final issue of the mini-series hit the stands. DC has also ticked me off with Flash, since it was difficult to keep track of the character (or characters, since there are several) in three different books (Rebirth, Blackest Night & his own title). Might pick up the first issue with Barry, but not sure how long I'll care.

I know that when the current Norman Osborne plot line finally wraps up, hopefully with the end of Siege, I'm going to be dropping a number of Marvel titles. Don't want to toss in some Spoiler Alerts, but it seems apparent where this is going at this point. I haven't liked the character Sentry from his introduction and retro shoehorning into MU continuity. Bad enough a Superman-level hero we didn't know about, and now it looks like he is going to be the focus of the next 'event'. Time to bail!

Speaking of Marvel, it appears they finally remembered that they were publishing a mini-series called The Twelve at some point. Imagine my surprise, after months of nothing to discover something called The Twelve: Spearhead. Nice retro story of the group of heroes back in WWII before they were captured and put into suspended animation. The icing on the cake being a reproduction in the back of the cover of THE TWELVE #9, with the information that it will be "coming soon". Well, how informative is that? Bet the pre-orders on that will be just through the roof, huh? ***sigh***

Maybe have mentioned this before, but I'm going through the dozen or so episodes of DOCTOR WHO that I recorded when BBC America did a marathon over the holidays. I'd already seen some of the David Tennant episodes, but it's great seeing them in order. Rose to Martha to Donna and the final confrontations with The Master. Man, it is going to be hard for the new Doctor to live up to these shows. I also read online that Tom Baker (my first & favorite Doctor) will be returning to the character via original audiobooks soon. Way cool!

That's it for now, at least until I get reved up enough to bitch about something else.

Zombie Jamboree - Rockapella

Zombies and Rockapella!! Saw them do this live and had it in my head for days after. Bet it does the same to you!!

Kick Ass - Official Trailer 2

Tell me this is NOT awesome!!! LOL!

Doctor Who: Series 5 Preview - BBC One

He does look a bit young, but I'll give him a chance. Can't wait!

Comics and other stuff (I rant a bit)

Let's do this really quick, since there are other things I need to get done.

I'm still, for the most part, enjoying the DARKEST NIGHT titles that I'm reading. On the other hand, I'm a little ticked off that the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA book seems to have jumped ahead of both the DN titles and the last issue of the CRY FOR JUSTICE mini. The first few pages of JLoA give away the ending the mini and gives a hint (during the story and the final page) of the fate of some of those involved in DN. I'll admit that the guy at Nuclear warned me about this when I picked up the book, but it still bothered me. I mean why would I need to read the remaining books in either series if I already know what the outcome will be?

Over at Marvel, "Darkest Reign" seems to have given way to SIEGE, which will probably end with Norman Osborn losing his current legit status in the government. It's apparent that he'll give in to his Green Goblin persona pretty soon, as well. I think I'm in the majority here wishing that this whole thing would wrap up so the individual titles can move on.

I've been reading the various PROJECT SUPERPOWERS titles from Dynamite, but wonder for how much longer. I'm starting to get the feeling that the main storyline is open-ended and will just continue for some indefinite period. If there doesn't appear to be some kind of resolution in the next six months I think I'm going to cut the books from my 'pull list' and see if anybody wants to buy them. The writing and art are excellent but I need to know that this isn't just going to drag on for another year.

With all the death, maiming and destruction going on at the Big Two and in the PS series, it's interesting that the book that was the most positive was Robert Kirkman's WALKING DEAD. A couple of panels of zombies being dispatched, in the background, but mostly the characters coming to grips with a possible safe haven. WD remains one of my favorite titles.

Finally, anybody buying IMAGE UNITED care to let me know if you are following this at all? Maybe because I don't generally read any of the Image super-hero books the whole thing confuses me, but I'm sure there must be somebody who can clue me in.

Clash Of The Titans - Official Trailer [HD]

I think I prefer the original, but this does look like it might be fun.

Hey, somebody's favorite line: "Release the kraken!!"

Goodbye, Doctor. We'll miss you!

It has been said that your ‘favorite’ Doctor Who (DW) is the one that appeared in the first episodes you see. In my case that would have been Peter Cushing in the two DW movies based on the television show. Not hardly! As much as I liked Cushing as an actor his Doctor wasn’t particularly likable, as I recall. I saw those films in the theatre when I was a kid, probably as part of a double-feature with some other British horror/SF film. The Daleks looked even sillier up on the big screen, as you can imagine. It would be interesting to see them again, to see if my opinion is any different.

My ‘second’ Doctor was Jon Pertwee who starred in the first TV episodes I ever saw. This would have been in the mid-70s when his shows were being broadcast on local PBS stations. I only remember seeing a few and this older guy driving around in an old automobile didn’t really appeal to me. I thought it was a bad James Bond rip-off to be honest. It wasn’t until I was working in Westport, CT and one of the PBS stations began showing the DW program featuring Tom Baker that I finally became a fan. To me Baker was ‘my Doctor’ and the one to whom all others had to measure up. While I liked both Peter Davison and Colin Baker, I only recall seeing one installment with Sylvester McCoy so didn’t really form any sort of opinion. To be honest, I think I sort of liked the TV movie featuring Paul McGann, in his only appearance as the Eighth Doctor. An attempt to make the show more appealing to American audiences I think, but not enough apparently as the show remained in limbo for a few more years.

When BBC America began showing the new episodes, starring Christopher Eccleston I caught a couple of shows, after hearing some good things from friends. I liked Eccleston, possibly because his somewhat goofy manner reminded me of Tom Baker at his most whimsical. I was just getting into the DW habit again when another regeneration occurred and David Tennant became the Tenth Doctor. I think I liked him from the very beginning. You also could tell, from his actions in “Parting of the Ways” and the special “Christmas Invasion”. Here was a darker, Time Lord. The last of his race and although he could be light-hearted he would also take lives if it felt necessary for the ‘greater good’. As he says in one episode, “No second chances. That’s the kind of man I am.” Brrr….

Throughout his stint as The Doctor, Tennant made his incarnation into a DW we had never seen before. He was in a way ‘more human’, if you will, yet also able to portray a very superior and alien personality. The final three episodes, “Waters of Mars” and the two-part “The End of Time”, will probably go down as some of the best DW episodes in a series which has had a number of very, good ones. In both we see Tenant’s Doctor revealing a side of himself that is almost a reflection of The Master at his most smug. It’s pretty scary and revealing, as well. Sadly, we also knew from hints dropped throughout the past season (as well as stories on the Internet) that the next regeneration was not too far off.

If you haven’t watched the final two-part story, you really should. Even if you are not a big DW fan I think there is enough action and suspense to keep you interested. I’m going to really miss David Tennant and the new Doctor has a long way to go to even come close to matching what the last two Doctors (and the previous eight, to be honest) brought to the series.

Popcorn for Two: a review of AVATAR (with some spoilers)

I have to admit that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to shell out the money for AVATAR initially. There was plenty of buzz last year at San Diego about the film and there were several props available to ogle. Still a movie about a bunch of computer animated blue elves really didn’t appeal to me. Even the initial trailer didn’t get me excited. Of course, the weeks leading up to the release were filled with appearances of the actors on talk shows and then lots of pretty decent reviews online & in print. I went from ‘on the fence’ to deciding to see it if/when I had the chance. This past Sunday, Donna & I were planning on going to Kristina’s to help her take down her X-mas tree. While on the phone with Donna she asked if I’d be interested in going to the theatre with her to see it. Sure, why not?

We considered seeing the film in IMAX, but there was a long line and there was an earlier showing in 3-D, so we decided to go for that. After getting our tickets and the 3-D glasses we dropped by a Stonecold Creamery for ice-cream, since we had some time to kill. We were still were able to get into the theatre early enough to get decent seats (the theatre was almost filled by the time previews began) and buy popcorn. There were several previews and then a screen appeared telling us to put on our glasses. At that point we saw a trailer for Tim Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND in 3-D, which was pretty cool!

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you much about the film, since you’ve probably read and seen enough about it already to make a decision of your own. Bottom line was that The Child and I both enjoyed the movie, although whether or not it changes Hollywood forever (as some seem to think) remains to be seen. It certainly blew us away when it came to visual story-telling, which given it was James Cameron, should not come as a complete surprise. You really do have to see this movie in 3-D, if not IMAX, to really appreciate what Cameron & Co. have done here. After the first few minutes of getting used to the glasses you will probably get so into the movie that you forget you have them on. Hell, even having to deal with wearing the 3-D specs over my own glasses didn’t bother me after a while. I have never experienced such realistic 3-D. There are some scenes where you almost find yourself swatting at the insects flying about in the forest. Also, if you have a problem with heights, watch out! Awesome!

The story itself could not be more basic: A large corporation based on Earth is mining a rare metal found only on the planet Pandora. The U.S. government has sent along a large contingent of Marines to ensure the safety of the operation and to keep the local inhabitants, called the Na’vi, from interfering. In an attempt to get this co-operation a group of scientists headed by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) has created synthetic beings which resemble the Na’vi. A human is able to transfer their consciousness into the creations, called ‘avatars’, which allows them to survive in the poisonous atmosphere of the planet. When his brother dies in an accident, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is able to take his place in the avatar program, as they share the same genetic code. Dr. Augustine is trying to learn the ways of the natives and discover what the corporation can offer them in return for rights to bulldoze and strip mine the place. Things are not going well on the negotiation front.

Naturally, the corporation (since they are all evil) isn’t happy with only limited access to the material they want so they recruit Jake to act as sort of a spy among the Na’vi, getting the military/industrial honchos enough intel to be able to go in and take what they want. Initially, more than happy to go along with all this Jake slowly begins to identify with the natives more so than with those who have brought him to Pandora in the first place.

If you expect anything new, outside of the visuals (which are stunning), I think you are going to be disappointed. The story is pretty predictable from the very, first time you see the corporation’s rep (Giovanni Ribisi) and the gung-ho Marine colonel (Stephen Lang). Saying both fit the stereotype of their characters is speaking the obvious. You know that they are going to push things to the extreme and make life difficult for anyone with whom the viewer has sympathy. Cameron makes his points and does so with a heavy hand, but because he does it so well and brings the world of Pandora to life we forgive him. Other reviewers (pro & con) have talked about the what each side represents and for whom we should be rooting . You all know me well enough to know how I feel about all of this, so we won’t go there.

All the actors do nice jobs, making you either like or dislike them. I cannot tell you how much I recommend this movie. If you are at all interested in this type of film or just to see what everybody is talking about you have to see it and in the theatre. I can’t speak for the IMAX version, but seeing it in 3-D on a big screen is the only way to view this. I don’t care what kind of HDTV you might have set up, there is no way you can truly experience the movie on DVD or Blu-Ray, although I’m sure sales on those will be through the roof!

I was going to also talk about my reaction to the last three David Tenant episodes of DOCTOR WHO, but that can wait. I’ve gone on longer than I had planned already. I’ll try and get to the good Doctor in the next couple of days. Brilliant, kind of sums it up though!

Four-Color Fiend: IMAGE UNITED #1 (a spoiler or two)

Truly this is less about reviewing this particular comic than it is about my feelings about Image, some of its creators and my interaction with some of them.

Set the Way-Back Machine for San Diego, July of 1976, Sherman. The place the El Cortez Hotel where the San Diego Comic-con is being held. A twenty-five year old sailor is walking around at only the third convention he has ever attended. His second SDCC. There is a guy at a small table offering to draw super-heroes for a dollar. At the time the sailor’s favorite is Deathlok/Luther Manning (the original), so he asks the artist to draw him. The artist, a Jim Valentino, doesn’t remember on which side Deathlok’s face has a metal covering so after buying a VG copy of Astonishing Tales #25, the sailor (let’s call him Steve) returns and gets his sketch. He still owns it!

About twelve years later, Valentino (he no longer signs his first name to his work) is working for Marvel Animation and gives me, and my then wife, a tour. Year or two later, Valentino is writing & drawing GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY for Marvel. While there he is having some trouble with the then current editorial climate, meets some fellow artists, also unhappy and they decide they want to make a change. In 1992, Valentino and six other artists form Image Comics and begin publishing creator-owned titles.

That year I was working as a volunteer at the SDCC. I was helping out at a special event for the new Image Comics, taking tickets from the con-goers who were lucky enough to get them. Just before the doors open Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane and a couple of other Image folks ask me to let them take the tickets, giving the fans a surprise and a thrill. It actually helped to turn around my opinion about a couple of these guys, which was not 100% positive.

Next year (1993), at the first (and only) Philadelphia ComicFest, Todd McFarlane debated Peter David about artists vs. writers in comics and some of the Image practices. McFarlane and Erik Larson demonstrate they are both a**holes to a high degree, no matter what you may think of them as creators.

Let's flash forward to now:
Robert Kirkman, especially his work on his WALKING DEAD series, is among my favorite writers. Todd McFarlane is still an a**hole, but I can’t deny that I have read his SPAWN in the past and enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed, but remain a bit confused by their new HAUNT series, which deals with two brothers who find they can merge into a brutal creature called Haunt.

IMAGE UNITED (IU) has been promoted for the past year and the idea of six of the original founders of Image working together does seem pretty cool. The Image Universe really has never merged in the way that the DC & Marvel Universes have. Of course, when you have six (originally seven) creators working in different styles and with different ideas of storytelling it would be all but impossible. Give them credit for trying for six issues, at least, to do that very thing.

The idea is good, but the execution (in the initial issue) doesn’t quite measure up. Like I said before, Kirkman is a good writer, however if the reader isn’t already familiar with the characters created by the six artists involved (Todd McFarlane, Jim Valentino, Rob Liefeld, Erik Larson, Marc Silvestri & Whilce Portacio) he/she is going to be pretty lost. While I give credit to Kirkman for having many of the characters call each other by name a glossary or something of the sort would really have been helpful. Also, a character called Fortress (whom I believe was created for this series by Portacio) narrates the story and appears to be almost as clueless as the reader. It doesn’t help! It seems that Fortress has been having visions of a ‘future’ in which all the superheroes must unite to fight an unknown foe. This villain is revealed at the end of the book and turns out to be one of the original Image heroes, now turned evil. I think his name is Monarch, but I could be wrong. (Sorry, could not resist!)

One of the draws (pardon the expression) of the series is that the characters will be drawn by their respective creators (McFarlane doing Spawn, Larson doing Savage Dragon, etc.) over layouts by Rob Liefeld. It’s interesting but makes things a bit strange looking, as the styles, shading, etc of each artist doesn’t allow you to really see the page as a whole, if you know what I mean. Like doing a comic book using characters cut out from different books and pasting them onto a background by yet another artist. I did something along those lines when I was in my early teens, sometimes tracing, sometimes cutting up comics to produce a piece with a Curt Swan SUPERMAN standing next to a Nick Cardy AQUAMAN. You get the idea, I’m sure.

Curiously, in the back of #1, there are a few pages of HAUNT (by Kirkman & McFarlane) that not only make more sense than the rest of the book, but explain things the first two issues of Haunt’s own title hasn’t gotten around to yet. It doesn’t say so, but I’m hoping for folks not reading IU that those pages appear in HAUNT #3.

I’m going to be honest and say that I don’t know if I’m going to stick around for the entire six issues of IU. It really depends on what happens in the second issue. I’ve read worse comics and with art not half as good, but at the price it might not be worth it. Also, do we really think this entire thing is going to come out on time?

Ian McKellen - Popeye the Sailor Man

Just because this guy is brilliant!

Four-Color Fiend: some disappointments and some surprises

Okay, I was on the fence on whether or not I was going to be dropping JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA (DC), but a couple of things happened in the last couple of months that made the decision much easier. (There are some SPOILERS in the rant & review below, so I apologize and warn you off.)

First was the introduction of MAGOG as a regular member of the group. Originally created by Alex Ross & Mark Waid for their 'alternate Earth' KINGDOM COME mini-series, the character was brought back (for no good reason, IMHO) in the issues of JSA that featured the SUPERMAN of that world. Hoping that would be the end of him, when that story arc wrapped up, imagine how thrilled I was to find he was not only remaining in the JSA, but also getting his own title and then showing up in the pages of the newly launched THE SHIELD. Why DC has decided that this is a character they want to push completely baffles me. He's unlikable and, face it, not the best designed character I have seen in a while. While Waid & Ross may have been trying to make a point with his rather devil-like appearance, does the costume really scream out 'HERO' to you?

As if that wasn't bad enough, it was something I could have ignored, since Magog will be part of a splinter group departing from the main JSA cast. However, the folks at DC editorial decided they would get a few more bucks out of my pocket each month with the six-issue JSA vs KOBRA mini-series. Writer Eric Trautmann (with whom I don't believe I'm familiar, so excuse me if I'm off base) has the current JSA discover that the new Kobra leader (Jason Burr, brother of the deceased former leader) is recruiting new members and sending them on suicidal missions. In the first issue, you already lose track of the number of Kobra members and innocent by-standers that get killed. With each issue the body count mounts, the JSA seems to win, but always too late and Burr keeps escaping. After hundreds (if not thousands)have been killed the series ends with Burr free and bringing more innocents into his 'religion'. All of them with the potential to become human bombs at his command. Well, wasn't that six months worth of crap? Did I really expect the JSA, lead by Mister Terrific to become victorious? Did I really think they would capture (even for a short-period of time) Burr and bring some solace to the families of the slain? What a sap I was!! Thanks DC! Good luck with both the JSA books and Magog's own title. I'm sure some folks will be buying them.

HAUNT from Image, was co-created by Robert Kirkman and Todd McFarlane. Haven't been the biggest McFarlane fan for a number of years, but Kirkman's WALKING DEAD is currently my favorite comic. I'm also a sucker for his work on MARVEL ZOMBIES, so when I saw that he was the writer on this I decided to give it a try. Brothers Daniel and Kurt Kilgore (can you get a more obvious "things are going to get brutal" name than that?) do not get along. Daniel is a priest (one who uses prostitutes, but a priest nonetheless), while brother Kurt is a Black-Ops agent who goes to Daniel to confess his sins. Things turn bad when Kurt is killed by people looking for a particular notebook. In the apartment of Kurt's widow, Daniel is confronted by the spirit of his brother, just before two men (seemingly from the same group that killed Kurt) break in. When the men open fire on Daniel the brothers somehow merge into the being that will eventually be known as Haunt, I guess. This new creature has no problem beheading the gunmen and there the first issue ends. Whew!

I've already added HAUNT to my pull list at Nuclear Comics, so I'll be picking up at least the first half-dozen issues. I'm curious enough and have enough faith in Kirkman to see where this will go. My one problem is that Todd McFarlane is pretty well known for losing interest in something and moving on to the next thing. I really wonder if the two of them will be able to maintain a monthly schedule, or if Todd will be handing over all the art chores to Greg Capullo and Ryan Ottley, who assist him in the first issue. Of course, Kirkman and not the Toddster are my main reason for picking up the book to begin with, so his leaving wouldn't cause me many problems. We'll see what happens.

Finally, as I talk about over at PARTING SHOTS I'm going on a cruise for the next couple of weeks with Donna. We'll be sailing from Miami through the Panama Canal and into San Diego. If you want you can check out my Facebook page, where I may be posting at least a few words now and then. I'll get back to blogging sometime after I return on December 6th.

Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Trails, until next time!

Detectives, Batman & Doc Savage - Reading Comics & Old Time Radio

Instead of posting two separate entries I figured that I would combine two shorter pieces.

I had meant to write about a recent OTR (Old Time Radio, for those unfamiliar with the term) set to which I had been listening, but got sidelined with some other things. Naturally, I misplaced the written notes so will have to go from memory.

NostalgiaTown.com has produced a series of OTR sets consisting of several episodes of various programs under a theme. These include westerns, comedies, espionage and detectives, along with sets with multiple episodes of particular series. If you enjoy OTR as much as I do, you should check out their site (the link is included just above). The one I just finished was Old Time Radio Shows – Detectives (20-CD). Among them are NERO WOLFE (starring Sidney Greenstreet); RICHARD DIAMOND (Dick Powell); PAT NOVAK FOR HIRE & JEFF REGAN INVESTIGATOR (Jack Webb) and LET GEORGE DO IT (with Bob Bailey). This last one was new to me, having heard at least a couple of episodes of the nine other programs. Bailey plays a freelance detective whose classified ad brings him an assortment of unusual and generally deadly cases. As with Webb always making me think of his Sgt. Friday character whenever I hear him, Bailey is immediately identified in my mind with YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR. Bailey's Johnny Dollar was the only OTR program of which I have a strong memory. The program was broadcast on Sunday evening and when we would visit my grandmother, my dad would let me go sit in the car and listen to the show while the rest of the family began clearing up from the meal. I felt pretty grown up being given the keys to the car and trusted to start it up so I could play the radio. Bailey's voice is the one that comes to mind whenever I think about those shows.

BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL #1 is a one-shot from DC that acts as prelude to THE FIRST WAVE mini-series that begins in March 2010. Having gotten the rights to Doc Savage & The Avenger, DC has given them over to Brian Azzarello to play with. At the back of the book, Azzarello talks briefly about the series, along with character sketches by Rags Morales, who will be doing art on the series. Along with Doc, First Wave will also bring in a new generation of BLACKHAWKS, a new BLACK CANARY and a different RIMA THE JUNGLE GIRL. Add to this THE SPIRIT, who in this world is accompanied by a female Ebony White. Sounds pretty interesting, doesn't it?

The special brings together only the two major characters, but does drop some hints about an organization called the Golden Tree that will play a central part in the mini-series. Since there was no Golden Age Batman in current continuity, it doesn't seem clear if this is an alternate Earth introduced in 52 or something completely new. It is a strange place where airships co-exist with television and cellphones. Bruce mentions in some internal dialogue talking to someone 'during the war', but it is not clear which war this might have been. My initial reaction was that this might be the Batman we saw in JSA: LIBERTY FILES, but that was a more experienced and brutal Bats than we see here. Looks like a whole new Earth that will mix together new and different versions of some old favorites. I'm already going to tell Kenny at Nuclear Comics to add it to my list when he orders.

Shel Dorf: R.I.P.

If you go to Mark Evanier's website you'll find a nice tribute to Shel Dorf. Shel passed away today, from a long illness. He's probably best known to comic geeks as one of the people who started the San Diego Comic-con. Comicstrip fans, on the other hand, may know that he was the letterer on the STEVE CANYON strip for over a decade. I wanted to pay tribute and this was the closest I could come. I loved the Steve Canyon strip and enjoyed the short-lived TV series which was based on the character.

I got nothin'!

Reading the same comics....watching the same shows...thanks for tuning in!

Remote Viewing - LOST TAPES on Animal Planet

Since the ALCS was only mildly interesting last night...cough.... I was surfing the cable stations for something before the shows we normally watch were on. Just out of curiosity I decided to check out Animal Planet where I found they had some show called LOST TAPES, of which I was unfamiliar. Whoa! Not what I had expected on AP at all!

I guess I thought the show was about material from animal/wildlife documentaries which had been unseen for some reason. What I discovered was that the program's premise is that there are actual creatures of legend roaming about (vampires, werewolves, etc.) of which video and film footage exists. The footage has been repressed by the 'authorities' to prevent panic. The two episodes I watched last night dealt with the hunt for a 'serial killer' who turned out to be a werewolf and the discovery of a vampire leaving in a home just purchased by a family. The 'tapes' of the events are intercut with interviews with the people involved and "experts" on cryptozoology and paranormal creatures.

The show has a website (link above), where you read more about the show, watch entire episodes and discuss them with other viewers/fans. Since I just found both the site and show I haven't had much of a chance to do more than skim a bit, but it does look like a lot of fun.

Major disclaimer: I do not believe in the existence of any of these creatures. I do not believe in the paranormal. I certainly don't 'buy' some of the things that folks report and discuss in the forums, since a few really do believe in some of 'urban legends' and creatures in the series. I love being scared and love monsters. I take everything in the series with several tablespoons of salt, but can still enjoy it for what it is. Much like I am interested in seeing the movie "Paranormal Activity" but certainly don't believe that that film is anymore than a well-done independent film with special effects.

Four-Color Fiend: Why am I still reading?

Just a quick peek at some of the comics I’m reading.

Walking Dead (Image Comics) by co-creator/writer Robert Kirkman & current artist Charlie Adlard continues to be among my Top Five comics. I’ve talked about the book before, so if you’ve heard all this skip forward.

Kirkman’s characters are the reason to read this book (not to slight Adlard’s art which perfectly fits the series). Forced into a situation by a plague which reanimates the dead, a group of survivors have to do whatever they can to survive. In the past five issues (#61-66), the “Fear the Hunters” storyline, former police-officer Rick Grimes and the others confront something just as ‘evil’ and perhaps much more dangerous than zombies. Not going to give it away, should you be picking up the book in TPB, but the changes in society may have reached a point where the morals we once lived by no longer suffice. I recommend you pick up the first TPB or better yet the first ‘omnibus’ edition of the series and give it a try. Ignore the zombies and just follow the interaction of the characters. It will be worth it!

Justice Society of America (DC Comics) has reached a point where I just don’t care anymore. I started picking up the book during the whole Final Crisis saga, have been reading it and mostly enjoying it through the “Kingdom Come” Superman/Gog storyline. I now find that I’m reading the book more out of habit than for the enjoyment the book used to bring. I still like some of the characters (especially Michael Holt, the new Mr. Terrific), but not enough to keep buying the book. It was announced back at SDCC, I believe, that the book is actually going to have a spin-off, with part of the team going off with Magog (is there a worse “new” character currently being pushed by DC?) with the rest staying put. Frankly, I haven’t cared enough to actually research which members are going and which staying. Anybody want some back issues...cheap? I may keep the JSA vs. Kobra mini, since Michael plays such a central part.

Just as I’m dropping JSA, it seems that Justice League of America is going to get more interesting. The recent story arc featuring the Royal Flush(ed down the toilet) gang and third string villains Amos Fortune & Roulette was pretty much of a waste of time & effort. Frankly, I really can’t even pretend to care about the mostly second-string characters currently in the JLA. It is primarily the knowledge (from SDCC again) that James Robinson will be picking up the writing chores that keep me buying the book. I don’t want to miss out on any hints of what is to come.

Speaking of Robinson, I really want to recommend his current Justice League: Cry for Justice mini. The story features Hal Jordan (from some period before Blackest Night, I’m guessing), Ray Palmer, Congorilla and several other characters who may or may not make up the newly reformed JLA when Robinson takes over that team’s book. In this incarnation Congorilla (the one time “great white hunter” Congo Bill) reminds me a great deal of Cliff (Robotman) Steele at his best wise-cracking best. Hey, between this particular golden gorilla and Kenneth (Gorilla-Man) Hale in Marvel’s Agents of Atlas I’m getting my fill of talking gorillas. As a child of the Silver Age DC comics, I could not be happier! Team-up!!!

Next time some Old Time Radio!

Popcorn For One: ZOMBIELAND (perhaps some SPOILER)

I'm going to start right out by giving my ratings and then my review: The first half of this movie gets *** 1/2 Stars and the second half *** stars. Not a perfect film, but certainly as good as I hoped and better than I would have expected.

ZOMBIELAND, if you haven't seen all the ads, takes place in a post-apocalyptic America where a plague (never really explained) has wiped out almost everyone. When the film starts it has obviously been several months since the plague hit and we eventually meet four 'normal' folks who have thus far survived. 'Columbus' (played by Jessie Eisenberg) is a videogame playing nerd, who is trying to get to Ohio to find if his parents have survived. He has gotten by so far by creating a "list of rules" that he follows, many of which we get to see as the 'rule' actually appears on the screen during the action. It is Columbus who narrates the film and it is through his neurotic eyes that we see the other survivors, "Tallahasse" (Woody Harrelson in his best role since NATURAL BORN KILLERS) who seemingly mourns only the death of his puppy; and two sisters "Wichita" (Emma Stone) and "Little Rock" (Abigail Breslin) who were together and without supervision (not explained) prior to the plague.

While Tallahasse's only goal is to find the last box of Twinkies, the girls seek an amusement park they visited in California as children in the idealistic belief (which it is apparent Wichita doesn't really believe) that there are no zombies there. The first half of the film introduces the characters, give some background and eventually has them teaming up for the great road-trip across Zombieland, which is what Columbus has come to call what is left of the U.S. In many ways this is the strongest and most fun part of the film, until the predictable final confrontation at the park. As much as I loved the movie, and would gladly see it again, there are some scenes that take place in the Hollywood home of a celebrity that all but stop the film dead in it's tracks (perhaps appropriate in a movie about the undead). I know we are expected to care and things lead up to this moment, but the scene goes on way too long in my book. Thankfully the appearance of the mansion's owner (a well-known star who I won't give away as many have)turns the film back into the delight that it was in earlier reels.

Two warnings: Many of the most shocking and gory scenes in the film, as well as some of the funniest, appear during the opening credits. If the blood & guts there don't bother you you won't have a problem with what is to come. What a is worse than a puking zombie? One puking directly into the cameralense. Oh, yeah! Secondly, stick it out through the end credits, for a cute bit featuring that 'guest star'.

As usual, there were over half a dozen trailers before the film and this time around the some choices fit with the main feature. Quickly:
1) A Nightmare on Elm St. - why? The trailer shows scenes we have seen in the original and it's sequels. Skip
2) Shutter Island - a creepy, scary tale from Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DeCaprio? I'm am so there!
3) Saw 23 - okay maybe only VI, but haven't we lived through Jigsaw's games way too often already? *yawn* skip
4) 2012 - okay, the trailers looks awesome and living in California there's nothing better than watching the entire state being destroyed. I like John Cusack and Woody Harrelson is also in this one. I'd be tempted to see this one with Kristina, since she is always asking me if I believe in the Mayan prophecy. I might see this.
5) A Christmas Carol - not a huge Jim Carey fan, but I so love this book that I can give just about any version at least a try. Very probably!
6) Amelia - Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart. Donna wants to see this one, and she doesn't want to see very much! :-)

Ian McKellen - Saved by the Bell

Remote Viewing: Is anything on?

Caught the two-hour season premiere of THE AMAZING RACE last night. As usual, we root against any lawyers, yoga instructors or models (in this case professional poker players who lie about who they are). Frankly, we tend to root FOR what we consider 'normal' folks, or at least people who seem like able. Sadly, there seem to be fewer of them and more of the former each season. Of this season's teams Gary & Matt the father/son farmers, friends Zev (who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome) & Justin, gay brothers Sam & Dan and, believe it or not, Herbert & Nathanial the Harlem Globetrotters teammates are the duos we are favoring after the first two episodes. Sometimes during a season a team or one member of that duo will reveal themselves to be total a**holes, so we may change our minds at any moment. Sad, that our lives have come to this and Bingo, huh?

The new Fall Season used to be a much bigger deal, but despite the network hype it just doesn't mean the same as it once did. I think part of it has to do with most folks around the country turning more and more to cable with hundreds of alternatives to the Big Four, plus the fact that everybody knows that some shows will be pulled after only a couple of episodes anyway so why not wait for a bit. It also seems that those shows that turned up as mid-season replacements for the previous season's losers often have an already built-in audience.

I may have mentioned this before (maybe only on Twitter or Facebook) but can somebody tell me why Jenna Elfman has yet another television series? I realize that for some reason that I'll never understand, her show DHARMA & GREG was a hit, but she already bombed last season and the promos for the new show seem to show her as just as unlikable as she was in the previous one. Wasn't the point of the Dharma character was that she was kind of a lovable airhead or something? I guess CBS is hoping that putting her on Mondays, with all the hit shows might give her holdover viewers. Does that type of thing still work with so many folks having TIVO or other DVRs hooked up?

Recently, Donna and I have taken to falling asleep in our recliners during Letterman and waking up at some point when Craig Ferguson comes on. I have to admit that when Ferguson was first announced as the hosting a show after Dave I was sceptical. I mean I thought the guy was funny as Drew Carey's overbearing boss, but wasn't really familiar with him outside that show. Now that I have had a chance to watch him, especially his opening monologues I have become a fan. As Mark Evanier has said on his site, the show has a low-budget feel, but Ferguson and his crew do a great job with what they have. Best of all, unlike Conan, who always seemed to me to think of himself as slumming, Ferguson really seems to be enjoying himself. Set the DVR and check him out!

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1951) Trailer

Is this not major cool?

Solid Potato Salad - The Ross Sisters (1944)

I'm thanking Mark Evanier for bringing this to my attention. I wanted to share it.

If these gals have any granddaughters they might want to get an act together and hit America's Got Talent!

NEXT TOP PENIS MODEL?!! 2009 EMMY SHOCKERS! - KRISTIN CHENOWTH WINS! DR HORRIBLE! SUPER SMIZE!

I love Watching Buck! It probably says too much about me, but he's just funny. Plus he covers all these strange reality shows that I never watch.

Remote viewing: what I've been watching

No surprise, I guess, that Kevin Skinner (former chicken wrangler) won "America's Got Talent" this season. After the surprise win last year of an opera singer, it looks like it was time for a country/western style performer to take top prize. I did think the toughest competition would be Barbara Padilla, but two operatic singers in a row would have been too much. Personally, I think ventriloquist Terry Fator remains the best performer the show has produced. He's amazing and with or without his puppets he's a good singer. Donna and I agree that we'd love to catch him in Vegas our next trip.

Top Chef was also pretty good last night. It did look like a tough task, cooking at a campsite with limited equipment, over firepits. Still, what a group of whiners some of them were! I keep waiting for brothers Michael & Brian to actually start fighting. I love the looks on their faces when the other wins! I'm still rooting for Kevin! You know me so you know I was happy to see the French guy asked to pack his knives and get deported...um, leave.

It's bad enough reading a couple of books at a time as I usually do (not counting comics, of course). This time around, including the audiobook version of "Last Town on Earth" by Thomas Mullen, I'm in the middle of four books. One is the next Joe Bob Briggs review item, Christopher Hitchens' "God Is Not Great" and Stephen King's "Wolves of the Calla" (the fifth book in his Dark Tower series). Some people ask me how I can do it, but it's just something I've always been able to do. Maybe it does have to do with my reading comics, since you have to remember characters and situations from one issue to another, but I really don't have a problem getting into each book immediately. Because of it's size I'm reading the King book at home, the Joe Bob books I generally keep in the car and read at lunch or in the morning if I'm early, while the Hitchens book I keep at work. Since it is non-fiction it's easy enough to read a few pages during quiet times on the Reference Desk. Anybody else able to juggle a few books at a time?

Review: Causes Unknown by Leslie Horvitz

One of the last Joe Bob Briggs' reviews, unless the good folks there send along some more books. To be honest, I had all but given up hope of ever seeing any more in print, but I have been told that the site will begin posting 'new' reviews shortly.

Just for those who may be interested, here's the new one from me.
***********************************************

Causes Unknown by Leslie Horvitz
Published by: Leisure Books
ISBN: 0843957956

Michael Friedlander doesn’t believe that his brother Alex killed himself. They had not been close for the past few years, but had remained in touch. While Alex was making money on Wall Street, Michael found himself moving from job to job and city to city. Once a medical student, a possible frame up destroyed his medical career and pushed him out of New York City. Now, while waiting to sell his brother’s condo and clearing away his belongings Michael becomes more and more convinced that things are not as cut and dry as the police and the Medical Examiner would have the family believe. Meanwhile, a possible serial killer called The Chopper by the press is leaving a trail of body parts and dismembered corpses around Manhattan. Money is changing hands and there is an obvious cover-up that may tie The Chopper to the death of Michael’s brother. As he begins to investigate his brother’s business dealings several other deaths occur and Michael himself may be in danger.

Originally published in 1989, the book doesn’t seem that dated. Horvitz’s New York skyline is still dominated by the World Trade Center and the stockbrokers and cops are not pulling cell phones out to keep in touch. Still the story captures a time before 9/11, Iraq and the financial breakdown of the past few years. I lived in the city back then and the author captures the spirit of a particular period perfectly.

While we follow Michael we also get into the minds of several other characters, including that of the killer. Horvitz has created a totally creepy, if pretty realistic, sociopath in The Chopper. Convinced that his victims are ‘asking for it’ and able to assume the identity of just the right person to attract those he intends to kill. Aided by a part-time medical examiner’s investigator, who has found she has been used, and a former-cop turned private investigator, Michael tries to uncover the conspiracy which led to his brother’s death, while trying to keep himself and his allies from falling victim.

Horvitz creates some interesting characters, both good & bad, but none without their flaws, and throws in some surprises along the way. Good casual reading for those in the mood.

Three stars

Mr. Sardonicus Trailer

This movie totally freaked me out as a kid. I had nightmares for weeks after and I don't think I watched it again for a decade or so. It still creeped me out!

Of course, I tend to watch horror movies with my hand over my mouth and not my eyes. Who knows why?

Four Color Fiend: Wednesday Comics

I had meant to mention this limited series of tabloids earlier, but I wanted to read at least half the issues so I had a better idea of what the creators were doing. If you aren't familiar with Wednesday Comics you should know that it consists of fifteen one-page stories of sixteen DCU characters. More depending on how you want to count the Teen Titans & Metal Men. As a 'tribute' to the old Sunday comicstrip supplements you would find in newspapers each character appears in a one page chapter of a twelve page story. At the recent San Diego Comic-Con Dan Didio was asked about the series and when asked about the ultimate fate of the stories, hinted that a compilation, similar to the old Treasury Edition books might be considered. It would make artistic sense, if not necessarily a financial one, that the pages be reproduced as close as possible to the size in which they appear in the actual tabloid.

Naturally, as with any anthology, some of the stories are better than others, although none of them (IMHO) are bad. It is nice to see that most of the creators involved can work in a format that doesn't allow (or force them) to drag a storyline out over six months and a hundred pages. Most comics today are 'written for the trade' and often you find both writers & artists, with editorial insistence no doubt, padding their books. Again, while it makes financial sense, it doesn't often allow for a complete tale each issue. Here the creative teams know they have a limited time and space to put forward an adventure. Unfortunately, one or two seem to still to be padding a bit or being cute in how they use the format.

The best stories and the ones I think have a feel for the old adventure strips are the ones featuring HAWKMAN and ADAM STRANGE. Perhaps, these two holdovers from DC's Silver Age, with their SF elements are perfect and lend themselves to this sort of thing. The Adam Strange tale especially, done by Paul Pope & Lovern Kindzierski, reminds me of the best Flash Gordon stories that Mac Raboy did when I was reading the Sunday pages as a kid. Exotic aliens, strange surroundings and brave heroes doing things simply because they are the right thing to do. The Hawkman story, wonderfully written & drawn by Kyle Baker, began with the Winged Wonder trying to save an aircraft being high jacked, and turned into a 'survivor' tale on an island inhabited by dinosaurs. Way Cool!

I love the SUPERGIRL story from Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner. What a fun, humorous little story. It seems that Krypto & Streaky (Supergirl's super-powered cat) are both beginning to act a bit too much like typical pets and causing havoc due to their powers. When the Girl of Steel (who seems to be in her mid-teens in appearance and actions) goes to Dr. Mid-Nite for assistance in discoving the cause, things don't work out quite as easily as both heroes had hoped. I love this and Amanda Connor does a great job on the art making the pets cute and giving them just enough emotional quality to pull off the humor, letting us know what they may be thinking at a given moment. Bravo!

I would like to think that Jack Kirby fans and even the Kirby family are happy with what Dave Gibbons & Ryan Sook are doing with his creation KAMANDI. (Btw, it is nice to see the titles giving credit to many of the original creators of these characters. Not something always done often enough.) Gibbons & Sook bring a very, realistic feel to the world & characters The King created years ago. Not trying to imitate the creator in any way, they remain true to the characterization and the story has the grand epic quality that Kirby brought to almost everything he did.

Stories featuring SUPERMAN, BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN (Hal Jordan) and the METAL MEN are all entertaining with the GL & MM stories being closest to the Silver Age feel I enjoyed at that age. Supes & the Bats are a little darker, although you expect that from the Dark Knight as he has been portrayed for the past few decades. Karl Kerschl & Brenden Fletcher are doing a nice take on THE FLASH, with poor Barry & Iris West having a very difficult time just trying to have a dinner date. Gorilla Grodd never makes things easy and The Flash finds himself bouncing around in time and alternate realities. I still don't know how the Scarlet Speedster will get out of this.

DEADMAN by Bullock Heuck & Stewart Fletcher has a cartoony art and really nothing special. Same holds true, sadly for SGT. ROCK by Adam & Joe Kubert. The senior Kubert's art is still as good as ever, but Sarge & Easy seem only to be going through the motions in a not very special story. Kubert & Robert Kannigher would have wrapped this up by now (after nine pages) and moved on back when they were cranking this stuff on a regular basis.

Jack Kirby's other creation, THE DEMON, has been teamed with CAT WOMAN for no apparent reason. Perhaps only because somebody felt that Jason Blood could not stand on his own, although so far any female character (even one created just for this story) could have done as well. Walt Simonson & Brian Stelfreeze don't do anything special and like the story featuring Rock, they seem to be padding a twelve page story just to get it to the proper length.

TEEN TITANS by Eddie Beerganza & Sean Galloway appears to be trying to appeal to fans of both the original team and the animated series. I really don't care about these characters and have no idea who a couple of them are. Should I?

Ben Caldwell, with whom I'm not familiar but will have to make an effort to do so, brings us a very, young WONDER WOMAN , in fact Diana here does not even have the various instruments for which she became known. Sort of an 'origin' story, even including Etta Candy. I am enjoying this much more than I would have expected, given how I'm not a big fan of WW and thought I'd be getting more out of some of the other characters in the series.

I loved METAMORPHO when creators Bob Haney & Ramona Fradon were first putting the Element Man through his paces. The character was tragic, but was also fun. His supporting characters (Simon Stagg, his daughter Sapphire & Java) were always a bit cartoonishm, but later attempts to make them more 'realistic' bordered on the creepy, especially in one ill-fated series where the fatherly feelings of Stagg crossed to perverted. Enough about that! I like Neil Gaiman, I have enjoyed his prose & comics work since those first issues of SANDMAN began. I have also had a chance to meet and correspond with him, always finding him a gentleman and a nice guy. I have also been a fan of Mike Allred beginning, naturally with the wild MADMAN comics, although I've found some of his stuff hit or miss the last decade. I find it unfortunate that two such creative guys can take one of my favorite characters and make me want to pass over the page. It's almost as if both men are trying to be so 'different' and 'witty' that they have forgotten that a story would have been nice. Metamorpho is pretty much as I remember him, but the threesome of Stagg, Sapphire & Java are tiresome and more cliche then they were in those first Silver Age stories. I'd like the three of them to meet some grisly fate. Also, with only twelve pages of story to utilize, why do Gaiman & Allred drag out the 'periodic table' gag for two weeks. Do we also have to end on the same final panel note of Java rejoicing in the possible destruction of the hero? Sorry, to end on a very negative note, but I wanted to mention all the creative folks involved and it had to cover the good & the bad.

Wow! This took me much longer and I went on & on. Next time I'll try to remember that as many of the folks here seem to do that brevity can be good.

Mouse and Marvel: Should we care?

I have to admit that my immediate reaction was a shrug, since I don't own stock in either company. On the other hand, I have been enjoying a number of books in the Marvel Universe the past year or so, in addition to knowing a couple of folks who work for the company or have in the past. I do hope that if the purchase does affect them it's only in a good way. Higher royalties, might be nice as a start!

There is enough speculation around pro & con, so I don't think that I can really add anything of substance. I believe it will come down to the bottom line, as it always does with corporations. Disney will decide if leaving Marvel editorial alone is best, or if they should have some of their own looking over the individual titles and characters. I'm sure that when other licenses have ended we will see a "Disney" imprint. Possibly they will stand aside, as Time-Warner seems to have done with DC, and only use the characters in films, TV shows and merchandise. I wonder at times if some folks at T-W even know they still publish comics. I'm guessing that the Marvel themed stuff at Universal will find themselves at a Disney park eventually, but you never know.

Since Donna is going to Bingo tonight I'm going to watch MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS, which I recorded last weekend on SyFy. LOL! You've got to love it! I don't have Mike & the 'bots around, but I think I can probably entertain myself.

Remote Viewing and other things

I finally had a chance to watch M Night Shyamalan's UNBREAKABLE with Bruce Willis & Samuel L. Jackson. It seemed that every time I mentioned that I was into comics somebody would ask I had seen the film. Now it's easy to understand why, since it is part fanboy wish fulfillment and part letting an obsession control your life. Willis (as David Dunn)is very good, but Jackson (as Elijah Price) steals the film as victim of a disease which makes him highly subject to injury. The film does have a solid ending, but it does leave room for a sequel. Personally, I think it better to leave the fates of the characters up to the viewer's imagination. Recommended.

Anybody else watching TOP CHEF: LAS VEGAS not surprised at who was let go in the second episode? I thought she should have packed up her knives after the initial competition. Can't say I have chosen a fave, just yet, but I wonder how long both brothers will remain in the show. I do like both Hector & Kevin, so wouldn't mind either of them moving on.

Given how some competetors were upset by the 'bachelor/bachelorette' theme, I wonder if any feel quarms about shopping at Whole Food, given the boycott talk by some folks? I'm sure, since WF is a sponsor that nothing will be broadcast, but I'm sure something must have been said or considered behind the scenes. Personally, I don't know how well boycotts work in most cases. I've taken part in my share, but I think you have to pick your enemies. I don't shop at Whole Food anyway, so it would be a sham to announce I'm joing in.

Planet Terror International Trailer

I recorded this the otner night on Encore and finally had a chance to watch last night. OMG! Totally over the top, wish some great cameos by name stars. Make up and SFX are incredible.

Ya' gotta love a chick with a machine gun for a leg!

Popcorn For One & other business

First off, I've been told by the Joe Bob Briggs folks that they will soon start posting new reviews on their site. It's been almost two years since they last updated the page, so my last review was from around Thanksgiving of '07. They have about a half dozen already on hand and I have a couple more books that I never got around to. Keep an eye on the Joe Bob Briggs site and we'll see what happens.

On Friday, your friendly reviewer finished off most of his medium-sized combo while sitting through too many lame trailers. Now generally I love these, but they didn't strike me as something that would appeal to folks waiting for a Quentin Tarantino flick. To me the only one that had any interest was the one for THE WOLFMAN with Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro in the lead roles. Has that great Hammer film feel to it, so it may be worth checking out.

I had been waiting for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS since I caught the initial trailer before either STAR TREK or WOLVERINE. I hadn't heard anything prior to that so it was a nice surprise. I've been reading about it since and it has been impossible to miss the interviews that Brad Pitt and Tarantino, himself, have been doing the past few weeks. The additional trailers and 'word of mouth' have added to my interest and I was not disappointed.

This is pure Tarantino! How you feel about him as a screenwriter and director will already color your judgement of this movie. The man is always over the top and this film will not disappoint his fan base. It will certainly piss some folks off, but then Quentin wouldn't be doing his job if it didn't. Those who want reality or a historically accurate portrayal of WWII, are not going to be happy with this movie. Tarantino, especially in later portions of the film, plays extremely fast and loose with facts. For those who allow themselves to be swept along, they will be more than happy with the results.

Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, an Army officer who recruits a group of Jewish-American soldiers (and a former member of the German army) to parachute behind German lines in occupied-France. There they set about murdering "Natsies" and spreading unease among the soldiers. Meanwhile, Allied command has discovered that much of the German high-command, including Hitler will be attending a movie premiere in Paris. The movie theatre where this will occur, just happens to be run by a Jewish woman (now passing as a non-Jew) who earlier escaped the murder of her entire family. She has her own plans for the event. Naturally, the movie culminates in all of the characters coming together in the theatre and the usual Tarantino ultra-violence breaks out.

Pitt is a lot of fun, but the best performances are from Melanie Laurant (as the Jewish theatre owner) and Christoph Waltz (as Nazi Colonel Hans Landa). Landa is known as the "Jew Hunter", having been sent to France to discover those members of the Jewish faith who have gone into hiding. This is a man who thoroughly enjoys his job. Waltz can be charming, funny and then very, scary the next moment. If he doesn't get the Best Supporting Actor nod this year there is something seriously wrong with the members of the Academy. I won't even attempt to mention the number of cameos in this movie, but it is fun seeing one in particular in a scene featuring the then Prime Minister of Great Britain. I highly recommend this movie, but do warn you that the director's well-known love of violence is on display throughout the film. Be warned!

While I'm talking about the subject of violence, I also should mention that among my comic picks this week were WALKING DEAD #64 and VIKING #3, both published by Image. Robert Kirkman's WD continues to be one of the best books currently being written. This issue is especially disturbing, though if you are already reading the book there won't be anything to really shock you. Even when the undead don't make an appearance, it is easy to see how the changes they have created on society effect even those not in immediate danger. VIKING is a bold move by Image. Here is a book in a larger than normal format, yet in full color and priced at less than many titles from the Big Two. No superheroes, but just a tale of individuals living in a savage time where groups made their own laws and death was all to close every day. The art by Nic Klein continues to improve, though his coloring can be a bit dark in places. Writer Ivan Brandon, still doesn't make his transitions immediately easy to follow, so this is a book you may have to read twice to get the impact. Not a whole bunch of likable characters, but it is possible to understand why even the 'good guys' do what they do, sometimes with glee.

World of Warcraft: Horde Zeppelin

Just to piss off some of you! LOL!

Four-color Fiend: PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS by Derf

Punk Rock & Trailer Parks

Okay, I’ll admit that this isn’t exactly one of those books that I’d normally pick up. I have been out of high school over forty years and my interest in ‘punk’ probably lasted only a couple of years during the late ‘70s. Even then I probably only had a few compilation albums or cassettes I bought, while attending college back in Connecticut. Those are long gone and I don’t even remember listening to them once I graduated. I also don’t recall ever seeing any work by the artist “Derf”, although it is possible I may have seen samples or a cover someplace. However, I have read reviews of the book by several folks, whose opinions I trust, so when I saw the TPB at San Diego, for about 50% off I figured I would give it a try. I’ glad I did.

The self-named “The Baron” is a tall, geeky high school senior growing up in Akron, OH in the late 70s. Like many of his contemporaries he is going through hard times, being picked on both for his appearance, non-violent personality and just being a band “nerd”. He lives in a local trailer park, being raised by his uncle, a retired union organizer, who lost his driver’s license so much now go to the bar on his riding mower. The Baron, loves the then emerging ‘punk rock’ scene and believes he is destined to be a part of it. Getting a job in the local club, as bouncer and general clean up guy he finds himself in close contact with a number of the bands and individuals who are helping to make punk the driving force it would be for several years. Bands such as The Clash, The Ramones, The Plasmatics (specifically singer Wendy O. Williams) and others appear briefly and interact with The Baron, often giving him advice or just making his life more interesting. There is a great sequence with the late, rock critic Lester Bangs that shows a lot of respect for him and demonstrates just what a good writer Derf can be. The book ends with a page memorializing some of the real life personalities who appear in the story, who are no longer with us. It’s sad to realize how many of these very creative folks died at such a young age.

Certainly NOT a book for kids or those offended by language, sexual situations or violence, I still have to recommend the book for those with a sense of humor. You would not have had to have much or any experience with ‘sex & drugs & rock ‘n roll’ but it couldn’t hurt! One of the best TPB’s I’ve read this year!

Inglourious Basterds - Movie Review

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Four-color Fiend: Reviews with SPOILERS (I give all kinds of stuff away!)

FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS has finally ended, months after the main FC series did and after the 'surprise' returns of Bart Allen (Kid Flash/Impulse) and Conner Kent (Superboy) have already been given away in other titles. Up until this issue, which shipped way late, I was willing to allow Geoff Johns some leeway, even though I had had a bad feeling about how it would end from the second issue. What a surprise to discover that not only had I been right, but that Johns had even made it worse by breaking the fourth wall. Bad enough that this alternate Earth Superboy finally gets his wish and returns to his home, but he is confronted by his parents with the fact that they have been reading about him in FINAL CRISIS. The last couple of pages are an additional slap in the face, with S-prime bullying his parents, implying that Lori, the girl he supposedly loved was physically harmed (perhaps killed) and speaking to the 'reader'. Is the character really that "popular" with fans or writers at DC that he couldn't be killed or de-powered? Artwise, I have no complaints, since George Perez did his usual amazing job of making literally hundreds of characters all individuals. Sad, that his craftsmanship was wasted on this forgettable non-event.

MS MARVEL #42 has Carol Danvers killed again by the current Ms Marvel (the villainous Moonstone in disquise). Don't worry, she apparently gets better again on the last page.

Since I have been you picking up DARK AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS, MIGHTY AVENGERS, SECRET WARRIORS and several other DR related books, I'm going to go out on a limp here and guess that none of the "Dark Avengers" are going to actually die by the end of this whole thing, since that would mean they couldn't come back in the next event. My hope is that Norman Osborne reverts to the Green Goblin again in the next couple of months and things wrap up. It seems that the whole DARK REIGN story line has been going on for much too long. Not that all of the titles I mentioned (and some other tie-ins) have been bad, it just seems that all this right on top of SECRET INVASION has really not allowed for some of the 'heroes' do move on. It almost appears that since CIVIL WAR many are just running in place from one (pardon the expression) crisis to the next. Of course, the same can be said for the DCU for the past several years, so fair is fair I guess. I wonder it all this is leading up to one of my occasional "THE HELL WITH ALL THIS CRAP" decisions and I just stop collecting. Stay tuned!

Of course, if we look at some of the books not produced by the Big Two, there are still some bright lights and I'd hate to stop getting those. If I have time this coming week I'll try to mention some of those. I may also try to briefly mention some of the freebies and other stuff I picked up last weekend at Comic-con.

A bit more of San Diego, pt. 2

I don't have as much patience to stand in line as I used to, so I tended to skip a lot of events that involved hanging around in the halls for an hour or so. The one event I was willing to stand for was the RiffTrax 'live' show, but due to a late dinner and being caught at the train-crossing the line was closed when I finally arrived. This makes two years in a row I have missed out on seeing the guys who once did Mystery Science Theatre 3000. I guess there is always next year, if I plan ahead.

It was good seeing some former Capa-Alpha folks and meeting others I had not met before. Always odd sitting around with Mark Verheiden when he is talking about the shows he is writing, since I don't watch a single one. Still fun hearing him trying not to give anything away to those who do ask. He is always working on some other projects that he can't reveal, so those always come as a surprise.

Hard to believe that Bob Ingersoll has retired from his civil service job. He remains one of the better story-tellers and can be a pretty brutal critic. Jeff Gelb remains an optimist, so he is another fun breakfast partner. I do feel badly about not making an attempt to meet up with Paul Storrie, since he is another great guy. Yet, another reason to start planning already for next year.

Did I mention last time how the guys doing security at some booths can be major A**holes? Or that somebody should tell the con staffers that they might learn where lines start or end? I know I'm not the only person who missed out on a signing, panel or give-away due to being directed incorrectly.

There actually didn't seem to be quite as many booth-babes as there have been in the past. Even those who were there actually seemed to be wearing a bit more clothes. In fact, it appeared that the fangirls and cosplayers were wearing less! A quick check of YouTube will certainly give you an idea of those in and 'out' of costume. Btw, did anybody happen to see the amazing SILK SPECTRE on Saturday evening? Certainly turned a number of heads not only at the con, but at the Grand Hyatt!

Speaking of our hotel, I don't think I'd mind staying there again. Dan and I had a nice room with a great view and were within short walking distance of both the convention center and the seaport restaurants. I might not use the valet parking though, since it was over $30 a day, with no discount for guests. Also, Dan learned his lesson about ordering Room Service. It was over thirty dollars for a chicken sandwich!

Mark Evanier's annual Quick Draw Challenge with Sergion Aragones & Scott Shaw! was fun as usual. Loved seeing Stan "The Man" Lee on the SuperHero Squard panel. The toyline looks sharp and the cartoon itself (they showed several segments) is delightful. They will be using all of the Marvel heroes and the show has a light, fun style.

Better late then never I suppose, huh? Bye for now!

At Last! My San Diego Comic-Con Report! pt. 1

So a week after everybody else who was at SDCC has given you their opinions, photos and rants I finally have a few moments to get mine down. It would take quite a lot of bandwidth to tell you everything and I'm sure much of it would be meaningless unless you are really into comics are were actually there. There are a few things that stand out and I do have a few misc. photos to share. Speaking of that, I have to get a new memory card for my camera. I thought I could switch off with the one we use in out new digital camera, but discovered too late that it didn't work. There were other pics I took that I had to delete to keep the ones I have. I promise to do better next year!

As you can see Lex Luthor's cousin "Shortie" Luthor made it to the con and was gabbing it up with '50s Superman. I caught a video of this particular Man of Steel dancing on YouTube over at BarelyPolitical, I believe. Pretty funny!

I was pleasantly susprised to see a number of folks dressed up as members of the Justice Society of America (I didn't get a chance to get more photos of them), which must demonstrate that there are fans of the books around. Makes sense then that DC has announced a second JSA title coming out later this year.

Peter Jackson's DISTRICT 9, looks good and they had a big presense at the convention. Dan and I couldn't resist having out picture taken by the MNU van. Okay, I dragged him over to be honest. I'm the bigger fanboy, I guess.

As usual at SDCC there was way too much stuff going on to take in even a part of it over three days. I may consider doing Thursday, as well, next year, but will have to look at my Vacation schedule and how many days I'll have.

That will have to do for now. I hadn't noticed the time. A few more photos and more stuff later!