Popcorn for One: Star Trek: Into Darkness review (few spoilers)

I don't want to give much away, since the revelation of one thing sets up a series of events.  All I'll say is that according to the writers of the screenplay the main villain of the story (played with nice intensity by Benedict Cumberbatch) was not originally planned to be a known character.  Of course, IMDB.com gives the whole thing away with its list of cast/characters , but I'll still refrain from doing so here.

The film starts out with a great chase sequence with Kirk & Bones ("Great, you just stunned our ride!"), followed by a dramatic scene with Spock.  You'd think that would be hard to top but it really does set up some events that come back to be resolved later in the film. All the major bridge/command crew introduced in the first film have returned, with some nice comic moments for just about everyone.  There have been some complaints from fans about Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) being played for laughs more than their original characters were, but I really think it works and both actors do a great job, especially the brilliant Pegg who steals just about every scene in which he's in.  Karl Urban (as Bones) really does an amazing job capturing the spirit and attitude that made the original Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) such a favorite.  Of all the characters, he seems to have stepped out of the original series intact.

Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock) have grown since the first film, but the tension between their personalities and idea of duty continues.  The scene towards the end of the film, that could be seen as a flip of one from an earlier film, works because by that point the characters have arrived at a mutual respect and friendship.

The film could be interpreted as a re-imagining of an earlier ST movie, but there are more things going on and the movie works on all levels for me.  I think the great thing is that you don't have to be a ST geek to enjoy the movie, but things were tossed in for fans of the show that add to their entertainment.  Nice to see Bruce Greenwood return as Admiral Pike and Peter Weller is perfect as Admiral Marcus.  Again, there are twists and surprises I don't want to give away, but I'm happy that the trailers for the film don't give everything away while still showing many of the major scenes to ramp up excitement.

I'll be curious how you folks react to the reintroduction of Klingons and Tribbles.  One of these have a new look and I'm sure that cos-players are already gearing up to include that look for up-coming cons.  (Hope the Tribbles reveal didn't ruin the movie for anyone!)

Wasn't overwhelmed by some of the trailers shown before the feature, although the more I see of MAN OF STEEL the better I feel about where they are going with the characters.  The opposite for WORLD WAR Z, which could be any other zombie movie, as it doesn't reflect the best-selling novel from which it takes little more than a title.  Have little interest in seeing it on the big screen.  Not sure about ELYSIUM with Matt Damon & Jodi Foster as long lost lovers who discover...what?  it's not?  Oh, it's a SF film taking place in a future where civilization is split between halves & have-nots.  It takes place in 2014.  OK,  maybe later than that.  Nothing special except for the two stars as far as I can tell. 

That's it for me. Let me know what you think.

Popcorn For One: IRON MAN 3 review (SPOILERS)

Was it up to the level of THE AVENGERS? No. Was it better (much better) than IRON MAN 2? By far and more.  Let's go into some of the details with a few SPOILERS:

Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle are all back in their roles, possibly for the last time.  Tony is now having some anxiety issues stemming from his actions with the Avengers in New York.  He tries to cover them with his usual smart-aleck and assured attitude, but Pepper knows that something is wrong.  Meanwhile, a terrorist known only as The Mandarin has been attacking various American targets abroad and now in the U.S. When Stark announces his intention to hunt him down his own home is attacked and destroyed. 

Unfortunately, Stark's latest version of the IM suit has not been completely tested and it is further damaged during an attempt to battle the Mandarin's forces.  Without his equipment and miles from home he finds he has to improvise until he can return to action.

At about the three-quarter point in the film everything takes a pretty dramatic turn when we discover that The Mandarin (played in all his facits by the wonderful Ben Kingsley) is not who or what we thought he was, but actually a front for the actual villain.  Guy Pearce, plays Aldrich Killian, a scientist who had once been humiliated by Stark and now seeks revenge, while also putting himself into a position to increase his own wealth and power by whatever means.  Pearce, has changed more than his physical appearance and is also using a former lover of Stark's to entrap him.

A lot of folks are upset by the change in The Mandarin, from the way he has always been portrayed in the comics.  Not only does he not possess the rings of power that made him all but equal to Iron Man, but it turns out that he is a fake in more ways than one.  I was surprised, as everyone was, by this turn of events, but Kingsley was so good (as both the Mandarin and his true identity) that I forgave the deception.  The film-makers go for a political message about the public's need for a 'bad guy' to hate and the government's use of them for their own purposes.

I'm giving the film a 3.5 stars.  Also, while not a huge moment I do recommend you stay through the credits.  First off, the end credits are really nicely done with a sort of '70s feel to them.  Then there is a moment were we see to whom Tony has been telling the story in flashback since the beginning.  Funny bit with another Marvel character.  The movie has my recommendation.

Doctor Who - new season so far

Only three episodes into the new season (not counting the Christmas episode which re-introduced Clara) and I'm enjoying it for the most part. While I like Jenna-Louise Coleman in the role of Clara (Oswin) Oswald, I don't feel the immediate affection for her that I did for Amy Pond after only her initial appearance.  Maybe it was because Amy's first meeting with the Doctor as a child, and you just knew they were fated to finally be together (not in the way that the previous incarnation & Rose were, of course). It may be because the back story for Clara is not being completely revealed at this point.  After all, The Doctor has already met her twice and in both instances things went badly. (Didn't want to toss in a spoiler, just in case.)

While the first episode, involving the Internet and wireless technology was very good, I found the second (involving a soul-devouring creature) not as strong as it might have been.  As I believe I've said before, the opening and end sequences were solid, but it seemed as if the story was padded and the show is only about 40+ minutes, plus commercials.  It was like, "We've introduced the little girl and we know DW & Clara will rescue her, but what do we do for the next half-hour?"  A bit too much Star Wars bar scene, if you know what I mean.

The most recent episode, as of 4/13, was a really great story and brought back the classic Ice Warriors as the villain.  Taking place almost completely in the rather claustrophobic interior of a Cold-War era Russian
submarine.  Adding to the natural tension of stopping the menace and possible nuclear war, was the great David Warner in the role of a Russian scientist who had discovered the warrior encased in ice. A nice touch is the off-handed manner in which Clara discovers another wonderful thing about the TARDIS and why the Doctor seems able to communicate wherever he goes.  I don't know about other folks, but this sort of episode reminded me of older DW episodes where the Doctor and his companion are discovered in a place were they should not be. The Tom Baker Doctor always seemed to be popping up in the wrong place at awkward times and I was half-waiting for the Doctor to ask the Russian captain if he wanted a jelly baby.

Well, the up-coming episode HIDE, looks like a good old-fashion scary one and the folks who do the show certainly have proven they can do scary pretty darn well. I'm looking forward to it.

By the way, anyone else enjoying the DOCTOR WHO: REVISITED episodes on BBCAmerica?  Love seeing the interviews with past Doctors, companions and other cast & crew who watched the show and later became involved with it.  It's also the first time I've complete stories that the first three Doctors appeared in.  You really can see both the character and the show evolve over time (pardon the expression).

I think I have mentioned before, and even did a video, talking about dropping out of comics collecting.  I still love comics, but financially and interest-wise I just wasn't finding them worth it.  I would hit the shop every couple of weeks for my subscriptions and immediately catalog them when I brought them home.  Then, except for a couple of titles I would find that the rest would be unread for a couple of months.  If I wasn't that interested, what was the point.

I'm currently using the Comixology  and Dark Horse apps to keep up with what is coming out and grabbing some freebies along the way.

Marvel doesn't seem to be putting out as many previews as DC, which has a regular weekly one.  I'm finding that there really doesn't seem to be much in the new and continuing titles that catches my interest.  Nothing that would get me back into the shops anyway.  If I have a chance I may check out a shop on or near "Free Comic Book Day" to not only pick up any goodies, but maybe check out some of the other titles on the shelf to see if they still interest me.

I haven't seen my current schedule for that weekend, but if things hold true I will probably be working.  For some odd reason known only to the Library Gods, I have been scheduled to work on FCBD for each of the past five years.  Not really worth using a vacation day (which I am doing to attend San Diego on Friday, with my one-day pass this year), but it is annoying that I can't seem to get my hands on some of those great goodies.  Of course, I notice that some of the publishers will distribute either copies of the FCBD books or limited-edition 'convention' copies that reprint the same material with a new cover.

Sorry for the 'feeling sorry for myself' sound of this post.  I do miss comics and going to the shop, but thanks to those apps, rereading some of my collection and our Library's graphic novel/manga collection I haven't had to go completely cold turkey.  See you in the funny papers!

Remote Viewing - THE WALKING DEAD & DOCTOR WHO

The nice thing about having Monday morning off is that I can catch up on some shows I've taped, that Donna doesn't care about. Those are pretty much any fantasy/horror related stuff.

I'll try not to give away any spoilers here, but I expect at this point anyone who watches the shows has probably already seen them.  By the way, Rosebud was Kane's childhood sled, so you can skip that old B&W movie.

THE WALKING DEAD ended a pretty decent season with the death of several characters.  Personally, I doubt many folks will mourn the death of one of them, as she had to be the most annoying b**** on the show.  Of course she only got that spotlight after an even bigger annoying b**** died off earlier.  If fans had been expecting the battle at the prison we got to see in the comic, well they were certainly disappointed.  The folks behind the show decided they needed to give the b**** a goodbye scene, so that dragged things out for minutes longer than necessary.  Also, if everyone thought AMC was doing us a favor by making the season finale longer I'm sure they were delighted that it was extended so the network could plug MAD MEN every ten minutes.  Maybe I'm in the minority, but I have never had any interest in that show, maybe because I grew up in that era and the folks in the program sure as hell don't act like anyone I knew.  The promos for the show always made it look like an extended MAD Magazine spoof of Madison Avenue, drained of humor.  Call me shallow.

All that aside I actually enjoyed the episode, as it did have some surprises and set up some tensions going into the next season.  Great walker stomping and if anyone still had doubts about The Governor, this proved that the guy is completely bonkers.  Also, there is an incident involving Carl which brings the character more in line with the kid as portrayed in the comic.  His confrontation with his father brings home the fact that he is no longer the whiny "Carl stay in the house!" kid from the first season.  Now we just have to wait until October to see how these things come together.

The DOCTOR WHO season premiere was a great beginning for a season that will celebrate the Doctor's fifty years as an icon.  Most American's probably didn't get introduced to the Time Lord until the '70s with the Third Doctor (portrayed by Jon Pertwee), unless they had caught the two DW films made earlier featuring Peter Cushing in the role.  While the Doctor in those films does have a time traveling machine he is a human scientist.  The current Doctor (the 11th) is portrayed again by Matt Smith, who initially seemed too young for the role when I first saw him but quickly won me over in the initial episode in which he appeared.  We have seen this incarnation of the Doctor die and comeback, spend time with his once & future wife and see his companions choose a fate that drove him to travel back in time and stay away from playing the hero.  The first episode of this season picks up in a way from the Christmas special which introduced (re-introduced?) his newest companion, Clara "Oswin" Oswald.  Clara is 'the girl who died twice' and at this time (pardon the expression) is still very much a mystery to both The Doctor and to us.

The first show involves the Internet and specifically Wi-Fi, which is being used by someone/something to capture the 'souls' of people all over the world.  For the modern day Clara this is her first meeting with the Time Lord and his wonderful 'bigger on the inside' machine the TARDIS. (Oh, look it up!)  It appears, from trailers, that this season will have the thread of discovering more about Clara and why she seems to come back into the Doctor's life on different planets and different times.  Hints are also being dropped online about some of the things and characters returning for this special celebration.  Will the Doctor meet himself?  Well, he has done so in the past, so why not?

That wraps it up for me for the time (hee hee) being.  Peace out!

The Hobbit: my review

Geeking on Technology

Why I'm not buying comics.

San Diego Comic Fest - What I thought.

Thanks to Mark Evanier, I'm going to add this link to a video on the 1st San Diego Comic Fest which was held last weekend.  What you see in the video will give you a good feeling of what the convention was like and some of the folks who spent time there.

As I have said before, while my first 'convention' experience was a small one held in a high school in the Ocean Beach community of San Diego, about two months later I found myself at the El Cortez Hotel with hundreds of other fans for the 1975 SDCC.  In some ways those two very different experiences match the difference between what the current SDCC is to what was held at the Town & Country Hotel and Convention Center the past weekend. 

The utter size and overwhelming experience of SDCC is hard to imagine for anyone who has not gone to one.  I've been to dozens of cons around the country the past few decades but even the larger ones in NY, Philadelphia and Chicago could not match what you get when you enter the SDCC as it is now.  The sounds, sights, cos-players, famous actors and all the media crammed into that building for four-days is just way too much for me now.  I think my experience this year on Sunday was enough to prove that I am not able to deal with these events very well. I'm pretty sure that the one-day pass I already have for 2013 (Friday) will be even more tiring and may be the last time I go through the hassle and aggravation of even trying to get a ticket.

As Mark says in his post, Comic Fest was more about the feelings and nostalgia of those El Cortez days than a recreation of that era.  While those early SDCC's were smaller they were still all about the future of comics, film and entertainment.  Fans wanted to see the hot new talent, get the new titles and find out what the publishers were going to bring out in the coming year.  If there were panels on the Golden Age (and a number of the folks who created those books were still active at the time), more were about the current crop of creators or those trying to break in.

The contemporary SDCC continues that, with those panels that do deal with the older stuff becoming a smaller part of the overall picture.  While Comic Con has always been about more than comics, the modern event really is about the entertainment media beyond the four-color pages that fewer and fewer seem to care about.

For me Comic Fest was a chance to see some of the folks who made my early convention experiences so special.  It was the opportunity to hear others talk about what those events meant to them and how special they were.  While there was some sadness when people talked about those who were no longer with us, there were also a lot of laughs when those still here told stories of their lost friends.

Panels covered the anniversaries of BLADE RUNNER, ROBOCOP and STORM TROOPERS.  Creators talked about working on the 'underground' comix that had to be bought in headshops, adult stores and small bookstores in college communities.  People who had not seen each other in decades were reunited on stage or in the halls, some discovered things that had happened years before that they had never known about.  While some friendships were renewed, some old animosities were also brought out into the open.

Bottom line is I'm really glad that I went.  It was fun and I had some laughs, which is what you really want from any convention.

WALKING DEAD - New Season & other stuff

Hope you have caught the first episode of WALKING DEAD this past weekend, or recorded it and already seen it.  I'm going to publish some Spoilers so if you haven't watched it you might want to skip this for a while.

In a fashion, the series is coming back around to where the comic series was a few years ago.  Months have passed since the previous episode, with Lori (Booo!!) very preggers and still whining about one thing or another.  The rest of Rick's group seems to be coming to grips with the situation, with even Carl showing that he can take down the undead in the same ruthless fashion as the rest.  His first scenes with him shooting a walker and then taking some cans of dog food are telling.  Carl has matured and obviously has gone beyond the "Carl, stay in the house" routine he found himself in previously.  This is the Carl that fans of the book have come to know, there are only some moments when he can be a kid with the situation that surrounds him.

In the book the discovery of the prison brought about a shift in the dynamics of the group.  As the series has already made some changes, it remains to be seen what characters (if any) that are introduced among the surviving prisoners will bond with Rick's group.  We only see some of the prisoners in the final scene of the first episode, so they have not been introduced.  Teasers for the second episode seem to indicate that things may take a ugly turn pretty quickly.

We also get to see Michonne (one of the best and favorite characters in the comic) demonstrating why she will probably be just as popular in the series.  She and Andrea are separated from the main group and it will be interesting to see how they finally join up.  As the "Governor" and the community of Woodbury have not been introduced yet, it may be that the pair meets up with that group first.  However it works out I'm psyched about this season.

This weekend I'm going to be heading down to San Diego for the first SD Comic Fest.  This new gathering was conceived and planned by some of the same folks to started the original San Diego Comic Con back in the early '70s.  The idea is that this will be a smaller gathering and similar in feel to those first few cons held at the El Cortez Hotel and other locations.  No flashy displays by the big companies, no major stars pushing their latest product, just fans and pros getting together to talk about comics and 'the old days'.  I hope to have some photos and some things to talk about regarding the show next week.

Ta ta for now!

New Season for Doctor Who

Just a quick couple of things on the latest season of DOCTOR WHO on BBC America.

Everybody who follows the show already knows that the Doctor's companions, Amy & Rory will shortly be exiting the program.  A new companion will quickly be put in place and we'll have to give her a chance.

The first two episodes of the season were great, as you can't go wrong with a Dalek episode and dinosaurs on a spaceship are pretty cool.  On the other hand, I was rather disappointed with the third episode (shown this past Saturday), "A Town Called Mercy". 

There were some nice elements but it just seemed like they needed something to show The Doctor has been under some strain and to reinforce the notion that he needs a companion(s) to keep him in check.  Both David Tennant and Matt Smith have shown that given too much time alone the Doctor can forget the 'humanity' and humility that he needs.  Besides those moments the episode was nothing special and had that 'haven't we seen this before' feel.  You could almost have put Kirk, Spock & McCoy down in the middle of Mercy and had pretty much the same show.  For me, it was probably the weakest DW episode of the past couple of seasons.

As there are only a couple of episodes left with the Ponds, I have my fingers crossed that things improve.

Review: The Jakarta Plot

Despite the fact that the Joe Bob Briggs site hasn’t posted a new review for well over a year, I’m still finishing up the books I have. There should be three more after this one, I believe, but at this point I think I may have lost track of which books JB sent me and those I’ve picked up at cons.

While I’m at it I want to apologize again for posting so seldom but I have listed the reasons before. Hope you will forgive me and drop by every so often to see if I have actually blogged.

**************************************************************************
The Jakarta plot – R. Karl Largent; published by Leisure Books
ISBN: 0843945680

When you read these books you have to wonder how many ex-CIA agents are running around. Also, why does it seem the Agency always has to bring them back in to perform actions the current crop can’t seem to accomplish? I’m just asking.

Largent’s book is quite good, even though his hero, former agent Gideon Stone does seem to question himself a bit more than necessary. Stone is likable and I’m assuming that Largent will be bringing him back, if he hasn’t already (as the book was published back in 2006). One of the weaker elements is that some of the secondary characters, and there are dozens, never seem to really have any back-story, or any that we learn. We feel sympathy for them when they are injured or killed, but that’s because of how it affects Stone and not because we genuinely care about them. An odd thing is that this is truer of members of Stone’s team than of individuals on the opposing side. For instance, we know more about a native crewmember on a barge, used in a later mission, than we do about several servicemen who accompany Stone on his first rescue attempt.

When a group of Communist terrorists capture and hold captive U.N. delegates of an international meeting on the island of Java, including the U.S. Vice-President, the CIA is asked to attempt a rescue, while not admitting it publicly. Led by the popular Bojoni Sawak, the Bandung rebels demand that the current leader of their country step down and recognize the Bandung as the legitimate government, otherwise, the hostages will be executed one by one. With Stone already in the area, working to recover some documents lost when a civilian airliner is blown up, it’s an easy move to have him head up the assignment. Since he is an expert diver and former black op, you know that the ultimate rescue will involve at least some of those skills. When the initial attempt goes badly wrong, leading to the death of two of the group and the VP still hostage, the stakes rise. Stone has to get his team into the terrorist base, perform his mission and get everybody out alive. Complicating matters is the threat by China that any overt American intervention would be considered a provocative action and might lead to that country becoming involved.

As is typical of this type of book, Largent brings in a lot of technical information on the equipment Stone and his team uses. Interesting to a point, but it does make this reader skim over paragraphs of this stuff in order to get to the main action. If you are more into this Tom Clancy sort of thing and especially if you are interested in deep-sea vehicles and helicopters you might want to tack a half-star onto this. Overall I give this a solid -

Three stars

Do they really need a reason? Marvel Now & the 'new' New 52

As if keeping the continuity in mainstream comics wasn't difficult enough, given the number of 'events' that occur on a semi-annual basis in the Big Two, both have decided that a total reboot of their "universes" are necessary.  To be honest, we all know it comes down to orders from Disney & Time/Warner that sales need a boost even when the licensed film franchises are raking in millions for each company.  The monthly titles are just not generating enough to hold up their end, so something needs to be done to get the suckers...er, fans/readers interested again.

Last year DC's "FLASHPOINT" event led into the New 52, where all the company's books were cancelled and fifty-two titles were put in their place.  A third of them seemed almost half-hearted jokes to appeal to a small segment of fans, while the rest were basically Batman/Superman/Justice League tie-ins that had a built in audience that was likely to continue or even grow.  Well, it seems not so much.  So, of course, we get all the books getting a new first issue (or #0) or something like that, with some books spinning off from those and others ending.  I've given up caring on all but a few titles and may let this be a great time to drop all my DC buys.  I have "Court of Owls" and whatever the Teen Titan/Legion Lost cross-over was called to thank for helping me cut just about everything from my pull-list. As much as I was enjoying the two LoS-H books and Synder's BATMAN, I didn't appreciate feeling like my arm was being twisted to pick up related titles I didn't care for to begin with.

I know next to nothing about the current Marvel universe, having dropped all those books about six issues into the 'Heroic Age' era/event.  I had hoped that it really was going to be a positive push after the heavy stuff at Marvel from CIVIL WAR onward.  Sadly, it was pretty much more of the same, with most titles seeming to be little more than hand-wringing over what had happened the previous couple of years and waiting for the next event to get things going.  Wasn't the Sentry supposed to come back or something like that?

Apparently somebody, mostly likely not even directly involved in actually creating comics, decided that another short-term sales boost was necessary and since a reboot had gotten press and sales for DC, why not try it at the "House of Limited Ideas".  All I know is what places like Bleeding Cool, and a few other sites have had leaked to them and nothing I've read makes me care a whole lot.

Right now I'm down to Veritgo's AMERICAN VAMPIRE (with assorted tie-ins) and the occasional Marvel Zombie mini-series when it comes to titles from what were once my favorite publishers.  Dark Horse, IDW and Image (believe it or not) are the companies that are getting the majority of my comics cash nowadays.  From what I am reading and hearing I don't see that changing any time soon.

San Diego Comic Con 2012 - The Way I Saw It!

I’m a week late and everyone else in the world has already posted, but I thought I would throw in my own comments about my experience. This year, as some of you already know, I was only able to get a one-day pass for the event and that was for the Sunday. Most of the big events and stars had come and gone, but it didn’t stop the place from being packed. I seem to recall previous Sundays as being relatively light, but this year the aisles seemed to be filled.

I decided to take the train this year, rather than the hassle of driving and searching for parking. Remind me next year not to be that dumb! The trip south was just fine, with plenty of room and a nice view of the coast. Lots of surfers and paddle-boarders, along with some dolphins and I believe a shark fin sighting but I’m going to chalk it up to another single dolphin and my imagination. However, there had been some actual sightings of Great Whites in the area the past week, so you never know. Got a coffee and snack from the club car and couldn’t have been more relaxed. I’ll tell you about the very, different trip home later.

The train got in on time and I was at the Convention Center by 10:30, with hardly any line at all for badge pick-up. As bad as it is to actually order one online, the staff at the Center couldn’t have been nicer and more professional when you are there. This has been my experience the last few times I’ve attended the convention and don’t think the staff there gets enough credit for moving things along. This year the con gave out those giant bags that some companies were giving out previous years. Not sure about the previous days, but mine was promoting THE HOBBIT. I have to admit that the freebies table continues to be a disappointment for anyone looking for memorable stuff. I recall in the ‘90s the thing seemed to constantly being stocked with actual comics (full-size and ashcans) and trips back every few hours could earn you new material each time. Now you’re lucky to get some one-sheets for movies that will probably never see theatrical release, postcards and flyers for local stores and smaller retailers & publishers promoting their booths and events.

My only ‘must’ was to try and pick up a limited-edition Admiral Motti mini-bust from Gentle Giant for Kristina. You never know with those things, but I was in luck and hope she likes it when she finally comes to pick it up. It took me longer to find the booth, even though I had the number, than it did to actually get the item. I don’t know what it was like earlier but on Sunday there were only a few people in line ahead of me and the sales staff quickly got the bust and rang up the sale. I took it over to the Cons ‘coat check room’ and was able to wander the aisles with only the con bag over my shoulder.

There were only a few folks I wanted to see and actually did. I try to make it a must to stop off to see Randy Reynaldo, the creator/writer & artist for ROB HANES. If you are a fan of the old style comic strips like Terry & The Pirates, Secret Agent Corrigan, etc. then you should seek out Randy’s work. His site is http://www.wcgcomics.com/, where you can see samples of the Rob Hanes books and order copies of just about all the issues. I first met Randy at one of the San Diego cons in the late ‘90s and instantly became a fan of the character and series. Most of the issues are self-contained stories with Rob and his fellow agents of “Justice International” (notice there is no League in there nor super-heroes) solving crimes and stopping various felons. He is really a terrific guy, deserving of greater sales and more recognition. Independent publishers could do a lot worse than to put Randy, as either writer or artist, on one of their titles.

The other person I sought out was Marc Hempel, whose work on solo projects and with oft-times partner Mark Wheatley, I’ve been a fan of for years. Their two series MARS and BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT were two great titles from First Comics and WaRP respectively back in the mid-80s. They have worked together since and Hempel worked with Neil Gaiman on “The Kindly Ones” arc for the SANDMAN series at DC. Marc has really been nice to me on Facebook, acknowledging and responding to my questions and posts. Just wanted to drop by his table to thank him and he could not have been nicer.

Between those visits, wandering the aisles and picking up a few other things it was time for lunch. As usual I decided to head up to Dick’s Last Resort in the Gaslamp District. Dick’s is one of the more popular places for Con attendees and you can’t blame them. The waitresses and some waiters in cos-play, a nice selection of beer (on tap and bottles) and decent food, as well as its location make it all but perfect if you have an hour or so. The place is always crowded and noisy, but that is part of the attraction as well. If you have never been there keep in mind that wait staff is supposed to be slightly rude and pushy, so don’t take it personally. I know folks who hate the place, but they are not the kind of folks you want to hang with anyway.

Didn’t do much besides check out the larger displays and take some photos the last couple of hours I was there. Marvel had what is becoming an annual standard, namely a display of various Iron Man suits, including some from the up-coming third film. Good luck getting close to that most times of the day. DC is giving away fewer books, unless you want to stand in a very, long line to get a handful of logo buttons. I do like that they have placed Artist Alley down at the end of the exhibition hall and put the video game companies in the back. At least you can get through to that area and skip the always blocked aisles where the gamers are. AMC had a nice display this year featuring Michonne and her zombie duo. If you wanted (and were again willing to stand in line) you could have a collar placed on your neck and pose as the second zombie. As always it seemed a third of the costumers and many of the model & toy companies were promoting various Star Wars related products.

I finally decided a little after 4:00pm that I had done and seen just about everything, plus (also a regular thing) my left ankle seemed to have gone out on me and I was limping. I took one of the shuttle buses (Bless the convention for those!) and ended up gimping a couple of blocks to the train station. There I made the bad mistake of sitting in the station, and not going out to the platform until almost 5:30, figuring the train wasn’t due until 5:50. It turns out there was a waiting line for the 6:10 already around the building. It was interesting standing in line with a woman dressed as Jeannie, various manga/anime characters I didn’t know and at least one Doctor. Long story short I actually had to stand on my bad ankle from San Diego to Lake Forest (more than the ninety minutes it took in the morning), jamming myself and my two large bags into a corner with two folded wheelchairs. By the time I got home I could barely limp up the steps and the next morning I was using the bureau and walls to get to the bathroom.

Needless to say, when SDCC sends the e-mail in a month or so for pre-registration I’m going to try once again to get that four-day pass for 2013. The convention is just so amazing and despite the aggravation it is a lot of fun and I’d hate to miss it. Hey, at sixty-one I don’t know how many more cons I have in me!

DC Comics adding titles and a new gay character

Killer Shrews Official Trailer HD

The original "Killer Shrews (also known as "Attack of the Killer Shrews") is one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasure movies. So bad that you either had to love it, or turn it off after the first ten minutes. I really have no idea how many times I saw this as a kid, and sadly the initial revelation of the shrew handpuppet used to scare the crap out of me. There are few films as bad as the original that are as much fun watching minus commentary as they are watching with the MST-3K crew tearing it apart. Never forget seeing it on a large screen at NYC's Film Forum with a very, appreciative audience.

Happily, the folks involved in this new film know how bad (in an amazing way) the original was and don't shy away from making this one with more intentional humor.

Best of luck to these filmmakers!

My John Carter Review

Just in case your wondering why this is even more rambling than usual, I really shouldn't blog, tweet, social network or, especially, vlog while drinking. Just seemed such a waste to have all that Coke and rum around going stale. Let this be a lesson to you kids!

On the other hand, it's the perfect condition for checking out the various Horror Hosts broadcasting on the Interwebs on Friday & Saturday night. I sometimes think I missed my calling.

Where's the video?

Sorry to disappoint those who'd rather see me in living color fidgeting about before the camera. I'm going to hold off today and actually write something.

By now, if you're a comics fan, you've made your decision on the DCnU(DC's New Universe or the DC/New 52, as the relaunch has been called). As I said in one of my videos at the time, I actually picked up all the #1 issues when they were published and close to half of the second issues the following month. Since then I've dropped more than half of those and may be whittling those down even more.

In my videos I've already talked about some of this, but wanted to clarify things for those of you wondering.

For a couple of years, pretty much all of 2004 - 2006, I all but gave up on comics. I'd just about gotten fed up with everything from the Big Two and I wasn't finding much that held my interest in the smaller companies. Also, it had just gotten to expensive to be spending a few hundred dollars a month, knowing that I'd never get a percentage of that back if I decided to sell my collection. When we moved here to California I only took along about a quarter of my collection, bringing along only those titles that meant something or might actually be worth a few bucks down the line. At the moment I have about a dozen short-boxes (holding about 150 or so books each), a long-box (300+) and a five-shelf bookcase with several shelves of TPBs & graphic novels. These get more use as Babie's perch for birdwatching, than they do from me browsing or re-reading.

I currently am cataloging my comics on both Comic Collector Live and Comicbook DB although there is a gap where neither database includes some of the books I have in my collection. Hard to believe, considering the thousands of collectors using one or the other, but I have picked up some weird things over the decades. I have actually gotten some titles added to both catalogs, but have been too lazy to scan covers and enter data for some of the others.

Hmmm, I seem to have gotten way off track from what I had wanted to talk about. Nothing out of the ordinary for any of you who have read this blog before, or seen my videos. But I digress, as some comic book writer has said on occasion. :-)

Where were we? Oh, right! The New 52.

To be honest, I don't know that even at my most fanatic point back in That Other Life, was I actually collecting more than a couple dozen titles. Not counting assorted one-shots, or mini-series, there may have been only 20+ comics that I was collecting at any one time. Right now I'm trying to get it down to maybe a dozen titles, published on a monthly basis, leaving me extra cash to be able to grab some new book or mini that catches my eye.

At the moment, I'm buying a single Marvel title, now that they have finally gotten around to finishing off THE TWELVE. Despite the announcement a couple of months ago, actually seeing issue #9 on the shelf at Nuclear Comics & Skateboards came as quite a surprise. In fact, owner Kenny had actually removed the title from every 'pull list' since he wasn't sure how many of his customers would still be interested. I actually had to go back and pull the earlier issues from the box to refresh my memory. There were so many plot lines and secondary characters that even someone used to comics continuity was having a problem keeping track.

Part of the problem with the DC relaunch, IMHO, was that they felt it necessary to replace almost every existing title with a new or revamped book. The editorial decision (or rather the marketing one) was that they not only wanted new readers, but you had to lure back those readers who might use the relaunch as an exit ramp from the DCU. You not only had to re-introduce the best known characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash & Aquaman) but throw in titles featuring lesser-known (to the non-fan) characters in hopes that some of them might be popular enough to interest a producer or merchandiser. Let's be honest, a company the size of Time-Warner really isn't interested in comic books per se.

This means that you not only have Superman (in two books), but Supergirl & Superboy. You get Batman (in three-four books) plus Robin, Nightwing, Batwoman, Batgirl and the new Batwing. Throw in four Green Lantern related books and hope a couple work out. It seems that Flash, Aquaman & Wonder Woman are only worthy of a single title each, but you can still toss them together into the Justice League along with former Teen Titan, Cyborg. Lesser former-Leaguers Green Arrow and Hawkman are still around in solo books, but both are there just in case Marketing finds something for them to do. You see where I'm coming from at this point, right?

Bottom line is that I just found the majority of the new books either too different from what I had expected or not different enough to make me care. Some had good writing and many had decent art, but in both cases they can only go so far when I have so many other choices and a limited budget. From what I have been reading and hearing, plus from the creative staff shuffling that has been apparent even before the first issues shipped, I'm not the only one who feels this way. DC claims to be happy with the sales figures, but when you announce that a half dozen of the books will be cancelled and replaced within six-issues, it does seem that things are not as rosey as the folks in Manhattan would have us believe.

I've gone on way too long, but it was fun actually writing for more than 140 characters.
I'll try to make this a more regular habit.

Take care!

Rambling about zombies & other things

Godzilla Ornament Review: Part 1

Man, I would absolutely love these! Check out Twisted Kaiju Theatre, if you aren't already.

Have a Godzilla like holiday season!

I just wanted to go over some of the books I had picked up the previous week. Some of the DC 52 have come out with second issues and I bought enough to know that I'm GREEN LANTERN as of now, but giving GL Corps another issue. You can hear what I have to say about some of the other books, if you're interested.

My comic buys for 9/30/11

I can't believe how much I'm spending and how little I'm enjoying most of these.

My Comicbook grabs: 9/16/11 - pt. 1

You should be able to get Pt. 2 right after this one or go to my YouTube channel and find it there. Sorry to be getting these posted so late here.

DC 52 Week 2

Cataloging Comics and Calling B.S. on Robin

DC B*tching and moaning, why I have been missing.

If you are a fan of DC you might want to skip this, since I don't have much positive to say. I also do give away some of the plot of JONAH HEX #70, the final issue in this run.

Not mentioned in the video, but I want to give thumbs up to the creative team on Marvel's SECRET WARRIORS, which just ended. Started as part of "Dark Reign" the book actually continued and justified its existence by wrapping up decades of Nick Fury & S.H.I.E.L.D. continuity. This was the last continuing Marvel book that I have been reading since the "Heroic Age" started. I was picking up the various AVENGER titles, but dropped most within 3-4 issues, if that. This means that, if you don't count a couple of Vertigo titles (AMERICAN VAMPIRES & AMERICAN VAMPIRES: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST), I am no longer getting a single book from either Marvel or DC. What kind of fanboy does that make me?

At this point I think most of the books I'm getting are from Dark Horse or,believe it or not, Image. With a scattering of things from IDW, BOOM! and a few other companies. Not going to list them, but if you have seen my past videos on my 'pull list' you know the ones I currently follow.

I'm not sure who, if anyone, still reads this blog, but if you do let me know if you think my picking up the complete DC 52 is a good idea or not.

Four-Color Fiend Rambling

The GRIM GHOST was created by Michael Fleisher for the short-lived Atas/Seaboard Comics back in the mid-'70s. That incarnation only lasted three issues before it, like most of the rest of the line, ceased publication. All three issues featured art by Ernie Colon, itself a reason to seek out the books and helped them stand out among the rest of the Atlas line, since most didn't seem able to keep an artist or writer for their entire run. The third and final issue of GG was written by Marvel & DC scribe Tony Isabella.

Jump ahead to 2011 and we find Atlas and the Ghost once again back in shops. The company is slowly, this time, bringing back many of the characters that starred in those earlier titles. With no reference to earlier continuity (as far as I can tell), the new GG starts fresh with his origin slightly changed and the stories taking place in a strange shadow world neither Heaven nor Hell. Not fighting criminals, whom he dispatched to Hell for their deeds as he did in the old stories, here he rescues those who arrive in the City saving them from creatures who would take their souls. Tony Isabella returns to this character, remaking him, along with the aid of artist Kelley Jones into much more than a costumed crime-fighter with ulterior motives.

GG is not a light book, and Isabella is obviously keeping some things underwraps. Each of the first two issues end with a nice splash page revealing not so much a cliff-hanger but just a hint of something to keep the reader interested enough to come back for the next issue. The first ended with a creepy hint of things to come and the second with a 'OMG!' moment that completely surprised me. I've got my fingers crossed that this new incarnation of Atlas and the GRIM GHOST will be around for a much longer time. Recommended!

If you haven't been a long time reader of Mike Mignola's HELLBOY and B.P.R.D. WHY THE HELL NOT?!?!? Seriously, Mignola's creations, which include the above and other similar books loosely tied into one 'universe', provide good creepy fun and some spectacular art. Along with Mignola's own art you can also find books done by the likes of John Severin, Richard Corben, Guy Davis and others. Things are not looking good in the world as depicted by Mignola & company. Supernatural forces are at war, humans may be on the way out and a new world of darkness may be very close. Having left the B.P.R.D. years before to find out more about himself and his legacy, Hellboy may be about to find his way home. Changes have taken place in the Bureau since he left and it's pretty likely he won't be too happy to discover many of them. Check out the Hellboy Zone on the Dark Horse website and see what you have been missing.

If you have watched my last video I mention that I probably won't be picking up many of the 52 "new" titles that DC will be publishing in September. First off, I think starting all those books again probably isn't the wisest thing to do to begin with, but dumping them (and that seems to be what they are doing) at once on shops and fans just seems a bad mood. Are fans expected to pick up all these books because they are all Number Ones? How are shops supposed to order these if there is little or no track record for some of them? I know a few of the people who work in comics, so I hate to diss the hard work that they put in, but on the other hand...I really would like to see this blow up in DCs face and they find themselves facing an angry fandom that just isn't going to sit around through this.

I am hoping to get to San Diego, at least one day this year, if I can pick up one of the resale passes when they become available. It will be interesting to see what the word on the floor is like about all this.

Response to Schmoes Know review of SUPER 8

I really enjoyed the new film from Spielberg & Abrahms. This is a scary ET for a new generation.

I can't think of a single thing in this film that I did not like, from the soundtrack to the casting and the surprise you get during the credits. Trust me and don't jump up after the film ends.

DC renumbers and goes digital - Do you care?

Not sure how I feel about the DCU comics being rebooted and started over. This has been happening way too much the past five years, with 52, Infinite Crisis, Blackest Night/Brightest Day and now Flashpoint. Why should I care about characters that may be completely different in a few years.

I'm curious if folks agree with me about the effect of digital comics on shops. Also, how many digital comics will be downloaded. You can't resell these and you certainly can't get them graded. I'll stick with comics on paper for now and just not bother with DC. Not that I'm their target audience.

Just a bunch of Trade paperbacks

I think I called Jeff Nicholson, Jack at one point. My bad!

I really should do one of these on my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle books. I have enough of the Mirage books and spin-offs to do an easy fifteen minutes or more.

Anaheim Comic Con 2011: Episode II

Don't pay attention to the old guy being interviewed. A notorious stalker of celebraties, even of the YouTube variety. Closer attention to be paid to any cos-players.

RE: Schmoes review THOR

This was my response to the review of THOR by the Schmoes Know duo. I really enjoyed the film, but felt they covered most of what I had to say.

I didn't understand the need for the Darcy (Kat Dennings) character at all. I don't remember her from the comic when I was reading it, but possible she was added recently. She adds nothing to the story and does little but make some jokes which could have been made by another character or just dropped. It's all Facebook references, etc.

I actually thought Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Natalie Portman (Jane Foster) had chemistry in the film, which they needed if you wanted to feel anything in later parts of the film. Don't want to give much away, but the scene where Thor first finds the hammer and can not lift it was so good and a moment that also shows why Clark Gregg (as Agent Coulson) is so great in all the films in which he appears. Hope he will be in CAPTAIN AMERICA, at least in the contemporary scenes and he is obviously going to be in the AVENGERS film as he ties so many of these characters together.

Hints have been dropped about the plot of the AVENGERS film, but the surprise at the end of the credits (Please stay through them!) makes it clear. It also helps to be a fan of various Marvel titles, but those who only see the movie will get a nice kick out of it as well.

As most of you know, I love getting in early to catch the previews. IMMORTALS looks pretty good for fans of CLASH OF THE TITANS & THE 300, as does Spielberg & J.J. Abram's SUPER 8. Animation & SHREK fans will love PUSS IN BOOTS, apparently a prequel to the first meeting of Puss, Shrek & Donkey. Finally, I'm going back and forth on COWBOYS vs. ALIENS. It looks pretty decent, but I'm not crazy for those movies that are almost totally filmed at night or in semi-darkened rooms, which this film (at least from the trailers) seems to be.

While there wasn't a trailer for it at this showing I'm getting more and more interested in GREEN LANTERN. I did not like the initial trailer at all, but love what I am seeing of OA, the Green Lantern Corps and other things.

Let me know what you think of THOR, if you see it.

Doctor Who - Season Premiere

Quick comments about the first episode of the new DOCTOR WHO season. Hope everybody had a chance to see it already. Didn't really give anything away, but had to mention it.

Marvel Stridex Reprints & older books

I really should learn to edit this stuff. I should also stop saying "you know" so often. I am a pretty annoying SOB, if you think about it.

ghoulish comics

Not the great material you would get from the Warren books like CREEPY, EERIE & VAMPIRELLA but black & white reprints from the pre-Code days. Used to pick up these books at a small store in my hometown that also has spnner racks of regular comics, paperbacks and pornography. What teenage boy wouldn't love the place?

A few comments on comics and other stuff

Man, it seems as if I can't keep reading comics even if I want to. Am I being too picky in my choices or too cheap? (Don't answer that!)

With DC ending both the Red Circle (former Archie heroes) and the First Wave (Doc Savage, Spirit, First Wave)titles I'm down to about a half dozen regular titles and a few mini-series. Only one of them, Stan Sakai's USAGI YOJIMBO, have I been collecting for more than a couple of years, just picking up #135 which is the 100th issue of that book I own, in addition to some TPB collections as I to fill in the rest of the run. I started reading THE WALKING DEAD with #50, going back to buy all the previous TPBs. The various DOCTOR WHO series (classic and current) from IDW I have been reading since they started, along with the Mike Mignola titles from Dark Horse (Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Witchfinder, etc.).

I gave up on DC about eight issues into BRIGHTEST DAY and MARVEL (with the exception of Secret Warriors) less than a half dozen issues into the Heroic Age. Have to be honest that I really don't find myself missing either and if Secret Warriors ends anytime soon that will do it for the big two. I am still buying and recommend AMERICAN VAMPIRE from Vertigo, so I guess you could count that as a DC book. Sadly, I'm still a sucker (pardon the expression) for the various MARVEL ZOMBIE series & one-shots, so I just got MARVEL ZOMBIES SUPREME in my weekly shipment. To show you how often I go to Nuclear Comics, I got both the first & second issues of MZS just yesterday.

Before I wrap this up let me also recommend RED VS BLUE (RvB) from Rooster Teeth. The series of 'mechanime' shorts were collected and my old shipmate Jeff was kind enough to send me a 3-DVD collection. Basically, the guys at Rooster Teeth have taken clips/captures from various HALO games and re-dubbed them. Sort of like Woody Allen's WHAT'S UP, TIGER LILLY for RPG geeks. I talk about it a bit more over on YouTube if you look for my SACHAPUT50 channel over there.

Sorry that it has been so long since dropping in here, but I spend all my time on Facebook & Twitter, so I've learned to rant in under 140 characters or less. Blogging seems almost like a term paper now!

Trading Cards

Rubber - Official Trailer [HD]

C'mon! Tell me this is going to be instant classic?

Fission Chicken's World

This is for J.P. Morgan! We are going to miss you.

J.P. Morgan - R.I.P.

I was saddened earlier today to find that J.P. Morgan had passed away on Dec. 30th. I first became aware of him when he was doing cartoons for various zines, including INSIDE JOKE, produced by Elayne Wechsler (now Riggs), back in the '80s.

While J.P. did other comics, it was his character FISSION CHICKEN for which he became best known. FC, known as The Chicken of Wrath, used his powers (including flight, power blasts & super-strength) to fight various evil creatures (human & alien). Most were J.P.'s satirical takes on modern commercialism and mega-corporations. While he might have been one of the good guys, FC had a pretty short-fuse and he would just as soon hit something as try to think his way through any given situation.

J.P. was one of the good guys and I'm sorry to say that I lost touch with him years ago. I kept meaning to drop him an e-mail or comment on the on-going Fission Chicken webcomic, but I always figured there would be time. Another example of why we should stay in touch and tell your friends you are still there. It doesn't take long to drop them a short e-mail or pick up the phone and chat for a few minutes. With J.P. I just won't have that opportunity.

For the rest of you, just know that I do think of you.

Talking about some movies

Just some rambling about a few of my favorites. Let me know if you like it and would like me to talk more indepth about any of these or other films.

Four-Color Fiend - Comics recommendations and rambling.

Merry Christmas!

christmas commercial

Makes you tear up, right? Merry Christmas!!

Four-Color Fiend - DC's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents

A demonstration that you should not publish something to YouTube without previewing it. I had already deleted the original and did not realise I was repeating myself.

Doesn't change my opinion of the book, but I should have presented it better.

Four-Color Fiend #1 - comic reviews

My first attempt to do reviews on YouTube. What a geek!

CATACLYSM SONG WoW Kanye West Runaway Parody

I'm not a gamer, but I thought this was pretty clever.

Four-Color Fiend: DC's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS (a waste and an insult)

(WARNING & SPOILER ALERT: Much of the information in this piece is from memory so I may have some dates and names wrong. I hope that you'll forgive me and put it off as me ranting freely. I also give away the entire plot of the first issue of the DC book, in hopes that none of you will pay money for it.)

The cover you see reprinted was the 'alternate' cover of the first issue of DC's revival of the classic T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS. The original characters drawn and co-created by Wally Wood for the Tower Comic group. I loved the original series and having lost two earlier collections of the books, went and re-collected them along with the solo titles of DYNAMO & NO-MAN. I also have copies of the related U.N.D.E.R.S.E.A AGENT, and even the short-lived (as they all were) war title, FIGHT THE ENEMY. I totally loved the company when they were in existence and can still enjoy those books today.

Over the past several decades a number of companies attempted to bring these characters back, partially as it became widely believed that the characters were in the 'public domain'. I recall an issue of the old COMICS READER "summer preview" that listed well over a dozen TAgent books (as part of a running gag). When the dust settled (and I found myself with about a dozen T.A. issues both authorized and apparently not), the characters went into comics limbo with only occasional rumors about their return. Things actually seemed close when DC appeared to finally have the license, but that joy quickly faded and nothing appear to come of it.

The original agents of THUNDER (I refuse to keep typing those periods) were heroes. They were men & women who dedicated themselves to the idea that the world was a good place and could be better. They worked for the United Nations, when many people still believed in the promise of that organization and the concept of a world working together for common good. It was either a more innocent time or many of us were just too stupid to look at the reality of the world to come. The stories in the books were simple and action packed. Most were 12-pages or less and there was an attempt at continuity but the writers were not slaves to it. Plus, unlike most of the super-heroes of the time, some of these brave heroes died. They would sacrifice themselves to protect thier friends or innocents. Apparently it was only the deaths that registered with the current folks writing and editing the current DC incarnation of the characters.

I can't remember exactly how many agents die in the first issue since I stopped caring after the third or fourth. Did these characters even have names? They appeared in uniforms that were based on those of the original TAgents, but we didn't know who was wearing them. Frankly, that seemed to be the point. We didn't have to care, since all the 'heroes' that died (and we saw on the cover) were (if I understood the dialogue correctly)losers that nobody would miss anyway. That seemed to be the recruiting program. "Your life sucks, so why not let us give you powers that will end your useless life even sooner. Oh, we're too important to put them on ourselves. Why do you ask?"

In the original series, a drawback in the costume that empowered the super-speed character Lightning, caused the character to age rapidly. Each time the agent put on the suit and went into action he shortened his lifespan by months or even years. Now it seems that all the costumes/equipment has this same flaw. Now if we are supposed to be introduced in future issues to characters we are supposed to care about, than writer Nick Spencer has wasted his efforts. I don't care enough to buy future issues and can't see why anyone else would.

The book opens with two unidentified woman having lunch, which we soon discover is taking place in a building undersiege. Then we see some recognizable heroes (because of their uniforms) fighthing some armored thugs with spider logos. Old time T.A. fans will know who these are and newer fans will soon learn they don't care either. SPIDER is a group that, along with several others including aliens, fought the agents of THUNDER throughout their run. The only reason this organization existed was because super-spies always have arch-foes to battle (i.e. James Bond vs. SMERSH; CONTROL vs CHAOS). The current incarnation of this group is apparently so large and disorganized that they are not only fighting THUNDER but other divisions within their own organization. Do the Marvel lawyers know about this? Aren't ATLAS & HYDRA over at that universe doing pretty much the same thing. Guess Spencer has been reading "Secret Warriors" the last few months. We get a dozen pages of characters talking about how the people in the uniforms are doomed and they don't seem to care, so why should we.

I'm an aging fan boy who is not the market for this book. Frankly, I don't know who it is aimed at. Old T.Agent fans like me are not going to embrace it and I don't know why younger fans, who have no clue about these characters would either. The only half-way decent thing in the book is the art by CAFU (really???). S/he makes the characters identifiable, but since you don't care who they are it seems a waste of his/her/their talent.

Did I get around to mentioning that the book S*U*C*K*E*D? Pardon me while I dig out my yellowed copies of the REAL T.Agents and have some fun.

It all looks funny!

Can't recall if I mentioned this before, but I'm having trouble adjusting to our big HDTV set. Don't get me wrong...I love it, but the shows look odd. Not just that the characters are 'bigger' but even shows I have been watching for years suddenly take on a different look than they had on our old TV. Sometimes I can't even concentrate on the story as I'm checking out how strange everything appears. Boy, we do love Hawaii Five-O on the new set.

Also, nothing beats zombies eating a horse in HD, huh? I absolutely love THE WALKING DEAD on AMC. With some minor changes, which haven't really bothered me, the show has made a perfect transition from the comics. Nice choice of casting for the leads, with a balance of new and familiar faces. Even those actors I know from other roles are doing good jobs in WD, allowing me to accept them. Writer, co-creator Robert Kirkman warned readers in the book's letter column that we should not expect a page-by-page copy of his work. It is obvious the producers respect the book enough not to "F" with what was already solid work. A couple of folks at work are watching the show and keep asking me about what to expect. I hate being Mr. Spoiler, but have told them somethings that happened in the book that may or may not be reflected in the show.

Don't know if I should mention this in a 'family' blog (did I ever ask for proof of age here?) but Donna happened on this program run late night here, called Shop Erotic. Basically an hour of QVC-style infomercial for sex aids!! OMG!!! The funny thing is that Donna discovered that it was also broadcast back in NY, but not on a station we were getting. Imagine what we have missed!!

All probably more than any of you needed to know, but I found it pretty amusing.

STUNNING - 'I REMEMBER, SO I'M VOTING, AND NOT REPUBLICAN.'

There is still time to vote today. Even if you are not voting Democrat, you should not let the GOP take control.

Walking Dead review

Not a whole heck of a lot I can add to Jeremy's review of the show. I think he nails it pretty well.

I if you already read WALKING DEAD you'll enjoy seeing how Robert Kirkman's characters are portrayed, but you don't have to be familiar with the title to enjoy what the AMC production is doing. They introduce the characters nicely and I can't wait to see how they deal with Rick's son, Carl. In the book the boy goes through some serious trauma and is much more mature than a kid his age should ever be. I hope they keep true to the series in that extant, even if they do make some allowances for series television. Plus, I wouldn't mind some surprises and not always be a step or two ahead of the show.

On a side note, never saw it on our Cox system but Donna & I were pretty taken back to discover a show called "Shop Erotic" on DirectTV. Sure don't recall seeing it back in New York with we had our dish. Do people really use those things?!?!?!?!

Does Comic Continuity Alienate Potential New Readers? (1 of 2)

Personally, I think the short answer is YES. On the other hand, a good writer can make the book accessible to a new readers. Sadly, many of the current DC writers & editors seem to have forgotten this. It's great that Marvel includes a 'what has gone before' page, but it should not be necessary.

Time for cutting back!

Maybe it was bound to happen anyway, but the upcoming move is causing me to rethink my comics buying habits. For those of you who know me, this is something that occurs periodically so it probably is not a surprise.

Even if the move was not going to happen I find myself in one of those periods where I am buying titles more out of habit than enjoyment. When that happens you are moving our of comics fan into collector mentality and that has never really been where I see myself. I'm not putting down those who do collect to keep their runs of a title complete or have writers & artists that they follow anywhere. Except for a Ditko period, I've never really been that type of fan. (And yes, I do still have dozens of issues of misc. Ditko stuff from series I never would have considered picking up otherwise.)

The last Friday I realised that I had picked up my bi-weekly bag of books and discovered that I had only read about half of the previous bag. We're not talking hundreds of books, since I often pick up fewer than a dozen titles each time I visit Nuclear. It also probably helps that I never remember to bring my list of titles and that the shop's owner sometimes has his part-timers filling the subscription boxes. I think they play favorites, since it is not uncommon to find that I have missed an issue, only when I get home and begin cataloging.

Off the top of my head I can think of a half-dozen titles from both DC & Marvel that I'll be dropping, along with all the Project Superpowers & Green Hornet books from Dynamite. Just don't care anymore. I think the DC & Marvel events (that oddly enough got me back into reading comics) have finally dulled my enjoyment, since it is pretty established that both companies already have plans for further sales boosting storylines. Time to get out while the getting is good and consider picking up TPB collections down the road.

Keeping on my list? The Doctor Who titles from IDW; Walking Dead, Vikings & Haunt (for the time being) from Image; Usagi Yojimbo, any Groo mini-series and just about all the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. titles and tie-ins from Dark Horse. Finally, American Vampire from DC's Vertigo imprint These are all books I look forward to reading and grab as soon as a new issue arrives.

I can't think of a single DCU book at the moment that I would miss at all, and certainly nothing I wouldn't enjoy just as much in TPB at some point. There are a couple of Marvel titles I like, but except for any that involve the Agents of Atlas or Hercules (with Amadeus Cho) I think I'll be dumping those along with the DCs. I'll let you know exactly what I'll be getting when I know myself.

Superhero Rewind: Justice League New Frontier Review

I actually have not gotten around to watching this myself, but really enjoyed the overview. Hope you like it as well.

Die Hard Review (funny movie review)

One of the best action films and the one that made Bruce Willis a star. You can watch this anytime and still love it. Hey, subscribe to the SchmoesKnows YouTube channels already!

Playing Catch Up!

I talked about the up-coming move over on Parting Shots, so I won't bore you with that. On the other hand, I haven't posted here for a while so felt I should mention a few things so you didn't think I'd forgotten you all. :-)

I have hit one of those points where I think it is time to start cutting back on comics. This time though I'm not stopping completely as I did before, simply because it is always expensive, time-consuming and a royal pain to have to get all those back issues. I'm just going to be cutting down to probably less than a dozen titles, all of which I really enjoy. Naturally, that means that just about all DC & Marvel titles will be scratched. I think the 'events', which brought me back into collecting again, have finally driven me back out. Anybody interested in a really good price on issues of SECRET INVASION & BLACKEST NIGHT??

Once I have my list pared down I'll let you know what the final count will be and what I just can't live without. I can already tell you that USAGI YOJIMBO & THE WALKING DEAD are staying on my 'pull list' at Nuclear.

Finally saw the film QUARANTINE the other day, which I had recorded weeks ago. It was pretty good, despite being a bit predictable. You get the general idea from the trailer and if you have seen enough horror films there aren't many surprises they can pull on you. I understand that are working on a sequel to the film, moving the action to an airport terminal. Not sure how interested I would be, plus John Erick Dowdle (the director and one of the screenwriters) isn't involved in the second film. He is directing M. Night Shyamalan' DEVIL, which looks pretty creepy.

BBC America is rebroadcasting the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant episodes of DOCTOR WHO in order. I've been recording and watching the ones I missed originally and several that I enjoyed the first time around. I can't wait for the next season with Matt Smith as the Doctor. Neil Gaiman is writing a story for the series and I can't wait to see what he has in store for the Time Lord & Amy.

Popcorn for One: INCEPTION

After seeing this film I want to publically apologize to Leonardo DiCaprio for laughing at his death scene at the end of TITANIC. Sure it was funny then and worth hitting rewind several times, but now I have to admit the guy is a damn good actor. Sorry, Leo!

INCEPTION is probably one of the best films I have seen this year. It might not have hit the emotional points that TOY STORY 3 did, but Christopher Nolan’s film is a solid piece of moviemaking. The guy who saved the BATMAN franchise demonstrates that he can do an action film with intelligence. Fans of Nolan’s two super-hero films may have forgotten that he was also the man who brought us INSOMNIA (with Robin Williams and Al Pacino) as well as the cult favorite MEMENTO, another film that dealt with memory. As with that early film, with INCEPTION we begin to learn things as characters move back in forth in time as well as in their dreams.

DiCaprio plays Cobb, a one-time architect who now uses technology to move into the dreams of others to steal secrets. In this case, he must do more than that. He must plant an idea (an inception) in the mind of the son of a business tycoon. In order to do this Cobb must enlist the aid of various individuals already familiar with entering dreams, plus find and train a new architect who can design the landscapes in which everything will happen. Going to his mentor, Miles (played nicely by Michael Caine), he is introduced to one of Miles’ new students Ariadne (Ellen Page). Initially, doubtful of the concept Cobb is able to persuade her to join the group. We learn that Cobb has some secrets he would rather not reveal to her until Ariadne realizes that he could endanger them all unless he confronts his own past.

The stunts and FX in the film are brilliant and believable, as they would have to be in a movie about dreams and dreamers. The cast is all quite good, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (as Arthur, Cobb’s right-hand man) a standout. He is fine in the straight scenes and really does an excellent job in the action sequences as well. Hey, he was Cobra Commander, in G.I.JOE after all!

This is one of those films that lived up to the promise of the trailers. In fact, the best stunts and sequences are only hinted at in the ads. Some of the action scenes rivaled anything Nolan did in THE DARK KNIGHT, while one was right up there with anything you’d see in a James Bond film.

I highly recommend the film, but let me know what you think about the ending.

Con Viewing - NotLD: Reanimated & Alien vs. Ninja

I was able to catch a couple of films, along with the usual trailers at this past San Diego Comic-con. Both films have been shown at film festivals or limited screenings previously, plus both will soon have DVD release (if they have not already).

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated I first heard of on either Facebook or Good Reads (in the Zombie group). It sounded interesting and adding them as a Facebook ‘friend’ got me more information. As some of you may know, George Romero lost the copyright on his initial film, due to the actions of the original distributor. Because of this the film has fallen into the public domain. This was unfortunate for Mr. Romero, but fortunate for some fans. In this case, artist/filmmaker, Mike Schneider has gathered dozens of artists (in different styles & media) to re-imagine the film. Using the original soundtrack, artists have used techniques ranging from stop-motion animation, computer & hand-drawn animation, sock puppets and live actors to reproduce the movie. Some scenes are redone using filters of sorts or the artists drawing over the original film. Still others have used the soundtrack but slightly diverged from what we remember in Romero’s film.

Naturally, most artists wanted to work with the more memorable scenes (the graveyard, the girl in the basement, the attempt to escape, etc.), so some artists were assigned to do sections consisting of mostly dialogue and minimal action. To be honest, not all the styles worked, at least for me, but I appreciate the time and effort that went into it. It was interesting hearing some of the artists, in a panel following the showing, discussing what and how they did their scenes, as well as talking about possible future projects. One, apparently in the works, involves Old Time Radio programs in the horror/suspense genre. As these were never filmed the artists will have even more freedom to re-imagine them.

If you’re a fan of Romero’s film (and don’t consider this a total blasphemy) I recommend you seek it out. It’s available via Netflix and you can also purchase the DVD directly from the website.

ALIEN vs. NINJA is exactly what the title implies and if you scroll down this blog you’ll see the trailer for the film that ran on YouTube. AvN (as it is called on the posters), takes place in feudal Japan during a war between rival warlords. Following an attack against an enemy stronghold a group of ninjas witnesses a fiery object falling from the sky and are shortly attacked by a creature that apparently survived the crash. Lots of wonderful martial-arts action and disgusting alien infestation takes place. The gore, like the fight scenes, is way over the top, so expect streams of blood, decapitations and ripped off body parts. In other words, everything I love in a film.

AvN is the first in a series of Japanese action/horror films to be released in the U.S. by FUNimation Entertainment, under the Sushi Typhoon label. If you are into anime you probably already know that Funimation is one of the larger distributors of that product in the country. All the films released are in the original Japanese, but with English subtitles. AvN, not to give anything away, actually has a joke involving several of the characters speaking English in one scene. The crowd at SDCC loved it. The showing on Friday night, included the appearance of three of the actors who appear in the film (Mika Hijii, the female ninja; Ben Hiura, the lead ninja; and the actor who wears the alien outfit, whose name I sadly cannot recall).

I love this stuff, but if you need your horror movies to be serious, I don’t think that Sushi Typhoon is what you are looking for. It’s possible that some of their future films won’t be quite so over the top, but from what I saw in the trailers for three other ST films, AvN fits in perfectly. No nudity, some implied sex and some profanity, plus the violence and gore I mentioned before. Check it out!

Alien vs Ninja trailer 2010

I saw this on Friday night. Highly recommended! More later.

PUPPETS WITH GUNS

The Officer Meanie videos are some of the funniest on YouTube. Offensive, with plenty of profanities, drug humor and all sorts of fun stuff. Check them out!