Stop Talkin' About Comic Books Or I'll Kill You - Ookla The Mok

How can you not love this song!

"I don't care if Spider-Man's a clone!!" LOL

Popcorn for One: A Review of STAR TREK (a few spoilers)

So okay, I'm a sucker for STAR TREK (ST), especially the original (OST) series with Shatner, Nimoy and company. I've lost count of the number of times I have seen all the episodes. I also enjoyed NEXT GENERATION & ST: DS-9, and the first two seasons of VOYAGER, although I'll admit that after the pilot & first few episodes of ENTERPRISE, both Donna and I gave up. I've also seen all the previous Big Screen ST films, at least once and several a few times when they started making the rotation on television. It was obvious from my initial viewing of the "Under Construction" trailer prior to last year's San Diego Comicon that I was going to be psyched for this movie.

As a fan of LOST and CLOVERFIELD, I was willing to give J.J. Abrams the benefit of the doubt on his take on the franchise. He admitted he wasn't a fan, and frankly, that might be a good thing, especially as the film takes things in a different direction. These are not the characters I have followed since high school and I'm fine with that. Maybe part of the problem with some of the earlier ST films was that we were already overly familiar with Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the bridge crew. We could almost guess what their reactions would be in any given situation. For a 'new generation' (pardon the expression) of fans to accept the series it had to move into new ground.

In the first few minutes of the movie a gigantic spacecraft emerges from a wormhole and engages a Federation ship. From that point, all bets are off. The appearance of the Romulan ship, commanded by Nero (Eric Bana) changes events and creates an alternative timeline. The characters we knew from OST are not the characters we are introduced to throughout the film. The names are the same, but almost everything else we knew has been changed.

The James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), and Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban) we see here are for the most part closer to the 'classic' ones we knew. Spock (Zachary Quinto), or NuSpock as he as been branded in fan circles, is by far the most radically different from how we knew the Vulcan portrayed Leonard Nimoy. As both characters appear in the film, the versions are easy to compare. Sulu, Checkov, Uhura and Scotty are all here, with Uhura (Zoe Saldana) given quite a bit different persona than we saw from Nichelle Nichols. It will be interesting to see in the sequels (which I'm sure we can expect given this movie's critical success and box-office) where the different characters go from this point.

I liked the new actors, and thought they did good jobs in the roles. I don't think I'm the only one who will be willing to see some more of the new Enterprise crew.

DCU: Green Lantern CORPS - Floyd Was Here

Just because it is so cool!

I"ve added both GREEN LANTERN and GREEN LANTERN CORPS to my pull list at Nuclear. Love the way both titles are going with the leadup to BLACKEST NIGHT.

Whoa! Got over a dozen freebies for FCBD. Hope you scored some goodies this past weekend! I"ll try to have some reviews and comments later this week.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (with spoilers)

Hugh Jackman owns the role of Wolverine. I can't imagine another actor doing the role at this point and hope I won't have to for a while. Equally good in the film is Liev Schreiber, who stars as Logan's brother the villain Sabretooth.

If you aren't a comic book fan, you might be surprised by some of the things revealed in the opening sequence of the film. That I won't giveaway! You might also want to stick around after the credits start to role, as there are a couple of extra goodies. Just don't expect to see Nick Fury or Tony Stark show up. They aren't that sort of spoiler, just a couple of moments to show "what happened to..."

As you may know, if you have read anything about the movie, this takes place a few years before the incidents in the first X-MEN film. We see a couple of characters that appear there and understand why they react as if they don't know each other after an initial meeting. The movie is filled with mutants, some of whom I'm familiar with and others I'm not, so I can't say how faithful they are to their four-color characterization. I do know that one character is pissing off the fanboys and I can understand why. Even though I've never liked this character I think he is ill-used and this ruins him for future appearances. (Think Darth Maul!)

One last thing about particular mutants in the movie. I think it was a mistake to use The Blob in the film, since the scenes with him (after earlier ones where he is unidentified) stop the film for comic effect and it doesn't work. It's basically Wolverine fighting Fat Bastard! The same information could have been introduced without resorting to jokes about an obese man.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie and think that it works. Not amazing, but a decent summer movie for action fans. If you enjoy super-heroes and can overlook some of the minor things I've mentioned I recommend you check it out. Give you something to do until STAR TREK opens next week!

Hugh Jackman on FCBD plus Wolverine Trailer

Damn! For the 3rd year in a row I'm working on FCBD!

Support your local shop and buy some comics.

Watching & reading, as usual!

Is everyone as confused by LOST as I am? (SPOILERS)

I mean I still enjoy the show and many of the characters, but the current time-hopping storyline makes things even more confusing then they were when you just had to worry about something being a dream or vision. Characters are not only appearing in flashbacks, but some have actually moved back in time to the 1970s. In the latest episode one character saw himself as a three month old infant!! Oh, and John is alive again. (End spoilers)

I'm currently reading three books, and should probably concentrate on one. I'm about half way through I'M NOT A COP! by Richard Belzer, one of those books where the celebrity writing as her/himself becomes involved in a mystery or murder. Steve Allen, wrote a nice series where he mixed fictional and real life characters solving crimes. Belzer, does that here, but doesn't really include anybody other than himself in the story, except in some phone conversations he has with his wife. I think you have to like the Belz and his humor, along with his television persona to enjoy the book. So far, I am.

I've been a fan of Charles Dickens, since I first read some of his novels back in junior high. His final, unfinished novel THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, has been the subject of close to a dozen books, in which different people have tried their own hand at discovering what Dickens had in mind for the ending and even attempted to write that conclusion themselves. In DROOD, writer Dan Simmons tries his hand at not only figuring out the mystery of the novel, but also of the final years of the author. Following his surviving a horrendous train wreck, the famous writer spent the final years of his life engaged in not only writing, but performing and staging adaptations of his works. In his personal life he also seemingly became even more difficult and began suffering from both physical and psychological attacks, often leaving him in weakened states.

Simmons, through the narration of Dickens'one-time friend and collaborator, author Wilkie Collins (The Lady in White, Moonstone, etc.), chronicles the final years of the "illustrious" writer as he becomes involved in with a mysterious individual called, simply Drood. Who is this person? Is he a healer, or serial killer? What hold does he have on the author and what will Dickens do to protect him? Finally, has the favorite of Queen Victoria begun plotting a murder of his own and decided to turn his own life into one reflecting his final work? Even though I'm not quiet halfway through I highly recommend the book.

Oh, and in case you're wondering I'm also reading comics.

Not sure where Dwayne McDuffie is going with JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, but things do not look good in the current issue #31, where the team is basically told to disband by the current chairperson. Repercussions of several past and current stories come together and we see how a few of the characters are dealing with the apparent death of Bruce Wayne/Batman. McDuffie sort of fills us in on things and lets us know of other changes taking place in the DCU. Looks like there are several super-hero teams about to be shaken up and have their rosters changed.

That does it for now! Don't forget about FREE COMICBOOK DAY coming up pretty soon, either!

Supercar series one title sequence

For some reason I can't explain, I found myself humming this on my way to Starbucks this afternoon. I haven't seen the show in a couple of decades, but still remember the opening.

On an unrelated note, it pays to call the hotels in San Diego a couple of months before the convention if you want to book a room. Hell, don't even mention the con! I know folks who booked rooms last year when they were there, or a few months after. If you are sharing a room the costs aren't that bad.

Oh, did anybody else catch the premiere of THE UNUSUALS last night on ABC? A comedy/drama cop show, with some familiar faces. I liked it!

Just some random stuff!

If I haven't mentioned it before, but I believe I have, I'm going down to the San Diego ComiCon again this year. My friend, Dan, is flying in from Brooklyn and we already have a hotel room booked for three nights (Thursday thru Saturday). The only definite thing so far will be the annual Capa-Alpha get-together on Saturday morning. Be nice if we got more than the six folks that came last year, although I had a really good time. These things used to take up several long tables with a couple dozen current and former K-a members. Ah, well...

I have finally gotten around to watching my anniversary present from last year. Namely the MST3-K 20th Anniversary DVD set. Nice selection of four films from several seasons, plus the "History of MST3-K" special split over three of the disks. I still haven't watched the fourth film, with the video of last year's SD convention get-together. Recommended to all MYSTies!

In the comics, it looks like several titles are having deadline problems for various reasons. It will be interesting to see what effect the badly delayed FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF 3 WORLDS will have on the up-coming new LS-H series. Also, I'm really disappointed that Marvel's THE TWELVE seems to have slipped under the radar and the delays will probabaly real damage the sales on this very, good book. Finally, it's nice to see Barry Allen back in the scarlet costume. I don't think things are going to go smoothly for the speedster though. Check out THE FLASH: REBIRTH, if you haven't already. Plus, I recommend RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS and both the current GREEN LANTERN & GREEN LANTERN CORPS books. Been quite a few year since I could say that!

FAIL Barbie . . . REAL TOY Review Mike Mozart JeepersMedia on YouTube

OMG! I need this immediately!!!

Popcorn for One: A movie review - WATCHMEN

WATCHMEN

Wow! That pretty much sums up my reaction to the film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s classic graphic novel, WATCHMEN. Director Zack Snyder finally does what others before him could not get done. Namely bring this book to the big screen and do it justice. Seeing it in IMAX probably added to my enjoyment, but I'm sure it would also work on the regular screen.

If you are familiar with Moore’s story you already know that it takes place in an alternate 1985, where Richard Nixon is in his third term as President and the U.S. won in Vietnam. In this reality super-heroes, have been around since the 1940s and were pretty much accepted until outlawed. Some have gone into business, or into other pursuits and some began working for the government in one way or another. When one of the more notorious members of the group called The Watchmen is murdered, another member believes that someone is purposely targeting ‘masks’.

That pretty much sets up what happens as we learn some of the background and origins of the major players. It seems the ‘good guys’ may have had their own share of dark secrets and might not have been morally much better than some of the ‘bad guys’ they fought.

Some reviewers didn’t look favorably on the performance of Malin Ackerman (Silk Spectre II), but I thought she was quite good. Her action scenes seemed believable and I thought she was equally as good in the straight scenes as many of her male co-stars. To be honest, I certainly thought she was better than Matthew Goode, doing his best David Bowie impersonation, who chewed the scenery as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias. I put Goode’s performance on a par with Julian McMahon who made Dr. Doom such a cipher in both FANTASTIC FOUR films.

On the other hand, a couple of the major male leads were extremely good and I would hope one of them gets a nod come Oscar time. If Heath Ledger brought the Joker to life (pardon the expression) then Jackie Earle Haley as RORSCHACH deserves equal credit. With his face totally hidden behind his ever-shifting mask, Haley has to use his voice and body language to portray what is going on. Those scenes, especially those in prison, where he can be seen are even more powerful. Patrick Wilson and Billy Crudup (Nite Owl II and Dr. Manhattan respectively) are both good, even though Crudup is computer generated for part of his performance. Hey, if a CGI- Gollum can get an MTV Movie award than Dr. Manhattan and his blue wee-wee are equally deserving of one. As The Comedian, Jeffrey Dean Morgan actually makes you feel sympathy for a character that is pretty unlikable.

By the way, it was fun to see Matt Frewer(Max Headroom, for those with good memories)as Moloch, a 'retired' super-villain. Even though he doesn't have a big part in the film his role is pivotal to the plot.

Finally, I think this film does as much to bring up the level of ‘super-hero’ movies as did the original SPIDER-MAN, IRON MAN and last year’s DARK KNIGHT. Just don't take any small children or elderly nuns, huh?

Folks who know me know I love previews. There were about a half dozen film trailers, evidently being released to IMAX. Of them, I know I'll be catching the new STAR TREK film, with fingers crossed and the second TRANSFORMERS film looks to be even more over the top then the first. Donna caught an ad for MONSTERS VS. ALIENS on television and we might both go to see that one. The next Harry Potter movie really looks as dark (even in the way it was filmed) as I remember the book, but the 'kids' do seem to be much older than the ones they portray at this point.

Save me an aisle seat!

Amazon Babes from Another Dimension!

I just got a real kick out of this. Ultimate fanboy stuff!

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

Narwhals

Just thought this was fun!

I'm still around!

I really don't have anything to add right now and not being able to post during the week has gotten me out of the habit. Seems that come the weekends I don't feel like blogging or don't have anything timely.

During the week I'm posting on Tony Isabella's messageboard, CBGXtra.com or one of the other places regarding comics. I'm also pretty active on Shelfari in several groups (Graphic Novels, Horror, etc.) and trying to catalog the books I've read or owned. Another reason why I don't blog when I have a chance, is because I've already talked myself out.

If you happen to wander around YouTube you might catch me commenting on one video or another. There it's pretty much politics, but also some of the goofier sites (What The Buck?; PonceMan; Penn Says and several others).

Next time I pick up a batch of comics (I'm about three weeks behind) I'll try to comment. Until then take care!

Four-color Fiend: Final Cri...What the @#%*$?

Color me...


S
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I have no real idea where Grant Morrison was going with FINAL CRISIS and how much interference from Dan Ditto-head ruined his plans. Unless things are happening in other DC books I'm not aware of this "event" might as well have been an "Elseworld" project. Then again, with the multi-verse back in the DCU all the books we were told were non-continuity Elseworld stories now seem to have actually happened on other Earths.

At the end of issue #7 of FC it appears to me that we witness the end of the Monitors and Darkside. It also appears that the New Gods, minus Orion, have been brought back. To me the gods of New Genesis have no reason to be without their opposite numbers on Apokolypse. That was Kirby's point in creating the two races of gods to begin with. If this is how it ends, you might as well have allowed High Father and the rest to remain dead. They serve no purpose in the DCU.

I would be interested in hearing from Morrison how he had to change things, or why The Powers That Be seem to be all but ignoring what he did. At this point I don't see FINAL CRISIS as having any major impact, and certainly nothing like the original CRISIS did years ago.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23 picks up from where the previous story arc ended. In the Kingdom Come/Gog story there was a major split among the team and things said and done at that time remain a sticking point. Hawkman quits the team in the first few pages and we are told what has happened to all those who are no longer living in the headquarters. I think we'll probably see the return of some of those members, at least briefly in the up-coming story.

We find that Isis/Adrianna was not killed, but was held captive by Felix Faust as his sex slave. Was it really necessary to make it so obvious? Kind of creepy to see Faust dressing next to an unconscious Isis. I guess we should be thankful that she was dressed. Anyway, Isis is able to summon enough of her former power to make her presence felt by Black Adam who quickly appears. We have a nice reunion of the two lovers, but it quickly becomes apparent that this is not the same Adrianna we knew before. Perhaps, understandable given what she has endured the past months, but still it changes fundamentally the Isis of "52".

Adam & Isis confront Captain Marvel in the Rock of Eternity, where he has taken over from the wizard Shazam as its caretaker. Isis is able to remove CM's powers, turning him into the powerless Billy Batson. Billy is able to contact the remaining members of the JSA and finally admits to them (although Courtney/Stargirl tries to stop him) his dual identity. The unnecessary last page reveals Adam & Isis, on the Rock and talking to someone we see only from behind and the waist down. Anybody not recognizing the tight, black miniskirt and leather boots hasn't been paying attention the past couple of years. It's obviously Slutty...I mean, Mary Marvel and I guess the only thing we can hope for is that she doesn't have the dominatrix outfit and punk hairdo we saw in FINAL CRISIS.

The Four-color Fiend is not especially happy with the DCU at the moment and it might be time to drop another book or two.

Four Color Fiend: Am I still reading this stuff?

No spoilers this time around, just wanted to mention a few things about the current batch of comics I'm reading.

Not sure how I feel about Marvel's "Dark Reign" event. It picks up immediately after SECRET INVASION wrapped and cleans up some things that happened there. I bought the first issue of DARK AVENGERS and some other books which tie-in, but haven't read any yet. I'll keep you posted.

One thing that can be said for Marvel, at least the entire MU acknowledges the SI events and now those of DR. DC on the other hand, doesn't seem to recognize the FINAL CRISIS series, except in those books officially tie-in. The SUPERMAN & BATMAN family books are all concentrating on their own mini-events, and the current JUSTICE LEAGUE & JUSTICE SOCIETY storylines also don't seem aware of what's going on either. To be honest, it might be to their benefit, since I'm still not entirely comfortable with where FC is going and it only has one more issue to go. *shrug*

My current list of faves include the following:
Guardians of the Galaxy (tying in to the War of Kings storyline); Brave and the Bold (the regular title and not the Batman B&B book related to the animated series); Soloman Kane from Dark Horse; Walking Dead; the various Doctor Who books from IDW (classic and contemporary); Stan Saki's Usagi Yojimbo (always the first book I read when I pick up the new issue); the Hellboy/B.P.R.D./Lobster Johnson books that Dark Horse produces with Mike Mignola's crew. A guilty pleasure is ZOMBIE TALES: THE SERIES also from Boom! Studios always has at least one excellent story each issue.

By the way, despite saying last year that the San Diego con exhausted me, I'm going again. More on that as time grows near.

Gammera the Invincible movie clip

Damn kids with their rock 'n' roll music! They got what they deserved.

Santa vs. Santa

Can't we all just get along for the holidays? :-)

Have a very, merry Christmas and a happy New Year's!!

I hope to be able to post a bit more next year.

"Star Wars" a capella tribute

OMG!! Brilliant stuff.

Four-Color Fiend: Dark Secret Invasion with Spoilers on the side!

So I've spent the past nine months reading the various SECRET INVASION titles and it ends with a sociopath with a split-personality shooting the Skrull queen on national television. Boy, sure glad I haven't been wasting my comic bags on this!!

Norman Osborne, is the Green Goblin, for those who haven't been reading Marvel comics for the past three decades or seen any of the Spider-Man films. He's a multiple murderer, child abuser and (depending on whether you accept that storyline) a seducer of young women. Just the kind of guy the President of the U.S. would put in charge of every facit of American intelligence and allow to oversee the super-human community. He's probably a Republican, as well.

Norman has called in a group of super-baddies to act as his back-up, although there is apparently one other (who we don't see except partially in shadow) that will keep his 'allies' in line. I know I haven't been reading a ton of Marvels, except the SI books, but when did Namor start looking like Hugh Laurie? I also wasn't aware that Loki, Thor's half-brother is now sporting cleavage. Do I even want to know?

The next few months those heroes and villains who have survived the Skull attacks are going to battle each other, probably with reversed roles. I guess the folks at Marvel so how great the DC books were when Lex Luthor was President and have decided to try something similar. Good move! I'll be cancelling some of the Marvel titles I've been buying the past half a year.

On a positive note, if you aren't buying the current JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA title you are missing some wonderful stuff by writer Dwayne McDuffie. He did a nice alternate-world story featuring Vixen and is bringing the Milestone characters (many of whom he created or helped to create) into the DCU.

If you are into horror/dark fantasy, you really should be buying the Mike Mignola written titles from Dark Horse. Anything with Hellboy, Abe Sapien and the other members of the B.P.R.D. are well worth seeking in the shops and bookstores. Also, WALKING DEAD by Robert Kirkman remains one of the better books currently being produced, even if you are not a big zombie fan.