...and that is how I escaped from OH HELLO I DID NOT SEE YOU COME IN.
Comics!
A pretty dry week, if the Diamond shipping list is accurate- usually I use The Savage Critics' list to put these together, but that won't be available until tomorrow and I felt like posting something, anything to get back into the blogging groove.
Singles
Batman & Robin #1. What, you thought I would stay silent on this? Are you out of your goddamned mind? Final Crisis was fascinating, and provided a lot to mull over from a critical perspective, but as far as storytelling goes it was kind of a damp squib. I'm aware of Morrison's narrative ambitions for the series, and I think he achieved some of them, but the awkward dovetailing with Batman RIP, the unplanned change of artists, and the strong whiff of interference from the complete fucking madhouse that is DC Editorial made for something far less than the sum of its parts. What I've seen* of Batman & Robin has me excited like nothing since, well, Morrison's Batman, and the fact that he's working with Frank Quitely again raises my expectations to a nearly impossible to satisfy level. As with any Morrison book (well, maybe except All-Star Superman), it'll be difficult to judge based on the first issue, so I wait with bated breath for issue #2 in October, and next February's issue #3, featuring the art stylings of Igor Kordey. ZING MOTHERFUCKERS
Trades (told you it was a slow week for me)
Age of the Sentry. Not a very substantial book, but one I enjoyed, and one I can see myself loaning out to friends or acquaintances who are curious about superhero comics and want a quick, fun read with no prerequisites.
Wonton Soup vol. 2. Again, not a whole lot going on here, at least if the first book was any indication, but fun. I like Iron Chef, I like space and things that happen in it, I like this kind of Brian O'Malley/Brandon Graham/Corey Lewis** Westernized manga style, and more importantly this costs less than ten bucks so I'm not out too much if it's not entirely satisfying.
*preview courtesy of the vile Ain't It Cool News; click at your own risk. Actually, I'd advise holding off until the comic comes out, since it's just the hideous cover and first three pages. Though those pages do include Mister Toad's Safety-Conscious Ride. Your call.
**well, not Corey Lewis quite so much, but anyway
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Not dead, just job-hunting/moving
And sore. From dancin'.
Also, via Dave Ex Machina, I am apparently a woman, or 66% of one, anyway. News to me; I can only wonder how my family will take it.
Some more cursory, ill-thought out posts coming later this afternoon. Huzzah!
Also, via Dave Ex Machina, I am apparently a woman, or 66% of one, anyway. News to me; I can only wonder how my family will take it.
Some more cursory, ill-thought out posts coming later this afternoon. Huzzah!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Comics for the week of October 5, 2008
First things first. Are you American? Have you voted? No? You, sir, are a cad and a scoundrel. Get your ass to a voting booth and then we'll talk.
Back so soon? Well, okay, then.
Singles
Final Crisis: Resist #1. I'm hoping this will act as a sort of corollary to Morrison's Submit. This is my theory, hear me out: just as the main body of Final Crisis is holding steady at Pretty Fucking Great, but Submit was entirely disposable, incredibly ugly and not very well-written, I'm hoping that Resist will balance out the sadly unexciting Revelations and give us something really great. Rucka can do it, we know that; here's his chance.
Grant Morrison's Doctor Who #2. I have to confess, the first issue of this is sitting in a pile of unread books; I've been picking them up because, hey, The Moz is writing, but I'm putting them off until I've had some serious Netflix* and Wikipedia time to absorb all the Who I need. As a 20-something American, opportunities to see Doctor Who in any media have been pretty few and far between during my lifetime until relatively recently, and while I've caught up with most of the classic Tom Baker episodes and a few episodes with earlier Doctors, my knowledge is still extremely spotty.
Invincible Iron Man #7. The first story arc is over; this one's got Spider-Man. That's about all we know.
Top Ten: Season Two #2. The first one was good. With any luck, this will be too. Yeah, that's why you read this blog, exciting and provocative ideas and bold, confrontational views.
Weapon X: First Class #1. This just sounds like the worst fucking thing ever, at least for this week, as Marvel appears to be ditching the whole "fun" part of the First Class books for, and I quote, "a brand-new look at the horrifying history of Marvel's most prominent mutant". Because God knows, that well isn't dry, oh no. That barrel is un-scraped. The horse is one hundred percent alive and it is in need of a vicious beating. "PLUS: Each issue features a 10-page back-up story featuring an important player from Wolverine's past! First up, an untold tale of Wolvie's arch-nemesis, the mutant madman known as Sabretooth!" BE STILL MY BEATING HEART
Trades
Absolute Sandman vol. 4. Yeah, I'm a sucker, I've already got most of these books in paperback and they're not quite as great as I thought when I was a teenager. I don't fucking care, I'm still buying them again. Because...hell, I don't know why. They're pretty on my shelf?
Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson vol. 1. The first volume in Marvel's paperback printing of the out-of-print Miller/Janson Daredevil Omnibus. I have it on reasonable authority that this is Good Stuff and will be picking up a copy.
Liquid City. An Image anthology of Southeast Asian artists and writers. I don't know anyone involved in the project, but after the success of Image's Popgun anthologies I'm definitely interested. Will at least give this the old bookstore flip-through.
The Mister X Archives. Dark Horse reprints all of Dean Motter & co.'s Mister X in anticipation of the new miniseries starting November. This is beautiful work, even if it didn't always make a great deal of sense or conclude satisfyingly; I'm looking forward to the opportunity to read the whole thing.
The Question, vol. 3: Epitaph for a Hero. More O'Neal Question. I'm experiencing the series for the first time with these reprints, so I really can't speak to the quality of this trade; I did enjoy the first two, though, for all their desperately earnest 80's-ness and melodrama.
Watchmen. The Absolute Edition? Savage Critic says it's another reprint of the Absolute, as did DC's website months ago, but other sources suggest it's just a new hardcover with the Absolute Edition's revised coloring. If it's the former, yay; the Absolute Watchmen was a gorgeously produced book with some truly worthwhile supplementary material, and one that I never managed to convince myself to buy before it went out of print. If it's the latter, I can definitely do without, as I'm ambivalent about recoloring classic comics (see this recent Funnybook Babylon post for a truly heinous example, or the rereleased Killing Joke).
*Netflix subscribers should be aware that they have quite a lot of Doctor Who DVD sets available on their thoroughly impressive streaming service, including the entire Key to Time arc
Back so soon? Well, okay, then.
Singles
Final Crisis: Resist #1. I'm hoping this will act as a sort of corollary to Morrison's Submit. This is my theory, hear me out: just as the main body of Final Crisis is holding steady at Pretty Fucking Great, but Submit was entirely disposable, incredibly ugly and not very well-written, I'm hoping that Resist will balance out the sadly unexciting Revelations and give us something really great. Rucka can do it, we know that; here's his chance.
Grant Morrison's Doctor Who #2. I have to confess, the first issue of this is sitting in a pile of unread books; I've been picking them up because, hey, The Moz is writing, but I'm putting them off until I've had some serious Netflix* and Wikipedia time to absorb all the Who I need. As a 20-something American, opportunities to see Doctor Who in any media have been pretty few and far between during my lifetime until relatively recently, and while I've caught up with most of the classic Tom Baker episodes and a few episodes with earlier Doctors, my knowledge is still extremely spotty.
Invincible Iron Man #7. The first story arc is over; this one's got Spider-Man. That's about all we know.
Top Ten: Season Two #2. The first one was good. With any luck, this will be too. Yeah, that's why you read this blog, exciting and provocative ideas and bold, confrontational views.
Weapon X: First Class #1. This just sounds like the worst fucking thing ever, at least for this week, as Marvel appears to be ditching the whole "fun" part of the First Class books for, and I quote, "a brand-new look at the horrifying history of Marvel's most prominent mutant". Because God knows, that well isn't dry, oh no. That barrel is un-scraped. The horse is one hundred percent alive and it is in need of a vicious beating. "PLUS: Each issue features a 10-page back-up story featuring an important player from Wolverine's past! First up, an untold tale of Wolvie's arch-nemesis, the mutant madman known as Sabretooth!" BE STILL MY BEATING HEART
Trades
Absolute Sandman vol. 4. Yeah, I'm a sucker, I've already got most of these books in paperback and they're not quite as great as I thought when I was a teenager. I don't fucking care, I'm still buying them again. Because...hell, I don't know why. They're pretty on my shelf?
Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson vol. 1. The first volume in Marvel's paperback printing of the out-of-print Miller/Janson Daredevil Omnibus. I have it on reasonable authority that this is Good Stuff and will be picking up a copy.
Liquid City. An Image anthology of Southeast Asian artists and writers. I don't know anyone involved in the project, but after the success of Image's Popgun anthologies I'm definitely interested. Will at least give this the old bookstore flip-through.
The Mister X Archives. Dark Horse reprints all of Dean Motter & co.'s Mister X in anticipation of the new miniseries starting November. This is beautiful work, even if it didn't always make a great deal of sense or conclude satisfyingly; I'm looking forward to the opportunity to read the whole thing.
The Question, vol. 3: Epitaph for a Hero. More O'Neal Question. I'm experiencing the series for the first time with these reprints, so I really can't speak to the quality of this trade; I did enjoy the first two, though, for all their desperately earnest 80's-ness and melodrama.
Watchmen. The Absolute Edition? Savage Critic says it's another reprint of the Absolute, as did DC's website months ago, but other sources suggest it's just a new hardcover with the Absolute Edition's revised coloring. If it's the former, yay; the Absolute Watchmen was a gorgeously produced book with some truly worthwhile supplementary material, and one that I never managed to convince myself to buy before it went out of print. If it's the latter, I can definitely do without, as I'm ambivalent about recoloring classic comics (see this recent Funnybook Babylon post for a truly heinous example, or the rereleased Killing Joke).
*Netflix subscribers should be aware that they have quite a lot of Doctor Who DVD sets available on their thoroughly impressive streaming service, including the entire Key to Time arc
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween mix CD
Good evening, folks- a quick heads up to let you know that, in a shocking reversal from the usual procedure, there won't be any new content tonight, as it's time for the annual Halloween movie marathon at Stately YDKFH Manor. This year's lineup: Prince of Darkness, Suspiria, Ils aka Them, and The Wicker Man (the good one, not the Nic Cage shitbucket). Over at my long-neglected music blog, Telephone Thing, I'm uploading a quick mix CD of horror soundtracks and spooky electronics and whatnot. Download before someone makes zshare yank it!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Comics for the week of October 29, 2008
Via, as always, the Savage Critic.
Singles, loneliest number, etc
Checkmate #31. Bruce Jones, you will be called to account for what you've done. Not today, not tomorrow, but when you pass them Pearly Gates up to that there Great Bullpen in the Sky. And on that day, you will know what it is like to be mercilessly bitchslapped by the ghost of Will Eisner. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BELOVED MEDIUM," he will scream, tears of rage rolling down his spectral cheeks. And you will be silent because you know there is nothing you could possibly say in your defense.
...okay, that one got a little out of hand. Moving on to more...
positive...
subjects
DC Universe: Decisions #3.
why you do this to me Dimi
why
i am afraid
Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1. Finally, a book that doesn't make me want to jump off a bridge! So yeah, here we get Geoff Johns dealing with the immediate aftermath of the Sinestro Corps War and laying the groundwork for the upcoming Darkest Night plotline. Should be fun stuff, even if the art is a bit dodgy and it looks like it has fuck-all to do with Final Crisis proper.
Hellboy in the Chapel of Moloch. Mignola returns to drawing Hellboy for a special one-shot issue? I am so up for this.
Kick Drum Comix #2. More Jim Mahfood art. I would like more of this, yes I would.
Kill Your Boyfriend. A bit of prime Morrison finally available again in the slow, slow rush to cash in on the mild sorta-success of Final Crisis. I will never understand how the marketing departments of the big two work, but I will gladly take this reprint of one of my favorite Morrison stories. Gorgeous art by Philip Bond too.
Superman and Batman vs Vampires and Werewolves #2. I must confess I haven't read the first one yet, and ominously, I haven't seen much about it on the blogospheriversamajig, which probably means it's not only not terribly good (like anyone expected it to be) but not bad enough to be worth my while. But who knows? This could be the next Nextwave. It won't be, but I shall read it and its preceding issue with no expectations and find out.
Wolverine: First Class #8. Still good. Still a book about Wolverine. My brain is having trouble reconciling these two data points.
Trades
Bat-Manga: The Secret History of Batman in Japan. Batman. 60's manga. Chip Kidd. Ridiculous Japanese Bat-Merchandise. You know you want it, and if you do, be aware that the hardcover is a bit longer than the paperback. Last I checked, Amazon still had the hardcover at a steep discount.
Green Lantern: In Brightest Day. Geoff Johns selects an anthology of his favorite Green Lantern stories. Potentially interesting, though I don't know enough of the non-Moore GL highlights to have much to say about his choices. I can, however, point and scowl at the Jim Lee cover. SCOWL
And finally, something called Extreme Curves: Phat Girls. Not that I'm going to buy it- heavens, no- I just think it's a funny title. You see, "phat" with a "ph" is how the urban people say something is bad
(which means it is good oh they are SO CRAZY)
Seriously, I thought the word "phat" had been lying in an unmarked grave just off of Route 66 since the mid-nineties. Let's leave it there, okay? Especially if you mean "fat," which from what I gather is the specific fetish addressed in this weighty tome. OH SNAP
Singles, loneliest number, etc
Checkmate #31. Bruce Jones, you will be called to account for what you've done. Not today, not tomorrow, but when you pass them Pearly Gates up to that there Great Bullpen in the Sky. And on that day, you will know what it is like to be mercilessly bitchslapped by the ghost of Will Eisner. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BELOVED MEDIUM," he will scream, tears of rage rolling down his spectral cheeks. And you will be silent because you know there is nothing you could possibly say in your defense.
...okay, that one got a little out of hand. Moving on to more...
positive...
subjects
DC Universe: Decisions #3.
why you do this to me Dimi
why
i am afraid
Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1. Finally, a book that doesn't make me want to jump off a bridge! So yeah, here we get Geoff Johns dealing with the immediate aftermath of the Sinestro Corps War and laying the groundwork for the upcoming Darkest Night plotline. Should be fun stuff, even if the art is a bit dodgy and it looks like it has fuck-all to do with Final Crisis proper.
Hellboy in the Chapel of Moloch. Mignola returns to drawing Hellboy for a special one-shot issue? I am so up for this.
Kick Drum Comix #2. More Jim Mahfood art. I would like more of this, yes I would.
Kill Your Boyfriend. A bit of prime Morrison finally available again in the slow, slow rush to cash in on the mild sorta-success of Final Crisis. I will never understand how the marketing departments of the big two work, but I will gladly take this reprint of one of my favorite Morrison stories. Gorgeous art by Philip Bond too.
Superman and Batman vs Vampires and Werewolves #2. I must confess I haven't read the first one yet, and ominously, I haven't seen much about it on the blogospheriversamajig, which probably means it's not only not terribly good (like anyone expected it to be) but not bad enough to be worth my while. But who knows? This could be the next Nextwave. It won't be, but I shall read it and its preceding issue with no expectations and find out.
Wolverine: First Class #8. Still good. Still a book about Wolverine. My brain is having trouble reconciling these two data points.
Trades
Bat-Manga: The Secret History of Batman in Japan. Batman. 60's manga. Chip Kidd. Ridiculous Japanese Bat-Merchandise. You know you want it, and if you do, be aware that the hardcover is a bit longer than the paperback. Last I checked, Amazon still had the hardcover at a steep discount.
Green Lantern: In Brightest Day. Geoff Johns selects an anthology of his favorite Green Lantern stories. Potentially interesting, though I don't know enough of the non-Moore GL highlights to have much to say about his choices. I can, however, point and scowl at the Jim Lee cover. SCOWL
And finally, something called Extreme Curves: Phat Girls. Not that I'm going to buy it- heavens, no- I just think it's a funny title. You see, "phat" with a "ph" is how the urban people say something is bad
(which means it is good oh they are SO CRAZY)
Seriously, I thought the word "phat" had been lying in an unmarked grave just off of Route 66 since the mid-nineties. Let's leave it there, okay? Especially if you mean "fat," which from what I gather is the specific fetish addressed in this weighty tome. OH SNAP
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