tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291391152024-03-07T07:57:34.191-08:00A Comic A Day...... just another geek's on-line love letter to comics!KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.comBlogger690125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-57627477190309693812012-11-28T09:24:00.002-08:002012-11-28T09:39:41.893-08:00Once A Nerd: The Twists and Turns of Action Figure Collecting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Check out my latest column at Nerdvana: <a href="http://blogs.evtrib.com/nerdvana/comics/once-a-nerd-the-twists-and-turns-of-action-figure-collecting/84792/">just click here</a>! (Hint: Red Tornado makes an appearance. Or four.)</div>
<br />KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-34598200889413812502012-11-27T10:08:00.002-08:002012-11-27T10:08:38.153-08:00Twinkie the Kid's Last Ride?Check out my latest contribution to <i>The East Valley Tribune</i> by <a href="http://eastvalleytribune.com/money/article_0a3497dc-340d-11e2-b41c-0019bb2963f4.html#user-comment-area" target="_blank">clicking here</a>! (I drew the picture.)KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-10721036054637443852012-11-11T14:09:00.003-08:002012-11-11T14:09:50.440-08:00Once A Nerd . . .I haven't completely forsake you, <b>A Comic A Day</b>! I've begun writing a regular column at the blog <b>Nerdvana</b> -- you can check out the first few entries of <i>Once A Nerd</i> by <a href="http://blogs.evtrib.com/nerdvana/category/columns/once-a-nerd/">clicking here</a>!<br />
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And while you're at Nerdvana, look for some of my exclusive <b>Amazing Arizona Comics</b> strips . . .! Superhero adventure has never been more topical!KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-50209483684699877202012-05-10T13:24:00.001-07:002012-05-10T13:25:44.883-07:00Free Comic Book Day 2012: Marvel ComicsThis may be post-<em>Avengers</em> fever talking, but Marvel Comics' <strong>Avengers: Age of Ultron #.1</strong> is the perfect Free Comic Book Day offering. First of all, based on the criteria I established in my last review, this comic is a complete issue, like any you could pick up off the stands. It isn't a stand alone story, though; it's the beginning of another Avengers adventure, one that has Tony Stark quaking in his iron boots. For casual readers of the Avengers (like me), or a newbie to comics fresh from the movie, what better way to hook 'em then by striking fear in who we've perceived as a fearless hero?<br />
<br />Marvel also presents some of its top talent in this free funnybook, with Brian Michael Bendis behind the words, and Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary behind the pictures. Again, I'm only a casual fan of these artists, but Bendis sets a motley stage, with Avengers of all types in attendence, introducing new readers to characters they wouldn't have seen in the film. Further, Bendis creates a very poignant problem and offers a multi-faceted way to solve it, with a slew of macabre villains along the way. Hitch and Neary volley superhero adventure and espionage very well, and while the characters' grimaces are very realistic, weirdos like M.O.D.O.K. look appropriately -- well, weird. <br />
<br />Perhaps this is what struck me most about this issue: it's a classic superhero team versus a classic super-villain team, mirroring each other in opposite objectives on the same spectrum. Despite the contemporary context, this issue seemed very old-fashioned (another term <em>Avengers</em> movie fans might remember), yet without shoving nostalgia down out throats. Here, we can have a horde of bad guys working together, and they don't operate under a name like "The Secret Society of Ne'er-Do-Wells." They're just there, in a cave, almost like a terror cell, doing something that could cause great harm to the world, for their own selfish gains. Then, superheroes try to stop them. This is the genre. For a moment in this issue, Steve Rogers (formerly Captain America) is tempted to think it's more complicated than that, as covert groups come to light, but in the end everyone just works together.<br />
<br />And that's the pleasant thing about this issue. Everything works together, with a satisfying ending that leaves just enough dangling to keep us coming back for more. The unspoken thesis of Free Comic Book Day is this: "Here is something for free. Is it good enough to make you come back next week and PAY for it?" In this case, I say, "Absolutely." Avengers <em>readers</em>, assemble!KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-53952693280030911892012-05-06T15:02:00.002-07:002012-05-15T13:44:00.127-07:00Free Comic Book Day 2012: DC ComicsAaaaand we're back! The first Saturday in May has become one of my favorite days of the year, because it's Free Comic Book Day! Although I've spent most of my time away from <b>A Comic A Day</b> <a href="http://karaokefanboypress.blogspot.com/"><i>creating</i> comics</a>, I can't resist the chance to review a few of this year's FCBD offerings -- so, these posts will come sporadically, but they <i>will</i> come, starting with . . .<br />
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DC Comics' <b>The New 52 </b>was exactly what I expected: heady, convoluted, and generally unfriendly to anyone interested in picking up a DC Comic for the first time. A friend of mine asked what I thought of the New 52 concept yesterday, and this issue represents my opinions perfectly: if the attempt was to establish an entry-level experience for new readers, mission failed. Generally, in just these past nine months of "the new 52" experience, we've been "reintroduced" to the DC Universe via a muddied five-year timeline for our beloved characters, and, now, multiple earths. If the goal was to put old and new readers alike on the same page, consider it done, because <i>everybody's </i>confused.<br />
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Specifically, the FCBD <b>The New 52</b> issue was a waste of an effort. It didn't tell a complete story but rather <i>teased </i>several upcoming stories, and the main yarn is spun around Pandora, a character that has haunted DC's titles since their relaunch. Here, her origin is told, and basically she <i>is </i>the Pandora of old that opened that terrible box, a sin on par with whatever condemned the Phantom Stranger and the Question to their respective fates, as well. Of course, if you're a new reader, you have no idea who the Phantom Stranger and the Question are, so that detail would be lost. Cut to Pandora, today, trying to retrieve her famous box from A.R.G.U.S., which must be DC's answer to S.H.I.E.L.D., then to Batman fighting a Green Lantern that <i>isn't</i> Hal Jordan, then to a four-page foldout that zooms back to the entire Justice League fighting each other. The issue concludes with a bunch of one to three page teasers of other DC titles.<br />
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I <i>know</i> these characters from <i>decades'</i> worth of reading, and in twenty-some pages, I was confused, disillusioned, and ultimately rendered uninterested. How would anyone that has never read a DC comic feel? <b>The New 52</b> has Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman on the cover, and it serves no one looking for a Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman story -- either for the first time, or for the first time since the relaunch. Again -- what a waste.<br />
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The <b>Superman Family Adventures Flip Book </b>was a much more familiar depiction of my favorite superheroes, and since it was primarily intended for children, I don't know if DC is inadvertently calling me a baby for wanting something simpler from my superheroes, or if their comics have simply <i>outgrown</i> me. Whatever -- Art Baltazar and Franco tell a simple Superman story with the Lois/Clark/Perry/Jimmy paradigm that made these characters timeless, and that's good enough for me. The Green Lantern story on the other side of this issue was short, sweet, and <i>complete</i>, thus, enjoyable -- and the Young Justice snippet ended too soon, which means I was successfully left wanting more. <br />
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Ultimately, between these two comic books, I don't feel like I read even one <i>whole</i> comic book, but instead I flipped through a sales pamphlet of product <i>available soon at a comic shop near you</i>! I thought it was Free Comic Book Day, not Free Comic Book Samplers Day. Call me old-fashioned, but I think the best way to get people to read comic books is to give them a good comic book.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-36115350665075993722012-04-17T09:27:00.003-07:002012-04-17T09:29:06.715-07:00Amazing Arizona Comics: Food Coma at the County Fair!My latest <strong>Amazing Arizona Comics</strong>strip is up at Nerdvana -- "Food Coma at the County Fair!" -- starring June Monsoon and Sam Brero. <a href="http://blogs.evtrib.com/nerdvana/comics/exclusive-amazing-arizona-comics-food-coma-at-the-county-fair/69011/#1">See it here!</a><br /><br />And stay tuned for more comic book reviews, coming soon!KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-58014899660516878182012-02-20T16:47:00.006-08:002012-04-17T09:29:43.290-07:00KaraokeFanboy Radio episode 2<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzK5kT6c_5ULYBfXrW9-A7R1-D9LOfbhvwyMtlV1HP0r_6olmDm8fr4CphdfgF5pqNQieGJ0fq4sQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Notes:<br /><br />Visit <a href="http://evermorenevermore.com">Evermore Nevermore here</a>, and read more about <a href="http://karaokefanboypress.blogspot.com"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Amazing Arizona Comics</span> here</a>.<br /><br />Don't forget: Republi-Con is coming!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifs_2xXuRg-VyCCtfw85ZYTsj5ikB60cagO_7li6t4ukjoA3erkqIvNmtpU99QVZKAaGDLKSi2GgISp6jUK0qKLAg5c4JYZj66ds837fxto_HDHgM9fC5SBbiivccCcC71ff09NQ/s1600/republicon_poster.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifs_2xXuRg-VyCCtfw85ZYTsj5ikB60cagO_7li6t4ukjoA3erkqIvNmtpU99QVZKAaGDLKSi2GgISp6jUK0qKLAg5c4JYZj66ds837fxto_HDHgM9fC5SBbiivccCcC71ff09NQ/s200/republicon_poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711384849236525458"></a><br />by Steve FaillaKaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-53399190481667324642012-02-15T11:18:00.000-08:002012-02-15T11:31:40.341-08:00KaraokeFanboy Radio episode 1I'm keeping the "A Comic A Day" spirit alive in my KaraokeFanboy Radio podcast about the process behind my mini-comics series, "Amazing Arizona Comics." Check out the "What I'm Reading" segment!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxBXgjSt7bVLrTK9eGLH5ws1ELPE2DrS0sCIOhn5XSlNeq1xzp4CSK74B6_4wyhRDWnn-peSlWxjRY' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-80902351527960249782011-11-20T08:35:00.001-08:002011-11-20T08:39:27.529-08:00Mudman #1Everything old is new again. And that isn't always a good thing.<br /><br />I confess, as a comic reader going on his twentieth year of visiting funnybook shops every week, I've been a bit discouraged lately. I'm in that small but whiny group that doesn't like DC's "New 52," because it renders all of the stories I've cherished these last twenty years as obsolete -- or at least outdated. Additionally, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles recently relaunched under IDW's banner, and while I was excited to pick up the first issue, I was daunted by its focus on a new origin for our half-shelled heroes. Is anything I once knew canon anymore?<br /><br />Enter Paul Grist's <strong>Mudman</strong> -- a number one issue you can trust.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRhyphenhyphen1r2QKaSuH_iRptQV4rlk6EhDt4vWOX4M8OVk2KBtQT_jiq69bjMlsMeWDZcFAoSrPEdJfBWNPaeMFIXyq2aOVkLcbVGIYLNOjjlqduMZDguQJSJ0Pos1tQ19SQ1Ao90guCQ/s1600/Mudman.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRhyphenhyphen1r2QKaSuH_iRptQV4rlk6EhDt4vWOX4M8OVk2KBtQT_jiq69bjMlsMeWDZcFAoSrPEdJfBWNPaeMFIXyq2aOVkLcbVGIYLNOjjlqduMZDguQJSJ0Pos1tQ19SQ1Ao90guCQ/s200/Mudman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677117590343362466" /></a><br /><br />I agree with Erik Larsen in his recent response to a letter in <strong>Savage Dragon</strong> #175. If you're going to start with number one, why not pour that energy into a new idea? Further, if you have a new idea, must you brand it as the end all/be all of everything? <strong>Mudman</strong> epitomizes both concepts, as a very humble first issue -- a simple cover, the beginning of the young hero's origin story, and crisp, page-popping art. At the same time, you've seen all this before: reckless young person stumbles into a hero's legacy and dons the mantle to discover his own worth in a troubled world. It's the standard superhero premise in new tights . . . oh, and a lot of mud.<br /><br />You can trust Mudman because of its unabashed embrace of the classic conventions while trying on a new suit; in othe words, it's the best of DC's "New 52" without the headline-grabbing motivation, or the bogged down allegiance to an old icon's integrity. It's a superhero comic for superhero comics' sake, all ages-friendly, and everything the medium used to be.<br /><br />Everything old is new again. Sometimes it's a good thing. <br /><br /><em>Blogger's Note: This review was also posted on <a href="http://blogs.evtrib.com/nerdvana/"><strong>Nerdvana</strong></a>, a blog for Arizona's <em>East Valley Tribune</em>.</em>KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-39925901295048473552010-10-20T12:00:00.000-07:002010-10-20T12:00:01.474-07:00APE 2010: My Super PowersI can review flyers, right?<br /><br />Okay, <strong>My Super Powers</strong> by Neil Brideau, <em>isn't</em> a flyer, but it <em>is</em> a single piece of paper, folded in half, making a four page comic book. Such a format isn't uncommon at the Altnerative Press Expo -- in fact, it's often the norm -- but if you left this little piece of art anywhere else, a layman may incorrectly dub it "a flyer." So, I'm putting it in layman's terms. I'm not a superhero, after all.<br /><br />Apparently, Neil Brideau is. In fact, he's <em>my kind </em>of superhero: the type with powers anybody can acquire, with enough sheer will. He has out-run the bus he missed. He has a bottom stomach in all-you-can-eat restaurants. Apparently, his hugs are great. See, regular super powers. Like Batman, but without the travel, the fortune, and the perpetual vengeance. So forget Superman or Spawn -- Neil's are the powers that just might save the planet one day.<br /><br />Seriously, Brideau's strip is a charming little slice of life that boasts a latent love of comics and an appreciation for the minutiae of life. Hey, who cares if it's just one piece of paper? This is the kind of <em>comic</em> absolutely <em>anyone</em> can read, quickly, and happily.<br /><br /><a href="http://ohboycomics.blogspot.com/">Here's Neil's blog.</a>KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-35022221016086314222010-10-19T16:36:00.000-07:002010-10-19T17:04:05.560-07:00APE 2010: Dancing with Jack Ketch: The Life of Jackson Donfaire, Notorious PirateI flew into San Francisco on Saturday morning. I returned to Phoenix on Sunday night. Somewhere in between, I had the pleasure of picking up some of the best independent comic books self-published today at the annual Alternative Press Expo, and as is my custom every year, I'd like to review as many of them as I can, albeit in short bursts.<br /><br />As I read through my swag pile over the next few days, if all of the comics I bought (or traded for) at APE are as good as Josh Shalek's <strong>Dancing With Jack Ketch: The Life of Jackson Donfaire, Notorious Pirate</strong>, I'm in for a treat. This impressive 40-page minicomic tells the story of, you guessed it, Jackson Donfaire, the son of an escaped slave that manages to elude his would-be masters and stow away on a pirate ship. Through a series of mishaps and twists of fate, Jackson experiences a taste of power, confronts the tragedies of his past, and embraces the promises of his new future.<br /><br />What I liked best about Josh's story was its historical roots; with a base in early colonial slavery, and a surprisingly down-to-earth portrayal of the classic pirate, one could be led to believe this yarn is spun from real events. Shalek's art betrays a whimsy to his writing style, at times reflecting the style of old <em>Playboy </em>gag panels or <em>The New Yorker</em> comic strips, but his characters offer real depth, just like the ocean to which they're bound. Above all else, Jackson's story is a <em>human</em> one; the pirates stuff is just, well, added treasure.<br /><br />Josh's work can found at his website, <a href="http://www.joshshalek.com/">Falling Rock National Park</a>.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-32754994067681423572010-08-12T17:36:00.000-07:002010-08-12T17:38:29.739-07:00Batman: Snow<em><strong>Batman: Snow</strong> (DC Comics): written by Dan Curtis Johnson & J.H. Williams, illustrated by Seth Fisher</em><br /><br />A year and a half into his career as the Batman, Bruce Wayne is both tired yet determined to continue his one man war on crime. When he realizes his few friends in arms are limited by their allegiance to the law (James Gordon as a cop, and Harvey Dent as a lawyer, of course), Batman assembles a small, diverse of talented individuals that could offer research and reconnaissance to his cause, and at first their efforts are successful. Unfortunately, parallel to their efforts in capturing an up-and-coming crime lord, the origin of the villainous Mr. Freeze is unfolding elsewhere in Gotham City, and when the plots collide, the results are certainly a snowball of circumstance Batman can no longer control. In the end, Batman dissolves the group and resolves the only partnership that could really benefit him is one involving someone willing to listen to his every marching -- somebody that can watch his back. Good thing the circus, with their feature act the Flying Graysons, are coming to town . . .!<br /><br />Seth Fisher's art is this story's true selling point, as the artist passed away way before his time and this work stands along <strong>Green Lantern: Willworld</strong> and <strong>Flash: Time Flies</strong> as his most mainstream, superhero work. I hate to say it, but honestly I'm not a fan of Fisher's Batman. His work is simply too detail-oriented to depict the Dark Knight as the living shadow many artists personify; for better or worse, Fisher's Batman is way too human. I do like his Mr. Freeze, and the character's incremental development from scientist to hallucinating madman suit Fisher's eclectic style perfectly. Above all, Fisher's passion for illustration is prevalent throughout the story (originally published in single issues of Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight) and is greater evidence that the industry lost a star way too soon.<br /><br />Mr. Freeze has always been one of my favorite villains, but I hadn't thought of him as Batman's first super-powered villain until this storyline. Indeed, thanks to his suit, his strength and defense is more than an average person could handle, so when Mr. Freeze's bosses and the Gotham underworld work together to weaponize that cryogenic technology, everybody's in over their head, especially Batman. Further, while Batman always brags about flying solo, he is in fact one of the neediest characters in comics, and this story ambitiously and successfully sets the tone for both Bruce Wayne's need to work with others and why he's just so darn picky about it. Batman realizes his limitation as one lone ranger in Gotham, but as events unfold in Snow, he also discovers how a group of conflicting personalities becomes a greater liability than its worth. As much as this is Mr. Freeze's origin, it's also that of Batman's feelings toward Robin and the Justice League. Robin's the kid he was able to mold into the perfect partner; the Justice League is a bunch of adults with different, oft unyielding methods and opinions. Mr. Freeze gave Batman a good reason to have a cold shoulder.<br /><br /><em>This review was originally published in <a href="http://karaokefanboy.blogspot.com/"><strong>KaraokeFanboy Weekly</strong> #4</a>.</em>KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-40831426225203209592010-07-27T21:53:00.000-07:002010-07-27T22:45:26.526-07:00Remembering Comic Con 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILgcM1TroTCj_bb9N588OVpahlCmLb7vO989MIToq3Ki4ODPZz6hZLUESdWAPEPX5Xx1G4ZUzQzWv_7DxgA9FZDx1ClAsMWr0ztB2uQZKJpIW2NSIUFC93-rDpzwMh5zn3jZfkA/s1600/Wonder+Woman.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498826984622249554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILgcM1TroTCj_bb9N588OVpahlCmLb7vO989MIToq3Ki4ODPZz6hZLUESdWAPEPX5Xx1G4ZUzQzWv_7DxgA9FZDx1ClAsMWr0ztB2uQZKJpIW2NSIUFC93-rDpzwMh5zn3jZfkA/s320/Wonder+Woman.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>The First Cut Is the Deepest</strong><br /><br />Everybody that regularly attends the San Diego Comic Con remembers <em>their</em> first San Diego Comic Con. I first attended in 2000, when my buddy Brent and I scoped out the small press section in anticipation of unveiling our self-published <a href="http://kocomix.blogspot.com/">K.O. Comix</a> the following year. I only attended one day, a Saturday, and was overwhelmed by the immensity of the event. Still, despite dense crowds, I approached some of my favorite writers and artists effortlessly, getting autographs and asking about writing technique. I fondly remember brief but meaningful conversations with Jeph Loeb and Greg Rucka. The whole ride home, and really most of the year in between, I eagerly anticipated 2001 and sitting on the other side of the exhibitors' table, like they did.<br /><br />When that fantasy became a reality, it was a rollercoaster of realized and disappointed expectations all at the same time. Firstly, fellow fanboys weren't mobbing us for our little self-published comic, like they did in my delusions of grandeur, but periodically we experienced brushes with fame, like when a plain-clothed George Takai flipped through our book, or when we realized we were just a few tables down from Phil Hester and Ande Parks. While we weren't of the same caliber as our favorite personalities in the comic book industry, those exhibitor badges still made us one of them, an honor we wore proudly.<br /><br />Then, one year, it was over. Comic Con became <em>the</em> premiere pop culture event of the year -- not that it wasn't already, but the media was now covering it more heavily than ever before. The small press section was already split into two, and now Comic Con International had more applicants than they could accommodate. We were placed on a waiting list, for naught. Brent and I became (gulp) mere attendees. We had to wait in growing lines like everyone else. We didn't have a table to house our swag, or chairs to sit in when our tootsies got tired. Worst of all, we weren't <em>contributors</em>, with comics of our own on sale. We were just consumers. Of course, this didn't stop us from attending, but the experience certainly wasn't the same.<br /><br />I've heard friends tell similar tales. One of my fellow fanboys started attending Comic Con in the '80s, before film, television, and video games consumed the exhibit hall, and one could just slip into a panel without worries of long, potentially cut-off lines. Featured guests were comic book writers and artists, period. Even in 2000, I knew Comic Con was a multi-media event. Who could really blame Hollywood for seizing a chance to travel to San Diego in July, especially when they could write off the trip as a marketing expense?<br /><br /><strong>Convention Retention</strong><br /><br />This year, I finally found a way to make the Con work for me. My girlfriend and I only purchased Friday passes, so I knew my time was limited. I made a list of the comics I hoped to find and set a goal for the amount of money I'd spend on them, and I was determined to chat with old friends in the small press section. Along the way, I decided to pass out my latest comic personally, sans table or booth, despite any awkward obligation on the receiving end. I'd purchased my Mattel exclusives on-line so acquiring those action figures in the fulfillment center was more of an errand and less of a chore. Overall, I'm satisfied with the results. I scored great deals on comics and put my fingers on the pulse of small press again. I even saw my favorite artist Erik Larsen drawing Spider-man and his flagship character, Savage Dragon (below). I actually felt that same excitement that gripped me back in 2000, when I went to Comic Con with the hope of experiencing comic book culture in a way I hadn't before.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZy94eJMdLTeN_JIddlq5r9eyDqcY8yuOv37Ehoos6i3YucIZRPh_mfAyZ849X0woVtEDTWZk1GGBoZt4hXWWJc1bsOay7VUgv7-Jg8NPdUrsHA6huxYjYoJXHauPF4SzhqqTweA/s1600/Erik+Larsen+Draws+Dragon+%26+Spider-man+edit.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 313px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498827260618700530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZy94eJMdLTeN_JIddlq5r9eyDqcY8yuOv37Ehoos6i3YucIZRPh_mfAyZ849X0woVtEDTWZk1GGBoZt4hXWWJc1bsOay7VUgv7-Jg8NPdUrsHA6huxYjYoJXHauPF4SzhqqTweA/s320/Erik+Larsen+Draws+Dragon+%26+Spider-man+edit.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Location, Location, Location</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEqrLGqFHPSNx1LJWleBwhHeRQj0JJ8_vCQcONYskxrjNfZIuFAMhgDXYpK2AUypKGz306N4Q3zL86JdVCJnsspnzKY-3nl6govBdzNBkvKs-Dqd6nqm7BLIfHktvDOUr54H4GQ/s1600/Comic+Con+Escalator.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 317px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498826804291347314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEqrLGqFHPSNx1LJWleBwhHeRQj0JJ8_vCQcONYskxrjNfZIuFAMhgDXYpK2AUypKGz306N4Q3zL86JdVCJnsspnzKY-3nl6govBdzNBkvKs-Dqd6nqm7BLIfHktvDOUr54H4GQ/s320/Comic+Con+Escalator.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Of course, after Comic Con, the news media at large over-analyzes the event, a tradition as steadfast now as camping outside of Hall H, and the one that bothers me most. More so than A-list movie star cameo appearances, these analyses elevate the Con past its comic roots, making it a sociological experiment pop culture pundits can mock for both its scope and substance. When you read, "Is Comic Con too big for San Diego?" the author is often <em>really</em> asking, "<em>Why</em> is Comic Con too big for San Diego?" Conjecture that the Con will move to Las Vegas is the mainstream media's way of <em>begging</em> it to move there -- to an adult playground they can better understand. The Los Angeles area has been suggested, too, probably because Spider-man and Edward Scissorhands can already be found outside the Mann Chinese Theater, so the locals are used to the weirdness.<br /><br />Alas, trust me, Hollywood loves San Diego. It's far enough away to be vacation but close enough to make transporting a whole faux Stargate reasonable and cost-effective. Move Comic Con to Anaheim or L.A., and you won't see Angelina Jolie there again. She deals with those paparazzi everyday, and enduring the 5 Freeway's crush isn't worth a hour in a panel for 4000 fans. Move it to Vegas, and the cost of transporting set pieces like sky rockets . . . well, sky rockets. What I, and most others that attend, love about San Diego is how it absorbs the Con so effortlessly now. It becomes the city, and the city becomes the Con. In Vegas, Comic Con would just be one of a million other things happening -- and worst of all, if it happens in Vegas, all that awesome stuff just might stay there, and I'd like to remember taking a picture between Teela and Evil-Lynn, thank you very much.<br /><br /><strong>The Pen is Mightier . . . </strong><br /><br />This year will suffer from the Hall H stabbing incident, as well. In the post-Con analyses I've read, folks attribute the sudden violence to the event's exponential growth, and its inability to shuffle the crowd in a way to please everyone. The perp's problem was his neighbor camping through one panel to view another, right? I've griped about this issue, too, but I've never felt compelled to strike! Unfortunately, for the immediate future, all attendees will have to live with this stigma, that we're just <em>that into it</em>. The Westboro Baptist Church's protests, as silly as they were, could've been vindicated in that moment, especially in the "eye for an eye" justice of the incident. How policies will change to avoid incidents like this has yet to be determined, but I'm certain that word of next year's convention events will be preceded with changes to make sure Comic Con isn't in the cross hairs of another controversy like this.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Bringing It Full Cycle</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tmz.com/2010/07/26/tyrese-comic-con-mayhem-pedicab-bike-ticket-speeding-san-diego-video/">Oh, and let's not forget the biggest news of the weekend: Tyrese got a speeding ticket on a bike courier.</a> Thanks for keeping us in the loop, TMZ. The lesson is clear -- Comic Con is a fluid thing, perhaps moving too fast for its own good. It's only worth the ride when you decide to grab the handlebars and steer yourself through the experience.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-41992171579860482152010-07-24T14:35:00.001-07:002010-07-26T12:29:14.262-07:00Movie Review: Batman: Under the Red HoodWhen I first heard that the next DC animated feature was going to be <em>Batman: Under the Red Hood</em>, I wondered how the film would pull off a story incorporating critical details from <strong>The Killing Joke</strong>, <strong>A Death in the Family</strong>, and <strong>Infinite Crisis</strong>. Apparently, Bruce Timm had similar concerns, or so he confessed at the San Diego Comic Con panel that premiered the film. Fortunately, writer Judd Winick pitched the film thoroughly and excitedly enough (via telephone conference from San Francisco to Burbank, to boot) to earn the green light. As a fan that always prefers the source material to cinematic adaptation, I must say, <em>Under the Red Hood</em> is the exception, and not because of what Winick managed to cram from decades' worth of comics into a mere 70 minutes.<br /><br />It's because of what he <em>didn't</em>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.comicbookdb.com/graphics/comic_graphics/1/159/8183_20070116072438_large.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 626px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.comicbookdb.com/graphics/comic_graphics/1/159/8183_20070116072438_large.jpg" /></a><br /><br />First of all, the story of Jason Todd is a cornerstone to my comic book collecting career. I vividly remember buying a Batman comic book three-pack from K-Mart when I was a kid, perhaps even before the box of comics my dad scored at his moving job that changed <em>everything</em>, and, anyway, those three comics were <strong>Batman</strong> #408-410. On the heels of <strong>Year One</strong>, which I knew nothing about at the time, the origin of Jason Todd was rebooted to boast more humble beginnings as an orphan surviving in the streets of Crime Alley. As a child on the verge of adolescence, I loved this interpretation, and especially its contrast from Dick Grayson's Robin -- while the Dynamic Duo was still a team, their relationship was <em>truly</em> dynamic now, truly multi-dimensional.<br /><br />Then, Jason died.<br /><br />I knew Jason was going to die, because I'd seen issues of <strong>A Death in the Family</strong> on newsstands a few years prior, but I never knew the whole story: how he and Batman met, his controversial role as the second Robin, and the circumstances around his death. The trade paperback of <strong>A Death in the Family</strong> cleared up everything, and as a young person still developing his concept of death, not to mention how these make-believe superheroes affected my real life, I cherished these tales. As I grew familiar with the flakiness of death in comics, I grew particularly fond of writer/editor Denny O'Neil's quote on the back of the trade: "It would be a really sleazy stunt to bring him back." That's how I knew; Jason was dead, and death carries permanent consequences. It's everybody <em>else's</em> job to <em>live</em> with those consequences.<br /><br />Then, Jason returned.<br /><br />Through a series of convoluted cosmic circumstances, DC Comics found a way to bring Batman's second ward back, but it wasn't as quick as that beloved four issue story that killed him. No, DC took <em>years</em> to hint at Jason's resurrection, first in the high profile Jeph Loeb/Jim Lee collaboration <strong>Hush</strong>, then through a series of stories and finally an annual that offered the final piece of the mystery to Robin's defiance of death. Ready? When an angry Superboy from a parallel earth punched the multiverse (the hub of endless multiple realities), Jason Todd from a realm where he <em>survived</em> slipped into our world -- that is, the one where he was six feet under. He clawed his way out of the grave, was recovered by Ra's Al Ghul, and after a maddening jolt from a Lazarus Pit, when a bit nuts and became him own man. I <em>told</em> you they were convoluted circumstances.<br /><br />For <em>Under the Red Hood</em>, Judd Winick put that story on a diet. First of all, no cosmic crises. Too much indigestion. Secondly, he kept the return to Jason Todd linear, without offshoots like <em>Hush</em> getting in the way. He presents the story as chronologically as possible: Batman has a new partner, Robin was captured and murdered by the Joker, then a mysterious man wearing a Red Hood (like the Joker did before he became the Clown Prince of Crime) rapidly takes over Gotham's underworld. I won't elaborate and spoil the minute details, but stripping this story to its bare bones makes it much more emotionally effective, and from a marketing perspective, more universally approachable.<br /><br />That the action kicks butt certainly helps. The Red Hood is very explosion-happy, but the fisticuffs are what makes this cartoon not your daddy's Batman. From Batman and Nightwing's scrap with Amazo (one of my favorite recent comic book bouts, and one I'm grateful made the transition to film) to the climatic battle royale between Batman, the Red Hood, and the Joker, every blow has fluidity, purpose, and impact. The fighting actually moves the story along, rather than breaks it up to keep your interest, and since both elements are good independently, watching them work together was even better.<br /><br />I will say, though, that I was amused by how every action sequence ended with a shot of a tight-lipped Batman, trying to process it all. It became redundant and therein kind of hilarious.<br /><br />The film is quick witted, too, thanks in no small part to Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing. When you think about it, Dick Grayson is comics' first and most prominent child star, and like NPH he has found a career in adulthood independent of that image. I wasn't as nuts about Joe DiMaggio's Joker as the crowd at the screening was, probably because I, like many others, am used to Mark Hamill's high-pitched inflection and cackle. DiMaggio's Joker was a bit more understated and even-toned; in short, it was <em>masculine</em>, as only DiMaggio could be, and I've never perceived the Joker as something <em>less</em> than a force of nature before.<br /><br />Now, I'm a sucker for last lines. Forget Dickens' "best of times, worst of times" shtick; anybody can write a poignant first line. I'm most interested in all-encompassing <em>last</em> lines, those that sum up the tone of the piece perfectly, and maybe leave you a bit wanting. I won't ruin it, but <em>Under the Red Hood</em> has it. I feared the typical pan upward toward the Gotham skyline, or the standard swinging superhero sequence, but Winick was wise enough to give us something more, something that practically explains the entire motivation behind the film, not to mention the Batman/Robin partnership. Further, the way he pulls it off really couldn't have been done in the comics, not in established continuity. So, I'm grateful for this retelling. It doesn't make bringing back Jason Todd any less of a stunt . . .<br /><br />. . . but now it seems a little less sleazy.<br /><br /><em>Batman: Under the Red Hood</em> will be released on DVD, BluRay, and On Demand July 27.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-11045126164496698182010-06-17T14:54:00.000-07:002010-06-17T14:57:39.547-07:00Can YOU Find the A-Team?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FWI0G0th1SJhTPC2zqAJMD7d065AlNH7VuCMj0leX_emK7iWjpRLrExzxiEX-KxJ3C5EkCUqlUmr8VfuH5MWinPzwqeI8R2yPG50N38xRHP5N8BdhRYiN0TWp7ARLgYTCdnubQ/s1600/A-Team+001.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 163px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483865031542688162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FWI0G0th1SJhTPC2zqAJMD7d065AlNH7VuCMj0leX_emK7iWjpRLrExzxiEX-KxJ3C5EkCUqlUmr8VfuH5MWinPzwqeI8R2yPG50N38xRHP5N8BdhRYiN0TWp7ARLgYTCdnubQ/s320/A-Team+001.jpg" /></a><br /><br />I posted my thoughts on the new A-Team movie, and the phenomenon surrounding the franchise, <a href="http://karaokefanboy.blogspot.com/">here</a>.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-21065944140299335812010-06-17T13:36:00.000-07:002010-06-17T14:46:19.511-07:00Enter: Whiplash!Mattel unveiled their latest Masters of the Universe Classics figure a few days ago: <a href="http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/main/motuc-whiplash-carded-and-bio">Whiplash</a>. While for many He-Man fans, Whiplash may be a rather minor minion in Skeletor's army, I remember the character fondly, not so much for who he is, but for how I first met him. My family was vacationing in Florida, and we found and bought Whiplash after the highlight of our trip, a day at Disney World. For the long flight back to Connecticut, I stood Whiplash on my folded down tray, swinging his spring action tail and waiting for the moment I could pit him against He-Man when we finally got home. In the midst of potential boredom, that single action figure helped my imagination soar, even as we did quite literally over the east coast. For that, I'll always be grateful to Whiplash. He earned his name that day, because I don't mind snapping backward at the memory.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-32837683801202770732010-06-07T16:43:00.001-07:002010-06-07T17:17:52.687-07:00Anyone Can Be ChosenIf ever a single sentence has evoked so much fanboy ire, it's, "Anyone can be chosen," the tag line on the Green Lantern movie promotional materials in the latest issue of <em>Global License</em> magazine. (Check it out here at <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/04/official-green-lantern-movie-logo-revealed/">/Film</a>.) Of course, <em>true</em> fans understand that not just <em>anyone</em> can be chosen to wear the Green Lantern ring, but if the comment threads I've read are any indication, just about anyone can have an <em>opinion</em> about it. More cool-headed fans have tried to assure our peers, this is just a trade magazine, and that tag line may not be the final slogan used in public to promote <em>Green Lantern</em>, but the seed of doubt has already been planted. <br /><br />Unlike my fellow fanboys in cyberspace, if this is the new mantra of the Green Lantern, I totally understand. Simply put, comic book fans alone cannot sustain comic book movies. Yes, we are legion, but we aren't as numerous as we think we are -- and if we were, too many of us feel entitled to bootlegging movies over seeing them in the theater anyway, decreasing the revenue studios need to see to keep a franchise alive. What big budget films like <em>Green Lantern</em> need are <em>general</em> audiences -- literally, <em>anyone</em>. As impossible as it is for us commoners to think in numbers like that, those are the millions of dollars Hollywood needs to spin a profit from a venture like <em>Green </em>Lantern. So, we can't have an exclusive attitude like the Guardians of Oa. We have to let everyone in . . . or there's no green. Ah, see what I did there?<br /><br />Now, does this mean Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern is a Joe Blow that just comes upon the most powerful weapon in the universe? I hope not, as much as I understand that niche feature films need general audiences, I think they also need to retain the spirit that made the property timeless in the first place. For all of the special effects we should expect from <em>Green Lantern</em>, I hope Warner Brothers remembers Hal's most <em>effective</em> weapon: his fearless will. Without it, he couldn't even muster up a boxing glove. Maintain the character's integrity, and folks will be lining up to watch a regular guy like Hal Jordan kick the crap out of a cosmic terrorist like Sinestro whether they've heard of Green Lantern or not. As for us fanboys . . .?<br /><br />We can say we were there first. We've been here all along.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-27121464530153701352010-06-02T09:04:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:10:59.626-07:00Phoenix Comic Con Coverage: How to Draw with Todd and Greg<img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 273px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478208780266817298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VQ2Gn3tI85mk7hmw3nqpn6GN8Dc1c230jlGwMIKR_CDiIYWSUb6xJy06TYmiU77ZKzVOocDEwd310uMSmSwfUgu-8ko09B6DRsusaTsTdGYYuBBshMDjmwrbixjxkXuLQwRSfg/s320/Todd+McFarlane+1.jpg" /><br /><br /><strong>Spawn </strong>artists Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo presented a how to draw comics workshop at the Phoenix Comic Con on Saturday, May 29. The tutorial was a basic demonstration of superhero illustration, with an emphasis on the face and hands.<br /><br />"If you can draw faces and hands," McFarlane explained, "you can get a job in comics." He further described successful character drawing in comics as acting on Broadway because dramatic body movement is essential in both media.<br /><br />McFarlane was very complimentary of his partner Capullo, saying, "The artists [comic book fans] like know how to position their camera, and Greg is the best artist I know. He can put the camera anywhere in the room."<br /><br />Capullo encouraged young artists to keep drawing and accept honest criticism. "An editor gave me the best advice, a guy named Larry Hama," he recalled. "'You're in the Big Apple now,' he said to me. It took me two years to take his advice."<br /><br />While describing the importance of movement, McFarlane mentioned that he was recently directing a video game commercial. He didn't reveal any details, other than that the actors were carrying swords and shields.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4GZhVEdXGMSQW2_FIyewq0o7dy4xgDyYlisNkuVgRXZcPtHcw6nVa00hGj3TfycFohR2qx5Aa9bK822_cxG7Ak_OEFg2f5alARvDMCTX7gSFxWMuWskwLn5QAuFkSC1Hl11WHg/s1600/Todd+McFarlane+2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478208986914451442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4GZhVEdXGMSQW2_FIyewq0o7dy4xgDyYlisNkuVgRXZcPtHcw6nVa00hGj3TfycFohR2qx5Aa9bK822_cxG7Ak_OEFg2f5alARvDMCTX7gSFxWMuWskwLn5QAuFkSC1Hl11WHg/s320/Todd+McFarlane+2.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The artists also took a humorous interlude to discuss how to play Pictionary. McFarlane explained that his wife always draws animals the same way (see image above), and essentially asked, how hard is it to add a trunk to make your drawing an elephant? <br /><br />"Whenever we get picked for a team, people are always like, well, great, now we're going to lose!" McFarlane joked. "Guys, we have the same 20 seconds as you! If you can't tell, we are usually very slow, very anal, very detailed about our drawings."<br /><br />Perhaps that explains the fate of <strong>Image United</strong> #3.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-30553985904717437802010-06-01T17:23:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:12:08.953-07:00The Real "Black Spider-man"<a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-twitter-campaign-wants-community-actor-to-be-first-non-white-spider-man.html">The Internet is abuzz</a> with Donald Glover's Twitter campaign to become the first black Spider-man. Peter Parker is a kid that lives with his aunt in Queens, New York. Why <em>isn't</em> he black?<br /><br />Seriously, Stan Lee has said in more than one interview that the charm of Jack Kirby's costume design is how <em>any</em> kid can wish to be Spider-man, as the hero is covered head to toe. Just like President of the United States, perhaps now their wish will come true.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-52882004294795920702010-06-01T15:22:00.000-07:002010-06-01T15:25:58.941-07:00Phoenix Comic Con Coverage: Stan Lee Reveals, "I'm My Biggest Fan!"Stan Lee had a busy weekend.<br /><br />Stan Lee's Rock'n Comic Con is Pasadena, California launched last weekend, but that didn't stop Stan "the Man" from visiting the Phoenix Comicon, as well, where he answered questions for a ballroom of thousands of fans. Among the usual questions about how his characters were created, Lee answered inquiries about breaking into the industry, Disney's purchase of Marvel, and which of the numerous comics he's written is his favorite.<br /><br />"I honestly don't know how to break into comics as a writer nowadays," he confessed. While artists can show editors their portfolio at conventions, he explained, writers just have pages of text. "If you want to write for comics today, get something else published first," Lee recommended, commenting on novelists and screenwriters becoming comic book writers, too. Regarding Disney's acquisition of Marvel, Lee said, "No company is better at marketing than Disney . . . and no company tells better stories than Marvel . . . It's a perfect marriage."<br /><br />When a fan thanked Stan for helping him overcome his autism, Lee replied humbly, "I never took it that far. I created a blind superhero, and a superhero with a heart problem . . . but I'm going to take this back to the guys at the office and see what we can do!"<br /><br />Finally, when asked of his favorite personal work, he said, "Fans ask me this all the time, and sometimes I say, the issue of Daredevil where he has to protect a blind cop, I'm really proud of that one . . . Then I think, oh, the coming of Galactus in the Fantastic Four was a really good one . . . and the truth is, I'm my own biggest fan! I like everything I've done!"KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-82918707620114190632010-05-20T14:50:00.000-07:002010-05-20T14:52:00.422-07:00Bloody Hell<strong>A Comic A Day</strong> took a few days off, but this story on Yahoo begs for attention. <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-should-we-now-call-him-captain-england.html">The Captain America movie will be filmed in England.</a> Well, this explains the Red Skull's bad teeth . . .KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-15908377343684673852010-05-15T00:01:00.000-07:002010-05-15T00:01:02.740-07:00Justice League: Generation Lost #1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BX8MnGpHGTp-nm5fXp-0zLwznoqS_qe07aCimKY1J8LQykzS9PUE_yah-iN3YzWX0sSLfVFIq1TpFldBlErYHTJGkEv8r0n_yyvOEiTV1ithGmNht9KqkoE6LNguQbJkNmBbhw/s1600/Justice+League+Generation+Lost.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 257px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471256984881067154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BX8MnGpHGTp-nm5fXp-0zLwznoqS_qe07aCimKY1J8LQykzS9PUE_yah-iN3YzWX0sSLfVFIq1TpFldBlErYHTJGkEv8r0n_yyvOEiTV1ithGmNht9KqkoE6LNguQbJkNmBbhw/s320/Justice+League+Generation+Lost.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Justice League: Generation Lost</strong> #1, DC Comics<br />by Judd Winick (writer) & Keith Giffen (writer/breakdowns), Aaron Lopresti (penciller), Matt Ryan (inker), Hi-Fi (colorists), Sal Cipriano (letterer)<br /><br />I was lucky to collect the entire Keith Giffen/J.M. DeMatteis <strong>Justice League International</strong> run when a comic book shop in Placentia, California shut down and sold its back issues for 10 cents each. I devoured their entire run, including some <strong>Justice League Europe</strong> crossover issues, and developed an affinity for many of the characters, those lesser known in the DC Universe but still at one time a part of the prestigious JL . . . well, I, but the <em>League</em> nevertheless. Giffen and DeMatteis' dialogue made the characters believable, approachable, and more human than super -- an innovation that took what Alan Moore did in <strong>The Watchmen</strong> and infused it with the emotion he <em>forgot</em>: humor. The Justice League International has become a retrospective inside joke among fanboys, but Giffen and DeMatties resurrected comics' first super-team, before Morrison did, before Meltzer did (and that's <em>New York Times</em> best-selling author Brad Meltzer). That's no laughing matter.<br /><br />I confessed on Wednesday that I didn't read "Final Crisis," nor did I read "Identity Crisis," but the ramifications of those tales still ripple through the DC Universe, and know that they've essentially deconstructed everything Giffen and DeMatties developed in <strong>Justice League International</strong>. How many of those key characters were tortured and killed? The Elongated Man and his wife . . . Blue Beetle . . . Max Lord -- Were writers using the JLI roster to target characters that would have <em>just enough</em> emotional resonance with readers, but not destroy the sanctity of DC's core properties? Just as I enjoyed seeing these characters in their heyday, I grieved for them. I didn't grieve their deaths -- because they aren't real, you know -- but I mourned that loss of realism. In the mix of a cosmic crisis, they were simply less like me.<br /><br />In the wake of "Brightest Day," I think <strong>Justice League: Generation Lost</strong> is trying to reclaim that spirit. Max Lord, JLI benefactor turned mind-controlling super villain, is back from the fatal neck twist he experienced by Wonder Woman's hand, and all of the earth's heroes are on the look-out for him. Booster Gold feels neglected in the search, but he also knows Lord best and actually succeeds where even Batman fails -- and finds the guy. Of course, he's too late, and Lord accomplishes the seemingly impossible: he makes the world at large forget he ever existed. Only Booster, Captain Atom, Fire and Ice know of Lord's legacy now, which will undoubtedly make them look a little nuts -- like the laughing stocks they were before, perhaps? Either way, by putting them against their more mainstream counterparts, Winick and Giffen have made them more like <em>us</em> again. Really, they're the only four heroes in the DC Universe that know what <em>we</em> know. Talk about being able to relate.<br /><br />I enjoyed this issue, and though it isn't of the "bwah-ha-ha" variety, it was just light-hearted enough to maintain the spirit of the superhero genre that I love. Whatever Max has in store, I think it has the potential to bring out the best in <em>everyone</em>, including this creative team. If this truly is a brighter day, I may be on board. An entire Giffen/DeMatteis run on <strong>Justice League International</strong>? Ten cents an issue. A series that drags me back into the DCU at large? Priceless.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-49349330172337161352010-05-14T14:05:00.001-07:002010-05-14T14:06:24.765-07:00The A-Team Movie Action Figures<a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/exclusive-the-a-team-movie-figures/1639244/4863852/photo.jhtml">MTV has unveiled the A-Team movie action figures.</a> Now I know where to find them.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-22139572882705959802010-05-13T16:15:00.001-07:002010-05-13T17:00:09.487-07:00Weekly Haul: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1, Savage Dragon #160, The Sword #24<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAwLDUTyGpeyAh_vK3-Hfu4YUPHek0cVcgXbC1ZWuweV1_WwiWGb6mYdpNn5b38X-_cuj07AwTOMbdtnnO68qpU9g0JjEhgxz1GyA__YXK_K6BA8mIFMMebC_-1Kzy-4u6S2izA/s1600/The+Return+of+Bruce+Wayne.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470898219255138114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAwLDUTyGpeyAh_vK3-Hfu4YUPHek0cVcgXbC1ZWuweV1_WwiWGb6mYdpNn5b38X-_cuj07AwTOMbdtnnO68qpU9g0JjEhgxz1GyA__YXK_K6BA8mIFMMebC_-1Kzy-4u6S2izA/s320/The+Return+of+Bruce+Wayne.jpg" /></a><br /><br />This week commemorated new beginnings and bittersweet endings for many of my favorite comic book characters, most notably including Bruce Wayne in the highly anticipated <strong>Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne</strong>. I confess, I didn't read "Final Crisis," and if you didn't, either, we can both share in the general knowledge that the story supposedly ended with Batman's death by Darkseid's Omega beam -- and the general ignorance of whatever that means. Apparently, Bruce Wayne <em>wasn't</em> killed, just sent back in time, where he's now destined to fight his way back to the present. In this first issue, he mumbles and stumbles his way through Vandal Savage's tyrannical reign over primitive man, harnessing the superstition of a bat-god and recruiting a faithful sidekick along the way. It's a relatively straightforward tale by Grant Morrison standards, beautifully choreographed by Chris Sprouse. In my opinion, Sprouse succeeds in the heroic chin department, from his depiction of the Midnighter, to Tom Strong, now to Batman. The Morrison formula rings true, almost to a fault in such an anticipated storyline: supposedly, according to a time-jumping Justice League, if Batman makes it back to the 21st century on his own, "Everyone dies." Morrison used this motif in <strong>JLA</strong> many times: if the heroes win, they really <em>lose</em>, and in this case, we can only imagine what kind of cosmic ju-ju hangs in the balance of the Dark Knight's return. The proof is in the pudding, though; we know Bruce Wayne <em>will</em> return, hence the title of the series, so the fun isn't in the destination, but the journey.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujlm0GZb9Db1SBp4R77MbR9PMfF5raif_g9XbBZhht0gUxY9mOyZxlp5N2LIoQ-fti01JJPe6ygxLtuuFa8Vb8HfPJC_ifr2yNx9YCXjYPgNAuqJlkri82R-UDWPuc4uhp1YHSA/s1600/Savage+Dragon+160.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 271px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470898139776394642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujlm0GZb9Db1SBp4R77MbR9PMfF5raif_g9XbBZhht0gUxY9mOyZxlp5N2LIoQ-fti01JJPe6ygxLtuuFa8Vb8HfPJC_ifr2yNx9YCXjYPgNAuqJlkri82R-UDWPuc4uhp1YHSA/s320/Savage+Dragon+160.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Savage Dragon</strong> #160 concludes the six-part "Dragon War" story arc, with the now evil Dragon fighting his worst enemies, infused with his blood and powers. The past few issues have had Dragon eating easily besting his foes and eating his doppelganger's brains, and this issue really isn't that different, but the action is all kinds of bloody fun. The only significant development is Dragon sparing his children's lives -- <em>this</em> time -- despite the anticipation for their inevitable, potentially fatal confrontation. Despite the absence of plot in favor of unadulterated violence, the lingering questions is, what happens next? The lack of development results in endless possibility, a tool Larsen uses in his favor. Consider me a hopeless fin-addict.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGWnmCw74n5wpJum7ENK-VtuYaz8yMr-f86qjCIRdqwbaRXxcP-qa_ihhte4JxjxW4i8mDZDTxSsfST7pi6sa84DnUT2Lrzq-HYewVk3Y2QdF0j7cQ1UQ-t9Ef65FHGgbVYMMyg/s1600/Sword+24.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 109px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470898046942303106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGWnmCw74n5wpJum7ENK-VtuYaz8yMr-f86qjCIRdqwbaRXxcP-qa_ihhte4JxjxW4i8mDZDTxSsfST7pi6sa84DnUT2Lrzq-HYewVk3Y2QdF0j7cQ1UQ-t9Ef65FHGgbVYMMyg/s320/Sword+24.jpg" /></a><br /><br />This week's most bittersweet issue is <strong>The Sword</strong> #24, the series conclusion. I've been following this series from the beginning, a remarkable two-year run that inspired me to find the Luna Brothers' other works, including <strong>Ultra</strong> and <strong>Girls</strong>. This is their most impressive story to date, one I hesitate to summarize because I highly <em>recommend</em> it. I will say, <strong>The Sword</strong> is the perfect modern mythology, exploiting the timeless power of words and our inherent need to feel in control despite the circumstances against us. Dara is one of the most durable characters in comics, in more ways than one, and her journey is one of tragedy and victory and tragedy again. Despite her fantastical circumstances, we wonder if we wouldn't do the same thing in her place, and we both envy and feel sorry for her. You could almost say it's a double-edged sword.<br /><br />That's this week, in a nutshell. Solemn endings and exciting beginnings -- thanks to the engaging mythos of comics.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29139115.post-48678029351560011732010-05-12T10:29:00.000-07:002010-05-13T16:14:42.594-07:00What Batman Can Teach You About -- Immigration?I think <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bryan-young/what-batman-can-teach-con_b_570897.html">this Huffington Post writer</a> -- an obvious fanboy -- is using today's "Return of Bruce Wayne" release to push a socio-political agenda that really doesn't have <em>anything</em> to do with comics, let alone Batman. Needless to say, the Clayface connection to immigration is a stretch, but I can't help but admire anyone willing to take two buzz-worthy topics and combine them in a keyword-rich article, if that's what it takes to garner some web counter hits.KaraokeFanboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16111034782315530527noreply@blogger.com0