Friday, June 17, 2011

Breakdown


I am taking a couple days off in order to celebrate that whole silly birthday thing with some friends and go home to see family, etc etc blah blah blah. If something pressing or super interesting comes up that I feel the need to comment on, I shall, but in lieu of any exciting news or reviews, here's what I'll be thinking about:


-When the sequel to The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin will show up at my library already. Finished the novel last evening, and it got even better by the end. Jemisin is clearly massively intelligent, combining some pretty large conceptual material with an escalating tension and gripping plot. Her style, despite the dense layers and subtexts, is still exceedingly natural and easy to read. I recommend it, and am looking forward to the next one.


-Why comic book publishers and writers dislike having their superheroes married. I just don't get it. First they end Peter Parker and Mary Jane's lovely marriage, garnering a vicious backlash and much ridicule, and now it's been (all-but?) confirmed that when the DC Relaunch takes effect, Clark Kent and Lois Lane will no longer be betrothed. I mean come on, these are the best relationships in comics history. Is this Jane Austin? Can they honestly not find any dramatic or exciting stories that involve marriage? It seems the problem lies not in familiar character relationships, but short sighted creators.


-Why in God's name Stephen Moffat will not be making a full Doctor Who series in 2012. First he tortures us with this absurd 4 month hiatus in the middle of a two-parter, as well as throwing in some frankly crappy filler episodes, but now he sits on one of the most lucrative, and expanding products that his nation has? Even if they decide to do a few specials it won't remedy this. It just smacks of the end of Russell T. Davies' tenure, and those specials were legitimately abysmal. If they can't nail a fifty-minute show consistently (as proven by Curse of the Black Spot and the Rebel Flesh episodes) then their chances of making an excellent hour-and-a-half-long mini movie are shaky at best. You have great actors, at least some great writers (you, Stephen, and Gaiman now) and some great ideas; do us all a favor and focus on your chosen craft, and give us what you know we want. I mean honestly. Cor' blimey.


-What this whole X-Men: Regenesis thing will look like. Marvel announced post-Schism plans, surprising everyone by confirming that the X-Men will indeed then be all schism-ed. Also that whole "ending the Uncanny title" drama? Psych! It's just starting over at #1. And chances are good that next year, after the huge, gamechanging X-event of 2012, that this year's huge, gamechanging X-event will set up, Uncanny will return to its original numbering. Much as I love the X-Men, and big crossover events, this is frankly getting exhausting. Anyway, it's been confirmed that the split in the team will lead to two books; Uncanny and, a title stolen from a lame animated TV show, Wolverine and the XMen. My question is this: is the teaser below how the cast is going to shake out? Would they tell us something like that already? And if so, and I can believe them splitting up Cyke and Emma at this point, at least temporarily, I'm fairly interested to read how they go about tearing that relationship asunder. (For a nice little spoof, check out today's page at the always funny Gutters.)


-Is Bucky really dead? Also is Red Hulk really dead? Oh, wait, no, I'm not actually not going to spend a lot of time thinking about this. A) because I don't really care about these characters, who were both only recently introduced to me and 2) because no, they're almost definitely not.


-Should I watch Falling Skies on Sunday? Noah Wyle doesn't exactly activate my bile duct, but Moon Bloodgood? I've never been able to get over that name.



All right folks--feel free to answer my seemingly rhetorical questions or leave comments. Hope you all have a super fantastic wonderful lovely weekend!

4 comments:

  1. I have wondered about why comics publishers don't seem to like to have their characters married as well. I have a couple of theories. First, I think they like the easy sub plots that can be had from romantic interests. Secondly, I think that as these characters become famous in other media (like movies) they want to keep the character you see when you pick up an issue close to the one you see when you watch the latest movie. This is a challenge, of course, given that they have a lot more time for character development in the comics, and you don't want the characters to stagnate. Hmmm... this may actually inspire me to do an entry about this on my comics blog at http://infiniteopinions.blogspot.com/

    I am with you 100% on Doctor Who. It'd be a real shame for the show to lose momentum. Which reminds me, I have to call my cable company today to get Starz for Torchwood, or risk my wife leaving me.

    And Falling Skies? I found it to be an alien interpretation of Walking Dead, but not as good. Not terrible, but I don't feel the need to set my DVR.

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  2. I think those are exactly the correct reasons, and I will definitely keep checking your blog for that interesting, in-depth post. However, despite the valid reasons, I completely disagree wtih it. How many years of Lois-not-knowing torture can we have? These are HEROES, not philandering celebrities; they have moral codes and chivalry--it only makes sense if they eventually marry, or take a vow of celibacy, which would be even worse story-wise for the editors. I just think it's idiotic and juvenile and considering how they always want "big change" and "epic" developments, they're awfully scared of committed relationships.

    Thanks for the agreement, always an ego boost. And way to marry a cool wife. Are you excited for Torchwood? I'm dubious, but I like that Lauren Ambrose is in it.

    Thanks for the Falling Skies info--haven't tried it yet, might still give it a shot when Im back with my DVR (house sitting crrently) but ill keep expectations low.

    Thanks for reading! Love your blog

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  3. I am pretty excited for Torchwood, actually. I'm encouraged by much of the cast, even though I never found Gwen to be very compelling. I am a big fan of Mekhi Phifer, and I generally like Bill Pullman, too. I also think it is great that they got John De Lancie for a guest spot.

    I don't think I will love it as much as I did the first season, but I'm betting it'll beat "Children of Earth" pretty solidly.

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  4. Ha first season was your favorite? Interesting. Did you enjoy end of 2nd when everyone died?

    I'm more excited for Lauren Ambrose, and I just realized Dichen Lachman from Dollhouse is on it too. I didn't love Dollhouse at all, but she was pretty good, and its another whedon connection which is always comforting.

    Im guessing you saw the premiere by now. What'd you think/

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