tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88013539363174139122024-03-19T01:06:11.857-04:00Superpowers That BeComics, Television, Film and a little Politics...but mostly ComicsCaptain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.comBlogger522125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-58159333786514977332012-08-30T09:17:00.000-04:002012-08-30T09:17:44.130-04:00Whedon Brings S.H.I.E.L.D. to TV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Confirming most people's beliefs (my money was on D-Man) it was recently announced that Joss Whedon's deal with Marvel to helm Avengers 2 as well as bring one of their properties to television will be focusing on bringing the super secrety spy organization to the small screen. <br />
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When you think about it, this is a project with nearly limitless potential. The lack of a central hero, instead of being a handicap, could open this to so many different things. Not only does Disney/Marvel have all their stars under contract, and thus are able to drop by for season finales or be featured for story arcs during sweeps, but it's the perfect testing ground for new B and C list heroes (and villains), individual S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, both canon and original, and science-fiction helicarrier office politics and monster of the week mash-up stories that not even the craziest Whedon fanfic writer has come up with.<br />
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As <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/abc-greenlights-s-h-i-e-l-d-marvel-pilot-joss-whedon-to-co-write-possibly-direct/">Deadline</a> reported, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be written by Joss and his fairly-frequent collaborators, little brother Jed Whedon and <em>his </em>wife Maurissa Tancharoen, a writing team that has been with Joss since Dr. Horrible. In my opinion, this particular collaboration has led to some of Joss' worst stuff. I have never been a Doc H fan and am still perplexed at the reaction it gets, and while Dollhouse got pretty fun and even a little interesting by the end of the second season, the husband/wife team penned some of the weakest episodes in a show that quite frankly produced some unwatchable hours of television (granted, mostly at the beginning. But their 'Stage Fright' was the most likely to induce self-groin punching until sweet unconsciousness ended the pain.)<br />
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That being said (and sorry if they're great and talented people with a happy marriage who deserve the helpful nepotism of genius older bro--if they gave me my break I'm sure I'd have no complaints) it's quite reassuring that another frequent collaborator, Jeffrey Bell, will be executive producing, and presumably running the day-to-day stuff as he did on Angel and Firefly (clearly a man who knows what he's doing.)<br />
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The nepotism I have zero problem with and quite frankly want to see comes with the cast and guest stars. Off the top of my head I'd like to see Adam Baldwin as a rogue agent (perhaps double-agenting for HYDRA), Alan Tudyk as a crazy AIM scientist, Fillion and Baccarin introduced as Pym and van Dyne, respectively, and that's just Firefly folk.<br />
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Seriously this opens up so many stories and gives Whedon a chance to really expand Marvel's cinematic universe and do some groundwork. Not only can we meet mysteriously-always-powerful terrorist and generally evil, well-funded, focused enemy organizations, such as AIM, more HYDRA, Black Spectre, etc etc, but we can have S.H.I.E.L.D. looking into crazy man-on-the-street crimes and the under-the-radar heroes who get involved and perhaps need some help or policing of their own. Think Jessica Jones on her own PI case, intersecting with Luke Cage, then Purple Man, then a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent shows up in her apartment. Think Danny Rand tracking down some corporate espionage in RAND industries to find a Chinese HYDRA branch in the East Village already being infiltrated by Sharon Carter. Think Hawkeye needing extraction on a mission gone bad, with Black Widow deep under cover and unreachable, and Bobbi Morse AKA Mockingbird getting sent in. Think alien incursion event being tracked by Maria Hill who's authority is suddenly blocked by a shadowy green-haired chick with bad manners and no explanation, save for a floating logo for S.W.O.R.D. (which would be great to flesh out and introduce before Thanos and Guardians of the Galaxy.)<br />
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I can only imagine the amount of fun Whedon is having brainstorming these episodes. Wish I could join in. Even though the Marvel cinematic universe, in explaining the S.H.I.E.L.D. acronym, substituted 'enforcement' for 'espionage' I sure hope they don't take any emphasis off the spying part of their work. They're spies, soldiers, researchers, cops, support, and heroes, all in one.<br />
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O man I keep getting ideas---I want to see more Project Pegasus with a focus on security guard Wendell Vaughn, previously rejected when he applied to S.H.I.E.L.D. coming into contact with the Quantum Bands currently under observation. Or how about a helicarrier trip to Cape Canaveral in time to witness a test run on a new machine by Air Force Captain Danvers that goes wrong as an unknown blond hero saves her. I want to see Dum Dum Dugan. I want to see Jessica Drew and her completely f*d up life which is almost completely f*d up by HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. and the life one leads connected to either. Or plot threads that lead to things like the Superhero Registration Act or discovery of an agent who gets killed and reverts to Skrull form. <br />
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I want to see a lot. And I'm almost positive Joss won't disappoint. <br />
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</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-24447501224562332622012-08-27T09:29:00.000-04:002012-08-27T09:29:23.882-04:00AvX: From Bad to Worse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Despite the fact that at least two chapters remain, I think it's safe to say that AvX has been a failure. I'm sure it's done well in sales and it has certainly monopolized the comic world's attention, but as far as the story goes and the quality of writing it's really rather embarrassing for such a grand, heavily marketed event. I resisted this admission, willfully choosing to enjoy it for what it was, but that in itself was an admission of this story's lack of substance. It's a shame because with such a basic, primal, fanboy premise I had high hopes.<br />
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For the sake of some brevity (not a priority of the Marvel architects here) let's compare AvX with Marvel's 1987 miniseries event The X-Men vs. The Avengers, written by the famous Roger Stern (though Tom DeFalco wrote the finale.) First off there's the author. Sure, DeFalco stepped in to finish things off, but the majority of the series was in Stern's words, no matter how many people plotted it behind the scenes. AvX however is written by five different writers. Five.<br />
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Yes, they're Marvel's big, popular names. All have proven themselves capable of writing great comics (at least once in Fraction's case.) And a focus on quality writing and pushing your best authors into prominence is appreciated and understood by a fan like myself. But having five different voices is just idiotic. Let them go on their retreats and break down the plots and design the future of the Marvel Universe together, but when it comes to a major event give someone the reins. Or at least break the writers up into arcs instead of alternating every issue with a different voice. From the beginning, the lack of a cohesive style deflated any of the premise's natural tension and drama--from Bendis' forced set-up for conflict in the premiere issue to Aaron's ludicrous and overblown narration of god-like heroes trading blows on a beach. The 1987 version had no such discrepancies and inconsistencies.<br />
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At first reveal, the premise for both series seem simple enough to lend themselves to a great story. In 1987 the breakup of reformed villain Magneto's old base, Asteroid M, leads to a clash between the two super teams as the Avengers seek to keep old weapons out of a known terrorist's hands and the X-Men stand by an ally who has recently proved himself worthy of their loyalty. Throw in some Soviet Super-Soldiers looking for revenge on Mags and you've got the basis for some great scuffles. AvX, while a bit more high-blown, is simple enough at first. The Phoenix, cosmic force of untold power responsible for some of the best X-stories in history, is coming to Earth for the mutant messiah girl Hope, thus paying off stories that began years ago. The Avengers worry that the fire bird shall devour the planet, as is its tendency, while the X-Men wish to finally harness that power for the good of their dwindling species (besides, there must be a reason Phoenix loves 'em so much.) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Colossus, who once sacrificed himself so no more people would die of the Legacy Virus, now mercilessly beats Spider-Man without guilt and kills whales for fun.</em></td></tr>
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</div>When it was announced it had such potential. I don't necessarily need to see my heroes being heroes, and saving the innocent Kansas farmer or what have you. If they have a righteous cause, watching them pursue it, overcome obstacles and battle whoever gets in their way is satisfying enough. And when it's hero against hero, in earnest rather than oops-mistaken-identity-let's-team-up-now, not to mention the two main Marvel teams of which I am a fan of both, well it just seemed perfect. Ripe with opportunity to address direct tensions and conflicts and the overlapping history that comes from fifty years of continuity. But it was mismanaged from the get-go. Before any discussion or understanding, Captain America and Wolverine turn into complete assfaces who want to hold a teenage girl in some special prison, and decide to show up with an army rather than, say, shooting Cyclops an e-mail. This is just the beginning of the mischaracterizations that pepper this entire series; Logan has yet to stop being a complete douchebag after 10 issues, Cap is belligerent and strategically inept, Emma Frost is massively powerful even before the cosmic force inhabited her, Cyclops is a megalomaniac, Rachel Summers seems willing to hunt down fellow mutants and superheroes under orders despite her horrific past, and Black Panther is a total dick. (Well that last one might be spot on.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>'Let's throw in a major divorce on page 4, call it collateral damage and not mention it again.'</em></td></tr>
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For the sake of story, or God knows what motivation, the true identity of these characters, built and nurtured and maintained for decades, have been twisted and disrespected for the sake of clunky, slow, anti-climactic plot points.<br />
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Stern's 4-issue series, on the other hand, was true to all their characters, emphasizing their nature by the conflict they were thrust into. Magneto, torn between his past mistakes, present attempts at trying a new way, and the expectations in him held by the hiding, unremarkable, persecuted mutant, is the most sympathetic and recognizable version of the man ever seen. Mohawk Storm's team in general was characterized by a fierceness that dwelt in their bravery and loyalty, and sticking by Magneto in the midst of his redemptive conflict not only gave their loyalty a thrilling, tense test, but it cast Magneto as a symbol of the mutant prejudice they fought against daily. The basic idea of this series was the same; the two biggest and most popular super teams of the Marvel Universe duke it out. And yet they climax was set in a court room when the battles had all finished, and that was completely OK. It was no less dramatic or satisfying. Whereas in AvX when a sampling of both teams end up on the moon for a showdown and the writers give us the biggest twist of the story, it fell completely flat. <br />
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</div> Unfortunately what I think these 'architects' of events lose sight of, is that their readers come back because of character, not story. We love these fictional crazy impossible people. Naturally we love seeing what they do, but mostly we love <em>them</em>. That's why I still buy these comics after a train wreck like Fear Itself. Even in the pursuit of new readers, they must acknowledge that fans went to theatres to see Iron Man and Captain America not because they were hungry for a unique, thrilling, twisty plot line, but because they knew something about those characters. They are noble, brave, interesting, sometimes conflicted, and, yes, kickass. <br />
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Instead they've taken a 12 issue series, a platform for focusing on the biggest heroes in their arsenal, and disregarded the vast majority of them to focus on a select few. Unfortunately not to further their identities in any way, but to make them do potentially cool, flashy, unexpected stuff. They promised us a conflict where both sides would be sympathetic; instead the roles of villains, though switched, were painted so clearly it's almost insulting. There's not actual story here, no message, no development, nothing remotely satisfying; just plot points that were tacked on a board and will lead us directly into the next heavily marketed event. <br />
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I for one look forward to the lull between epics. It's not 'event fatigue.' I just want my characters back, at least for a little while.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-43938935760306833442012-08-21T10:01:00.000-04:002012-08-21T10:01:55.294-04:00Bunheads Season Finale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Summer truly must be ending if the season's best TV show aired its finale last night. (It's possible I need a better yard stick with which to measure the passage of life.)<br />
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Bunheads, in my humbly infallible opinion, marked Amy Sherman-Palladino's triumphant return to the small screen. The story of a discontented, quick-witted, eternally stuck Las Vegas dancer named Michelle who, through the combined efforts of a good man's boundless adoration and several martinis, ends up married and living with her mother-in-law in a town so small it's practically off the map, was not a revelation. But that was only due to my prior experience of Sherman's writing.<br />
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An almost perverse premise remarkably came off all sweetness and guffaws right from the pilot, and did not stop pleasing until the credits rolled last night. Critics, and there appear to be a good amount, abuse the lack of plot developments, the almost sleepy, pastoral scenes going on for minutes, the unexpected end of an episode where no horrible conflict reared its head and no plane crashed in the middle of the ballet studio, leaving teenage girls to pirouette perfectly to safety or perish in a shaky Hunger Games close-up.<br />
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But that's not the kind of show Sherman makes. (Suck it Shonda.) Gilmore Girls lasted for 7 seasons of 22 episodes, not by a cliffhanger every week, or seasonal deaths of major characters, pregnancies, affairs, secrets, etc., but by the intricacies of human interaction. Sherman likes to take the time to focus on actual life, showing us events that truly transpire, albeit made significantly more interesting by language that flows almost too fast for comprehension laden with enough wit and intelligence and humor to keep you completely engrossed in the communication between barista and customer, teenage brother and sister, playwright and audience, realtor and homeowner.<br />
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She doesn't have demons and mystical forces and monsters to overcome, symbols of the battles inherent in life and maturation a la Whedon, though she can give even him a run for his money with recognizable, effortless dialogue heavily peppered with pop/culture references. Instead she illustrates, over a season of ten episodes in which one assumes several months have passed, the subtle changes of human relationships. The main one, between Michelle and her mother-in-law Fanny, is the most essential to the show.<br />
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As one could fairly easily predict, Michelle being a dancer and ending up in a home with a dancing school, last nights finale showed her heavily involved in all aspects of running Fanny's school, and in fact preparing to take over for Fanny for the summer. There is considerable pleasure in seeing the two of them bantering with the complete absence of any of the sarcasm or bitterness that had colored their first few episodes together (natural enough what with their meetcute being the blink-and-you'll miss it marriage to Michelle followed by the untimely death of her son.) Michelle's input is not only active and welcomed by the end of the season, but heartily approved as she takes a hand in the choreography of the schools most important performance.<br />
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The brilliance of Sherman is not in showing merely that they have bonded. After all they are fairly similar; dancers whose passion never dissipated despite the unexpected, uncontrollable twists of life, women who cared deeply for a man they expected to have around for the rest of their lives, women of independence and pride. No, the real fun comes when she reveals everything they have hidden and ignored and brushed aside and denied in all the past episodes where seemingly "nothing happened."<br />
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As the show progresses perfectly, Michelle makes the innocent, horrendous, hilarious mistake, when misting the dancers backstage to cool them off, of using her pretty can of pepper spray instead of the water, thus maiming all the students as well as herself, ending the performance and enraging the stereotypes of overprotective suburban parents who like to pay a lot of money for special services if only for the right to complain and threaten (I've met a few, and while I like to think they aren't as prevalent as TV would lead me to believe, they are a convenient shadowy background ensemble character here.)<br />
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Michelle's mistake, though she clearly repents and blindly (literally) puts the dancers' welfare before her own, is met with an appropriate level of anger and disappointment by Fanny, who has to cancel their most lucrative event as well as appease the rabid progenitors. However when it comes out in the same conversation that Michelle, who had been flush the previous evening with her newfound importance, respect and success, and consequently spreading her advice and wisdom all over the place, also interfered in Fanny's love life to the complete detriment of it, Fanny loses her filter, or rather breaks the rose-colored glasses she had been recently seeing Michelle through.<br />
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The interference of this woman, her meddling and snark, her unasked for existence, the blame she should bear for her son's death and disappearance, all come out. Not with tears and screams and guns and a psychotic break, but with control, and astonishment, and such brief, pointed disappointment that you know, even if Michelle were not the kind of woman who always ran from conflict and never grew roots, you just <em>know</em> she can't stay in Paradise anymore. (Major props to the versatile and talented Kelly Bishop, one of many Sherman-Palladino players that she brought back in this show.)<br />
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This conflict (yes, something happened; Sherman, while maybe more interested in filling her seasons with small town life and first world problems, surely knows how to make memorable finales and premieres) is followed by a dream sequence. While I had been longing to see Michelle sing and dance again, as well as some reunion of her and Hubbel and their unresolved romance, this wasn't my favorite part of the show.<br />
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First of all, I'm pretty sure Sutton Foster could do a better version of Maybe This Time than she gave us. Yes, she was a Vegas, Broadway dancer, but she's also well trained and clearly a good actor, so aside from mimicking past dream performances as well as her catastrophic non-audition in the pilot, the table-gyrating and leg crossing didn't seem to fit the song. An erect, minimal cocktail lounge type of performance would have been better. But I understand that she's a dancer and can accept the routine. The singing though...no one loves that song more than me, and since it's often repeated a more thrilling version would be expected. (If Kristin Chenowith can kill it on Glee, I don't think Sutton should have any trouble--a comparison I'm sure she'd want to win.)<br />
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Regardless, the intent was clear and hit the appropriate nerve, and despite a couple clunky dream-dialogue-lines, seeing Hubbel was poignant and illustrated how much more positive and hopeful Michelle had become, only to see the old&new self-doubt more sharply, starkly, crushingly felt by her in comparison.<br />
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Her inevitable slinking departure occurred after waking from this dream, and the O Captain, My Captain of the girls was just like the show: funny, referential, sweet, and sad. Michelle grew to love them, and they her. With her in their lives the girls had changed; Sasha got through a dark time (and might have found a male counterpart in her identity struggle who happens to be cute.) Boo overcame diffidence and immature fantasy for a self-possession and an actually affectionate romance. Ginny began living life rather than following a routine, despite the inevitable unexpected pain that brings. And Melanie...well Melanie became a better friend, and no doubt feels more comfortable as a tall woman with Michelle around.<br />
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In their great wisdom, ABC Family has ordered more episodes, likely to air during Spring of next year. The fun part will be seeing where Michelle goes after leaving (back to Vegas? staying with the playwright? hopefully NYC) and how she'll find her way back to Paradise (Fanny tracks her down? the girls do? the unalterable fact that she owns the school and the house?) There's a lot to work with, and I have no doubt Sherman has some good ideas. <br />
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But it's not just her long-term plotting that makes her shows such pleasant experiences. It's that she focuses on the experience more than the plot. If you haven't seen this show, pre-order that DVD, decant some wine (it takes awhile) and let the story wash over you. </div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-89171026651722538232012-08-17T09:06:00.000-04:002012-08-17T09:06:06.355-04:00Barrowman and Abs Increase 'Arrow' Hype<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
It was recently announced that John Barrowman, he of Torchwood and Doctor Who fame, will be joining the cast of CW's 'Arrow' as a recurring character in this, its pilot season. (His character was not revealed, but let's be honest, he'd be a pretty good villain.)<br />
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'Arrow' stars Canadian actor Stephen Amell, whom I most emphatically DO NOT know from such work as Dante's Cove and Queer as Folk, as Oliver Queen, that lesser known vigilante hero of the DC universe who fights crime anonymously with the help of his large personal fortune. Known for his politics, archery prowess, bad temper and bizarre facial hair, one can assume that the CW is taking quite a different approach.<br />
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According to reports from San Diego Comic Con, where the pilot episode was screened, their approach has worked. People have raved and the interest in the show is escalating. The casting of John Barrowman is a brilliant move; it will guarantee the attention of sci/fi fans who were watching the Doctor Who reboot even before Matt Smith showed up on all the NYC buses. (Never underestimate that demographic.) Besides, if Barrowman's fans still consider themselves fans, after all those terrible Torchwood episodes, then they'll definitely tune into CW (a network that is clearly targeting the loyal cult fan base by airing Joss Whedon's Internet hit Dr. Horrible on primetime this fall.)<br />
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It's also exciting for Barrowman personally who, after literally bringing the Torchwood team to America, is still trying to break into the US market (like most British actors, though he spent many young years in Illinois.) His biggest news was his starring role in Gilded Lilys, a series I thought had much promise, despite the producer credit belonging to Shonda Rhimes, a woman who can turn a good idea into an insufferably dated, sentimental, cheesy, badly written schlockfest, when she's not picking righteous, hypocritical, racist fights with Amy Sherman-Palladino, a woman who actually knows how to write a television show. <br />
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OK, mini-rant over, sorry. Gilded Lilys was about a family of aspiring hoteliers in NYC in the early 1900s. I had the same idea of a grand period show after reading the fantastic book When The Astors Owned New York. To watch not only the remarkable development of Manhattan, but the advent of luxury, the maneuverings of business, the political and social events that were centered in those enormous hotels (from presidential campaigns to salons) all amidst the personal upheavals of an upper-class family and their upstairs/downstairs relations with hotel staff and servants would be overflowing with episodic opportunity.<br />
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Unfortunately ABC passed on the pilot. (I blame Shonda, natch.) I suppose it's possible another network could pick it up still, but it's already a bit late in the year marketing wise. Hence it's Barrowman's good fortune to still find himself with a place of some prominence when USA's primetime TV season comes around. And CW's smart move to see his talent, good looks, and loyal fan base.<br />
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Judging from initial reactions, DC should really pursue this TV show thing. (Might I suggest/plead for CW to revisit a Gotham Central series? I'm sure Rucka and Brubaker are capable of writing a TV script.) They're clearly skilled when it comes to rebooting entirely or tweaking slightly their characters for new audiences and demographics, and they have a wealth of B or C list street level characters who would flourish on the small screen. Ostensibly 'Arrow' is their test run, their foot in the water as it were, and judging from their marketing plans, it's gonna be a success:<br />
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Seriously DC, have I mentioned how brilliant you are? Cause you are. And I love you. Hey Human Resources, call me already. (Too much?)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/24kQJlHrTqI" width="560"></iframe></div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-28620610645081359332012-08-15T07:44:00.000-04:002012-08-15T07:44:23.268-04:00Return of the Joker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Fans and insiders alike have known about the Joker's impending return this fall, starting with Batman #13, as the five-part Scott Snyder-penned "Death of a Family" story arc kicks into gear. This is Joker's first true starring appearance in The New 52 (an impressive feat to think about; not using the most iconic villain in history for an entire year of an important initiative) and as a result of his initial cameo in Detective Comics #1, where his face happened to be cut off, a new look was designed for him by Snyder's artist Greg Capullo.<br />
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Naturally Capullo wanted to keep the new look under wraps until the issue came out, but between the recently released solicitations and teasers, we have a fairly complete picture. Capullo expressed his dissatisfaction with the DC Powers that Be in typical fashion, claiming he is mature enough by now to not inflict property damage with his rage, and hinting at a marketing/editorial conspiracy where they decided to in effect inoculate the public to the massive impending horror the story will bring. This is perfectly in line with the man I saw at the Batman panel of NY Comic Con last year, as well as the one who in an interview, when asked about his reaction to getting to draw Joker, explained that "Well, as soon as I heard, my pants got very tight and my nipples stiffened." Thus confirming my theory that artists should generally not be interviewed (and Germany loves David Hasselhoff.)<br />
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In truth the new Joker is rather disturbing. He was not terribly comforting or aesthetically pleasing before, but the childlike aspect of his image, the purple suit and the flower (when you overlook that it shoots acid) felt familiar, somewhat comforting, and even enhanced the surprising nature of his psychopathy. Now with his face cut off, and him forced to quite literally hold his deviant smile in place, he has become physically separated from his familiar iconic deformities. A villain who already had considerable personality issues before he was able to remove his face was scary enough.<br />
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"Death of the Family" is obviously a twist on the Batman story "Death in the Family" in which the Joker famously takes a crowbar to Jason Todd and ends his tenure as Robin (by popular consent.) While I know no details, it seems Mr.s Snyder and Capullo have committed themselves entirely to a pure injection of the horror genre into the flagship Batman title. While the Court of Owls story that preceded it gave us a long elaborate plot with re-imaginings of Batman's very role and Gotham's past, not to mention the history and humanity of Bruce Wayne himself along with some pleasing superheroics, "Death" is shaping up to be a short, quick, intense dive into the horrific. According to Snyder Joker is a villain with a plan, armed with knives and traps, looking to shock and with a deliberate mission. The title of the arc implies that not everyone is making it out alive (look for great Robin and Batgirl confrontations) but Snyder is also comparing it to Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum, making it his definitive take on Joker and attempt to make us remember his capacity for evil. Combining the unsettling, moody manipulations of Hitchcock with the gore and violence and malevolence of modern grindhouse and torture blockbusters, I can quite honestly see Snyder scaring the bejeezus out of me. And as glad as I am Capullo has no hand in the dialogue, the idea of his newly redesigned Joker showing up in my apartment has a completely different effect on the state of my pants.<br />
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</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-28363614066213800112012-06-13T07:46:00.000-04:002012-06-13T07:46:05.660-04:00This Week's Comics - 6/13/12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Pick of the Week is Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #10, cause the premise is rather cool (Buffy's soul in buffybot body vs. Buffy's body with new rebellious independent soul,) Xander and Dawn get some action (helping the SFPD fight zompires,) and who knows how long Season 9 will continue being enjoyable.<br />
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Other than the Buffster we've got mostly Marvel as per usual, with a couple AvX tie-ins (including the strangely ahead-of-the-game X-Men Legacy which gives us a good idea what the Phoenix Five are up to...hint: it's disturbing) and one of the few DC comics I still pick up regularly (hint: Scott Snyder's a pretty incredible writer.)<br />
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Jump for pull. Or don't. But its new comic book day, so have a good one either way.<br />
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<b>DARK HORSE</b><br />
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<u>Buffy Season 9 #10:</u> Buffy faces off against her rebellious body and Simone the Punk Rock Gun-Lovin Terrible Hairystyled anti-slayer. Meanwhile she's needed rather badly in San Fran as the zompire population explodes (literally and figuratively) leaving Dawn and Xander as the resident experts, helping out the police and coordinating their efforts. Judging by the variant cover things go badly for Buffy, but that could just be an homage to some famous cover I'm not remembering. Mostly it's an identity issue worked out through violence. Classic. (PS Where IS Willow? In London with Angel and Faith that's where.)<br />
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<b>DC</b><br />
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<u>Batman #10:</u> Snyder switches things up a bit as Batman goes on the offensive and takes the fight to the Court of Owls. Apparently we learn who the main head honcho owl calling the shots is, though I have no clue if we know him/her or if it's a new character entirely. Either way I trust the Snydman. Additionally we have the back-up feature dealing with the Wayne's past and even Alfred's father and their past betrayals, murders, cover-ups, and connections to the Owls. Seedy and sinister and good clean fun.<br />
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<b>MARVEL</b><br />
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<u>Avengers #27:</u> Back to the Space-Avengers story (though technically Thor is unconscious on our moon at the moment.) Noh-Var has turned on his teammates by order of the Supreme Intelligence and the recently resurrected (then smacked down? I forget) Captain Mar-Vell. Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers is no longer on his side and appears confused by his actions (mind control? I forget) and fights back. This mini space saga has turned out to be less cohesive than expected and less enjoyable, considering it features a great cast (except for Cap Britain and War Machine) and a returning fave. Let's get these folks back to Earth already and move into AvX's second act.<br />
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<u>Avengers Assemble #4:</u> This comic has been surprisingly enjoyable, and quite skillfully captures the tone and fun of the film. Enter Thanos. Hulk hoists Mjolnir. 'Nuff said.<br />
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<u>AvX Vs. #3</u>: Juggerlossus (Colossonaut?) versus Red Hulk. Honestly? We've had 3 Vs. issues and these two have been in both I believe. Boring as hell. Also even if you don't let Peter win, he becomes 1/5th of the Phoenix in a couple minutes so Red Hulk can kiss it goodbye. Same goes for the other match-up, Magik vs. Black Widow. Though the end result is the same, at least we may get a chance to see the newly popular Natasha use her assassin wiles to hold her own with a super powerful demon sorceress teleporter. Basically this issue is about watching the slightly evil Rasputin siblings beat up Avengers before they become partial Gods. Strange.<br />
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<u>Fantastic Four #607</u>: Spotlight on Crystal and Ronin, stuck on Earth as the Kree rebel against the Inhumans rule of their empire. I would prefer to see this story told in a Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning comic, or at least in its own cosmic title or miniseries, rather than thrown into FF as an afterthought. However I like reading about Crystal a lot, and her relationship with Ronin was a slow burn evolution that I think has paid off. Interested to see what Hickman does with that, and hopefully he'll set up some truly cosmic-centric stories for the coming years.<br />
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<u>Uncanny X-Force #26:</u> Psylocke and Fantomex (who's currently busy at a kinky fetish no holds barred party) get awkward before she leaves the team (temporarily Im guessing) and visits the Jean Grey School to check on Angel (where she gets an "unexpected surprise.") Meanwhile we meet more of the Omegas and presumably see Logan and AoA Nightcrawler face off against them while trying to recover Deadpool. Also the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants rears their head and sets their plan in motion, and I'm super intrigued to see who Remender has put on that roster.<br />
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<u>X-Men #30:</u> Not sure what this one's about, but it features Storm and her newish team who have their own mandate. Stopping not-so-natural disasters? Not positive but I think it's global. And Pixie joins their ranks, teleporting around the world and onto their moving HQ, which seems to be a large souped up blackbird. New writer, new chance, here's hoping it works. (Suggestion: don't have War Machine guest star.)<br />
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<u>X-Men Legacy # 268</u>: Spotlight on Frenzy. This is particularly strange because this is our first glimpse of what the Phoenix Five, and consequently the X-Men, are doing to the planet Earth. Cyclops/Phoenix is in a fictional African country suppressing rebels and ending war and violence of any kind, through tyrannical creepy totalitarian absolute power ways, and it looks like the X-Men are helping. The Cuckoos debrief Frenzy and drop her into the war zone to keep the locals suppressed and without guns to fill the power vacuum until Phoenix/Cyclops is done. A confusing set-up but a cool potential story where Frenzy confronts her past, her true ruthlessness and questions her motives.<br />
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Thas' all folks.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-53088250052509907162012-06-12T09:21:00.000-04:002012-06-12T09:21:45.369-04:00Bunheads Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I really liked it. <br />
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I should admit right off the bat that I am a pretty diehard <em>Gilmore Girls</em> fan. I'm also a fan of any ballet-related stories. I've long awaited something new from Amy Sherman-Palladino that I could get behind (do NOT mention, or even think about, The Return of Jezebel James)so when I first heard about <em>Bunheads</em> I was naturally excited.<br />
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Sure there was some hesitation; ABC Family has a way of making everything they're airing sound horrendously cheesy in their advertisements. (Either tell your voiceover guy to stop fake grinning while he speaks or hire a classy female voice.) Also the typical ABCFam schedule generally resemble shows MTV would have rejected whose writing makes <em>Rizzoli & Isles</em> look like Mamet. <br />
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So I went in to last night's <em>Bunheads</em> premier with no expectations, just the desire to be pleased and feel some of that rhythm, and comfort and fun that has been missing since <em>Gilmore Girls</em> retired.<br />
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And I liked it. A lot. (Spoilers follow)<br />
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The show centers on Michelle, played by famous Broadway actress Sutton Foster, an unhappy Vegas showgirl whose lack of focus in her youth cost her a brilliant dancing career. Her life involves a crappy apartment, a boring and repetitive dance routine, and humiliation whenever she tries to advance her career. <br />
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Alan Ruck plays Hubble, a bumbling, earnest, good hearted shoe salesman who visits and woos Michelle on a monthly basis as he visits Vegas for business. He brings her flowers, and new shoes, and jewelery and watches, and takes her to dinner, though generally she blows him off. After a particularly brutal audition humiliation, Michelle agrees to dinner, and finds his sincere kindness overwhelming and restorative in a life full of regret and disappointment. That plus a few martinis leads her to say "Yes" when Hubbel proposes marriage.<br />
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They get hitched Vegas style and then he drives her home, to a town up the coast called Paradise, where he lives with his ballet-teaching mother in a cluttered house in a sleepy small town.<br />
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Now this plot, though with some similarities to Gilmore Girls (female relationships, independence vs. family, small town life full of eclectic characters) is considerably more twisted and adult. The lack of love felt by Michelle for Hubbel is admitted out loud on more than one occasion. We never actually see her agree to the proposal (a smart move on Sherman-Palladino's part) but there are moments when we're forced to consider that our heroine is a Vegas showgirl who married a nice man with money just to change her situation. It's not the most endearing and admirable of characteristics.<br />
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Yet somehow, whether it's the classic Sherman-Palladino well-written mix of comedy and banter and legitimate emotional confession, or Sutton Foster's impressive comedic timing and charming clumsiness that still somehow translates into believable dancing capabilities and the certain gravitas necessary to anchor a lead role on a one hour show, it all came together and worked.<br />
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A good amount of that is due to Kelly Bishop, the most recognizable Gilmore Girl alum as she used to be Lorelai's mother (though we also see Gypsy at the local dress store, and Alex Bornstein does a good Vegas hooker neighbor) who here plays Hubbel's mother, the overly dramatic ballet school teacher, who has regrets and eccentricities of her own, and welcomes Michelle with hostility and suspicion before having an enjoyable heart to heart at the end of the pilot. Bishop makes the badly titled small town feel real, and is convincing as a past 'bunhead' who gave up the stage for the duties of single motherhood and who, while capable of affection, is a no nonsense kind of woman with some interesting layers to explore in this series.<br />
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The bunheads themselves, Bishop's students, are also interesting and well-acted considering they're teenagers. There's the standard body issue conflict of an aspiring ballerina, which thankfully is handled in the pilot so one can hope for some more interesting dance-drama, and the less standard problem of a truly talented ballerina who has no heart or focus and an off-camera gay father who's still in the closet. They were written and acted with enough humanity and humor to make one look forward to seeing their own personal stories evolve. (And Shonda Rhimes should be ashamed of slamming Sherman-Palladino on twitter for not including a token "girl of color" among the dancers, but instead she doubtless feels like a champion of diversity.)<br />
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But mostly it's the path of Foster that holds our interest; her inevitable role as a teacher in her mother-in-law's ballet school and her relationship with that same mother-in-law. Having kept away from any spoilers or press about this show, I was also interested in seeing her quasi marriage with Hubble evolve and perhaps grow less weird and awkward for me, but instead Sherman-Palladino made a clever little plot twist, one that furthers the relationships she clearly cares about more and gives us some good TV drama opportunity; the off-camera car crash death of Hubble at the end of the pilot.<br />
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Thus will our heroines be thrust together. Thus will the mother open up to the daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law will feel the responsibility to stay and help with the school and paying for the house, which the son had taken care of. And thus shall the eccentric ex-dancer learn to love the small town and the young girls' lives she can help shape. <br />
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And thus does Amy Sherman-Palladino finally, finally have a new canvas with which to give us her humor, her intelligence, her lovely female characters and her ability to make an ordinary day in a small town full of drama and interest. Well-written and perfectly cast, this is the first new series in awhile that I'm really looking forward to continuing. <br />
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True I still harbor hopes for a GG reunion (telemovie?) but Bunheads is familiar enough in voice and visuals to fill that void, and unique enough in tone and story to satisfy that perpetual craving for something new. <br />
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Highly recommended.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-90704162264575591422012-06-06T09:17:00.000-04:002012-06-06T09:17:11.954-04:00This Week's Comics - 6/6/12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A very light week, always a good opportunity to save some money, or else a good opportunity to plunge into the back issue boxes. There are only four comics I'm definitely picking up today, probably at lunch unless there's some good tennis to watch (yesterdays matches were amazing, and the only thing I want to see today is Ferrer beat Murray) and they're all Marvel.<br />
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However, they're some big ones, including the Pick of the Week, AvX #5 in which the first "act" comes to a "fiery" conclusion.<br />
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Jump for Pull.<br />
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<strong>MARVEL</strong><br />
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<u>Avengers Academy #31:</u> The Avengers kids and X-youth get into the AvX war after a series of mistaken motivations leads to an all out brawl. Seems like it was coming from the beginning, and there are some interesting match-ups, such as Surge vs. Striker, and X-23 vs. Sebastian Shaw. I doubt the fight will last the whole issue, and in fact one assumes that some of the Avengers Academy kids will change sides and support the X-kids as they get in the real game. One wonders what the Young Avengers are up to these days. Perhaps they'll enter AvX when Wanda/Scarlet Witch does, which I expect to happen soon, if not today.<br />
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<u>AvX #5:</u> Avengers vs. X-Men. On the moon. As the Phoenix finally arrives to consume/empower Hope. It's an interesting match-up. Cyclops has a depleted X-tinction team; mostly classic X-Men but Illyana feels a bit out of place, and it seems unlikely that Black Widow could really take her down. Cap has a modified version of the Film Avengers cast. There's a feeling the X-Men, or at least Hope, will prevail, and we may finally learn what No More Avengers really means. (It can't be that literal can it?)<br />
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<u>Uncanny X-Men #13</u>: AvX tie-in. This one could possibly be more interesting than AvX for me, since we get to see some of the cooler X-Men who didn't get to go to the moon for the final(ish) confrontation. Magneto, Psylocke, Storm and Dr. Nemesis are in a safehouse, half-wounded, and have to find a way to help their fellow X-Men and Hope, or else deal with a new threat that emerges. Namely, Sinister, and what he's been doing since his early Uncanny arc. Naturally he's very interested in Hope and rebirth of mutant species and anything related to genetic control and forced evolution. After all he long had a hand in both the genetic family trees of Jean Grey and Scott Summers, so who knows what he's got brewing. I just want to see Storm more involved in AvX and since she's not on the moon, this is the place to find her.<br />
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<u>X-Factor #237:</u> Entirely un-AvX related, which is refreshing though I always want to see what the Factor crew would do when pulled into their old teammates' fights. The main story here is how Rahne is pretty much destroyed since her whole feral wolf baby abandonment, growing more and more secluded and grim and extremely religious. So naturally Banshee and Lorna take her for a road trip. It also seems Banshee is accused of murder somewhere and Madrox gets a new case. I feel like Layla Miller would know something about Hope, considering what she went through during Messiah Complex and the future she's seen. Would love to see her pop up later in AvX but until then this comic is consistently fun and original and a far cry from the spectacle of the other superhero titles.<br />
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Happy new comics day. Enjoy. Nole for President.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-387285469473158802012-06-05T09:36:00.000-04:002012-06-05T09:36:40.393-04:00Captain Elias' Favorite Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The ol' birthday is comin' up, and coupled with the new social attempts, street fairs, Pride and French Open, and a strange lack of any comic/tv news that is remotely interesting, my writing material feels downright gossamer.<br />
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So I shall opine on trivialities, which is a blogger's rightful resource, starting with this thing that I love very much and want to cherish in person: The Super Pint Glass.<br />
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Frothy foamy fun wrapped in a cape never looked so tasty. Click onward for more favorite things, including the return of To Wong Foo into my life and the magic of the red clay.<br />
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<u>The Avengers:</u> Definitely still up there. Need to see it again soon. It recently passed both Harry Potter and The Dark Knight to be the third biggest movie of all time. We're coming for you, Titanic and Avatar. James Cameron, psha. The worldwide Whedon love even made me revisit his Astonishing X-Men run which I hadn't read in awhile, specifically the issue where Emma/Cassandra brainwashes Kitty and fills her head with a believable life and family she could have had, just to manipulate her into doing what she wants. Classic Joss--heartbreak, diabolical plans, perfectly in character fantasies, and heroes like Kitty, who you know he loves as much as we do, getting tortured.<br />
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<u>To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar:</u> I stumbled upon this classic film the other night on the Logo channel (goes to show how thin viewing material was, that I even checked on Logo) and I can hardly express my joy. I hadn't thought of it in years, but it's a really great movie. No one ever talked about it, but Patrick Swayze is fantastic. He is graceful and statuesque (his word for Julie) utterly believable and sympathetic and can lead a movie with one well-manicured pinky behind his back. Wesley Snipes is fantastic too, filling his niche creditably and managing a perfect high voice on numerous occasions. John Leguizamo is also incredible, nailing the body movements better than either (his walk is ridiculously wonderful), killing it on the dialect and then surprisingly having the best character arc of the movie. And by God does ChiChi look stunning in the last scene of the film; like a true beautiful Hollywood actress. The movie is well written, superbly acted, with easy, succesfull comedic timing between the three leads, and a heartening story. I could watch it over and over and encourage you to give it a try if you haven't. It'll make you want to be a Drag Queen...and if we're being honest, everyone wants that at some point.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaFMuKBiB0RCEADu8BFP51fQYrOO3d3fZrU65hmuyfg-_qp5rVMQa_edulUQ_WLqQaYHZqL4aZMZjhWsL8Y3F8ktT72HK8vVEAXa1NuGJ2TU5CldNku0mEn9GDLqjxbUt9l5gUmab5jnd/s1600/1479-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaFMuKBiB0RCEADu8BFP51fQYrOO3d3fZrU65hmuyfg-_qp5rVMQa_edulUQ_WLqQaYHZqL4aZMZjhWsL8Y3F8ktT72HK8vVEAXa1NuGJ2TU5CldNku0mEn9GDLqjxbUt9l5gUmab5jnd/s400/1479-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<u>Scramble With Friends:</u> I was obsessed before, but now I'm pretty much a professional. Consistent beatings by superb anonymous players has improved my word count and eye speed. If you wish to challenge me, find Captain Robin. (Yeah, I have a lot of Captaincies, what can I say. I'm a merc with an iPhone.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnyeJVH7DmsTjiTpUGRa-iqV-2cjdTvxfAZ59idnHoj8WcbKq-pnrc3eIF_mCm4g5jogjC-Q5iz-cA_bw-UosaEhERJYuvECiWpTcsnCIWVUG41BaGea6CrxG81l9KFVf5LA1TBwMKMJ_/s1600/French%252520Open%2525202010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnyeJVH7DmsTjiTpUGRa-iqV-2cjdTvxfAZ59idnHoj8WcbKq-pnrc3eIF_mCm4g5jogjC-Q5iz-cA_bw-UosaEhERJYuvECiWpTcsnCIWVUG41BaGea6CrxG81l9KFVf5LA1TBwMKMJ_/s320/French%252520Open%2525202010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u>French Open:</u> Last but certainly not least, is the current Grand Slam being played in Paris on the red clay. While it may not be my absolute favorite Slam, it's clearly got it's own major history and particular feel, and the drama has not been kept solely for the second week. Both Djokovic and Federer have been severely tested in the first week, and only Rafa has looked entirely untouchable. This year of tennis is insanely interesting not only because we get two Wimbledons and a chance for a Golden Grand Slam (thanks Olympics!) but because we get to watch Novak follow up what was possibly the best year in professional tennis ever. Winning here at the French will give him a career grand slam and make him the title holder of all four slams at once, not to mention breaking Rafa's streak and avenging his biggest loss of 2011. But more importantly it will set the stage for him to surpass what he did last season and really include his name in the discussion of Greatest Player Ever.<br />
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Even without the future expectations, the truth is men's tennis has never been better. And after a life of watching Sampras, the rise of Federer, the rise of Nadal, the rise of Novak, that's saying something. Today for instance features two incredible matches: Novak vs. Tsonga, the French golden boy, slayer of Roger, first burst on scene as runner-up to Nole at Australian years back and has only gotten better, and Federer vs. Del Potro, who actually beat Roger in the US Open Finals in 09 to be the only man besides our top three to win a slam in the past insert-ridiculous-number-here of years.<br />
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I don't know about you, but I'm gonna be watching those matches. And I won't let a little thing like being-at-work stop me. God bless live streaming internet video (I suppose I should thank Jake Kane for that.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUSHEgHcZv5ME3LPtWfrCyerNWsT6hY9Tu3uyYbCJKBydV5fC5Z6kfNrhtwQWBP3GeBzAD1A1haXRj-YGCmxiIpn5rA_Gi0hPI4hnF0S_xySiHTvmeC9kBTuXQRXy-e4h3tc70GJ_VFFF/s1600/166614-210399-foo2png-620x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUSHEgHcZv5ME3LPtWfrCyerNWsT6hY9Tu3uyYbCJKBydV5fC5Z6kfNrhtwQWBP3GeBzAD1A1haXRj-YGCmxiIpn5rA_Gi0hPI4hnF0S_xySiHTvmeC9kBTuXQRXy-e4h3tc70GJ_VFFF/s400/166614-210399-foo2png-620x.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Have a good 'un folks. See you in Paris.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-21310139204739609562012-06-01T09:26:00.002-04:002012-06-01T09:28:16.087-04:00Official: DC Turns Original Green Lantern Gay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So Bleeding Cool had it <a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/24/will-dcs-original-green-lantern-alan-scott-be-reintroduced-as-a-gay-man/">right,</a> the New DC character who has been rebooted as a Super 'Mo is Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-bxOg1AXP-jwuWZJU6_x4mM96Hxv8_QFnPfb7bqYENMeN6dSwiHc48f__5LE5FTi52oylxCy1mF-y6io8kVFXOZOLLEDrQ3fQVDtPA2t1tdusPxl0rsPi_E-HL0V_Ywh6yWaq0sl635S/s1600/GAYGAYGAYLANTERN-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-bxOg1AXP-jwuWZJU6_x4mM96Hxv8_QFnPfb7bqYENMeN6dSwiHc48f__5LE5FTi52oylxCy1mF-y6io8kVFXOZOLLEDrQ3fQVDtPA2t1tdusPxl0rsPi_E-HL0V_Ywh6yWaq0sl635S/s400/GAYGAYGAYLANTERN-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I was hoping this wasn't the case despite the persistent rumors. Mostly because I've never had any interest at all in Alan Scott, or most of the JSA for that matter, even if they DO predate the Justice League. There are too many of them, all obscure and mostly irrelevant, who are written as afterthoughts or with dialogue from decades past (not in a good way.)<br />
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James Robinson and DC claim this was not a PR move and are utterly shocked by the amount of media coverage it is getting. And Marvel didn't think Northstar's gay Central Park wedding would get attention either, they're just so glad someone thought to print out 2 million Save the Date promotional cards and send them to all major news publications. <br />
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(The rant continues after the jump as I get myself increasingly angry about this.)<br />
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No, Robinson was only thinking about "diversity" and creating a well-rounded team for the New 52. Because "diversity" has been the watchword for the last 20 years, where tokenism has someone become 'look out how progressive and open-minded and wonderful we are.' From a starting point of not seeing racial differences or rejecting open homosexuality, it became necessary to look at a college campus (or now a comic book) and physically be able to see any minority you can think of, in effect using them as pawns for the sake of status, attention and misleading you from any facts behind the facades. Political correctness has always been a quiet, strangling tyranny and it only seems to get more pronounced.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I love seeing guys kiss, especially superheroes, more than anyone. I've wanted to see it for many years. And when I write and self-publish a comic book, you can rest assured my dozen or so readers will be seeing some man on man action for sure.<br />
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The difference is, I happen to be a big 'mo. My favorite book Kirith Kirin centers on, aside from a complex system of magic and a fictional alternate ancient world, a painfully beautifully and strong love between two men. I've tracked books like that down since middle school. I watched every Queer as Folk DVD in one weekend in college. I have at least two notebooks full of epic male romance stories, fictional, historical, superheroic, and, yeah, erotic. <br />
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So while I don't think you have to be gay or spent years thinking about a character and identifying with it to write a gay character, it would be nice if it actually came about organically and not because you think your superhero team needs a gay dude to be more representational (of what? are we really everywhere suddenly?) or interesting to customers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1x75Eex1T4Qj0dTQ_-4Cyn2uDNVC5cXBsEeHzixJ8Huh0a9st0rq_BCoObF1pe5mm5ONGtpKhc72Dcs2c4lXvbghTV_AvmfF-6SQMAEsMzPmvtuLWy8mgwvcHuN3rtkqIaCHmVtCNIVG/s1600/The-Golden-Age-Green-Lantern-Archives-Volume-2%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1x75Eex1T4Qj0dTQ_-4Cyn2uDNVC5cXBsEeHzixJ8Huh0a9st0rq_BCoObF1pe5mm5ONGtpKhc72Dcs2c4lXvbghTV_AvmfF-6SQMAEsMzPmvtuLWy8mgwvcHuN3rtkqIaCHmVtCNIVG/s400/The-Golden-Age-Green-Lantern-Archives-Volume-2%255B1%255D.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
And by organic, I mean the character didn't just become bisexual, or reborn as a gay man, he is who is and has been since the beginning. That's my problem with Alan Scott. The guy's been around since the Gold Age, or silver...whatever he's old and classic. And he's been married. To a woman. Twice. And he had two children. Who became super heroes in their own right. One of which was actually a gay man.<br />
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This was James Robinson's actual thought process when deciding to suddenly reintroduce Alan Scott, whom he knew the reboot would make younger: "The only downside of his being young was we lose his son, Obsidian, who’s gay. So I thought, ‘Why not make Alan Scott gay?’” Robinson recalled. “That was the seed that started it.”<br />
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Yes, that makes complete sense. Because sexuality is as interchangeable as a son and his heterosexual, married father. <br />
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I don't like James Robinson. Never have. I could never get into his Justice Society of America reboot, I vaguely recall he had a hand in Marvel's Heroes Reborn (not something anyone would be proud of,) and more recently I found his version of Justice League to be mind numbingly boring, wordy, clunky and in every way a failure. (I haven't tried Starman though I hear good things.) So I don't like his writing, and I clearly have no respect for the creative process that transfers a son's gayness to his father for the sake of filling a handy, easily-marketed rubric. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvgOEtdb_CHK9EmsKw0QwtvF93J7AZGKFGJZ6LJNfEhFFxbaoi51NXARFbO14aBKPQNl2Ngo4CaWyihd0z8eOQG6tKB61TwhwzRf1faP-ratVR06eIfyHcRdduiIwBk8jJLAFYAl9HJ-k/s1600/2-a1b10a089b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvgOEtdb_CHK9EmsKw0QwtvF93J7AZGKFGJZ6LJNfEhFFxbaoi51NXARFbO14aBKPQNl2Ngo4CaWyihd0z8eOQG6tKB61TwhwzRf1faP-ratVR06eIfyHcRdduiIwBk8jJLAFYAl9HJ-k/s640/2-a1b10a089b.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br />
I would have respected the decision more if Robinson claimed he decided to make Scott gay after revisiting his origin story, in which a mystical and prophetic "green flame" comes to Earth and makes a magic lantern to give him his powers. No joke. Imagine if they wrote an origin story about the flame making him gay...nature vs nature. There would a be a fun, interesting comic, but far too insensitive sounding to even think of. It's easy to take risks when you only risk looking like the open-minded generous one and you can drum up a story ad naseum about a bunch of Christian mothers who protest you from the bottom of their intolerant sinful evil hearts. Always good for business. <br />
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And what exactly would happen if the New 52 took a gay character, like their acclaimed Batwoman, and turned her straight? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7X5YD4SVcOd4xDNYXDIIgPmNOMG2a41xeUdlctdK6Oyp0F0fGqGptGSsZVQGrkwdKQj6rSZA7nA56M4V7ZXxW5h2zumQ0TjxUIwPzyxRrTNZbGr2nUW3z3-nusf9yUN798X91L5ngtIV/s1600/3-be9229700a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7X5YD4SVcOd4xDNYXDIIgPmNOMG2a41xeUdlctdK6Oyp0F0fGqGptGSsZVQGrkwdKQj6rSZA7nA56M4V7ZXxW5h2zumQ0TjxUIwPzyxRrTNZbGr2nUW3z3-nusf9yUN798X91L5ngtIV/s640/3-be9229700a.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br />
Alan Scott was a hero and a legend, albeit an uninteresting and unpopular one. Now he's just a puppet, a token gay dude to bring up DC's numbers, which will only last a few issues before new readers lose interest. Less for me, who even now has no interest in Scott. Especially after seeing the writing in those two pages above released by DC to show us just how gay Alan really is. Work on your dialogue first Mr. Robinson, and forget about who the characters want to have sex with.<br />
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Way to piss me off DC.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-81868348119195840482012-05-31T09:01:00.000-04:002012-05-31T09:01:23.976-04:00The Avengers' Ending and Iron Patriot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Not sure how I didn't know about this site until now, but I'm just glad it was pointed out to me. The mission statement is simple: animating the gist and presenting a preferable alternate finale of a movie. In a flarking funny way, of course. Enjoy.<br />
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And in case you haven't heard, there may be a new villain, or at least a familiar character, in Iron Man 3 which began shooting this month. Spoilers after the jump (sorry Simon Pegg, I don't love the culture either, but I live in it.)<br />
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Iron Patriot was seen on set. Red herring? Eric Savin pre-Coldblood? Actually Norman Osborn? Tony doing a July 4th concert/flyover and just giving us comic fans something to 'squee' over? Who cares? Looks pretty sweet. (<a href="http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/05/30/iron-man-3-villain-details-surprise-photos-emerge-from-movie-set/">via Spinoff</a>.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kr2DD6d2hISNEJDCGy3v7hOiiYJBTBz4ZoDUAgObjsDPHtHb_lZ3TV2H914rG1PzDdculdCyVRpyIgJTYjXrKG6JCatP0TBU5zRv2v-UG8_amDb-aF4Mmtj8Nuy3oM29_blUf5phKJfU/s1600/iron-patriot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kr2DD6d2hISNEJDCGy3v7hOiiYJBTBz4ZoDUAgObjsDPHtHb_lZ3TV2H914rG1PzDdculdCyVRpyIgJTYjXrKG6JCatP0TBU5zRv2v-UG8_amDb-aF4Mmtj8Nuy3oM29_blUf5phKJfU/s400/iron-patriot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYG_mCEsHrMBDDTDrG-cblHLeghobrmBKm-sgCvjr7lLxXIeD_Emxkh9j9wCOmAHfhyphenhyphenIGnM6orgbNWhoFilmL14ynx51bdqZHmo1-MX2lrLsG-2TXd1b78KF9tmFDMnvp44MgkTEduzUUi/s1600/Iron_Patriot_002COMIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYG_mCEsHrMBDDTDrG-cblHLeghobrmBKm-sgCvjr7lLxXIeD_Emxkh9j9wCOmAHfhyphenhyphenIGnM6orgbNWhoFilmL14ynx51bdqZHmo1-MX2lrLsG-2TXd1b78KF9tmFDMnvp44MgkTEduzUUi/s400/Iron_Patriot_002COMIC.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br />
I wish Norman hadn't been the one to make the flag design all evil and on-the-nose, though I was never surprised the writers did that. Someone better should fill up that suit. Hey remember when Harry wore it for a miniseries? I'm pretty sure that ended horribly...don't exactly remember, but if Harry Osborn was a main character, that's a good guess. Rhodey could use a little color. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6p9K_HkCWtur_SIvUbBzEmsncw-PulhW0siLqDUUX0Ikyk6aARbwPOn0Rt_9ovJe6U1EMWr7FdxstFA9Fn8gI9fVnmxP8QGZif0wv9WBxavhWaFmUG47nvFRwPh7YNja263enZ5SQKNfv/s1600/Pepper_Potts_Rescue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6p9K_HkCWtur_SIvUbBzEmsncw-PulhW0siLqDUUX0Ikyk6aARbwPOn0Rt_9ovJe6U1EMWr7FdxstFA9Fn8gI9fVnmxP8QGZif0wv9WBxavhWaFmUG47nvFRwPh7YNja263enZ5SQKNfv/s400/Pepper_Potts_Rescue.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br />
And to be perfectly honest I'd prefer to see Rescue before any other machine-clad heroes. Gwyneth isn't my favorite but she does a mean Pepper, and with her personality, especially post-Coulson, I could see her stepping into the game and going on life-saving missions. Have a feeling that'll wait till Iron Man 4 though. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVDoV9yrsr83MaUuxc8ki-N4tIk6uNk8nCkKThqaRPzezTn0mom7DgZ6iAPYOgPaMx_WFHXMPPnH1m7Ys1st-ql3LMCNVm6bmQi_gsc_jSFdTL1bZWRDozz-rlqj96cggPTBaI_sEAtAq/s1600/invironman_29_coverwom_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVDoV9yrsr83MaUuxc8ki-N4tIk6uNk8nCkKThqaRPzezTn0mom7DgZ6iAPYOgPaMx_WFHXMPPnH1m7Ys1st-ql3LMCNVm6bmQi_gsc_jSFdTL1bZWRDozz-rlqj96cggPTBaI_sEAtAq/s400/invironman_29_coverwom_02.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />
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Oh well. I got time.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-4061718192049120062012-05-30T09:25:00.000-04:002012-05-30T09:25:50.809-04:00This Week's Comics - 5/30/12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hopefully this isn't one of those weeks with a Monday holiday that leads to new comics arriving on Thursday. Few blows are harsher than showing up at your comic shop with your pull list in hand to find you must wait another four and twenty hours. Often in my rage and frustration at the comic book industry and thirst for vengeance against publishers and distributors, I just buy something anyway, be it action figure or back issue. <br />
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What can I say, rage makes me stupid. But it IS leading to an increasingly impressive random collection.<br />
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Regardless, I'm heading to the shop today with high hopes. Pick of the Week is, quite naturally, X-Men Legacy 'cause Rogue is done waxing poetic and being self-analytical, and has moved on to kicking ass. And I would really, really enjoy watching her execute a creative takedown of Mr. Tony Stark, the only A-list Avenger to bother showing up at the Jean Grey School. <br />
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You know the drill, Jump for Pull.<br />
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<strong>DARK HORSE</strong><br />
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<u>Angel & Faith #10:</u> A new arc begins as we get a new look and a new story into Giles' past. One that involves two attractive women. Presumably this was during his Ripper-drugs-rock'nroll-rebellion-magik-with-a-K phase, when he abandoned hope of being a grocer or a fighter pilot. Good on you Giles. The mysterious ladies show up and end up asking our two heroes for help, though one assumes they're not all that they appear. Hopefully we'll make some more tangible progress in Angel's quest to ressurect Giles/reassemble his fragmented soul. Or at least see more of the earlier-mentioned phenomenon of Angel gaining aspects of Rupert's character. This comic is quite good, if I haven't mentioned that--much more satisfying than the marquis Buffy title.<br />
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<strong>DC</strong><br />
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<u>Batman Annual #1:</u> More Night of Owls goodness. And from Scott Snyder no less, which, besides Unwritten and Fables, is the only DC comic/writer I buy regularly. Annuals are fun and it seems we take a break from the war with the Owl Council/Court/whatever to introduce Mr. Freeze into the New 52. (Perhaps he's gay and his origin revolves around rescuing his boytoy from a disease by freezing him. Oh, DC.) Whether Victor is an ally of the Owls or an enemy is unknown, but dang that cover is pretty, and dang can Mr. Snyder write. I'd love to see his take on more classic Bat-villains, considering his grasp on all things Chiroptera.<br />
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<strong>IMAGE</strong><br />
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<u>Walking Dead #98</u>: Two issues in one month. Image is pushing this latest arc and impending #100 issue pretty hard. And aside from a new large community that has given Rick hope, and a smaller one he now runs, and the roving pack of psychos that don't seem particularly more psychotic than past adversaries, I'm not super clear on what will happen. But I am getting kind of freaked out. I don't actually WANT to see any horrific, bloody, personal murders, but not only is that inevitable, it seems it may happen en masse. At least there aren't any babies around (Damn you Kirkman.)<br />
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<strong>MARVEL</strong><br />
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<u>FF#18</u>: I keep saying I'm gonna stop buying these but I don't. Not positive why really. That issue with Spidey and Torch as roommates was terrificly fun---better than Dan Slott in my opinion. Plus I really like Valeria, and have grown a fondness for the First Family that I haven't often felt. This issue sees a new addition to the Future Foundation and Val and Franklin go to Wakanda for a field trip and meet with a science club. <br />
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<u>New Mutants #43:</u> Mercifully, Exiled comes to an end with this issue. While I appreciate any attempt at infusing humor into superhero comics, or into any writing for that matter, the few good jokes that came out of this crossover were not nearly enough to justify its existence. Seriously--one bad spell, and then 4 issues of characters bumbling around, talking too much, and getting nothing done. Weak and unclear and unenjoyable, and especially unfortunate when compared to the classic New Mutants/Asgard crossovers of the late 20th century. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, whom I do love, have not been doing great with this title, and hopefully next month will see a return to basics. They're already a writing team, they don't need to collaborate more...they just need to send the New Mutants on an off-world mission and get back to what they're good at.<br />
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<u>Wolverine & The X-Men #11:</u> A look at Wolverine's trip to the moon with Hope, his thought process and rationalization for betraying her, and the other side of the AvX Jean Grey School fight as seen in X-Men Legacy, featuring Rachel Grey hopefully kicking butt, and newly-ingenious-spectacular Iceman taking on (down?) Red Hulk. More interested in the fight scenes to be honest. Aaron has maybe the best X-cast, and writes the most endearing version of Logan in any current comic, and I could use a little help getting to like him again. Plus seeing Rachel fight Avengers and defect to Cyclops side to help Hope---well I just hope as only person to ever succesfully control the Phoenix Force she'll have a greater presence in the story, before Wanda shows up and takes over.<br />
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<u>X-Men Legacy #267</u>: Pick of the Week, and eagerly anticipated by me, as Rogue tears through She-Hulk to get to Iron Man. Serves the Avengers right for sending such a weakass team to protect an entire school of mutant children, most of whom have been tested in battle, and super-veteran X-Men faculty. I mean honestly, Falcon, She-Hulk and Moon Knight? What, was D-Man busy? These aren't even sidekick-worthy Avengers. Squirrel Girl is more impressive than Falcon. Anyway, point is, Iron Man showed up finally, and since this is Rogue's book, I expect her to kick every square inch of his ass. And maybe help move AvX forward a bit (or reunite her with Magneto somehow?)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhvE1-U7HuapFykCFES7W97IQVsoWjfwOW2oH48mCLjMY58ApcU6j8c56AUf766mgMgAdfxbdIUyvFZGu9zurlLQccveI3Kb-xGoODO_ehPaFaqvRqKALfI8KiwqVIPICApcatIsDsOax/s1600/prv12496_cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhvE1-U7HuapFykCFES7W97IQVsoWjfwOW2oH48mCLjMY58ApcU6j8c56AUf766mgMgAdfxbdIUyvFZGu9zurlLQccveI3Kb-xGoODO_ehPaFaqvRqKALfI8KiwqVIPICApcatIsDsOax/s400/prv12496_cov.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />
<u>X-Men #29:</u> Victor Gischler's final issue. Which, sorry to say, I'm not all that bummed about. He had a good run, and it seems people enjoyed it, and I liked the idea behind an X-title primarily dedicated to "team ups" and expanding the X-influence in the Marvel Universe. I just don't think it really worked. I mean, who did they team up with really? War Machine, blech. Spidey was a decent one but didn't seem to leave an impact. A bunch of vampires. Again. Now they've kinda invaded the FF with a Skrull Imposter who took Pixie hostage. Hopefully Pixie will get hers, as the X-folk assemble and bring down the bad alien(s) and Gischler isn't going too far, considering he's doing a Spike miniseries for Dark Horse soon. Still, I'll be excited to see some new blood and, if not a new direction, a more enjoyable take on one of the only X-titles with so much story telling freedom.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zK997r_hlYJcvCSNYBFI6f5zLA8nvx0ozku7c00w8WNoalHAI__btxbPSYuXQDhYvtg_JMu-G36G5wSHDKfPig0BJsUEHJBPaT-7sB9eMHRrTXzW4w0nEX3ZjxvJYeZJ26m2iFKFTSyi/s1600/prv12515_cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zK997r_hlYJcvCSNYBFI6f5zLA8nvx0ozku7c00w8WNoalHAI__btxbPSYuXQDhYvtg_JMu-G36G5wSHDKfPig0BJsUEHJBPaT-7sB9eMHRrTXzW4w0nEX3ZjxvJYeZJ26m2iFKFTSyi/s400/prv12515_cov.jpg" width="262" /></a></div></div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-60070817868105772582012-05-28T08:52:00.000-04:002012-05-29T08:59:34.762-04:00Memorial Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
A time to honor and mourn those who have fallen in defense of our great nation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5juFlQMW_VKDP_ZhyphenhyphennRQdwL95Mmweqy-_2t7Q1S18IvJOUwYs8q4G-RLSrJf2GYeCNDw2jZlQu94G4zP8eoh97kcenFMCduTXlc3WYazWGaL7tEFRH30N4Mi9E_OpTrgbnat6spbOkXXA/s1600/tumblr_lm0oomVHgd1qdachco1_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5juFlQMW_VKDP_ZhyphenhyphennRQdwL95Mmweqy-_2t7Q1S18IvJOUwYs8q4G-RLSrJf2GYeCNDw2jZlQu94G4zP8eoh97kcenFMCduTXlc3WYazWGaL7tEFRH30N4Mi9E_OpTrgbnat6spbOkXXA/s400/tumblr_lm0oomVHgd1qdachco1_1280.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
And also to feel the full tragedy of Steve Rogers; to outlive all his allies, friends, loved ones, and even his own war. <br />
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These images are by artist <a href="http://mrhipp.tumblr.com/">Dan Hipp</a>, whose tumblr is truly beautiful, and who I found via <a href="http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/05/30/captain-america-memorial-day-dan-hipp/">Comics Alliance</a>. There's a funny one after the jump that is non-Memorial Day related, but you should really check out his <a href="http://mrhipp.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>. <br />
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God bless.<br />
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For those of us who felt (and completely understood, this is not criticism Joss) that some more mention/sighting of Steve and Thor's lady loves was missing from The Avengers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVibA9xo_BginmB5_LSsEM7d75CSgdZNA8eSSon13AVYPqW-dC7vrO3vSh2yxwVKs1WHwkq5phywlr52cIX49ultoOpW3wVHy9PBaiRgVxRsyJ9-Aa_hIWcWKVspDOYIg_HvX2hQvDxg6J/s1600/tumblr_m35bv7INNo1qdachco1_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVibA9xo_BginmB5_LSsEM7d75CSgdZNA8eSSon13AVYPqW-dC7vrO3vSh2yxwVKs1WHwkq5phywlr52cIX49ultoOpW3wVHy9PBaiRgVxRsyJ9-Aa_hIWcWKVspDOYIg_HvX2hQvDxg6J/s400/tumblr_m35bv7INNo1qdachco1_1280.png" width="400" /></a></div></div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-60989144991369981202012-05-25T09:25:00.000-04:002012-05-25T09:25:02.487-04:00Friday Round-Up: X-Men Previews, Thanos Explained, Marvel's Mint Silver Age On Sale, and Dean Pelton Dresses Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
It's Memorial Day Weekend, and Fleet Week in NYC, which can explain any and all emotional tumult or fluctuations in this humble blogger's usually remarkable work ethic. So I'm resorting to that most often used lifeline for internet writers hamstrung by frustration and fatigue; the Round-Up, a collection of mildly interesting links that, aside from being shiny and distracting, have the added bonus of filling up an entire post.<br />
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We start at Comic Book Resources where Mr. Matt Adler provides us with a comprehensive and seemingly intelligent (I'm not done reading it) biography of Thanos the Mad Titan, whose recent big screen appearance has generated a lot of new interest in the classic character. From his Freudian and mythical origins at the hands of creator Jim Starlin to his more recent turn in the cosmic Annihilation War, a complete and intricate tapestry is woven, and it's much fun for both continuity geeks and new fans who want to speculate on what's to come in Marvel cinema. <br />
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Then we have a nearly complete Silver Age collection of Marvel comics going on sale in an auction in California, and the estimated prices for some of the issues (hold on to your *&^!@ing hats,) Dennis Culver's "Deanfinity" featuring all the crazy unambiguous costumes Dean Pelton of Community has shown up in, and three previews for next week's all-new X-titles, including the highly anticipated (for me) Rogue vs. Iron Man fight.<br />
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Read on for linkage, and happy Friday.<br />
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<a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=38846">Thanos Explained:</a> Get into the mind and history of the Avatar of Death. And try not be freaked out that we all have a little Than(at)os inside us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVRXo__p0aioQZ7Rt2gjpL-FfKuihIto4TZ1e5P_d-AaEdaRQ6rlj48ENP9iPnDky9bTRiloZkwtMm5GiTYun_FViBI8lSl8wsZcqJomwX1svLyqkCD6jf6pcYAx3B1IL1RjaPsHsTDTu/s1600/thanos-561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVRXo__p0aioQZ7Rt2gjpL-FfKuihIto4TZ1e5P_d-AaEdaRQ6rlj48ENP9iPnDky9bTRiloZkwtMm5GiTYun_FViBI8lSl8wsZcqJomwX1svLyqkCD6jf6pcYAx3B1IL1RjaPsHsTDTu/s400/thanos-561.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/24/for-sale-the-worlds-best-collection-of-silver-age-marvel-comics/">Own the Silver Age:</a> Got some spare, disposable, millions of dollars? Head on down to Beverly Hills where Doug Schmell, famous collector, will be making rich geeks strain their vocal cords and wave fans (which should help with the inevitable fainting.)<br />
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<a href="http://dennisculver.bigcartel.com/product/deanfinity">"I'm inclined to agree with the man in uniform."</a>: Check out Dennis Culver's Dean Pelton artwork, and try and remember all the episodes those costumes appeared in. Considering how he stretched reasons for elaborate drag, should be a tough one. Funny but sad, cause one can't think of Community without thinking of the recent Dan Harmon fiasco.<br />
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<u>Marvel Eye Candy:</u> X-Men: Legacy (wherein Rogue lays down the law and hopefully kicks Avengers ass--also hope Cannonball gets in on the fun, haven't seen him in awhile,) Wolverine & The X-Men 11 (wherein we see Hope and Wolverine travelling to the moon, and his thought process, knowing he is about to betray her pretty hard,) and X-Men #29 (wherein the topical Victor Gischler starts winding down his run with a Skrull story. Hopefully a smart, mature Pixie can save this plot line.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=38856">via CBR</a><br />
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Have a fun and safe and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend everyone!! Go memorize something (wait, what's this holiday about?)</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-63163247526161269542012-05-23T09:07:00.000-04:002012-05-23T09:07:27.230-04:00This Week's Comics - 5/23/12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A fairly light week, especially in the Marvel area with only one AvX related title shipping, which should make deciding the Pick of the Week easier, but anytime a new Unwritten issue comes out, it's hard not to choose that.<br />
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However, while I'm probably most excited to read Unwritten and the aftermath of War of the Words finally, there's another more momentous milestone comic today: the final issue of Mark Waid's Irredeemable. Will Plutonian get the punishment he deserves, or a 2nd chance at life? Will Qubit survive the final confrontation, or be outwitted himself by Modeus? Can the Earth recover from the ravages of recent years and reclaim a new future?<br />
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Beats me, but Waid's the guy to trust when you're buying comics. Empire, FF, Daredevil, Kingdom Come--the guy rarely missteps. And while I wandered away from Irredeemable for awhile there, it was mighty entertaining, especially the first year. Here's to you, Mr. Waid, and your delightfully twisted takes on the iconic heroes we all know and love.<br />
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Jump for Pull.<br />
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<strong>BOOM! Studios</strong><br />
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<u>Irredeemable #37:</u> Qubit has Modeus in his eye, the magic lethal wax in Tony's heart, and Plutonian on the ropes. Will he use him to save the world and give him a new shot, or kill him when the work is over? The final issue to this acclaimed series will answer all questions.<br />
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<strong>DC</strong><br />
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<u>Batman Incorporated #1 (?):</u> I had no idea this was returning this week. It seems either all the press about a major DC hero coming out of the recently built closet has overshadowed this series return, or else Morrison's still recent Playboy article calling Batman gay created some malice towards him. Either way Batman Inc rarely lived up to the hype that heralded it, so perhaps a complete lack of hype will be a good change of pace for its New 52 debut. Gonna have to take a flip-through in store before I decide.<br />
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<u>Fables #117:</u> Less excited for this comic than I used to be. Feel like I've been reading about Oz and Snow and Bigby's kids for a year now and I'm mighty bored. Oh look, one of Snow and Bigby's kids are missing! So Fabletown starts a search party. I really need to stop buying this and switch to Trade waiting.<br />
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<u>The Unwritten #37:</u> Instead of getting the immediate aftermath of War of the Words, we rejoin Tom Taylor a year after that fateful battle. It seems he's gotten his life back together, perhaps written a book and made his own kind of fame, but the grief and loss that he endured can't be gotten over so easily. Or at least I hope not. In a world without Leviathan, "fiction is up for grabs" and here's hoping Tom Taylor just needs the right motivation to grab it himself...namely, the possible return of Lizzie Hexam? Speculation is fun. Reading Mike Carey's plots is more fun.<br />
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<strong>MARVEL</strong><br />
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<u>Astonishing X-Men #50:</u> The much-discussed X-Men issue. Both of the Big Two are doing some gay pandering lately, and Marjorie Liu happily took that responsibility when she was given this out-of-the-way X-title featuring a ragtag team including, of course, Northstar, the most recognizable gay French-Canadian hero ever. Not sure how she's going to switch from the chilly horror of the past few issues and Karma's (another lesbian mutant, it's worth pointing out) unfortunate possession/betrayal, to the now well known gay wedding proposal made by Northstar to his boyfriend Kyle, but people seem to love her writing so could be interesting. To be followed by next month's big Central Park gay wedding. <br />
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<u>Fantastic Four #606</u>: The FF go to Wakanda and Black Panther makes an appearance in their story after a long absence, considering he's such a close friend. Not to be confused with him being in Wakanda and battling his wife as part of the AvX war (which, hopefully, will end in their divorce.) Apparently all the vibranium has gone out of the world, or something, and adamantium is super expensive, and who has the time to make up a name for a new fictional metal? Judging by his ever cocky and superior pose on the cover, things will get a bit fractious, before they end up working together for the greater good. Or else the panther god eats someone.<br />
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<u>Journey Into Mystery #638:</u> Exiled, that kinda funny kinda extremely boring mini-crossover between Thor/Asgard comics and New Mutants, keeps going on. The setup for this week is: undead cannibal Asgardian myths are loose in San Fran while all Asgardians have had their mind wiped and are helpless, thinking theyre normal humans. Oh wow, that was the same setup as the last chapter. Go figure. While Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning haven't done as great a job with their street level heroes and mutant comics as they did with their cosmic fare, I still don't think this is their fault. It has the odor of Matt Fraction on it, who I haven't enjoyed since the wonderful Iron Fist.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0QrW5QqqTM95PoAorlWLTz2VmdG59_jdCMNov2chUXsdAtawxHOdP8i22hoLpA4D7kiAZH_-DQ_CHuER3ptbDilmxTR8cp_IFJ7GC2kU2bmclNBdJ5c7IUflRdhrl_e5EXDnrogw5tJq/s1600/mar120604%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0QrW5QqqTM95PoAorlWLTz2VmdG59_jdCMNov2chUXsdAtawxHOdP8i22hoLpA4D7kiAZH_-DQ_CHuER3ptbDilmxTR8cp_IFJ7GC2kU2bmclNBdJ5c7IUflRdhrl_e5EXDnrogw5tJq/s400/mar120604%255B1%255D.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<u>Secret Avengers #27:</u> Finally, the AvX story of the week. Captain Marvel returned...but in a religious zealot brainwashed nationalist for the Kree kind of way. Naturally Noh-Varr falls in line with him and the Supreme Intelligence, but it appears that Carol Danvers/Ms Marvel does too. Sure she loved Mar-vell, and got her powers/hero start from him, but she's human ain't she? And what does she want the Phoenix to do at this point? Reboot the Kree race? It will be interesting to find out. You know, provided anything actually happens. Still, heroes in space and pretty pencils.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEq_WpuhPdaGn7Vi_Lv_NsTcyt_vFD4KuJv4CLi8BH2-itHFxs-pl0eWnk-m8ofHCp6IPL3JCJ9DSKOW0Llwdt0R2oriXBybgg7wDwX16DB2s0mZqOqLjRLkvS4cJC5Oedto18cpHnoJz/s1600/mar120543%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEq_WpuhPdaGn7Vi_Lv_NsTcyt_vFD4KuJv4CLi8BH2-itHFxs-pl0eWnk-m8ofHCp6IPL3JCJ9DSKOW0Llwdt0R2oriXBybgg7wDwX16DB2s0mZqOqLjRLkvS4cJC5Oedto18cpHnoJz/s400/mar120543%5B1%5D.jpg" width="262" /></a></div></div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-4690186586694268872012-05-22T09:37:00.000-04:002012-05-22T09:37:59.066-04:00Job References for Captain Elias' Civilian Identity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">All quotes are entirely accurate and true.*<br />
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<em>"I curse the day he was born." </em><br />
-Thanos the Mad Titan<br />
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<em>"He's an incredibly fast learner with great ideas, a big heart and...what was that last thing?" </em><br />
-11th grade English teacher, kept on retainer.<br />
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<em>"His shape is comely and pleaseth mine eyes."</em><br />
-Thor action figure at 2am<br />
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<em>"He knows who I am."</em><br />
-George Eliot<br />
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<em>"I wish I had his creative instincts and grasp of cultural trends."</em><br />
-Joss Whedon<br />
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<em>"Wow! Just...wow."</em><br />
-IGN<br />
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<em>"He is the chosen one."</em><br />
-Morpheus<br />
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*Except for those that aren't.</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-82400626263129509972012-05-22T08:30:00.000-04:002012-05-22T08:30:35.319-04:00Joss Whedon's Musical Commentary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
This is from a couple years back already (pre-Avengers, since he still had a full head o' hair) but in light of yesterday's news that Joss will be the sole voice providing commentary on The Avengers DVD, it seems a timely discovery.<br />
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Not being a fan of Doctor Horrible where this song first appeared as a bonus item, or This American Life for that matter, I had never heard of this before. Whedonesque really let me down. Or else there must have been a day I didn't check their site (impossible!)<br />
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Either way it's worth a listen, and honestly makes me even more excited for the extra features of Avengers, though I could live without them, I swear. I just have to buy a Blu-Ray player first. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vM3Hme36g0s" width="560"></iframe><br />
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</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-9337460975452039902012-05-21T08:56:00.000-04:002012-05-21T08:56:53.308-04:00Mark Waid's Irredeemable Finale, The Avengers DVD and DC Gets Super Gay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://bleedingcool.com/">Bleeding Cool</a> has two articles of interest to me this morning, one being the news that DC has back-tracked from their policy of not altering characters' sexuality in the new 52 just because retarded (yeah, that word's still in use, deal with it PC police) people demand more "diversity" for diversity's sake:<br />
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<em>Surprisingly, DiDio stated that they had changed DC’s policy in this regard. And they are about to reintroduce a previously existing DC character who was previously straight and now will be “one of our most prominent gay characters.”</em><br />
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<br />
What are we thinking? While Clark show up with a bedazzled S logo? Are they taking Grant Morrison's Playboy article about how ridiculously gay Batman is to heart? Or are they gonna give a C-list hero a chance at the big leagues just because of who they sleep with? Probably the latter. My money's on Booster Gold. I mean just look at the guy. Plus he's from the future, and writers are always telling us how sexually enlightened the future is, where we'll all live with Captain Jack and River Song in healthy open group relationships. Perhaps we could start looking backwards--Ancient Greece was pretty open-minded, maybe Wonder Woman could snap stigma's neck once and for all. She did grow up on an exclusively female-warrior island after all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsD8AqZ_qr9ly3JOoDS_BprLigpPz3jicICZ4mCb60pzkq-P7puaBbmmKetR61Ow7Gnzy3uFKBWatErAudlEIKJhMrB3OJKAgm9Md7eZDlqRmq7OvXIizDPA_P3mdYhHdQMWlr7cTMGuqr/s1600/avengers-bluray-cover-278x350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsD8AqZ_qr9ly3JOoDS_BprLigpPz3jicICZ4mCb60pzkq-P7puaBbmmKetR61Ow7Gnzy3uFKBWatErAudlEIKJhMrB3OJKAgm9Md7eZDlqRmq7OvXIizDPA_P3mdYhHdQMWlr7cTMGuqr/s400/avengers-bluray-cover-278x350.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br />
The other article was about the Avengers Blu-Ray/DVD, out in September, the details about which have been released. Read on for that and preview of Mark Waid's final Irredeemable issue.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<em>4-Disc BD Combo Pack, 2-Disc BD Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD Combo Pack</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>1. AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON</em><br />
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<em>2. MARVEL ONE-SHOT: ITEM 47</em><br />
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</em><br />
<em>3. SECOND SCREEN</em><br />
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</em><br />
<em>4. GAG REEL</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>4. DELETED SCENES</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Alternate Opening – Maria Hill Interrogation</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Extended Scene – Loki & Barton Strategize</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Steve Rogers – Man Out of Time</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Nick Fury & World Security Council</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Extended Viaduct Fight – Raw Footage</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Fury & Hill Discuss the World Security Council</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Extended Scene – Banner and Security Guard</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>- Alternate Ending – Maria Hill Interrogation</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>5. FEATURETTES - A Visual Journey; Assembling the Ultimate Team</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>6. SOUNDGARDEN MUSIC VIDEO – Live to Rise</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>DVD</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>1. AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>2. FEATURETTE - Assembling the Ultimate Team</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/18/avengers-getting-extended-scenes-intriguing-new-ending-mystery-short-film-and-more-for-blu-ray-this-september/">BC</a> provides some interesting theories, such as One Shot being either another Coulson short film, or the rumored "some Ant-Man" scenes that Edgar Wright has supposedly shot this year already. <br />
<br />
I'm pretty curious about the Maria Hill interrogations--is she the one in the hot seat, or does she perhaps get to do post-mission briefings and question individual Avengers on their performance and mental status? Long way to go before we find out, and I'm in no rush--I still need to see it for my 2nd and 3rd time in theatres.<br />
<br />
And now, preview pages from the final issue of Irredeemable, the pretty fantastic Boom! comic by Mark Waid about a Superman gone psycho after hearing all our whispered judgments. He fairly ruined the world, his old friends and teammates fought back, a lot of stuff happened, and it was a good ride. But now it's down to Plutonian and Qubit, cause of course it is. Even Modeus couldn't outwit Qubit, so here's hoping for a happy ending. Either way, yet another book that reaffirms Waid's spot on the top of the writing heap.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=12461">via CBR</a></div><br />
</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-72150157085076987562012-05-17T09:48:00.000-04:002012-05-17T09:48:00.285-04:00Trailer for Elementary, the CBS Sherlock (Oh, and River Song Gets Booted Out of the Closet)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes. Namely, the Conan Doyle canonical source material. With my sister being as fervently in love with the volumes as possible, rereading them on an annual basis, it was pretty much inevitable that I read them myself. And I can say with zero falsity or pretension (feel free to disagree on that last one) that the stories are better than any of the dozens of adaptations that have been made.<br />
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To be fair, let's take a look at all the recent versions of Sherlock that have been produced, along with trailer for the new upcoming CBS take, Elementary<br />
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I really enjoyed the Robert Downey Jr. films. Somehow making Sherlock a fight-scene action star didn't mean they couldn't nail the mood of dark, Victorian menace outwitted by ingenious determination. Plus they were super fun. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Llfyk7gcDWNNfm93g-zmZq9c6EU9wnENx-hvhyphenhyphenwjAtvG8yKogEe01OG0l0qvnyWCBIZ7X6JKc6YOxdaSWRHpsKJ4cby8IO24kVMzK0G7kaVqsa3TE0sa_deU5na4J_uuRn0ewgRIswQu/s1600/23433%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Llfyk7gcDWNNfm93g-zmZq9c6EU9wnENx-hvhyphenhyphenwjAtvG8yKogEe01OG0l0qvnyWCBIZ7X6JKc6YOxdaSWRHpsKJ4cby8IO24kVMzK0G7kaVqsa3TE0sa_deU5na4J_uuRn0ewgRIswQu/s400/23433%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The newest British TV show was enjoyable at first, a modern take on the man and relationship, but their version of Moriarty entirely ruined it for me, and Moffat's ham-handed gay subtext is rather insulting to the actual title character, who is entirely devoid of sexuality in the stories. (Seems Moffat is even more a fan of forcing generous Kinsey scale grades on fictional characters than Russell T. Davies, what with his recent announcement that River Song/Melody Pond is apparently <a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/14/steven-moffat-outs-river-song-as-bisexual/">bisexual</a>. Cause in the future people don't have our sexual hang-ups man, dig it.)<br />
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The gender-bending continues in the upcoming American Sherlock, <a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/16/first-trailer-for-us-sherlock-holmes-show-elementary-and-official-blurb/">CBS' Elementary</a>, starring Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock in NYC and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. Yep, that's happening. Sherlock had some failure in London, apparently, and his (heretofore unheard of) wealthy Father sends him to NYC where he undergoes some rehab, and then gets assigned a "sober companion", which is apparently a job that actually exists and is carried out by addiction-specialist surgeons (?) who lost their license a couple years back after losing a patient. <br />
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I was not very interested when I heard this on a list of pilots being filmed a few months ago, both because of the heavy and forced twists to a classic story merely because of other adaptations' recent success, and said adaptations' oversaturation of the characters, but I have always had a soft spot for Lucy Liu and Johnny Lee Miller just feels familiar ever since Hackers. However the trailer, despite Bleeding Cool's generous optimism, doesn't seem convincing to me.<br />
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Liu has worked wonderfully for me many times on the big and small screens, but every successful character she's portrayed has had a hardness, a barely repressed rage or violence, controlled and expressed with precision. The few times I've seen her attempt happy-go-lucky were completely flat, and while this Watson character is certainly not super chipper, and doubtless has some dark secrets, I don't think she sells it in the trailer. Perhaps in those rare moments when she must exercise some control over Sherlock her strength and dynamic nature will come out, but since this show, despite altering setting and sexual organs, doesn't seem to be actually revolutionizing any themes, I expect Sherlock will dominate the plot and decision making as usual.<br />
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In addition, being both a primetime American series and CBS show specifically, this is going to be a procedural. Meaning, it'll be abominably slow and stretched out. No cable-series sudden developments or status quo changes, and I'm kinda bored already anticipating it. Not to mention the inevitable will-they-wont-they Sherlock Watson romantic and sexual tension, which is not something CBS/primetime show runners like to actually settle or consummate or take a chance on until the finale of the 4th season. And I'm not convinced by the trailer that Miller and Liu have any chemistry. Or why exactly Aiden Quinn keeps getting roles as "that other cop who acts as a liason". Someone stick him in a Sandra Bullock movie already.<br />
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Anyway, here's the trailer so you can judge for yourself. (I DO like the part where Holmes tears into a chick for lying, and must admit that I'll definitely give the show a chance in the Fall.)<br />
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</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-64084359531389871962012-05-16T10:53:00.000-04:002012-05-16T10:53:29.528-04:00The Guardians of the Galaxy Return!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Between comments from Kevin Feige about bringing Guardians of the Galaxy to the big screen and the uber-cool post-Avengers credits reveal, it was clear to me that the franchise is leaning in a deliciously cosmic direction. But I really had no idea just how synergistic (calm down Jack Donaghee) the overall Marvel plan was. Considering what they've done with their films I shouldn't be surprised, but they have given me yet another joyous announcement.<br />
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Over at Comic Book Resources, Marvel publishing bigwig Tom Breevort shared some big news. Avengers Assemble, the limited series written by Avengers scribe Brian Michael Bendis in his final year as the architect of that team, as a comic I didn't really consider canon, just a throw away 12 issues meant to pander to the Marvel movie fan who doesn't read comics (but after seeing Joss' fantastic movie wants to start.) They used the cinematic team line-up and brought in some old villains and I just really thought it wouldn't count in the main universe, so I didn't pick it up.<br />
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But lo and behold, not only does it count, they are using it as a platform to not only set-up the future plots of the Marvel Avengers movies, but to return the personal favorite characters who recently comprised the cast of the Guardians of The Galaxy.<br />
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According to that exciting cover and some of Breevort's quotes, Peter Quill aka Star-Lord is alive and well and apparently now blond (three things that need some 'splainin') While I may have a problem with a teutonic Quill, I won't harp on it since I'm just glad he's still in this universe. Naturally his existence begs the question, where's Nova? If both Thanos (who is the main Big Bad in Avengers Assemble) and Quill survived the implosion/explosion/destruction of the Cancerverse, why didn't Richard Rider? Screw that new Nova who crashed to Earth in AvX, I want my Rich back.<br />
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Similarly puzzling is the presence of Drax on the cover, who Thanos atomized in the same adventure that led to Star-Lord and Nova's supposed deaths. Sure as long as Thanos exists, Drax' reason for existing...exists as well. But still, it's not like he's either the Avatar of Life or Death, so how'd he come back from that? <br />
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Gamora and Rocket Racoon are ALWAYS a welcome sight, but for some strange reason it seems Bug has turned into a giant praying mantis, rather than say a charming casanova mostly-humanoid with antenna and an insectoid speech impediment. This will doubtless hurt his chances with Mantis who, as a celestial madonna with her own set of antennae, was still a super hot chick. <br />
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The article doesn't give away much information. It's mostly Breevort talking about how Bendis never got to do any cosmic Avengers stories, preferring to set them on Earth when he can have the characters chat with each other for 15 pages without incident, and this being his final year he wants to get into all of it. No mention is made of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, to my chagrin, who are responsible not only for creating and brilliantly writing the Guardians of the Galaxy series, but for bringing back Thanos, and making the cosmic Marvel universe--the myriad of races and planets, of conflicts and characters, the revitalization of heroes like Nova and Quill, the return of the Phalanx and Ultron, the newest ridiculously powerful team of the Annihilators--in short about 6 years of truly remarkable exciting enjoyable comics about life beyond Earth in the Marvel U. <br />
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I know their sale numbers weren't fantastic, or else they'd still be going on, but they had such critical acclaim and fan support I can't imagine they were all that unpopular. Their cosmic stories where the best books on the stand, and I can only hope that once Bendis has played with some of their toys, and brought them back into the mainstream, DnA will get the reins back and share with us all the fantastic plans that have been simmering in their frontal lobes while they wrote their less-successful Earth-bound superhero stories. (I have some ideas of my own if they want to contact me and brainstorm.) :-) <br />
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Mostly I'm just excited the Guardians are coming back. Groot! Vance Astro! Jack Flag! Moondragon! What have these guys been up to? Is Adam Warlock still Magus and alive somewhere? Did Phyla-Vell REALLY die when Thanos woke up? (Cause her pops' is back alive, though possibly temporarily only, and her half-bro is a Young Avenger and there's just so many stories to tell there.) These are things I want to know.<br />
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Whether or not I get those answers, major kudos to the Marvel team for bringing these folks back. </div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-82276615086501558682012-05-16T09:55:00.000-04:002012-05-16T09:55:33.726-04:00This Week's Comics - 5/16/12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
New Comic Book Day falls on a very auspicious date this week. Namely, the birthday of the incomparably beautiful and wise mother of this humble blogger. And while festivities have been pushed back to this upcoming weekend, I would like to take this opportunity to wish her a truly spectacular day and express a mere sliver of my infinite love and appreciation and respect and awe. You'll never find a better woman than her, of that you can be sure.<br />
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As for the comics lucky enough to be released on such a memorable occasion, I must first admit that Marvel is the only company receiving my funds this week, and Pick of the Week was a tough choice, until I eliminated all AvX related titles, not necessarily due to performance or saturation levels, but just to make things a bit easier for me. And even IF Daredevil #13 isn't my most anticipated or inevitably enjoyable book this week, it's definitely the greatest color. And Waid will doubtless please again.<br />
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Read on for the full pull. And Happy Birthday Momma.<br />
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<strong>MARVEL</strong> (duh)<br />
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<u>Avengers #26:</u> AvX tie-in. Setting: Space. Conflict: Probably that whole thing where Noh-Varr and Ms. Marvel join up with a recently resurrected Captain Marvel to do something/fulfill something with the Phoenix and turn on their teammates. It's doubtful Thor reacts well to such developments. I'm not super clear on whether the P force is still in space beating them up, or waking Mar-Vell, or is already planetside coursing through Hope's veins like a thousand exploding red bulls. But it's some good clean fun. Hopefully.<br />
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<u>Avengers Academy #30:</u> The Avengers kiddies and the X-kiddies are mingling on campus, but tensions are high and fighting will erupt soon (or it already has I forget.) Mostly we have Sebastian Shaw taking matters into his own, mind-wiped, well-intentioned hands to try and break out his fellow mutants and oppose the tyrannical and boring oppression of Avengers faculty. I mean, the staff includes Hank Pym, Hawkeye and Tigra. Who wouldn't rebel?<br />
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<u>Avengers Vs. X-Men #4:</u> The Avengers and the X-Men have split up into squads around the globe. Their goal: get Hope first. The actual action: fighting the crap out of each other. We got heroes in Tabula Rasa, Savage Land, Wakanda, some other places I'm sure, and of course in space. This issue is written by Hickman. I gotta say I think I'd prefer if each of these "famed" writers would take an entire act upon their shoulders and switch off every mini-arc instead of every issue. The story has yet to feel cohesive despite the editors' attempts.<br />
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<u>AvX Vs. #2</u>: The comic that focuses on the fights in this war, featuring two headline matches. This time around its Spidey vs. Colossus (which I guess they may let Colossus win just for sake of balance?) and Captain America vs. Gambit. Its impossible to even consider Gambit could win that one, but at least he'll get a chance to vent his ire about the lack of southerners on the Avengers roster (hey Remy, ever heard of Monica Rambeau aka Captain Marvel aka Photon? Cause she's from your home town and actually managed a successful small business and supported the economy of NOLA while you...stole a bunch of shit and then did odd jobs for Sinister. But I'll forgive you if you come out of the closet in your upcoming "sexy" solo title by James Asmus.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5YtFgo4mmktbobxj1ETPQL_YxJUx5d552Q3xwitVq2mDTz9RUwc0yMxPR68Cq8op1NCupD2tuIKXx5Ry361YxuZWwhO2D1OFBAd0pxj-acfBshb73DLvV4VhxbI0nrnls2Pff1p48MPy/s1600/mar120528%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5YtFgo4mmktbobxj1ETPQL_YxJUx5d552Q3xwitVq2mDTz9RUwc0yMxPR68Cq8op1NCupD2tuIKXx5Ry361YxuZWwhO2D1OFBAd0pxj-acfBshb73DLvV4VhxbI0nrnls2Pff1p48MPy/s400/mar120528%255B1%255D.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br />
<u>Daredevil #13:</u> "Megacrime and punishment" The title is enough to make this POTW, but the expected conflict solidifies the decision. After stretching out this storyline for a few months - Matt in possession of a super hardrive with information to cripple every major criminal terrorist super organization in the world, held back only by mutually assured destruction from one of the other syndicates - the fecal matter finally meets the fan and Matt must fight for his life. And finally, finally, we will apparently be starting to see Matt's happy-go-lucky mask fall away. Why did he keep the mega drive to himself? How has he washed away the painful guilt of his recent past? How stable is Matt Murdock? Buy it and find out.<br />
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<u>Fantastic Four #605.1:</u> I think I said I'd stop reading this title months ago. But it's hard for me to resist a 'secret history' origin retcon story, despite my dislike for so many of them post-reading. Still, as unremarkable as I've found Hickman, he's hit a tone closer to what I enjoy in a Fantastic Four comic, and he's almost always given some of Marvel's best artists. Also, does anyone remember that old Fantastic Four vs. X-Men limited series? Where the FF was splitting apart since they found an old journal of Reeds saying he knew what would happen when they got hit by solar flares and exposed his friends to it anyway, to change their lives on purpose? Interesting time for a past revelation, with the worlds super teams fighting each other.<br />
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<u>New Mutants #42</u>: Exiled Part 3 or whatever. In which Asgardians are still brainwashed, memory-less San Fran hippie socialist normal people. Cause nothing could make flarking THOR unattractive EXCEPT the thought of him composting and voting for Nancy Pelosi. Still it's kinda funny, when they don't bog you down in Nordic legend for 4 merciless pages, and young Loki is sorta cute, and Magma dating Mephisto bears more storytelling. Still, I wish I was buying this New Mutants #42:<br />
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<u>Uncanny X-Men #12:</u> Hopefully the AvX Battles raging around the world don't just focus on the X-tinction Team that escaped from Utopia, cause that would be some unfortunate Avengers to X-Men ratios, and more to the point a neglect of so many great characters. Still, I expect Uncanny will focus on their marquis team, or at least a division of them, sent back to Tabula Rasa the site of a recent adventure. Their alien/evolution (sorry Gillen, haven't you heard evolution's been disproved yet again? Perhaps they don't report it in England) friend will get to see them fighting yet again, as Namor and the Thing have some characteristically sparse conversation with lots of historical baggage. I kinda want to see Storm beat some Avengers up, but perhaps she's in Wakanda taking down dear hubbie (we never DID get to see that match-up, just some leading dialogue.)<br />
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<u>X-Factor #236:</u> While every other comic on this list attempts to dazzle and draw you in with their brand-new, over the top, exciting plot and characters and art, or with their modern sensibilities and mastery of the comic form, Peter David brings us a comic that looks so much like it's from his run on this title in the '90s that I forgot I wasn't wearing ripped jeans and a patagonia fleece and thinking about last night's brand new Buffy episode. I mean just look at that cover. David never does the obvious story, sticking with his set-up of completely obscure cases and how random ties to X-Factor tend to show up in every investigation. While I'd be interested to see them looking for Hope, or talking with teh Avengers, or debating to stay out of that war, this comic just doesn't exist in the same world. Same universe sure, but not the same world. And if it means getting some closure/new insight into Shatterstar and Longshot and their complicated mysterious histories? I wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
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Enjoy the comics! Happy Birthday Mazer!<br />
</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-68899175372888778132012-05-14T08:53:00.001-04:002012-05-14T09:01:02.836-04:00The Avengers Breaks More Records & Shares Some Concept Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strike></strike><br />
The numbers have come in for The Avengers' second weekend box office, and the previous 2nd weekend record ($75M for Avatar) is utterly destroyed with a whopping $103.2M. This will push the global gross of Avengers past the 1 Billion mark. <br />
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For more information check out Nikki Finke's professional expertise and constant attention to the numbers, include the painful pummeling received by Burton's Dark Shadows. Now one wonders what will happen with the upcoming release of Battleship and The Dictator.<br />
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I have faith that Avengers will keep the top spot. Sure, they're probably all exhausted by now, but an Avenger never gives up. They just need a little meal break is all. And without Jarvis, might as well grab some NYC grub.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's also been some concept art released, done prior to filming based on Whedon's script by Steven Jung and Nathan Schroeder. Both of these men worked on Thor, which is why both movies are so stunningly beautiful at moments. See the first images of the helicarrier, Tony's eco-skyscraper, and share my desire to see Thor on the real Chrysler Building. Kudos gentlemen.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also I don't know where this is from but, aw man, I just want it on my blog somewhere. We love you Agent Coulson.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div></div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-34035419975076238782012-05-09T13:37:00.000-04:002012-05-09T13:37:16.539-04:00A New Avengers Theory Regarding Agent Coulson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
So I was at my local comic shop (Chameleon Comics shout-out,) as per every Wednesday lunch break ever, and having a delightful chat with my comic shop employee buddy about the magnificence that was The Avengers.<br />
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However he expressed some chagrin at certain plot developments, and in his eagerness to find a loophole presented a potential...well, loophole. I joined in the theorizing with excitement and together we may just have stumbled upon a beautiful secret, or at least a good idea for Joss when he writes Avengers 2 (they WILL ask him back, won't they?)<br />
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Spoilers follow (like, duh.)<br />
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So, he was pissed at Coulson's death. I took it as a matter of course in any Whedon masterpiece, but shared in the grief that came with such a sudden literal back-stab, especially after all the good work Coulson has done, his fan attention, and recent introduction into the comics. <br />
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However, his thoughts were revolving around the nature of Loki's magic mind-control spear, given to him by the unknown Big Bad-henchman at the beginning of the movie. When he learned that Thanos was behind the Big Bad, and consequently that spear/sceptre thing that, with but a touch, could transform strong-willed good men into eager slaves, he concluded that perhaps the power of the spear came from one of the Infinity Gems concealed in its structure.<br />
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The Infinity Gems, for those not in the know, are six items or jewels, of tremendous cosmic power. They consist of the Mind gem, the Soul, Time, Power, Space and Reality. Each is powerful on its own and in relation to its namesake, but assembled together they give one total omniscience, omnipotence, other omnis; in short, domination over the entire universe. All the gems embedded on a large metal glove equals the Infinity Gauntlet, an item of complete control over life and death that Thanos has possessed on more than one occasion, and which was seen in the Marvel Film Universe in Odin's vault. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R-mqMudYwZiZi9QPgbN1AcKpKetYMkMEU8hov56mgXv0yO2gXOT3qK8dwMwtklS-gbz6uVvJIRfw5Z-gUKxcwRxaTxEF9yMsDgLSaW0raNj1TLbQFLYYpr2_945i8afmDj7Uy1P7xiza/s1600/SDCC_Infinity_Gauntlet%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R-mqMudYwZiZi9QPgbN1AcKpKetYMkMEU8hov56mgXv0yO2gXOT3qK8dwMwtklS-gbz6uVvJIRfw5Z-gUKxcwRxaTxEF9yMsDgLSaW0raNj1TLbQFLYYpr2_945i8afmDj7Uy1P7xiza/s400/SDCC_Infinity_Gauntlet%255B1%255D.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
So with Thanos behind all the events of the film it stands to reason that one of the Infinity Gems was used in Loki's weapon. Here's my contribution to the theory:<br />
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Back before Adam Warlock and his ragtag Infinity Watch team all protected a gem of their own, Adam saved a dying Gamora, a mind-wiped Pip, and himself by retreating <em>into </em>the Soul Gem, where they lived in a peaceful harmonious world until they needed to leave again to defeat Thanos. Again. <br />
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True it was just their souls, technically, that lived in the gem, but when they exited they seemed to have their old bodies back (or maybe there was a Reality Gem that helped create those, I'm not sure of ALL the details.)<br />
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Still, the point is this: Coulson could still be alive! His soul could have been drawn into the Soul Gem that powers Loki's staff (or by another soul already IN the gem) and he could be floating around there, happily, waiting to come out when the cosmic shit hits the cosmic fan in 2015's Avengers 2. And it's very likely that it IS the soul gem, seeing that Hawkeye and the good Scandinavian Doctor didn't merely become mindless zombies when Loki entranced them, but wholehearted, devoted, instant members of Loki's team. <br />
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Pretty nifty theory huh? Especially the main part, which is that Agent Coulson, the fantastic, deadpan, full of heart character who was essential in making this ambitious multi-movie franchise tie-in work, could someday return.<br />
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Gotta love comic shop talk.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1yGVyEr_LrnYlX3lzkXD-9rkjkKlSRQa3kDu83zDtUlZuqwThxkPgxo0O3Cj1q0j22Sq5KveMR3O6xR2D2NlQsRPorjxEiO3qAeN__WWCSDMLowz_5pFH0BtbPnKc7nJws9hTXrNVnpK/s1600/1158503-thanos_infinity_gems_1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1yGVyEr_LrnYlX3lzkXD-9rkjkKlSRQa3kDu83zDtUlZuqwThxkPgxo0O3Cj1q0j22Sq5KveMR3O6xR2D2NlQsRPorjxEiO3qAeN__WWCSDMLowz_5pFH0BtbPnKc7nJws9hTXrNVnpK/s400/1158503-thanos_infinity_gems_1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-10987420576340030772012-05-09T10:47:00.001-04:002012-05-09T10:49:30.546-04:00Joss Thanks His Fans (And Says 'I Told You So' For Me)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Over on <a href="http://whedonesque.com/">Whedonesque</a>, the wonderful Whedon-centric website of Whedon-related links that I have Whedon-checked (stretch?) daily for years, Whedon Himself submitted a post directed at his lifelong loyal fans in the wake of this stupendously succesfull record-breaking weekend.<br />
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I have in fact been terribly curious what Joss has been feeling after the monstrous numbers and glowing reviews kept coming in, and wished we were personal friends so that I could shoot an email of congratulations and the unbridled joy (and, yes, pride) I felt while watching The Avengers. Turns out I didn't have to. As usual, Joss knew how I felt and has responded, as usual, with humor, gratitude and damn fine prose. The link is <a href="http://whedonesque.com/comments/28797#more">here</a> (it also links to a silly funny vid the great man did with famous viral comedy team BriTANick) but I copy/pasted it in its entirety because it's so terrific and hilarious and I'm pretty sure he meant to address it specifically to me (and, I grudgingly admit, my fellow Whedonites.)<br />
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<em>"YeahbuhWHUH?"</em><br />
<em>--Kitty Pryde</em><em><br />
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<em>Dear Friends,</em><br />
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<em>Well, it's been quite a weekend. Someday, long from now, I will even have an emotional reaction to it, like a person would. I can't wait! But before I become blinded by this "emotion" experience, there's a few things I'd like to say. Well, type.</em><br />
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<em>People have told me that this matters, that my life is about to change. I am sure that is true. And change is good -- change is exciting. I think -- not to jinx it -- that I may finally be recognized at Comiccon. Imagine! Also, with my percentage of "the Avengers" gross, I can afford to buy... [gets call from agent. Weeps manfully. Resumes typing.] ...a fine meal. But REALLY fine, with truffles and s#!+. And I can get a studio to finance my dream project, the reboot of "Air Bud" that we all feel is so long overdue. (He could play Jai Alai! Think of the emotional ramifications of JAI ALAI!!!!)</em><br />
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<em>What doesn't change is anything that matters. What doesn't change is that I've had the smartest, most loyal, most passionate, most articulate group of -- I'm not even gonna say fans. I'm going with "peeps" -- that any cult oddity such as my bad self could have dreamt of. When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I've had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y'all. A lot of stories have come out about my "dark years", and how I'm "unrecognized"... I love these stories, because they make me seem super-important, but I have never felt the darkness (and I'm ALL about my darkness) that they described. Because I have so much. I have people, in my life, on this site, in places I've yet to discover, that always made me feel the truth of success: an artist and an audience communicating. Communicating to the point of collaborating. I've thought, "maybe I'm over; maybe I've said my piece". But never with fear. Never with rancor. Because of y'all. Because you knew me when. If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you're probably new here. (For the record, and despite my inhuman distance from the joy-joy of it: topping a box office record is super-dope. I'm an alien, not a robot.) So this is me, saying thank you. All of you. You've taken as much guff for loving my work as I have for over-writing it, and you deserve, in this our time of streaming into the main, to crow. To glow. To crow and go "I told you so", to those Joe Blows not in the know. (LAST time I hire Dr. Seuss to punch my posts up. Yeesh!) Point being, you deserve some honor, AND you deserves some FAQs answered. So please welcome my old friend and certainly not-on-my-payroll reporter/flunky, Rutherford D. Actualperson!</em><br />
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<em>RDA: So good to see you, young Joss! is it possible you've gotten more attractive since we last spoke, and less fungal in odor?</em><br />
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<em>JW: Thanks for noticing. Let's talk.</em><br />
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<em>RDA: "the Scavengers" is a huge success! Does this mean you have changed the very fabric of existence?</em><br />
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<em>JW: Dude, it's just a movie. Also, yes.</em><br />
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<em>RDA: I've seen a lot of a talk about "the Availers</em>" <em>vs "the Dark Knight Rises". How will you feel if you're eclipsed by Nolan?</em><br />
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<em>JW: I'm glad I made you ask that. I will feel sad. But let's look at the bigger picture, and I can't say this enough: THIS IS NOT A ZERO SUM GAME. Our successes, whoever has the mostest, are a boon to each other. We're in the business of proving that superhero movies aren't just eye-candy (they're eye-TRUFFLES!). People seem intent on setting us against each other, and though I'm proud to be Woody Strode to Nolan's Kirk Douglas, I think they're missing the point. Whatever TDKR does on its first weekend, the only stat that matters to me is the ticket I'M definitely buying. Nolan and Raimi INVENTED the true superhero flick, yo. (Special mention to Jon Favreau and James Gunn.) Happy to be in the mix.</em><br />
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<em>RDA: What does this mean for your upcoming slate of tiny independent films/Internet shenanigans? Will they fall by the wayside?</em><br />
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<em>JW: There may be new ideas realized -- I always leave myself open to that -- but my commitment to Wastelanders and Dr H.2 does not waver. Those stories bubble on my stove.</em><br />
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<em>RDA: And TV?</em><br />
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<em>JW: TV is my great love. To tell stories with that alacrity, intensity, and immediacy... Nothing quite like it. I imagine it's not dissimilar to the feeling great poker players have: "Here's what I got, here's where I'm going... How to trick everybody into thinking I know what I'm doing?" [Full disclosure : Joss hates poker. He is probably talking about bridge. But it should apply nonetheless.]. </em><br />
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<em>RDA: What message would you give fans of "the Lavenders" who are not so familiar with your previous work?</em><br />
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<em>JW: "Cabin In the Woods": still in (some) theaters!</em><br />
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<em>RDA: Is 'the Ravengers" a perfect movie? It did get an A+ cinemascore...</em><br />
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<em>JW: There are very few perfect movies. "The Court Jester", "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Godfather" I & II... The list does not go on and on. "The Avengers" is notably IMperfect, which makes its success mean so much more to me -- because it's striking a chord that matters MORE than its obvious flaws. Like the team, it appears to be more than the sun of its parts. Boo-yah!</em><br />
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<em>RDA: What do you feel is the greatest achievement of "the Avoiders"?</em><br />
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<em>JW: Getting "mewling quim" out there to the masses. Also, Hulk.</em><br />
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<em>RDA: Anyone in particular you'd like to thank?</em><br />
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<em>JW: [Reads from notecard]. I couldn't have done this myself. Part of this Saturn Award belongs to Jeremy Latcham, Kevin Feige, and the fine Marvel folk... But the secret ingredient is my closest peeps: J-Mo, who did uncredited punch-up work (carrier battle, yo!), Z-bro, Drew "I am Loki only taller and foppier" Goddard, and Kai, all of whom worked the story with me. Without them (and Jeremy), I'd still be figuring out how the Wasp fits in to this, and where to put Red Hulk.</em><br />
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<em>RDA: What's next for Joss "finally got it right for a change" Whedon?</em><br />
<em>JW: Can we not call me that?</em><br />
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<em>RDA: Just deal. Whut up?</em><br />
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<em>JW: I really think we should discuss that nickname, but I'm finishing "Much Ado About Nothing" this month. If you liked "the Avengers", you'll love... I can't. It's Shakespeare. And not in the park. I hope it gets watched.</em><br />
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<em>RDA: Any message to your precious "Whedonesk?"</em><br />
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<em>JW: Whedonettes?</em><br />
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<em>RDA: Weeble-eque?</em><br />
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<em>JW: I'm not aware of that group. </em><br />
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<em>RDA: Didn't they know you when?</em><br />
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<em>JW: I'm not sure who you mean. I'm discarding my old fans so I can concentrate on fame, Euro-trash guy-jewelry and my precious "Air Bud" reboot. But, dude, don't print that!</em><br />
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<em>RDA: You have my word.</em><br />
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<em>So, that's our post! Hope you enjoyed it . Hope you'll continue to carry the banner even though other people may have joined the parade. (Kind of a gay pride/Newsies vibe: sentence accomplished!) Hope you understand how I feel. Cliff notes: grateful. </em><br />
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<em>"Here's to us. Who's like us? Damn few"</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>-- Stephen Sondheim, "Merrily We Roll Along".</em><br />
<em>"It took a dog playing Jai Alai to teach us humanity!"</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>--Me, in that awesome film I'm gonna make.</em><br />
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-j., 5/9/12<br />
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[ edited by joss on 2012-05-09 15:26 ] <br />
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Thanks to Whedonesque and Joss. God bless 'em both.<br />
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</div>Captain Eliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12604628919109925935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8801353936317413912.post-34516190037285300002012-05-09T09:07:00.000-04:002012-05-09T09:07:31.930-04:00This Week's Comics - 5/9/12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Happy New Comic Day, one and all. Last week the biggest movie opener in history was the final Harry Potter. O how the world has changed, and only for the better.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But superhero movies, while fantastic, take some planning to go see and generally don't get enjoyed between the hours of 9 and 5. Their source material, however, is a different matter, so it's time to get back to the basics and buy some new comics over lunch.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pick of the Week is a tie. AvX has been kind of letting me down so far, and I'm pretty happy we're getting away from Utopia and finally setting the scene in Westchester, at Wolverine's school. The tie comes from the fact that both Wolverine & The X-Men #10 and X-Men Legacy #266 feature this storyline, and between Gage and Aaron it's just too tough to tell which will be better. So I picked both. (Honorable mentions include the new Buffy, X-Force and even Batman.)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Read on for full listage.</div><a name='more'></a><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>DARK HORSE</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u>Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 9 #9</u>: Andrew's retarded plan has come to light, and now Buffy('s soul trapped in a BuffyBot) is on her way to see Buffy('s body without her personality seemingly living a normal happy life full of gardening and tea.) Also, Simone, the slayer slash NRA spokeswoman (seriously, the Buffyverse's complete prejudice and aversion to guns is rather funny when you think about how she beat the Judge) has joined the fray and looks to get her Emily VanCamp on. But with a hairstyle like that, we all know she's doomed to fail...aside from being the bad guy and all. Loving the main cover's' semi-shout out to Ringer.</div><br />
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<strong>DC</strong><br />
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<u>Batman #9:</u> The Court of Owls. Last I checked they were attacking every semi-important public official in Gotham (they're libertarians) and also occupying Wayne Manor (they're both the 99% and the other 1...they're the 100%). Not sure how their assassination blitzes have been going, because I don't read any other Bat-books anymore, but I'm pretty sure I don't need to. In Snyder I Trust. He's got mood, history, excitement, and a firm grip on Bruce. Not in a John Travolta-masseur kinda way, cause Alfred probably does all the physical therapy, and that would just be gross.<br />
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</div><br />
<strong>MARVEL</strong><br />
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<u>Journey into Mystery #637:</u> Exiled, Part Two, in which we hopefully find out what exactly connects the New Mutants to the fate of the Asgardians', aside from Dani Moonstar being an off-again on-again Valkyrie. Also cannibal zombie hoards of myth wander through San Fransisco (fairly indistinguishable from their rampant hippie bum epidemic.)<br />
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<u>New Avengers #26</u>: The secret history of the Phoenix...again. More K'un L'un history telling us stuff we somehow never knew about the Phoenix force and its connection to the line of Iron Fists. Also they continue their introduction of yet another red-headed, identical female character who shall possess the Phoenix force. And Danny Rand connects with Hope, even though he's supposed to be in Wakanda, over his own connection to the force, ostensibly just a throwback to the Fist's history. I don't really know what's happening, just BS-ing, but hopefully this week we get more than just a bunch of pretty pictures and an actual, solid, believable, interesting backstory that fits into AvX and Marvel History.<br />
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<u>Uncanny X-Force #25:</u> 25 already? Impressive. This issue kicks off a new (equally epic, I'm told) arc called The Final Execution, featuring some characters called the Omegas who must be hunted down by X-Force. Sounds like some of the most powerful mutants in the world who have yet to join up with any X-organization, but that's just speculation. Mostly I'm hoping for some more emotionally shut-down and incapable due to using her brother to kill her other brother Pyslocke action. Despite all the fantastic character work and fun stories, Remender's done his best work on Betsy. She hasn't been so besieged, mature and strong....well, ever. Kudos.<br />
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<u>Wolverine & the X-Men #10:</u> Cyclops comes to the Jean Grey School. So do a bunch of Avengers. Iceman, with his fancy new super-powerful be-amazing ingeneous ice powers vs. the Red Hulk. 'Nuff said.<br />
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<u>X-Men Legacy #266</u>: The other side of the AvX Jean Grey School tie-in, albeit with a lamer lineup. She-Hulk, Falcon and Moon Knight are tasked with 'securing' the school. Frankly an insulting team deployment when you consider the powerhouses defending the students and what they've accomplished historically, but that's Avengers hubris for you. Some Frenzy She-Hulk beat down action might be fun, but Falcon can't have a chance against Cannonball, and Moon Knight may be crazy but Gambit's even slicker. Still, as usual, I trust Gage and hope for a fun one here.<br />
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<strong>IMAGE</strong><br />
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<u>Walking Dead #97:</u> I guess I've found another excuse to buy this snoozefest; mainly that it's almost at #100 and after all that I feel obligated, nay, slightly interested to see what happens. Considering that if it lives up to Walking Dead history, something horrific and violent and disgusting and did I mention horrific? will happen to a character I've read for years. And Kirkman's not even trying to be subtle about it. I mean, check out this cover. Hands up (see what I did there?) if you think Rick's finally gonna bite it (see what I did there again?)<br />
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