Water Baby: Love and Rockets Drawn By Frank Quietly

Please don't take my assertion -- that the ambiguously romantic relationship between Brody & Louisa in the Minx graphic novel Water Baby resembles that of Maggie & Hopey from the acclaimed Love and Rockets -- to mean that the book is derivative. It's just that the dynamic between both sets of characters, a push-pull of freedom/possession and frustrated/fulfilled desire, is very similar.

The freak shark attack that deprives main character Brody of her leg arrives fairly early in the story, leaving the rest of the graphic novel to focus on the trifecta of Brody, her best friend/occasional girlfriend Louisa, and handsome deadbeat Jake. However, the shadow of the accident hovers over the entire proceedings, in a series of gruesome-but-poetic dream sequences.

Ross Campbell's art resembles very much that of a softer, more organic Frank Quietly, managing to make Brody's truncated leg and even her occasional nose-picking sensual.

Is it ok if I say that Ross Campbell's Water Baby transcends the Minx imprint and sort of stands on its own? Will it get lost in the various "nooks" each comic book retailer and book store carves out for this line, or will it get racked up among the other graphic novel current releases? If not the latter, go hunt it out when it hits stands July 2nd.

(Oh, and apparently Mario Van Peebles makes a cameo appearance at the end...)

What 5 Graphic Novels Or Trades Should I Read This Summer?

picture of graphic novel/trade paperback bookshelf from Wild Pig Comics

Honestly, every time I go to the comic shop I feel more and more inclined to invest in one or two graphic novels or trades rather than floppies, unless the monthly series is like Incredible Herc or The Goon and I'm following it.

If I had to read five GNs or trade paperback collections this summer -- must-reads for a comic-literate person -- what would you recommend?

Final Crisis #1: Great Art, Meh Writing

First, the great: the art by J.G. Jones on Final Crisis #1 is, for the most part, a real treat. He seems to have the most fun with non-superhero stuff like the caveman sequences, in which his work really shines.

Second, the meh: Don't get me wrong, Grant Morrison is a great writer. But this is not his best work. It's not terrible. But it's "meh." I wasn't drawn in emotionally. In the parts with the Monitors, my eyes glazed over; they were opening their mouths and speaking, but in my mind all I could hear is "blahblahblahmultipleearthsblah." The "death" of one character was done in an anti-climactic, throw-away fashion that you could have missed if you blinked. And the assumption that the reader has been following DC continuity for the last three years is still there.

That last point is probably why I wasn't drawn in emotionally. Final Crisis #1 certainly might be a treat for a regular DC fan. But where does that leave new or returning readers?

Faced with Final Crisis #1, I have three choices:
1) Buy a number of trade paperbacks so I can understand what is going on better.
2) Struggle with the series without knowing the background, thus greatly reducing the emotional resonance the series might have for me.
3) Give up and buy the Starman Omnibus, showcasing a series that knew perfectly how to integrate the rich history of the DC Universe with a narrative that new and old readers could enjoy.

Well, I've already bought the Starman Omnibus.

New Comic Book Day Thoughts

Okay, I dropped by a local comic shop at lunchtime just to "take the temperature" of new comic day (one day later because of the holiday). Me & the BF have a "new comic book day" shopping ritual so I won't be purchasing until the evening.

Anyway...

Spoilers, people.

Starman Omnibus seems to be sold out in several comic shops in Manhattan, at least.

Johnny Ryan's "Angry Youth Comix" -- lots of sh*tting.

Flipped to the end of "Batman RIP" -- well, it has "one of those endings." You know what I mean. I won't bitch about it until later so as to give it room to breathe.

Flipped to the end of "Final Crisis" #1 -- so here's the difference between a book like FC and Batman RIP. I flip to ending of Batman RIP & it's like "shocking ending!" Dramatic trumpets. Easy to grasp. The end of FC #1, on the other hand, is like "Cavemen Looking Meaningfully In The Distance!" Which means it requires some actual reading to determine if I care. Dammit.

Dave Sim's Judenhass -- pretty powerful stuff. Sort of a history of not just the Holocaust but libel against Jews over the years, quotes from Martin Luther, Marlon Brando. A range. Be interested to see how the book is received by the blognoscenti.

Fred Hembeck Omnibus -- how can you not like something like this?

Marvel 1985 -- I really want this to be good. I'm hoping it's good.

Virgin Comics stuff -- You know, I'm such a big fan of Indian mythology (and mythology in general), I'm not sure why I don't pick these books up more. India Authentic: Lakshmi looks good.

All-Star Superman -- it's disorienting seeing a new issue of this title so soon after the last one. Like it's not even real.

Xena Meets Army Of Darkness -- Sigh. Does Bruce Campbell as Autolycus make an appearance in some bizarre cross-world reincarnation? Why? Why why why??? $. I know. $$$$$$$.

Northlanders -- I'd almost pick this up if it was the start of a new arc.

Skydoll -- I think this came out a week or two ago, but I would still like to pick this up. But $5.99...It almost makes me wish it was squarebound or something

Giant-Size Hulk (or whatever it's called) -- probably

there is probably more ,but I don't remember. Well, on to the other comic shop @ 6:30.

Dark Knight "Got Milk?" Ad

There's a Heath Ledger riff on this ad in my brain somewhere, I'm not going there...

No, I'm not doing it.

No, I'm not photoshopping it. No, I'm not doing it.

I'm going to my meeting. Putting computer away now. Karma is clean. At least for the next hour-and-a-half.

(via Bitten and Bound)

Val Reviews The Young Liars

David Lapham's smart and dangerous Young Liars is clearly a Vertigo title that could have benefited from a direct-to-trade release and a focused marketing campaign as an original graphic novel. While followers of Lapham's acclaimed Stray Bullets series and a comic reader with a cultivated taste for indie work in general would appreciate Young Liars, I think getting something like this out to the wider book-reading audience would have been a plus.

Young Liars features Sadie Dawkins, an unfortunate young woman with a bullet lodged in her cranium. The injury has impaired her impulse control and grasp of morality; hijinks ensue.

To be honest, I'm always a little wary of the "Paean to A Suicide Girl" type storyline, where the Normal Dude (stand-in for the reader) waxes poetic about this crazy chick he both loves and fears. Thankfully, Lapham stocks Young Liars with a host of gonzo, Kurt Vonnegut-on-crack type touches, like Sadie's pervert supermarket mogul father.


As we get to issue #2, the tone changes somewhat, gets more "local," and focuses on the life of our hapless Normal Dude, Danny. I liked this realm a little more than the over-the-top "set pieces" in the first issue, which felt like a lot of information and exposition was crammed into 22 pages. Hence the problem again I have with some Vertigo titles presented in the monthly format. It will be interesting to see what direction the story takes from this point.

Young Liars is a an ongoing monthly series from Vertigo Comics, and is recommended.

Attack Of The Legally Blondes

I came across an army of blond young women dressed in bubble-gum pink evening gowns and heels in Madison Square Park yesterday. They were part of one of those reality shows. In this particular show, they all model their lives after Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde."

Oh, the pathos, so many things I could say and ask.

How did they find these girls? Why are they doing this? How many dyed their hair especially for the show?


As I walked further to pick up some lunch, I noticed that there were straggler Elles everywhere. In the lobbies of buildings, bending over and brushing their long blond hair out. A pair of Elles running across the street, carrying their fake pink plastic purses with the logo of the show on it.

As I walk even further, a big pink double-decker bus with the logo for the Legally Blond reality show bounds down the street, heading for Madison Square Park, presumably to scoop the Elles up.

Aging Hipster And Other Subway Moments

Yesterday on my train ride home I stood next to an aging hipster sitting and listening to his rap music really loud on his headphones. I mean, if I could hear that music, he was playing it really loud.

He wore a corduroy professor's blazer and had a copy of Blender or something like that in his hands. I kept thinking that maybe he wrote for one of those magazines.

Sitting next to him was a middle-aged African-American man -- about the same age as Aging Hipster, actually -- with an Army cap. He was reading a book on how using the right words can transform your life.

And everywhere people were cradling their Blackberries and iPhones. I mean, a least 2/3rds of the train.

They didn't just hold their PDAs like they were merely another gadget, inert plastic and computer chips. They cradled them, they held on to them like a child does to a favorite blanket. Except "favorite" doesn't really convey the need with which these people held the phones.

A woman who had been burdened by carrying several plants had finally got a seat, but then immediately gave it up again for a pregnant woman.

I didn't get a seat this time. I just stood next to Aging Hipster, listening to his rap music, watching his expressionless head make a sudden quick nod every once in a while to acknowledge what he was listening to.

Pippy, The Begging Kitty

On "Sex In The City" (In A Recession)

The work of the nefarious poster defacer "The Decapitator"

Daniel Holloway said on Huffington Post last week:

"...I now look forward to Carrie Bradshaw's big screen debut about as much as I look forward to the day when I arrive in hell and am told David Spade is my roommate."

I have to admit that I share some of his sentiments, especially as regards to the intertwined areas of the aesthetics and economic practices the show seemed to extol on a regular basis. As we are within spitting distance of a recession -- and the price of a gallon a milk is quickly approaching that of a pair of my Payless shoes -- how relevant is a "Sex In The City" movie right now?

I think "Sex In The City" fostered an unrealistic portrait for women working in NYC to aspire to, especially if they weren't pulling over $70,000 a year. I think "Sex In The City" is responsible for a fair amount of credit card debt run by women who felt that, like Carrie Bradshaw, they should be wearing expensive designer shoes on their bullshit salaries -- because they have to enjoy life, dammit!


I blew $100 on a purse a few months ago, though I could ill-afford it. And to the "Sex In The City" aesthetic, that's still a cheap bag. Carrie Bradshaw wouldn't wipe her ass with a $100 handbag.

And then there are all the episodes where Carrie learns that "it's better to be alone." Oh, those fun episodes!

"Table for two, madam?"

"No. For one. I'm treating myself this time."

Of course, maybe the real thing that consoled Carrie Bradshaw about being alone and unmarried was that it reduced the danger of her getting pregnant and having to share all the money she was spending on those Manolo Blahniks on a friggin' baby. Because once you have another mouth to feed, even on that magical columnist's salary she was apparently pulling down, things change.


But isn't this always the way with TV shows? Take "Friends," for example. Another show I couldn't stand. Once again we have the magical salaries that allow the protagonists to have perfectly designed wardrobes and apartments. Sure, they had to take in roommates. But they were rooming with Courtney Cox & Matt LeBlanc. Wouldn't you take on a share with Courtney or Matt? Where's the sacrifice? I mean, if your roomie was a bi-polar piano teacher on disability who smelt like cat pee, that's a sacrifice.


Where were all the common, everyday hells for Carrie or Rachel or Joey? The shitty packed subway ride in from Brooklyn, filled with downtrodden angry people who will throw their heads back and emit primal yells of discontentment as you accidentally jostle them with your shitty $100 handbag that you could ill afford?

That's the television show I'd like to see be turned into a movie. My daily train ride.

New Disney Line Of Comics

From the press release:

"The Walt Disney Studios has signed a multi-year deal with Ahmet Zappa, Harris Katleman and Christian Beranek to oversee the newly christened Kingdom Comics, an innovative new venture of developing graphic novels to create new film projects for the Studio as well as re-imagining and rejuvenating motion pictures from the Disney live-action Vault"

Some thoughts:

• I'm happy to see new Disney comic book content
• Straight to graphic novels, eh? No floppies? <---that's the trend, folks
• "developing graphic novels to create new film projects for the Studio" sounds a little like the Virgin Comics deal, though the idea of using the comic as R&D for the movies is sort of pervasive at this point
• "re-imagining and rejuvenating motion pictures from the Disney live-action Vault" -- how 'bout those Kurt Russell flicks, huh? "Computer Wore Tennis Shoes."

oh, and one more:

• Son of Frank Zappa now working for Walt Disney.
  

Five Problems With American Comic Books

Kurt Amacker in his Comicscape column on Mania points out 5 specific problems with American comic books:

1. Convoluted Continuity
2. Crossovers and Tie-Ins
3. Delays and Scheduling
4. Overemphasis on Superheroes
5. The Fans Who Encourage/Put Up With It

I think the mainstream comic book industry's investment in all of the above as a long-term strategy is a mistake. And I think the industry is sort of schizophrenic on the issue, producing a lot of the same old thing while at the same time undermining that with new stuff. Probably not so much schizophrenic as hedging their bets and seeing what shakes out.

Personally, seeing how much Big Media is putting the pressure on their print divisions to create more web content and less paper products -- with traditional print publications like TV Guide all but extinct in favor for their digital counterparts -- I don't understand how the writing on the wall could be more clear. At least as far as digital comics go.

I just don't see the changes in all these things going on in incremental baby-steps anymore. Used to be, at least where I sat, innovations were brought in and often quietly strangled in their cradle -- because they would ruffle too many feathers, cause too much awkward moments in the transitional process.

The traditional model of mainstream American comics is like planet Krypton. It's comforting, we have a lot of real estate there, and we just installed a swimming pool. But it's gonna blow.

Black Leather Sci-Fi Chicks

Uh...
The costumes for The Baroness in the new GI Joe movie, the Underworld chick, and Trinity look kind of similar, no? Even Sienna Miller & Kate Beckinsale kinda look the same...

It's the black leather corset. A must-have crime-fighting accessory.

Val Reviews Hercules and more Hercules

Hercules #1

Radical Comics is not bulls**ting around. The first issue of their new Hercules mini-series is elaborately painted and contains an engaging, well-written story. At $1.00 for a square-bound first issue with a cover by Jim Steranko, that's not too bad.

With his Dirty Dozen type band of misfit, bad-ass warriors, Hercules almost seems like a superhero team book. But what separates the title out from a superhero-ized version of the Greek god is the grittiness and amount of detail that you would find in a traditional fantasy novel. Hercules is a comic for adults who like a good fantasy read with some teeth in it.

Hercules, a five-issue mini-series by Radical Comics, is recommended.

Hercules #117

Marvel continues to put out a solid, entertaining monthly read with The Incredible Hercules. Of course, this issue has the nifty "Secret Invasion" banner on it, which admittedly makes me nervous. Luckily, the tie-in involves Skrull gods and general world mythology, so it's not too much of a stretch from the main theme of the series.

One of my favorite aspects of the Marvel Universe is their use of the gods and goddesses of various traditions. DC does this too, but not to the extent (at least in my opinion) of the rich tapestry that Marvel has presented for over 40 years. Here is a pretty good directory of most of Marvel's offerings in the mythology department. In this issue we get not only the goddess (and former Alpha Flighter) Snowbird but badasses Tecumotzin, Amatsu-Mikaboshi, and Atum, father of the Egyptian gods. The regular superheroes sort of pale in comparison.

The Incredible Herc, an ongoing series from Marvel Comics, is recommended.

41% Of Large Companies Paying Staffers To Read Employee Email

Just another dose of paranoia to send you along into your lunchtime hour...


A recent Forrester Research study indicated the following:

• 41 percent of companies with 20,000 or more employees are paying staffers to read/analyze the contents of employees' outbound e-mail.
• 44 percent of the companies investigated an e-mail leak of confidential data in the past year.
• Specifically, companies were worried about employees leaking confidential information -- "spoilers," if you will -- on blogs, YouTube, and other forms of social media.
• 11 percent of the companies disciplined workers for improper posting on message boards and blogs.

This type of stuff is pretty standard, by the way -- the only twist is adding the blogs and message boards into the mix.

(via CNET)

No, That's Not Beating A Property Into The Ground

The New York Times reported yesterday that a direct-to-DVD Watchmen spinoffs/tie-in is in the works: "Tales of The Black Freighter." That's right, the pirate storyline in the original graphic novel. Because pirates sell.

"The immediate goal is for the parallel release to help start a potential new movie franchise. As television advertising becomes less effective because of declining TV viewership, movie studios need to reach a mass audience somehow, and having what amounts to ads sitting on store shelves is seen as a crucial antidote."

I remember me and my friends were discussing Sunday over homemade sangria Alan Moore's strong negative feelings about movie adaptations of his work. Annnnd...this is probably why, you know.

But do you think this will help finally restart the pirate comic book genre?

Monday Morning Meditation...

...on segments of the comics blogosphere, and why I increasingly blog about other topics.

My Headline: "New Thing Launched"
Commentary: "That thing is terrible! It ate my cat! How dare you cover this!"

My Headline: "This Art Is Ugly And Trite"
Commentary: "This art is beautiful! If you weren't so afraid of good clean sex between a man and a woman, you'd appreciate it as much as I do!"

My Headline: "Will This Character Die?"
Commentary 1: "This character died three years ago and came back as an albatross!"
Commentary 2: "This character already died -- and came back as an albatross! Duh!"
Commentary 3: "Didn't you remember that issue where he died only to return triumphantly as an albatross?"

My Headline: "Don't Forget To Check This Out!"
Commentary: "You're the sister of the letterer! You've got a nefarious vested interest! You're not allowed to show your support! I mean, I've got connections too -- but I'm a serious journalist!"

My Headline: "Racist?"
Commentary: "No, you're racist! F**k you!"

My Headline: "Sexist?"
Commentary: "No, you're sexist! F**k you!"

My Headline: "Not Sexist"
Commentary: "Stop hating your gender!"

My Headline: "Maybe The Industry Should Grow And Develop"
Commentary: "Why do you hate the retailers?"

My Headline: "Chicken Crosses Road"
Commentary: "I wrote a post with that subject 8 months ago! In fact, I invented chickens."

My Headline: "Women In Comics Shouldn't Be Defined By Just How They Are Oppressed By Men"
Commentary: "But then who will I continually blame for my failure and bitterness?"

My Headline: "Interview!"
Commentary: "This person ate my cat! And killed Jimmy Hoffa! And is a racist! And stole my idea for the chickens!"

My Headline: "Change Is Coming!"
Commentary: "F**k you!"

My Headline: "Here Is This Positive Thing I Found"
Commentary: "Here are 50 negatives, and also why you suck."

My Headline: "I'm So Sick Of This Petty Bullshit"
Commentary: "Oh, I see somebody is on the rag!"

So I'm pretty much just going to blog about my life, the books I like, etc. on here for now on, and keep it more like a LiveJournal thing. If you're a fan, and you enjoy the blog, that's great and it's appreciated. If you want breaking comics news, it probably will not be here. At some point I may launch something like that, but it wouldn't be an extension of Occasional Superheroine. I will also be reviewing a lot of independent comics as opposed to mainstream -- I'd say 2/3rds independent to 1/3 mainstream.

In addition, I want to get as much cross-pollination going on between those in comics and those who are outside of it but are into other things like film, art, science-fiction, etc.

And, in case you haven't noticed, I've launched a new blog, which is more of a "cool s**t I found" thing. It's only a week old, so that stated purpose might develop and change.

Finally, there are two other blogs/journals I might like to try: one on just my writing, and one focusing on the cool arts and development going on in my Brooklyn neighborhood.

As for the cranks...

TOKYOPOP's "Pilot Program"

From TOKYOPOP's "Pilot Program" series The Hidden

So TOKYOPOP has their own Zuda-like webcomics thingie: Pilot Program.

I didn't even realize they were hosting webcomics.

As their site specifies, Pilot Program is not a competition, but more of a "proving ground" in which comments and feedback by fans help direct editorial as to what comic should go on to a full-length run:

"Manga Pilots: You Read and Review--You Help Decide What We Publish!

TOKYOPOP is launching an exciting new stage in our manga development program--and we need your help. We want YOU to read, review and tell us which TOKYOPOP Manga Pilots should be made into full-length manga.

In this new program, promising manga creators are selected and hired by our editorial team to create a 24-to-36-page “pilot”—a short-form manga that will be used to determine whether or not a full-length manga will be created. The Manga Pilot will be published online for TOKYOPOP community members to review, rate, and discuss.

The Manga Pilot program is not a competition. It's a proving ground that will give manga creators exposure to an enormous audience and help TOKYOPOP develop the next generation of manga superstars. And we want YOU be part of this process. Your positive reviews, for example, may very well catapult a pilot into the stratosphere!"

The flash comic reader mimics real page turning & fits the entire "book" comfortably on the screen. Of course, there is a right-to-left page navigation.

This is on top of the fact that with blogs, private messages, fans, "clans," and more, TOKYOPOP is turning their site into an honest-and-for-true social network. More on that another time -- but it's something I think publishers are going to have to get more and more into.

My pick for Pilot Program?

The Hidden, by Barb Lien-Cooper and Preston Park Cooper.












You can read it, rate it, and leave feedback about it here.

A Question Not Of Prudery, But Taste

"It's an appealing picture of two very attractive people making out, which makes it sexy in a much more inclusive way than a lot of imagery in comics."

You know, I watched one of those soft core porn movies on cable the other day -- "Kinky Sex Club," I think it was. It did nothing to arouse me. NOTHING. Perfect bodies, 2-dimensional actors, lots of tongue as to distract us from the fact that because it's soft-core cable porn they can't show anything else. Tacky execution, no passion. After a while, I had to just scroll through it to get to the end. I think my exact quote 3/4ths into it, during the French maid threesome scene, was, "you know, if a vampire would burst through the window right now, it could almost save this movie."

That's what I think of when I see this cover.

It isn't a question of my "prudery." It's question of taste. This cover doesn't even rate as a "so bad it's good" example of fun campy/trashy erotic art. If other people think that this cover is "hot," that's fine. But, I don't.

And if this cover is presented as an example of what our industry can do in terms of erotic art -- well, that's just one more thing that makes people outside the industry roll their eyes at us. It isn't what I would use as an example. My God, I'd rather give them 4 of the better Adam Hughes covers, some Alex Toth Black Canary, and Milo Manara and call it a day.

Soft-Core Titans Action

This latest Titans cover was brought to my attention via Your Mom's Basement under the title, "Dear Penthouse, I Mean DC,"

"Really, DC? Was this necessary?

You know, when actors are simulating make-out sessions in movies, we never see the tongues. You know where we do see the tongues? Porn."

Here is a close-up view:


Obviously, this Titans series is trying to compete with the vast underground Teen Titans fan-porn community. Which isn't exactly what I meant by, "go and find out what the fans actually want." But brownie points for expanding their horizons.

Val Reviews American Dream & DC Special: Raven

Marvel's American Dream and and DC's DC Special: Raven are two superheroine solo mini-series aimed at a younger, teenage market. I hesitate to say "teenage girl market," because there is really nothing in these comics that would really be enjoyed by one gender over another. They just both skew younger; the cringeworthy use of the word "emo" on the cover of Raven #1, and the cribbed "High School Musical" blurb on the second issue, sort of testifies to that.

DC Special: Raven follows the exploits of the apparently reincarnated (or whatever) Raven as she tries to fit into high school. This gives her a chance to wear goth clothing and those cute striped leggings, thus following up on the gothic cred the character received in the late great Teen Titans cartoon series. But whereas the Raven in the cartoon was a Daria-type witty independent teen, the character in DC Special is sort of...whiny. A lot of lurching on the floor with her head in her hands going: "Oh, my psychic powers! Someone's gonna die! BUT WHO?" She alternates between this and the old standby, " just trying to fit in."

A lot has been made of Damion Scott/Robert Campanella's art and Sigmund Torre's rather stylistic and psychedelic art on this book. Some parts work better than others, but in general I don't see a serious problem with it. It's obviously geared to reach a younger, more manga-savvy audience.


That said, such an attempt to reach the teen market, possibly the female market, and maybe dare we say the new reader market, gets stymied by this maniacal insistence on shoehorning "Crisis" mentions and nods. Why is this necessary in this mini-series? The "cliffhanger" at the end of issue 1, for instance -- that mask would only be of significance to I'd say fair-to-middling DC continuity fans. It has no meaning in-and-of-itself to a new reader. Why even put it in there? I just don't get it.


American Dream, for those who don't know, is the female "version" of Captain America in the Spider-Girl universe. Written by Spider-Girl scribe Tom DeFalco, the book is in many ways a similar book, the only difference being that American Dream is older and works with a team.

The mini-series is amiable enough and the character of Shannon Carter is well-defined and multi-layered. Unlike the headstrong spunky Spider-Girl, Carter as American Dream is more straitlaced and somewhat of a workaholic. Both characters make excellent female superheroes for younger readers to enjoy.

The plot by DeFalco, involving illegal immigration, a gang of evil Avengers analogues, and these mysterious crystal men, is not as tight as that of the Spider-Girl monthly, but still enjoyable. Penciller Todd Nauck, along with inker Scott Koblish, seems to be taking a page out of Art Adams' playbook with every page, and it is a definite evolution for him as a penciller from his more angular and cartoony Young Justice days.In sum, it's great to see competing solo mini-series about young superheroines out on the stands. Will they get into the hands of the audiences they are seeming to target? Or does that happen when they are reprinted in manga-sized format?

Beer Is Recession-Proof

Just a bit of positive economic news to get the edge off of the imminent recession and high price of gas: this article that states for the record, just in case you were wondering, that beer is indeed recession-proof.

One brewer interviewed for the piece said:

"During good times and during bad times, people want to drink their beer..."

Now if we could just find a way to combine beer with comic books...

Val Reviews BOTTOMLESS BELLYBUTTON

Dash Shaw's Bottomless Bellybutton (Fantagraphics Press, 2008) is an epic tale about an accumulation of seemly unepic events. The Looney family reunion starts with the 70+ year old matriarch announcing she is divorcing her husband. As can be expected, the news has an impact on rest of the family, all in different ways. As they struggle to understand why someone in presumably the tail-end of her life would decide now to make such a decision -- and presumably live and even die alone -- they all learn a little something about themselves.

Clocking in at 720 pages, Bottomless Bellybutton might seem a pretty hardcore reading assignment. But, the length merely means you get the actual equivalent of a novels-worth of story and detail. Its similarity to an actual novel in terms of scope and subject matter leads me to think this book might also be perfect for a non "fan" friend or family member who you would like to introduce comic book reading to.

I devoured this book in 2 1/2 days, by the way, a few hours every night after work. A pleasure, with a understated but moving ending that lingers with you long after the book is done.

Bottomless Bellybutton
By Dash Shaw
Published by Fantagraphics Press
Available at your better-stocked comic shops, larger book-selling chains, and a bunch of places online.

Penny Arcade Uses Flamebait From Critic As Promotional Material

The creators of the webcomic Penny Arcade used flamebait from one of their harshest critics, Denis Duckfat, in the promotions for their new game on Xbox Live. This unusual promotional strategy flies in the face of contemporary wisdom -- that one should push the gushing glowing quotes, not stuff like:

"Penny Arcade sucks and is unfunny..."

Personally, I think it's brilliant. And inspirational.

Just think of it:

THE CRITICS HATE OCCASIONAL SUPERHEROINE:

"She Cries Like A Girl! Ha-Ha!"
--The Artist Formerly Known As Nelson Muntz

"I deserved that magazine article more than that untalented slag. How dare she. In fact, I am so nonplussed by that banal creature that I think I shall blog about her all the time just to emphasize how unimportant she is."
--Dick K. Philip

"Occasional Superheroine provides me with a platform with which to express my deeply repressed hatred of strong women by hiding it behind a bunch of manufactured outrage over bullshit. For that...I am strangely grateful. Thank you, Occasional Superheroine."
--Theodore "Teddy Bear" Parsley Jr.

"My growing resentment of her is slowly supplanting my previous backhanded compliments."
--Lancha Elsechester

"Nice girls don't use that word."
--Mom

Direct-To-Trade: Vertigo Should Do This!

Brian Wood asks on his LiveJournal:

"Let's suppose a book like DMZ stopped coming out monthly and instead you got a 150-page original graphic novel every seven months or so, same production values as the trades, same everything as the trades. But obviously the cover price would have to go up...

So how much would you pay for it? What's the highest that price tag could be before you decide it's too expensive to buy it?"

Of course, this is the model that Vertigo should be doing. At the very most, have 2-3 strong-selling monthly floppies (if any), and everything else would be in graphic novel form right off the bat. Be easier to sell, get them right in the bookstores, easier to market, easier to promote.

6 issues for $20. Squarebound, decent paper, suitable for viewing upon your bookshelf.

This is indeed the wave of the future.

And should this model apply to regular ol' DC and Marvel comics as well?

I'm trying to be conservative about this. Let's just say Vertigo. For now.

Richard Dreyfuss To Appear At Comic Book Convention?!

Okay, the girls from Heroes I understand. Val Kilmer raises my eyebrows a bit -- but I get it.

But Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss?!

Is it a sign of the recession? Is he just not getting the gigs he used to? Is he doing it for Roy Scheider?

Look, there is no shame at appearing at a comic book convention. If anything, the Dreyfuss appearance tells me that these comic cons are changing, are become more like general pop-culture festivals and less comic book-oriented. This was surely evident at the last New York Comic Con.

But Richard "The Goodbye Girl" Dreyfuss? Really? At Big Apple Con?

I will be hanging out with Captain Lou Albano, personally.

Following Both Final Crisis and Secret Invasion Will Cost Over $400

Via Newsarama, who swears that "no editorial judgment" went into this assessment; just unbiased math.

"...if you’re one of those people who are looking at both, and we know you’re out there, together, both will set you back $432.12 for 133 books from now through the end of the year.

There you have it. We’ll no doubt revisit both Secret Invasion and Final Crisis totals as future solicitations come out, and we discern individual issues of import to add. Happy shopping!"

Dude. We're on the edge of a recession.

This just doesn't work. Readers can't be forced to follow this many books to understand the story. I'm not saying this because I think huge events like this are wrong from a personal standpoint. But from a business standpoint -- this publishing model only really benefits from the hardcore readers who were buying all the books anyway. Any new reader is going to view their checklist and freak the f**k out and say "this is way too much of an investment for me."

This isn't an editorial judgment either. I'm just telling it like it is. I know people who are considering ending their cable service in order to save money. I know people who won't go out with everyone else at lunchtime at the office in order to eat in and save money. Everybody is trying to save money. Who has $200 to spend on a large comic book story, much less $400? Not only does this discourage the new reader, but it puts many committed readers in a bit of a pickle.

I don't collect events. I just keep buying my regular titles, even the crossover issues, and hope that the story will be comprehensible enough. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. But that's the way I'm doing it. Not because I hate events. Because I don't have the money -- and, to be frank, the quality of events over the last 5 years has been a mixed bag. Does DC expect readers to shell out at least $200 for Final Crisis after expecting them to buy the weekly Countdown for a year?

Where is the incentive?

Indy 4 Gripe (Spoilers)

(spoilers)
(spoilers)
(spoilers)


(spoilers)

No, do not tell me that frickin' aliens show up at the end of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

No. No way. C'mon, people!

The Indy mythos to me always seemed wrapped up in a pre-atomic age world of movie serials and pseudo-religious supernaturalism. I think introducing aliens and stuff -- especially to that blatant extent -- really waters down the brand.

It's like Star Wars/ET meets Indiana Jones -- which, given the persons involved, would be appropriate, but still rather self-referential and unnecessary.

Oh, man.

Also, I don't think I've ever seen such a huge collection of lukewarm positive reviews for a movie. It's all like: "Well, there was no need for the film, and it really wasn't that great, but you know Indy is a cultural institution and I'm not the one who is going to pee in the punch."

But still looking great for her age:

400 Pages Of John Byrne

IDW is offering up for sale 400 pages of John Byrne's early 90s series Next Men in one big volume next week...

"Now, John Byrne's Next Men series is back, collected in thick, black-and-white volumes, the first one offering 400+ pages of fantastic story and art. The first, “honkin’ phonebook-sized”—so described by Byrne himself—of John Byrne’s Compleat Next Men will be in stores May 28.

In addition to the first 12-issues of Next Men, IDW Publishing’s collection of John Byrne’s Compleat Next Men, Volume 1 includes the series’ original story, the 64-page 2112 graphic novel, as well as the MIV back-up strips that ran in the original comics."

Does anybody know how much this is going to cost?

This is sort of like Byrne's renaissance over there at IDW...

The Perils Of Contentment

2006: Size 0

2007: Size 2

January 2008: Size 4

May 2008: Size 6

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that size 6 is overweight and I'd rather be happy than unhappy. But as I went shopping for shorts at Express today, I couldn't help but notice.

Some of this is due to being at a job you like that feeds you really, really well. How can I resist the giant chocolate chip cookie in our pantry at 3:00 when my energy is flagging? It's like offering crack to a crackhead. There is no way I can turn it down. It's a soft chocolate chip cookie. Many chips. I eat it and: instant energy! I zoom through the e-mails in my inbox. I scan the 300+ blogs on my feeds. Multiple postings. Zip, zip zip!

Is it unhealthy? Will I not be attractive anymore at 6? What if I reach 8? Will it all be over then?

I should start an exercise program.

On the up side, I actually am in possession of a bottom now. When I was a size zero, I had no bottom. But now I have one. So that's grand.

I really should start an exercise program.

I was reading in this women's spirituality magazine the other day that we should honor the belly because it is the woman's seat of power. I don't know about that, but I feel less fragile as a size 6. Size zero or two, especially at my height, is a bit fragile.

F**k it, I'm enjoying the rest of my day.

The Hit Of 1998: DC Heroes Versus Mortal Kombat

Um, I think "hooray" and stuff for a new DC game, really, and the graphics are good --

But why a Mortal Kombat Krossover? Now? In 2008?

Shouldn't Superman and Batman be going after Nico from Grand Theft Auto or something?

Jack Sparrow and Tarzan Allegedly Molested At Disneyland

A former Jack Sparrow for Disneyland spills all to Los Angeles Magazine, and alleges that him and Tarzan used to get propositioned and molested by female patrons.

"Disney warned us we were going to have a lot of horny women coming on to us. "

Specifically, he said that there was "excessive pinching of Tarzan’s ass by the park’s female visitors," and that one woman humped his leg. He also claims to have been given X-rated notes and offered blow jobs by women infatuated by the Pirates Of The Caribbean character.

But because we live in a patriarchy and men hold the power in society, it was all rather adorable and inoffensive.

Fun fact: where did this Disneyland Captain Jack get his start? You guessed it -- dressing up at San Diego Comic Con!

Shia: Flesh and Fantasy

I don't understand why I can't be left alone to enjoy Shia for the months or weeks left he has before the American zeitgeist declares him overexposed. It's all so full of hope now; so innocent. It could even last longer than Hayden Christensen.

That said, looking over the GQ photos of Shia, I have to say he just doesn't come off with a hell of a lot of personality. Those candid photos of him smoking and ducking the camera are far more real and compelling. In those photos we see the real Shia LeBeouf, the "what the f**k?" Shia, the Shia that exists between takes.

Gone are the puppy dog eyes, gone is the earnest but blank expression, gone are the painful hours of blowdrying his hair straight, and in its place the real deal, the "f**k it's early" Shia, or the "f**k it's late" Shia. In fact, his name really isn't Shia in those photos. It's Frank. Frank LaBeouf.

Frank LaBeouf

Except in this photo, in which his name is clearly Goober:

Cigarette Martyr

Mother Of All Rants

Yesterday, I did a series of tongue-in-cheek posts regarding the Zuda competition. It has been brought to my attention that there are some people who didn't get the joke. I was going to post an Andy Kaufman clip as a response, but I was afraid there would be a series of posts in response entitled "Valerie Posts Clip Of Crazy Man On Bongos." And of course, we don't want that.

Every day I check over 300 blogs across three feed readers. I do this for my job, my personal blogs, and my entertainment. I have the blogs separated out in every category you can think of: environment, politics, movies, music, arts and design, etc.

As time passes, my number of comic book feeds get smaller and smaller. I look at them less and less. Not because I hate comics. Not because I don't think comic books are relevant as a topic of discourse and news.

But take for example the "news" story yesterday regarding a "women in comics roundtable."

All over my comics feed were posts about this women in comics thing.

And I think to myself: well, this must be this intriguing thing!

But what is it really?

The same questions, and very similar answers, as most of these women in comics roundtables.

Hey, I thought the women in comics panel Friends of Lulu had was great. I mean that -- it was a truly magical time.

But how many times can you read/listen to/answer the same questions and the same answers?

It's banal, already. Surely a female in comics has more interesting insights to espouse than why they think there aren't enough women in the biz. Like about their art, for instance.

I'd love to go on one of those panels and just give unexpected answers:

"Who is your favorite female mainstream comics writer?"
"Brian Michael Bendis."

See? Unexpected.

"Do you think there is sexism in the comic book industry?"
"Well, I certainly think there is a lot of sex in the comic book industry. Broom closets, on top of conference room tables..."

But then you would get a post like

"Occasional Superheroine Degrades Legitimate Concerns About Sexism"

And everything I said would be scrutinized and parsed and quoted, a passel of remarks spanning from the anal-retentive to the snarky to the flat-out bitchy.

"Occasional Superheroine Uses Sexist Term Bitchy"

Other headlines:

"Gail Simone Named Most Popular Female Superhero Writer With A Regular Paycheck."

That's like saying

"Valerie D'Orazio Named Most Popular Italian-Brazilian Comic Book Blogger Who Wears Size 4 Pants and Has A Flaw Under Her Right Eye."

What's comic book news? That I chose to moderate my comments? That certain segments of the comic book blogosphere were so utterly lacking in anything interesting to write about that they actually did posts on that topic, as if this was their version of Meet The Press, the best they could do?

Comics Blogosphere Hot Topic: Val moderates comments
Environmental Blogosphere Hot Topic: Extinction of polar bear

Really, anybody with the time on their hands to go take this or that post I've made and turn it into their little cause du jour -- God bless you. Get it out of your system. Make this blogosphere that much more insular and self-referential. I do not give a shit anymore. There comes a point where it's like -- this shit is beneath me.

"Occasional Superheroine Says This Shit Is Beneath Her; Hates Comics"

I'm not interested in insularity and in-jokes -- I'm interested in how to present comics in a way that people outside the niche can appreciate. The f**king inbreeding in all facets of comics -- from the books themselves to the media who covers them -- has to end (and trust me -- it's ending whether you like it or not. The mainstream publishers aren't as clueless as you think). I have no interest in the inbred facets of the comic book maelstrom anymore. I'm not interested in reading about the one billionth generic "women in comics" interview. Sometimes I'm not even interested about discussing sexism in comics anymore, because it's like repeating the same old story of woe over and over again:

"Then he said he liked fat girls...and looked at Me!"

How many times do we need to tell this story? Isn't it archived on the Internet already? Can't we do a Google search on "Occasional Superheroine + F**king Sexist Pig" and get everything I've ever spoken on the subject?

I want to f**king move on, man! I gotta hear this "oh, he called you out on his blog" shit, like I am in f**king high-school. Like I'm supposed to respond, like I'm supposed to meet up with them after school and reenact the switchblade scene from "Rebel Without A Cause."

"She slashed your tires, man!"
"Now I've got to walk home from the observatory! F**k!"

I am 34 years old. I help create blogs and online social networks. I write comics (and I can't wait for the bitching to start on that -- that's going to be good). I'm interested in spirituality, politics, and environmental issues. I have an academic background in American Literature, focusing on Mark Twain, and Shakespeare. I buy about 3-5 comic books a week. My current favorite comic creators are Kevin Huizenga, Eric Powell, and anybody who reminds me of Kevin Huizenga (whether they're legitimately reminiscent of Huizenga or not).

Between my job, my personal interests, my writing, and being the President of Friends Of Lulu, I don't have a lot of free time. I've had to scale the blogging back. I'll blog what I want -- it's my dime.

I don't have the time anymore for the self-referential snark orgy that this here blog thing seems to ensnare me in. Honestly, if it's not from an associate, a friend, a fan or somebody with an offer to help me make more money so I can feel financially secure enough to have a child before my ovaries turn into eggshells: I do not give a shit.

So ends Mother Of All Rants. Copyright 2008. For your signed copy of Mother Of All Rants, printed on lovely cardstock suitable for framing, contact me.

Experiment: Let's All Vote For Brendan McGinley On Zuda

Sure, I like Brendan McGinley and Mauro Vargas's Hannibal Goes To Rome strip on Zuda --

But this is more than that.

I'm curious as to how many people we can get to vote for Hannibal Goes To Rome in the competition.

How vast is the reach of Occasional Superheroine?

See, if we get this down, then we can all mobilize and vote in Jesse Ventura as president.

Click over to http://zudacomics.com/node/376, register and vote before May 30, add the comic as your favorite, and then copy and forward this email to at least two or three friends.

Be sure to write in your comments for Hannibal Goes To Rome that you were directed there by Occasional Superheroine. :-D

If you for some reason don't like Hannibal Goes To Rome, then why not try Neil Kleid's Action, Ohio and vote for it?

(Of course, if Neil wants me to do a "Let's All Vote For Neil Kleid" post, I could do that and really screw with the whole process...)

George Takei To Marry Long-Term Partner

One day after the California ruling overturning the ban on gay marriage, Star Trek's original Sulu George Takei announced his intention to marry his long-term partner Brad Altman. Takei wrote on his website:

"The California Supreme Court has ruled that all Californians have a fundamental right to marry the person he or she loves. Brad and I have shared our lives together for over 21 years...He is my love and I can't imagine life without him. Now, we have the dignity, as well as all the responsibilities, of marriage."

Good for him! I hope this overturn sticks and we can all move past this issue. If two people really love and are devoted to each other they should be able to get married.

Indie Spotlight: Recommended

Hi All,

I thought I would clean out my "in box" a bit and recommend a few indie books I've read and enjoyed lately...


The Walking Away World by Kenneth Patchen is in some ways very much a prototype of some of the current crop of independent books -- I find a bit of his work in everything from Kevin Huizenga to Chris Ware. Patchen was a performing artist who in the late 1950s had to cut his work short following spinal surgery; the resulting back pain only allowed him to continue his art in the form of the "picture poems" in this book. Some powerful stuff; as Jim Woodring says in the introduction, his work is "not to be approached lightly."

"The Walking Away World" will be available from New Directions in July 08.



Injury #2 by Ted May, M. Jason Robards, and Jeff Wilson was a great anthology of stories that reminded me of Dan Clowes's work. I especially liked the first story, "Hair of the Dog," a tale about heavy metal gods & love sort of won and sort of lost. Would definitely pick up another issue.

Injury is put out by Buenaventura Press and can be purchased at your finer comic book stores or through here.



Ganges by Kevin Huizenga is always a pleasure to read; this magazine-sized series, part of Fantagraphics Press's Ignatz line, is a must-have. The latest issue focuses on how the employees at Kevin's old job became obsessed with a certain video game -- and how the drama of the game reflected what was going on at the company in real life.

Ganges can be purchased at finer comic book stores or here.



Soap Opera by Emily Blair is a haunting, David Lynch style one-shot rendered in a woodcut style. The plot focuses on the strained friendship of two women, and the soap opera character that mysteriously seems to be the connecting thread between the two of them. Emily Blair's work is quite a revelation.

Soap Opera can be purchased here.

"Red Dawn" To Be Remade

Do you remember that awesome fearmongering bratpackian feat of 80s cinema called RED DAWN?

Well, MGM plans to remake it.


Now the question is: do they use Russians again as the bad guys? Or the fearmongering boogeymen du jour?

Can the Republican Party get this made before the election?

How about C. Thomas Howell? Can we get him involved?


Oh man that movie made me so paranoid as a youngster...

But the "Say You, Say Me" scene in White Nights cleansed me of my fears of a Soviet world:

Experiment: Let's All Vote For Neil Kleid On Zuda

Sure, I like Neil Kleid and Paul Salvi's Action, Ohio strip on Zuda --

But this is more than that.

I'm curious as to how many people we can get to vote for Action, Ohio in the competition.

How vast is the reach of Occasional Superheroine?

See, if we get this down, then we can all mobilize and vote in Jesse Ventura as president.

Here's the instructions, per Neil's Action, Ohio Facebook group:

"Click over to www.zudacomics.com/node/438, register and vote before May 30 (it takes a moment), add the comic as your favorite, and then copy and forward this email to at least two or three friends."

Be sure to write in your comments for Action, Ohio that you were directed there by Occasional Superheroine. :-D

If you for some reason don't like Action, Ohio, then why not try Brendan McGinley's Hannibal Goes To Rome and vote for it?

(Of course, if Brendan wants me to do a "Let's All Vote For Brendan McGinley" post, I could do that and really screw with the whole process...)

Study: 90 Percent Of Teenage Girls Report Sexual Harassment

According to a recent study, 90% of teenage girls have said they were sexually harassed:

"Ninety percent of girls reported experiencing sexual harassment at least once. Specifically, 67 percent of girls reported receiving unwanted romantic attention, 62 percent were exposed to demeaning gender-related comments, 58 percent were teased because of their appearance, 52 percent received unwanted physical contact and 25 percent were bullied or threatened with harm by a male. 52 percent of girls also reported receiving discouraging gender-based comments on the math, science and computer abilities, usually from male peers, and 76 percent of girls reported sexist comments on their athletic abilities, again predominantly from male peers."

But, I found this part the most interesting:

"Girls who had been exposed to feminist ideas, either through the media or an adult such as a mother or teacher, were more likely to identify and report sexist behavior than were girls who had no information about feminism."

The flipside is that those girls who weren't exposed to the feminist ideas tended to blame themselves for the harassment.

And the bottom-line is that, at least according to the data presented by the study, culture plays a large part in how these young women interpret the harassment, and what their next steps are after being harassed.

Of course, there is always using YouTube to report harassment and sexual assault.

New Punisher War Zone Movie Photos

From /film are a set of new photos from the upcoming "Punisher: War Zone" movie:


I dunno, shades of this guy?

Dark Knight Joker Figure F**king Creepy

Now that I've had time to think about it, I can honestly say that this figure is f**king creepy.

Giving a kid this toy is like giving a kid an Aleister Crowley action figure to play with.

Wolverdickery

This excerpt from "Wolverine: First Class" demonstrates that "no, Logan can't be your BFF!"



(via Scans Daily)

Drawings Of Superheroes As Old People

From the blog of artist Donald Soffritti, who has pics of Elektra, Supergirl, Spider-Man and more as elderly crime fighters.

Watch out, Donald! Warner Brothers might sue you if you sell this picture for charity!

Marvel Cohesion Versus DC Fragmentation?

I came across this link via The Beat regarding a theory why Marvel is doing so much better in the movie department than slowpoke DC. The theory goes like this:

Marvel takes a cohesive, "universal" approach in which they are not only totally involved with the movie-making process, but has no problem with characters crossing over with each other (as long as it's all in the same studio).

In contrast, Warner Bros keeps DC out of the loop to an extent in the process of developing and adapting their movies, and different filmmakers hold "fiefdoms" over certain characters, making crossovers difficult or unlikely.

This is then extended to the philosophies of the individual comic book companies in general.

Which brings me to the concept of separate "offices" for separate sets of characters.

One of the most striking aspects of the DC Comics editorial management was the concept of "offices" or "groups." There was a Superman Office. A Bat-Group. A Justice League group. And several editors who handled "etceteras."

This was akin to keeping all your food separate on a plate with one of those sectioned-off plates you'd get at school or camp. Corn does not touch mashed potatoes.

An editor would be in charge of all the comics related to Batman, for example. Now, say another editor from a different group wanted to use Batman in a Hawkman comic -- they had to clear it with the editor.

What happened when characters were not cleared with the individual group editors?

Anger, accusations, fights, screaming matches.

"How dare you include blahblah in that crowd scene! She's on the planet Nimrod this month, encased in a vat of yogurt! Didn't you read my goddamn e-mail?!"

As you can imagine, this made the editing of JLA really fun.

A side-effect of this was that it was just easier not to have characters cross over into other books.

And senior editors would be in charge of certain characters for long periods of time, to the point of it being this seemingly unchangeable, monolithic thing.

On one hand, such an approach I'm sure helped the interior continuity of the titles. On the other, it was a method that threatened to render certain characters "stale," their spinoffs and miniseries sort of inbred and uniform.

When Dan DiDio came in, he expressed a desire to "change up" the different groups and offices. He felt that if the heads of different offices were switched every once in a while, that would promote innovation.

As for whether the fragmentation into different isolated SuperGroups and Bat-Offices was changed for a more cohesive group effort, I have no idea. Maybe it has changed.

But when you are stuck in an office for 8+ hours a day, staring at those damn comics in various forms of production, I can see how you could become maniacally possessive of your "fiefdom." I think fiefdoms are bad for comics, though. And maybe bad for comic book movies as well.

Ode To Shia LaBeouf

"My Boyfriend Hates Shia"

My boyfriend hates Shia,
I do not know why-a
But every time that Indy ad airs
He makes me want to cry-a

My boyfriend hates Shia,
Maybe it's his puppy-dog eyes
Maybe it's because he's overrated
Maybe it's because of Transformers

My boyfriend hates Shia,
But he let me watch him on SNL,
But we can't go see Indy
So instead it's that stupid Ashton Kutcher movie

My boyfriend hates Shia,
I do not know why-a
He should know that it's not Shia I love
Though his performance in Disturbia was considered "breakout"

Captain America's Shield In Iron Man Movie?

Is that Captain America's shield in one "Iron Man" movie scene?

And if it is -- what does it mean?

In the cinematic Marvel Universe, does Tony Stark build the shield that Captain America will eventually use?

And if this is is the shield, was it originally in the film? Or added later as a way to tie the proposed Captain America movie into the mythos?

(via toysrevil)

Would You Bring Back Steve Rogers?

Spoilers (maybe. who knows at this point)

At the end of Secret Invasion #2 there are some suggestions that Steve Rogers may or may not be back. With all these events, I take these suggestions with a huge grain of salt. But there you go.

If they could bring back Steve Rogers, would you go for it? Or, even if you really liked him as a character, would prefer he stay dead to keep the integrity of the character or the stories?

Should Newsarama Apologize Over Jihad Remark?

When Captain Britain and MI: 13 writer Paul Cornell gets interviewed by Newsarama, hilarity ensues.

The whole clusterf**k, paraphrased (read the entire version here. you apparently won't find it on the site because it's been edited out, but a screen-capture is available at the link.):

Writer: The character is a normal, everyday person who just happens to be of the Muslim faith. Her religion is not a big issue for her, and she is not completely defined by it.

Newsarama Reporter: So what's her jihad holy-war in this book?


Now the question is, should Newsarama or the reporter officially apologize to Muslims for this? Or just let it blow over and figure people will forget?

Whatever the case, considering that Newsarama is transferring over to a more mainstream and credible group of news and information sites, maybe they should vet their articles and interviews a bit more closely in the future.

Live-Action Fraggle Rock Movie In Works

Remember Fraggle Rock? I didn't watch a lot of it as a kid, because it was on cable and we didn't have cable. But there was this video compilation I used to watch a lot.

Anyway, apparently the Weinstein Company is making a live-action movie musical based on the TV show. They said they aren't going to deviate from the format a lot -- but I wonder, since it's live-action, if that means they are going to use puppets or grown men in mascot outfits?

I'm not sure how I feel about this trend of turning old kid's shows into movies. Scooby-Doo 1 and 2 were, in my opinion, sort of unwatchable. Rocky & Bullwinkle and Garfield made me want to tear my eyes out. And the jury is still out on Speed Racer, but it's not breaking any records.

What do you think? Is Hollywood sucking our childhood memories dry?

The Top Ten Reasons Why Ultimate Origins Will Be The Ultimate

As usual, from my inbox to your eyeballs...


I'm betting $50 that the "dazzling" new Ultimate character is Ultimate Dazzler...

Indie Comics Spotlight: Road Trip!

Summer for many of us involves travel and vacation plans. Marion Vitus's "No In-Between" and Sarah Glidden's "How To Understand Israel In 60 Days Or Less" are two autobiographical mini-comics about protagonists abroad -- and feature an unique perspective on their destinations that only the artists could provide.

Communication gap in Marion Vitus's "No In-Between"

In "No In-Between," the main character ends her relationship and her job in one fell swoop, deciding to take a chance on life by backpacking across Europe. A brief romance in Italy with a native proves both to be exhilarating and disillusioning. But, with every setback she bounces back and develops a self-confidence and zest of life that was lacking in her pre-trip life circa the first issue.

"No In-Between" is also fascinating to look at as a document of how one comic book artist searched for and settled into her own style of illustration, the fun but cartoony art of the first issue evolving into a far more painterly and expressionistic mode by issue 6.

Sarah Glidden gets questioned by airport security
about her Bat Mitzvah in
"How To Understand Israel In 60 Days Or Less"

"How To Understand Israel In 60 Days Or Less" revolves around Sarah's trip to Israel as part of a "birthright" program that provides young Jews with an all-expenses paid trip to the country. While she is obviously excited to travel to Israel, she is also acutely aware of the spectre of conflict that shadows the region.

The comic provides us with a fascinating insight on the the entire process of traveling to Israel -- from the check-in at the El Al terminal where forgetting your Hebrew name might mean getting flagged for a search, to the "Golan Magic Visitors Center." The simple art style (reminiscent of Kevin Huizenga) and mostly nine-panel grid layout gives artist Glidden a controlled area within which to sort out her conflicting thoughts on the region.

Both Marion Vitus and Sarah Glidden are talented artists and storytellers who make the most out of a DIY comic printing budget -- both women packaging their comics in ingenious and visually-appealing ways.

You can read "No In-Between" online here, and purchase it at the Comics Bakery booth at finer comic book conventions.

You can read previews and purchase copies of "How To Understand Israel In 60 Days Or Less" here.

Marvel & DC Fans: Out-Of-Continuity Titles OK?

How important is it to you that your Batman or Spider-man comic be in-continuity? Would you collect a monthly "stand alone" Batman or Spider-man series that was not in continuity?

What spurred this question on is an interview with new Brave and Bold writer J. Michael Straczynski on Newsarama. Brave and Bold has become a cause celebre as of late, with some bloggers asking why more people aren't picking up the title. I haven't been following Brave and Bold myself, but apparently -- at least according to the interview with Straczynski, the stories are either not in continuity or the continuity is not observed closely.

If you are a superhero comics fan, how important is continuity to you? If Brave and Bold features cool but not in-continuity stories, are you ok with that? Or do feel as if the stories "don't mean as much?"


Stand-alone stories or arcs relatively untouched by the continuity was the motivation behind the DC "Classified" books, which started with JLA. Originally, the stories in JLA Classified were supposed to be in the monthly series. The idea was that instead of running stories encumbered by the the continuity of the JLA-ers monthly solo books, several high-profile teams could create stand-alone arcs. These arcs could be worked on all at the same time, without worrying about continuity (or slow artists), and "banked" for future issues and arcs.

But, I think somewhere along the line DC got cold feet on the concept, and decided to put the stories in their own title. Thus leaving the monthly JLA title to be the continuity-heavy title it currently is.

But would you even be interested in JLA stories that didn't reflect or change the status quo? Or is simply having a good story more important?

Note: I realize that both Brave and Bold & JLA Classified are supposed to take place in a "fuzzy" continuity area -- with the stories in Classified supposedly taking place in the JLA's past. But my question remains. If you see a JLA story not reflecting the current status quo, but referencing an undefined past, are you okay with that? Case in point: The New Frontier. Not exactly "canon." But enjoyable, right?

Val Reviews Grand Theft Auto IV: Liberty City

Yesterday night I had the good fortune to watch a demo of Grand Theft Auto IV: Liberty City, and so I figured I'd add my two cents about it.

From a purely technical standpoint, the level of technology and research that went into this game is mind-boggling. Grand Theft Auto IV allows players to navigate through a pretty damn near perfect rendering of New York City, including Queens and Brooklyn. When I mean a pretty damn near perfect rendering, I mean that I could drive by my f**king block. "Hey, I know that crappy nails place on the corner!" I mean: like that.

The game was so hyper-realistic in terms of navigation and environment that it almost made me feel self-conscious about living where I do. Because: here is my humdrum, banal, everyday environment being replicated and presented back to me in a f**king video game. It's not happy mushroom land. It's my neighborhood! With all the sad alleys. And not even sad alleys like in Batman movies. I mean, my f**king sad alleys!

It really makes you think, that with technology like that in the future you could chuck the whole game component altogether and just have actual travelogues for people in this format. "Drive through the streets of Seattle! On Playstation 3!" Marry this game with the tech from Google Maps and those satellite shots. The possibilities are endless.


Okay, enough of the sublime. Let's get to the cop-killing.

There was only one thing that bothered me about the game, and that was the cop-killing. That really made me cringe, because even though there is a LCPD name on the police cars they are so obviously NYPD cars. I mean, you could steal a car in this game and try to outrun the police. Then, you could be cornered by the police and either turn yourself in (so I've been told) or take out your big gun and blast them into little bitty bloody pieces.

I'm not for censoring this game or anything like that, but I'm just telling you that those scenes made me cringe -- and I think a lot of that has to do with the hyper-reality of the game as a whole. In another part of the game, you go out with your friend, get drunk in a bar, and attempt to drive home. Your f**king controller actually gets drunk! The screen goes blurry. If you have been drinking in real life as you're playing this -- well, then, that adds another layer. And so you're running over people, the cops are on your ass, and your a**hole friend in the seat next to you is talking about the meaning of life.


But the real crowning layer of hyper-reality in this game are the little touches. For instance, the radio stations. You can choose between several different radio stations, all with different genres like Jazz, popular, and even an NPR clone. And they actually have programming! Similarly, you can go to an Internet cafe and check your e-mail. And there is a whole unique (but disarmingly familiar) AOL-type site to browse through. You can even go to a version of Craigslist -- "Craplist." And choose "Men Seeking Men!" Of course, that's going to be filled with some lame homophobic jokes about seeking "Euro-Tail" -- but the point is, the game makers went through this trouble to create this level of detail. And it really succeeds in creating this somewhat unsettling copy of reality.

I'm not a big game player, so I can't really speak to those aspects. I'm not really interested so much in Grand Theft Auto IV as a game -- so I'm just giving you my observations as an innocent bystander. Of course, in GTA, innocent bystanders get run over by stolen cars driven by drunk assassins. But whatever.

Bonus points: Go check out Liberty City's version of the Statue of Liberty and find out what makes it tick.

The Gospel According To Tony Pony

I'm currently reading The Gospel According To Peanuts by Robert L. Short. Short makes the point that the Christian Church has made a grave error in its stark, in-your-face, at times accusatory manner. It's like hitting somebody over the head with a hammer. He looks instead to Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts, which contains many Christian messages but presents them in a radically palatable (subliminal?) way.

Now granted, The Gospel According To Peanuts was written in the early 1960s. But, I think the idea still holds true to an extent.

I really like Jamie Cosley's work because he does much what Schulz did. In works like the classic More Than Sparrows and his latest comic Nobody Likes Tony Pony, Cosley's primary mission is not to preach, but to entertain. But, just as his faith is a part of his life, it's part of the world he puts down on paper as well.

Nobody Likes Tony Pony is made up of a series of one-page comic strips surrounding a dysfunctional office dynamic along the lines of The Office and Dilbert. Tony Pony is, to an extent, a bit of a boob -- he's shat upon by birds, accidentally farts in his customer's faces, and is in generally a mediocre salesman. But, much like Charlie Brown, he tries to be a good person.

Tony also tries to be a good Christian, but Cosley carefully examines his motives and shines a spotlight when they're less than 100% sincere or smart. Cosley keeps Tony honest. When Tony piously reads a Bible verse about being "saved" from riches, his wife resignedly asks if he will not be getting his commission check this week. And when he reads with tears in his eyes to his son a story about a preacher rejecting a Batman toy as an false idol, his son says, "If he tried to take my Batman, I'd kick him in his nuggets!"

Nobody Likes Tony Pony is a one-shot available online for $2.50.

Donnie Darko Sequel Announced

/film reports that a press release is going around announcing a sequel to the cult film Donnie Darko. Points of interest:

• Apparently the film is being made without any involvement of original director Richard Kelly
• The movie will center around Donnie's younger sister
• It will be called "S. Darko" -- referencing the name of the sister, Samantha Darko
• Producers have said that Donnie will not be in the film, but it will have "meteorites and rabbits.”

What do you think? Are you excited?

Comics Are Expensive: Invincible Iron Man #1

Comics Are Expensive is brought to you by noted Expertologist Chris Lamb

I wasn’t going to buy comics this week. Really. There’s still books from NYCC to talk about, after all, and I’m still very, very poor. But I pick up a copy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a friend, see, and well...

I managed to get out for under ten dollars, though, so I suppose that’s something. Next week I should be back to picking up new things again, which will satisfy the maddening itch that inevitably takes over the back of my brain every Wednesday. In the meantime, it’s a bit of a short one this week, with just the one book to talk about. I’ll try to be back to my usual level of verbosity next time. Potential spoilers lurk ahead, as usual.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Salvador Larroca

Opening up Invincible Iron Man on the walk through Madison Square Park back to work, a realization hit me: this is the first Iron Man comic I’ve ever bought. Oh, I’ve read plenty of them – friends have tossed me runs of “Demon in a Bottle” and “The Armor Wars” over the years, both of which were great. I’ve just never felt moved to pick up any of the character’s solo stories myself. To be honest, I probably would have left this on the shelf if not for the helpful confluence of three things: enjoying the hell out of the Iron Man movie last week, my girlfriend mentioning she’d like to read some of the comics if I had any, and Matt Fraction’s name on the cover.


The Iron Man movie succeeded on a number of levels – its cast was excellent, the story was remarkably tight, getting through the obligatory origin and first villain fight with hardly any fat, and the pacing ensured even the quieter bits never slowed things down too much. It was the sort of movie-going experience that left me wanting more the moment the house lights came up, creating a near-desperate need for something as clever and fun as the movie to maintain the happy momentum I was buzzing with all through dinner afterwards and on the way home. I’d never considered myself a big Iron Man fan (at least, not outside the old Avengers arcade game), but for a version of the character more like Downey Jr’s take and less That-Guy-Getting-Deservedly-Punched-In-She-Hulk-This Month, I was wholeheartedly ready to sign up.


Which makes Invincible Iron Man just about the perfect thing to find on the shelves the Wednesday after seeing the movie. The history of comics trying to align themselves with versions of the characters seen in their movies is one of botched attempts and missed opportunities, with companies either hijacking the long-term plans and storylines of their creative teams in the name of potential new readers or going the other way and completely ignoring the chance to appeal to them. Marvel deserve a lot of credit then for hitting upon a solution that works better than any in recent memory – rather than toss out all the continuity of the last few years that has positioned Tony Stark as arguably the most important character in the Marvel Universe, launch a new series that streamlines it all, presenting the character as both superhero and director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and written to feel more like the character so many came out of the theater in love with.

The result is the best take on Tony Stark I’ve seen in years – he’s funny, arrogant (but deservedly so), brilliant to a fault, and so completely convinced that what he’s doing at any given moment is the right thing that it’s hard to doubt him. The weight of what the character has been through in the last few years seems less apparent here, and while it’s just the first issue I can’t help but feel that it won’t be showing up any time soon. It’s part of why Invincible Iron Man is such a good idea – if you want to see Stark continue to wrestle with the aftermath of the Civil War or fight Skrulls or whatever, there’s the other on-going Iron Man title (and much of the rest of Marvel’s output, frankly). Invincible Iron Man looks to be (and with any luck, will turn out to be) an event-free zone. It’s the solo adventures of Iron Man doing what he does best – finding problems and applying his big brain to solving them.



The first problem of the series appears in the form of Ezekiel Stane, son of the late Obidiah and genius mass-murdering psycho. Whatever his plan is, it’s clear he’s been working on it for a while – Ezekiel’s body has been modified to take advantage of its excess energy in rather nasty ways, and he’s been creating human bombs out of what looks all too much like Iron Man tech. He’s clearly being positioned as a younger, faster counter to Stark’s entrenched ways of doing things, and the inevitable confrontation is all but guaranteed to end in a mess. Ezekiel is a smart choice for an opening villain, tying not only into the villain from the movie but also echoing the theme of the son overcoming the father from both the comics and the screen. You’re an old-school Iron Man fan? Great, here’s something for you. Your only exposure to the character is two hours in a dark room with Robert Downey, Jr? Then hey, here’s something for you, too.


As mentioned earlier, Matt Fraction’s involvement was another draw for picking up the book, and he doesn’t disappoint. Fraction’s grasp of the characters is immediate and extremely satisfying, from the back and forth between Tony and Pepper in the elevator to Tony’s inability to stop thinking of new things to add to the suit even when being shot at and beyond. I can’t say how much of it rings true with the how the characters have been written recently, but honestly, I don’t really care. It’s smart, it’s believable, and most importantly, it’s exactly what I wanted. While Larroca’s art varies from beautiful in places to a bit muddy in others, it’s nice to see him producing work again that’s not photo-referenced to the point of distraction. Between the two of them, this arc stands to be something truly lovely, and I really can’t wait to see it continue.

Perhaps most important of all, though, is this is the first Marvel comic in a while that I’ve immediately wanted to start pushing on people. While no movie is going to send a million people into the shops like Burton’s first Batman did, Marvel’s approach to creating a friendly point of entry here has produced a book that can be handed off to pretty much anybody without an afternoon spent explaining why the character here isn’t like what they saw on the screen. And maybe that’s the way to hook those interested in more of the character but put off by the years and years of continuity: put out a version of the character that can be easily passed from comics readers to their uninitiated friends that’s both easy to get in to and doesn’t throw the current status quo into utter disarray. If Invincible Iron Man can continue with the same strength and grace it’s opening with, then comics may have found the recipe for the perfect gateway drug.

BUY STATUS: Very much in for the foreseeable future. I was still a bit bummed over Brubaker and Fraction leaving Iron Fist, but this could very well take its place as my favorite Marvel book.

And that’s it for this week. Again, apologies for the extremely short installment, and for the every-other-week nature of the column recently – the day job making videogames is taking up more and more of my time and energy as things get busier, so I’m afraid it might be the norm for a while. Thanks for your (and Val’s) patience with me, and with any luck things should eventually return to normal. In the meantime, if there’s anything I should be reading or talking about, drop a suggestion in the comments thread or via email to chrislamb@gmail.com. See you next time.

How To Announce To Your Co-Workers That You Are A Big Geek

...have your Destructo-Case Joker figure that you won on eBay be delivered to your office address

Box covered in Yoda stamps

Speed Bomb

You know, from the moment I saw the trailer, I thought the Speed Racer movie was in trouble. Much too high-concept, too Joel Shumachery. Would have benefited from simple, straightforward storytelling.

Anyway, the collective verdict is out for Speed Racer, with a bunch of negative key reviews and a 36% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

My favorite review is from Roger Ebert, who concludes:

"Speed Racer" is a manufactured widget, a packaged commodity that capitalizes on an anthropomorphized cartoon of Capitalist Evil in order to sell itself and its ancillary products."

I myself will sadly have to wait until the movie comes out on DVD. Any movie that a reviewer warns "I'm being serious when I caution epileptics to avoid this film" is one that I will probably not see in the movie theater. You know, because of the migraines and vomiting (which brings me back to Batman Forever and Joel Schumacher...)

But hey, maybe the kiddies will like it?

Fangirl Fridays: You've Come A Long Way, Baby?

Comics: No Longer A Second-Class Citizen?

"Will one day I really be a real respectable entertainment medium,
Blue Fairy?"
"Only if your movie breaks a hundred mil."

Sometimes I get the impression that comics are to the rest of the entertainment industry the way women are to comics -- or at least, that's the way the media perceives it. Let me explain.

A common post in the comics blogosphere is the "look, a major newspaper/magazine/television show recognizes comics exist." I've done these sorts of posts myself. The posts are well-meaning and informative, but somewhat patronizing. The movie industry blogs don't make posts saying "oh look, Time Magazine paid attention to us. That's significant!" But we do.

The same thing sometimes happens in reporting women in comics stories. "Oh, they're paying attention to us! We're legitimate!" The very fact that women figure somewhere in the coverage, either as the subject of a comic book or as a comic creator, is highlighted. Because it's a woman. It's a "see how far we've grown!" type sentiment. The same type of sentiment I see from the comics newso/blogosphere for the mainstream comics coverage.

I'm not saying that we should stop posting this way. I'm just saying that I feel both comics and women in comics have reached a certain level of success where the fact that they're covered by major media shouldn't be such a shock. "Iron Man" is an over $100 million dollar movie. Don't worry. The media is "on" to us. They're almost going to phase out the "Biff! Pow!" phrases in the articles. It's been over 40 years, but seriously, they're going to stop.

Why I Hate "You've Come A Long Way, Baby"

She's come a long way, baby --
she can wear a man's suit with a baby-pink jacket that doesn't match.
Thank you for 30 years of irony and lung cancer, Virginia Slims

Do we need all-women comic con panels and all-women comic link-dumps? Do we need an organization like Friends of Lulu? I've always envisioned Friends of Lulu as 1) A place to celebrate the achievements of women in comics, 2) A place for women in comics to network with and find support from their peers, and 3) A place to provide young women mentorship in comics creation. Within all that there is another component of promoting all-ages comic book material. But I never saw it as a "You've Come A Long Way, Baby!" Virginia Slims type thing. "You've Come A Long Way Baby" patronizes the hell out of me. I don't need to be told how far I've come. I f**king know how far I've come. I was there!

Glamourpuss #1 Review

I was going to just draw my review by tracing panels from old issues of Cerebus and then putting my review in the word balloons, but I decided against it.

Glamourpuss #1 has two components: 1) A meditation on photo realism in comics and Alex Raymond, and 2) Some fashion model s**t. The former is interesting, the latter is flat. Models are shallow, models have eating disorders, models wear too-expensive clothes that are impractical -- there is nothing new here, at least in terms of how this material has been traditionally presented before. This is coupled with the preconceptions going in based on Glamourpuss creator Dave Sim's reputation.

Yes, I know I shouldn't go into an artist's work with preconceptions based on their reputation. But I see these lifeless pictures of the models, I see how they're presented as empty-eyed self-absorbed materialistic cyphers, I read about "Skanko," and in all honesty I have to wonder what Sim is trying to say about women in all this.

And this page differs from what Greg Land does how???

But then I contrast that with all the reconstructed Alex Raymond panels in the book which also feature women. Most of those women are sympathetic, and ironically have more life in them than the actual real-life women Sim used to draw the models from.

I guess the biggest question I have regarding Glamourpuss -- and the answer would have an impact on how I ultimately review it -- is how much irony did Dave Sim intend for it to have? How much he expected us to laugh at things like sore feet and Skanko and how much did he intended for these things to be ironic would make a difference to me. It would mean the difference between the book being an avant-garde work of art and just an overly-hyped trip through one artist's psyche.

Okay, I Take Back Everything I Said About Michael Turner's Covers

This cover to Ultimate Origins #1 features a naked Wolverine. Okay, he might not be naked, this might just be a thong. But he's quite...healthy. If we can have cheesecake covers, then we can have this. Please Marvel, do not erase one bit from this excellent cover. Do not use lens flares to reduce the bump, don't shave off millimeters. Leave it just the way it is. This is Logan in all his feral sweaty glory. Yeah, I know a few guys complained about those Alex Ross covers, but they were sort of "staged" looking anyway -- static. Wolverine might be sexy here, but he's all piss and vinegar and is going to cut the arms off anybody who says otherwise.

Beefcake! Beefcake!

(saving cover to desktop)

Open Forum: Ask, Speak, Or Talk Amongst Yourselves

You know, I was going to write this big article about the future of the comic book industry, but then I scrapped it because I realized I would get into too much trouble. I mean, I just imagined certain bloggers crucifying me. And yes, digital comics was involved in my overall trending.

That said - and because my blogging mojo just seems to be off today, I will open the floor to you.

This is an open forum, to either ask me a question, have your say about a certain topic, or just talk amongst yourselves.

Now, this also might get me into too much trouble and be a terrible idea. But I'm curious as to what would happen.

Rules:
1. No spam. Or if you're going to just plug your work, do it a little creatively or add a haiku.
2. I reserve the right not to post certain questions that I feel are inappropriate, and also to post some questions but take the fifth.
3. Those who are responsible for the sacking have also been sacked (obscure)

Ok, have fun!

Robin In Third Batman Movie?!

Wild, speculative spoilers ahead.

Don't do it, Christopher Nolan...you know what happened last time. The first minute, Chris O'Donnell drives up in a motor cycle, then before you know it the bat-suit has rubber nipples!

But, Cinemablend is reporting that the next Batman sequel will reportedly reference the miniseries The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. The Joker is definitely out of the third movie, but there will be a lot of Two Face -- just like Long Halloween & Dark Victory.

But another key element of both those miniseries? Robin the Boy Wonder.

Can Robin be in the cards for Batman 3?

And most importantly -- will Shia LaBoeuf be considered?

(ducks)

Interactive Pole Dancing Game For The Wii? (Updated)

Apparently a company is actually developing an interactive pole-dancing game for the Wii. Much like Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution, this new game will feature an interactive device -- in this case, the "Electra pole" -- players can actually physically play with. The company, Peekaboo Pole-Dancing, didn't give specifics, but said that the designed to encourage the "fun and fitness" of both men and women. In light of recent criticism about video games, it is refreshing to read that efforts are being made to get my gender more involved in the game-playing process. I will have to twin this game with my "pole dancing" lessons at Crunch.

Note: this post has been edited after finding out that my original source, Gizmodo, left a few details out.

A Full-Length Italian Spiderman Movie Is Coming!

Yes! This is the best news I've heard in a whole three hours!

A full-length Italian Spiderman movie is coming to the Internet May 22!

Yes! Win!

For those who are not familiar with Italian Spiderman, produced by the acclaimed studio Alrugo, you can check out the trailer and exclusive music from the movie at the official MySpace page.

Being a big fan of international film star Franco Franchetti -- who in my opinion has what it takes to be the next Javier Bardem -- this is truly a banner day for me.

What Comics Are You All Buying?

Classical Wonder Woman image found here

Once again we have this handy-dandy new comics list (with commentary) for May 7 courtesy of Friends Of Lulu!

What are you all planning on buying this week?

Here are my picks:

Simpsons Summer Shindig #1

DC Special Raven #3

Man With No Name #1

Angel #7

Avengers Invaders #1

Invincible Iron Man #1

Secret Invasion #2

Young X-Men #2

Fed-Up Woman Writes Editorial About Men And Their Video Games

I came across this impassioned post by a blogger named La'Juanda Knight entitled "Men & Their Video Games." The post was written, apparently, in response to the release of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Knight writes,

"What is it about video games that put men in a distracted coma where they become consumed? A prime example of this is the new game, "Grand Theft Auto IV." I know at least five men who rushed out to buy the game as soon as it dropped. Yes, grown ass men."

She goes on to list seven things about men playing video games that really pisses her off. Among them:

Waiting in long lines. Men all over the country waited in long Game Stop lines in order to purchase the game. Some even went as far as arriving at the store before it opened. My only hope is that they arrive to work everyday with the same enthusiasm.

and,

An ex of mine wanted me to watch him play the game. Yes! Watch him play the game. Dear, you are not REALLY playing the game. Do you know that? He wanted me to watch him and cheer him on. I have to remind you men, the video game is not real. You are not really making that basket or touchdown. This is all pretend. Just like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Leprechauns etc, etc.

What do you think? Does Ms. Knight have a case?

Newsarama Commenter: "Stop Putting Spanish in My DC Comics!"

A Newsarama commenter complains about the Spanish-language issue of Blue Beetle:

"I thought it was the first ever comic that bordered on racism. DC: Now forcing its readers to read Spanish."

I know, DC -- you thought you were doing something right, sort of expanding your scope a bit. But in reality -- you are forcing your readers to read Spanish!


The fact is, Latinos are one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States. DC and Marvel both should be putting out some Spanish-language comics -- not just translations of their existing comics, but comics specifically for that growing population. And not just for that population -- but for the English-speaking young people who could use some early introduction to Spanish! If the Dora the Explorer people can do it and have tons of both Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking fans, surely comic companies can do it.

"Why am I a bigot? Because I want foreign people coming to an English speaking country to learn, I don’t know, ENGLISH???? I assume in your perfect world, everyone will speak Mexican and we’ll all be happy when illegal immigration causes the economy to collapse."

That said, I should point out that despite the overwhelming number of Newsarama commenters who "corrected" Dave, the sad fact is that there are probably a number of people grumbling under their breath about the book. They see this book written in Spanish and consider it threatening, a confirmation of all their xenophobic fears. The world is changing, and it frightens them to death. But this doesn't mean the comic book industry shouldn't change.

The problem for the longest time had been that people like that Newsarama commenter had some level of influence from within these comic companies -- they were afraid of change and social progress. They either blocked that change in their books or presented a lame version of it. Now that things have shifted, we need to keep moving forward and have progress. But, make no mistake -- you will see more angry fans crawl out of the woodwork and complain about it. There will be a backlash -- but it will be one with more bark than bite.

(Waiting for O'Reilly to hold up a copy of Blue Beetle #51 on his show and say: "DC is forcing America to read Spanish!")

Heath Ledger Joker Toys Flying Off Toy Store Shelves

The New York Post reports that droves of people are visiting the Toys R Us in New York's Times Square to purchase Heath Ledger Joker action figures. One store employee is quoted as saying:

"There are none left in the warehouse, either. You will be waiting a while if you want one."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for NYC's popular Midtown Comics told the Post:

"I heard one guy bought 30 of them, people are buying them up as collector's items."

Is this just wild speculation? Is this merely the exploitation of a dead actor's memory?

Did I just finish a transaction on Paypal for a Ledger figure I won on eBay just a scant few minutes before I read this article?

Yes. Yes, I did.

Matthew McConaughey As Captain America?

Cinema Blend has the scoop that Matthew McConaughey might be Marvel's top choice to play Captain America in the proposed 2011 movie:

" One of our long time scoopers dropped us a message tonight to let me know that Matthew McConaughey may be one of Marvel’s leading candidates to slip into Cap’s red white and blue underpants. Our source is a reliable one, but at this point it’s still very early and he’s only one of the actor’s they are considering for the role. "

If this keeps McConaughey from making sappy comedies with Kate Hudson, sure, I'm all for this.

The Joker Sings Goddamn Batman

"God Damn the Batman!
And god damn, all his god damn wonderful toys!
Where does he get 'em boys? Where does he get 'em?
An just what have I gotta do, for one sweet little victory, eh?
Just one sweet, miserable little victory, for good ol', little ol' Joker."

-- inspired by the defunct "Batman: The Musical," and found on the musical's unofficial tribute blog "Dark Knight Of The Soul"

Related: Urban Dictionary actually has an entry on the term "goddamn Batman"

New Zuda Crew

We at Casa De Superheroine are proud to endorse the following strips in this month's Zuda competition.

ACTION, OHIO










By Neil Kleid and Paul Salvi
What if the Silver age of comic book heroes was created to distract us from the real thing, from the existence of real super humans hiding in the heart of America?

HANNIBAL GOES TO ROME










By Brendan McGinley
The story of Hannibal Barca, who led elephants over the Alps to annihilate Rome, and almost succeeded! Thrill of tales of strategic genius and tactical daring. It's humorous fun for the whole family, assuming you come from a brutal warrior horde.

Go check them out as see if you don't agree!

"Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been A Misogynist?"

Here's an excerpt of a Dave Sim letter that has been making the rounds, wherein he specifies that anyone who desires to interview him must sign a document acknowledging that he is not a misogynist:

"As you may or may not be aware, I've been called a misogynist for over a decade now. Several times I have tried to make the point that nobody stands up for me when this happens. Increasingly it has become obvious that standing up for someone else is an alien concept. Considering that a misogynist is viewed as the lowest, subhuman form of life in our society, however, this situation became untenable some time ago: something had to give..."

and

"If you want a response to your letter or submission all you have to do is return this form letter stating for the record (and I reserve the right to post your name on the Internet under the heading) "I don't believe that Dave Sim is a misogynist.""

For the record, I will restate my position that until never-talked-about-in-public misogynists in this industry are also publicly called to the carpet, I have no interest even considering jumping on the "Dave Sim is a misogynist" bandwagon. It's easy to brand Sim a kook and a woman-hater, because he's not connected with other people's livelihoods or wields a level of influence that could damage other people's careers. The worst you could do by bashing Sim is make Neil Gaiman sigh at you.

I mean -- the Sim critics have won. He's driven to the point where he has to issue letters like this. Is he ever going to change his opinions because people attack him on message boards? Probably not. But, he's actually felt so persecuted that he went through the trouble of drafting this odd document. So in that, I sense a victory for the anti-Sims.

Okay, now that this has happened, how has this industry concretely changed to benefit women? At least the furor over that Open Source Boob Project Guy resulted in more awareness of the way females are occasionally physically accosted at conventions.

What positive thing comes out of all this? Is it possible to have anything constructive or positive come out of all this? The only effect I see it having is convincing those selective misogynists in the industry to become even more selective and covert, seeing Sim as the example of somebody who got publicly crucified. Then they can step back and laugh at Sim along with the crowd.

original Dave Sim letter scan available at Ink Studs.

Gucci Machine-Gun

The Revolution Will Be Fabulous show by artist Peter Gronquist in LA featured "designer" weapons and other instruments of death, including a Gucci machine-gun, a Fendi golden chainsaw, and a Louis Vuitton electric chair. The Toybot Studios Blog has pictures from the event.

I thought this would be a good counterpoint to my ever-popular "pink firearms" post.

The Hollywood Summer Blockbuster: No Woman's Land?

This interesting article in the New York Times, "Is There A Real Woman In This Multiplex," bemoans the lack of women-oriented or woman-starring movie offerings this summer:

"Nobody likes to admit the worst, even when it’s right up there on the screen, particularly women in the industry who clutch at every pitiful short straw, insisting that there are, for instance, more female executives in Hollywood than ever before. As if it’s done the rest of us any good. All you have to do is look at the movies themselves — at the decorative blondes and brunettes smiling and simpering at the edge of the frame — to see just how irrelevant we have become."

This article brings up several questions for me:

1. Has Hollywood, like the comic book industry before it, decided that females are not a viable audience?

2. What movies DO women watch? In what format? Theater, DVD, what?

3. Does Hollywood assume that women either do not watch movies in theaters or will go to wherever their significant others will take them to see or that they are so busy mopping floors that they haven't even given the topic much thought?

4. Is a movie like "Indiana Jones," as mentioned in the article, not a movie of female interest because Indy and his sidekick themselves are not females? Or is this sort of reductionist?


5. According to the article, the amount of female movie directors is something like 6%. Is this the movie studios fault for not hiring these women? Are these women not applying for the director track? Are they not applying to the director track because they are not interested, or because they are discouraged from doing so in school?

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I had problems with the movie "Iron Man" only in as much as the only character I cared to identify with had a penis. Since this is all fantasy anyway, maybe there really isn't much of a problem really there. Maybe, even without a penis, I can achieve my dream of becoming a boozy egotistical millionaire born-again peacenik in a metal suit, if I tried really really hard.

Maybe the problem is just my lack of imagination.

Occasional Superperiod

Yes it's that time again --

First, we have this excellent webcomic by Martha Thomases and Joanna Estep, The Crimson Tide.

Then it's a nature walk as we explore exactly which breeds of bear will attack you if you are on the rag.












Then head over to watch the movie Ginger Snaps, in which the main character gets attacked by a werewolf for being on the rag. As a consequence, Ginger's periods become even worse.

Actual question on Yahoo Answers: "Does it bother feminists that menstruation and menopause begin with "men?"












Shed in style with Urban Armor's "kickass alternative menstrual hardware."

Check out the collective Live Journal about menstrual painting (NSFW, NSFW, NSFW -- though some of those paintings are really cute!)

Video: "Yes Jill, all women have periods every 4 weeks" (NSFW)

Visit the online Museum of Menstruation. (some parts NSFW)

















Check out "When Men Create A PMS Ad."

And now on sale: The His And Hers PMS Calendar. According to the website it provides the following education for men on the delicate hormonal mysteries of their girlfriends and wives:

* Observe his partner
* Validate her feelings
* Share and show his feelings
* Delight her
* Be part of the solution
* Give complete control of remote control
* Use his tool for making peace that leads to romance, not to turbulence
* Minimize damaging arguments
* Support her with patience and compassion
* Be prepared - and ready to duck
* Face her mood swings and don’t run out of Ben and Jerry’s

After Ben and Jerry's:

Free Comic Book Day 2008 Guide & Thoughts

The following is a list of all of the offerings for Free Comic Book Day for 2008. The boyfriend called after doing a tour of most of the comic shops in Manhattan and texted me: "I'm bringing home comics." Over forty different comics, to be exact: all free.

His report concerning FCBD at the shops? Most shops set up special areas where customers could pick the comics they wanted and have them bagged by an employee. He said interactivity between the comic shop staff and the patrons was excellent. The amount of comics each person could receive varied from store-to-store. Some stores threw in DC Universe #0 as a free comic. At one major comics shop, Midtown Comics, there was a line around the block. At Jim Hanley's Universe, he noted that there were many children.

Another view on FCBD from artist Steve Ellis can be read here.

I've made an effort to read most of these comics, and my notes for some are included.

Antarctic Press













Neotopia Color Pocket Manga
Notes: We didn't find this one, but it could be that it was overlooked because of the format, or that they ran out.


Ape Entertainment













Cartoonapalooza #1
Notes: All-new short stories featuring a selection of their regular offerings. White Picket Fences & Femme Noir caught my interest.


Arcana Comics













Arcana Presents
Notes: A sampler of Arcana books, including Kade, The Gwai, Burn, and 100 Girls, all far better comics than I expected.

Aspen Comics













Worlds of Aspen
Notes: A sampler of Aspen titles. I think Aspen has officially taken the T & A title from Top Cow. Is the panel from the Executive Assistant Iris preview, where she is naked from behind ready to sexually service her boss, really appropriate in a Free Comic Book Day publication?


Archie Comics













Jughead at The Geppi Entertainment Museum
Notes: I have to admit, this is one of the more ingenious Archie crossovers, with Jughead working at the real-life Baltimore museum. A take-off on the movie "Night At The Museum."


Archie Comics













Sonic The Hedgehog #1 (reprint edition)
Notes: A reprint of the very first Sonic the Hedgehog comic, showcasing the more cartoony style of the series's earlier stories


Bongo Comics













Bongo Comics Free-For-All
Notes: Featuring a hilarious manga version of The Simpsons, which I'm not sure is reprint material or not but is worth hunting down the book just for that. The book is in a smaller, digest-sized format.


Boom Studios













Salem Queen Of Thorns
Notes: A prequel to Salem Queen of Thorns #1, featuring rogue witchhunter Elias Hooke.


Dark Horse













Hellboy: Free Comic Book Day
Notes: An excellent collection of three short stories featuring the work of Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo, Guy Davis, Joshua Dysart, and Paul Azaceta


DC Comics













Tiny Titans #1
Notes: A reprint of the first issue of this title, plus a load of Johnny DC ads.


DC Comics













All-Star Superman #1
Notes: The "All-Star" has been dropped from the cover logo. While the first issue of Grant Morrison's Superman is certainly a top-notch issue, I question DC's decision to have it represent the company's mainstream comic offerings for FCBD. What was the purpose in choosing this? To sell the hardcovers? Or to push Grant Morrison as a writer as a whole, to lead people to buy "Final Crisis?" Was there no other current offering from DC that they could have used?


Dabel Brothers Publishing













Del Rey & Dabel Brothers 2008 Preview
Notes: A sampler of Del Rey/Dabel Brothers titles, including Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Dean Koontz's Frankenstein & George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards. Dresden Files looks sort of cool, Frankenstein looks interesting though the monster looks sort of like a (heavily scarred) pretty emo boy.


Devil's Due Publishing













Drafted: Free Comic Book Day Edition
Notes: This alien-invasion/end-of-the world saga looks pretty interesting.


Drawn & Quarterly













Gekiga!
Notes: Previews of two Japanese works from the 1960s & 70s, Red Colored Elegy by Seiichi Hayashi & Good-Bye by Yoshihiro Tatsumi.


Dynamite Entertainment













Project Superpowers: The Death-Defying Devil
Notes: One short story featuring the Death Defying Devil & Yellow Claw, and the rest is previews & ads.


Eureka Productions













Graphic Classics Special Edition
Notes: A selection of short stories by Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, and others. Quite good, and a lot of material offered with a card-stock cover.


Fantagraphics Press













Ignatz
Notes: Short selections from their Ignatz line, with an homage to Krazy Kat by Kevin Huizenga on the cover.


Gemstone Publishing













Walt Disney's Gyro Gearloose
Notes: Five stories, including two by Carl Barks. Makes you wish Gemstone put out more of these.


Gemstone Publishing













EC Sampler
Notes: Four complete stories, including the ultra-paranoid KKK-themed "Under Cover." Great stories, but not for children.


IDW Publishing













Transformers Animated
Notes: Apparently film cels from the animated series rearranged into a story.


Impact













Impact University Volume 4
Notes: Previews and selection from their line of how-to line of books on comic art


Maerkle Press













Love and Capes #7
Notes: FCBD version of issue 7.


Marvel Comics













Free Comic Book Day 2008: X-Men
Notes: Original X-Men story featuring Pixie. I think it significant that the original FCBD story Marvel picked starred a teenage female character with pink hair and fairy wings. I think they are trying to reach out to a younger, more gender-balanced crowd through this FCBD book.


Marvel Comics













Free Comic Book Day 2008: Marvel Adventures
Notes: A complete Marvel Adventures tale starring Iron Man, Hulk, and Spider-Man. Good for kids, but doesn't talk down to them.


Oni Press













Maintenance FCBD
Notes: An enjoyable complete story about time travel gone wrong. Good introduction to the series.


Platinum Studios













Hero By Night: FCBD Edition/Gunplay Preview
Notes: Two previews. Hero By Night does a better job setting up the premise for new readers than Gunplay.


Radical Comics













Imaginary: May 2008
Notes: Previews of Radical's titles, including Hercules, Caliber, and more. Their offerings are very elaborately painted.


Red 5 Comics













Atomic Robo/Neozoic
Notes: My first exposure to Atomic Robo, and very well-done.


Renaissance Press













Amelia Rules! Comics & Stories
Notes: This title, along with Top Shelf's Owly, have cemented themselves as staples of modern comics for kids. Uses a more inexpensive, newsprinty paper stock that I think works fine for kids books.


Rude Dude Productions













The Moth Special Edition 2008
Notes: A Moth story plus sketches & other supplemental material.


Sky Dog Press












Kids Love Comics! Comic Book Diner Special Edition
Notes: A selection of kid comics including Amelia Rules, Buzzboy, Patrick The Wolfboy, and more. Includes a kids comics reading list.


Starbridge Media Group













Nascar Heroes
Notes: Huh. Well I'll be damned, I didn't even know they were licensing this out to comics. Pretty much what you'd expect. I love how the guy on the cover is in that classic Speed Racer pose.


Top Cow Productions













Broken Trinity Prelude
Notes: Is it just me, or did Top Cow make a real effort to keep this comic a relatively T & A free as possible? Features a framing story that leads into introductions of the main characters of their superhero universe.


Top Shelf Productions












Owly and Friends!
Notes: Short stories featuring Owly, Korgi, Johnny Boo, and Yam. Really great for kids.


Twomorrows Publishing












Comics Go Hollywood
Notes: An interesting mix of articles including the 1984 X-Men movie that never was, and Jack Kirby's projects for motion pictures.


Viper Comics










Kid Houdini and the Silver Dollar Misfits
Notes: Previews of Kid Houdini & The Sleepy Truth


Virgin Comics














Free Comic Book Day 2008
Notes: Previews of The Stranded & Dan Dare


Viz Media













Shonen Jump Special 2008
Notes: Features three stories, including Naruto.


Wildcard Ink










Gumby Free Comic Book Day Edition
Notes: This is the first time I've read any of the issues of this new Gumby series spearheaded by Bob Burden, and I must say I like the blend of kids comic with an edgy, underground feel.


Wizard Entertainment
















How To Draw: Free Comic Book Day Booklet
Notes: Selections from their How To Draw Comics book.


Yen Press















Maximum Ride: The Manga
Notes: Preview of the manga series by James Patterson. Yen Press is part of the Hachette Book Group.

Val Reviews Star Trek Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment #1

Star Trek Year Four: Enterprise Experiment #1

Writer: DC Fontana

Artists: Gordon Purcell & Terry Pallot

Publisher: IDW

I'll admit that I'm a sucker for anything from the original Star Trek series. The license has had a long history in comics, from Gold Key to DC to two stints at Marvel (including that instant classic "Star TreX"). Now the latest publisher to put out Star Trek comics, IDW Publishing, has turned to one of the key writers from TOS, DC Fontana, to write an arc called "The Enterprise Experiment."

The plot surrounds a damaged new cloaking device on the Enterprise that is having disastrous effects on the ship & crew. Apparently characters from the Star Trek animated series are integrated into this comic, as the 6-limbed character Arex has a prominent role.


Fontana's TV pedigree really shows, as the comic reads more like an actual episode of the series than any of the other adaptation I have read. One on hand, this might made the comic a little "talky" and cerebral for comic fans who are expecting a bare-chested Kirk wrestling a Gorn. On the other hand -- it reads like actual science-fiction, and would have an appeal, I would think, to both Star Trek & fans of the sci-fi book genre in general.

The art, by Gordon Purcell (who did "X-Files" for Topps Comics), is crisp and really nails the likenesses. I've had some problems with the occasionally murky palette on IDW's "Angel," but the colors here are bright but not overwhelming.

This is the first Star Trek book I've read from IDW, and on the whole I'm happy & will be collecting the arc.

Fangirl Fridays for May 2, 2008

An Iron Man movie poster mashup found in a Japanese subway, via Neatorama

What, No "Iron Woman"?
So the BF used a bit of foresight and ingenuity and scored tickets for us to see "Iron Man" yesterday. This makes the fourth superhero movie we've seen together in the movie theater, the others being "Ghost Rider," "Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer," and "Spider-Man 3."

What frustrates me about movies like "Iron Man" -- despite the fact that I did enjoy it on many levels -- is that there is no real female role-model for me to latch on to. Certainly I think Pepper Potts is an improvement on such cinematic comic book heroines as Mary Jane and Vicki Vale (and whoever the hell Katie Holmes played in "Batman Begins"). But, she is, in the end, an assistant -- an "invaluable helpmeet" to be sure, but in the end just a glorified Miss Moneypenny.

I know what it's like being the faithful assistant to a wunderkind. And, you know, it's great to be told "if you didn't do these monthly reports, I don't know where I would be!" But at some point in my life, it was very clear to me that this was not what I wanted (even though the pay is great). I wanted to be the one creating and expressing myself. And so I see movies like "Iron Man" and I identify with the male lead character instead of the female.

And I think the movie can certainly be enjoyed by women; but I found it very "male." You may disagree, which is fine. I find the Batman films, with the exception of "Batman Returns," very much in the same vein. I think the original Superman film boasted a far more independent and proactive character in Lois Lane. And gender & sexuality in the X-Men films were far more balanced & fluid.

Stumble This!
I've been maintaining a StumbleUpon account for some time now under the name Bytetopia. It was just a place I put all my bookmarks and interesting photos. Well, it has turned into somewhat of a (obsessively updated) blog on its own, with a heavy accent on images. Feel free to check it out and become a fan or add it to your RSS feed. I will sometimes put stuff to blog at a future time on there so I don't forget, so you might find some interesting bits.

San Diego, Here I Come?
Maybe.

That's it! Have a great weekend, peoples.

Val Reviews The Movie "Iron Man"

Reenactment of key scene in "Iron Man"

"Batman Begins" may be more "arty," "Spider-Man" might have been more of a built-in "instant" blockbuster, but I think "Iron Man" is one of the best superhero films ever made.

This couldn't have been possible without the bravura performance of Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that if it wasn't for him and the other top actors in the supporting roles, certain elements in "Iron Man" could have been downright painful to watch. The nondescript but heavily "coded" terrorist bad guys who look like they stepped out of a 1989 direct-to-video action-adventure film. The whole Tin Man "if I only had a heart" extended metaphor. Pepper Potts in a throwback Miss Moneypenny super-secretary capacity. The evil industrialist bad guy who dons super-armor (Green Goblin, anyone?)

But, Downey Jr.'s performance is so intense and so sincere that it outshines all of the cliches and weaknesses in the plot. He is electrifying, and you can't take your eyes off of him when he is on screen. He owns this movie.

Also, the special effects, which are a combination of live-action & CGI, are seamless. Seeing Iron Man fly through the air at sonic speed, he seems completely real & tangible. And when the helmet closes over Tony Stark's head, the personality of the human within the armor doesn't go away. He doesn't become a cartoon.

"Iron Man" is to superhero movies what the recent "Casino Royale" was to James Bond movies. It's a good movie first. It has its fan-service moments, but they are deftly woven into the narrative. "Batman Begins" was also like this, but had a certain ponderousness that "Iron Man" lacks. "Iron Man" is pure adrenalin, pure action.

Spoilers
A special note should be made about the last bit of footage after the credits. I don't want to completely spoil it, but let's just say that a massive fanboy orgasm rippled through the mostly-empty theater as a certain character appeared on the screen. The ultimate (or is that Ultimate?) in fan-service, to be sure. But my skin had goosepimples. 'Cause I'm a bit of a nerd. But thanks to movies like "Iron Man," what was once considered "nerdy" is now mainstream summer blockbuster material.

What did you think of "Iron Man"?

How To Draw Covers For Superheroine Books 101

Cover for Batman Confidential #19

Rule One: If two women are fighting, be sure to make it an adorable catfight with torn costumes and some skin showing.

Rule Two: Bonus points if Catwoman appears in your catfight.

Iron Man Movie Vs. Hulk Movie

I overheard these two businessmen in an elevator debate the merits of the CGI animation in the upcoming Iron Man & Hulk movies:

"The CGI on Iron Man is better. The armor looks real."

"The Hulk's face looks like a cartoon."

"Yeah, I think some of it is like it's harder to animate an actual face than armor. I think as humans we're programed to recognize real faces as opposed to realistic CGI ones. I can't get past the face."

What do you think? Which film are you looking forward to more?

(Personally, I never had a problem with the original Hulk movie, other than the irradiated hulk-poodles)

Comic Shop Report: Stepping Out of The Comfort Zone

Before I discuss DC Universe #0, I think I'm going to back up and describe my comic shopping experience yesterday. It's not just a review, it's a whole scenario.

Wednesdays at a major urban comics retailer is, as you can imagine, a madhouse.

Here is what I bought:
DC Universe #0
Avengers: The Initiative
Lucky Volume 2 #1 (Gabrielle Bell)
Liz Prince's latest book from Top Shelf
Hercules #1 from Radical Comics
Giant-Size Avengers/Invaders
Previews <------nerd

When I finally managed to squeeze my way into the new comics rack & pluck a copy of DC Universe #0, I realized that the corner was totally dinged. This began to bother me more and more as time wore on at the store, in the way that only a formerly hardcore comic book collector can relate to. The corner of my copy of Lucky #1 was also dinged. I swore I would find my way back into the new comics rack to replace those copies! (and I did!)

Giant-Size Avengers/Invaders sold out at my store. I took the last copy. I'm pretty sure most or all of that book was reprinted material. But it promised you a great story.

I knew nothing about Hercules #1 from Radical Comics (as I know almost nothing about Radical Comics), but it was only $1.00 for a book with a card-stock cover, prestige binding, and painted (or painterly) art. I decided to take a chance. It was a good marketing strategy on their part.

As the months go by, I find I hunger for more and more independent comics. I go through the back issue bins looking for interesting and/or self-published books that I might have missed. As my finances are tight, I demand more from my comics -- and what I demand is an unique experience & food for thought. I have no problem buying Chuck Taylor knockoffs at Payless and using the money saved to well-made comics that will enrich my life and make me think.

DC Universe #0 was an ad. It was an ad. The way it was promoted, I thought it was going to be some crucial piece of the Final Crisis pie. But it was a series of ads. DC Universe #0 was impenetrable to me. This does not mean the whole series will actually be so. But as somebody who is not steeped in the current lore of the last 5 years of DCU continuity, I had little to no idea what was going on. The only thing I could relate to was the Batman and Wonder Woman segments. Will I be able to enjoy those books if I wish not to follow the entire Final Crisis oeuvre?

I hear some people comment that DC Universe #0 should have just been a Free Comic Book Day offering. I disagree. It is not new-reader friendly. DC is much better off with Superman, Batman, or whatever.

DC and Marvel need to start trusting their overall lineups more and not depend on these humongous events. At least Marvel sort of works the events in a bit more organically. I don't want to read a series of books called "Final Crisis: Blah" and "Final Crisis: The Beginning Of The End of the Beginning." I just want to read Final Crisis. And then I want it to be over. I don't need a whole miniseries as an epilogue. I just want it to have a good run and be over. And then I want some sort of new status quo established that I can identify with and understand. Which brings me back to my point about limited resources & an increased need to buy books that inspire me.

Currently, I'm reading Buddha by Osamu Tezuka. The series of books are put out by Vertical.

Buddha blows my mind. It is so great on so many levels. Life is short. I don't want to stuff my mind with the same old crap anymore. And yes, Buddha is a reprint of an older series -- but it's brilliant and lovely and unique and funny and powerful.

And you know why Giant Size Avengers/Invaders sold out? Because those older stories were good as well! They deliver.

DC Universe #0 brings to my mind the word "rut." I get into ruts sometimes. I think of the same types of things over and over; I try old methods that didn't work before, thinking that somehow magically they will work this time. My life becomes a routine, and even though I'm not completely happy with the routine, and my view is sort of limited, it's all I know. The familiar things, like Triscuits and beer while watching Family Guy, comfort me. And that's fine.

But life is short. I want more! I want to expand my mind. I want to sample the entire expanse that this medium has to offer me. I don't want to be comforted. I want to be uncomfortable. I want to grow.

Change will happen regardless. I am only forestalling it. I rather flow along with change. The mainstream comic book industry needs to do this too. And I think they are, with initiatives like Zuda and Soleil. But something like DC Universe #0 is like a comfort zone. It will have its fans and will generate money for the company. But it is not growing anything. At least Bendis makes people angry; I don't agree with everything he writes, but at least him and Millar write things that piss some people off and make them think. At least Civil War inspires some debate about current politics. I find the political metaphors in Secret Invasion a little chancy, but at least Bendis obviously has something to say.

But in the end, as I said before, Final Crisis will make money for DC.