30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Day 8

Double posting today since I missed yesterday from being tired from my travels in New Orleans. But, without further ado...

Day 8 - Best series being published right now.

This one's a tough call and one that I don't feel altogether comfortable with commenting on, since I don't read all THAT many titles being published currently. I stick with a couple favorite characters/groups of characters and a few favorite writers. That being said, I've been continually wowed by Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" and Geoff Johns' run on the Green Lantern stuff (especially since "Blackest Night") has impressed me thoroughly.

posted from Bloggeroid

30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Day 7

I'm late by a day, but here's my post for the Challenge, Day 7:

Well, I missed Day 7, so let's start with... Day 7 - Favorite Comic Couple

I think I've got to go with King Mob and Ragged Robin from "The Invisibles". They're passionate about each other, totally in love, erotically insatiable for each other and one of the sexiest couples and most beautifully depicted romances in all of comicdom.

posted from Bloggeroid

30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Day 06

Here's my 30 Day Comic Book Challenge post for today, folks. It was:

Day 06 - Most Annoying Character

I think I'm gonna have to go with Namor, the Sub-Mariner on this one. He's cocky, um, obviously annoying and just throws attitude around whenever he shows up. I'm always hoping the bad guys will beat the stuffing out of him when I see him. And though I don't really mind the character of Deadpool, I think it's annoying that Marvel puts out 30,000 books with him featured each month...

Also, I think I'm gonna have to skip the bloggings of the travels this year. The WiFi connection here in the hotel is pretty sluggish even when it IS working and I really just can't fathom posting really lengthy blog posts from my phone's keyboard.

Those of you who are interested can check out my Twitter and Facebook feeds. Some of you already have them or, if you don't, I believe you can still follow links from this very page for them.

Take care, all. I hope this post finds you well.

Peace...

posted from Bloggeroid

30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Day 5

Here's my quick entry for Day 5 of the 30 Comic Book Challenge:

Day 5 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were)

I really had trouble pinpointing this one, but I think the answer may be The Drummer from Warren Ellis' Planetary.

I'd like to think I'm pretty tech savvy. Also, I can be pretty weird and irreverent at times. I also have been known to play actual drums. I know The Drummer doesn't in the comics, but the name... You know? :)



I was also gonna start posting about the trip to New Orleans that I'm currently enjoying, but the WiFi connection seems to be down in the hotel tonight. I really don't relish the idea of typing what could be a long blog entry on my phone's keyboard. Maybe tomorrow, loyal Llogsters...

You all take care.

Peace...

posted from Bloggeroid

30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Day 4, New Orleans, and apologies

Hey guys,

First up, let's do the 30 Day Comic Book Challenge. Here's what I posted on Facebook for that.

Day 4: Guilty pleasure comic or character.

I'm really not ashamed of any of the things I'm into as far as comics go, but I might take just a little bit too much pleasure when Dex-Starr shows up. For those who don't know, he's a Red Lantern who's a cat... and I find him highly amusing.



And for those longtime readers of the Llog, you'll remember my posts about London last year when I vacationed there. Well, I've arrived in New Orleans today for this year's vacation and I plan on doing the same thing this year. Apologies, but I'm absolutely exhausted and this short post is all I can muster tonight. I'll get back to you guys tomorrow and tell you all about it.

'Til then,

Peace...

posted from Bloggeroid

30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Day 3

Here's my post for Day 3, guys...

Day 3 - A comic that is underrated.

While I know a couple have books have been done about it and it holds acclaim with a certain contingent of folks, I think Grant Morrison's "The Invisibles" is underrated. I personally think it's one of the greatest pieces of fivtion ever created. And for me... it may be THE best.



Have a good day, all.

Peace...

posted from Bloggeroid

30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Day 2

Hey guys,

I thought I'd post day 2 of the 30 Day Comic Book Challenge that I was talking about earlier today. Here goes.

Day 2 - Your Favorite Character

Though I've read a LOT of different comics and loved SO many characters, I've been reading X-Men for 20+ years and I'm gonna have to say Wolverine. When I first started seriously getting into the medium, he was the first protagonist I saw utter words, so maybe it's a little bit of a sentimental thing, too. I don't know... With comic book characters, after you read for so long, they begin to feel more like friends instead of just characters in a book. Wolvie feels like he's an ol' drinkin' buddy at this point.



Also, I should mention that the good folks who gave us the outlet for all this chatting and these ideas are Annex Comics from Newport, Rhode Island. You guys can shop with them and visit them at:

http://shop.ebay.com/quackenstein/m.html

and

http://annexcomics.com

Thanks for reading, guys.

Peace...

30 Day Comic Book Challenge - Intro and Day 1

An acquaintance on Facebook recently sent me an invitation to a sort of "online event". It's called the 30 Day Comic Book Challenge and it's only the second day and I'm hooked.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to make blog posts out of these. So any of you who are already into the medium of comic books, have any interest in it, or care what I have to say about it can tune in here for the next thirty days. Each day gives a comic book related statement and asks the particpant what they associate with it.

Day 1 was: Your first comic book.

I plan on copying and pasting in the future but I can't do that right now.

My association with that statement was, of course, the first comic book I remember buying, which was Uncanny X-Men #261 back in June of 1990.

I also said that I'd had comics before that but they'd become torn to shreds or were Silly Putty fodder. "Look, Mommy! I can stretch Superman's face!"

One Way

When a person can wow me with the comic books AND music they put out, well that's something.

At 33 years of age (about 6 months older than me), Gerard Way has achieved just about everything that I've ever wanted to do with my creative life. His band My Chemical Romance has two certified platinum albums here in the U.S. and Way's comic book series The Umbrella Academy is an Eisner and Harvey award winner.

Having not long ago read the first volume of The Umbrella Academy and having been pumping the Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade albums by My Chemical Romance for a while now, I've gotten a whole new respect for the man. And you guys know how I love giving props to those out there being creative. Especially when it's with two things that I hold so close to my heart.

In this first post I'll concentrate on giving you some snippets from the second MCR album (the one that I got into first), Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and some things from The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite (the first volume of Mr. Way's comic).

First, as I'm known to do, the music videos from the singles from Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge with titles ABOVE the songs.

Here goes:

I'm Not Okay (I Promise)





Helena





The Ghost of You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f0Pkfp0xqg&feature=related



I couldn't find an embeddable (is that a word?) video for "The Ghost of You" so there's the link to YouTube. It's really a cool video and a song that's a bit different from their others on that album. Copy, paste, and watch if you'd like. I'd recommend it.

And as for those of you who may like I used to be before I really took a good listen to this band and label them as "emo", I beg you to take another listen. Way himself has been quoted as saying, "I think emo is fucking garbage, it's bullshit. I think there's bands that unfortunately [we] get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo.” and, "I think emo's a pile of shit.”

The music on "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" does have a punk edge, as does some "emo" music, but the content, concept, and smarts of the record take it way beyond any label. And who fucking needs any labels, anyway? It's rock music. Drink it up.



And now some artwork/pages from The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite. Gerard Way didn't draw the pictures, he wrote the script. But still... Just a taste for you...

The cover for the trade paperback



Some interior artwork/pages









So anyway... Hopefully you guys have gotten some enjoyment out of this or taken a look at something you may not have before. I'll return with another post about Gerard Way. I've been listening to "The Black Parade" nearly nonstop for a while now and am planning to read "The Umbrella Academy: Dallas" soon.

I'll give you some more thoughts on those things soon.

Peace...

Soundblack

Hey guys,

Any of you who follow me and my posts on Twitter and Facebook have seen me post about a writer named Warren Ellis. You'll also know that lately I borderline worship the guy.

Though I haven't read it yet, I glanced an interesting little thing in the back of his only prose novel (entitled "Crooked Little Vein"). He'd made a list of songs that inspired the book and called it something like "soundtrack behind the book".

Now, any of you longtime followers will also know that I've been working on my first comic book off and on for some time now. I've finally reworked the story to where I think I want it and have hit a good stride. It's entitled "BLACK".

With imitation being the sincerest form of flattery and many random firings going off in my brain tonight, I think I've found the first song that I'd enter into the soundtrack for "BLACK", were there to be one.

See below...





Just a fun little thing I thought of that I might keep doing. I thought I'd share with those of you who might be interested.

I know it's been a while since the last post on "The Llog" and I'm gonna try and get better at that, too.

Hope to post to you all again here, on Twitter, and on Facebook soon. Be well, and...

Peace...

Comic of the Week - August 19th, 2009

THIS ENTRY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE ISSUES AND TITLES LISTED BELOW

Hey guys,

Was able to make the trek on Sunday to get another two weeks worth of comics, so it's time for another...

COMIC OF THE WEEK

The comics I read released on the day of August 19th, 2009 were:

-Amazing Spider-Man #603
-Invincible #65
-Justice League of America #36
-Mighty Avengers #28
-Supergirl #44
-X-Men Legacy #227



Let's get right to my faves, shall we?



Story of the Week

Although the psychotic journals of The Chameleon read like "Silence of the Lambs" in Amazing Spider-Man this week, I had to go with Invincible #65 for Story of the Week.

The whole story of the issue was just more heartfelt, emotional, and compelling. Mark is still very injured after having dealt with the wrath of Conquest over the past couple of issues and still reeling emotionally from having thought Eve was dead.

This issue doesn't stop playing with our emotions at that point, though... We feel sorry for Mark as he lies broken despite having beaten Conquest. We feel sorrow as Robot and Eve speak at Rex Splode's funeral. We long for our youth when Mark and Eve get back to Mark's bedroom. We feel shock when we realize Conquest ISN'T DEAD!!! And more shock when Mark vows to kill his future enemies.

This is a title that has really stayed consistently good. Like writer Robert Kirkman's other well-known series "The Walking Dead" (SOON TO BE A TV SERIES ON AMC! *INSERT SCHOOLGIRL SHRIEK*), the title delivers every issue and makes you want more as soon as you put the issue down. If you'd like to read a hero that has basically a young Spider-Man's mentality with Superman-like powers placed in a little bit more mature of a setting, Invincible is your book. There are several relatively inexpensive trade paperbacks out there for you to go get started. Go check 'em out or drop me line for a little "the story so far" chat. I'll gladly fill ya in and you can go get single issues from there. I can almost guarantee you'll be glad you did...



Cover Art of the Week

Cover Art of the Week has got to go to spooky, dark cover of Justice League of America #36. The cover conveys that we're going to see the Justice League and we're going to see the Royal Flush Gang, but why so dark and BLOODY?! Creepy... Cover is by Fabrizio Fiorentino (DC Comics). See below.





Interior Art of the Week

For this category, much like Story of the Week this week, again my two faves were Amazing Spider-Man and Invincible. This time, though, the web-head crew won out. Here's some art from my pick for the week: Amazing Spider-Man #603. Art is by Robert Atkins, Victor Olazaba, and Jeromy Cox. Letters appearing in shown artwork done by VC's Joe Caramagna (Marvel Comics). See below.







There's another one in the books, guys...

Hit me up on comics or anything, anytime...

Peace...

Comic of the Week - August 12th, 2009

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE ISSUES AND TITLES LISTED BELOW

Hey guys,

After my own little mini mental celebration of my 75th post on The Llog in which I discuss the film "Inglourious Basterds" (see below), I figured I'd better get the Comic of the Week feature that I owe you guys up.

The comics that I read released on the day of August 12th, 2009 were:

-Action Comics #880
-Adventure Comics #1
-Amazing Spider-Man #602
-Blackest Night #2
-Green Lantern Corps #39
-Uncanny X-Men #514
-The Walking Dead #64
-X-Men Forever #5



Story of the Week

This week had a few contenders for Story of the Week. We saw the release of Adventure Comics #1 spotlight the adventures of Superboy and backing that up with a feature of The Legion of Super-Heroes. The Walking Dead stunned, as it always does (Man, I can't wait for the show on AMC). But my favorite story upon first reading all these issues was X-Men Forever #5.

As if a scrap with Sabretooth, Storm killing Wolverine, and a child version of Storm showing up weren't enough in previous issues, this issue has the aftermath of all that plus an interesting new plotline that I just thought was genius.

Professor Xavier imparts that our mutant heroes (and villains, for that matter) aren't the next stage of evolution that they thought they were. They, in fact, may be the opposite. It appears that the more power that our mutants expend, the less that there is to sustain their lives. This is revealed in a discussion by the Beast, the Professor, and the rest of the X-Men in which they speak about how there aren't very many mutants who are over the age of 60. I think it's a great plot point and it'll be interesting to see how it's dealt with in future issues.

As I've said before, the premise of this comic is basically the stories of Chris Claremont had he stayed on the title X-Men in the early nineties. I'm lovin' it so far. See my prior Comic of the Week posts and run out and grab the issues, if you're so inclined.



Cover Art of the Week

Cover Art of the Week has got to go to Blackest Night #2. Check out the amazing piece below by Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert, and Alex Sinclair (DC Comics).





Interior Art of the Week

Again, the art award for interior art has got to go to Blackest Night #2. The art on this issue was just spectacular. Again, it's by Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert (this time with a little help from Julio Ferreira), and Alex Sinclair (DC Comics). (See below)







Well, there's another post and another expression of my opinion for Comic of the Week. Comments? Questions? Discussion? Hit me on here or contact me through any of the social networking sites listed on the right of the page... As always, feel free to hit me up for discussion about anything posted on The Llog.

Take care of each other, guys...

Peace...

Comic of the Week - August 5th, 2009

THIS ENTRY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE TITLES AND ISSUES LISTED BELOW!

Hey guys,

Time for Comic of the Week again. Yeah, I know the date at the top of the page is somewhat behind the times, but I've explained that in the last Comic of the Week feature. If you're curious why, check that one out.

Without further ado,

The comics that I read released on the day of August 5th, 2009 were:

-Amazing Spider-Man #601
-Hulk #13

Yeah, that's right. Just two titles this week. Keep in mind that I only review the ones that are on my hold list, which I've pared down to my favorites... Here goes...



Story of the Week

Believe it or not, this is actually harder to do with only two books to choose from. Both titles had a good, solid story (and beautiful art, which we'll get to below) but there can be only one (much like The Highlander).

Amazing Spider-Man #601 eked out the win for Story of the Week this time out. The main feature in the book spotlighted the aftermath of the wedding of Aunt May to J. Jonah Jameson, Sr. Peter Parker (our beloved wall-crawler's alter-ego) gets really tipsy at the reception after the wedding. What a great time to run into a newly returned Mary Jane Watson, huh? That's right. The woman that Pete was supposed to marry is back! She actually caught the bouquet at the end of last issue! Hmmm...

Pete actually gets drunk to the point of losing memory and goes home with his roommate Michelle. She's actually the sister of his old roommate Vin, who's serving some time in prison now due to his involvement in the "Spider-Tracer Murders". (See previous issues for details.)

Pete gets, um, friendlier with Michelle than he has in the past. When he wakes up next to her, still a bit out of sorts and looking for MJ on the other side of the bed, Michelle becomes enraged and kicks him out of the apartment.

Pete spends the rest of the ish trying to figure out when and where that he's supposed to meet MJ for a date that night. They had planned it at the reception, but he was too drunk the remember the specifics.

The main feature of the issue ends with Peter remembering the where and when of the date and showing up to find Mary Jane nowhere to be found. It then flashes to her. She's slept in and missed out on meeting Peter. BUT... when seeing a feature on the news about Spider-Man she knows that Spider-Man is Peter Parker.

Oh, and of course at the very end of the main feature we've got Michelle's cookies and milk caper pulled on Pete. (See ish for details, or don't... It's not that major.)

The back up feature of the issue features a story by Brian Michael Bendis (can't go wrong there, huh?) showing Pete talking to Jessica Jones-Cage (wife of Luke Cage). Jessica talks about gaining her powers and how Pete (as Spider-Man) inspired her in her initial runnings as a super-heroine. Pete shares his "With great power there must also come great responsibility" mantra with Jessica among other inspiring words. With just six pages, Bendis has our hearts in his hands...

Both of these features give us a good look at where Spider-Man/Peter Parker's headspace and heartspace are these days. This title is really starting to be great for the first time since the "One More Day" story arc. If you haven't picked up Spider-Man for a while, now may be the time...



Cover Art of the Week

Cover art of the week has got to go to Hulk #13. There is no other word for this amazing piece but INTENSE! (Check it out below, by Ed McGuinness, Tom Palmer and Dan Brown.) (And, no, not THAT Dan Brown.)





Interior Art of the Week

The coveted Interior Art of the Week prize goes to Amazing Spider-Man #601. First we've got the art from the main feature of the book by Mario Alberti and Andres Mossa. See the below 2 pieces for a taste...







AND we've also got the art from the back up feature of the book by Joe Quesada and Morry Hollowell. Check out how the pair even give Spidey's mask facial expressions in the third panel! (Below)





I've gotta add that while the artists (Alberti and Quesada) shined, the additions that the colorists(Mossa and Hollowell) laid down in both features were BREATHTAKING! Great art all around in this ish!!!



Well, there it is, guys... Another Comic of the Week feature down the tubes and straight to you loyal Llog readers. We'll see you guys next time... And...

Peace...

Comic of the Week - July 29th, 2009

THIS ENTRY WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR SOME OF THE ISSUES AND TITLES LISTED BELOW

Okay, guys...

One of the big reasons that I wanted to get back to doing The Llog was to spread a little love for one of my favorite things on the planet:

Monkeys...

No, really... heh... I love comic books!

Having gotten all caught up on reading single issues, I've decided to make a go at trying to do my "Comic of the Week" feature on a regular basis again.

I know, the date at the top of the page says July 29th and here we are verging on August 10th. Well, you see, I only make it to the comic shop that I frequent twice a month. On each visit, I buy two weeks worth. So while I'm all caught up with what I have here at the house, there are still some issues waiting for me in my hold folder in Morgantown, where I shop for them. So we'll hopefully keep this semi-current.

So, without further ado:

The comics that I read released on the date of July 29th were:

-Justice League of America #35
-The New Avengers #55
-Superman #690
-X-Men Forever #4



Story of the Week

For my first Comic of the Week feature in a long time, I'm gonna have to give Story of the Week to X-Men Forever #4.

First of all, let's get to the premise of this title.

Chris Claremont wrote the first comic book that I ever read when I began seriously collecting back in 1990. (That issue was Uncanny X-Men #261.) He wrote Uncanny for a while after that and then did 3 issues of a comic simply called X-Men (which has since been called New X-Men, X-Men (again), and was most recently changed to the title X-Men Legacy).

Anyway, the title X-Men Forever is Chris Claremont's story starting from where he left off on X-Men all those years ago, as if he'd never left. The premise alone got me stoked enough to add it to my hold list.

In this issue, the team is reeling after an unexplained attack by one of their own: the weather-manipulating Storm. In the midst of an attack by Sabretooth (in prior issues) Storm has already blinded Sabretooth, attacked fellow X-Men, and seemingly killed Woverine. Why?

This issue sees Shadowcat out for blood as she takes the fight to Storm with one of Wolverine's claws which has been mysteriously embedded in her arm after found missing from Wolverine's lightning-scorched skeleton.

After a brief scuffle with Shadowcat, Storm flees. The X-Men give chase in two separate teams. After they nearly catch her, she escapes again, only to be confronted by some riot-geared, police-looking dudes (whose superiors seem to have been keeping an eye on Storm the whole time). She asks if they're there to retrieve her. One says, "Not quite -- We're here to KILL you."

The issue ends with Gambit, Rogue, and Nightcrawler hot on Storm's tail. While Gambit searches on an electrical tower, he hears a voice. He turns to find a child version of Storm (smacking to me of Uncanny #266). He grabs her to comfort her as the last panel gives us a view of the child Storm (presumably the real Storm?) in the arms of Gambit and in the crosshairs of some assassin.

I've gotta say that while some of these issues of X-Men Forever haven't blown me away, it's good to read the X-Men of the early nineties in the style of Chris Claremont again.

If you're interested in checking this title out, it's probably one of the easiest to get into. All you need to do is go buy the X-Men: Mutant Genesis trade paperback and read the first three issues out of that and then go pick up all the issues of X-Men Forever (four, as of this entry).

Go check it out, if you're so inclined.



Cover Art of the Week

Cover art of the week is gonna go to the cover of Superman #690 by Andrew Robinson. Check it out below.





Interior Art of the Week

And interior art of the week goes to that sensational issue of X-Men Forever that I was so long-winded about in Story of the Week. The art is by Tom Grummett, Cory Hamscher, and Wilfredo Quintana (lettering appearing in art by Tom Orzechowski, just like back in the day!) Also, check it out below!







Well, there you have it, guys...

A Comic of the Week feature on The Llog.

Bet you thought you'd never see it again, didn't ya?

Well, never's a long time...

Hope you enjoyed this post whether a fan of comics or not. If you guys have any questions or comments. Please, comment on here, e-mail, hit me up on Facebook or Twitter, anything! I'm always willing to rap about the posts on here, comic books, or monkeys!

Take it easy 'til next time, guys...

Peace.

Off to see the Wizard

Hey guys,

Still flipping through Wizard #207 Gold. The latest article I've read is about the 50 greatest comic movies of all time... I'm gonna go ahead and list those for you and maybe insert some opinions like I did in the last post...

AND HEY!!! Even if you're not into the whole comic book thing, you might wanna take a look through these if you like movies. I can't count how many times someone was talking about a movie and I said, "Yeah, the comic that that film was based on was excellent." And they'd say, "WHAT?! Really? I didn't know that came from a comic book!!!"

Anyway, you might be surprised about how many of today's movies DO come from the medium of comic books. Take a peek...

Here goes:

50. Constantine (2005) -Saw it in the theaters. It was okay...
49. Timecop (1994)
48. Fantastic Four (2005)
47. Swamp Thing (1982)
46. Shogun Assassin (1980)
45. Superman Returns (2006)
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
43. Ghost in the Shell (1995) -I've got the DVD... It's so-so...
42. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
41. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) -An animated feature...
40. Mystery Men (1999)
39. Danger: Diabolik (1968)
38. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) -Some of the casting is great. The film's just okay for me...
37. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
36. Batman Returns (1992)
35. TMNT (2007)
34. Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki (1991)
33. 30 Days of Night (2007) -This one's okay... It comes close to doing the comic justice...
32. The Mask (1994) -Jim Carrey's always great... Never read the comic...
31. Blade II (2002)
30. Death Note (2008) -Read some of the manga... Wasn't aware until now that there was a movie...
29. Heavy Metal (1981)
28. Oldboy (2003)
27. Akira (1988)
26. Men in Black (1997) -Okay, if you're in the mood for it, but kinda goofy...
25. V for Vendetta (2005) -A decent film... The comic's WAY better...
24. American Splendor (2003) -Comic movie or no, this one's great...
23. The Crow (1994) -A classic...
22. The Rocketeer (1991)
21. Blade (1998)
20. Road to Perdition (2002)
19. Wanted (2008) -Saw it in the theater and it's great, but the comic's WAY better again...
18. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
17. Hellboy (2004)
16. Superman: The Movie (1978)
15. Batman (1989)
14. X-Men (2000) -I waited 10 years for this when I saw it... Some good parts if you're in the mood for the mutants...
13. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
12. A History of Violence (2005) -One of the worst movies I've ever seen...
11. Spider-Man (2002)
10. Persepolis (2007)
9. Superman II (1981)
8. Sin City (2005) -Now THIS is a film in a league of its own. Almost verbatim to the comic that spawned it...
7. Ghost World (2001)
6. 300 (2007) -Again, in a league all its own... If you haven't, see this.
5. Batman Begins (2005) -I didn't really care for this one...
4. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
3. X2: X-Men United (2003)
2. The Dark Knight (2008) -You know what I'm gonna say... Heath Ledger as the Joker is legendary... Go see this if you haven't...
1. Iron Man (2008) -I'm surprised that this beat out "The Dark Knight". Then again, I haven't seen it, so...



Well, gang, there they are...

I want to thank Wizard Magazine again and give them props for doing things like this... I really dig this type of thing.

If you want to comment on any of this or get my in-depth opinions, hit me with a comment.

Until next time, guys...

Peace...

The Best of the Best

Hey guys,

It's been a while since I've blogged about anything comic book related and while reading through Wizard #207 Gold, I noticed that they'd done a kind of year in review on all things comic books...

I'm gonna share what was in there and maybe insert some of my own opinions.

So here goes:

BEST BOOK
Action Comics
-I've read it for a while now. It IS good...

BEST EVENT
Secret Invasion
-I've not read it. I want to...

BEST SATIRE
Screamland

BEST WRITER 2008
Jason Aaron
-I've only read some Wolverine that he did and some Scalped... Enjoyable.

BEST SINGLE ISSUE
Y: The Last Man #60

BEST ARTIST
Leinil Yu

INDIE OF THE YEAR
Kramers Ergot 7

'08'S INDIE GREATS
Best Debut: Mesmo Delivery
Best Ongoing Series: RASL (I've not read this. I'd really like to...)
Best All-Ages Indie: Chiggers
Best Webcomic: BodyWorld
Best Self-Published: Pixu

BEST HERO
Captain America
-I'd really like to pick up some of the trades on this one, too...

GAME OF THE YEAR
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

BEST REVAMP
Incredible Herc

BEST ALL-AGES
Tiny Titans

BEST VILLAIN
Norman Osborn

BEST R-RATED BOOK
The Boys
-I recently just stopped reading this one... Some good stories, though...

BEST HORROR WRITER
Joe Hill

BEST COVER ARTIST
Marko Djurdevic

BEST NEW SERIES OF 2008
-Invincible Iron Man
-Stephen King's The Stand
-Secret Six
-X-Force
-Guardians of the Galaxy
-House of Mystery
-Captain Britain & MI 13
-Deadpool
-Young Liars
-Zorro
-Echo
-Conan the Cimmerian
(I've not read ANY of these, but I'd really like to try Young Liars...)

IN MEMORIAM...
-Steve Gerber
-Steve Whitaker
-Dave Stevens
-Jim Mooney
-Will Elder
-James Perham
-Creig Flessel
-Jack Kamen
-Carlos Meglia
-Michael Turner
(I'm not really familiar with anyone's work here except for Michael Turner... Rest In Peace, fellows... Truly sad losses all around, here...)



There were some other things in the article like Best Moments of 2008 and stuff but they'd require too much explanation... You can go to wizarduniverse.com to see some more on these, if you'd like...

Thanks to Wizard Magazine who published the article in reference and always keeps us in the know on all things comic book...

Until next time, guys...

Peace...

"See! Now! Our sentence is up."

Hey guys,

I finally got to finish reading Grant Morrison's comic book epic The Invisibles this past week.

The series was very rewarding and while wanting to get to the end, it was a powerful enough saga to make me sad when I got to the end. There very likely will not be any more adventures for our favorite cell of freedom fighters. The sadness I felt when getting to the end and realizing that was almost like what I felt when I got to the end of Anne Rice's Memnoch the Devil. (You see, I thought there'd be no more adventures for Lestat and I actually cried because of it... Go ahead, laugh all you want. It's a great story and Rice actually tricks you into thinking Lestat is real in some parts...)

Anyway, that's off the subject at hand...

I realize that most of you who read this probably don't have the Invisbles on your bookshelves to go and pull off, so I'll use my trusty blog friend YouTube to post some vids of some artwork and such from the series to give you just a taste (that doesn't even scratch the surface) of the masterpiece that is the Invisibles...




A short, movie trailer-esque thingy





Miscellaneous art set to trippy dance/Eastern music





Cover art gallery





Ah well...

As I said guys, that's not even scratching the surface... Grant Morrison bascially took everything that he thought was cool and sunk it into this comic... In doing so, he churned out a magical masterpiece worthy of study, praise and repeat reads... Go check it out (with an open mind) if you're so inclined...

Until next time...

Peace...

Takin' it for "Grant"-ed

Hey guys,

I can't help but to keep going back to works by a fellow named Grant Morrison...

Some of you will remember me raving on about what might be my favorite work of his, The Invisibles, in a prior post... Well, I've finally done it... I've done one of the things that I wasn't smart enough to jump onto in the first place. I've read Mr. Morrison's first trade's worth of Batman issues that he did.

Pretty good...

This post might lead the way back to an old series of postings on this blog entitled "Studies of the Clown Prince"... In Grant's first book of Batman stories, there's an amazing Joker-themed piece that has some of the weirdest artwork I've ever seen and the story behind that magnificence is written in all prose... It was truly an experience and one that I won't forget soon...

I've also read the whole All-Star Superman series, which just finished up, by Morrison recently... This is a timeless gem bringing us right up close to the hero we all love... His humanity, his weakness, and his magnificence are all in the spotlight in this one and it, too, is a great story...

Perhaps the easiest "one-read" story by Morrison that I've gone back and read recently was the JLA trade New World Order... It is only the brilliance of a writer like Morrison that can keep us up nights pondering the multiverse with some of his work and then wow us just as much (even if entirely on a different level) with a superhero book... The reason I call the JLA book a one-read book is because usually there are layers to the stories that Grant writes. These tales, I think, are meant to be read over, pondered, dissected and then read all over again... JLA had a straight-forward cohesiveness that hit us with another facet of genius from Morrison, proving his deftness at crafting all kinds of story...

Below (as I am proned to do) I'm going to include some video of the man himself... Watch and be perplexed... Don't forget to enjoy...



*-Notice in this first video (at around 2:20) where someone asks a question of Grant and the answer he gives, talking about heroes being real and a part of their own dimension... This blew me away and started some thought processes in my head that I hope will lead to great writing on my part...





*-Wanna see some stuff on Grant talking about a new web-based animation story that he's doing plus plans for the future? See below!





*-Curious about this guy's influences? The WE3 movie? See below...



Sorry about the slow load on the above vid... If you didn't wanna wait he cites influences of:
-Peter Shaffer
-David Sherwin
-Alan Garner
-J.R.R. Tolkien
-Robert Anton Wilson
-Timothy Leary
-Aleister Crowley
-The Beatles
-The Buzzcocks
-The Sex Pistols



Well, that's my rave for now... My advice, check out some of Grant Morrison's work soon. A piece of your life is missing until you do...

Peace...

My time of the month...

Hey guys...

No I haven't recently acquired a menstrual cycle, but it got your attention, didn't it?!

The time of the month that I was referring to was the time when the comics come out that I've really been enjoying lately... I'm now going to offer up the titles and a couple of quick synopses on each... (Is synopses a word?)

Wolverine

The title Wolverine has been running a story arc called Old Man Logan as of late. It's a story that takes place fifty years in the future and Wolverine (though he insists on NOT being called that) hasn't popped his claws or done battle in that missing span of time. The villains have taken over. Nothing is as it was. THE STORY IS AWESOME!!!

This great story by Mark Millar (Wanted, The Authority, etc.) with art by Steve McNiven (Civil War) and Morry Hollowell is definitely one worth checking out...

Hulk

So there's a red Hulk now?

Yeah, there is... And he's killing and beating the crap out of a lot of people... Even the real green Hulk... Perplexing...

The Sword

This series about a young parapalegic girl who finds a mystical sword and vows to exact revenge on the god-like beings who killed her family just isn't letting up... I've raved to a lot of people about this one...

This one is true excellence by the Luna Brothers (Ultra, Girls)... Check it out...

The Walking Dead

Someone summed it up recently in a letters column somewhere or something by saying that waiting for another issue of The Walking Dead was like waiting for another episode of LOST... I couldn't agree more...

Again, this is a series that, after 51 issues, just hasn't let up... A true "zombie movie that never ends", yet so much more than that... A masterpiece written by Robert Kirkman (Invincible, Brit, Marvel Zombies, etc.)...



Until next time...

Studies of the Clown Prince, Part Eight

Hey guys,

This is a pivotal study in the history of the Joker. The feel that the viewing of The Dark Knight has probably made it that way, whether I wanted it to or not. Also, the study up until this point has been pretty much in chronological order. That's really another thing that's made this pivotal... Having viewed the film that is basically the latest piece of Joker mythos, anything that I would read or view now will be a step back in the Joker's timeline... That being said, let's take a look a what I've taken in so far...

-The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told (Graphic Novel, 1988; Collecting stories from 1939-1983)

-Batman: The Animated Series (Cartoon, 1992-1995)

-Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Comics, 1986)

-Batman: The Killing Joke (Comic, 1988)

-Batman: A Death in the Family (Comics, 1988-1989)

-The Dark Knight (Film, 2008)



Now then, let's move on...

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS A FEW SPOILERS FROM THE COMICS SERIES "BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM".

Finally, another Joker story that I've really been looking forward to. Any of you who've read prior posts of this blog, looked at my MySpace, or been around me long enough to hear me start rambling about comics know that I love Grant Morrison's work. Batman: Arkham Asylum is a story that is crafted by the one and only Grant Morrison with the unmistakable abstract genius Dave McKean doing the artwork.

Some of you may have read some Grant Morrison, but I'd be willing to bet that all of you have seen Dave McKean's artwork... He's done various comics (all of the covers to DC/Vertigo's landmark series The Sandman), over 150 CD covers, ad campaigns for Kodak, Nike, BMW, and Smirnoff, and has contributed to the production design on some of the Harry Potter films. His style is very abstract and has a presence that you won't soon forget... Just wait 'til you see some of the pics of the Joker I'm about to post from this book.

If you thought Heath Ledger's Joker was disturbing or frightening and you didn't think it could get any worse, check this book out... This Joker is completely insane.

The story centers around the building of Arkham Asylum, a facility that houses the Joker and all of Batman's other foes when he catches them time after time. With the Joker leading the charge, the inmates take over the facility, beckoning Batman's presence inside... What Batman arrives to is something of a grand haunted house with a gallery of vicious madmen supplying the bumps in the night...

The Joker first lures the Batman inside by saying that he has a nineteen-year-old girl hostage (among others). He talks on the phone to Batman. "She just drew me a beautiful house," he says. "She drew it with this pencil. The one I've just sharpened. OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE, PEARL! Beautiful... Blue... Oh..." The scene ends with a blood-curdling scream and Batman exclaiming, "Jesus, NO!" (Could the Joker's "magic trick" in his opening scene in The Dark Knight be a reference to this?)

If the Joker's sexuality in The Dark Knight Returns was questionable, it's markedly more ambiguous in this tale. At one point he actually grabs Batman's ass saying, "Loosen up, TIGHT ASS!" He also calls Batman "honey" and "honey-pie" on different occasions... Is this just a grand jest or is the Joker in love with the thrill that Batman gives him? Or in love with the man himself? Hmmmm...

Though not really the "Joker story" that Batman: The Killing Joke or The Dark Knight are, this tale definitely has its Joker moments... It's a tale that I'd include on my short list simply because I've really never seen the Joker this way before thematically or visually...

FINAL VERDICT: This is a Joker story you should read. As I've said, it's the Joker as I've never seen him before and that's thanks to Grant Morrison and Dave McKean. C'mon! With two geniuses such as these at the helm, the story's gotta be good!

I'll now include the cover the to the 15th Anniversary Edition of this book and an interior shot of the Joker below by Dave McKean.







If you guys know anything else that pertains to the Joker that I should check out, let me know. My plans for future studies include but are not limited to:

-Batman (Film, 1989)

-Batman: The Man Who Laughs (Comic)

-Mad Love (Comic)

-Slayride (Detectice Comics #826)

-Robin II: Joker's Wild (Comic)

-Going Sane (Legends of the Dark Knight #65-68)




Let me know if there's something I should read/watch that I missed...

Until next time...