tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348573862024-03-07T18:14:09.809-05:00Continuity Error!A blog about old and new comic books by a guy with nothing better to do.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-89823576422002382712007-06-29T04:39:00.000-05:002007-06-29T05:07:55.918-05:00Movin' on up (and away)!Just to let you know, I'm moving the blog over to <a href="http://www.continuityerror.com/">continuityerror.com</a>, where it will be powered by Wordpress instead of blogger. The new RSS feed is <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/continuityerror/RVGM">here</a>.<br /><br />The new site needs some serious work, especially in the design department, but I am currently making some new content, so I thought I'd let people know where they can get more Continuity Error.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-589554948089207852007-06-27T18:33:00.000-05:002007-06-27T19:07:31.557-05:00The Three Types of FansThe way I see it, there are three types of comic book fans.* There are those who read comics because they enjoy the medium, those who read because they like superheroes, and then there are those who are more concerned with collecting rather than actually reading anything.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fans of the Medium:</span> These people love comics because there is just something about them fundamentally that appeals to them. These are the people who only use "graphic novel" instead of "comic book." They've read <span style="font-style: italic;">Understanding Comics</span> more than once. They have also read at least half of <span style="font-style: italic;">Reinventing Comics</span>. Their pull lists always include <span style="font-style: italic;">Y: The Last Man</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">The Walking Dead</span>, or both if they know that's good for them. They read some superhero comics, but they often restrict this habit to those written by Grant Morrison, Brian K. Vaughan and Niel Gaiman. They may not have read many Batman comics, but they can tell you exactly why Frank Miller's <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark Knight Returns</span> is the quintessential Batman story. They also tend to be suckers for the Marvel Essentials line, in that they can get a motherload of comic for very little money, regardless of whether the stories are at all tolerable. Despite their obvious faults, these fans do have one thing going for them: when they bring a date home, they don't need to hide their collection of hardcovers, indie graphic novels and critically acclaimed manga.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Superhero Fans:</span> These fans read almost nothing but superhero comics. They enjoy rich, and often times ridiculous, mythologies attached to their favorite characters. The best of them can name off at least ten members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The problem they have is that anti-intellectualism seems to run wild in their ranks. They don't bother reading non-superhero comics because they think they don't like "smart comics" or "comics that make you think," even though I've told them to read <span style="font-style: italic;">It's A Bird</span> a hundred times because I know they will love it! They also tend to get excited about things that are clearly stupid, just because they involve superheroes, like shitty movies or breakfast cereals.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Collectors:</span> Out of the three, these are the guys I just cannot understand. Rather than being a distinct group from the previous two, Collectors are a mutation of the Medium Fan and the Superhero Fan. Rather than buying comics to <span style="font-style: italic;">read</span> them, Collectors buy them to <span style="font-style: italic;">have</span> them. To see one, just wait at any comic shop on a Wednesday and wait for a guy to walk in with two dozen pre-boarded bags. Watch them grab every comic from every major publisher (regardless of quality or demographic) and place those comics neatly in the bags. Either these people are all rich or they still live with their parents, because it is insane how much money they drop on comics each week.<br /><br />Of course, I'm not saying that people can't be a little of each, a lover of the medium and a superhero nerd. It's sort of like being gay or straight: it just depends on where in the spectrum to fall on. But in the case of Collectors, it's basically just sex addiction.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Please note that I am restricting my generalizations to the American comics scene. I'm sure that the dynamics are different in other countries, especially Japan, where mainstream comics are more diverse.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-12804756946825191922007-06-26T07:43:00.001-05:002007-06-26T07:44:34.701-05:00I just noticed this in the Marvel Sept solicitations<span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><b style="font-style: italic;">ESSENTIAL PUNISHER VOL. 2 TPB</b><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Written by MIKE BARON, ROGER SALICK, ELIOT R. BROWN & ANN NOCENTI</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Penciled by KLAUS JANSON, DAVID ROSS, WHILCE PORTACIO, MARK TEXEIRA, MIKE VOSBURG, ELIOT R. BROWN & JOHN ROMITA JR.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Cover by KLAUS JANSON</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Mobsters, terrorists, neo-Nazis, religious fanatics, armored killers; no one's too tough for the Punisher! Follow the trail of blood as Frank Castle's war on crime takes him across the country, south of the border, back to school and Down Under! Plus: The Man With Lots Of Guns vs. the Man Without Fear in a crossover with Daredevil! And who will live and die when the Punisher leads what might be the world's shortest-lived crime-fighting team against the Kingpin of Crime? With Typhoid Mary and a cameo by the</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> X-Men! Collecting PUNISHER #1-20 and ANNUAL #1, and DAREDEVIL #257</span><br /><br />I love you again, Marvel.<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-25484482154444285982007-06-23T22:07:00.000-05:002007-06-23T22:26:16.961-05:00Checking in...Just letting you know I'm not dead yet.<br /><br />Wow, it's only been a month since I last blogged. Let me think what's new in my life...<br /><br />-I'm still tired of superhero comics. The only superhero comics I buy currently are <span style="font-style: italic;">World War Hulk</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Runaways</span> (which now has a very Weadonesque release schedule). The rest I just download. I know, it's awful of me, but the major American publishers just aren't putting out much of anything I see worth putting money down for.<br /><br />-The death of Bart Allen pisses me off. Not because I liked him, but rather I'm just sick and tired of characters being killed in order to a) drum up sales and b) get them out of the way without having to com up with something more creative. Death has become boring in comic books, and therefor there is very little at stake.<br /><br />-I've been looking into manga lately. I used to think it was all lame but it's really kind of cool if you find the right stuff for you. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manga-60-Years-Japanese-Comics/dp/1856693910/ref=sr_1_1/104-6586773-7483933?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182655182&sr=8-1">This book by Paul Gravett</a> is a really good introduction to the stuff. <span style="font-style: italic;">Astro Boy</span> is neat, although a little too kiddie for me. <span style="font-style: italic;">Death Note </span>is awesome, as is <span style="font-style: italic;">Battle Angel Alita</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Rorouni Kenshin</span> isn't bad. <span style="font-style: italic;">Golgo 13</span> is fun. <span style="font-style: italic;">Hellsing</span>, on the other hand, is terrible.<br /><br />-Oh, and I started up a satirical blog called <a href="http://www.fandamentalist.com/">The Fandamentalist</a>. It's basically me doing to comics what the Cobert Report does to politics. I must be really cynical right now. It's a secret that the Fandamentalist is a joke, so don't tell anyone it's me or else I won't get anymore angry comments.<br /><br />-Time for me to go to bed and cuddle up with a nice manga.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-66316641345816853622007-05-21T06:48:00.000-05:002007-06-27T19:11:00.399-05:00The Joker revealedSoon after beginning the viral marketing campaign attached to <em>The Dark Knight</em>, the upcoming sequel to <em>Batman Begins</em>, Warner Bros has released an official photograph of Heath Ledger's Joker by way of <a href="http://www.ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com/">ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com</a>.<br /><br /><img style="width: 465px; height: 350px;" src="http://www.freezeetch.com/crap/HEATHJOKER.jpg" /><br /><br />That is incredible. Of course, I wonder what parents' groups will think of such a grotesque and fundamentally violent character in what they still believe is a francise of "children's movies."<br /><br />And I'm sure that the internet is tearing at the seams with fans complaining about how this is "not the real Joker" (as if there is <em>real</em> Joker at all) and already claiming to boycott the film. For me, the grisly, no-holds-barred approach to the Joker is perfect and will fit neatly into the new Batman film continuity.<br /><br />But, I am afraid I will start thinking I'm watching <em>Ichi the Killer</em> at times.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-83212651507161513132007-05-18T05:28:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:15:53.375-05:00Mary Jane is not a supermodel, Mr. Hodges.Until now I have kept my blog shut on this ridiculous Mary Jane statue issue, but after <a href="http://tdhartist.livejournal.com/149623.html">this statement by Tom Hodges, defending the statue's design</a>, I couldn't keep quiet. What really stood out to me was this part:<br /><br /><blockquote>If you're upset she's not portraying MJ like Dunst in the movies... then you obviously have no idea who the MJ character really is. She's a supermodel, not some whiny waive thin tone deaf little girl. She's supposed to be stacked. </blockquote>Here's the deal: Mary Jane is not a supermodel. She is a fictional character who was written as a supermodel for a small time, but she does not in any way resemble an actual supermodel. In fact, other than plus size models and Trya Banks, most supermodels are "whiny, waif-thin little girls."<br /><br />This is Kate Moss. This is a supermodel. For a time she was THE supermodel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3938cbzzvpv1GFX06jeK_INTFIvnh84sZnMlsSb3fjsDYQeBbL8CrwWVRF69jHhw_7xeQirxwI_VldanhViY7x6I2daA8YZ1MFhjCXUQlKTcO_w6ufl0UylaQiqho9jj-AR9/s1600-h/Kate_Moss_Calvin_Klein.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3938cbzzvpv1GFX06jeK_INTFIvnh84sZnMlsSb3fjsDYQeBbL8CrwWVRF69jHhw_7xeQirxwI_VldanhViY7x6I2daA8YZ1MFhjCXUQlKTcO_w6ufl0UylaQiqho9jj-AR9/s400/Kate_Moss_Calvin_Klein.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065850465922589314" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Kate Moss makes for a great clothes hanger. That's what supermodels are.<br /><br />Somehow there has managed to be a disconnect between Hodge's definition of hotness with the fashion industry's already disconnected definition of hotness. Not only do comic creators not know what real women look like, they evidentially don't even know what supermodels look like. It's this sort of denial of reality and acceptance of the sexist status quo that makes people think that this sort of thing is perfectly innocent, inoffensive and fun.<br /><br />Looking at that statue, I can only assume that Mary Jane is a slut. That's it. Is that what her character is? I must have no idea.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-27318627469472862022007-05-10T07:13:00.000-05:002007-05-10T07:16:39.681-05:00Sorry superheroes...I'd love to write something cynical and witty about <span style="font-style: italic;">Countdown </span>or <span style="font-style: italic;">World War Hulk</span> or even <span style="font-style: italic;">Amazons Attack</span>, but I'm not reading any of them. In fact, I haven't read too many superhero comics in the last few weeks. Instead, I've been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1421501686?ie=UTF8&tag=almosttranspa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1421501686">Death Note</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=almosttranspa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1421501686" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />. Don't expect too much mainstream love from me until I'm finished with all 12 volumes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-84036869968253447282007-05-07T06:44:00.000-05:002007-05-07T06:54:49.927-05:00Quick and dirty Spider-Man 3 reviewAll said and done, <span style="font-style: italic;">Spider-Man 3</span> is the single best film to be the third installment of a superhero franchise. That action is solid, if not more impressive than the first two movies, and the consistent tone with the other films make this a good addition to the series in a genre where sequels usually become unbearable after the second film. The acting is also very good, especially Ms. Dunst, who I feel really was the star of this movie. Quite enjoyable.<br /><br />The only <span style="font-style: italic;">real </span>problem is the script. With so many intersecting story lines, the script simply stretches itself too thin while it attempts to give all its characters a sense of humanity. Perhaps another 20 minutes was necessary to flesh things out, or maybe the screen writers were just being lazy. Another problem, although less so, is that Peter's evil makeover is laughably ridiculous. So emo.<br /><br />There is no arguing that <span style="font-style: italic;">Spider-Man 3</span> is much weaker than the first two movies and that this is mostly due to the thinned out script and use of cheap plot devices, but it still is a pretty decent movie and an above average superhero flick.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-47684418890683245022007-05-04T13:26:00.000-05:002007-05-04T20:33:39.836-05:00Marvel vs. DC: An Attempt at an AnswerNow that the post-<span style="font-style: italic;">Infinite Crisis</span> status quo has finally been revealed in <span style="font-style: italic;">Fifty-Two</span> #52, I find my self wondering which of the two major fictional universes I find more attractive now that they have finished their respective "shake-up" events. I've figured that looking at how both DC and Marvel match up in some key categories will help me come to the final answer: Am I a DC or a Marvel man? Let the games begin!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">New Status Quo</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC:</span> A new multiverse. Personally I really don't care much for this idea at I felt that Hypertime was a quick and easy way to make everything work while still keeping things in one set universe. I don't really know why I would want to read anything that takes place on Earth-2 or the Faucett Earth. I like the idea of a single universe for everything, but that said, I don't really see how this will really affect me much. So really, I'm just apathetic to the multiverse.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel:</span> Ugh. I can't help but see half of Marvel's protagonists as villains now. Mrs. Marvel and Iron Man especially. Maybe this will bring about some interesting dynamics between characters, but I just don't like not being able to really care about less than half of the characters in a superhero universe. Hopefully the Hulk can help smash some of this crap back into shape.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> DC, for not making their heroes either outlaws or dickheads.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Continuity</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC:</span> A multiverse, then a single universe, then a series of interwoven timelines, then a multiverse. The post-<span style="font-style: italic;">CoIE</span> reboot was brilliant, although necessary move but now I'm just confused by who did or didn't do what. Although I only have to wait twenty years for another reboot.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel: </span>These guys always had their shit together, although they did get a later start. Everything is in continuity, and although that means that there are decades worth of stories that "count" but no fan will have the time to read. I admire Marvel's ability to refrain from rebooting their universe and accepting that continuity is going to get fucked up now and then.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> Marvel, for keeping things simple and relevant.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Old School</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC:</span> Things were pretty goofy in the fifties and sixties for everyone in the DCU. All I can say is thank you, Baby Jesus, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Crisis on Infinite Earths</span>. That said, DC did get their act together much sooner than the competition. Pretty much anything Neil Adams and Denny O'Neil touched in the seventies was decades ahead of its time.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel:</span> When Marvel started out, Stan Lee wrote everything and I've made my feelings on Stan's writing abilities pretty clear. That said, Jack Kirby also drew a lot of stuff and that made those ridiculous stories all the more bearable. Personally, I don't think Marvel really got its head on straight with storytelling until the late seventies, especially when Frank Miller changed Daredevil into a swashbuckling Spider-Man rip-off into a hard edged, realistic vigilante.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> DC, by a nose. While the stories where Superman tricks his family and Batman died every issue were stupid, juvenile and just plain crappy, the DC books of the seventies were far more advanced than those at Marvel. That said, Jack Kirby still kicks ass.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Main "Boy Scout" Character</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC: </span>Superman. I've always had a hard time liking Superman. As a god-like superhero, he's the template, but in the end, smashing stuff or lifting huge objects can only be so interesting. I get that there's some sort of American idealism that is supposed to be invested in Superman, but it always rings hallow to me. Maybe I just don't "get him" and need to read <span style="font-style: italic;">It's a Bird</span> again.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel:</span> Captain America. Also hard for me to get, especially since I find nationalistic idealism often to be silly. That said, Cap has a history of standing up for what he beleives is right, even if it is in opposition to the US government. That's the sort of hero I can respect, even if he has a silly costume.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> Marvel. Even anarchists can think Cap is cool, while Superman just comes off as a tool a lot of the time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Main "Tough Guy" Character</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC:</span> Batman. The Goddamn Batman. Don't know what else to say other than he's the coolest comic book character of all time.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel:</span> Wolverine. He can be cool, really cool, but sometimes he just gets boring. And now that he's been reduced to a skeleton only to recover in an hour or so, it's a little hard to worry about the outcomes of his stories.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> DC. Batman will punch you in the neck for thinking otherwise.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Main Female Character</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC:</span> Wonder Woman. She's always gotten the short end of the stick in the so-called "trinity" of major heroes in the DCU. I don't know much about her, but I know that she's able to kick just about anyone's ass, especially since Superman can't sometimes bring himself to do the job. That makes her cool in my book.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel: </span>Uh... who would this be exactly? Storm? Or is it Mrs. Marvel now that Ororo's married to a B-list Avenger? In any case, I can't think of a single female Marvel character that is a household name. That's sad.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> DC, for simply having a woman on the A-list.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Main Superhero Team</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC:</span> Justice League. The JLA has either been full of A-listers or stocked with silly B-listers and either way is lots of fun. Personally, I prefer to have all the best characters on the roster, but even with a few second stringers, the League is always fun.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel:</span> Avengers. Until lately the Avengers have never interested me. Other than a handful of A-list characters like Cap and Iron Man, the team seems to have always been made up of characters that no one really cares much about. The X-Men have cooler characters, but somehow the Avengers are still supposed to be "the big guns." And even when the coolest characters are on the team (as they are in the current <span style="font-style: italic;">New Avengers</span>) it seems a little awkward and forced.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> DC. Ask anyone on the street to name ten superheroes and they are likely to name mostly JLA members.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Movies (post-</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">X-Men</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DC:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman Begins</span> was damn near perfect and <span style="font-style: italic;">Superman Returns</span> was pretty fun if only a bit preachy. <span style="font-style: italic;">Catwoman</span> is unwatchable, but is the only bad recent DC movie I can think of.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel:</span> Marvel has a bit of a head start on the superhero movie renaissance, starting with <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men</span> and exploding with <span style="font-style: italic;">Spider-Man</span>. Both the X-movies and Spider-Man films have been great (even <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Stand</span>!) but there have been even more Marvel movies that I haven't even seen because they just look boring. Hulk, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Daredevil, all movies I would theoretically love to see, but just to not seem to look worth the effort of renting them.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winner:</span> Draw. While Marvel has two successful series of films under thier belt, they also have a ton of mediocre films. DC on the other hand has next to nothing but promises good stuff in the future.<br /><br />Now that I've run out of categories, lets tally up the points...<br /><br />And DC wins by a landslide. Really, I'm a little surprised, but the numbers don't lie. Now I just need to figure out why I read more Marvel weekly than DC.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-29177247949176707102007-05-03T11:35:00.000-05:002007-05-03T12:06:21.848-05:00A few thoughts on Fifty-Two #52<span style="font-style: italic;">If you haven't ready read it, do so, or else be ready to read some <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">SPOILERS<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></span></span><br /><br />I just have to say that it's mighty convenient that Mr. Mind was able to eat all the parts that made the New Earth different from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Kingdom Come </span>earth or the Wildstorm Universe. I mean, just how is it that he didn't create totally different realities, ones we've never seen before, while on his space/time eating binge?<br /><br />The DCU has gone though so many shuffles and revisions that nothing makes any sense to me anymore. I mean, now that there is a new multiverse, does that mean that the first Crisis is null and void, at least for those Earths that existed back then? Does this mean that every DC/Wildstorm crossover need a dimensional travel explanation? And why even bother have the <span style="">Charlton </span>or Capt. Marvel worlds? The first Crisis didn't just erase them, it made them obsolete by integrating them into the mainstream DCU.<br /><br />Sigh. I miss Hypertime.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-48372618703894928242007-05-02T06:16:00.000-05:002007-05-02T06:45:30.364-05:00I don't like Nightwing anymoreMaybe this is a little late since <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwing Annual</span> #2 came out a while ago, but this One-Year-Before-One-Year-Later story has sealed the deal: I don't like Dick Grayson.<br /><br />Now, I do like him as a supporting character to Batman or Tim Drake, and he seems to be cool enough as Robin, but when he is the lead character some of his less appealing traits really shine through. Namely, Dick is a whiny slut.<br /><br />I've already <a href="http://continuity-error.blogspot.com/2006/12/nightwing-is-dirty-slut.html">written about how Dick can't keep it in his pants</a>, but I forgave him for it then. After all, it was One Year Later and everyone in the DC Universe could have done with some action. But as the <span style="font-style: italic;">Annual </span>points out, Nightwing is just a plain ol' slut. According to the Annual, Dick, in a heartbeat, started making out with Barbara and even went to bed with her only to reveal that he was engaged to Starfire at the time! I'm not too familiar with Dick and Kori's relationship, but it's just not cool to sleep around when you are engaged. And, as the ending of the Annual indicates, Dick is still in love with Babs and will return to her some day. Apparently it's okay to sleep with strange fashion designers on the way. And has Dick even talked to Babs since returning to the states? I haven't been reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwing </span>for a few months, but I'm sure he's found some other ways to slut it up along the way back to Babs.<br /><br />And Nightwing is emooooooo. He's more moody than Batman now! Somehow both Bruce and Tim returned from their world tour better adjusted and more badass, but Dick just got more whiny. Maybe that's what he gets for skipping out early. It seems that Nightwing is just in a bad place and I'm not sure if he'll ever get out of it.<br /><br />I wish I could blame Dick's angst and promiscuity on one writer, but this appears to be the conventions of his character and that makes me not like him at all. I'm still all about Nightwing teaming up with Robin or Batman or anyone else for that matter. Hell, I loved his role in <span style="font-style: italic;">Infinite Crisis</span>, but on his own he repulses me. <br /><br />Someone let me know when Dick gets over it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-56064691237181049762007-04-30T12:30:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:15:55.607-05:00Abridged Comics: Giant-Sized X-Men, UXM #94 - #104Here is all you need to know about <span style="font-style: italic;">Giant-Sized X-Men</span> #1 and <span style="font-style: italic;">Uncanny X-Men</span> #94 - #104, boiled down to one panel an issue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNFkKqteBU2gSUZbEB5yAAzyP6_VivRPh_xifA7Upo7q8OeTOViRz-7P4QY239vmW1VTtcMlfLm45iyVN_I7MMA_LSnisQqZRqrxM6WlKl_jrxg0JTL9QinrMJJx0H4ZzwKbx/s1600-h/gsxm1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNFkKqteBU2gSUZbEB5yAAzyP6_VivRPh_xifA7Upo7q8OeTOViRz-7P4QY239vmW1VTtcMlfLm45iyVN_I7MMA_LSnisQqZRqrxM6WlKl_jrxg0JTL9QinrMJJx0H4ZzwKbx/s400/gsxm1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059290363841660786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Giant-Sized X-Men #1:</span> The all new, all different X-Men join together to fight for justice in a world filled with prejudice and intolerance.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LaH4fThlDnbK6g_XJJVmR6StNBzg5Hg3HI6pVUwm1fw-UB1UU_qWT-WiaejZYc5T4BiZntNaRMwe_OqIvi-ujEyxY7cBt96yuZmSObuASXoQ_3o8Xjg1eayJ9IOnVJTpRnUh/s1600-h/uxm94.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LaH4fThlDnbK6g_XJJVmR6StNBzg5Hg3HI6pVUwm1fw-UB1UU_qWT-WiaejZYc5T4BiZntNaRMwe_OqIvi-ujEyxY7cBt96yuZmSObuASXoQ_3o8Xjg1eayJ9IOnVJTpRnUh/s400/uxm94.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059290698849109890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #94:</span> Professor Xavier is voted off the island.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApy_smSHTONLUOrCZ7d4c5HJqM0Qb9uE_s6Kzo-3oDNGQ445cvI_dBk2wpvbsVZ9jZ86Yn6I241I9rgxHgBcAnR7zMW2ZHVljFNbDgXMjT1cdPA8BTFrF7kvNDO-gxzcN_AoU/s1600-h/uxm95.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApy_smSHTONLUOrCZ7d4c5HJqM0Qb9uE_s6Kzo-3oDNGQ445cvI_dBk2wpvbsVZ9jZ86Yn6I241I9rgxHgBcAnR7zMW2ZHVljFNbDgXMjT1cdPA8BTFrF7kvNDO-gxzcN_AoU/s400/uxm95.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059290703144077202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #95:</span> Thunderbird gets himself blown up and it becomes a big deal for years. But seriously, the guy was a fucking douchebag.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjeZQcF9h4hmvacLcVBMBcMMdtUsECyVWeq1qM_8Zq6iJr6D4_3F7zceDSpxhkUOGAiXKnQR5mN5RMXGMgz0oxrqod8CJYnoAaBxxObvcrhLhfdp-zTZ9AvWI4LLgfLBxRMej/s1600-h/uxm96.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjeZQcF9h4hmvacLcVBMBcMMdtUsECyVWeq1qM_8Zq6iJr6D4_3F7zceDSpxhkUOGAiXKnQR5mN5RMXGMgz0oxrqod8CJYnoAaBxxObvcrhLhfdp-zTZ9AvWI4LLgfLBxRMej/s400/uxm96.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059290703144077218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #96:</span> Nightcrawler finds Wolverine's copy of "She's All That."<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvUrK3a_IZcR6Gq-fDzSkL16arQcRoyUk2GSkmRt5yfiBq1ivuZc_P_7moBP3idYPkIdl1ZQvK9Dhuafdlo_AzlBHS1F0M1r8UXrTSe08i82Tn9W09reXp_4KaAqpQJd-FHj2/s1600-h/uxm97.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvUrK3a_IZcR6Gq-fDzSkL16arQcRoyUk2GSkmRt5yfiBq1ivuZc_P_7moBP3idYPkIdl1ZQvK9Dhuafdlo_AzlBHS1F0M1r8UXrTSe08i82Tn9W09reXp_4KaAqpQJd-FHj2/s400/uxm97.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059290703144077234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #97:</span> Cyclops fights Havok. Again.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxu6KT56MtaossxBBHqquY9IHXHrsTeHYs7MfzksIJQ7efzDifkPDbqzhu-6YjP27ysKnRhHNjR41gGXbUY7jRuRZqulgHtjYH0h9a9BP-JHZNtP6buMxs0Kg8r2f8rmU8Ald/s1600-h/uxm98.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxu6KT56MtaossxBBHqquY9IHXHrsTeHYs7MfzksIJQ7efzDifkPDbqzhu-6YjP27ysKnRhHNjR41gGXbUY7jRuRZqulgHtjYH0h9a9BP-JHZNtP6buMxs0Kg8r2f8rmU8Ald/s400/uxm98.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059290707439044546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #98:</span> Nightcrawler disguises himself as a 70's porn star. He ends up nailing his foster sister.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU1XPJO-PSdf0LDFL-SKEtWS2IgY5ZcEIwo_Cyr6mmN3UCN4UtvbtPRGYfU1QlapoE3BovVj_zs1mHBeU08wnZakSpzXDOh7B5wGol_CJoOgEQ3e8KU9LPTC4dumhnt_uqQ1X/s1600-h/uxm99.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU1XPJO-PSdf0LDFL-SKEtWS2IgY5ZcEIwo_Cyr6mmN3UCN4UtvbtPRGYfU1QlapoE3BovVj_zs1mHBeU08wnZakSpzXDOh7B5wGol_CJoOgEQ3e8KU9LPTC4dumhnt_uqQ1X/s400/uxm99.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059303905873545170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #99:</span> He may have skin made of steel, but Colossus is a total wuss when when it comes to a stomach ache.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-zn4VtlWBQ2DrTkHA6Kdl0BUeSD_KDrbLXE_qAtfOvQHdkrSvw1gTy42L4R711FqPRSZ7sbNkAK4woZerT-irHqlFxVDWZETz8JQisB5aPn182eCP2j5vhpDlEWdR3Nr639M/s1600-h/uxm100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-zn4VtlWBQ2DrTkHA6Kdl0BUeSD_KDrbLXE_qAtfOvQHdkrSvw1gTy42L4R711FqPRSZ7sbNkAK4woZerT-irHqlFxVDWZETz8JQisB5aPn182eCP2j5vhpDlEWdR3Nr639M/s400/uxm100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059303910168512482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #100:</span> Jean uses her powers to take Corbeau's knowledge of flying spacecraft. And his credit card numbers.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNL1Qu5H4aIkWqbpmoNlhe06Nd8Tl0Yt6-Z5R93JRnUNEtbpjohv7ScrhSBvQ4g46LP5F4XZXKJWuqSkIynie-RVeMgBaelwu-74mRvGbFN7nH2W3f3AAhUGGiGLw-NHR6HYm4/s1600-h/uxm101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNL1Qu5H4aIkWqbpmoNlhe06Nd8Tl0Yt6-Z5R93JRnUNEtbpjohv7ScrhSBvQ4g46LP5F4XZXKJWuqSkIynie-RVeMgBaelwu-74mRvGbFN7nH2W3f3AAhUGGiGLw-NHR6HYm4/s400/uxm101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059303910168512498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #101:</span> Geez, that narrator is a real dick!<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuXrWTt9_2dVM8x881Ge4qtqXMdx3Fgo-frQnOHIccTPKQxVItxW0WQbq_PYl2T8fFyYjFiAwYXCdJ3dqx8gmMjlXgdYy7mzNQO0m11XzndSU8nqRUk6xOLrqr7lbdK-Vw0WA/s1600-h/uxm102.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuXrWTt9_2dVM8x881Ge4qtqXMdx3Fgo-frQnOHIccTPKQxVItxW0WQbq_PYl2T8fFyYjFiAwYXCdJ3dqx8gmMjlXgdYy7mzNQO0m11XzndSU8nqRUk6xOLrqr7lbdK-Vw0WA/s400/uxm102.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059303914463479810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #102:</span> Behold, the larval form of "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!"<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Xcq_k9o-IcRTZ3VLBpOweoVvbCpfUEH3OOLkOmiLJe1ZOmks2BuB343eeA9mJ8qEs133imFoh5Xn-NkFiRGcjcyW2stf4uc7WFzDzaG9K5RdJ51zCngi4AiD-Byvvm8OecjW/s1600-h/uxm103.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Xcq_k9o-IcRTZ3VLBpOweoVvbCpfUEH3OOLkOmiLJe1ZOmks2BuB343eeA9mJ8qEs133imFoh5Xn-NkFiRGcjcyW2stf4uc7WFzDzaG9K5RdJ51zCngi4AiD-Byvvm8OecjW/s400/uxm103.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059319226021890098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #103:</span> You see, originally Chris Claremont was going to have Logan be a super-evolved wolverine. But since that is completely retarded, ha came up with all the Weapon X stuff. So... this leprechaun must be absolutely fucking insane. For the sake of continuity.<br /><hl><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMydW_Ch_cgVZX0KsNidW6x7RfL53kyvYjCiheZlGpcFo-MCDtrnOQhLeUUh6GmSNJPQ9GbRCmP4VDAvY7I4HxukjOxn4GD-HwNgPNqyy9plxK85BZk1mq_FcbsV2vuQtDGk3r/s1600-h/uxm104.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMydW_Ch_cgVZX0KsNidW6x7RfL53kyvYjCiheZlGpcFo-MCDtrnOQhLeUUh6GmSNJPQ9GbRCmP4VDAvY7I4HxukjOxn4GD-HwNgPNqyy9plxK85BZk1mq_FcbsV2vuQtDGk3r/s400/uxm104.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059306615997909026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men #104:</span> The X-Men fight Magneto. That is all.</hl></hl></hl></hl></hl></hl></hl></hl></hl></hl></hl>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-84636579637495813292007-03-11T10:37:00.001-05:002007-03-11T10:37:48.278-05:00Another Violet movie<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YzME5CLQJCY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YzME5CLQJCY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-17574068462192494412007-03-11T09:27:00.000-05:002007-03-11T09:34:35.875-05:00Quick 300 reviewAs an action movie, 300 is certainly one of the best I've ever seen and hopefully will set the bar for all other sword-and-sandal epics in the future. Also, it looks just like a classic Frank Miller book, so it is needless to say it's gorgeous.<br /><br />However, it is also the biggest steaming pile of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism">Orientalist</a> crap I've seen since Fu Manchu. <span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-3461426637874071462007-03-10T09:38:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:15:55.905-05:00For anyone who missed Civil War: The Initiative<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWgb1ncThrpw3P8nDd_Y9eWkcxLgZ9sJH03rnlhwWXEzt_Dy-aL6DxyODnnXdyNLg676BDgLBeFO_fBZGjrZ1yuWDoIhkwcJG5uabBW8MbKCpQx8pjaz6LIHXhUgR7KGxPmYu/s1600-h/capisnotfuckingdead.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWgb1ncThrpw3P8nDd_Y9eWkcxLgZ9sJH03rnlhwWXEzt_Dy-aL6DxyODnnXdyNLg676BDgLBeFO_fBZGjrZ1yuWDoIhkwcJG5uabBW8MbKCpQx8pjaz6LIHXhUgR7KGxPmYu/s400/capisnotfuckingdead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040306191161793794" border="0" /></a><br />So, either Carol is a big liar or the next issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Captain America</span> will reveal that Steve is not dead but simply out of commission. Makes this all more <span style="font-style: italic;">Knightfall</span> and less <span style="font-style: italic;">Death of Superman</span>, which is a whole lot less cheap and obnoxious.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-37760449003219056402007-03-08T21:53:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:15:57.134-05:00The Return of Captain AmericaOh, wait. If you have been in an isolation chamber for the past 36 hours,<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> SPOILER ALERT!!!</span><br /><br />Now that's out the way, let's get to talking about the return of Captain America. Personally I'm betting on with the next nine months. And I'm being pretty liberal with that prediction.*<br /><br />I've heard that Joe Quesada, as he makes the rounds at cable news shows, bringing attention to this fictional event, saying that "death needs to mean something in the Marvel Universe." And I call bullshit. Sorry, Joe, it just doesn't fly. Cap will be back in no time and let me tell why.<br /><br />First, there's this guy:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WT1mtWPPR13OMrGntZuRcongckvnnjBbv4nUV_Wo_DEJge_EwpiWFdKVV_Cug5aUa2vZDS4OHCrFJxJgt4G9eor8F-NVO07ZTomJLb_n-ySN6IiffrmMs7J1wTI0sUTtls2k/s1600-h/bucky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WT1mtWPPR13OMrGntZuRcongckvnnjBbv4nUV_Wo_DEJge_EwpiWFdKVV_Cug5aUa2vZDS4OHCrFJxJgt4G9eor8F-NVO07ZTomJLb_n-ySN6IiffrmMs7J1wTI0sUTtls2k/s400/bucky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039762358107806914" border="0" /></a><br />That's the Winter Soldier, a.k.a. Bucky, a.k.a. one of the Three Forever Deads** who just so happens to not be dead anymore. You <span style="font-style: italic;">can not</span> tell me that a superhero death is going to mean a thing when this guy appears in the same comic. If he can come back, a character who has been dead for over 40 years, then Steve's not going to be down for long at all.<br /><br />Oh, and I'm also remember of this dude who showed up in <span style="font-style: italic;">Civil War</span> #7:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjTIuBPNo0jxjMJ9OrstKFbvk-TzMap9J1SoG3mEYQ5ZVAnLNo5yV4ZwienPczHB7el1ab7iAZG7OKCXXBQOWSNwpqca9FrlCSKvBqkas_EzPqJynhRtWPovRaQa9gl_Bvvwu/s1600-h/capmarvel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjTIuBPNo0jxjMJ9OrstKFbvk-TzMap9J1SoG3mEYQ5ZVAnLNo5yV4ZwienPczHB7el1ab7iAZG7OKCXXBQOWSNwpqca9FrlCSKvBqkas_EzPqJynhRtWPovRaQa9gl_Bvvwu/s400/capmarvel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039762362402774226" border="0" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar-Vell#Death_and_beyond">Captain God Damn Marvel</a>. Remember his death, how it shook the Marvel Universe, really made death mean something, gave such superpowerful characters a touch of mortality? Forget all that. He's back and hardly anyone even read the comic when he showed up after 25 years. Yeah, death really means something at Marvel lately.<br /><br />Okay, that out of the way, let's get practical. When will Steve come back? Let's look at the facts:<br /><ol><li>The Fallen Son books are clearly about Captain America's death. They are at least three issues long. So he probably won't come back until they are over.</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Captain America</span> has not been canceled. If the series continues, as does the character. If Marvel were to cancel the book, it'd seem much more obviously permanent.<br /></li><li>Steve spent twenty years practically dead, frozen in an ice cube. Once dead, never dead.<br /></li><li>Captain America gets shot in the face for breakfast.</li></ol>So, get back to me with your predictions. Maybe we can start a pool. For now I leave you with this thought:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0-mN_kawKdH0llfC467QAmIyfU7aJAGM9jnHiSssm3WjT68mI75UkA0AY-MkGCky6cvOzA70OShoPWVJ4WG6YBcASvg2cVsF7iurng1SXVdMFf1mRrno1-4IJa9pZ87ddn-C/s1600-h/cappun.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0-mN_kawKdH0llfC467QAmIyfU7aJAGM9jnHiSssm3WjT68mI75UkA0AY-MkGCky6cvOzA70OShoPWVJ4WG6YBcASvg2cVsF7iurng1SXVdMFf1mRrno1-4IJa9pZ87ddn-C/s400/cappun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039762366697741538" border="0" /></a>Eh?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxUYC4GqlxlZIsdTeYHvPiFIc4eMQryUw90yQgX4nAK4B3Ju9h1aGW29UTMIafobyltUBXMLEWY9zBD-DTYrNXkp6CjXTah_iPXroaqmuAUj2KHyAUXFpCuaNoGzr_9BCM3mA/s1600-h/What+If+v2+051-01fc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxUYC4GqlxlZIsdTeYHvPiFIc4eMQryUw90yQgX4nAK4B3Ju9h1aGW29UTMIafobyltUBXMLEWY9zBD-DTYrNXkp6CjXTah_iPXroaqmuAUj2KHyAUXFpCuaNoGzr_9BCM3mA/s400/What+If+v2+051-01fc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039762366697741554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Eh</span>?<br /><br />Get your Cap on Frank!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*However, as Civil War pointed out, I suck at predicting comic book outcomes.<br /><br />**The other two are Jason Todd (alive again) and Uncle Ben (don't even ask me what's going on there).</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-73462376850444787232007-03-08T20:04:00.000-05:002007-03-11T10:48:08.925-05:00My Essential EssentialsI think I may be in the minority, but I love Marvel's <span style="font-style: italic;">Essential</span> series of trades. I don't know what it is about 500+ of stories at a bargain price that makes me wanting more. And I especially don't miss the color. In fact, I think many of the comics look damn good in just black and white.<br /><br />In any case, I like 'em but sadly too many of them are unappealing to me. Pretty much anything by Stan Lee is unreadable (sorry, Stan, you're a great creator but those old issues were baaaad), who the hell is Killraven and I don't think I'll ever want to read 500 pages of <span style="font-style: italic;">Ant-Man</span>. There are the few that I love, but they just leave me wanting more of the stuff I'm actually interested in. Here's my <span style="font-style: italic;">Essentials</span> wishlist.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Secret Wars</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> You can go two ways with this. There can be a single volume version with both <span style="font-style: italic;">Secret Wars</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Secret Wars II</span> along with some <span style="font-style: italic;">essential</span> tie-ins, or it could be a two-volume set, one for the original and one for the sequel and each with plenty of tie-ins. I think it this would be a cool <span style="font-style: italic;">Essential</span> mostly because I'd like to see the series feature important and classic storylines, not just reprint old stuff in order.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, vol 2343:</span> All I'm saying is don't stop with the <span style="font-style: italic;">Essential X-Men</span>, Marvel. Best trade series ever.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">She-Hulk</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, vol 2:</span> Okay, I'm not 100% sure I would buy this one, as the idea of a colorless She-Hulk kinda turns me off. I haven't picked up the first volume for this very reason. But, I think it would be neat to see more classic Shulkie. Maybe have some old team-up or guest appearances, or maybe just skip right to the graphic novels and Bryne's <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensational</span> series.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Man-Thing</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, vol 2:</span> I may be hesitant on She-Hulk, but I definitely demand more Man-Thing. Seriously.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Punisher</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, vol 2:</span> The first <span style="font-style: italic;">Essential Punisher</span> is a bit of a disappointment, only showcasing his guest appearances and the first miniseries. I say we need a volume starting with #1 of his first ongoing. Punisher in black and white. Without Spider-Man. That would fucking rock.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">New Mutants</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> This would be so awesome. Teenage stars + unusual powers + Bill Fucking Sienkiewicz in stark black and what = HAWT!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Daredevil</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, vol 8:</span> Approximately when the Frank Miller stuff gets printed. Nuff said.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Classic X-Men</span>, vol 3:</span> Really, the old X-Men books hold very little appeal for me since they really were quite terrible. However, right before the book became nothing but reprints until the All-New All-Different relaunch, Neal Adams had a short stint as artist. And it looked awesome. Marvel needs to make one more Essentials in this series in order to reprint the Adams stuff. There aren't enough issues of X-Men left to fill a Essentials, but I'm sure there is plenty of Marvel Team-Ups and such to fill the space.<br /><br />And about those <span style="font-style: italic;">Showcase</span> things DC has: they're cool in the same way that <span style="font-style: italic;">Marvel Essentials</span> are cool, but they've have a terrible time picking stuff to release. And there is the fact that before the seventies, everything DC did was goofy as hell and would just bug me to no end. But here's the one thing I would love for them to do:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Showcase Presents: Post Crisis Batman</span>:</span> Start with the reintroduction of Jason Todd and go from there. I would buy those by the truckload.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-38450373093717682772007-03-04T14:27:00.000-05:002007-03-04T14:28:40.517-05:00Meet VioletWho needs blogging when you've just adopted the cutest hedgehog in the world?<br /><br />Everyone, meet my baby Violet.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPyZKOdzUn0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPyZKOdzUn0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-64888289662705049132007-02-23T12:52:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:16:03.765-05:00Godzilla vs Barkley (or, Shut Up and Jam All Monsters!!!)Let's take a little time away from laughing at the ridiculousness of <span style="font-style: italic;">Superman and Batman vs. Aliens and Predator</span>, to appreciate one of the long lost crossover masterworks, <span style="font-style: italic;">Godzilla vs. Barkley</span>.<br /><br />Instead of writing up a long plot summery, I've decided to give you an abridged look at this classic piece of sequential art, presenting all the most important bits, removing unnecessary plot points and context. Enjoy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2DA7m-HoaOhyz9LBIsCRuvhyphenhyphenf5gtJcZTepKeYklfA3wFc_6CtHjTzJvDOfNUhMvvCR-L0A0zNl4mw6ev6VLfP7ZA-8Fr9pm85kVCkwtk2nB3OY1TI7fM9Zvk4AFm68Dh35wg/s1600-h/gb01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2DA7m-HoaOhyz9LBIsCRuvhyphenhyphenf5gtJcZTepKeYklfA3wFc_6CtHjTzJvDOfNUhMvvCR-L0A0zNl4mw6ev6VLfP7ZA-8Fr9pm85kVCkwtk2nB3OY1TI7fM9Zvk4AFm68Dh35wg/s400/gb01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034790185502574850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_iREkkeily9UW2_OUymBOM36tMW4s8Qht-f-h48Spv0HnhC9J1cCVbVwu58U18vwCHdIMAI-A9IxGXofcvbARxOqbfoPb12CM4q6jdnFahCcyakVRZ1ZtcR2E9vIdxPbGSZO/s1600-h/gb02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9Y-aDGRQiNLatirUEzARTPzLL2rUl1hyphenhyphen5e-uUBLyhn6cprGPGDTTCsE0k2zmDyOKAo28sEi-gWLlBhZoW3egHsMhLS8fVZxd6wnJbu9llCbI_Jlbb3xI7OP5xcatiF3jm_T7/s400/gb26.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034789094580881314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfURqa_hOjvW6Xjm2C1l03VpXLNpcg6Wdn3VS60YN1AKy8k-7aadyzEBADFtJb4sRBbul67LSkttAAHP3skTT64hAg2x-typhfkNZr37D4IPyZNLcpAxDVXC8YOM7r6Rs1nSqX/s1600-h/gb27.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfURqa_hOjvW6Xjm2C1l03VpXLNpcg6Wdn3VS60YN1AKy8k-7aadyzEBADFtJb4sRBbul67LSkttAAHP3skTT64hAg2x-typhfkNZr37D4IPyZNLcpAxDVXC8YOM7r6Rs1nSqX/s400/gb27.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034789094580881330" border="0" /></a><br />Yesss, indeed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-56322932646045938182007-02-23T08:54:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:16:04.160-05:00Civil War #7 reactionI made the prediction that there was no way that Iron Man and the rest of his pro-registration goons were going to win <span style="font-style: italic;">Civil War</span>. And I was so very wrong.<br /><br />Now, it's too early for me to start bitching about this new status quo or how it will effect the next few years of stories. (I don't read that much current Marvel anyways.) Luckily, it will probably be nullified by some other huge event by 2010 at the latest.<br /><br />But what I am left really thinking about is how the ending of <span style="font-style: italic;">Civil War</span>, specifically Captain America's simple surrender, must be angering legions of fans but how it also makes a lot of sense. It was perfectly clear from the very get-go that Iron Man was the villain of the series and that Cap and his band of rebels were the one's worth rooting for. But why is that? I think that the general pro-Cap sentiment among fans was grounded in the idealism that superheroes represent for people. It is the same reason why some people get all bent out of shape about Batman killing in the movies: superheroes are good, just and should not be questioned or lowered in stature. By subverting superheroes (also mistakenly called "darkening" them) creators undermine the virtues that are projected onto the characters.<br /><br />It is this and the plain fact that the Stamford accident is purely fictional that makes Iron Man's side so hard to accept and Cap to easy to root for. But let's be perfectly serious, if 9/11 were caused by superhumans (good or evil, doesn't really matter) instead of religious terrorists, you'd bet that we in the real world would all be calling for superhuman registration as well. It makes sense that a vast majority of people in the Marvel universe would side with the government and be in favor of registration and so it makes sense that a hero so dedicated to the people to surrender to such an opinion, like it or not.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaw8tWo-DOtLHq158j54v_QwABbRj3Z3FdG8IuEBiNp-B5ZBoRAlY4e4iJjltD11w_NSJSToxYGqHehgP1cheap57PkfkCCg53itYqZ0Mekwdh31PbTIO-y_uPfi50emFqc5CB/s1600-h/cap1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaw8tWo-DOtLHq158j54v_QwABbRj3Z3FdG8IuEBiNp-B5ZBoRAlY4e4iJjltD11w_NSJSToxYGqHehgP1cheap57PkfkCCg53itYqZ0Mekwdh31PbTIO-y_uPfi50emFqc5CB/s400/cap1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034736597195621666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_Zw3lArzB_AR638VDRNETjiQ1OLL4V0UUTXCxRmDHib2XLCCHDBjyi66sxaReKcHt98EmVYC-egOuteIJwQuseRVYJZCyszaFpDGk5CdOVlYqzRH4Thj1d1ST66L3NT7sltP/s1600-h/cap2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_Zw3lArzB_AR638VDRNETjiQ1OLL4V0UUTXCxRmDHib2XLCCHDBjyi66sxaReKcHt98EmVYC-egOuteIJwQuseRVYJZCyszaFpDGk5CdOVlYqzRH4Thj1d1ST66L3NT7sltP/s400/cap2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034736597195621682" border="0" /></a><br />Perhaps the "problem" of <span style="font-style: italic;">Civil War</span>'s resolution has less to do with flaws in the series and more with a fundamental flaw in fiction, that we can only get so close to the characters, that we can only understand their motivations to a limited extent. It is this distance from the character's reality (or even our own distance from the event Stamford is so shamelessly based on) that makes it hard to look past the idealism of Captain America and to see just how practical Iron Man and SHIELD are being. To say that the ending of Civil War sucks is perfectly reasonable, but to say that it isn't the way it should have ended is simply a <a href="http://daveslongbox.blogspot.com/2006/09/fandamentalism.html">fandamentalist</a> delusion.<br /><br />That being said, I am glad that the only contemporary Marvel comics I am dedicated reading are Runaways and Punisher MAX. Everything else I'm reading was published decades before <span style="font-style: italic;">Civil War</span>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-37431014332720730962007-02-05T11:44:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:16:04.379-05:00Black Hole review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuylTmTj8Ukgn6LqH3LQ796u5FbtXf8BInAE1S2gjsoJ2QCKhrf_xQZrx_KbXhuEr9QXFeOabtlz3OMV4Fau-18bjzsmx2nFVm-7rsDWtPASJCWZ2r891FMqGWEZFeZEPWc9Fe/s1600-h/BlackHolecover.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuylTmTj8Ukgn6LqH3LQ796u5FbtXf8BInAE1S2gjsoJ2QCKhrf_xQZrx_KbXhuEr9QXFeOabtlz3OMV4Fau-18bjzsmx2nFVm-7rsDWtPASJCWZ2r891FMqGWEZFeZEPWc9Fe/s400/BlackHolecover.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028098870649324690" border="0" /></a><br />This last week wasn't the best. I spent four days home from my job due to a lack of work, I suffered from a terrible sinus infection and northern Indiana was blanketed with inches upon inches of snow. Luckily, with the time I was snowed in, coughing, snotty and unpaid, I was able to finally read<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/037542380X?ie=UTF8&tag=almosttranspa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=037542380X"><span style="font-style: italic;">Black Hole</span> by Charles Burns</a>, which I had checked out from the library a month before. I read the 350+ page graphic novel in on sitting, which may not have been the best for my health, but it certainly allowed me to get the full experience of the story.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Black Hole </span>is the story of several teenagers living in 1970's Seattle, where a strange new STI mutates those who are infected. The lucky ones are given strange yet concealable deformities, while the unfortunate are mutated beyond recognition.<br /><br />The best thing about Burns' graphic novel is that it not about the disease (called The Bug), which would have limited the story to the realm of horror. Instead, <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Hole </span>focuses on the characters, their desires and fears, and very little of the conflict has to do with the Bug directly. <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Hole </span>is essentially a coming-to-age/love story set in a viseral and surreal world. The story telling and characterization is excellent and the artwork is both clean, precise and perfect for the dark and nostalgic tone of the story. The way Burns examines the theme of "otherness", both in terms of the perfect object of desire and the threatening opposite, is brilliant and fascinating.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hole_%28comics%29">Wikipedia</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Hole </span>was originally serialized over the course of ten years, which may account for the only problematic element of the story. The story seems to want to be bigger than itself, somehow universal and far-reaching, almost cosmic or mystical in stature, but that is difficult to achieve with a story that is so focused on characters unique as their individual deformities. But this is really just a minor compliant as the story only falls into this mode during a handful of sections, concentrated at the beginning and end.<br /><br />I highly recommend <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Hole</span>, as a graphic novel that is a perfect balance of darkness and nostalgic idealism. It's not a perfect book, but its without a doubt one of the best and most original books published in recent memory. And if you're a fan of Brian Wood's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932051422?ie=UTF8&tag=almosttranspa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932051422"><span style="font-style: italic;">Demo </span></a>and you still haven't read <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Hole</span>, you have no excuse.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-90926369763536885222007-02-05T08:19:00.000-05:002007-02-05T08:53:59.253-05:00Oh noes! You've got prose in my comic book.After being sick for a few weeks, I've finally gotten around to checking out my comic book-related feeds and what do I find? The preview of <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman </span>#663 posted at <a href="http://everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com/2007/02/dear-dc.html">Every Day Is Like Wednesday</a>. You know, the one with prose.<br /><br />I am giddy. It'll be nice to have something different come along, especially in a Batman book, especially by Grant Morrison.<br /><br />Now, I'm not exactly sure why Caleb is having what seems to be a negative reaction to the format of the book. Even moreso, I'm surprised by a reader's comment on the post saying, "What the hell is this thing?! I thought it couldn't get any worse than <i>Arkham Asylum</i>!" I think this comment is strange because the prose isn't exactly <span style="font-style: italic;">strange </span>when compared to works by other postmodern authors. Is there a more widespread negative reaction to this preview, as I have been cut off from the comic blogosphere for a while?<br /><br />Are comic book fans, especially those of superhero books, out of touch with prose fiction? Is it inaccessible? Or even threatening that it unnerves us should it appear in what we expect to be "comics only" spaces?<br /><br />I don't mean to sound snotty or pretentious (although anyone talking about prose vs. comics is bound to), but I love a good ol' non-comic book now and then. I won't try to argue which medium is better, as that is a ridiculous discussion, but I will say that my recent reading of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Handmaid's Tale</span> by Margaret Atwood was more rewarding than any comic I've read in the past year*. But I do know that many comic book fans do not read much other than comics, and then there are those who only read prose that is related to popular sci-fi/adventure franchises. Everything else seems to be considered either unaccessible or boring.<br /><br />I have no solution to the problem, but I do implore readers to give <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman </span>#663 a chance. Prose fiction may seem strange in your monthly publications from DC, but it's not that big of a deal. It could be good. It's Grant Morrison for Christ's sake. Give it a read, even if it's "not a fucking comic book."<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*It is also the major reason I have not been blogging in the past few weeks, along with lessened computer time and being sick lately. And I only say it's better than any comic I read in the last year as a safe estimate, but it could very well be better and more rewarding than any comic ever. Seriously. Read it.<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-28413122232986260662007-01-12T10:34:00.000-05:002007-01-12T10:34:37.271-05:00What If...?: Journey into the Hypothetical - Taking requestsOkay, since have access to pretty much every <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> issue ever, I'll be taking your requests for reviews.<br /><br />A full list of every <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> scenario can be found at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_What_If%3F_issues">this Wikipedia page</a>, so scope it out and if you'd like to know what happens in the story I will be more than happy to read it and tell just what would happen if Spider-Man was bitten by a radioactive stink bug or whatever.*<br /><br />Keep in mind that I have some "special posts" already planed, so I may not be able to answer all of your requests in detail without becoming redundant, but I should be able to do most anything people what too see.<br /><br />Also, this is my contribution to <a href="http://ragnell.blogspot.com/2007/01/national-de-lurking-week.html">National De-lurking Week</a>, so if you're reading this please make a comment. Please, massage my ego and tell me <span style="font-style: italic;">someone</span> is reading the crap I post.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">*Mary Jane, Aunt May, Black Cat, Green Goblin, Daredevil, The Owl, Rhino, Wolverine, and Flat Man all die. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-89254040363642348752007-01-12T10:19:00.000-05:002008-12-10T04:16:04.513-05:00A Letter to DCDearest DC Comics,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ8ykJdeRwd_bqc0dKQoUYgJ1M1FHe_yxcsbbGHv9cUALQKPttbR9cJAJBcuzGuG998HTBsBnzLehWc-p8hXcTB15D_-eT5bdsvvu3tDUceHq_XlH-hRjzGX4QSBV_v35JD6n/s1600-h/lobo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ8ykJdeRwd_bqc0dKQoUYgJ1M1FHe_yxcsbbGHv9cUALQKPttbR9cJAJBcuzGuG998HTBsBnzLehWc-p8hXcTB15D_-eT5bdsvvu3tDUceHq_XlH-hRjzGX4QSBV_v35JD6n/s400/lobo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019165223266307778" border="0" /></a>Next time you want to do a weekly series, please hire me as a proofreader. This blog may be riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, but Lobo is having a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592402038?ie=UTF8&tag=almosttranspa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1592402038">punctuation emergency</a>. I can help. I can also write meaningless copy for background text. That way you don't have to publish <a href="http://continuity-error.blogspot.com/2006/12/luthor-must-have-really-bad-research.html">embarrassing keyboard mashing</a>.<br /><br />Also, I'm not mad at you for killing Animal Man because we all know how permanent death is in the DCU, regardless of what "changes" have been "made" to "New Earth."<br /><br />See you in June, Buddy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34857386.post-29648731762020115872007-01-12T09:52:00.000-05:002007-01-12T10:01:32.333-05:00What If...?: Journey into the Hypothetical - IntroductionBranching off of <a href="http://continuity-error.blogspot.com/2007/01/nostalgia-week-roundup.html">Nostalgia Week</a>, I've decided it is time to take a good, close look at a series that holds a very special place in my heart: <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> is the quintessential comic nerd series. The basic premise, for those who do not know, is to explore alternate outcomes for famous Marvel storylines. Every alternate scenario is presented as a question. Its with this series that we get the final answer for the burning questions like, <span style="font-style: italic;">What if the X-Men lost Inferno?</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">What if Captain America came back today?</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">What if Longshot didn't have a mullet?</span> The truly important stuff! I had a subscription to <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> as a kid, and I probably didn't really know anything about the original stories, but I still loved seeing weird, over-the-top scenarios every month. <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> was the best.<br /><br />And for all of those people out there who draw a parallel between <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> and DC's Elseworlds books, please stop it. There is a pretty noticeable different between the two and the difference is what makes <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> the more superior series as a whole. As I said, most every <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> is based on an existing event in the Marvel canon, only with a different outcome.* This is a lot different than Elseworlds, which are all about creating totally different universes for the characters to exist in, therefor telling stories of Batman being De Vinci's apprentice, Steel being an slave during the Civil War (the real one, guys) and Hal Jordan being a Nazi. Other than that last one, none of those premises have any basis in mainstream continuity. A lot of Elseworlds are really, really good, but the concept of <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span>, being grounded in canon, provides much more nerdy fun than seeing Robin dressed up as a samurai.<br /><br />But there is a dark side to <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> You see, I have a theory that one of the main purposes of the series, other than hypothetical nerdy delights, is to put fanboys in their place. <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> proves that if events happened any differently than what is published everything gets completely fucked up! Everyone dies. For instance, for all fans annoyed with the happenings in <span style="font-style: italic;">Spider-Man: The Other</span> can just read the recent <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> based on the story to see just how fucked up things would be if Spider-Man had not made all huggy with his inner arachnid. Essentially it is a "Shut up and quit whining" from Marvel to fanboys having hissy fits. So it's a rule: nothing ever comes out right in a <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?,</span> so be happy with the way things are, bitch.<br /><br />Body counts and unavoidable apocalypses aside, <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> is almost always fun, if only for how ridiculous the stories get. So let's take a <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:130%;" >Journey Into the Hypothetical</span> and check out some of the best <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span> scenarios of all time. I'll still be blogging about other stuff, but for the next few weeks/month/however long until I get tired of it, we'll be regularly checking out classic <span style="font-style: italic;">What If...?</span>s. Who knows what's in store for Continuity Error!?**<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />*Yeah, I know there were some What If...? that had premises a lot like Elseworlds, but there's only a few of them. So, I don't care.<br /><br />**The Starjammers all die. Sorry, it's just what happens.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957151893557810297noreply@blogger.com0