Opinion Time

The following opinion is mine and mine alone, it does not represent the thoughts of any of the other people associated with this blog, so if you feel the need to hurl profanities, or commit grievous bodily harm to anyone, make sure it is me.

Tying in to John's post earlier about DC rebooting their comic line, I feel that this is a great move for the company, sure DC has a few things over Marvel, for instance their universe, you actually feel like the world that the heroes reside in is a cohesive place, where something happening in one book, actually affects another book, and a sense of history that Marvel, with their CONSTANT rebooting seems to lack. With that said though, in THIS INSTANCE DC's move is actually a good idea, this isn't rebooting Daredevil after that completely unnecessary 4 issue mini, or starting Cap, and Thor all over again at issue 1 solely because there is a movie coming out, or unnecessarily rebooting the Fantastic Four and giving it a "new name", when it could have easily continued at issue 589 and NOBODY would have cared, most likely to run the new numbering system until they reboot that movie and bring Johnny Storm back. This is a wholesale reboot of the entire universe, a la Crisis On Infinite Earths, and if it is done properly, could be a great thing for the company, because let's face it, they are definitely the #2 publisher in the industry, and something of this magnitude works for them on a number of levels:

Accessibility

Lets face it, as much as I dislike the constant rebooting / renumbering that Marvel does, it really is new reader friendly, as Stan Lee says "Every comic is somebody's first" and seeing 700, 800, or 900 on the cover, can be very off putting for somebody walking into the comic shop for the first time, interested in picking up Batman, because they really liked "The Dark Knight". Even seeing a number as low as 65 next to Green Lantern, can be disheartening. At 12 books a year that is over 5 years of continuity, and, for the more hardcore fan it may seem like nothing, but for the newly interested, or in my case, the newly returned reader, it might be the difference between buying the book, or leaving it on the shelf. Jumping on points in this industry are critical, and this would be the largest possible jumping on point.

Publicity

Take a hard look at the industry right now, take a minute and talk to the proprietor of your local nerdatorium, ask him / her the tough questions, and you will find that the industry as a whole is really hurting. A crap economy, higher prices for everything else we need to purchase, i.e. fuel, food, utilities, insurance all have an effect on our discretionary income. And DC doing us all a solid earlier this year by "drawing the line at $2.99" to quote their poster, was a great idea, but something like this attracts attention, Maybe not from ABC or NBC news, but from a lot of websites, and not just comic related ones. It drives footsteps to the door, gets people thinking "Hey I loved..... (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern etc....) as a kid, maybe I'll hit a comic store and see what's up" as silly as it sounds, if it only helps to create a half dozen more pull files at the local comic shop, that translates into more money for everyone involved, especially when you extrapolate it out to every comic shop in the country, and around the world.

Clean Slate

Odds are that this is probably the biggest reason why DC is doing what their doing, starting over fresh, throwing continuity out the door, giving us fresh and new origins for some of the most beloved characters in the industry, and who knows? maybe they will use one of the other 52 universes created in Infinite Crisis, that would give them the latitude to tweak any of the characters, their origins, and their costumes (a la Star Trek), and still be able to face the rioting hordes of comic book fans, who will inevitably be screaming their collective lungs out. And if you ask me....good.... Superman Earth One, was fantastic (and before I get flamed, yes I know that the Earth One universe is different, but that's not the point) and it was fantastic because it gave us a new and fresh take on a timeless character. There isn't a 5 year old on the planet that doesn't know Superman's origin, hell my grandmother knows Superman's origin, but what Straczynski gave us, were a hell of a lot of tweaks that not only filled in a ton of blanks, but also made the character new and relevant for the 21st century. If this is what DC is hoping to accomplish with all the other characters, than great, I'm all for it.

Or I could be completely wrong on all of this, and it is a huge mistake, only time will tell, but one thing is for sure I have to give Kudos to DC for at least trying something new.

Whatchoo talkin bout DC?

DC comics announced today that they are going to reboot their entire line and start with 52 different number 1 issues this September.This means that the long standing runs of Batman and Superman(both in their 700s)are coming to a stop.Characters will either have new origins or be retooled slightly,and Jim Lee has redisigned many costumes,including Superman's.

This is a shock,as DC has remained more old fashioned than Marvel in the sense of trying to keep their numbering system going,and not normally relaunching titles that haven't been cancelled.In the same breath DC regularly gets it's lunch handed to them by Marvel in sales,so maybe they thought a fresh start was needed.I hope this jumping on point brings new readers in,as is most definetly the hope and is always a good thing for the comics industry.

DC's first new number 1,"Justice League",by Geoff Johns and Lee goes on sale August 31st,coincidentally the same day "Flashpoint" 5 comes out,making me think that this story will actually cause some real change in the DC universe.

Record Time:faith hope love

King's X is one of those bands that have been around for over 25 years,and most people can recognize the name,but not place a song of theirs.It's really unfortunate because this is one of the most talented trios in rock,incredible musicians and vocalists to boot.

faith hope love is one of the few "perfect" albums I have encountered in my life.Every track is repeatedly as listenable as it was when I bought this album 20 years ago.The band is Christian and most of the songs seem to be about a higher power,but you never once really feel preached to or that their goal is to lure believers through song.This band can sound like The Beatles on one track with flawless harmony,such as "It's Love",and the next minute pull out a guitar filled rocker like "Moanjam".

All three members have been with the band from the start and all contribute to the writing of the music,and it is apparent as any good band that has been together for a long time that they had cemented their musical identity early on.faith hope love is my favorite album by King's X but they have produced some other overlooked records as well.If you see this at your local record shop pick it up,it's worth a shot.

Booster Sans Skeets

A few months ago I went up to a small but fun Comic Con in Albany.I met an indie artist named Tyler James who was hawking his stuff and offering sketches.$15 bucks any character you want.I figured I would surprise him and not say Wolverine or Batman,so I hit him up with Booster,to which he happily obliged.

In the meantime I picked up a copy of James' creation Epic,which I am quite interested in but yet to have made time in my day to read thus far.After doing the rounds of the con,I picked up my sketch which is now adorned on my library wall.I think it's quite a good rendering for such a reasonable price,I should have specified that Skeets would have been a great addition,but at least he knew who Booster was.Check out Tyler's website at the link for some really cool stuff.

Cover to Cover

While not actually a "cover", it is a piece of art I absolutely love. Drawn by Billy Tucci, and Mark McKenna. I could spend a lot of time writing about it, but sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words..... Enjoy.....

Retcon

So now that I have established this page and seem to be attracting some readers,I decided to branch out to other writers.I want to read other opinions too,so I sent some invites out and decided to open this thing up to contributors as well.Sure this is still my blog and I will post stuff here,personal or otherwise,but in the end,all good websites have a selection of writers to read from.If you are tired of my opinion on things,see what Lou is up to,or maybe young Steve will finally write something and grace us with an entry.In any case,I feel that the title needed to be changed due to the fact that it isn't just me anymore.So I took the John out and added ... I know, real original,but it works for now.So we have in some sorts rebooted,keep reading and we will continue to write.If you would like to join in and share opinions on stuff,be it movies,music,comics,books,etc,drop me a comment and I will get you on board.

Small Press Commandos

Lonny here. I'm currently at work on a one week challenge to draw a 4 page Jack Kirby inspired comic story. i'm part of small collective of indie comics peeps calling ourselves Small Press Commandos. here are our marching orders:


Welcome to our first official SMALL PRESS COMMANDO CHALLENGE designated OPERATION: LINE BACKER. A hand selected group of art and story operatives have been divided into 6 teams with the direction to create a short(no less than 4 pages) story based on a theme determined by command. The operatives then have 1 week to complete their short from scripts to letters. This Mission kicks off at 23rd MAY 2011 @12:00 PM EST.

Our first Theme: The original Small-Press Commando… JACK KIRBY.

if yer interested you can follow my progress on my facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/lonnychant

Cover To Cover

This is the second time Wolvie has shown up on a c2c,which should be no surprise seeing as he ends up on approximatly 800 covers a year.This is taken from a real standout issue from a few years ago.Cover artist C.P. Smith also provided interiors,and they are quite good as well.The image of Wolverine,the ultimate killer,cradling a baby from arrows and spears is just a fantastic mid action shot.The story revolves around our hero having to get a very important child through some very war torn areas of Africa.Great cover,great issue,seek it out.

Comics You Should Be Reading

As a sort of pseudo "Tales From The Longbox" entry, I am going to file this one under "Comics You Should Be Reading."

Avengers Academy (Written by Christos Gage) is one of those books, that probably gets filed by many readers under the "just another crappy Avengers tie in," and if you are one of those people, oh how wrong you are.... this is easily the best of the current Avengers titles HANDS DOWN.... yeah I just said that... and I stand by it. Following the exploits of a handful of students as the inaugural class of "Avengers Academy" whom initially believe to be chosen due to their exceptional gifts, and early on, find out that it is because they are believed to be the most at risk of "crossing over to the Dark Side" thanks to the influence of Norman Osborn.

Oh yeah.... and it's not as if the students are the only ones carrying around the emotional baggage, the instructors (Hank Pym, Speedball, Quicksilver, Tigra, and Justice) carry plenty also. The books dealing with Tigra's beating at the hands of the Hood, and Speedball dealing with the aftermath of the Stamford disaster (and trying to teach the students through his mistakes) stand out as two of the many highlights of this excellent series. If Gage doesn't receive at least an Eisner Award nod for this series, there is truly something wrong with the nomination process. Month to month this has consistently been one of the best titles on the market, and always tops on my reading pile.

30 Second Classic:The Dark Knight

Classic usually implies a film of some age that also has stood the test of time,and is still good and enjoyable years after it's release.The Dark Knight is a rare film nowadays,it is a classic before being truly elidgible.Everyone knows Tom Brady will someday grace the halls of the NFL Hall in Canton,and we all know that The Dark Knight will hold up.

I saw it 3 times in the theatres upon release,not something I do anymore really,but this thing begged rewatches.I bought the blu ray when it came out and just never got around to it.2 plus years later I did,and it felt like the first time again.Chris Nolan made a good first Batman film,but really pulled out all the stops here.Heath Ledger's Joker is easily one of the most signifigant performances in the last 10 years,and he did the impossible,he stole the role from Jack Nicholson.Alot of people complain about the fact that it's not very "Comic Booky",and I'm fine with that.With the exception of Batman and Joker,this could be a straight gangland drama.Bruce Wayne is given some really good character development as he feels that Harvey Dent can do a better job against crime in Gotham as a D.A. than he can as a vigilante.He struggles with the thought of giving up the mantle,until circumstances prove that for one reason or another,Gotham may always need the Bat.

So we have a classic...great script,great cast,and ultimatley rewatchable.

Tales From The Longbox

Flashpoint #1

Ah the crossover....The yearly event where the optimistic comic fan looks to each new release with the hope that it will provide earth shattering changes to the universes, and characters we all know and love, while the cynical and jaded look to it as another $3.99 a month that Marvel and D.C. pry from our wallets, and that's before all the useless tie-ins that go along with it...... Yeah I REALLY need to read the Canterbury Cricket one-shot, to get the "whole Flashpoint experience"..... Dream on D.C.

With that said, the actual subject matter of the titular title is the focus of this review, and not D.C.'s corporate practices, and on that front "Flashpoint" delivers!!!!! Written by D.C's current "auteur du jour" Geoff Johns. With pencils by Andy Kubert, and Alex Sinclair on colors, Flashpoint is everything I hope for in a major event, It rips you into it's world, and truly lives up to it's tag line "everything you know will change in a FLASH"

As an alternate universe created by The Reverse Flash, everything we know is different, without giving too much away for those who haven't read it yet, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman seem to be the main antagonists, while Cyborg and Captain Cold appear to be at the vanguard of a shaky, (to say the least), alliance of heroes attempting to fight back, while trying to recruit the help of an even more sociopathic Batman than we are used to. Johns' writing is fast and furious, keeping the tempo up all the way to the big twist at the end, and Kubert's pencils don't let him down one bit, everything from the styling of the alternate costumes, and facial expressions of the characters, to the backgrounds of the new Gotham are brilliantly rendered. It just remains to be seen if the next four issues can keep up with this frantic pace, or if it fizzles out like so many events before it. One thing is for sure, the possibilities are endless.

The coolest teaser in a long time

Oh yeah!

Tales From The Longbox

PunisherMax-Jason Aaron launched this latest Max version of The Punisher with Steve Dillon about a bit over a year ago now,and I have really loved it.Despite being a 30 plus year old character,Frank Castle is more linked to Garth Ennis' interpretation than any other for me.Aaron has proven capable to emulate the tone Ennis set,while still adding his own sensibilities.

The MAX universe is mostly devoid of the heroes we know from Marvel's base 616 universe,and Frank is over 50 and tired.Tired but still capable and willing to kill criminals.In the last few years Ennis planted the seed that Frank has only really used his families' murder to do what he wanted to do and proved great at in war...killing.Aaron has enforced that,showing Frank as only really feeling at home during his time in the jungles of Vietnam,and feeling alienated and distanced from his wife and kids upon arrival in the states.

Recently Bullseye was written in as an assassin hired by Kingpin to end Frank,and in a great moment during a brutal fight,he whispered to Frank the secret he had figured out himself...although they concealed it in the book,by Frank's reaction(chilled to the bone)it seems that Bullseye figured out that Frank was actually relieved that his family died,so he could get back to his life,and now with a "new"war to fight.I have always admired that Frank is such a cut and dry character,yet Aaron has mined new depths with his writing,and Dillon,a personal fave(Preacher)is firing on all cylinders.Read this book!

Snake Eyes#1-The second of three new Joe titles released,and another good read.Snake Eyes is the character everyone loves from the Joes,and it says alot to give an ongoing to a mute character.Helix,a female Joe with some interesting fighting abilities and heightened reflexes was teamed with Snake towards the end of the last Joe series and shows up here too.She is an interesting character and can give this book the voice it needs if they keep her in it.In the Cobra Civil War #0,we found out that someone slaughtered all of Snake Eyes' ninja Joe soldiers,this book picks up with him and a small group scaling a Kilamanjaro like mountain tracking the offenders.As Storm Shadow only showed up at the very end of the prior Joe book and as he and Snake are like gravy and potatos,let's bet he had something to do with this.Chuck Dixon knows Joe lore,so I'm in for the ride.

Next time....

Bane

First official pic from DK3.Tom Hardy as Bane.Interesting.

30 Second Movie Review:Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1

Damn that is a loooong title.Well we finally got here,the end of the Potter film cycle.I absolutley loved the books and have admired the films.The last three films,all Directed by David Yates have really hit home for me.At this point in the story we have long forgotten the days of mischief at Hogwarts and are fully immersed in a world of hatred and murder.Hogwarts is closed,Dumbledore is gone and it looks like Voldemort's slow ascension to power is complete.This first half of the final film focuses on Harry,Ron and Hermione hiding from Death Eaters and looking for the horcruxes,objects housing pieces of Voldy's soul.The interaction between the main three at this point is flawless,the action and FX amped up,and the sense of true danger and dread is palpable.4 out of 5 stars.

Cover To Cover

This is one of my favorite pieces of art, let alone comic cover, and thanks to a VERY loving and understanding girlfriend (thanks Jo!!!) I have a poster of it hanging on my living room wall. It's the cover of Batman 612 (Hush part V of XII "The Battle") drawn by the legendary Jim Lee. It depicts Supes with a choke hold on Batman, because The Big Blue Boy Scout is under the control of Poison Ivy, but as we all know, Bruce has gotten it over on Clark in the past, and this time was no exception, using Lois Lane, and a Kryptonite ring to his advantage...

I really think that this quote from Batman sums this cover up the best: "If Clark wanted to, he could use his superspeed and squish me into the cement. But I know how he thinks. Even more than the Kryptonite, he's got one big weakness. Deep down, Clark's essentially a good person... and deep down, I'm not."

FUBAR reprint in the May Previews

John has asked that i contribute some content to his blog, so here goes:

my name is Lonny Chant and i'm a freelance artist (mostly indie comics and such). John and i go way back to Middletown High and we share a lot of similar tastes, hence the offer to post in his cool blog. my first contribution will be to pimp a reprint of FUBAR which is appearing in this months (May) Previews. i contributed art to the story 'Heroes of the Soviet Union'. FUBAR is by Jeff Mccomsey (among others) and is a collection of zombie stories loosely tied together and set in WWII in Europe. we're currently at work on a second volume which will take place in The Pacific. look for more info soon!

FUBAR has gone into a second printing with a shiny new cover and subtitle (European Theater of the Damned). its going to be in this months Previews so please head on over to yer local comic shop and place an order or two!

FYI: order code May110785 (page 223)

Record Time:Amorica

I haven't reviewed any music yet,and as a huge music fan I'm going to give it a try.I feel as a non musician that discussing music is harder than film or books because it is so layered.That is not saying that great films or novels aren't,just music is a language of it's own.Here we go...

So I am going to delve into some of my favorite albums,and today's is The Black Crowes' Amorica.After the straightforward southern rock of their first album,and the blues leanings of their second,the Crowes settled nicely into a dirty rock phase much akin to 70's Stones.This record is heavier than the previous two,and more of their later works emulate this sound than the earlier as well.I truly feel the Crowes are one of the best pure rock bands left,and I have been listening to this puppy since the day I got it in 1994.From the opening two tracks,Gone and  A Conspiracy they let you know they are going to throw the kitchen sink in.Lots of guitar and keyboard,and Chris Robinson's strong vocals throughout.Wiser Time is a great ballad about a road weary band that puts Wanted Dead or Alive and Turn the page to shame,but is nowhere near as big as those songs.The latin feel on High Head Blues feels a bit like Santana(70s,not Rob Thomas born again Santana)and She Gives Good Sunflower is straight up one of my favorite songs of all time.

As well as being a great album,Amorica has one of the most memorable album covers of all time,a picture that was used as a cover for Hustler magazine in 1976.Some stores wouldn't carry this and used a all black cover with the flag logo.If you have never heard this record and are interested it is well worth the 10 bucks it probably costs on Itunes.

Fright Night Trailer

Horror movies from the 80's practically beg to be remade,and not due to their quality.Back in the day,much like today,horror movies pulled people to the theatres,so if it worked once,let's just do it again in 20-25 years huh?The original Fright Night was really cool,and this trailer gives me hope.It also makes me realize that either this version is Disturbia with vampires or Disturbia was the original Fright Night without them.Either way the casting is good,and I always like Colin Farrell in villainous mode.Hopefully this will join the ranks of horror remakes I enjoy,as opposed to the more abundant list of ones that sucked.

Tales From the Longbox

New feature where I am going to cover some of the new comics I am reading,hopefully getting someone out there who reads this to maybe be adventurous and stop by a local comic shop and buy something.

G.I. Joe#1-A few years ago IDW took over for Devil's Due and before that Marvel  publishing the Joe books.They started with a fresh take on the story,a retcon if you will.G.I. Joe is a American top secret military outfit,highly classified,best of the best.As we first begin to meet the Joe team,we see them start to hear the first ramblings of chatter about a possible terrorist threat called COBRA.As COBRA begins to situate themselves as a major global player,we follow the Joes as they are tracking and discovering more and more about this new threat.Three books were introduced,the main title,Origins which served up various origin stories of characters and COBRA,a look at the inside of the COBRA organization as seen through the eyes of Chuckles,a Joe undercover operative.The main title served up the main story as COBRA followed up nicely seeing things through from the bad guys side.All the usual characters have presided,but are dealt with differently here then in the past.The biggest exception is that Cobra Commander was not introduced into the books until the 20's and never really played a prominent role.How is that possible you may ask?Because they KILLED him off in one of the last issues of COBRA,not even the main book!This as opposed to so many superhero deaths was a true surprise and set up the renumbered Joe series,along with a new COBRA series and a Snake Eyes Solo book.The books all are being touted as COBRA Civil War and follow several characters as they vie for the position of the new Commander.The first issue follows the Baroness as she tries to lay her claim to the throne.The rules of the choosing for new Commander is simple,whoever can kill the most Joes wins,and by issue 1's last page four are dead.Really a fun read,can't wait for the next few books.

Venom #2-Rick Remender writes fun stuff(Fear Agent)and Tony Moore(The Walking Dead)is a great penciler.Flash Thompson is a old character given some new challenges in the last few years(legs blown off in the Middle East).Venom is an obnoxious character that is ok in short bursts and thats about it.So why have I enjoyed this book so far?Because they have made the idea of the symbiote interesting again.The military approaches crippled ex hero Flash with an opportunity.We let you wear the Venom suit to go on special ops,but you have to be done with it in 48 hrs,or it will bond with you.Flash wants to feel whole and useful again so he agrees.The first two issues are action packed and really show how the suit is like a drug,and for the first time in memory,the user is trying to stay away from it.I'm sure at some point Venom will rear his annoying head,but here's rooting for Flash to keep it under control.

Keep reading for more stuff....

I know where I'll be November 23rd

This is the stuff right here.When Jason Segal ended up with a hit on his hands for his screenplay for Forgetting Sarah Marshall,naturally many different studios wanted to work with him.Disney approached and all he wanted was to write and star in a new Muppets movie.I truly appreciate that,and here we are with a release date.I love the Muppets,it is one of the few things from my early childhood that stands the test of time.This is cool,can't wait.

Swamp Thing and Jesus Christ

Alan Moore reinvented the concept of who Swamp Thing was as a character when he took over as writer in the early 80's.Originally Alec Holland was a sabotaged scientist,covered in his chemical creation,burned and left for dead in the swamp.As tends to happen in comics,the chemicals didn't kill him,but melded him with the vegetation of the bayou,and reformed him as the Swamp Thing.Moore changed it up,while this creature thought it was Holland it was not actually.Holland's personality lived on after his body's death,and inhabitated the physical form of the swamp,a Golem of sorts.Through the years and fantastic stories we learned more and more about Swamp Thing,how he is the protector of the Green,essentially Earth's ecosystem.How his love for Abby,a woman who could love such a strange creature showed no bounds,and that this is really one of the most powerful and interesting characters in the DCU.Moore at one point had ST's consciousness travel through space for some time,inhabiting different planet's vegetation and having adventures throughout the galaxy.Soon after returning to Earth,Alan Moore left the writing to his partner Rick Veitch.Veitch had an idea to send ST through time,encountering various historical events and figures.All was good until Veitch turned in his script for issue 88,where ST would end up meeting Jesus on the cross.DC refused to print this story,and Veitch ended up leaving the book shortly thereafter.DC had alot riding on it's shoulders at the time,with  the soon to be released Batman movie poised to buoy the company.This script is over 20 years old and has never been produced as a proper "in continuity"story.Veitch sells the script and the finished art could be seen at various art galleries through the years.Now is the time to release this as a part of a trade collection,or as a single issue,we are at a point in America where a little religious fervor in comic books is no sweat.If Jesus can be a vampire hunter(Loaded Bible),why can't he meet Swampy?I hope this is resolved some day,because in the end,as a fan,it just sounds like a good story to me.

Tales From The Longbox

O.K, first time posting here, and after much cajoling from the boss man, I have decided to make my first post a Tales From The Longbox entry, the subject of which is the new Nick Spencer (Morning Glories, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents) creation. Iron Man 2.0

Poor Rhodey hasn't had much luck on his own in the world of comic books, sure he plays second fiddle to Tony really well, even filling in, and wearing the Iron Man armor for a time while Tony was busy getting sauced. But thanks to some seriously deft writing on the part of Spencer, the first three issues of this new book absolutely bristle with possibilities. Beginning with the cryptic message "Palmer Addley is dead". He also manages to incorporate the largest retooling of the War Machine armor to date, without giving too much away, (because after all I don't want to ruin the story for anyone who wants to actually read it) Spencer throws away some of the most iconic features of the old armor, and in their place are newer, sleeker, and far more enticing options for 21st century warfare.

Hopefully Nick Spencer has the ability to keep this War Machine book from following in the footsteps of it's predecessors, (i.e. cancelled by the first trade), but even if his talent can't, hopefully Marvel keeps the changes he has implemented to the armor. I, for one, am completely on board for the ride.

Cover To Cover

This is a really cool multimedia cover,real background with a drawn poster.Rising Stars was one of the main books responsible for pulling me back into comics,and still holds a special place in my heart.Joe Straczynski's story told the tale of 113 superpowered beings in a small town in Illinois,all whom received their powers in utero as a meteor passed over the sky.As they grow together,some use the powers for good,some for bad,and some want nothing to do with any of it.A murderer is killing them off one by one,and as each individual dies,the group get more powerful.The character on the cover is the story's protaganist Poet.We follow him from the beginning until the end,when not many of the "Specials"are left standing.NBC tried to do something similar with the show Heroes,but that fizzled after the first season.Rising Stars is a great read for all 24 issues,I strongly recommend it.

Ticket To Ride

A year later and another Lollapalloza,same venue.Not as good of a show as the 1993 edition but still cool.Smashing Pumpkins headlined,good live band.Beastie Boys to this day was the scariest set I've ever seen,as the crowd was absolutley batshit nuts and fists were flying.For every rap song played they would pick up the instruments and do some of the hardcore punk stuff they had on Check Your Head and Ill Communication,the two hybrid rock/rap albums they did back to back.George Clinton and PFunk Allstars proved that you could have 30 musicians on stage at once,and it was the second chance I got to see A Tribe Called Quest that year.The Breeders played their one hit,Cannonball and some more unmemorable songs.Overall good,with the exception of an exceptional set by the Beasties not up to the par of the prior year.

Graphic Language:FUBAR

I picked up a copy of FUBAR at the New York Comic Con last October,solely because my old friend Lonny had done the art for one of the stories.The premise was also interesting,revolving around WW2 in the European Theatre,and the idea of what if zombies just happened to start showing up.This is an anthology,and that is in a way the books best feature and biggest weakness.Some of the stories are so short that they feel too similar.A battle occurs and then suddenly the characters are fighting the undead.The stories that work the best play with the format,such as the excellent "Mother Russia",about a Soviet sniper stuck in a bell tower,and her sudden realization that there is a defenseless baby amongst the living dead,on the ground.This works well because it is also one of the longest stories,giving you more fleshed out characters.The book is in black and white,which works well,and most of the art is good.I give it a 3 of 5,feeling some stories could have been longer,maybe nixing others.

30 Second Movie Review:Thor

I liked Thor.I just didn't love it,and thats ok.For every bit I was not pleased with,I felt there was something done right.I don't need the film version to be 100% faithful to the source,as long as it's not a complete ignorance of the stories that inspired it.This version of Thor fits in with Marvel Studio's bigger plans and endgame(Avengers film)quite well.The opening and all of the early stuff in Asgard was quite good,and the raid on the Frost Giant world was great,unfortunatley the best action sequence was done in the first 20 minutes of the film.Once Thor is stripped of his powers and banished to Earth is where I found myself a little bored.Chris Heimsworth was good as Thor,and Natalie Portman was good as Jane Foster,the scientist who helps Thor on his quest to regain his hammer Mjolnir.I felt the love connection between the two was not there and was not needed to the story.Stellan Skarsgard plays a pretty unimportant role as a colleague of Foster's who serves no real purpose until the underwhelming after credits scene.Overall the first Iron Man and Incredible Hulk films stand as the best of these films with Iron Man 2 holding an edge over Thor.Decent story,but a wasted chance at some truly great action that could have been done.3 out of 5.

30 Second Movie Review:The Social Network

I don't know how much translates from what actually happened in real life.I can't comment on how accurate the portrayal of events are,so this review is based entirely on the film.Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg,the founder of Facebook.The story follows  Mark,portrayed as a miserable loner incapable of actual connection to other people,as he invents a website that celebrates the connection between people.He has an idea but basically steals another group of students idea and merges them.In other movies these other students,the Winklevoss brothers would be the villains,yet you feel sympathy for what Mark did to them.Andrew Garfield(new Spidey)plays Mark's only real friend,who is the money behind the project,and also gets thrown under the bus by our protaganist.The only character that Mark treats with any respect is Justin Timberlake's Sean Parker,the founder of Napster.This is funny,because they make it clear early on that Sean is a snake,and the only person who doesnt see this is Mark.The story is told in two time periods,as Facebook is getting bigger in the past and in the present where Mark is being sued left and right.Excellent film,I give it 4 Stars.

30 Second Classic:Trancers

Gotta love Netflix streaming.Without it I may not have been able to catch a favorite of mine from childhood,the great C grade sci fi film Trancers.The always good Tim Thomerson plays future cop Jack Deth,who is hell bent on killing Whistler,an evil mastermind who can psychically transform people into Trancers,zombies that do his bidding.Time travel is involved,and Deth has to go back in time to chase Whistler.This thing is a little over an hour long,made for about 5K,and it shows.Know what?I still think it's fun,and alot of that is due to Thomerson,who should have been bigger than he ever got.A pre fame Helen Hunt plays Jack's 1985 guide/girlfriend.Check it out with an open mind,and just picture the pitch meeting..."Lets take some Terminator,add a little Blade Runner and see what we got"

Cover To Cover

This is an issue I do not own but would buy based on cover alone.I have seen this before,and it is just nuts.Brian Bolland integrates the murky dark green of Swamp Thing's body over an American flag adorned with a swastika,two color dynamics that clash,but the image is striking.It's amazing that Hitler could warp the visual meaning of what was once known as a peaceful symbol in Indian culture into a avatar of hatred and fear.It's unusual to see the swastika used in such an upfront way in any art medium,even so many decades after WW2.Just a great cover.