Other People Summing Up How I Feel About Flashpoint and Fear Itself.

• Comic's Alliance has a great article summarizing exactly how I feel about Flashpoint

•  Go to Techland for some number-crunching about the current events and past ones.

A Thrill Ride: Detective Comics #873

Detective Comics #873
 Let's be honest, was there ever any doubt that teaming up Scott Synder and Jock for this book would not result in some incredible stuff?

A Crossover I Actually Am Pleased About: Secret Six #29

Secret Six #29
 For the conclusion of the story in Action Comics #896 (with this taking place before #897), I had to pick up this issue. However, I sure didn't regret doing so.

Rant-Reviews--How the hell do people genuinely enjoy Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose? Plus, some super-hero comics.

More Luthor, two books with Luke Cage, and what's this--Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose? Am I crazy?

3 Pieces of Random Comics News and a Pretty Painting.

Some random bits of news and pictures for you, and I figured out how to do bullet points!

• Here is Batman drawn by one of my favorite artists (in comics and general), Ashely Wood. Damn, he has got some skills. Imagine if Ashely Wood drew a regular Batman comic...it would rock:

• I was going to review Action Comics #897, but Comics Alliance did a better job than I could.

• Flashpoint is going to have a whopping 15 tie-ins to the main comic with 14 of them announced. I will be buying none of them.

•  Another website discusses rumors of Marvel lowering prices.

Film Friday: Crank

Crank
This is undoubtedly one of the silliest action movies ever, but was it any good?

Rumors of News We All Saw Coming: Marvel Reducing Page-Count and Cost.

I have read from an almost-always accurate website, Bleedingcool, that Marvel Comics will in fact be lowering their comic prices for most titles to $2.99 while reducing the page-count. However, in a twist some books may still keep the larger page number but go up to 13 issues a year instead of the usual 12. I for one am quite pleased.

Let me get this straight--Another Representative Makes Stupid Statement.

Representative Paul Broun tweeted that President Obama is a socialist after the State of the Union Address.
Let me get this straight, a President who talked about small businesses is a socialist? Really? Broun also made veiled comments that he is an enemy of the constitution? People voted for this guy? Last time I checked Obama isn't trying to make the businesses that got bail-out loans a permanent part of the US Government, nor is Obama trying to silence free speech, which is made clear by Broun's idiotic comment.

Rant-Reviews--Wait, didn't I just review comics with Wolverine, Deadpool, and X-Factor?

No, your eyes aren't tricking you, I am indeed reviewing comics featuring characters who pop up a bunch--Wolverine and Deadpool (in this case the Max version)--or a comic that happened to come out twice this month--X-Factor. Does more=good? Let's find out...

Not As Good As I Hoped For: Invincible Iron Man #500

Invincible Iron Man #500
I was excited for the upcoming issue of "Invincible Iron Man", little did I know it would be more of a one-shot acting like its part of the main series. That wouldn't be a problem if the story were as great as the main series has been so far, but sadly things were just good.

My Thoughts on the State of The Union Address.

Yesterday President Obama delivered his State of the Union Address. I shall now join the rest of the media in discussing it...

Comics News Round-Up and Blog Update.

First, a note on my blog: 
After saying how I was going to change the listing format for my posts to a version based on days, after viewing that, I found it makes more sense to stick to the format of posts. So now instead of setting it to display a certain number of days resulting in a ton of posts sometimes and barely any on days when I post one thing, we are now back to a "post" format, where 25 posts will be shown, regardless of the days they were posted.

Now for Some Comics News:
 The Black Panther cartoon movie has finally come out after being promoted and teased off and on for years by BET and Marvel. Apparently it isn't bad.

Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four is dead. Huh, I had my money on the Invisible Woman not lasting another issue. Also, isn't it a bit creepy how cavalier comics fans are about character deaths? Imagine if we were this way about real-life..."Oh, Grandma died? Don't worry, in two years we'll just do some convoluted resurrection."

Speaking of the Fantastic Four comic, Marvel pulled a sales-stunt telling retailers it was okay to sell it on Tuesday, making it quite soon that the whole "Tuesday shipping, Wednesday selling" format Diamond demanded is ignored. Of course, this ignores retailers who opted-out of getting comics a day early, and who now had to put up with fans yesterday coming in demanding the comic only to be told they have to wait till Wednesday when that store gets its comics. A bit unfair to those stores.

Apparently the people in charge of now sorta-dead-soon-to-be-online-only Wizard magazine are tremendous dicks, not even letting fired employees collect personal belongings, and using sleazy-sounding business methods to raise some stock money.

Vampires are playing an important role in the big Marvel "Fear Itself" event. Great, because if there is one thing our culture needs, it is more vampires. I honestly am trying to get excited for this event, but having the vampire element in the story with Dracula and whatnot has kind of made it even more difficult. I'll probably at least try and read the main series and the Frontline/Homefront accompanying series. Of course, by "read" I mean flip through at the comic shop and hastily decide if I want to buy it or will try and cram 22 pages of material into 2 minutes of skimming the book.

The Wonder Woman television series that looked like it was dead in the water has pulled a miraculous turnaround, being picked-up by NBC for at least a pilot. Plus, it seems McG might direct. I liked his work on Terminator: Salvation (and I seem to be the only person), so a Wonder Woman series by him might be pretty snazzy. I'd still rather have a Gotham Police Department show however, like the beloved comic.

Rant-Reviews--Bored, Dying, Devilish, and Hyper-Violent Heroes.

Reviews of Halcyon, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Superior, and because he pops up everywhere, Wolverine.

The bizarre selection of comics at my local newsstand joint.

I was in the local newsstand place in town and while checking the video-game magazines at the farthest right stand in the store, I noticed above them some comics the 'stand carried. Before finding a comic store I used to buy comics here. Browsing over the comics I was struck by how odd a selection there was. It has been remarked it is a dark era for newsstand comics, and I think I may agree, but darn if our store just isn't...bizarre.

Our place has some big-name comics like Amazing Spider-Man, but why would a smaller mini-series like Osborn be on stands while a comic like Uncanny X-Men is nowhere in sight? I mean, I love the Osborn comic but its strange it would be there.

What else did I spy? The newest Hulk comic, a really old Wolverine issue from before the big re-numbering, some Captain America one-shots, Batman, Superman, Simpson comics...just a strange assortment. I didn't have a point to this post, just was observing how strange it is.

2 Notes About the Blog.

Two things:

First: It seems my comment about it being odd Wonder Man would rail against the Avengers in one comic and have a nice talk with them in another wasn't lost on the writers of Young Avengers, with a small piece of dialogue in issue #4 addressing the problem. That's good, now if the comic would just explain why Steve Rogers is still dressed up as Captain America when in all the other books he's just Steve Rogers with his spy-suit. Eh, I'm not a nit-picker so it's no biggie.

Second: I am going to be changing the listing of Posts from being based on the number of posts to the number of days. Therefore, if I make 5 posts in one day, they will all stay on the same page later one, instead of getting cut in half. I don't know if anyone cares, but I just wanted to share that. Anyways, stay tuned for a post about the strange world of newstand comics, and some more comic reviews later today, as this late-night post I scheduled probably wasn't that interesting to you.

Wizard Magazine Update--Internet Re-Launch Coming.

It seems Wizard magazine may be dead in print form, but is re-launching in internet form was Wizard World. Whether it will be free or something you have to pay for is not quite clear.

2 Green Lantern Books, Neither Very Impressive.

Green Lantern Corps #56 AND Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #6

Corps and Emerald Warriors make up two of the three regular Green Lantern books coming out regularly (with "Green Lantern" itself being the third). One issue does a nosedive in quality, and the other increases with both meeting at the middle ground of mediocrity.

Hot Off The Presses: Wizard Magazine Is Over.

In some news that was probably a long time coming, Wizard magazine is shutting down pretty much instantly, with everyone fired, "effective immediately". I say it has been a long time coming, as over the years Wizard has become less and less useful in this internet era, with one area they could excel in--professional critical writing--going away in favor of feature-articles that read as little more than advertisements for the next big comic event. I stopped reading Wizard about a year ago as I just found it a waste of my money by that point, but I am still sort of sad to see it go.

This made me laugh.

Because I'm lazy and don't feel like a big post right now:

A Fun Time: The Taskmaster mini-series.

Taskmaster #1-4
This comic was fun, made me laugh, and had some heartfelt moments. One big twist kind of bugged me though, and even though I avoid saying spoilers in reviews, I'm going to reveal this one, as the spoiler itself affects my score. You have been warned...

Film Friday: 2 Amazing Scenes in Otherwise Terrible Movies.

Today instead of reviewing an older comic or doing a movie review, I thought I would spotlight two great scenes in two otherwise pretty bad movies.
Movie: Epic Movie
Scene: Lazy Pirate Day
The movie Epic movie was another one of those "____ movie" films that came out constantly a few years ago after the success of the Scary Movie films. It wasn't very good, and I was bored watching it. Until, out of nowhere, a scene of sheer brilliance struck. The movie had a tendency to throw ideas and references out constantly, with a bunch of misses, but here, everything hits perfectly. You see, there had been a skit on Saturday Night Live called "Lazy Sunday" where Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell rapped about silly stuff. Observe:



So, then-SNL member Darrell Hammond was on the show, and in Epic Movie playing a spoof of Captain Jack Sparrow (or in this case, "Jack Swallows", yeah a stupid joke, I told you the movie stunk). Perhaps he had the idea having seen in on SNL, but suddenly, the movie comes together and a genius bit occurs that skews Pirates of the Carribean, brings in the idea of "Lazy Sunday" and spoofs the terrible Pussycat Dolls song "Beep". Plus Flava Flav shows up. You would think this was just another bunch of random references being thrown at the audience in hopes that they laugh, and it is. However, for some reason, this one scene in the entire movie actually has the ideas gel into something bizarre, hilarious, and clever. Watch, but you can stop when the song ends as the stupid jokes just start back up:

Lazy Pirate Day... @ Yahoo! Video

You see what I mean?

Movie: Deep Blue Sea
Scene: Interrupting Shark
Ah, Deep Blue Sea. One of the first R-rated films I ever saw, and also one of silliest movies ever. They make super-smart sharks and then they proceed to break into an underwater facility and eat people. The best part though, is when Samuel L. Jackson is giving an inspirational speech like most movies often have when things look their bleakest, but with a twist:



To quote Dave Chappelle when doing a Samuel L. Jackson impersonation, "They ate me! They fucking ate me!" I'm not alone in loving this scene either.

I hope you enjoyed the clips as much as I did when I first saw them in the movies. Plus, now you don't need to bother seeing the flicks themselves as there isn't much worth viewing besides what has been shown.

Most Idiotic Comic Idea Ever--Steampunk Palin.

 A website I enjoy reading named ComicsAlliance has an article about what must be the most stupid comic idea ever. Steampunk Palin. Read the link then see my thoughts after the cut...

Bits of News Involving DC Comics and My Thoughts.

"Flashpoint" event to re-title some DC comics.
From what I have read, it seems the new DC comics event Flashpoint, where the various Flashes go to another world in which certain big events happened differently, will be re-naming and re-numbering certain comics. We've seen this with "Age of Apocalypse" so it isn't a new trick, and it sort of happened during "House of M" where comics kept their numbering and usually their titles, but took place in the alternate universe where mutants were the majority. I personally am not big on when a comic gets temporarily re-named and numbered, because it plays havoc with the collected editions, and when you try to put your own comics in order. Imagine if your comic suddenly changed names and went from issue #24 to #48 for a month or two and then suddenly jumped back. Would the next issue in the normal universe be #25, or would you count those alternate-tales and make the new release #26 or #27? It's just so confusing. At least during House of M comics kept their numbering--for the most part (there was the whole "District X" changing names thing).

Batwoman Comic Delayed.
Now it seems Batwoman's debut has been delayed from February to April. I think I speak for many people when I say, "Noooooo!" I suppose waiting for the amazing art of JH Williams III is worth it, however.

DC Comics Stops Using the Comics Code.
Remember back in the 1950s how comics had to pass strenuous rules to be considered safe for print by a volunteer agency created so the government wouldn't regulate comics? Would you believe it actually still has been in use, despite many independent publishers never using it and Marvel having dropped it some time ago? Yeah, DC was the last big name besides apparently Bongo Comics (Maker of Simpson comics) and Archie Comics [UPDATE: Bongo actually stopped using the code a year ago and Archie comics is stopping now too]. So yeah, I suppose this would be big news if it weren't for the fact no one even pays attention to the Comics Code Authority anymore.

J. Caleb Mozzocco Reviews "Justice League: Cry for Justice"
Not really news per se, but I really like the way he breaks down his review to illustrate just how unappealing this comic is.

Good enough: Deadpool Corps Volume 1

Deadpool Corps Volume 1
I wasn't too kind in my review of the Deadpool Corps Prelude, but this was better. How much better? Find out after the cut! Yes, I know I review too many Deadpool comics, but I like the character.

Some quick political thoughts--I promise a comic post later today.

Now for another political post despite the last post having been one too--and my trying to keep the focus on comics.

Remember when people said we had to support our President in a time of war? Back from 2001-2008? Whatever happened to all those people who said, "America, love it or leave it," and now seem to not love it, but instead of leaving it are saying they are going to, "Take the country back"?

Clinton was kind enough to give Bush his silence, while Al Gore didn't hesitate to say critical things. Bush was kind enough to say he would give Obama his silence, while Dick Cheney has been even more harsh in his opinions than Gore was. If this trend continues of former President's being quiet and polite, and Vice-Presidents getting meaner and meaner, does this mean that whenever we get our next president Joe Biden is going to go on T.V. frothing at the mouth saying this new President is the worst person in the world? I'd pay to see that.

Did Sarah Palin really have to bring back the terrible phrase, "Blood Libel, "reminding everyone of one of the numerous terrible lies that Jews have faced?

Florida has a bill making it illegal for doctors to even ask patients if they have a gun in their house--thereby allowing them to advise them on safety if they have children. Really Florida? You want another thing we make fun of you for besides being unable to vote, having a bunch of old people, and being America's wang (as the Simpson's put it)? Now the government is telling doctors what they can and can't do? Isn't that government intrusion into health-care?

Speaking of Dick Cheney, he has now said he would support some form of gun control despite having been a gun advocate? Namely, limiting automatic clips? This from the guy who voted against banning "cop-killer" bullets that penetrated body armor? Strange.

Back to Palin; why does she complain people want her to shut up, when all these news outlets invite her to appear but she refuses? Is it because she is afraid of a repeat of her disastrous interview with Katie Couric?

Also, Lawrence O Donnel sometimes is way too cocky in my opinion, but he really rips into Trent Franks and makes some good points about how we shouldn't have handguns with 31 clips when 10 clips would be fine. I'm not fully against guns, but have no problem limiting clips. Dick Cheney agrees with me too as mentioned above! Here's the clip of the interview with Franks:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

That's all I've got for now, not that anyone will read this post. My comic ones get the views, these politics pieces get like, three, or so. The lack of comments must mean people agree with me or disagree so strongly they won't even acknowledge me. I don't think its the latter as I rip into the left and right.

Let me get this straight--Representative makes stupid comment.

Let me get this straight, Tennessee representative Steve Cohen (a Democrat) has said Republicans tell lies about Health Care Reform that are like the propaganda of Nazi Joesph Goebbels, and I quote, "They say it's a government takeover of health care, a big lie, just like Goebbels. You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie and eventually people believe it." Wow, that's pretty idiotic.

Yes, there are plenty of lies about Health Care and I have been clear in my support of it (it saved me from paying an ungodly amount for health insurance starting this month). I don't think the Republicans took a page from the Nazis however, and the absurdity of such a statement just looks bad. Plus, Cohen is Jewish, so you would think he wouldn't compare some political opponents to the very group of people who dedicated themselves to getting rid of anyone like him.

You know Cohen, if you want to make Republicans look bad, you probably shouldn't resort to the same name-calling some of them do. Just because someone says you're a Socialist doesn't mean you have to play the Nazi-card. So much for the new era of civility we were promised.

My favorite 3 motovational poster spoofs.

My top 3 faux-motovational posters after the cut. Yeah, I'm lazy with posts today. You got five yesterday, so be happy.

T.V. Reviews: Tosh.0 and Onion Sportsdome.

Today marks the 2nd episodes of Comedy Central's Tosh.0 now in its 3rd season, and Onion Sportsdome, with its second-ever episode. I thought for those of you who missed last weeks shows I would post some reviews so you know which show to maybe watch tonight and which to avoid like the plague.

Let me get this straight--This person loves the Spider-Man Musical?

Let me get this straight, Glenn Beck loves the Spider-Man musical? So much he saw it twice? That is odd. I don't think "Glenn Beck" and "Spider-Man", but there it is. If I am able to see it and like it, that will be one of the things I can count on a single hand I agree with Glenn Beck about.

Rant-Reviews--A What-If smorgasbord of decent, bad, and just plain horrible.

A big post today. Last month Marvel released a bunch of what-ifs over the 5 Wednesday's that occurred in December 2010. I shall now review them and the terrible Deadpool back-up that ran in four of the books.

Let me get this straight--Gun Control

Time for the first-ever installment of "Let me get this straight."

So, let me get this straight: Republican senators who voted no on any form of gun control suddenly want a bill that makes it illegal to be carrying a gun within 1000 feet of them? Really? You don't want gun control for anyone unless it specifically protects you? I call bullshit on that. Don't be a hypocrite, if you want people to have easier access to guns, let them open carry, or buy an assault rifle, you can't throw a sissy-fit when one of them happens to walk by you.

I'm not totally opposed to guns, but also see where gun control makes sense. The idea of this law though? It serves no purpose other than to make some politicians feel safer from the very people they fought to make gun access easier for.

Preview about how today will be full of posts.

I have a bunch of posts planned for today, one of which I accidentally already posted and had to delete so as not to mess up the way I planned each to appear. I will have the first ever post of my new bit "Let me get this straight" followed by another one later in the day, another batch of reviews of comics (as for which, you'll just have to wait and find out), and to kick-off the evening my review of two television shows' first episodes, which will be airing their second episodes tonight--thereby allowing you to ignore my advice about which to watch and which to skip. That will be total of four posts for the day (five if you count this preview).

Why so many posts today? Well, I wanted the T.V. show reviews to fall on the day of the next episodes, I wanted to get the comic reviews in as I wrote them a bit ago but wasn't sure when to schedule the post, and my two "Let me get this straight" bits are pretty short and very situation-specific to a degree that if I wait another day they'll be old news. That and they are political and barely anyone reads those posts anyways, most folk stick to my comics and movie reviews. I think Wednesday I'll either skip posting or just put up something short, funny, and/or stupid to at least give you something by me to read for the day, as I know all five of you dedicated readers can't go a day without me. I'm just kidding, I have no dedicated readers--Zing!

Borders Watch: Yeah, it's bleak.

Things aren't looking good for my favorite mega-chain, Borders...

Rant-Reviews--Nothing terrible, and a few things that are quite good.

This time we've got a mediocre panther, adventures in space with a superhero-gone-bad, yet even more Deadpool, Heroes you can hire, and everyone's favorite gang of mutants. I swear it was a coincidence the scores steadily go up as you read further down, I didn't design it that way.

Happy MLK day!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone! I just thought it would be nice to recognize the man who helped us to work toward a more equal society. He wasn't perfect--as detractors love to point out--but despite his flaws he did amazing things in his work toward making us a more fair world. I'll be volunteering at various events that tie in to the day, so that should be fun and educational. Don't worry though, I still have a post scheduled for 1PM even if I'm not actively at the computer.

Good News: That Mortal Kombat Short Movie is Being Expanded Upon.

I read some good news on Joystiq, that the Mortal Kombat-inspired short film/movie trailer/sales pitch will in fact now be made into a web-series. Back-story and the original flick after the cut...

That. Was. Awesome: Osborn #2

Osborn #2
This mini-series became my favorite one coming out based on the first issue alone, and I now see that I was not wrong in thinking this comic was great.

A comment I posted on another blog.

On Mr. Sean T. Collin's blog he had a blurb about an interview with new Marvel Editor in Cheif Axel Alonso, and I made a comment on the post that I thought was worth sharing here:

Ah, the "It has to count" line of thought. The one that prevents us from ever really deviating from a standard norm for our heroes for too long. Yes, we had Dark Reign, where the world was turned upside-down. However, didn't things reset to just how they were in the 2000s after this 9-years-or-so line of time where the Avengers ended, heroes fought, aliens invaded, and Osborn ruled the U.S.? We are pretty much back to exactly how we were at the start. It's okay, it just means that even when risks are taken with characters the odds are good they will just end up back as they originally were. Hell, they got rid of Spider-Man's multiple-decade long marriage to Mary Jane just to make him more like the young fellow he was at the start of his adventures.

Maybe this is why I sometimes prefer the out-of-continuity stories, because I know people can take more risks, and anything truly can happen because the story doesn't "count" and things that would never happen in the "normal" universe can occur. Alonso mentions the Punisher VS. The Marvel Universe comic as one of their excursions into "out-of-continuity" tales, and I especially liked that story. Here's hoping we actually have more tales that don't have to "count" to be enjoyed.

Now for me to rant about a game I love: Saints Row.

Saints Row
 Remember that period of time between Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and GTA IV? There was a game that came out that was unquestionably a rip-off of the series, Saints Row. The thing is, I absolutely loved that game and its sequel. The radio was great, the missions were fresh, and the ability to customize cars even more than in the GTA games and alter your gang felt so cool. The thing that cemented the game in my mind though, were the last three missions and the way the game ended. Now I will go into detail about these missions, and why I loved them --making this not really a review so much as me gushing over a particular part of a game barely anyone remembers. I wonder if I could get more exact and obscure.

List time: Music artists whose songs I hate.

Because I feel like sharing, here are music artists whose songs I hate or are sick of in no particular order:

Ke$ha (Just die, please)
Rhianna
Fergie
Pussycat Dolls
Adam Levine
Bruno Mars
Far East Movement (Like a G-6 got old fast)
Diddy Dirty Money (though I like P. Diddy himself)
Katy Perry (If I hear "Fireworks" one more time I will gouge my eyes out)
Lady Gaga
Niki Minaj

Those are all that come immediately to mind. I know I am like a crochety old man who complains today's music isn't as good as it used to be. Anyone I missed?

Flashback Friday: Bendis and Maleev's Daredevil run.

Daredevil #16-#19, #26-#60, and #61-#81
Brian Michael Bendis' run on Daredevil (often accompanied by Alex Maleev) can be spread out over two thick omnibuses, or a bunch of "Ultimate Collections". It is long, and it is beautiful. Why? Let's continue...

Rant-Reviews--Worgen, Bullseye, Talky Avengers, and a Punisher.

All of these comics have been out for a bit but I either forgot to review them even though I wanted to or just read them. You can still easily find them at your local comic book store (or possibly library if you have a cool one), so don't let that discourage you from checking my thoughts out...

Political Thoughts--Obama & Tuscon.

Now for my 2nd ever political-opinion post, even though the first one barely got any views, illustrating people prefer when I talk about comics, but I figure after doing 3 posts today on those matters it's okay if I break my post record with at least one non-funny-book thought piece. Feel free to ignore this is you want...

I'm worried--Borders bookstores may be in trouble.

From what I've read on various websites, such as here, it seems Borders may be in even more financial trouble than I previously thought. I mean, Diamond Comics has halted all shipments of goods until they get paid money they are owed? Borders is now as bad as a parent who owns alimony and won't pay up? Not good.

No wonder I always get those coupons for 33% and sometimes even 40% or during the holidays 50%! I signed up for Borders Plus just two months ago to get even more discounts, and while it is good for the year I'm now worried Borders may not last that long unless someone buys them out or their luck changes.

I prefer Borders over Barnes and Noble, because I like the coupons, and how you can search the computer yourself, you don't have to get an employee to help you. I hope everything works out okay, but I'm worried about Borders, and how this can affect the comic industry in regards to their graphic novels.

I'm happy, my comic haul was good this week.

Just thought I'd share how I'm pleased with the comic items I got this week. Why was it a good pull? Let's list what gets me excited of what I got and how it looks promising, with some possible reviews to come from a few of these...

2 random issues of a comic: Avengers Academy #6 and #7

Avengers Academy #6 and #7
Christos Gage tends to write good books. I liked his Stormwatch: Post-Human Division Comic (the first work by him I encountered) and really enjoyed Avengers: The Initiative. How has he been doing with Avengers Academy, though? Let's check in on the latest two issues. Why those two? Why not?

Pretty Weak: Green Arrow #7

Green Arrow #7

J.T. Krul had the disastrous "Rise of Arsenal" mini-series he wrote, and then started up this new Green Arrow ongoing after Oliver Queen was tried for murder because he killed a super-villain who demolished a bunch of Star City. Queen was found innocent but banished from the city by a judge (can they do that?). He then stayed in Star City anywaysc and lives now in a forest that grew from the debris due to the Brightest Day event this comic somewhat ties into. Is the comic good? Well, it isn't as bad as "Arsenal".

Paul Cornell writes a great Nate Grey: Dark X-Men

Dark X-Men TPB
Some time ago there was a crossover between the x-men comics and Dark Avengers. There was something about a riot in San Francisco and Norman Osborn (then head of a big government agency) putting together a big team of his own "x-men" to make the regular x-men look bad. Well, a bunch of the members were a fake-out, the event ended, and there were just a couple of mutants left on the team. This was during the cash-grab time of "Dark Reign" however so they made a Dark X-Men comic. The thing is, they got excellent writer Paul Cornell, and he turned this into something to behold...

Happy 1/11/11!

I just thought it was worth noting that today was a unique day full of one's (as long as you don't write the 20 for 2011). This will never happen again in our life-times so we should enjoy this day. What's that? I'm forgetting 11/11/11? Oh, right. Never-mind then; a regular post will be up at 11:00AM, not just because that is often when I schedule posts to go up, but also because it will then be 11:00 on the eleventh day of the eleventh year. Neat, eh?

Time to make people uncomfortable--The Newest Rant's Political Thoughts.

In what may alienate some readers, I am now going to get political and share my thoughts on variety of topics, including Michael Vick, the Giffords shooting, and Health Care Reform. My views jump around a bit on the political spectrum, so don't think you will agree with everything I say. Also, please don't accuse me of being biased, these are opinions, of course I'm biased. Let's burn some bridges!

Thoughts on DC, their new letter pages and smaller page-count.

DC comics has announced it is "Drawing the Line at $2.99" How cute a slogan. Observe:

Notice how the ad leaves out the fact that this also means the page-count is going down from 22 pages to 20. Yes, the comics are still cheap, but you're getting less story. What did I recently hear, though? Apparently letter pages will be coming back to their comics to help fill the gap. This may be a great plan, but Comics Alliance has a hilarious assortment of examples of why a letter page may not be a good idea. I personally like my comics to stay cheap and have found I read $3.99 comics less and less due to just not having a bunch of cash to blow on 22 pages for almost 4 bucks. Will I miss the 2 pages? Yes, probably. Am I happier at my comics remaining cheaper, however? Yes, I am.

I still read much more Marvel titles than DC and don't know nearly as much of DC continuity, but this pleases me. The question now is if this will pay off for DC or if Marvel mixed-bag of $2.99 for some comics and $3.99 for bigger-name comics will work better. Personally, despite my love for Marvel I'm thinking DC is going to be doing better, that's just me though.

That was wretched: Ultimatum.

Ultimatium TPB
People said it was terrible, that Jeph Loeb was writing lame comics and this was his masterpiece of miserableness. I like the art of David Finch though, so it couldn't be that bad, right? How little I knew.

This was an interesting twist on the character: Deadpool Pulp.

Deadpool Pulp #1-4

This was an interesting take on Deadpool. Mike Benson and Adam Glass write a slightly dark version of Deadpool, keeping the current theme of his having two voices in his head, but adding a third that is the voice of reason and calm. Laurence Campbell turns in some great art, even though the flow of action can be a bit confusing at times. How is the comic overall though?

This comic was fun enough: Azrael: Death's Dark Knight

Azrael: Death’s Dark Knight

With the news that Azrael’s ongoing series was going to be canceled I thought it would be nice to take a look back at this Azrael’s first mini-series that led into his ongoing.

My thoughts on Jason Aaron Vs. Alan Moore.

Writer of great comics, Jason Aaron, has taken offense at some of another great writer's words. This wouldn't be too interesting except the man he is mad at is comics-messiah Alan Moore. What do I think? Well, frankly it's none of my business but I'm still going to weigh in....

This was nice.

On my blog I did a 2-part overview of what looked good in Previews. It took forever to set up so I thought I wouldn't do it again, but then I saw that I got a bunch of view for it. Around three times the amount I normally get. So, people have spoken and it seems they like knowing what others think about Previews, so I will start looking over Previews as a regular thing.

Another nice thing was a creator of one of the comics I mentioned was flattered by my words and mentioned me on his blog. I'm always pleased when comic creators hear my kind words because it shows that:
A. Someone is actually reading my blog
and
B. Comic creators hear some positive reinforcement instead of negative things that us comic-readers often end up saying. Hell, even I can be a bit harsh sometimes, but I never try to outright insult the comic's creators like it seems some folk do, even if the comic is really bad.
and lastly,
C. Gets me some contacts for when I try to make my comic about a man with jet-packs for legs whose side-kick is talking motorcycle. I'm kidding, I have no intention of making a comic anytime soon, especially not with my terrible art skills and so-so writing.

So yeah, just thought I'd share my happiness at my thoughts getting out. We now return to your usual posts, and look for one more today around 7PM because I'm going for a record of three posts in one day.

Film Friday: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Chuck Barris claimed in his book that while being behind the creation of numerous game-shows and host of the Gong Show, he was also secretly an assassin for the US Government. In George Clooney's directorial debut with the sublime Sam Rockwell as Chuck Barris we see just how much intrigue and drama a man can take.

What looks good in the January 2011 Previews Catalog Part 2--Marvel Pamphlet

Now we move on to the Marvel Pamphlet and what new or interesting things are in there. This is a big post today, but it's fun as I seem to rant a bit more with these solicits than yesterdays, hating on cross-overs and event comics in a somewhat humorous fashion, so enjoy that. As with the earlier post I won't describe everything that looks good, just those that are especially interesting. So, while X-Factor is always a great read I won't be mentioning it because that isn't anything new...although I did just mention it, now that's irony (I think)! Anyways, let's proceed...

Not really shocking, but slightly interesting news: Axel Alonso new Marvel Comics EIC.

Former Editor-In-Cheif Joe Quesada has stepped down and now Axel Alonso is the new Marvel Editor-in-Cheif. This happened about 2 days ago but I've been sick so I just recently found out. What does this mean for Marvel comics? Not much, really. Axel likes the direction Marvel has gone with their comics apparently so he isn't going to step in and demand that the comics have the Punisher stop killing people or something crazy. So yeah, business as usual. I like Axel from his interviews I've read though, so he should do a good job.

What looks good in the January 2011 Previews Catalog Part 1--Main Catalog

The following is what looks good from the latest issues of Previews--new things as I won't bother pointing out all good stuff that I already get, as that would make a long and dull list. Do you agree? Disagree? Felt I made heinous mistake by forgetting something? Read on and form your opinion. The Marvels pamphlet will be discussed tomorrow.

Rant-Reviews--Dark Wolverine, Lex Luthor, and Two Batmen.

 More comic book reviews; overall some quality books in this review bunch, at least more-so than yesterday's terrible-to-good mixture of funny-books.

Newsflash: The Lanterns I am least interested in get their own monthly book.

The Red-Lanterns, everyone's favorite blood-vomiting corp, will apparently be getting their own ongoing comic, focusing on Atrocitus, with some mention of the cat Dexstar. Peter Milligan will be writing it so that's good, but it's about the Red Lanterns, so that's kinda bad. Thoughts on why after the cut.

Rant-Reviews--Hulks, Various Mutants, Mindless Action, Noir, and a Green Lantern issue without an actual Green Lantern appearnce.

First week in a while where a bunch of the comics I'm reading came out, so let's review a batch. Feel free to just read the reviews that interest you as I am posting a bunch, with even more to come tomorrow.

Album of the year of what is now last year--Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
 This year saw many great albums being released, but arguably the best one this year came out toward its end. That album is, of course, Kanye West's latest masterpiece, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy".

Flashback Friday (Despite it now being Saturday): The Alias Series (Comic, not unrelated T.V. show).

Sorry for the delay on a Flashback Friday; I busy on the 31st with my Pop's birthday, finishing moving things into a new apartment, and staying up quite late to ring in the new year. We now return to your regular commentary:

Alias #1-28
One of Marvels first and arguably best "Max" titles, Alias is just an amazing series. It is about a private investigator who has powers named Jessica Jones and the various experiences she has on the fringes of Marvel super-hero world, showing in a somewhat meta fashion how a mostly "normal" person would feel in this world of super-heroes, government intrigue, and mutants. It also has the start of her romance with Luke Cage which later led to their marriage and baby in New Avengers, and anything with Luke Cage automatically gets some love from me. Why is this comic so great though? Many reasons.