Catching Some Shows

I've been catching up on some TV that I've fallen behind on and, while some of it is surprising me with how good it is, others are falling dreadfully short of what I would deem passable entertainment.

For example, while doing work at home I've been listening to the audio commentaries for Heroes, something I attempted back when I bought the Season 1 set but never really kept up with and eventually abandoned. If you know anything about me, you know what a features whore I am, particularly for audio commentaries, so it was unusual for me to give up on them. Listening to them now, I do find a few of them to be senseless and lacking in any interesting information (that often happens when it's just a bunch of actors in a room) but there have been a couple of exceptional commentaries, the main stand-out being the one for "Company Man" which features the director, Allan Arkush, writer, Bryan Fuller, and actor, Jack Coleman, otherwise known as HRG. I generally like listening to anything Bryan Fuller has to say, so I'm sure that influenced the experience somewhat, but it was also neat to see what you got when you mixed one of the actors with behind-the-camera crew. In earlier commentaries, Coleman would joke around and talk about how cool everything was on the show, but when sitting next to the writer and director, suddenly he's talking about composition, narrative, lighting, themes, character and acting. It just brought the whole quality level up, like, 110%.

An interesting side effect of listening to the commentaries is that it's given me a bit of a refresher course on the show. I'm not seeing every episode, but I'm getting a nice cross-section of season 1 and I'm being reminded constantly why I liked the show so much in the first place. It's doing a stellar job of getting me primed for season 3 which premieres at the end of the month, if I'm not mistaken. The 22nd, or something like that.

I suppose it also helps that I read the Heroes graphic novel in the last week, but that's another post.

Next up is a show that has never impressed me much, but I just got it in my head at some point that I was going to watch it, in its entirety, no matter how much pain it causes or how long it takes. That show would be Highlander: The Series and I don't think I'm understating things when I say that the first season is a perfect example of everything that was wrong with syndicated television in the early to mid '90s. You could put virtually anything out there on the market as long as you did it cheap enough, there was always someone who wanted to fill up their broadcasting slate. Having the Highlander brand probably helped put this one on the air and keep it there beyond season 1, but it's still no excuse for the quality of some of these episodes.

There's an awkwardness to just about everything on the show. The lead, Adrian Paul, is decent enough as the new Highlander, Duncan MacLeod, but he's still not very adept with the swordplay (not that their stunt coordinator was doing much in the way of fight choreography), his love interest, Tessa, seems like she'll add some nice international flavour but ends up pretty flat and useless, and the sidekick, Richie, is petulant, annoying and viewers are supposed to buy into the idea that this very clean-cut looking 'kid' is supposed to be a rough and tumble street tough from the old neighbourhood. And don't even get me started on the clothes!

Two good things about the show are the flashbacks which are often interesting and well put together, and the fact that Thomas J. Wright (who later went on to be the director for the Chris Carter series Millennium) directs just about every second episode. His style is still pretty rough but these were apparently shot fast and cheap so I'm willing to give him a small amount of leeway here since I know how smoking awesome his stuff eventually got a few years later.

I'm hoping that things improve when I hit season 2, but for now, I'm stuck in a morass of bad acting, cheesy guest-stars (I never knew Joe Pantoliano could give a bad performance, to be honest), and a show that's hanging on by the hairs of the franchise's chinny-chin-chin.

A big surprise for me was getting the original Twilight Zone DVDs from the library. I knew I'd enjoy them, I knew I was picking up something that was timeless and fun, but I didn't anticipate just how much I am loving these shows. My memories of the shows consisted only of the stories and how they made me feel and not how well shot and written they were. Looking at these episodes on DVD, they look fantastic. The lighting is amazing, the acting, surprisingly good. The direction classic but brave enough to shed traditional angles and techniques when necessary. And although the writing is not always perfect, there's an energy there you can feel. A young Rod Serling (who wrote, like, every episode) pouring his heart out on the page week after week and giving us stories that still resonate to this day with the occasional genuinely creepy moment thrown in for good measure.

I'm even showing them to my oldest daughter now. I figured she'd like the format of the show and with different stories and actors, she wouldn't have to commit to watching every one, just the ones that catch her eye. So far, she's seen two or three and enjoyed them. She said she'd be willing to explore them further which may just be her trying to make Dad happy, but if there's a chance they're actually connecting with her, I'm willing to delude myself.

Finally, I've re-immersed myself into the world of Steed and Mrs. Peel. Last year, for my birthday, my mother gave me the Complete Emma Peel Avengers set. A 17 disc treasure trove of Avengers episodes featuring my ultimate feminine ideal, Mrs. Emma Peel, played by the inimitable Diana Rigg. I've always loved the show, but I'm always reminded how great these were every time I go back to the show after a long absence. They're so witty, offbeat and damn sexy. I can see how scores of pubescent young boys' lives were forever changed by watching this show.

I've taken a particular shine to the episodes of Brian Clemens, and associate producer on the show. titles are escaping me at the moment, but there's one that takes place in a department store that I defy anyone not to enjoy on some level, and some of the last black-and-white episodes are really starting to show that quirky spy-fi look and feel that they explored further in the colour shows. You know, when I'm done posting this I wouldn't be surprised if I go back to the DVD player for one more episode before bed.

Other shows that I've been dabbling in but will save comment for now include Supernatural, Blood+, Burn Notice, Fullmetal Alchemist and I have the discs for Kolchak: The Night Stalker sitting on deck. Hopefully there'll be another post there when I get further into those shows.

Until then...

mike

Back Into Planetes

A little while ago I discovered through a review over at Johnny Bacardi's blog the manga series, Planetes, by Makoto Yukimura. I was never much of a manga or anime fan, but I remember JB being fairly positive in his reaction to the book and being the trusting fellow that I am, I decided to seek out the series whenever the opportunity presented itself. That opportunity came a short while later when I ran into the second volume at my local library and devoured it in a sitting or two. I susequently tracked down the first and posted about the experience on the blog in March of '05.

Well, three-and-a-half years later, I started reading it again. I found the first issue at McNally Robinson for, like, $5 and picked it up. I'm also wanting to finally check out the anime which I have sitting around, so if I can finally finish the series (I never read the third or fourth installments, for some reason) I can get the double whammy experience. I might have to grab the remaining installments from the library again, though, since the comic budget has taken a bit of a dip in the last month.

I'll probably post a review of the whole series when I've completed it.

Anyway, just wanted to 'vocalize' that tidbit.

Later!
mike

Haven't Posted About Sloan in a While

About a month and a half ago, one of my favourite bands, Sloan, released a new album called Parallel Play. Normally, this would be great news in the Jozic household but I found this new effort a little lackluster in early listenings, a little less cohesive than some of their earlier releases and not quite eclectic enough to attain the status of their last album, Never Hear the End of It. Not a complete throwaway of a CD, just not what I was looking for, hence no CD review or comment about it one way or another (in all fairness, I did link to it at Amazon in the sidebar).

Sometimes you don't really know what your looking for, though, and having since sat down and given the thing a proper listening to, a whole new appreciation has emerged. Songs that seemed trite now have an added depth or whimsy. Tired radio friendly licks show previously unheard layers that now seem to pop. This is by no means their best album to date, but it is far more entertaining than I first gave it credit for. Add to that the fact that I just got word that the band will be hitting town on the 22nd for a show at the University pub and you have one excited Space Monkey. Possibly a birthday treat? We'll see.

Considering the band doesn't get much attention in Canada, never mind the states, I was surprised and interested in this article on the new album courtesy of NPR. Some of what he says is misguided (Sloan has not really been a top 20 band in Canada for 10 years or more) but I can't fault him for thinking Americans are missing out on a truly great band. Give it a listen if you're musically curious.

mike

Getting Leverage

I had heard of this project from John Rogers' blog and wondered if it would be worth checking out. I enjoyed his work on The Core, Eureka, the unaired Global Frequency pilot, and several comic book projects so I hoped there would be something cool to draw me in. Well, this preview has pretty much done that.

At the very least, I'll try the pilot out and see how it plays. Timothy Hutton's not a bad catch, and Christian Kane appeals to the ol' Angel fan in me, so fingers crossed on this one.

mike

Giving 52 Another Shot

Among the million and one other things I'm reading lately, I've decided to pick up the trade collections of DC Comics' 52 series from my local library. I never finished the series initially, only getting to #20 or #22 before giving up on the whole thing, but something about not having read it to the end bugs me. It may be because I'm a huge Keith Giffen fan and his breakdowns were pivotal to bringing the whole thing in on schedule, or possibly it's wanting to just get it out of the way once and for all. It is comic book history, after all (at least American comics, anyways) as a lover of the art form, I try to keep up with these sorts of things.

Hell, maybe I just want to finish it because so much of the DCU right now comes directly out of the events of 52 and it's sister book, Countdown. I read a couple of DC books every month and I gotta say, I do get a little confused sometimes. Like someone who has missed an episode or two of their favourite show and catches up with those "Previously on..." montages at the beginning of the show.

Anyway, what I'm discovering is that, experiencing it away from all the hype and hullabaloo, this is a pretty good story so far. Granted, I'm only on Week 5 right now, but the pacing is solid, the characters engaging, the mystery satisfyingly opaque, and there is real gravity to the stuff. I know I'm going to get a little disappointed once they spend some significant time in space (I wasn't a big fan of that part the first time around) but I'm sure there will be other things to keep my interest (I hope, anyway).

More than anything, I'm surprised (and pleased) that a corporate event comic is keeping me entertained. I recently re-read Civil War as part of my Captain America experience, and let me just say that I was sure happy when that ended and I could get back to just reading the core Cap book again. I sort of gave up on Secret Invasion 3 issues in, too.

Another nice surprise are the annotations and the extras that they squeeked in as padding between the issues in the trade. Commentary from the creators, breakdown pages from Keith, and script excerpts and character designs to flesh the whole thing out. It's not an amazing thing, or truly comprehensive, but it is a nice peak into the process, the event, and a worthwhile addition to the collections.

With that, I'll take my leave.

Later!

mike

"Where Do We Go From Here?"

So, Filter is coming to Calgary. September 17th, it looks like, and tickets are $16. I have no idea who actually comprises Filter anymore, although I'm fairly certain that Richard Patrick is still at the helm, but I don't know if I can pass up this opportunity to check out a band I really enjoyed through the nineties, especially their second album, "Title of Record".

I guess the real question is, will this be like Everclear coming to town, where I can't get it up just to go see Art Alexakis doing old and new Everclear music without the other two original members of the band, or will it really matter who Filter is as long as Patrick is fronting the gig?

Something to ponder.



mike

"What Sarah Said"

My buddy Andrew was complaining about the quantity of X-Files content on the blog of late, so I thought I would try and change it up with something that might catch his attention for a change.

So, I was cruising around this morning for some Ocean Size music. I watched The Invisible last night, and like dozens of folks before me, I'm sure, I wanted to listen to the song that plays over the dream sequence at the beginning of the film, "Music For a Nurse".

I did find it but in the process I also ran across this video from Death Cab For Cutie which has totally captivated me. It was directed by Laurent Briet and I couldn't take my eyes off of this clip. There's this girl, who begins the video with the question "Does he love me?", and she attempts to garner a response from her male companion who just sits on the bed, unflinching and unresponsive, until the very end when the whole thing starts anew.

Love it. Watch it. Feel free to comment on it.



Later!

mike

Golden Compass Sequel in Doubt

For almost a year now the Jozic family, and probably many fans of Phillip Pullman, have been waiting to hear word on a potential sequel for The Golden Compass. Despite a lot of "we'd really like to do one" from the films director, Chris Weitz, its producers and Pullman himself, New Line has been evasive (to say the least) on giving any indication that they would like to see one as well.

So, the kids are sitting next to me playing the PS2 game and I figure, "hmmm, I haven't checked the news on that for a while," so I hit the world wide internets, punched in a search to Google, and this is what I found.

Still not dead in the water but, man, definitely not with its head above it, either.

Later!

mike

Finally! BUFFY ANIMATED Promo

At Least Some of Us Believe

Another decent review, this time from DVD Talk, one of my fave cinema sites based out of UK, I believe.

Some points to note:

"Carter has made a commitment to a more cerebral adventure for his characters, fixating on the discomfort between Mulder and Scully as they assume their old responsibilities...sticking with spooky happenings and faltered interpersonal communication. It's a mysterious film, building dread through brutal kidnapping, displays of Bryukhonenko-inspired horrors, and the Crissman character, who Carter employs as the critical figure of eerie face-value judgment. It takes nearly an hour for "Believe" to work up a sweat; the film favors the tempo of the series, not the bombast of the screen. Fans are sure to drink up every last frame. The less inclined might be checking their watches with increasing regularity.

I was immensely satisfied with Carter's intent, and his appreciation for Duchovny and Anderson, who really shines as Scully is dragged through a vigorous questioning of self. "I Want to Believe" is not a feature that provides instant results; instead, even with a handful of faults, it gets under the skin, offering the faithful a rewarding odyssey with these unlikely knights of the unknown.

Well, that's three of us who truly liked the film. I'm still eager and curious to hear input from anyone out there who has seen it and has some opinions.

Believe Again!

mike

The Comic Haul - Addendum

I realised after posting the last Comic Haul that there were a number of books that didn't get onto the list because they were sitting on a different pile at he other end of the room (for shame, I know). As a result, I thought I would add a few to the ever growing list of CH reviews, like so...

The Mummy: The Rise and Fall of Xango's Ax #1-2: "The Rise and Fall of Xango's Ax" is billed as a prequel to the new Mummy movie, but in reality it is just a story that occurs between The Mummy Returns and the new film. That little grammatical quibble aside, I really quite enjoyed the first issue of this mini. The story revolves around Alex O'Connell and his father Rick becoming embroiled in a caper involving a stolen priceless jewel, a missing archaeologist, a bunch of prehistoric baddies trying to reclaim the stolen jewel and a doomed train ride. The script by Joshua Jabcuga moves along competently and handles the reintroductions of thee characters rather nicely, while the art of Stephen Mooney captures the mood and era of the piece with enough flair to make me forgive any shortcomings either creator may otherwise show.

The second issue falls a little bit shorter than the first being more of an expository story and less of a thrill ride. You learn the background behind Xango and his ax, the plot moves from the train to the great outdoors and the villains plans are revealed. Mooney slips a bit and shows some weakness in his storytelling. The issue picks up immediately after the first but there's a confusing transition or change in point-of-view that creates some strange continuity quirks in the opening pages of the story. Jabcuga also cracks as the dialogue gets awfully wooden here and most of the conversations are done off panel in captions which takes the focus off pretty much everyone in the story.

In all fairness, they do catch their stride about halfway through and do manage to pull you through to the end, albeit with a bad taste in your mouth. I'm still looking forward to #3 but am steeling myself to be disappointed.

Wetworks #13: The art has improved, and DeMatteis (who has been writing the book solo from issue #10) is joined by long-time partner in crime Keith Giffen to give readers an all out vampire war for the Wetworks team to fight.

I've read a lot of reimaginings of these cheesy '90s super-teams that came out of the image boom, and a lot of them were really good. StormWatch was one, Wildcats was another, Casey and Donovan's Youngblood wasn't bad, you get the picture. So here I am with two of my favourite writers with carte blanche to make a crappy premise into an engaging reinvention and the whole damn thing just falls flat. DeMatteis showed some inspiration with #12's character driven star-cross'd lovers tale, but this is all hackneyed plot contrivances and cheesy dialogue. To be fair, the guys probably knew they weren't going to be around for more than a couple of issues after this, so I'll cut them some slack, but I would recommend this only for the Giffen/DeMatteis completists or truly die-hard fans of Wetworks. Otherwise, don'teven bother with this puppy in the dollar bins.

The Invincible Iron Man #2: The plot thickens. There's really not much else to say since Matt Fraction is of the Bendis school of comic book writing where obfuscation and drawn-out storylines are the order of the day. Really, not much happens in #2 that didn't happen in #1 other than Tony kicks the heinies of some A.I.M. fringe group called Advanced Genocide Mechanics and their leader, M.O.D.O.G..

What I do genuinely like about the series so far is the adherence to what Warren Ellis established in "Extremis". Tony is bleeding edge. He's a futurist. Fraction portrays him as such and has the character wrestle with these ideas constantly. I love the sequence where Iron Man is flying away from heat-seeking missiles and wonders to himself, do I need jet boots? Can I not find a new form of heatless propulsion? That's good comics, in my humble opinion.

Maybe not for everyone, but I do hope this iteration of the character and title last for a while. Enjoy itwhile it lasts, I guess.

Tank Girl: Visions of Booga #1: Ever since IDW's last Tank Girl mini I just can't get enough of Alan Martin and his crazy cast of malcontents. I would get genuine belly-laughs reading those crazy comics, so I'm thrilled that they've gone back and made more. And I totally loved the Adam Ant guest shot in the back-up story. Chynna Clugston-Major appears to not be the only one who can put the Ant Music love to paper and make an enjoyable yarn out of it.

I used to associate TG, visually, with Jamie Hewlett and Jamie Hewlett only, believing that if Jamie wasn't drawing it, what was the point? But after seeing Ashley Wood handle the characters amazingly, and now Rufus Dayglo, I'm officially a convert. Wood showed a whole new way of looking at TG which, I think, paved the way for me accepting the wonderful non-Hewlett stylings of Mr. Dayglo. They're so close to Hewlett's take on the world so as to respect the stuff that has come before, but there's just such a different kind of heartbeat to the art that works for me. I don't know, the edges are less blunt, the layouts more organic...I won't ruin it with trying to figure it out. I'll just go and grab the next issue and enjoy it some more.

Okay, that's officially all for now. Hopefully more next week.

Cheers!

mike

The Comic Haul

I haven't been to the LCS in a while, but I still have a backlog of books that I have yet to throw on the ol' blog so, without further ado, here we go-go-go...

Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods #1: The man in the hat is back. This is probably the best Indy mini-series to come out in some time. As much as I loved the fact that Dark Horse was publishing anything Indy related a few years ago, some of the efforts put forth were less than stellar in either the writing department, the art department, or, in some case, both. With Tomb of the Gods, DHC has a winner. Rob Williams concocts a plausible adventure for the intrepid archaeologist and Steve Scott's artwork is very much up to the task of balancing character likenesses and well-paced action storytelling. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the next four issues will play out.

Detective Comics #846: "Heart of Hush", as a story concept, doesn't really grab me by the lapels and scream read me, but I've been liking what Dini has done with this book and, having given up on Morrison's title, think I'll stick with Detective for a while and see how comfortable I get. I'm loving the art by Nguyen which I've praised before in other reviews, and the fact that Catwoman will be making this series her home when her monthly gets the axe is yet another reason to check in every 30 days.

The story itself? Too early to tell, I'm afraid. Hush has a secret hospital of zombies, it appears, Batman and Catwoman start hanging out and that's pretty much it unless you want me to talk about the ads. Still, the atmosphere is good, so far, and I'm anxious to see what Dini does with a 5-part storyline after so many onesies and twosies. It's worth checking out.

Robin #170-173: Hey, when did this series get good? I've been a fan of Robin for a long time (that always sounds weird when I say those words in public) but haven't had any reason to check out Tim Drake's or Dick Grayson's monthlies for many years. A few weeks ago I picked up a trade of some of the Adam Beechen and Freddie Williams stories at my local library, just to see what they were like, and found myself really enjoying them. So, when Chuck Dixon (the guy who launched the series 175 issues ago) returned to the character and the book with issue #170, I had to check it out.

I'm liking where the character is at. I'm liking the fact that Dixon is bringing back things that have been absent, like the long-dead Spoiler and Ives (another supporting character), yet maintaining the feel that this guy is older than when he first wrote him. He has matured, things in his life have changed and it's a tangible thing when you read these stories. I hear Chuck may be leaving the book but I'll give it a few issues post-Chuck to see if the tone stays right for me, or if things go out of whack again and I drop it like a hot potato.

By the way, loving the Freddie Williams covers, too!

Final Crisis #1-2: Okay, I'm liking the issues as I read them, but I'm simultaneously not caring, one way or the other, where this is going or how it fits into the greater scheme of things. I generally like Morrison's writing and I rarely have any complaints about J.G. Jones, so I'm not at all surprised that I'm not outright rejecting this whole event, but I think I'm just Uber-Evented out, you know? I'd rather see these guys doing something with an obscure character off in the corner somewhere, like when Morrison took over Animal Man or Doom Patrol. The DC Universe as a concept just doesn't interest me on this scale, anymore. Less with the 'widescreen' comics, I think.

I know I'm shooting myself in the foot when I say I'll keep buying for the next couple of issues because, really, we vote with our dollars, but when I see the huge stack of these comics sitting at my LCS, I can't help but think my contribution is not being felt. So, at least I can sleep at night.

John Constantine: Hellblazer #245: I think Jason Aaron and Sean Murphy wanted to pay tribute to the Jamie Delano/John Ridgeway era Constantine because this issue has all the hallmarks of that period of the book. For starters, John is nowhere to be seen for 99% of the story. Instead, we focus on a group of documentary filmmakers who are trying to get the skinny on Mucous Membrane, John's old punk band from back in the day. Over the course of the issue we see the slow decay of the group as they all go progressively mad and start doing things that, in some cases, will make you wish you didn't eat that sandwich before sitting down to read.

The end of the story (called "Newcastle Calling", by the way) has the single appearance in the issue of our John and he is buying a train ticket to Newcastle, leaving you, the reader, with the cliffhanger ending.

I've been enjoying this book since Andy Diggle took it over a handful of issues ago, and I think it's fair to say that, despite having big shoes to fill, Jason Aaron does an admirable job here. Sean Murphy's pencils were an added bonus, changing up the look of the book for a couple of issues. Manco's art is a good fit for the series, but after a while it all starts to get muddy and blend together. Besides, even at Hellblazers height of popularity, it has always been able to shift between artists and writers for different takes on the character and this is no different.

Anyway, I look forward to the conclusion (which I know is out, I just haven't gotten my hands on a copy yet) and I'd recommend it to anyone out there who likes a little slow-boil psychological horror with a dash of gross-out thrown in for flavour.

The Batman Strikes! #46: Yeah, you can feel this series winding down. #50 will likely be the final issue so I'm kind of glad this story by Russell Lissau and Christopher Jones stuck closer to the dynamic that fans of the show saw in seasons three and four as opposed to the 'All-New Justice League' show it became in season five. In this issue, Killer Croc gets a crush on a news reporter and Batman, Robin and Batgirl have to save the day. It's not Shakespeare, I know, but it was a pleasant diversion and a welcome return to a format that doesn't undermine the main character in his own book. If the next four are like this the series will go off on a high note, as far as I'm concerned.

Badger Saves the World #1: I consider Nexus to be one of the finest comic books to have ever graced the medium, so it kind of surprises me that I can find so little to like in Mike Baron's other 'famous' creation, The Badger. His appearances in the aforementioned Nexus have always been enjoyable, but the solo stuff I've seen just doesn't grab me, you know? Sometimes the satire and the strangeness of the book just seem forced, and the storytelling...well, off. I know that it's supposed to be manic and fun and zany, but I'm just not buying it. To quote Mr. Horse, "No sir, I just don't like it".

If I ever run across another issue in a dollar bin or see something online, maybe I'll give it another try. In the meantime, I'll stick with Horatio, Dave, Sundra, and the residents of Ylum for my Baron fix.

Will Eisner's The Spirit #13-16: I really wasn't sure what I would think of the post-Darwyn Cooke Spirit series but, I have to say, Evanier and Aragones are writing good stuff that feels very much in line with what Eisner was doing with the character, and Paul Smith is a Godsend of an artist. There have been a couple of other pencil jockeys to take a crack at Denny Colt since Cooke's departure (Risso, Amancio, and Ploog being three worth mentioning) but something about Smith's clean lines and superb storytelling give this book just the right feel to be nostalgic yet carrying the look of The Spirit's world forward.

I'm enjoying it, I'm keeping it on my pull list and so I'm sure DC will cancel it. Maybe they'll hang on to it for a while since the movie's coming out.

Legion of Super-Heroes #42: Sometimes I think ignorance is bliss. Like back in the old days when I bought my books off a spinner rack, and I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes of my favourite monthly comic books. That's the mentality I had when I started picking up the Jim Shooter Legion of Super-Heroes. I thought I'd give it a try because it looked fairly promising. Like it was trying to be classic without tossing out the any of the new stuff that the creators before this had established, and, it should be noted, that the artwork of Francis Manapul's was not entirely unpleasing to the eye. Fast forward a few months when I find out that Shooter's run is just temporary. That he's essentially killing time until the Final Crisis event has its way with the characters and then DC plans to relaunch the book later with a new creative team and direction. So, when I look at the last couple of issues, which feel very much like Shooter is either lost or spinning his wheels a little, I get miffed because I now realise that it's not just a brief lull in the story, it's useless filler to pad out the remainder of Shooter's run.

Overall, I still enjoy it when I do pick it up, but all the anticipation for it, as well as the fun of it, has been sucked out for me. There is probably a half-dozen issues or more to the Shooter run, so we'll see how it goes.

FCBD X-Men: I finally got around to reading this story and all I can say is, "Ugh!" This is why I will not be buying a regular X-Title any time soon. Carey's story is dull and his new X-Character, Pixie, less than engaging. This 'joining the team' story tries to be a new "Welcome to the X-Men, Kitty Pryde, Hope You Survive the Experience" but falls dreadfully short. Considering I dropped Carey's Ultimate FF recently, I shouldn't be at all surprised that I didn't enjoy this issue at all. Add to that Greg Land's art which makes my eyes bleed and I won't be peeking around Xavier's Institute for another couple of years, to be sure.

Amazing Spider-Man #555-557: This is the first time in a looong time that I've been able to buy, read and enjoy a mainstream Spider-Man comic book and this makes me glad. I have no interest in the whole "Brand New Day" brouhaha, but if it means that for short little bursts during the year I can enjoy Chris Bachalo's pencils on my favourite Marvel super-hero, I think I can live with it. Also, Zeb Wells wrote a Spidey that was quick-witted, a little hard-done-by, and utterly human which was, ultimately, the driving force to me actively seeking out all three issues so I can enjoy the whole story. Fun stuff.

I'm not sure if Wells and Bachalo will get another crack at the web-slinger anytime soon (I think it's McKone and Slott right now?), but I'm crossing fingers.

Later!

mike

Hey, Kids, Comics!

I was looking at the Diamond Shipping List for July 30th and thought I would do what many other bloggers have done before me and tag those items that I think are worthy of note. The legend below will explain how I'm going to lay this sucker out.

Bold is what I will grab for sure.
Italics mean it's something I want, but won't necessarily pick it up right away.
Regular text indicates something that has caught my eye but is either too pricy to be reasonable, or I would only pick up as an impulse buy.

JIM BUTCHERS DRESDEN FILES #4 (OF 4) WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
BATMAN GOING SANE TP
REIGN IN HELL #1 (OF 8)
SKRULLS VS POWER PACK #1 (OF 4)
MUMMY MOVIE PREQUEL RISE & FALL OF XANGOS AX #4

That's all she wrote, folks. I don't make it down to the comic store as often as I would like, but I think I will keep this little exercise up until I become thoroughly bored with it.

Cheers!

mike

Pondering More Indy...

The Sunday Times conducted an interview with George Lucas regarding his upcoming Clone Wars movie, but the real interesting bit that came out of the piece (from a Indyphile's perspective) was this little bit here:

"Really, with the last one, Steven wasn’t that enthusiastic. I was trying to persuade him. But now Steve is more amenable to doing another one. Yet we still have the issues about the direction we’d like to take. I’m in the future; Steven’s in the past. He’s trying to drag it back to the way they were, I’m trying to push it to a whole different place. So, still we have a sort of tension. This recent one came out of that. It’s kind of a hybrid of our own two ideas, so we’ll see where we are able to take the next one."

I'd be curious to know which parts of the film were Spielberg and which were Lucas inspired. I'm guessing all the Sci-Fi elements probably came from George, we all know Shia was Steven's doing...I think I'd have to go and see the film again to really break it down.

Still, I've always upheld that I would continue to watch and love Indy even if he was 80 with a cane and dealing with life in 1971. I just enjoy the character that much, moreso than the adventures themselves. That's partially why I'm such a fan of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, too. I don't need Nazis and death-defying stunts, seeing what makes the guy tick engages me.

Anyway, it's a decent interview and worth checking out.

Later!

mike

Spreading the Ditko Love

The Comics Reporter has a nice interview with Blake Bell, author of The World of Steve Ditko. If you've ever read and/or loved a Ditko comic, this is a book you should really check out. The interview is also something you should really check out.

Have I ever steered you wrong?

mike

Belief Does Not Appear to Come Easily

Looking at the overall response to The X-Files: I Want to Believe, both critically and commercially, after only a single day of release, it appears that Chris Carter's return to the franchise that made him a household name is a certifiable flop.

Personally, I think it is still too early to see how things will play out for the film despite a lackluster $5 million opening night. Seeing as how The Dark Knight is still going strong and stealing almost everyone else's thunder, if I Want to Believe can hang on for a few weeks before slipping off the radar, it may still make its money back and turn a small profit. Hope for a green light on a third film is not completely dashed, just stretched to its uttermost limits.

I think the most damage to the movie is going to come from critics who seem to be very much in on the X-Files hate. I'm not sure which show they were watching 10 years ago, but the movie I saw last night was very much related to the show I watched religiously and loved, even after they switched leading actors. I know I sound like an apologist at this point, but considering how many downright lazy reviews I've read over the last 24 hours complaining about how uncool the new movie is and picking at it like a festering scab, I think I sort of have to be. I don't know what everybody else was expecting. A bigger, bolder storyline, I'm sure, with lots of monster stuff and flashlights in the dark. The two leads shouting their names across a gulf of shadow as the villain of the piece stalked one, or both, of the heroes?

Didn't we see that before? On the small screen? For 9 years?

After reading Roger Ebert's review of the film (which I expected to be exceptionally harsh but who is, in fact, the only 'esteemed' reviewer to date to actually get the picture) I think what people are ultimately missing is the whole freaking point of the movie.

He goes on at length describing the plot and points out how silly it all sounds, which is fair, but the part that truly stood out to me was this section here:

"The movie lacks a single explosion. It has firearms, but nobody is shot. The special effects would have been possible in the era of "Frankenstein." Lots of stunt people were used. I had the sensation of looking at real people in real spaces, not motion-capture in CGI spaces. There was a tangible quality to the film that made the suspense more effective because it involved the physical world."

He also goes on to competently address the film's themes and, surprisingly, compares what is essentially one of the three biggest failures of the summer (Speed Racer and Meet Dave being the other two) to one of the most successful movies currently around, The Dark Knight:

"What I appreciated about "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" was that it involved actual questions of morality, just as "The Dark Knight" does. It's not simply about good and evil but about choices. Come to think of it, Scully's dying child may be connected to the plot in another way, since it poses the question: Are any means justified to keep a dying person alive?"

And lastly, Ebert closes off with this:

"The movie is insidious. It involves evil on not one level but two. The evildoers, it must be said, are singularly inept; they receive bills for medical supplies under their own names, and surely there must be more efficient ways to abduct victims and purchase animal tranquilizers. But what they're up to is so creepy, and the snow-covered Virginia landscapes so haunting, and the wrong-headedness of Scully so frustrating, and the FBI bureaucracy so stupid, and Mulder so brave, that the movie works like thrillers used to work, before they were required to contain villains the size of buildings."

And that, my friends, is the most articulate (and possibly accurate) critique of the new X-Files film that seems to be taking a lot of flack for no othewr reason than the fact that it survived long enough in people's minds to warrant coming back for another go.

I'm genuinely curious to hear what others think about the film and the response it is getting in the media. Feel free to comment.

Believe Again!

mike

X-Files: I Want to Believe Reactions

Hit the first matinee at the local Galaxy theatre because I knew I would not be able to wait until 7 or 10 o'clock tonight. I woke up a little unfocused and found it difficult to work, figured the movie would galvanize everything for me.

Despite being in the middle of the afternoon, getting into the X-Files mood was pretty easy. Once those lights went down and the music and images started rolling, whoo-baby, I was locked in for the next couple of hours.

I was doing some reading the night before re: the soundtrack (which kicks-ass, by the way) and accidentally read what I thought may be a spoiler. Wasn't going to let it ruin the experience for me but it turned out not to be true. The soundtrack piece is worth checking out, though. Click through here to read it.

Stand alone episode was definitely the way they should have rolled on this one. If they went with a mythology episode, die-hard Philes like me would be happy but we'd never get a third movie out of Fox because it wouldn't make any money. Simple but within the X-Filesian realm thriller played out nicely and allowed for maximum character development.

God, I missed these characters. I didn't know how much until they started hanging out together on screen again. Man, I thought Indiana Jones was going to be the tentpole movie for me but I was so wrong. And yeah, I know Dark Knight will make me get religion but the pure, raw, nostalgic feeling of seeing Mulder and Scully together again after 7.5 years...it was pretty f***ing cool.

Lots of really neat easter eggs in the movie for fans to find, plus a 'blink-and-you-miss-it' cameo by Carter himself. Seeing things like Nutter's Feed (named for amazing series director David Nutter), the vodka and OJ on Mulder's table, the names Gilligan and Shiban on Mulder's Cell phone...I just gobbled all that stuff up. It was great eye-candy that didn't jump out and say, "HEY! Look at me, do you remember me from the series?"

A character or two from the show do make an appearance which, again, was rewarding without being obtuse.

Well cast movie. Really. Connelly, Peet and Xzibit were all really good in their roles. Callum Keith Rennie did an equally good job. Hell, it wasn't until the third or fourth time I saw him that I realized it was him.

Hmmm, not sure what else to say other than, "I sure liked it a whole lot".

Go see the movie.

Listen to some of the tunes on the player below.

Believe Again.

mike

I Still Want to Believe

I'm watching "Sanguinarium" from Season 4 right now as I type this in preparation for the X-Files movie which premieres in a few scant hours. A wonderfully greusome episode about black magic and plastic surgery. The opening teaser actually counts as one of my favourite X-Files moments but, unfortunately, I couldn't find a link to it anywhere. Oh well, those of you who know the episode know what I'm talking about, right?

Anyway, I can't tell you how excited I am to be seeing this thing tomorrow. I know everyone is feeling pretty lackluster about the whole thing, but I'm just looking forward to seeing old friends, do a little catch-up, you know? If the movie turns out to be kick-ass, all the better. Heck, I just want it to make enough money so that we can get the true finale to the series mythology with the conclusion of the colonization plotline. I believe 2012 is the set date. Only time will tell.

Next up is "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" so I gotta go. I'll post some thoughts after I see the movie.

Believe Again!

mike

Ultimate FF Actually Pretty Marginal

About a year ago I started buying the Ultimate Fantastic Four series by writer Mike Carey and artist Pascual Ferry (at least, those were the guys on the title at the time). It was the Silver Surfer storyline and I was jazzed about the new movie coming out, and a combination of being a slave to hype and the monthly comic doing everything it could to drive me away from it, I chose the Ultimate version of Marvel's first family to latch on to for my first family of Marvel fix.

After picking up the first issue or two (#42 & #43, I think), I went back and started reading the earlier issues from the beginning. When they initially launched the title, I didn't want anything to do with it, partly because I was skeptical regarding anything Ultimate, partly because it was Bendis or Ellis or Millar and Hitch and I was tired of these big 'widescreen' event comics, and mostly it was because they reintroduced the team as teenagers. Something about that ticked me off.

Still, after reading the first few issues, I saw something in it that was dynamic, interesting and not without its charm. Sort of the same reaction I had to reading Ultimate Spider-Man for the first time. I decided to continue catching up while picking up the newer issues and do so until the newer stuff no longer interested me.

As of issue #53 I'm officially done.

Not only am I having tremendous amounts of trouble with the artwork of Tyler Kirkham, but the stories by Carey have lost all their momentum. What originally felt like a slow, interesting building up to the cosmic cube storyline eventually fell horribly flat when it finally hit its climax with the return of Thanos to the book and the Four to Earth. Bad dialogue, bad storytelling, bad art and bleah characters finally killed this thing for me. And it's strange because it sort of came out of the blue. I mean, I wasn't truly happy with some of the issues in the late forties, but they were still readable. And Carey's other work still engages me whenever I run across it.

Go figure.

Anyways, the good news is that, with UFF, The Batman Strikes,and Teen Titans, Go! all getting (or having gotten) the axe (by me or their respective publishers), and with Whedon's Runaways storyline completed, there's a spot or two now open on the ol' pull list that I can fill with stuff that I enjoy. I've been picking up Chuck Dixon and Chris Batista's Robin and I've really been digging it, so...

Later!

mike

Mornings with Meiko

I discovered this artist through MySpace when I got the automated 'add friend' request, but after listening to her stuff for a bit I think I really dig it. My wife says it reminds her of Feist (a name we don't mention in this house) but I get a little Fiona, a little Cat Power...maybe even a smidge of Edie. There are a few things jumbled up in there that blend together well.

As the link below states, click on through to listen to some of her stuff.



mike

Spielberg Vanity Fair Interview

I thought it was a decent read. It was part of the "Keys to the Kingdom" interview that appeared in the February issue of Vanity Fair, but obviously it's the parts that didn't make it into the main piece.

If you know anything about me, you know that those are usually my most favourite parts.

Anyway, go here if you're curious about Spielberg's thoughts on the new Indy film, Frank Darabont's rejected version of the script, and other Spielberg flicks.

mike

Birthday Shout-Out

I just wanted to give a birthday shout-out to one of my favourite actors/personalities in Hollywood, Harrison Ford. Harrison, who proved he can never be too old to play the inimitable Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, turns 66 today.

I know he's had a string of not-so-great movies prior to "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" but I'm sure if someone gave him a chance to play another Allie Fox, a la The Mosquito Coast or a John Book (Witness), you might get something more interesting out of the guy. Ultimately, I don't think he needs to take any movie jobs these days. Since he's more of a craftsman than an artist I find that he tends to not search out those juicy little roles in indie films or character parts in bigger movies, sticking to more traditional box-office leading man fare.

C'est la vie, I guess.

Anyway, happy 66th, Harrison. Hope it's a good one!

mike

Favourite X-FIles Moments #4

Finally, a non-shipper post!

This next clip is from an episode I just watched called "The Field Where I Died". It's from season 4 and this opening clip is one of the more powerful moments in an episode filled with many. The direction of Rob Bowman is unmistakable with the lighting and the movement, and Duchovny, without doing much, gives a performance full of pathos.

Judge for yourself...



Believe again!

mike

Favourite X-FIles Moments #3

For someone who is most definitely not a 'shipper' (someone who desired a love/sex relationship between Mulder and Scully on the show) I'm kind of posting a lot of relationship type scenes here, aren't I? That may be a result of the availability of cool non 'shipper' scenes on YouTube, though. I'll keep looking until the 25th.

This particular scene is a nice quiet one between the main characters after Scully has a rather poignant solo adventure (written and directed by Gillian herself) where she is forced to examine her life and the choices she has made over the course of it. I like these quiet scenes between these two actors because they have so much chemistry and play off of each other so well. It helps when they're well written, too.



I'll try and step up the posts leading up to the film's release.

As always, I'm curious which episodes/moments are perhaps your favourites. Don't be shy. Feel free to share.

Believe again!

mike

Checking Back in, X-Files Style

I haven't made an X-Files related post in a bit so I thought I would clean out some bookmarks and remedy the other situation at the same time.

The A.V. Club has an interview with Chris Carter from this past April where he discusses the show and the film.

Comic Book Resources has a quick chat with Frank Spotnitz about the upcoming X-FIles comic book 'revival' courtesy of DC Comics and Wildstorm.

And, if you go check out the official site for the film, there have been some updates and changes like the Blog, the clips from the film, desktop wallpapers and the usual 'official' stuff. Just to check out the opening clip to "I Want to Believe" should be worth the trip.

There's a cool Mulder and Scully clip there, too.

Believe again!

mike

The Comic Haul

I'll probably be brief this time around, as it is late and I'm tired, but I wanted to get some of these posted.

Serenity #1-3: The story of "Better Days" is brief but enjoyable for fans of the show. The plot is simple and designed to show more about the characters than advance any grand plot or attempting to bridge the television series with the film. This is, at its most basic, a love letter to the fans and the show. I personally would have liked to see a longer story play out (even one more issue would have done the trick for me) but DHC seems to want to stick with the 3-issue arcs so I won't even bother arguing that point. According to editor Scott Allie we have one more of these minis to look forward to. As they say on the show, "Keep 'em flying".

Teen Titans Go! #54-55: The end of the show should have meant the end of this comic book a year or so ago, but for whatever reason DC kept this title running and I've always been thankful of it, even though the quality of the book has slipped somewhat since the show went off the air. In these last two issues Torres gives us a ho-hum story revolving around a Wonder Girl wannabe and a nice wrap-up in #55 with the Titans facing their greatest fears under the onslaught of Phobia. Todd Nauck also puts in some of his best art on the series with the characters looking sharp, the layouts interesting, and the storytelling dynamic.

I'm sorry to see this book go but it was probably time for it to move on.

Fantastic Four #554-557: I originally poo-pooed this storyline but after going back and re-reading the first issue (followed by the next three or four) I've really come to be sold on this book. It's still not exactly how I envisioned Millar and Hitch handling these characters, but they're doing a bang-up job of it so far. One of my early complaints was not wanting to really see the post-Civil War Marvel U since I was never a fan of the event in the first place, but I'm seeing some cool things coming out of this book and the cliffhanger ending of #558 (not technically reviewed herein) has me excited for the next few issues.

Check this one out if you aren't already. Definitely worth the $3.

The Invincible Iron Man #1: Yet another Iron Man #1, but for all intents and purposes, it's a good one. Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca present an interesting debut for Tony Stark and his armored alter-ego, not getting bogged down in a lot of backstory and moving things forward at a nice pace. Once agian Stark's technology has become a problem and Tony has to face the idea that someone has taken his Iron Man tech and accomplished what he's always feared; they improved on it. Not a bad premise and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out for this first storyline. Also, Salva's artwork, as always, is impeccable. This guy used to be 'okay' back in the day (remember those Claremont FFs?), but over the years he just keeps impressing me more and more. I have issue 2 on my 'to read' pile, so it will likely be in the next set of reviews.

Angel: After the Fall #6-8: Taking a break from their regular programming, these are the interstitial issues that deal with the first night when LA was sent into a hell dimension. What happened in that alley at the end of season 5, where did the characters go, how did they get there and what have they been doing between the series finale and the first issue of "After the Fall"? These are all questions that get answered here and, much like the first 5 issues of the series, this stuff is gold for the Angel fan. IDW is doing a remarkably good job with this series and I'm very much looking forward to the final 5 or 6 issues, even if there will be a new artist.

Secret Invasion #1-2: What can I say, I'm torn. I'm enjoying the idea of this series, I love the artwork by the always entertaining Leinil Francis Yu, but it's moving so goddamn slow I just don't know if I have the stamina for 8 issues of this. Issue 1 was solid, presents the premise promisingly (take that Stan Lee!) and leaves us with a killer of a cliffhanger (pun intended). Issue 2...well...it's a fight scene. Yup, the whole damn thing is one big fight scene with a couple of cuts to show you the Helicarrier crashing and something else I can't remember. Sure, there are a couple of revalations during the fight scene, and yeah, Leinil's storytelling carries the issue pretty much from beginning to end, but...

I mean, it's a fight sequence.

6 more issues to go. #3 is on the 'to read' pile so we'll see if I keep buying this one beyond that or issue #4.

The Batman Strikes #45: What would a Batman animated series be without a Gotham Girls episode? Seeing as how they never tried tackling that in the animated series, this issue takes the latest iteration of Gotham's female animated finest and teams them up for a caper involving a Batman and Robin out of town, a trapped Poison Ivy, Batgirl having to set aside her crimefighter impulses to work with Harley and Catwoman, and a not-so-surprising double cross at the end that you can see coming for a mile but is well done. This particular issue of the series was enjoyable but, to be honest, I haven't really had a lot of love for this book for a while now. With the series officially over, I don't see this title surviving for too much longer, either. A distracting read but...meh.

Detective Comics #841: I keep checking back in with Dini's Detective because I keep hoping that it'll just sparkle and shine like the other Bat books don't, especially with Dustin Nguyen on the art! I expected a little more from this issue than I got, still, the two creators do work well together and the twist with the Hatter's ploy was worthy of a good episode of the animated series, so I give it some points for that. Not enough to get me to give this series a monthly commitment, but I wouldn't stop myself from reading one or picking one up as an impulse buy if the cover or interiors grabbed me.

Later!

mike

You're Welcome?

So I'm cruising around the Internet and run across this on Amazon. The page is from a TwoMorrows publication called The Best of the Legion Outpost and reprints articles and artwork from the fanzine that most fans of the Legion of Superheroes should already be familiar with.

The thing that surprised me, though, was if you read the 'Editor would like to thank...' column at the far right, you may see my name listed among a couple dozen other people who have had a far more pivotal role in Legion history than yours truly. To be perfectly honest, I can only guess as to why I'm listed. Having run a Keith Giffen focused website in the past and done several interviews where we discussed the Legion, I'm thinking that this is likely why I'm sitting next to Mike Grell, Steve Lightle, David Micheline, George Pérez, Dave Cockrum and all the others. Still, I wonder what I could have contributed to thius particular publication.

I do recall being contacted a while ago by someone from TwoMorrows and asked for a scan of the cover to the Woodgod story that Keith drew over a Bill Mantlo story(Marvel Spotlight, perhaps?), so that could perhaps be the case.

Maybe I should just buy a copy and find out what, if any, connection I have to this book.

If anyone out there perhaps knows, feel free to fill me in. I'd love the skinny.

Later!

mike

High Fidelity

I've recently had the opportunity/pleasure to introduce a good friend of mine to the world of Nick Hornby. We were having a discussion about men and their behaviour, especially in romantic circumstances, and I started quoting moments from the film. She had never seen the movie or read the book so I finally just lent her the DVD (which, so far she seems to enjoy) and am making the difficult decision as to whether or not to lend her the book if she asks for it (I don't part easily with my printed matter).

The most entertaining bit of the experience so far has been her exasperated astonishment regarding how clueless men are. Now, granted, the guys in High Fidelity aren't Joe Everyman, but they represent most of the people I know, have known, and myself. So, yeah, when she asks me, "Are men really that clueless" I have to say, "mm-hm". It's embarrasing to cop to it, but Rob, the main character of the book, is very much a part of me, as I'm confident he is a part of many, many individuals. We are that lost, angry, passionate, disillusioned, and messed up when it comes to the realm of women.

Watching the movie used to frustrate Jen because it reminded her too much of the qualities in me that drove her nuts. Kind of a Catch-22 situation for her because she likes the movie on other levels, so I get blamed for that, too.

I can live with that.

Anyway, I'm thrilled to be spreading the Nick Hornby love and am looking forward to see what she retaliates with. I know she's a big Ian Rankin fan, so it is very possible that she'll fling some D.I. Rebus my way. We'll see.

Later!

mike

The Indiana Jones Comic Book Revue #2

All books are rated on a 0 to 5 Fedoras system.

The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #3
(Marvel Comics Group)

Written by: Denny O'Neil
Pencilled by: Gene Day & Richard Howell
Inked by: Mel Candido & Danny Bulandi
Cover by: Richard Howell & Armando Gil

"Here I am again, doing what I seem to do best; making it up as I go along!"

Dateline 1936

"The Devil's Cradle" picks up immediately after the events in the second issue with Indy jumping out of Edith Dunne's ill-fated aircraft. He lands in an undetermined location, described in the story only as 'a mountain'. After landing, he stumbles upon a small mob who are trying to hang an unarmed man. Naturally, Indy intervenes and escapes with the man only to find themselves running afoul of the American military led by Colonel Bulldog Hannigan. They give both groups the slip and then the man leads Indy to a cave where he and his grandfather, Prospero, have been living.

The cave sits below a rock formation known as The Devil's Cradle, and in the cave is a pool of water that is integral to the work being done by Prospero and his grandson. They are working on an elixir that grants long life but the military, believing the rock formation will eventually destabilize and roll down the mountain to the camp below, wish to destroy the Devil's Cradle. This appears to be no skin off Prospero's back, because he intends to blow the thing himself using dynamite. When Indy protests, there's a scuffle and Prospero's enhanced strength helps him physically beat Indy into submission.

Indy wakes up tied to the rock with the explosives ready to go off and escapes only to be captured by the military who think he is a traitor and a saboteur. Another escape leads Indy back up to the Devil's Cradle where he prevents the army from discovering the well, stops Prospero from destroying the army camp, and once again saves Prospero and his grandson from armed thugs. Following this, having no further quarrel with Indy, Prospero and his grandson lead Indy off the mountain helping him get back to civilisation and ending his adventure.

This is not one of the best comics I've ever read, but it wasn't one of those books where you read a few pages and you know that, despite your love for the character, you'll never manage to continue reading, either. It's a little stiff, sometimes pointless, and often downright silly. Still, I can't completely condemn this one. Had it come first in the series, expectations may have been a bit lower and it would have had an easier time passing muster for me.

I think O'Neill never truly found his footing in the Indiana Jones universe. Granted, he wasn't given a whole heck of a lot of time to do so, but in interviews with the man he admits to not having a good time writing the stories and welcomed the opportunity to leave the series. The artwork by Day and Howell is decent but never really grabs me by the collar and gives me a shake, if you know what I mean. There are some nice moments, like the double page spread in the cave, but overall an uninspired offering from a great artist like Gene Day. And in case you were worried I would leave the other artist, Richard Howell, free of criticism, fear not! Howell's contributions were more than a little stale and unsatisfying on several levels.

To be honest, I think this issue suffers mostly from following immediately after the very entertaining two issue debut by Byrne and O'Neill (who clearly was scripting over Byrne's existing outline on issue two). It was a tough act to follow, in my opinion and, had I been buying the series at the time, I don't know if I would have continued beyond this issue. The Coming Next Issue blurb of "Next: Stonehenge" might have drawn me back for number four, but there's no guarantees.

Favourite X-FIles Moments #2

Before I go on to the next clip, I just wanted to touch on the last clip from "Quagmire". Imentioned in that post that I wasn't sure who wrote that particular act but I've since learned that it was an uncredited effort by the amazing Darin Morgan, writer of episodes like "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", "Humbug" and "José Chung's From Outer Space".

No wonder it's a favourite moment of mine and many other X-Philes.

Now, the new clip is from the Chris Carter directed and written episode, "Post-Modern Prometheus". It's the conclusion of the episode and features a somewhat uncharacteristic musical number with our heroes, the episode's creature, and Cher.



I love the scene for it's strangeness and for it's touching character bits between Mulder and Scully. I'm no shipper but this was a sweet moment that you wouldn't normally see on the show and it sort of stands out to me because of it.

Believe Again.

mike

Update: I just watched this video and it appears to be fan made and features the entire song rather than the abridged version used in the episode. The ending is still the same as in the show, but you have to endure other scenes to get through it, not to mention Cher's singing.

I'll maybe post the corrected version sometime.

Viva la Bono?

I'm sorry, but I saw this ad the other night and I couldn't help thinking that Chris Martin is trying to be Bono. The movements, the voice, imagery...you decide:



Later!

mike

"27 Jennifers"

I married a Jennifer, and love the music of Mike Doughty. The two appear to be a great match:



mike

George Said It Was Supposed To Be A Serial...

I just loved this too much to not post it...



mike

I've Had Worse Days

Just a short little post for a change. I just wanted to come on and point out that, today, I finished reading Dr. No, and saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull for the first time.

Not a bad day, really.

More on Indy tomorrow.

mike

Favourite X-Files Moments

From the episode "Quagmire", Mulder and Scully have an honest moment while stranded in the middle of a lake:



The rest of the episode is pretty pedestrian, but this bit of dialogue between the two characters is some of the most interesting, funny and truthful in the whole series. Amazing that it came from a writer who only did two episodes total, this one and another called "Revalations". It's possible that, like any other show, this section was written by one of the producers or Carter himself, but until I hear otherwise, kudos to Kim Newton for hitting these two guys perfectly.

The episode was directed by Kim Manners.

Believe again!

mike

I Want To Believe

Not to take anything away from the Indy Joygasm, but I think I have to throw some love Mulder and Scully's way since my other bestest franchise of all time is returning this summer, as well. I'm going to be posting embedded videos that I run across and some comments as the film release date draws nearer. I'd love to hear any thoughts from other X-Philes out there, too. I haven't had a good X-Files convo in at least 6 years.

The first video is a brief but tantalizing bit off of Entertainment Tonight (that auto-start on the video is gonna drive me crazy as time goes on):

Update - I couldn't stand the "I'm standing on the Top Secret set..." thing anymore so I took the embedded video down. I'm sure anyone who wanted to see it already has.

These next two videos are part of a viral advertising campaign featuring David and Gillian in what appears to be a psychiatrists office:

MULDER


SCULLY


Last, but not least, the official trailer. Similar to the one used at Emerald Comicon (I think it was Emerald) but with a bit more dialogue and not seen through the POV of a shaky fan cam:



I realize that I've posted, like, a weeks worth of X-Files videos just now. Kind of blown my wad, you might say. Whatever. I'm excited. You should be excited, too.

Believe Again.

mike

The Indiana Jones Comic Book Revue

I mentioned a little while ago that I had wanted to do this, and I figured now was as good a time as any to get the ball rolling, so...

All books will be rated on a 0 to 5 Fedoras system.

The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #1 & 2
(Marvel Comics Group)

Written by: John Byrne & Denny O'Neil
Pencilled by: John Byrne
Inked by: Terry Austin
Covers by: John Byrne & Terry Austin

"...Risky. Risky is the word, Marcus."

Following the success of the first Indy film, Marvel Comics went into the archaeology business with their newest licensed title, The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. To launch the title, Marvel recruited fan-favourite artist John Byrne to bring Dr. Jones' continuing adventures to life, and brought in writer Denny O'Neil to finish the tale when Byrne and Lucasfilm began having problems.

Dateline 1936

The story, titled "The Ikons of Ikammanen", begins when an old student of Indy's, Charlie Dunne, arrives at Barnett College to inform him of a great discovery he made with his sister, Edith. They believed that they had located the temple of the mythical Ikons of Ikammanen, gold statues that were capable of becoming living avengers. In the process of relating his tale to Indy, he is killed by an unknown assassin sending our hero to Liberia in order to assist Edith in uncovering the Ikons location in her brother's absence.

In true Indiana Jones fashion, our hero gets in a few scrapes with the locals (vaguely remiscient of Raiders) and then comes face to face with the local gangster, Solomon Black. Black, who has captured Edith and is enthralled by the idea of finding a number of solid gold statues, tells Indy that if he doesn't find the Ikons for him, he will kill her. Indy, of course, obliges, and bides his time, waiting for his chance to work his way out of yet another complicated situation.

They travel to a mysterious fog-encrusted island (think Skull Island) where they are knocked unconscious by the locals while examinging their discovery, the Ikon's temple itself. The issue ends with Indy and Edith, tied to a large winch and chain and being lowered into a vat of boiling gold. Will our hero finally meet his end?

The second issue, called "22-Karat Doom!", picks up where the last one left off, with Indy and Edith in peril trying to find a way out of their predicament. A combination of Indy's wits, and the convenient intervention of Solomon Black's men, saves the pair from becoming golden statues themselves but they immediately find themselves having to fight with Black's men against the natives in order to make their way back to the beach and the ship they arrived on.

After getting on Black's last nerve, Indy and Edith are unexpectedly saved by a patrolling German U-Boat that launches a torpedo and ends the threat posed by Solomon Black and his gang. Our heroes, who tossed themselves over the side before the ship exploded (along with one Ikon which survived the blast), hitch a ride with the Germans and make their way back to the States. The only catch is that Edith had been planning a double-cross the whole time and was, in actual fact, the assassin responsible for her brother Charlie's death. She wanted some of the fame and fortune and didn't want to play second fiddle to her brother just because she was a woman. Indy gets the last laugh, though, when he uses an inscription he found in the Ikon's temple to bring the one Ikon they saved from their adventure to life. The Ikon attacks Edith and her pilot boyfriend while Indy grabs a chute and leaps out of the plane, into the great unknown.

It sounds a little cheeseball when I break it down like that, but these are actually pretty entertaining Indy comics. When you consider the existing Indy lore (which was almost non-existent) I think Byrne and O'Neil did a bang up job of capturing the whole pulp '30s feel that George Lucas always said he was going for in the movies. Sure Indy was a bit out of character in a few scenes, but it fit the tone and style of the story so I can go out of my way to cut the guys some slack.

I really liked the way Byrne breaks the story into chapters, evoking that Republic serial feel, and the pacing was brisk and almost of another time. Back in the '80s, we didn't have the deconstructionists taking 12 issues to tell a story that Eisner or his peers would have told in 8 pages, but the speed with which Byrne moves through this story is still something else. It was probably a good thing, too, since he wasn't able to really do anything else with the character other than run him through his paces and showcase a few set-pieces.

It's a shame that Byrne didn't stay on beyond issue two since I don't believe that any artist that followed him had the same universal appeal and pulp approach, but the guy was unhappy and that was almost 30 years ago, so what can you do?

Both Byrne and O'Neil have said that they really didn't enjoy working on the book because of editorial interference from Lucasfilm but, despite their working experiences, they managed to produce two of the most entertaining and visually pleasing Indy books I've seen over the past 27 years. I still go back and reread these issues every now and then when I have a craving for some good Indy comics.

Indy High Then Burn

I have been a fan of the Indy novels since I first discovered them lo those many years ago. Part of what I enjoyed about them was the fact that they weren't like the Star Wars books. It wasn't this literary machine just churning out Indy books from all periods, it was the work of, primarily, one guy, Rob MacGregor. He was followed up by Martin Caidin (the guy who wrote Cyborg) and then the last writer to work on the book series, Max McCoy. Although I didn't totally agree with everything MacGergor did in his stories (Indy purists beware, there is a wedding and a tragic end, a la James Bond, which may, or may not, fit in with your vision of the man with the hat) I thoroughly enjoyed the 5 or 6 stories he wrote and always kept an eye out for the subsequent books in the series.

Now, with the new movie coming out, the books have been brought back into print and are available at one of my local booksellers. Armed with this information, I headed down to the McNally Robinson and grabbed myself a copy of Caidin's first offering, Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates. I've been enjoying reading it for the last couple of days and decided, tonight, that I would peel off the annoying little price label that they stick on every one of their books. I don't usually have problems with them but this time it peeled the finish right off the back cover.

Now, for anyone who knows me, I'm pretty picky with my stuff. And even though I've had this problem before with books I've purchased there (I was pretty ruffled when my Abadazad peeled - grrrr) this one really irks me. Perhaps it's because of how long I've been trying to finish the series, maybe because it's Indy, and maybe because I just need one thing in my life right now that is the way it's supposed to be, I don't know. What I do know is that I'm pretty perturbed about it and I hate to be an idiot and spend another $9 on a book that I already own, but it also burns my butt everytime I see the damn thing now.

You can't see it in the picture. It's just over the explosion, though.

Of course, when I brought this up to Jen expecting a little sympathy, it degraded into a fight with her saying some pretty awful things (yeah, I know how ridiculous this problem is, but come on, give a frazzled mind the proverbial shoulder to lean on) and now I'm down here posting about it and checking out how much it would cost to order the last 5 books that I'm missing from Amazon (5 includes the Sky Pirates).

I need to go chill out.

Until next time...

mike

Iron Man Stuff

It's a little funny because I wasn't consciously winding up for the Iron Man premiere, but in the last few weeks I've read the "Extremis" storyline written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Adi Granov that launched the new monthly a while back. This week, I've been reading Iron Man: The Inevitable, by Joe Casey and Frazer Irving, and tonight, I showed the animated The Invincible Iron Man movie to my kids.

Then I find out that the live-action movie was sneak previewing tonight and I'm thinking synchronicity city, here. That, or I've been at this kind of thing for so long that I can't even tell any more when I'm ramping up for something. I just go into automatic pilot, or something.

Personally, I think it was because I started picking up and reading the "Enter the Mandarin" mini-series for Eric Canete's art, but I'm not going to argue the point.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop on and say that I enjoyed theanimated version a lot more this time than when I first watched it. There are still a lot of things that irk me about these Marvel D2DVD movies (voice casting is a BIIIIIIG one) but, overall, TIIM was entertaining, did a decent job of giving an updated take on the ol' origin story, showed a couple of versions of the armour, and managed to add a little depth by doing the east vs. west/technology vs. mysticism bit.

Looks like we'll be trying to hit a matinee with the kids for the live-action on Sunday so I may have more to say regarding Tony Stark in the very near future. The movie is getting rave reviews (yay, Jon Favreau) so expectations are high, now. Let's hope it's not a stinker.

mike