New Stuff

I've picked up a lot of stuff the past couple weeks. I hope to have reviews in the coming weeks.

Books I picked up

Batman: The Killing Joke, The Deluxe Edition by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Summer Blonde by Adrian Tomine

Sleepwalk by Adrian Tomine

Crisis on Infinite Earths by Wolfman and Perez

Tales to Astonish by Ronin Ro

Hulk Vs. Wolverine: Trailer

The Dark Knight: A review

Where do I begin with a review for The Dark Knight? Most of the cast from Batman Begins returns with the exception being Katie Holme's who is replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Christian Bale once again dons the mask to fight crime in Gotham.

Heath Ledger joins the cast as The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart lends weight to the role of Harvey Dent/ Two-Face. This picture belongs just as much to Ledger and Eckhart as it does to Bale. Everytime The Joker was onscreen there was a chaotic sense of energy to the film. He was never predictable. Eckhart likewise gives what could have been a two-dimesional character some weight. His arc is the greatest in the movie and by films end his character has undergone the biggest change, physically and emotionally.

My only criticism would be that a few of the hand-to-hand fight scenes fell flat for me but, in a movie filled to the brim with quality writing, characters, and direction, two less than stellar action scenes do not ruin an otherwise classic comic book adaptation.

Hellboy II: A Review

I'm a huge Del Torro fan as well as a Mignola fan so I was reall looking forward to watching Hellboy II. I think Hellboy is one of the best comic book creations in the last 20 years and also one of the most iconic.

Del Torro and crew did not let me down. Everything about this movie is bigger and better. Characters and relationships progressed to where they should from the last movie. Abe is more of focal point in this movie which is something I really liked and the introduction of Johann to the filmverse is also welcomed.

The Golden Army does have a different tone than it's predecessor but it still stays true to the roots of Hellboy and the universe he plays in. Overall one gets the feeling that Del Torro is a true fan of the comic and was the best choice for the directors chair.

Astro City: The Tarnished Angel TPB

I love the cover by Alex Ross. It sets the mood for the book with an aged pulp novel design. Kurt Busiek, is one of my favorite writers and with Astro City he's created on of my favorite titles. Busiek, frequently takes archetypes, gives them a fresh spin and, makes them a compelling read.

The Tarnished Angel, follows recently paroled Steeljack, a career criminal looking to go straight. But, someone has other plans and begins killing off small-time super-villains. Steeljack seems to be the only person who cares. The odds are stacked against him but he decides to help out his friends in need.

Although the identity of the killer is telegraphed it doesn't ruin the story. Steeljack and his fellow down-on-their-luck comrades are interesting and, at times even sympathetic characters. Busiek and team, create another enjoyable read. I look forward to pick up more stories set in the Astro City universe.

Making a Mini-Comic.

Since it's too expensive and time consuming for me to make a standard comic book I've decided to try my hand at making a mini-comic. My drawing ability is not good but I think it'll be a fun experience. I just want to get something out there that can demonstrate my story telling ability. I'll continue to script Glory Days as well as the mini-comic. I should have the first three or four pages typed by the end of the night. If I stick to a schedule I can have the first issue typed by Sunday.

It's been a busy few weeks.

The past few weeks have been hectic. I began a new semester of school and have already had one major math test. I also entered Shadowline's, "Who wants to create a super-heroine, contest." Needless to say I am not one of the finalists but I did receive constructive feedback from other writers who entered the contest. I think it's great that Shadowline had a contest for writers.

Booster Gold # 1-3 :A Brief Review

I'm behind everyone else when it comes to reviewing comics because I read in cycles. I pick up books for a few months(mostly trades) and then I lay off for a while until a new set of trades come out for me to read.

But, I had to pick up Booster Gold. I heard good things about the book and was not disappointed. Geoff Johns and Dan Jurgens attached certainly didn't hurt. Co-Writers Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz never let things get too serious or bogged down by the time-travel aspect of the book which must be a hard job with the many different universes and characters to keep organized. Everyone from the JLA to Sinestro and a young Guy Gardner make an appearance, even Jonah Hex shows up.

This comic book is a fun read and reminds me of many comic books from the early 80's that I read as a boy. There was a light mood, and playfulness in those books that seems missing in much of todays comics. I'm going to pick up the next few issues and can't wait to see what happens next.

Back Issue Review: Amazing Spider-Man #126

I remember getting this issue along with ASM #197 almost 15 years ago in a football card/comic book trade. The guy I traded with asked me after the trade if I preferred comic books or sports cards as a hobby. I thought about it for a moment and then said I preferred comic books.

I've never had any emotional connection to sports cards. I collected them because my father did and it gave us something to do together. But, comic books are not just collectibles to me. I don't buy them hoping to make some monetary profit a few years down the road. I buy them because if the story and art are told well I am compelled to buy the next issue or, look for back issues.

Besides the 20 cent price tag Amazing Spider-Man #126 shows its age in art, dialog and content. In this issue Peter is still reeling from the death of Gwen Stacey, he begins to build the Spider-Mobile(with the Human Torch), takes on the The Kangaroo, and Harry becomes the Green Goblin for the first time. It definitely has a lot going on. I love the epilogue and the promise of The Vulture, in the next issue.

Although The Kangaroo comes off as a weak character and the dialog reads dated in some spots the issue still redeems itself in balancing the brooding of Peter and Harry with the big action set pieces and over the top characters that classic Spider-Man showcases.

2008 Preview???

I haven't written in a while(big surprise). Since my last posting I bought a new TV and HD-DVD player. I can't wait to pick up Heroes and Smallville Season 6 in HD. A new semester of school starts in about a week. I'll go part time at work and should have more time to blog and pick up comics and movies.