May 2005

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Tuesday May 31, 2005 7:55pm #

» The future never arrives. No flying cars, no robot servants, and Soylent Green is people. Do or do not, there is no try. Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking-- into the future. The sun will come out tomorrow. A pizza can be had for $5. You can drive a quarter-of-the-way accross the country on a tank of gas. Trix are for kids.

You don't need a small model trolley to travel to the land of make-believe. Rinse, Lather, Repeat. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Knowing is half the battle. What would you do for a Klondike bar? The chicken doesn't know why he crossed the road. Next window please.

Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs, what's wrong with that? I'd like to know.

See the blinking dot? You are Here. Who's that kid with the Oreo cookie? Workin' Nine to Five, what a way to make a living. Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice! How much is that doggy in the window?

How many licks does it take to get the center of a tootsie pop? the world may never know. After these messages, We'll be Right Back! He does not have to shoot you now. Yes he does, yes he does, Shoot me now! BLAM! Oh I see, pronoun trouble.

Run, Forest Run. I'm not even supposed to be here today. Set phasers on stun. Weebles Wobble but they don't fall down. Didja ever notice? What's the deal with that?

Random Non-Sequiters

» A little underimpressed by this past weekend's Justice League Episode: Balance. The story revolved around Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl (can we get her back in her costume soon? The adidas jumpsuit thing just doesn't work.) restoring a dethroned Hades back to power. Felix Faust in possesion of the Annialator suit, stolen last episode, is the villain of the week to be overcome. There was some funny business with Flash at the start of the episode, but beyond that, I can't say that it was a favorite. The episodes seem to be getting darker on average lately. DC's books are following that trend also. I'm enjoying it in the books, but it seems to work to less effect in the animated episodes as a constant play. I'm not advocating Teen Titan's level levity by any stretch, but the show could use a smattering of some of it's more light-hearted characters (Flash, Booster Gold, Green Arrow, etc.) placed more in the forefront. Looks like the Shazam and Huntress episode is next week, so maybe the edge will come of for a week.

Let's Go Surfing

» Some Gaming Tables
via HCRealms

» The Long Tail an interesting site on the effects of the other end of Power Law. Lots of interesting links down the right side of the first link. The second, Power Law link is something I read and probably blogged about in the past, but is really good stuff.

Saturday May 28, 2005 3:55pm #

Zoom Zoom Zoom. boom boom boom.

Tuesday May 25, 2005 7:15pm #

» I don't do too much 'personal' work related stuff on my blog, but today we had a nice tie-in to Star Wars. There was a fairly large reorg of my department, realigning people and roles etc. (Nobody lost their job or anything) There have been rumors about the change for a week. The joke was that we were waiting for "Order 66" for our departments to switch sides etc. There was also a little fun with our boss' name which has the same initials as Darth Vader (thankfully the initials are the only similiar traits!) In anycase, a small title bump and a small promotion for me. Largely Good Stuff.

Monday May 23, 2005 7:50am #

Even though he had saved them, Ben never felt he had earned them, the pennies I mean. He could never get past the nagging thought that it was someone elses two cents worth.

Sunday May 22, 2005 10:10pm #

Comments on Comics

» Marvel Comics Previews Solicitations for August 2005 - Annuals are back, in Ultimate form: ULTIMATES ANNUAL #1 • ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1, feat. Ultimate Inhumans • OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE ULTIMATE MARVEL UNIVERSE: SPIDER-MAN & THE FANTASTIC FOUR 2005 • WHA... HUH? • ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #22 Ultimate/Regular U(???) crossover continues • MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #21, A Stand Alone Desperate Housewives style episode (???) • NEW AVENGERS #10 • GRAVITY #3 • MARVEL TEAM-UP #11 • DEFENDERS #2, The BwaHaa Haa team continues • YOUNG AVENGERS #7 •

» DC Comics Previews Solicitations for August 2005 - BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #194, Seth Fischer Art • GOTHAM CENTRAL #34, Guest Staring the Tean Titans • BATGIRL #67, with Birds of Prey • NIGHTWING #111 , with Deathstroke • SUPERGIRL #1, two covers • SUPERMAN #220 with Superboy vs. Eradicator • ACTION COMICS #830, villians United Tie-In • IDENTITY CRISIS HC • FIRESTORM #16, Villians United tie-in • GREEN ARROW #53, Mirror Master and Grundy on the cover • THE FLASH #225, conclusion of Rogue War • DC SPECIAL: THE RETURN OF DONNA TROY #3 and 4 • GREEN LANTERN #4, Hector Hammond • (HAWKMAN #43, Not a pick just a comment -the solict says: This is it! The issue you've been waiting for is here, as the secret history of the Golden Eagle is revealed! Who's been waiting for that?) • JUSTICE #1, Alex ross, Justice League, Nuff Said. • JLA #117, Crisis Tie In and Geoff Johns writer • JSA CLASSIFIED #2, Power Girl Origin Continues • MANHUNTER #13, OMAC Project tie-In • THE OMAC PROJECT #5 • RANN-THANAGAR WAR #4 • SON OF VULCAN #3, Guest Starring John Stewart • TEEN TITANS #27 art by Rob Liefeld (Who wants that? I think I think I'm more exited for the secret history of Golden Eagle than I am this!!!) • VILLAINS UNITED #4, Dada dada dada dada CATMAAAN!!!! • WATCHMEN: THE ABSOLUTE EDITION HC , Oversized with 48 pages of supplemental material, but $75... Nahhh I think not. • ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE #3 • EX MACHINA #14

» DC Direct Previews Solicits GREEN LANTERN VS. SINESTRO STATUE Very Cool, but the size of two action figures and $195? As much as I like to be a completist, I'm going to pass. • ELSEWORLDS SERIES 1: RED SON: SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE and WONDER WOMAN ACTION FIGURE, Soviet-Style, Very Cool • THRILLKILLER: BATMAN ACTION FIGURE, Never read the story this is based off of but he looks very first episode Batman Beyond Bruce Wayne. • SECRET FILES: UNMASKED!: SERIES 2: BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN ACTION FIGURE (Step right-up kids, different Batmen action figure every month... more than one now... get em while their hot, or not, we'll keep making more!); CLARK KENT/SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE, Now this one's actually kindof cool, Clark in a suit with removeable glasses and shirt to reveal the S on his chest. •

Let's Go Surfing

» Star Wars Last Supper
via Boing Boing

» Good review of Star Wars Episode III at the Beat.

» Frank Gorshin, the 1960's Television Riddler died a few days ago.
via newsarama

» How to make a Jedi robe
via boing Boing

» LED Underwear
via GRN8

» Neat $29 LED necklace
via GRN8

» I always find well designed small spaces cool.
via Apartment Therapy

» Another interesting small space, this time on wheels
via Apartment Therapy

» Very Cool Gundam-like walker robot that you can drive.

» Personalize your Google

Saturday May 21, 2005 9:57pm #

» Just watched the New Justice League Episode: Task Force X. Interesting change of pace for the series. Very minor appearances by the main cast. (Although there is a pretty killer sequence with Matian Manhunter.) Most of the major action was a brawl with Shining Knight, Vigilante and Atom Smasher against the Suicide Squad (which were not called that on camera) out of costume. Costumeless: Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Plastique(?) and Clock King were featured along with Cornnel Flagg. Different but cool.

Saturday May 21, 2005 10:52am #

Random Non-Sequiters

» Haven't touched this weeks past comics yet, so no comments on those.

» There is absolutely beautiful weather in Michigan right now. It is a good week!

At the Movies

Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith
MovieType [PG-13] 000min
In Theatres: 5/19/05 Date I saw it: 5/19/05 at Studio 28

It's Star Wars, It's not just a movie it's an event. Went to the 12:01 showing last Wednesday Night, had a blast preshow and during the movie. Artoo kicks but. The Battle driods were campy but fun. The background shots and the world designs are absolutely amazing. Anakin turns a little two easily to the dark side. The romance between him and Padme is a little two courtly and stateley to resonate with the general public. But all the loose ends get tied up tightly, (except for Jar Jar, "hesa didn't die?").

It's not just a movie, it's an event, there's no other movie experience like it. The SW films are what they are, everyone thinks they should be more, but when it comes down too it, what they are is good, not necessarily the bright and bursting flame all at once that they could be, but there is something more even, timeless and steady in their construction that will have them around for a very very long time when some of the more immediate in-the-moment-movies are long burnt out. There's something very cool about that. Noone really needs me to tell them to go see. They're not going to, they did, or they're going to. The movie is different that way, but I very much enjoyed it.

Overall[great] Story [great] Special Effects [greatastic]
key: [awful] [poor] [ok] [good] [great]

Tuesday May 17, 2005 8:27am #

» After powering up their anti-matter harnesses and breaking the clutches of gravity the hamsters rose up, their menacing red right eye laser targeting scopes flitting accross the landscaping... enmasse, as a pack, they hunted their prey!

Monday May 16, 2005 10:57pm #

» Yesterday's Gone, Tomorrow Never Comes. Now is Here and constant.

» Star Wars in 49 hours!

Sunday May 15, 2005 10:43pm #

» Three Days to Star Wars! Y'know I didn't see Star Wars in the theatre when it was first released? I was like four or five at the time, my mother was cleaning me up from running terror through the neighborhood all day, we were going to go to the Drive-In that evening. I was given the choice between Star Wars and some Burt Reynolds(?) car movie. I hadn't discovered Sci-fi yet at that age, but I did have Matchbox cars, so I picked the car movie.

I did see the movie in the theatre a little later though after it shortly became a phenomenon. Lesson learned. Don't let four year olds pick movies.

In anycase, new bulb in my lightsaber and I've got a 'good' feeling about this!

Sunday May 15, 2005 11:34pm #

Comments on Comics

Superman #216 - Winick and Churchill
Superman vs. Shazam. Lighning trick from Kingdom Come. Prologue to Day of Vengence Mini. Not bad, but a quick read.

Firestorm #13 - Jolley, Igle
And we say farewell to Ronnie Raymond (who for some mysterious reason looks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo), yet again. Next Issue, a new direction for the book (which is generally a bad thing with a young book like this, isn't it?)

Green Lantern #6 - Johns, Van Sciver
Anti-climactic ending, but I suppose it wasn't intended to really be an ending so much as it was six issues of "setting the stage" for the regular series. The Batman backing down bit was something you don't see everyday. I really like this Hal's characterization now... It will be interesting to see how long they can pull it off.

Adam Strange #8 - Diggle, Ferry
and Rann-Thanagar War #1 Gibbons, Reis
Nice resolution to the Adam Strange Mini... which jumps directly into the Rann Thanagar War Mini. Very Excellent Art in both, although I'd have to say that I liked Ferry's approach to the material more, but that's not to say that Reis' art is lacking in anyway, because it's gorgeous. There's abit with Kyle and Killowog in RTW, that makes it look like Kyle is going back to his Rookie Characterization, which probably makes sense given the character in a Corp setting but for the fans that wanted so much for him to advance out of that role, it's a shame. Both issues, Good Stuff overall.

Green Arrow #50 - Winick, Fowler, Castillio
Ollie, Team Arrow and the Outsiders (which are very Classic New Teen Titanesk with Starfire in their aren't they?) set off to rescue Roy who is in the clutches of the Riddler and Drakon. The riddler is rendered very baddly here, he looks like Joker throughout. The book itself is extrasized by about 8 pages but other than giving the artist's the opportunity to draw fewer pages per panel, they probably didn't need them. It's ok superhero fare.

Let's Go Surfing

» Blogopoly Game Board
via Boing Boing

Tuesday May 10, 2005 7:02am #

DC Comics has a new logo, and a new branding effort coming up.

Shades of NBC's "The More You Know" campaign. Don't like it. However, I'm not too worked up in a lather over it. I'm sure they will occasionally come out with product and whatnot with the Classic logo on it. The DC Bullet is an iconic classic, this new one, not so much.

Mostly it looks like a shoe or a detgerent logo. DC Comics Now With Extra Brighteners! Just Do it! Blah.

Another link and additional rah rah rah comments from DC's Publisher. edit: Comments from the logo's creator

So what do you think?

Saturday May 7, 2005 11:30pm #

Random Non-Sequiters

» Hopefully everyone has had a Very Merry Free Comic Book Day. I picked-up a handful of free titles at my regular comic haunt, Apparitions in Kentwood (a fine fine suburb of Grand Rapids, MI.) Alas, I did not get one of those neat little Free Comic Day Mini-mates or the Heroclix Batman :(

I also made a trip to the Detroit Area today, due to it also being Mothers Day Eve. (On a tangent, it was also Cinco de Mayo a couple days ago, so if you're a Hispanic Mother who is also into Comic Books, Boy was this ever Your Weekend!!!) In anycase, on the way to Mom's (who is not Hispanic, or into Comic Books) I decided to check out a couple fav Metro Detroit locations.

First stop was, Comic City in Novi. Which is a very clean an orderly shop, very much a Suncoast Video type store sans movies but with comics instead. In addition to Free Comics, they had 25% off all Graphic Novels and Collections as well as various action figure specials. I left with my wallet a little lighter, but my bookshelf to be a little fuller.

All, however, was not sunshine on this holiest of high comic holy days. On my second stop, I also swung by Classic Comic and Movie Center in Livonia Michigan and was much disapointed to find that although the sign was still in place, the store itself was vacant. "Classic" as it is generally known, although its star (and square footage) has somewhat dimmed from its comic mecca status in the 80s, still had a respectably large selection of comic and movie paraphernalia. It was in short a geek temple, staffed by knowledgeable yet quirky employees.

It's been many a month since I have been in the area and also had the time to stop by their shop, so my first thought was that "It must have moved". After scanning the immediate vicinity and seeing no signs or whatnot to that effect, I parked and entered the Bargain Bookstore next door.

"Excuse me Miss", I politely addressed the cashier, who was involved in an intense and involving game of MS Solitaire on the store's PC. "Do you know what has happened to Classic Comics?"

Without even looking up from her screen and in a deadpan delivery, flat from what I imagine to be an oft given recitation, today of all days especially, "The owner took ill, they attempted to run the store for awhile, but they ended up closing it."

Not wanting to believe such a sad tale I further inquired, "It's completely gone then?".

"Completely Gone." came the clerks reply, after which she placed a three of diamonds in one of the digital solitaire slots.

"Compeletely Gone", the words had rung hollow. "How could this be?", I thought. I had just been there not too long before. The store seemed so vibrant and alive. "It's just so very very sad", I thought getting back into my car and driving away.

So it was a bittersweet "Free Comic Book Day" for me. But I would like to make this suggestion, whether having ever went there or not, as you go through your stacks this weekend, read one in honor of "Classic", it was one of the good shops and comicdom is a sadder place for it's loss.

Friday May 6, 2005 9:17pm #

Comments on Comics

Batman #639 - Winick, Mashnke
Good Crisis tie-in. Bats with Zatanna and Bats with Green Arrow. I'm very much enjoying this Batbook set squarely in DCU continuity.

Wonder Woman #215 Rucka, Morales
Picked this one up for the Identity Crisis Tie-in. for the Teen Titan fans out there this one features Wonder girl prominently. Since I don't regularly read the book, the minataur romance was a little, shall we say, odd?

Adventures of Superman #639 Winick, Churchil
Crisis and Vengence tie-in. Somewhat Turner-like art. Just the right balance of Action and Soap Opera and gratuitous Lois Lane in a Superman-T and underwear art :) Good Stuff, the story I mean ;)

Flash #221 Johns, Porter
In a sea of Crisis tie-ins, Johns gives us an equally large self contained yet tied-in storyline in this second chapter of Rogue War. Rogue against Rogue, good Stuff.

Ulitmate Secret #2 Ellis, McNiven
There's some good comedy in this one. I've never had much interest in Marvel's Captain Marvel, but this Ultimate version is alot of fun. The science fiction elements of the story also make for a more interesting fit for Marvel's more realistically set Ultimate U. I've seen it mentioned a few other places and I'll chorus in, that "...I'm Spider-Man... really... ...thwipp... ol' Spidey's gonna have a little sleep now, guys..." line, hilarious stuff.

The New Avengers #5 Bendis, Finch
A little hard to follow since I'm not up on Marvel Savage Land continutity and alot of preexisting knowledge seemed to be assumed, but as a non-regular Marvel reader, it is nice to pick-up a well done title with reoccuring hits of so many of their heavyweights in one issue. Good Move by Marvel.

Legion of Super-Heroes #5 Waid, Kitson
Just a big ol' fun Superhero book. Plus you get the extra pages. Good Stuff.

Other World #2 Phil Jimenez
I fairly enjoyed the first issue, but I may part company with the title on this one. It's well done, but a little too densely written and constructed for me. Very naration caption heavy. Ok.

Villains United #1 Simone, Eaglestram
One of the Crisis Four. I'm actually interested in how they are going to develop Catman. Who'd have thunk I'd type something like that? Good Stuff, and so far, not the direction I thought the book was going to take.

Let's Go Surfing

» Prelude to Infinite Crisis and now the introduction of partial issue reprint compliations. The industry is getting very good at finding ways to repackage and present the same material over and over again. (Of course, I'll probably buy it, and enjoy it... but hey it's a chance to type some snarkasm ((Did I just invent that word? I hearby Trademark it: snarkasm™ - n To conduct ones conversation in a snippy or snarky manor. If you use it, please contribute a nickle to the PayPal button at the top of the page, thank you.)))
via Newsaramma

» Green Lantern #1 Preview Pages Good Stuff.
via Newsaramma

Sunday May 1, 2005 6:10pm #

Let's Go Surfing

» Amusing piece

Reading books chronically under-stimulates the senses. Unlike the longstanding tradition of gameplaying—which engages the child in a vivid, three-dimensional world filled with moving images and musical soundscapes, navigated and controlled with complex muscular movements—books are simply a barren string of words on the page. Only a small portion of the brain devoted to processing written language is activated during reading, while games engage the full range of the sensory and motor cortices.

Books are also tragically isolating. While games have for many years engaged the young in complex social relationships with their peers, building and exploring worlds together, books force the child to sequester him or herself in a quiet space, shut off from interaction with other children. These new 'libraries' that have arisen in recent years to facilitate reading activities are a frightening sight: dozens of young children, normally so vivacious and socially interactive, sitting alone in cubicles, reading silently, oblivious to their peers.

» Cool fanfilm combination of Star Wars and Napoleon Dynamite: Anakin Dynamite
via Sock Drawer

I don't spell check and my grammar, sentence and paragraph structure on this site leave alot to be desired. Most times I forget to go back and reread a post to see if it makes sense. Sometimes I type the word "Fnck". Flip the "n" over... I don't have a problem with the word myself, I just type it that way to slip it past overzealous work censorship programs and for the benefit of those that are sensitive to that sort of thing.