Cool News
AICN COMICS REVIEWS! DMZ! THE PULSE! BIG EYES FOR THE CAPE GUY! AND MORE!
#25 | 11/9/05 | align=right> #4 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
DMZ #1
NEW THUNDERBOLTS #15
INFINITE CRISIS #2
THE PULSE #12
Comics Catchup: GOTHAM CENTRAL
Big Eyes for the Cape Guy: BATTLE ROYALE VOLs 1 - 14
CHEAP SHOTS!
DMZ #1
Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Riccardo Burchielli & Brian Wood
Publisher: Vertigo / DC Comics
Reviewed by Dave Farabee
“Every day is 9/11!” reads a splash of New York graffiti in Brian Wood’s near-future tale of civil war in America. It’s a nasty harbinger of what’s to come, and whether one finds the follow-through to be paranoia or an eerily conceivable scenario, I don’t think there’s any denying that in the wake of 9/11 it does reverberate.
What indie writer Brian Wood posits is a country five years into a war between the United States and the “Free States,” militia-driven insurgents bent on overthrowing the government while American armed forces are concentrated in overseas wars. Turns out the uprising itself isn’t Wood’s interest in this story, though, as he’s clearly more concerned with the hapless folks caught in between than the aggressors on either side. To this end, the story takes place on Manhattan island, a demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing U.S.-held ground (Brooklyn/Queens/Long Island) and Free States ground (Jersey and other inland territory). It’s still home to 400,000 civilians, but as we learn a little ways into the story, the media mostly bills ‘em as insurgents, and the city itself is the kind of bombed-out hellhole we’re used to seeing in footage of the war-torn Middle East.
Our eye into this scary-as-hell landscape is Matt Roth, intern photojournalist and the kind of naive kid that Charlie Sheen played in PLATOON. He’s just been assigned to a Nobel Prize-winning reporter who’s flying into Manhattan during a shaky ceasefire that marks a rare opportunity to get a news crew to get into the DMZ. If you’re wondering why a key story like this would have a punk intern filming it…well, you’ve got me too. Wood contrives that the kid’s daddy pulled some strings, but it’s still a ridiculously huge stretch. I like Roth just fine as the in-over-his head protagonist – he just needed a better justification for getting his ass slung into the line of fire.
Long story short (appropriate, ‘cause this book gets going fast), sniper fire decimates the film crew shortly on landing and Roth finds himself alone and scared shitless in the middle of the nastiest Manhattan this side of Carpenter’s ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. The book’s single greatest strength is the raw, deadly unpredictability of the city itself, brought to life by Italian artist Riccardo Burchielli. Seeing a familiar landscape like Manhattan turned into the shell-shocked staging ground for rebels, nutjobs, and starving refugees is truly unnerving, and Burchielli renders it all believably. His crisp, detailed, shadowy style calls to mind Argentinean artists like Eduardo Risso and Leandro Fernandez – a high compliment indeed. With Jeremy Cox’s Fallujah-esque color schemes tinting everything the color of a muddy dawn (or dusk), you’ve got some of the most believably oppressive cityscapes since the post-nuke imagery of Richard Corben in PUNISHER: THE END. There’s also detail galore, from the graffiti to bomb craters to realistic military tech, all adding to DMZ’s power as a visual experience.
Other aspects of the book left me a little more lukewarm. For one, there’s some heavy-handed characterizations going on. Matt’s naivete comes across as a bit cliché. The asshole-ish personality of the reporter he’s assigned to strains credibility in its over-the-topness. And the punkette refugee girl who helps Matt out? A little too quick to become his guide if conditions in the DMZ are as rough as Wood wants us to believe. I just didn’t buy her vacillations between hardboiled survivor and cutie-with-a-heart-of-gold. Plus there’s that last page choice that Matt makes…does anyone really buy into it?
And yet the book is still compelling. Wood keeps the action coming fast and furious from the instant Matt gets stranded, and the power of his terrifying foray into the war-torn Manhattan tends to outweigh my problems with individual scenes and characters. But for how long? Hard to say. I haven’t read a lot of Wood’s work, so I’m approaching DMZ without any baggage, and even so, I can already see that his brand of realism requires a healthy suspension of disbelief. It’s not the wild satire of Frank Miller’s civil war America in GIVE ME LIBERTY, but it’s got some of the same melodrama operating. If readers can make their way past that hurdle, they may well find DMZ to be this generation’s wartime scare-fest in the tradition of THE DAY AFTER. Me, I’m crossing my fingers, but I need a few issues to see if Wood’s dramatic shortcuts are SOP or just a kick-start for deeper twists and turns to come.
Meanwhile, tentatively recommended, especially for the power of the setting.
NEW THUNDERBOLTS #15
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artists: Rick Leonardi & Cam Smith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
Every month I am pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this series is. I enjoyed plenty about the first incarnation of the Thunderbolts, but there's something about this latest series that connects with me even more. When I try to understand why, I find myself comparing it to DC Comics' JSA series. JSA is not the best comic out there, but it is the most consistently entertaining comic DC has published for over 75 issues now. The same reasons JSA is so consistently excellent are the same reasons why NEW THUNDERBOLTS has yet to hit a sour note.
There is a sense of history to the NEW THUNDERBOLTS, but there is no requirement for the reader to be overly familiar with the past. Sure, if there is that familiarity there is an added dimension, but Nicieza does a superb job of incorporating history into the storylines while moving forward. The characters have dimension and interesting conflicts that drive their actions in the storylines. In other words, these characters like Atlas, Photon, Songbird, et al., are more than just names and costumes, they are fully rounded characters that the reader becomes interested in. Nicieza has succeeded in this series of adding to the team z-stringers and characters I have previously loathed and turned them into complex characters that I give a damn about. Most interesting of all is the fact that Nicieza keeps the T-bolts actively participating in the wider Marvel Universe without turning me off (which is a huge compliment considering my general malaise and disdain for most modern Marvel continuity). Issues 13 & 14 of this series actually focused on the T-Bolts beating the living crap out of that incomprehensibly bad "New" Avengers team.
And I cheered them on.
Now, this issue, Nicieza reaches waaayyy back into Marvel history to AVENGERS V. 1 #70 to bring the Squadron Sinister back into action. Sure, it's probably spurred on by the success of SUPREME POWER and its spin-offs, but these guys are the "original" villainous Superman, Batman, Flash, and Green Lantern knockoffs. In truth, this appearance by the Squadron Sinister was probably inevitable with Speed Demon being a part of the New T-Bolts. But, a lot happens in this little comic. First, the reappearance of the Dr. Spectrum prism who promptly gains a new hostess. Then Atlas learns a bit of unhappy info about the "death" of his brother while Speed Demon, in his villainous Whizzer outfit, swipes some cash from Kyle (Nighthawk) Richmond. Photon continues to struggle with the onset of "cosmic awareness." Blizzard gets a new costume and souped up powers. All this happens as well as a little sexual interplay between Speed Demon and Joystick and Nighthawk attacking the T-Bolts to recover his dough. And it's no big spoiler considering the title "Does Anyone Remember the Squadron Sinister" to tell you that the last page brings all four members back together again. Which leaves this reader anxious for next month to see what happens.
The successful execution of the snappy dialogue and clever scene transitions all credit towards Nicieza as the writer. Rick Leonardi is a fine fill-in artist, but the presence of Tom Grummett was really missed. The teamwork in this series between Nicieza and Grummett is one of those indefinably classic combinations and whenever Grummett is absent, there is a loss to the story. The addition of the FRANKLIN RICHARDS: SON OF A GENIUS backup feature was an excellent surprise. Very funny way to finish out the book.
Definitely looking forward to next month and beyond to see how the Squadron story plays out and then how Zemo plays into the next period of T-Bolts adventures. Best monthly published by Marvel right now.
INFINITE CRISIS #2
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciler: Phil Jiminez
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
And here's how it began:
@$$hole Reviewer Overlord: Well gentlemen, it's that time again. INFINITE CRISIS has a new issue out and now it's time for one of you to man up and review it.
@$$hole Reviewers: Oh, fuck...
Overlord: Yea, that's right "oh fuck". This is the biggest event in years, and one of you pussies is going to have to take the hit for your fellow man and review it. You'll be under the scrutiny of every fanboy and girl with an internet connection. Your slightest disagreement with the book will result in much flaming and a universal digital hatred. Jesus loves this book, and so should you! Now which one of you girlies has the balls to go through with this?
Reviewers: ...............
Overlord: Anyone? Anyone at all? Come on you fucking nancies!!
Humphrey Lee: Fuck. I'll do it. Bring it on.
Overlord: Good job Humphrey. Way to be a man. Don't let those fans get you down. Go out and........ wait.... are you drunk?
Humphrey: Fucking A right I am. You know how I roll. Man, look at the tits on that Power Girl chick... man, if she was real I'd Shazam all over her chest pillows...
Overlord: Oh fuck... Look, anyone else want to do this? Anyone at all? ...
Sweet Christ, alright. It's all yours Hump.... just... keep the money shot references to a minimum...
Humphrey: ... fucking spread some mayonnaise on those bread loaves I would... Wait, what? Oh, okay, you got it chief...
And that's how we work it here.
And yes, it is that time again. The "biggest comic event in years" has gone to issue two and I get to weigh in my own two cents. And those two cents will buy you a "Meh, it was alright." Because, you see, what we have here is the biggest comic event in years taking its time to recap the last biggest comic event in years. This book is pretty much split in two directions: The first and foremost being that of Power Girl being taken by the hand by Earth 2 Superman and finally given the lowdown on just her place in the world, and all at the same time, giving about a half issue recap on just exactly what the first Crisis was all about, in rather good detail (If you're of the last 4 people who hasn't read a Geoff Johns comic know you know, he good wit the history). And the other half of the book is spent tightening all the threads that were planted in the prelude books that got this thing all started. OMACs are invading Themyscira, some heroes are being gathered in New Cronus by Donna Troy (including Animal Man, which could legitimately be considered one of the first "lead-in" books from way back), plus some duplicate Lex Luthor action and so on.
And to me, an oversized recap issue doesn't exactly get the old saliva flowing with anticipation. Again, like all of us went through great lengths to say with our little roundtable when issue one came out, enough simply has not happened to make me say "Oh God this is amazing!!" like most would have you believe. Simply, it's still setting things up (which it's doing very well), it's getting new readers to the point where they can feel confident to follow the story (which Johns is doing a good recap) and it's finally getting Power Girl's origin put to rest (because why should that have been done in the JSA: CLASSIFIED arc that promised to do exactly that?). But as it stands with the overall state of things, we're still left with: Lots of villains are planning something bad, lots of heroes are gathering to fight them, and OMACs are fucking everywhere and they look awesome! (well occasionally they don't, but more on that later).
So, as it lays to me, this is just a pretty good read. The next issue is definitely the make it or break it dealie. The players are set, things are coming together, the newbies are finally caught up (or at least they hopefully are). Now it is time the book will show if it earned all the hype or not. The time to show if all the money you spent buying several mini-series and dozens of tie-in issues was worth the time and money investment. The writing quality is there and for the most part the art is too. That's my little segue into another reason why I say this issue was just "solid", and that's because it's obvious they're doing everything in their power to keep this on time, and that means several inkers. And several inkers usually leads into discrepancies in the art. There were more than a few times in this book where you see something like a full page Power Girl in all her curvacious glory and looking amazing, and then three pages later you'd see her in a panel with horrible proportion as her torso is twice as big as her bottom half, and it looks like her, uh, "sweater bunnies" are practically at her knees. I'm not saying it ruined the book by any means, but it happened enough to keep my eye looking and wondering if this could become more of a problem in the future. And I'd hate to see them drop the ball on something as silly as that.
But there you go. I thought it was good, not great. I think it still has great potential, but it still has to reach it. I thought it looked good, but it can look better. That right there is pretty much what you can say about 90% of comics at any given time. But those books don't get the kind of spotlight this does, and therefore this gets treated differently, sometimes unfairly so. I guess that's the breaks for being "The Biggest Event EVER in Comics". Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
THE PULSE #12
Brian Michael Bendis: Writer
Michael Gaydos: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Having Contractions
This issue not only shows everything I like about Bendis’ work, it shows most of my problems with him as well.
First of all, thank god that Gaydos is back on the art chores for the arrival of Jessica’s baby. It’s not that the other artists this book has seen aren’t up to the task, but having the man who gave us the whole of ALIAS on this arc just gives the story that much more poignancy. Besides, the man is giving us Luke Cage in a yellow shirt. Gotta love that.
There’s also the Bendis Bits that have become pretty standard, yet still charm. Stuff like the back alley drug deal with the inopportune witness, the police precinct scene, and the hospital moments are all spot on. The hospital stuff is full of nice touches, all little things that make all the sense in the world, yet you can’t help but be surprised that nobody’s done something similar before.
And god help me, I absolutely love the b-plot. Leave it to Bendis to do a mystery revolving around D-Man.
But the thing is, there’s more than a few things that don’t work, are badly planned out, or just plain don’t make sense. Why, for instance, is Jessica first brought to an emergency room, then taken to a certain Greenwich doctor? In the previous issue Jessica paid a social call on the Richards family, and if anyone knows what needs to be done in a complicated superpower birth, it’s Reed. With Bendis setting up an FF aided birthing but giving us a Strange payoff, the whole thing gains an awkward feel. The issue just feels off without a meeting of those expectations.
And even if I didn’t hate what Bendis has done to the character with every fiber of my being, I’d have found that Scarlet Witch joke to be in very poor taste, and totally out of character for the joker in question. Phui.
Then there’s the main complication in the pregnancy, the fact that the baby is coming at only six months. So let me get this straight. The New Avengers appear in this issue, and the first issue of that series is set six months after Disassembled. Jessica got pregnant in ALIAS #1, in a storyline where she visited a whole and functional Avengers Mansion. Then later, she served as a bodyguard for Matt Murdock, who had yet to take down the Kingpin. And as anyone who’s read any DD recap page since could tell you, that was a year ago. And then there’s the Secret War, the House of M…
Everyone knows that Bendis is a bad speller. Who knew he also sucked at math?
All kidding aside, all qualms aside, I enjoyed this issue. But that’s most likely because of my deep-seated fondness for ALIAS. This storyline is finally a completion to not only that story, but a completion of the character of Jessica Jones. It’s no wonder that Bendis is leaving the book in two issues. He’s finally made Jessica whole, and what fan of the character would want to miss out on that?
I know I’m not the only one. I try to keep up on my reading. There are some comics that I read before I even get home from the store. But others go into a stack by my nightstand. Pretty soon, the week passes, and a new crop of comics come along. And another. And another. It’s not too long before I have a heaping stack of books that I haven’t read. For some reason, some of the books that I regularly read just don’t get read on a monthly basis. They’re good books. Damn good books. But for one reason or another, I let them pile up and pretty soon I have a stack of five or six issues to wade through to get up to date. It was on one Sunday afternoon as I waded through my stack that the idea came to me to do a special feature like this – one that looks at a few consecutive issues of a single series and catching up those who may be curious about that series. And that’s what Comics Catchup is all about.
GOTHAM CENTRAL #32-37
Writers: Greg Rucka & Ed Brubaker
Artists: Steve Leiber, Kano, Stefano Gaudiano
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
There’s nothing else like GOTHAM CENTRAL in mainstream books today. It is an intricate police drama build around a handful of characters who, by now, have been through all of the hells that a dark city like Gotham can produce. Like many cop ensemble dramas you see on TV, GOTHAM CENTRAL is cast with a set of streetwise professionals, but unlike those TV shows, these cops have a different set of streets they patrol. Their streets are plagued with murderous clowns, mind-controlling sociopaths, costumed vigilantes, and perps with powers both sci-fi and magical. This book embraces the wondrous world of superheroes, but focuses on this world through the eyes of a police detective. The book is written by two of the best crime comic book writers around today. Grag Rucka and Ed Brubaker alternate and sometimes collaborate on story arcs. Each arc focuses on one intricately detailed crime and the police force which must use conventional detective methods to solve the super powered crimes.
The main ongoing theme of this book is the delicate relationship between the Gotham PD and Gotham’s self-appointed protector, Batman. These are hard working cops, gifted at what they do, but frustrated that time and time again they are showed up by Batman, who doesn’t have to follow the law to the letter as they do. This is where this book stands out as one of the smartest reads out there. Because of the newly estranged relationship between Batman and the Gotham Police Force, with every crime, the police detectives and the Batman find themselves racing against one another to solve the crime. Or more accurately, the cops are pressured to solve the crime before Batman because they don’t want to be seen as ineffectual. Time and time again, Rucka and Brubaker have illustrated the strain, the tension, and the shame these police officers feel when they work painstaking hours, following every rule and law to crack a case only for it to be solved by a costumed vigilante with a bunch of expensive toys. You feel for these cops. You understand their frustrations. In their actions and their words, these guys are the ones who work their @$$es off and never get the credit. In the end, you end up rooting against the Batman in this book because these cops’ conflict with him is so palpable.
Rucka and Brubaker have had almost forty issues to flesh out this cast of characters. Renee Montoya was a regular in the Batman titles, but it wasn’t until this series that she had a chance to shine. Through these last six issues and the entire series, Montoya gets a chance to shine. Early in the series, she was the object of obsession of Two-Face. A newly outed lesbian, struggling with acceptance at work and at home, if this series has a star, Montoya’s it. In recent issues, Montoya has become reckless, causing concern from her partner. Montoya’s stories have been a favorite of mine. Rucka and Brubaker really know how to get to the core of this character and make her distinct among so many tough girl clichéd heroines in comics.
But this series isn’t just about Montoya. Montoya’s partner, Detective Cris Allen, is trying his best to be a good cop in the streets of Gotham but is quickly losing faith in the system and himself. Judd Winick’s Josie Mac is newly transferred to Gotham PD and runs into her own struggles in the force to cover up the fact that she herself has powers. So far these powers have been downplayed in this series, though. There’s Detective Marcus Driver and his partner Romy Chandler who share a hatred for Batman because of the loss of their partners, but act on that hatred in different ways. Jim Corrigan (who may be the same Corrigan who hosted the Spectre) is leering around as a crooked cop. Then there’s tough as nails Captain Maggie Sawyer, and Commissioner Adkins who does not have the same relationship with Batman as the last commissioner, and the lovable Sarge, and the receptionist Stacy who is the only one allowed to light the Bat Signal because she’s not an officer of the law. This series is filled with a three-dimensional cast of characters which bring history and add weight to each and every issue.
And what about the stories of GOTHAM CENTRAL? In this run of issues I whizzed through in one sitting, I was lucky enough to read a full story arc bookended with two stand-alone issues. Issue #32 is written by Greg Rucka alone and focuses on a pair of beat cops on the take. Rucka knows his crime and it shows in this tale as the cops’ services are bought and sold to the highest bidder. Usually, the reader follows the few good cops on the police force as they solve a crime. In this issue, we get to see the detectives of the GCPD and the crimes they investigate through the skewed eyes of dirty cops. It is an especially gritty issue – one that takes jabs at your moral backbone right up until the brutal and cinematic ending.
Issues #33-36 feature a story called “Dead Robin” where the body of a teenager dressed in a Robin costume is found in an alley. Is it the actual Robin? Are there more than one? Who is this kid? And who killed him? Is Batman a suspect? All of these questions are asked as the investigation of this murder commences over these four issues. As the bodies of the dead Robins begin to pile up, another theme arises. The value of information and how the leakage of that information to the press can affect a case is examined in this arc. You can tell Brubaker and Rucka have done their homework in this one. As much as this tale embraces and examines Robin and why he exists, it also dissects how the cops and press work together and often against each other on a day to day basis. There are shades of SE7EN in the closing issues which I think were unnecessary, but this was yet another fine arc in this series.
Which brings us to the issue released last week, issue #37, a stand alone tie-in to INFINITE CRISIS. Now before you groan at the presence of another crossover, I have to say that this issue is the perfect intro to those unfamiliar with GOTHAM CENTRAL. Captain Marvel is falling from the sky. The Seven Deadly Sins are possessing people. The Rock of Eternity is exploding over Gotham Square. The Spectre looms over the city like a…well…specter. Rucka has taken this crossover opportunity to show new readers just what makes GOTHAM CENTRAL such a special read. We follow Detective Chris Allen as all hell breaks loose in Gotham. The thing is, all of this is happening at a time when Detective Allen is having a crisis of faith. He sees his partner, Montoya, going down a path of destruction. He sees corruption from the bottom to the top of the GCPD. And now, for the umpteenth time, Gotham is being torn to shreds by yet another catastrophe. I loved this issue in that Detective Allen recognizes that this type of thing happens in Gotham about once every six months. He’s to the point where it doesn’t shock him anymore. He’s apathetic and jaded and without faith or hope. Then in this single issue, after facing super villains and disembodied sins and the end of the world and a corrupt police force, Detective Allen finds that he still has the strength to carry on. Detective Allen’s struggle to make it home to his family through all of this is about as human as you get and Rucka nails it. This issue is pouring over with emotion, character, and what makes GOTHAM CENTRAL one of the best books on the stands.
Steve Leiber handled the single issues of this Catchup, while the artist known only as Kano handled the “Dead Robin” story arc. Both artists convey the dank realism that has become the standard for recent crime comics. Kano has a grittier, rawer style, which I prefer, while Leiber’s characters are often more stilted, but just as effective. In books like these, the art is not the biggest draw. It’s the drama, and the crimes, and the mystery, and the dialogue. But these two artists have what it takes to guide your eyes through the labyrinthine plots.
Fellow @$$holes Dave Farabee and Humphrey Lee have been praising GOTHAM CENTRAL since it has been released. Rumors have it that it has been on and off the cancellation chopping block since issue #1. It was recently announced that #40 will be the last issue of this series. I hate to see it go. There really isn’t anything like this book in mainstream books today. It doesn’t square-peg-round-hole in real life crimes and tragedies into superhero fiction. This is real world crime fiction that happens to be occurring in a world of superheroes, as seen through the eyes of the everyman. If you’ve always been curious about this series, but were afraid to pick it up, check out the latest issue, #37. It’s stand alone and has everything you’ve been missing. I guarantee that once you dive into this issue, you’ll be quick to the back issue bins or the trade sections of your store doing a Comics Catchup of your own.
BATTLE ROYALE Vols. 1-14
Writer: Koushun Takami
English Adaptation: Keith Giffen
Artist: Masayuki Taguchi
Publisher: Tokyopop
Reviewed by Dave Farabee
I bet we could come to a general agreement that American comics aren’t so great at suspense. I’m not talking suspense as in cliffhanger endings, but in the moment-to-moment, biting-your-nails-to-know-what’s-just-around-the-corner sense. Like horror, a close cousin, that kind of suspense requires the ability to draw out a moment, and there's simply not a tradition of that approach in the Land of the Cape. We may dabble, but it's not in the blood.
For Japanese comics, though, it's the status quo. Manga’s long shown a greater tie to filmic effects than American comics, and say what you will about the perils of one medium trying to imitate another, movies handle suspense superbly - it should come as no surprise that manga does as well.
And BATTLE ROYALE may just be the supreme testament to comic book suspense.
Last year I reviewed the first volume by itself. Went in with trepidation over the exploitational premise - Japanese teens forced to fight to the death in a government-sponsored reality show of the near-future - but ended up impressed with the execution. It took me until this year to follow up, but the more I read, the more I liked the series. In recent months, I've blown through all fourteen extant volumes, and as we teeter on the precipice of the final volume - suspense at an all-time peak! - it seemed the ideal time to look back at just what makes this violent, sexual, and curiously insightful masterpiece tick.
Quick recap of the premise: Setting is a near-future Japan under the bootheel of a military dictatorship. High school class of 42 kids is randomly chosen and stranded on an abandoned island as part of “The Program”. The Program being a vaguely defined government initiative, seemingly created to pacify the masses and keep the rebel kiddies of the era in check. School kids are given a duffle bag with a weapon ranging from knives to automatic weapons, turned loose one by one, and forced to fight each other to the death until a single survivor emerges (says the kid who find a boomerang in his bag: “Give me a fucking break!”). The added incentive? Explosive neck collars. Collars keep the kids on the move as certain sections of the island become "danger zones" periodically, detonating any collars within. Worse, if the kids band together and 24 hours passes with no kills - POP! - all the collars detonate.
As early as the first volume, a core trio emerges from the 42. There's Shuuya, the idealistic rebel, a sort of Big Man on Campus but without the jerky qualities. Before The Program, he taught himself to play American style rock 'n' roll on the sly as his own "fuck you" to the government that made it illegal. His main obsession on the island, though, is protecting Noriko, a girl his nerdy best friend was infatuated with...before his nerdy best friend became one of the first victims of The Program’s carnage (damn, damn gory scene). Lastly there's Kawada, the tough guy with the heart of gold. He's my favorite of the lot - the cynical pragmatist, the smartass, and the guy who somehow managed to smuggle a seemingly limitless pack of cigarettes onto the island. Think of him as a shotgun-toting Han Solo to Shuuya’s Luke Skywalker, the one who keeps his pals on the move when they start getting wrapped up in the angst of their scenario. I don't think it's giving away too much to say that these characters make it through much of the series’ meticulously rendered violence, but since their heroism renders them the most flawless of the pack, it's the side-stories that ended up fascinating me most.
In structure, BATTLE ROYALE is a lot like the hit show, LOST. Frequent flashbacks flesh out the doomed high schoolers, and juxtaposed with more immediate physical danger, it puts a very human stamp on their fates. On one hand, we've got the obvious archetypes - the geek, the slut, the jock, the gangbanger - but then there are the odder picks: the virginal martial artist, the drag queen hustler, the icy junior yakuza. Every one of 'em's got a story to tell, though, inviting the reader to inevitably identify with them and ask, “What would I do?”. The intercutting between past and present veers into wild melodrama with regular frequency as former friends (and old rivals) face off to the death, and every killing in some way reflects the triumphs or tragedies of these kids' pasts. With American writer Keith Giffen handling the English translation, though, the melodrama escapes corniness to become a wholly viable approach. It’s an approach where fiery internal angst is as pressing as the threat of death itself.
Sounds about right for the teenage worldview, eh?
But if the series was just that, I don’t know that I’d have stuck around. There’s no denying its prurient qualities, including the intensely-detailed, rigorously shaded renderings of violence by Masayuki Taguchi. They’ve got all the nasty punch of a Garth Ennis outing, but rendered with the eye of an artist who could be drawing medical anatomy books. It’s that detailed, though the characters’ faces are drawn as somewhat grotesque caricatures – a very practical approach to distinguishing an ensemble cast of 42. And the stagings of the violence are quite literally “bloody brilliant,” matching the cinematic heyday of John Woo and occasionally fragmenting a moment with almost MATRIX-like bullet-time.
What kept me reading, though, was the series’ amazing capacity to keep hope alive. Just going in knowing the premise, you have to know that most or all of these kids are doomed. But in each and every character – well, the non-sleazeballs anyway - the reader finds himself bonding with their desperate desire to survive, hoping against hope they might somehow find a loophole in The Program’s 99% mortality rate. Without a doubt, my favorite spotlighted pair are Shinji and Yutaka, an oddball couple of friends representing the cool guy/geek paradigm. Their story has one of the most original turns as cool-guy Shinji, nephew to an anarchist hacker, develops an ingenious plan to cannibalize material from the island's deserted village to enact both an escape and a payback on their captors. It’s suspense at its very best as the clumsy, but utterly devoted Yutaka time and again comes close to fouling up Shinjii’s MACGYVER-level genius. Everything that’s great about BATTLE ROYALE appears in their story.
So it’s bizarre, and I’m as shocked as anyone, but this utterly R-rated series really does have something to say about friendship and loyalty and rebellion…even the nature of evil. Its particular catalyst – nothing less than the threat of imminent death! – proves wildly effective at deconstructing all the stressors of youth. If the screamingly angsty idiom gets over-the-top enough at times to cause a chuckle, I expect you’ll find yourself as ultimately forgiving as I was. It’s a teen morality play in the tradition of Grand Guignol theatre – what’d you expect? Subtlety?
Highly recommended for those with a stern stomach.
STAR WARS: REPUBLIC #79 - This was a pleasant surprise: a gorgeously-illustrated first installment of a story focusing on a handful of Jedi who survived the universally-acknowledged lameness of the Jedi executions in REVENGE OF THE SITH. Just check out this preview for a glimpse of Doug Wheatley’s amazing artwork on the issue, the first and foremost reason to pick it up. I’m tellin’ ya, go to page three and look at those Snow Troopers! Looks like material straight from ILM’s production designs! And the story ain’t half bad either. It’s strictly “Jedi on the run,” survivalist stuff. They might’ve been lucky enough to survive execution, but can they maintain their health in a galaxy that’s branded ‘em war criminals? Since we know at least Obi-Wan and Yoda survive, and if these guys make it they’d surely go into a similar hiding, there’s a cool air of uncertainty about these proceedings. Story could end on a dark note, with all the Jedi strays getting whacked, or maybe, just maybe, a few of ‘em might make it out… - Dave
GHOST RIDER #3
The current Marvel Knights GHOST RIDER miniseries is what happens when Garth Ennis doesn't have an editor to keep him in check. So far it's been a rehash of the same stuff we've seen a dozen times from Ennis already in both HELLBLAZER and PREACHER. It's lost its luster and holds none of the freshness or appeal of the first few times we saw it. Paging Arseface, Fuckface and The Russian--please come to the checkout desk and pick up your useless and retarded kid brother. Yeah, the guy with his own head shoved up his ass? Goes by Buttview? Oh, and don't forget the vicious andsociopathic female angel character could use revisiting, not to mention the morbidly obese bad guy...
Know what's missing in this series, kids? You guessed it: any focus whatsoever on the Ghost Rider himself. Rumor is it's Johnny Blaze in this series, not Danny Ketch--but how the fuck would a reader know that, since we're halfway through and there's been no attention paid to him? As for the art: it's pretty at times, sure, but it's so darkly colored you can't even tell what Buttview or the demon Kazann actually look like. Oh, and the Ghost Rider is barely on fire at all, mostly just a black blur, which kinda misses the point of the character, don't it? Not to mention his head looks like a bald dude with a flaming comb-over. There's really nothing to recommend this series to fans of Ghost Rider or Garth Ennis, so odds are I'm bailing on this series after this issue. - Sleazy G
INCREDIBLE HULK #88
This here is the beginning of the arc that supposedly leads into the major Hulk storyline "Planet Hulk" next year. The issue itself isn't really anything exciting in itself, it's more of the typical fanfare, but it's solidly written by one Daniel Way, and I think that's the point. Marvel has lately been making it's way around its talent pool trying to get some more attention to its "up and comers" and Mr. Way is definitely one of them. The story is the usual "Bruce Banner isolates himself and finds some peace, but then the bad people make their way back into his life and makes him angry"... and we all know what happens when he gets angry. Though this time his getting angry results in a little twist as it's the start of his coming into contact with Nick Fury, and we all know that when you find yourself face to face (well, kinda) with Nick Fury, it's because he needs you for something. So yea, solid issue, nothing major but leading into bigger things, and Keu Cha's pencils look great, though this is pretty heavily inked and colored (which makes for a bit of confusion on more than one occasion). Next issue should give us the "lowdown" hopefully, and give us an idea just what "Planet Hulk" means. - Humphrey
THE BOOK OF LOST SOULS #2 - Y’know, with fond memories of BABYLON 5’s groundbreaking days and JMS’s better comics (MIDNIGHT NATION, SUPREME POWER), it’s easy to forget that sometimes…c’mon, we can say it…his writing sucks. Here I was, kind of looking forward to BOOK OF LOST SOULS based on its shadowy set-up issue, and along comes its first real story…about an abused wife who escapes into a fantasy land where she’s a princess and her hubby’s an evil dragon. JMS, are you f**ckin’ kiddin’ me?! Our mystery lead approaches her in her dreams, helps her to move on, and well…it’s all about as deep as the video for Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got A Gun.” Only thing that keeps this just-launched series from spiraling straight to its doom is the solid moment-to-moment writing the rears its head occasionally and Colleen Doran’s excellent art. Still, it looks like the good vibes I got from the first issue might well have been false positive. - Dave
100 BULLETS #66
Less than three years left for this book and it shows as you can feel the pace quickening as it starts to make a run towards its conclusion. The past ten issues or so of this book have seen a lot of big changes as major players are rapidly taking ye olde dirt nap, and lower tier guys are now taking the spotlight. And this issue is no exception. We get to see Lono finally taking on his new job filling in for poor Shepherd as whatever kind of consigliere role he has with the Trust, and another big member of one of the Houses finds themselves on the receiving end of some Minuteman justice. Plus we get another piece of the puzzle of that little night when the Minutemen "disbanded" around the little human bonfire they set when everything first hit the proverbial fan. All in all, this is just another exercise in "How to write unbelievably good comics" by Azzarello and Risso. If you haven't got on the ride by now (even if just in trade) then I really do feel for you. - Humphrey
FANTASTIC FOUR – 40th ANNIVERSARY WEDDING SPECIAL
Ah, now this is how you do a tribute! Yes, believe it or not, Reed and Sue have been married for 40 years as of this month, miraculously dodging the modernist threats of divorce, murder, rape, and all that other dee-lightful stuff that assails happy couples in superhero comics. As celebration, writer/inker Karl Kesel has penned a story genuinely worthy of Marvel’s premiere couple. Of course, the couple’s only been married a decade or so in “Marvel Time,” but Kesel’s concocted a way to actually bring up the 40th anniversary in continuity, and it’s all got to do with some very clever time traveling. The gist: the modern-day Reed and Sue are summoned mysteriously to a meeting in which they encounter…past and future incarnations of themselves! The conversations that ensue are strictly for the longtime fans, but what else would you expect from an anniversary of this sort? I enjoyed every moment, and all told, it’s Marvel’s most heartfelt comic since the final issue of SPIDER-MAN/HUMAN TORCH. A wholly worthy tribute.The special also comes with a reprint of the original wedding issue from the ‘60s, which is always a hoot. My favorite part’s when a S.H.I.EL.D. agent karate chops a guest right before he shakes hands with The Thing. Explains Nick Fury: “S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hidden brain-wave camera took this picture of that guy’s head! See these two mental patterns? It means another mind was controlling him!” The Thing reacts: “Well, whaddaya know?!!” - Dave
-
+ Expand All
-
sorry to say this but guys in there 20s to early 30s who read comics nedd to reavaluate there life because comics are for kids!
-
You would think that since the movie is coming out in a few months they would start building up the buzz a little bit by putting out a decent book. But wait, that would be logical, something that doesn't fly too well at Marvel's marketing department (hello webs on MLB bases!). As for the Distinguished Competition, how 'bout we devote an entire cover, make that a gatefold cover, just to Power Girl's cleavage. As a matter of fact, the entire book's setting should be in her cleavage. Don't get me wrong, I like boobs. They're great. Even the fake ones. But this is just ri-goddamn-diculous. I just want to go on the record one last time...boobs.
-
Now fuck off.
-
Nov 16, 2005 7:55:50 AM CST
Ghost Rider feels like it's going to be a trade paperback to
by realdoublej
i usually love Ennis & pace, got no problems with his Punisher arcs being slightly longer than necessary but GR feels different. GR feels like Ennis comes to it in between the things he loves to do because Marvel are making him write it. Maybe I'm wrong, slightly aghast i'm hating Ennis for this, but it sure does suck.
-
Nov 16, 2005 8:01:57 AM CST
"the universally-acknowledged lameness of the Jedi executions in
by raw_bean
Have I slipped into an alternate dimension without realising it? In the universe where I used to live, the Jedi executions were awesome and quite moving.
-
Picked up on a whim and a "crap, 2 hour train trip and i need reading material" but David Lapham has kept me thoroughly interested in an old school yarn of how Daredevil & Punisher do things differently. If you've been reading comics for 20 years this will all seem familiar and for over 30 years you could probably telegraph the ending from the first ish but if you want a fallible Punisher and a non-Bendis speaking DD this is probably the only place to see them. I sound slightly shill-like so i'll stop here...
-
"Everyone knows that," "it's common knowledge," "it's generally agreed that..." are all bullshit statements. If you have an opinion, state it, but don't presume to talk for anyone else. It makes you look like a prick.
-
Is #14 the last in the series? I've been picking them up as they come with, put just setting them aside with the intention of reading the whole series in one go.
-
wednesday morning posted column...a new trend me hopes.
-
Nov 16, 2005 9:19:56 AM CST
"but these guys are the "original" villainous Superman, Batman,
by cookylamoo
(Comic Book Guy Voice) I'm SORRY. Crisis on Earth THREE in Justice League of America TWENTY NINE introduced the ORIGINAL Justice League knockoffs, unless you want to count the ROBOT Justice League in Justice League of America THIRTEEN, which I DON'T.
-
Good reviews this week, even if all I read was DMZ and that dumb book with 8 Supermans in it. *** By the way, BIG week this week....this is the week Dan Slott's THING and Grant Morisson's SUPERMAN either save superhero comics from their current dismal state, or they don't. Hope I haven't raised my expectations too high.
-
It wasn't Marvel marketing that tried to put Spidey on the MLB bases, it was Columbia pictures (or whoever the studio was). All Marvel and DC are responsible for with movie promotion is making sure there are crummy, undermarketed books on the stands so NO fans will come over from the films...and they've been doing a great job of it, in my opinion.
-
Nov 16, 2005 9:29:36 AM CST
SideshowBob can't wait to get his hands on Dan Slott's t
by renonevada2000
EWWWWWWW!
-
But if you can't make the low blows in the Cheap Shots portion of the show, where can ya? More to the point: Lucas let the Jedi die like bitches. The only "moving" moment during that sequence was that one Jedi kid who went down fighting, but this was a scene that amounted to the fall of the knights of fucking Camelot! It needed more! More heroic deaths, more last stands, more sense of what a truly momentous loss we were witnessing! The Lord's truth is that Dark Horse's comics and those CLONE WARS cartoons have done a far better job maneuvering Lucas's characters than he has of late. I'd testify to it in court, hands on the Good Book (in comic terms, that's a trade paperback copy of WATCHMEN).
-
Is the core book of a "big event" supposed to carry the story or is it simply supposed to bring all the threads together from the other books and tie them into the plot? That's what it seems that Johns is doing here and I don't really mind it. Ideally, a big crisis event should happen in ALL the books, not just one.
-
But it looked purty good. Only thing that was a bit annoying was Lapham's new-school depiction of The Jackal. Not only did Jackal actually look creepier in the old days, but his look seemed out of place given that Lapham was clearly modelling Punisher on his original visuals (the "sharp" look to his face, the heavy eyebrows). Someone clue me in: is the Jackal's mask no longer a mask? Someone throw some magic hoodoo on him or something?
-
Okay great. Just don't say it's "universally-acknowledged".
-
More happened in IC#2 than any 5 issues of Hom combined bitches.
-
1) I predicted way back when they first announced this series that Earth-2 Supes would be the big bad. Take THAT people who aren't me! 2) There are two things that I wish they'd address in this series that I know they won't. The first is Hypertime (way to introduce a concept and pretend it didn't happen, DC) and the second is an in-continuity reason that all those Vertigo characters don't live in the DCU anymore. I've got my own No-Prize explanation, but that's not nearly as satisfying as something official.
-
Nov 16, 2005 9:39:18 AM CST
Reno, volume 15 is in fact that final volume of BATTLE ROYALE...
by dave_f
And it hasn't come out yet. I probably should have made that clearer in the review - my notion was to take this big ol' suspense epic and basically review everything leading up to the final chapter as a testament to its compelling nature. At the same time, I didn't want to get too much into who lived and who died, so I ended up keeping mum about specifics in later volumes. Had me forgetting to specify that we were still one volume away from the conclusion.
-
I can't believe how sloppy Garth Ennis dropped the ball on this series. Now, I remeber that disastrous shitheap that Devin Grayson wrote a few years back, and this isn't that bad. But GH has one of the most striking looks in comics and I always got a soft spot for outsiders (GH, Shang Chi, Luke Cage, Namor...).
This will definitely sink any potential series about flamehead. Garth is doing great and gritty work on Punisher, why not here? Sad -
Because that's what I get reading those awful things. Just a cold, raw, numbing headache. And yes, I know "IC" cannot stand for "Ice Cream Headache" but "A" can't stand for "France" either, and that didn't stop comics from using it.
-
Who are you kidding. Maybe it would be less than 3 years if the book consistently shipped on time.
-
Damn where am I gonna get my crime comic fix once 100 Bullets and The Losers are gone.Well it was a great ride while it lasted.As for manga regular comics folk might like may I suggest Blade Of The Immortal.A really cool fusion of sci fi and samurai action.Very well written and quite a few volumes are already out.
-
Nov 16, 2005 10:40:45 AM CST
"the universally-acknowledged lameness of the Jedi executions in
by ashfett
I guess I defy the whole freaking universe then, since I thought that sequence was great.
-
Thanks. Now I just need a really good snowy couple of days to call off from work, curl up on the couch and dive in to series.
-
It's the song Land of Confusion by Genesis! Here, look: Ooh Superman where are you now/When everything's gone wrong somehow/
The men of steel, the men of power/
Are losing control by the hour./
This is the time/ This is the place/ So we look for the future/
But there's not much love to go round/ Tell me why, this is a land of confusion./
Now this is the world we live in/
And these are the hands we're given/
Use them and let's start trying/
To make it a place worth fighting for. *** I'm right, aren't I?
-
You knew better than to pull that Genesis shit.
-
Oh, sure, all the Lucas apologists who refuse to admit he's ever made a mistake will defend it. As somebody who's actually a fan of other movies *besides* "Star Wars", though, I gotta say: the slaughter of the Jedi was utterly lacking in emotional resonance, and I didn't buy Anakin's motivations for so much as a second. Lucas just can't script for shit. Let him play around with the visuals and the technology all he wants, but keep him the fuck away from the plot, dialogue, etc. Actual screenwriters and directors would have helped that last trilogy greatly. What should have been a dramatic, heartwrenching moment just seemed empty and heavyhanded.
-
Nov 16, 2005 11:41:54 AM CST
Dave, awesome Battle Royale review...one of the best comics out
by superhero
You forgot to talk about the part where the evil chick has sex with the nerdy kid as she's killing him...that was by far the most messed up thing I've seen in a comic or anywhere outside of the movie AUDITION. This book is a straight up kick in the nuts with a little 90210 on the side. FANTASTIC.
-
the slaughter of the jedi was poorly executed...i've seen jar jar with more conviction than anakin in that scene.
-
Now that Dave mentioned Sith in a negative way! My opinion? I actually liked that scene, but would have liked more heroic battles myself for at least a few of the Jedi. What sold me was Williams score of course, that and the pretty imagery. I also thought that there are hundreds of Jedi that will be show fighting for survival in such things like comics and TV shows. Dave was right, from a certain point of view (his and many others) about part of the "Order 66" scene, but I fully agree about the Clone Wars cartoon being better. Loved it. And this Star Wars: Republic series has caught my attention in the past few months, I shall check it out. *** As for The Pulse - I liked this issue a lot, especially after liking #11 so little. Despite the poo-poo colors, the hideous cover and the last quarter of the book being 10 ads (that's right, 10!) the book was solid. Loved Luke taking out some drug dealers on the side, great page. Was that Power Girl at the police Department? And D-Man? It makes for an interesting mystery. The whole Jessica Jones and Ben Urich working with superheros and solving mysteries was what got my attention when I heard about this series. I wish the book was like this "consistently" in tone and theme without always being tied into whatever crossover Bendis is currently doing. Who's replacing him as writer? *** You know how I feel about IC and it isn't an "meh, it was alright." Great issue to help guide those along that are confused and #3 will be awesome with the wheels in in motion. *** I'll check out Battle Royale, but "Audition" isn't my cup 'o tea, so I'm a little hesitant. *** Comics Catchup is a good idea @$$holes, and bravo on getting us these columns so quickly. An @$$hole Crisis was premature. : ) *** donnidurden, and trolling the comics tb isn't in need of more evaluating? Peon.
-
I've been rather disappointed with 100 Bullets lately, but I was severely disappointed with this issue. The guy they lit up at the pier was the hot blonde's father. Azz was apparently disappointed how easy this was to figure out and is either now a) changing his mind or b) giving us cheap misdirection. I REALLY hope is option B, because option A could lead to this series completely imploding, which would be a waste.
-
... because the emphasis is on the fall of Anakin, not on the slaughter of the Jedi. That's where the comics can shine, by building upon the short scenes in Sith. It's a big universe with the movies barely showing us a glimpse of it all, but inspiring so much! Lucas had his story to tell... how Anakin became Darth Vader, not how long it took some Jedi to become bantha fodder.
-
I cried when the blue chick got killed, but that's because she was a piece of ass, not because Lucas directed the scene well...
-
Nov 16, 2005 1:12:40 PM CST
One thing to keep in mind about the Battle Royale manga...
by themikejonas
...Keith Giffen took a lot of liberties with the premise and dialogue, and what you're reading in those dialogue bubbles and captions often bears very little resemblance to the Japanese version. Most ridiculous is the fact that he's set The Program up as a "reality show" when nothing in the art indicates that there are cameras following these kids (because there never were). The manga might be the most drawn-out and explicit of all the versions of the story, but the movie (the classic by the late great Kinji Fukasaku) and the novel that started it all are much better (and more affordable). Check out www.battleroyalefilm.net --the forums have a section on the manga, where a frequent topic is how Keith Giffen bastardized the real manga for the American version.
-
Nov 16, 2005 1:42:55 PM CST
The Jedi killing sequence is the best part of the whole film. Th
by silver_joo
that the cartoon and these comics are able to do a lot more with the background, and use the room for experimentation that is afforded to them. Lay off Lucas, he didn't waste anybody's time and he's the reason poeple get a chance to make Jedis look cool in cartoons and comics anyway.
-
So Dave have you ever seen the movie?
-
with beat takeshi
-
especially when he's throwing knives into schoolgirl's heads.
-
he plays a bastard pretty dang well
-
Nov 16, 2005 2:24:09 PM CST
Planet Hulk = Gladiator in Space & Jessica done got preggers in
by tall_boy
I had a perfectly good joke in here too, but I dunno where to post it with the comic reviews taking over AICN, it seems
-
Is this the Earth 1 tb and the other Earth 2 tb? Let's stay with this one. Screw that old Supes.
-
Emmmm, in that first issue of ALIAS Jessica was taking it in the pooper from Luke Cage, so unless his crank ripped through her colon into her uterus, I'm not sure how she got pregnant there...
-
I just realized something; We have a COG CRISIS! This talkback is Talkback-1 and the other is Talkback-2! What happens when the Darth Kal-El from Talkback-2 meets the Darth Kal-El from Talkback-1 to tell him that this version of the talkback has lost its way and has grown too dark?? And is The Heathen REALLY Talkback-2 Heathen who lost his memories and is stranded on this talkback? More has yet to be revealed!...
-
Nov 16, 2005 3:06:53 PM CST
AHHHHHHH!!!!! two columns...crisis on multiple asshole columns!
by blackthought
-
Who blew up the Cog-Mansion?! My money's on Thalya.
-
The incident you're referring to was just a booty call. They started a real relationship at some point after that.
-
all the bitter anger built up since being the only female cog-member.
-
..having a bunch of guys all to myself is bad because..? (save those already spoken for, of course)
-
In Vroom's review he specifically stated (erroniously in my opinion) that Jessica got pregnant in ALIAS #1.
-
Didn't Obi-Wan say something in Star Wars (Episode Fuck the Pedantics) along the lines of "Darth Vader hunted down and murdered the Jedi?" That's what I was waiting to see. Instead, the Jedi are cut down by the clone troopers, everyone knows where they are, there's no hunting, and all Annie-Kins does is slaughter a few children offscreen. Whatthefuckever.
-
Nov 16, 2005 5:10:02 PM CST
Well, him hunting down some of the Jedi that got away would make
by ejcarter9
by Timothy Zahn, maybe?
-
Nov 16, 2005 6:04:13 PM CST
Jessica Jones DID, in fact, get pregnant in that very scene.
by sleazyg.
Come on--I know at least a few of you around here besides me have had actual sex with an actual girl. Hell, some of the girls have probably had sex with boys, too. Which means that at least a few of you are well aware that just because you're behind the girl doesn't mean you popped her in the browneye. It is, in fact, possible to have sex with a girl in a multitude of positions where her back is to you. I won't list them all here, but this is teh intarwebs--do the research yourself. So for once and for all, children, drop the "ZOMG anal sexx0ring!" stuff about Luke and Jessica. There's nothing on the page that suggested it other than what you're reading in to it yourselves. Luke rocked her doggy style, which is actually more likely to lead to impregnation than many other positions, and in this case it did. Case closed. Drop it already and move on. Geez.
-
... because some of us won't acknowledge it no matter HOW true it is!
-
In case anyone is interested (and wasn't aware), there is a hefty-sized novel on which the manga is based. I haven't read much of the manga, and from what it sounds like, justice is definitely done to the back stories (something that the movie tragically lacks). But, if you're interested, it's a pretty decent translation (better, seemingly, than the manga), and it's damn intense. It's available at just about every Barnes and Noble . . . the author is Koushun Takami.
-
Any book that opens with Animal Man after all these years is good enough for me.
Go Crisis.
Check out my new all ages comic site for parents/teachers/librarians http://comicsintheclassroom.net/ -
Um, donnidurden, I agree with the last four words of your post, but as for the rest of it and the tone of your post...why even bother? What was the point?
Check out my new all ages comic site for parents/teachers/librarians http://comicsintheclassroom.net/ -
Nov 16, 2005 7:46:25 PM CST
Ok, just because Jessica and Luke were doing it doggy style does
by el vale
What do you think this is, Identity Crisis? The fact that she got pregnant pretty much explained that it was vaginal sex, didn't it?
-
Don't know what that is but it sounds like tons of fun. I don't think the problem with Ghost Rider is a lack of editing...i mean it may be but lack of editing doesn't make Ennis a bad writer, i'm pretty sure he gets to do whatever the fuck he wants at Avatar and Gus says 303 is Ennis at his best. I think he just doesn't give a shit about GR and it's just an easy paycheck to him.
-
I think if the Jedi hadn't been pussies the Empire wouldn't have kicked their asses. So i always thought that was the point, to show them as pussies. Self absorbed pussies. Plus i really liked the scene. Guess that makes me a Lucas apologist, doesn't it? What a load of shit.
-
so they took down that other column i take it...vale...got your post in the other one...aussies...THANK YOU...if any of you posters are of aussie decent, i thank you too. and thayla...good point...hmmmmm...so does that mean you have me all to yourself? or do i get qaulity time with my beloved banana bread?
-
Cause i love you!
-
of australia...well, since it hasn't made up it's mind whether it is a continent or a country yet we'll refer to it as a kingom...i humbly give you cog privelages when you come visit the cog mansion for services that make vale and i most joyous...i.e...knocking out uruguay...thank you.
-
i was just about to post how people should be reading 100 bullets. it's absolutely brilliant.
-
Nov 16, 2005 10:59:46 PM CST
Whoops, what I meant to say was: I think it's been universal
by heywood jablowme
But has it been universally acknowledged that she did indeed become pregnant in issue #1? If not, then we must also acknowledge (not necessarily universally) that they engaged in intercourse at some other juncture, which itself should be generally accepted as it is Luke Cage. And everyone knows Luke Cage's pimp-hand is strong. Are we all clear on this now?
-
cooky: I think your take is mine as well, though I also think it's shaping up that the Kal-L plot will be the main story engine for the IC mini and really can't be told anywhere else (save the Supermen books). The original Crisis maxiseries was the same way I think: there was the was the main plotline in the maxi holding everything together, while all the other books had red skies and fleshed things out for the characters a bit more. *** blackthought: I dunno, do I? And ew...go to the bathroom if you need some alone time with your banana bread. Keep it away from the kitchen. If it accidentally gets near the oven there could be buns..
-
it was Doggy-Style. He never knew why everyone assumed it was anal. Kal-L likes it missionary.
-
I'm new to the TBs and all this speculation is clearly feeding the story for me. Pap is given depth and the red herrings are glowing. Me thinks IC is almost written for the fourth wall to do the talking. So, if Kal-L is the driving force, can this be the first cross-over maxi-series where the "villain" wins?
-
i had a dream...and u where all in it... and we talked about comics...and...then its gone! like it never happened...and then here you all are?am i still dreaming?
-
I'm a casual reader of JLA/Superman/Wonderwoman. I read most of the Bat-books, though I have to admit that for some of them, it's more habit than anything else. I DO enjoy the JSA: classified book, though I don't really know anything about the JSA. I've just been drawn in by the good writing and the character of Power Girl, who I know almost nothing about. I recently started picking up the JSA book itself, probably due to those damn fine moody covers- however they make little or no sense to me since I've no idea what's going on about 70% of the time. Anyway, for a guy like me the second issue of IC was more informative than the first, especially read in tandem with #37 of gotham central. Although, as the reviewer above stated, the artwork was a fucking disgrace in this book. Power Girl is the main focus of this issue but she doesn't look the same from one panel to the next. I guess my main problem with these types of event is that, if you're like me and only read a selection of DCs output, it's aggravating as fuck when the books you DO read are invaded by outside events and you have no idea what's going on. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that the reason you should pick up a comic is to read and enjoy it, not to explain what's going on in another book. I mean - I'm not being paid to read these, I have to fork out cash for them. Can you imagine what would happen if you went to see a movie and were then asked to pay to see ANOTHER movie that would explain what just happened? I'm going out in a minute or two to pick up this week's batch of comics - including Birds of Prey. I'm praying that Infinite Crisis doesn't fuck with BoP too much
-
Nov 17, 2005 7:54:24 AM CST
I thought they started dating between Alias #1 and the pregnancy
by rev_skarekroe
Also, I thought there was a line somewhere that implied their initial coitus was of the rectal variety. See what you made me do? Now I'm gonna have to dig up all my Alias trades and figure it out for myself.
-
I've enjoyed "Darkness Falls" and "The Return of Hawkman" and I'm sure there are others that readers would reccomend. The stories are pretty self-contained fun comicness. The characters are colorful and the focus of their legacies adds to their depth.
-
thayla...banana bread and i have a complex relationship...nothing eww about it...and goodness...too many inkers for sure on IC...and good morning
-
Hmm.. just had a thought.. I wonder how long the OMACs will be around. They seem like they could be a threat for a long time, even after the crisis. The villains too. It seems like Deathstroke and Calculator might have something planned, the stories in Nightwing and BoP look like they'll intertwine, two sides of the same angle, and there were hints of it in VU and even IC #2 I think... And back to OMACs..it seems like the Trinity as a whole is directly responsible for that entire fiasco: Batman and Brother Eye, it looks like it'll be revealed that Superman's For Tomorrow plans brought about hundreds of thousands being innoculated with the OMAC virus, and Wonder Woman set the whole thing in motion by killing Max Lord.. I wonder if they'll incorporate that into IC.. *** And is anyone getting a queasy feeling that everything will be Earth-2 One Year Later and the universe will be even more screwed up? *** kuryakin: Just wondering, did you read last month's BoP? I'm kinda curious to know what you thought of it, if you did. (I won't be able to discuss #88 til tomorrow when I get my books though)
-
last night i caught my girlfriend banging the pepfirauyge farm guy and then i joined in
-
and then wrote about crazy sexcapades. tony hoff was the bastard who did it
-
Okay so the day after my wedding, roughly 2 months ago, my wife and I had to get up at roughly FOUR AM to catch a 6:10AM flight out of Boston. We get on the plane ready to leave. Pilot comes on and says fuel is leaking out of the plane, so we gotta get off. We get back in the terminal and there is no announcements as to what to do or where to go. Lines form at random places. Airline offcials tell us conflicting instructions. Finally we get to a line that seems to be the right one. The airline's computers crash. We sit down in line. We wait. We wait. We wait. We have time to make friends with a couple also in line who also got married the day before and who are ALSO going to our same destination: Mexico. We call the airline directly, while sitting in line, and get replacement tickets. Instead of getting to Mexico that day, we are diverted to Las Vegas to spend the night, flying to Mexico the NEXT day. Our plane leaves Boston at EIGHT PM. Got up and 4AM, remember. In Vegas it takes us a couple hours to get to our hotel. After a grand total of 2 hrs sleep, we get up and board another couple of planes and finally get to Mexico. Yes this all has a point. The name of this AWESOME airline that has become the bane of my existence? America West. So when I read the new Runaways last night... Yeah it felt like that line was written just for me. Thanks Brian K.V.
-
I thought it struck a good balance between what had been unfolding for a while in the book itself with what's going on outside the book. You could just be following Brids of Prey and still understand there is a bigger fight going on. I feel though that it's a book that depends on Gail Simone - if she were to leave I have a feeling that the book could easily crash. Overall - pretty good read, could have been MUCH more involved in the other books,which would be to its detriment. The dirty perv in me misses the art of half a year ago or so when every effort was made to have the characters flaunt their muscular bottoms at least once on every page but being a married man I have been informed I am NOT ALLOWED to express such thoughts
-
In the first issue of Alias where Jessica is taking it from behind from Cage, isn't there a line about her letting him do what he wants, therefore implying anal activity?
-
that he had permission to not cuddle afterwards...i could be wrong though
-
Hey, we survived our first Crisis! Just gotta rebuild the Cog Mansion the same way it was, brick for brick. With some adjustments to the south east corner of course. ; ) Besides, that's where blackthought hides his stash of banana and pumpkin spice bread. Where's Darth Kal-El? Did he take out Darth Kal-L? Work sucks doesn't it? *** I haven't read Alias, but I find it wildly amusing that a few years later the discussion of if Luke entered the "back door" was accurate or even relevant at the time. Buzz says that imaginary girlfriends like it that way though, so it's possible. *** Shigeru-Pirate, has it been 2 months already? Damn, time flies. *** Earth-2 One Year Later is a queasy feeling indeed Lady C. Hope not, and I hope that all the OMACS are destroyed during the Crisis, especially Sasha Bordeaux or whatever her name is. I can't take more than a year of these OMACS. I'll be back later Cogs, I still need to sort through the vibrational shifts of my Talkback-2 memories, and then we need to assemble and find Darth Kal-El, Psynapse and Gus. Later Cogs. : )
-
heathen they are lost in the void that was talkback-2? never to return...sighs...
-
but i finally caught up with u guys. its been so busy here at work this past week and then with the duplicate talkbacks i havent been able to be around.count on me to pitch in to rebuild the mansion.havent read much of anything for a couple of weeks except ic 2 and the batman under the hood trade.ive been workin my way through the mage volume 2 hardcover and really enjoying the hell out of it. what did u guys make of last nights lost? i felt while watching it that it really explains a lot of their paranoia when the "tailies" where first introduced.other than that all is well and i hope the same can be said for u all.vale and blackthought im happy for u guys soccer wise!and finally who ate all the banana bread?!!
-
but i still had more to say.my 2 cents on luke cage/jessica-sex from behind does not neccesarily mean ANAL sex.and i dont think anything is implied in the 'you can do whatever u want' thing other than that they had sex.obviously vaginal since shes knocked up.im sure cage might be a pooper man but evryone knows its really the x mansion where the sex shenanigans are going on.***thalya speaking as one of the available cogs what do u have in mind for us?
-
that is all...
-
Well honestly, Darth, I should be asking you guys that. You guys outnumber me and I am the one that blew up the Cog Mansion, right? Is that a Cage-able offense?
-
sorry i was stuck in the between place-the void between talkback-1 and talkback-2
-
i guess i did read about the cog mansion blowing up because i posted about it earlier but i totally spaced it!i need some r n R!
-
Even though we're not supposed to talk about it until next week...it's strange to me how a comic can recreate a period of Marvel history I didn't necessarily want to revisit. I can get an empathic feel from some comics where if I hit the vault and look up an old issue I can almost feel like I was feeling when I first read it. Here, with the stilted post-Byrne art and lame "guest-stars" and villains I'm transported to a time when bullies still existed. And it reminds me I was never a fan of the Thing even if it is Dan Slott's. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I did like John Carpenter's Thing but that was only because he had a head that could crawl across the floor.
-
Nov 17, 2005 9:43:43 PM CST
Well, the Supes trailer is online. What do you true connoiseurs
by heywood jablowme
I thought it was great. Nothing blowing up, no give-aways, just a few great iconic images set to the best freaking sound track in comic film history. And you've got Brando's speech with it. Paying that guy a million dollars an hour or whatever ludicrous sum it was can be excused for things like this. I want to watch that thing now! Your thoughts?
-
Cant watch it til i get home!! damn u guys!/throws people who have seen trailer in a volcano then poops in it
-
i saw the trailer as well and i thought it was very well done...very good teaser...i shudder to think what the x3 teaser will be like. then again this teaser uses the iconic great supes score by williams...tingles all the time...darth, buddy i'm glad you made it out of the explosion...it'll help moving in the new funiture easierw tih your brawn...and thayla...i have a cage...if i must, i'll put you in it.
-
It was well done and everything but man...there's nothing iconic about Brandon Routh. I mean Quint goes and makes comparisons to Alex Ross' Superman and, ok i may not be a big fan of Ross but he draws a great Superman...and then Brandon Routh shows up doing his best Superboy impression. It may end up being a fun movie and everything tho'. The X3 "teaser" was shit...it was even lamer than i expected it to be, and that's saying a lot.
-
you have to figure that they had to lock this guy up for at least 3 films, and that would put the 3rd one out somewhere around 2010-2011 or six years away. Maybe Routh will have gone through his "special time" by then. You know, growing hair in strange places, voice changing and all. And I also give a vote of confidence in Singer's casting. I mean, had you even heard of Hugh Jackman before X-Men?
-
That it does blackthought. But, I think that's also the weak point of the teaser - It reminds me of that great score of Williams and that dialogue from Brandon as Jor-El instead of just falling head over heels for 'Returns'. Loved that aspect of it, don't get me wrong, but I wanted to see some jaw dropping stuff. The first time we see Superman is a shot of him from kinda far away walking on a building top? That was weak. They should have shown him first up in the iconic pose in space and they should have held it 5 seconds longer so you really got a feel for Routh as Superman. I can see why they didn't show Bosworth as Lois, but I wanted just a glimpse of Lex too! Btw, did anybody see the preview for Smallville's "Lex-Mas" episode? Oh, that show is so funny
-
damn my inability to type proper. I'm going to go be twixing nethers and borrowing Kal-El's Warnagler. Speaking of 'nethers being twixt', Thalya, you are the best and thank you for being so courteous to us taken Cogs (Shigeru and I, right?) but at least I can still delight in the pleasures of your baked breads as long as blackthought doesn't eat them all.
-
naughty.
-
Blackthought, by "Cage-able offense" I don't think she was talking about a sqare space with bars. Yikes woman!
-
Nov 18, 2005 11:02:49 AM CST
Funny how the taken Cogs are the only ones talking about Lady C&
by the heathen
: ) Btw, I saw Zathura the other night before LOST and I really enjoyed it. If anybody out there has kids or 'lil relatives then take them to see it because my girl and I had a blast. It's funny, entertaining, the special effects are great and stuff blows up
-
And should I start running now, or? And will there be pitchforks? *** blackthought: Well, must you? And if so, is it like that giant birdcage Stefano kept Marlena in on Days of Our Lives (and yes, I'm sorry I know that)? *** Heathen, as for For Tomorrow, I haven't read it myself and don't necessarily plan to, but the aftermath is starting to be made clear in some of the Supes books. Basically Supes had a contigency plan (note to superhero wannabes: never have grandiose contingency plans, they always go wrong. Just have a swiss army knife and a roll of duct tape on hand and everything will go smoothly) to save people in the Phantom Zone in case of an emergency. Plan went awry and over a million people, Lois included, got missing in the Phantom Zone for a year. When they were rescued, the government stepped in to help them all out and Checkmate wound up slipping the OMAC nanovirus in the vaccinations they all got. And..about the banana bread, well, I never manage to have any in stock it seems. blackthought keeps eating me out..
-
Parental discretion is advised.
-
i check the tb before bed and nothing new was going on-i come in this morning and thalya is being eaten out and caged.***a 'cage-able' offense? is that when luke cage comes and gets u in the pooper?
-
Nov 18, 2005 12:38:38 PM CST
A "Cage-able offense" is definitely gettin it in the pooper
by the heathen
I'll ask my Latin Goddess if she wants a Cage-able offense tonight. Looks like the new Cog Mansion is going to be even more like the X-Mansion! Freaky deeky!!!
-
You mean...down there? Cause it's becoming a lot more R rated by the minute in here. I love this place, there are no mod bitches to come and shut this thread off because we're being inmature or whatever. Have you seen the BKV forum mods? I wish i could punch'em in the uterus.
-
i agree with the people who said the voiceover and original score where great but i wasnt overly wowed.i think my favorite scene is where young supes is leaping/flying in that field. i still need to see more but the flying effects look pretty damn awesome.random thought-why is the theme of falling so prevalent in super hero origin movies we get of late? supes falls from a barn(i think)bruce falls into the cave.***yeah heathen the boone thing on lost was sweet!im looking forward to next week.what do u make of the info posted on the dharma site about the **SPOILERS** island being some kind of interdimensional gateway?***the warnagler is your whenever you need it,its parked right next to the cog jet! now we need someone on the team to have a motorcycle and were set.***banana bread or some form of baked good sounds so good right now! seriously im hungry
-
Heathen: I think the Phantom Zone fiasco just lasted longer, but Brother Eye seems like it would affect even more people and for potentially longer. *** Vale: Yes, apparently blackthought's been sampling my bread..pumpkin spice, I think.. *** And yeah, the Cog Mansion got blown up because apparently we don't have a dungeon. Modifications to the southeast corner, indeed..
-
*zips up pants* Excuse me, had to check something. Hope we never get shut down. We Cogs represent what is good about tb forums, and like we've said before, all of us here know are bounds and if we ever step out of them were all mature enough to actually "discuss" something without getting 'mackish.' But, no I haven't checked out BKV's forum. What goes on there with the mods Vale?
-
Darth re: LOST *SPOILERS* There's a Dharma website? Not the Hanzo Foundation one, but a different one? Do tell me where the link is please partner. If it's true, then LOST is having it's own crisis too! And check out the 360 displays, I was impressed. I hear Halo 2 might run in 720p as well. That would be sweet for the 3rd Annual Holiday Halo bash. *** Supes and Bats both responsible for the OMACs in a way. Contingency plans shoud surely be avoided by superheros *** I'm beginning the modifications to the southeast corner as we speak. Big dino - check. Big penny - check. Warnagler - check. Cog mascot and Heathen's squashed faced dog Remmigans - check. Actual Cage for blackthought - check.
-
heathen always brings the funny!***yeah what is up with the vaughan mods?this is the only place i go on the net for comic related things
-
just checked out Hercs column and read the bizarre theory that is also on the website when you highlight it. Wow, what a crazy thing. Is what was on the website something not related to the show becuase of this line "The fictional tv series "Lost" is part of the worldwide disclosure plan." that is the last of the type. I'm confused, isn't it enough to keep up with DC's Crisis, the Cog Crisis and now Lost crisis' ahhh!!!??
-
It's a good thing your Latin Goddess doesn't read this TB or you would probably be not getting any Luke Cage action and also be sleeping on the couch. Or you could just go for it without asking and if she says "SWEET CHRISTMAS!" you're cool. In other news, mmm, pumpkin spice...
-
Only single cogs get to come in the cage with me, and dear god I just typed that, didn't I? *** Heathen: don't forget about the pitchforks..
-
And my wife's pumpkin spice recipe is delicious.
-
It sucks...i go to ask BKV questions more than anything. Questions about writing, of course. The people are nice and always kiss Vaughan's ass (obviously) and i just hate regular forums with their Quote thingies where people quote like 6 messages in one and then say something along the lines of "Amen!" at the bottom...and people with their stupid avatars and signature images and phrases and stuff. And the mods, jesus christ in heaven! Like someone posts the "Hottest comic book babes" thread and they shut it off...not satisfied with shutting it off they have to insult the person: "Take it someplace else you pimply loser". And there was this kid who was IN FACT a pimply loser...he was homeschooled and didn't have any friends outside of the forum (no, really, he said so himself) and he wrote a mopefest of a thread about his pathetic life and one of the mods came in and said "Congratulations, you're banned...go meet some real people". Actually that wasn't so bad, he kinda needed that. Not that he'll go out and try to meet girls, he'll just write about it in his blog. But you get the point, right? The mods are bitches and i hate them.
-
Nov 18, 2005 1:40:29 PM CST
I have a life? I thought I was stuck in a cage, or, was that.. n
by thalya
Stuck in a cage. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
-
I have no idea what's going on and i don't understand about the cage and the pumpkin spice.
-
i thought u had read it already but isnt that crazy?if its true thats by far the most intersting theory ive heard to date. although in the talkbacks someone pointed out that it isnt an official site so it might be a huge red herring.***i was about to suggest that the cog mascot be remmigan!***thalya...pumpkin spice...mmmmmm!
-
"come in the cage with me." Wow. Just, wow. All of you are consistently great. My girls pumpkin spice recipe has a touch of chipotle. She'd sooo kick my ass if she read that, but fortunately she can't even fathom the idea of a "Cog Crisis" or anything like that without looking really confused. *** The BKV mods sound like dicks, but that story was funny as hell Vale!
-
Cage-able offense getting Caged refer to Luke Cage "apparently" having anal sex with Jessica Jones. And in some bizarre sexual innuendo I believe Pumpkin Spice bread became the term for a woman's nethers, or her holiest of holies
-
You guuuuyysss.. I'm going to have to move my Lady Calculator equipment in the cage, aren't I? *** In other news, wouldn't a non-official Lost site be less apt to put out red herrings than official site?
-
Do you know what Wlat said the second time Shannon saw him? I haven't come across any clips with it reversed. And Remmigans is totally the Cogscot (I said totally again) He's also called Remy for short, or Bubbaliscious.
-
Nov 18, 2005 2:16:23 PM CST
I tried to explain the concept of the Cogs to my girl last nite
by shigeru
Yeah I got a blank look and then a "you really have a lot of free time at your job, huh?"
-
Darth Kal-El gave me some help with my late fees and Shigeru recently got married and that Vale did a 4 page porn comic, but it isn't really 'porn' in the traditional sense and that we all stay at the Cog Mansion wearing are emergency Batsuits while are butlers Cogsworth, Alfred and All Star Alfred serve the pumpkin spice bread that Lady Calculator bakes for us. Now that's a mind fuck for the unintiated!
-
We've been talking about Thalya's vagina all along. I love this talkback. Anyone get All Star Supes yet? Come on people, you can actually buy it!
-
*sigh* Question: anyone hanging out here tonight? I'm worried I might jump off a ledge depending on what BoP #88's like.. Or I could make cupcakes..
-
a lot of sexual inuendo initiated by our own lady c,which i might add is so cool. i love it when a woman takes the reins,literaly and figuratively.***heathen he says "Theyre coming and theyre close" i actually doanloaded a clip of it played correctly and that is verbatim what he said.i think hes dead what do u think?***yes the cogs are a hard thing to explain to the uninitiated.i always bring up things we discuss or funny things that are posted to my friends in RL and when i do i refer to you guys as 'my friends from the comic board'.i get a lot of blank stares followed by 'your such a nerd!'****cupcakes sound damn good!
-
a lot of sexual inuendo initiated by our own lady c,which i might add is so cool. i love it when a woman takes the reins,literaly and figuratively.***heathen he says "Theyre coming and theyre close" i actually doanloaded a clip of it played correctly and that is verbatim what he said.i think hes dead what do u think?***yes the cogs are a hard thing to explain to the uninitiated.i always bring up things we discuss or funny things that are posted to my friends in RL and when i do i refer to you guys as 'my friends from the comic board'.i get a lot of blank stares followed by 'your such a nerd!'****cupcakes sound damn good!
-
Nov 18, 2005 3:35:31 PM CST
Funny Dave Should Mention Jedi Execution. As Original ROTS Scree
by buzz maverik
INT. JEDI TEMPLE -- NIGHT Anakin leads in the clones. All is dark. Still. YOUNGLING'S VOICE: "Master Skywalker, in the name of the republic, you and your troops are ordered to drop your weapons." Close on Anakin's finger as it is about to ignite his lightsabre. YOUNGLING: "Your arrival was anticipated in precognition class. We have an ion cannon trained on you as well as a number of strategically planted thermal detonators at hand." A holograms of several younglings appear. They look a little smug. Top students in the class. ANAKIN: "This isn't possible. If this doesn't happen a trilogy of superior movies can't be made...even though they already have." LEAD YOUNGLING:"Yes, about that. You see, we have been studying the conscriptment of this clone army of yours and it makes no sense. Someone as wise and self sacraficial as Master Yoda utilizing an army of undetermined and highly suspicous origin? As Master Yoda will one day tell your son, If you honor what they fight for...Meaning that your future son should be willing to let his friends die as Yoda should have when the Jedi were about to be destroyed. And no one seeks out the answers during the entire course of the Clone Wars? Highly unlikely. Some of us in the advanced placement classes have prepared for this contingency." Anakin drops his lightsabre. The clones drop their guns. ANAKIN:"Damned logical plotting and consistency in the Jedi character."
-
looks fucking amazing but i think im going to wait on it.as it is with work and school and everything else i barely play my old xbox except on the weekends. i have a ton of games i still want to try to beat because damnit i spent money on them.i could buy 360 and id play it for a couple of weeks and then it would sit on my entertainment shelf unused due to other obligations. same thing happend to me with psp.i got one and i love it when i do get to use it but im so busy that right now its a very pretty, very expensive paperweight. so even tho i want one i think im going to hold off til at least summer. then ill have 2 semesters under my belt and i can spend more time gaming.until then my xbox will have to do. all of the above post is null and void if i happen to win the lottery in which case every room in the cog mansion gets a 360 put in it!
-
Because last night I read IC2 and HOM The Day after, and it seems Marvel and DC are really swinging to opposite, yet equally sucky, ends of the pendulum. Dc is going back to Silver Age cheese (all that "this world has been fucked up and dark since Crisis," "earth 2 should have survived) and Marvel is getting so dark and bleak. I hate what's been done with Wanda, arguably Marvel's premier female character for many years. I hate getting rid of all the mutants, and I hate the amping-up of anti-mutant hysteria (for the zillionth time). The future looks bleah.
-
I seem to remember fairly clearly that Mirror Master killed Animal Man's wife (and maybe the kids, too) yet his whole family seems to be just fine. Was this explained somewhere, sometime? Or is it just one of those things we "pretend" never happened?
-
In a way, I'd say there have been three (or 2 1/2) groups of Thunderbolts. The original group, the group right before the book got cancelled (with Skein and Amazon, great characters both) and this new group. I like all three groups, and this new series is enjoyable (started it based on recommendation here) but it is not nearly as good as the first two groups. I don't think the roster is as good. It has kept the most boring original T-Bolts and added some z-listers I just can't get into (Joystick? Puh-leeze. Both lame and dated). Thunderbolts now is fun, but has no impact on me. I actually never much liked Hawkeye until he took over T-Bolts and got into Moonstone.
-
I don't particularly buy it but I figured some of you guys'd be interested...http://tinyurl.com/dskvt
-
but i like the interdemensional gateway theory better myself.maybe theyll pull a tellos and it will be a dying kids last dream
-
i have finally returned from my mission to procure and safe keep the worlds supply of banana bread and i return to find that my putting thayla in a cage has turned into um...well...what am i doing to thayla in a cage now? and where does the bread eating play into this? as for superman...i agree...i'm still not sold on routh...my initial reaction to the trailer was like dang...cool...and the more and more i've seen it the more i attribute that to the music and brando's voice...i finally just got back from potter...i kid...i got back at 4 30 am...they started the midnight show really really late in city...and i'm a zombie right now...and heathen i totally agree that ana lucia needs an ass-kicking...and i read that herc post too...interesting theory...probably my two biggest question i wish answered about the show is why the island is so green? and why didn't hurley make any banana bread with the stash in the hatch...whoa that rhymed...and now back i go to read the goon.
-
Try the issues in the Deus Ex Machina TPB. Mirror Master was hired but didn't go through with it and led Buddy to the real murderers. And then Grant Morrison wrote himself into continuity and erased it all out of continuity, so no needing to pretend it never happened, even though it did.:) Psycho Pirate's probably really pissed about it though..
-
Noah's being creepy, but good-creepy, very much in tune with his character. Gail tries to be a bit too over the top at times, though.. But, no ledge-jumping, just cupcake baking for me. I'll be in the kitchen, Cog$.
-
Homer, I get the same feeling as you do about DC, but whereas Marvel is simply f*cked without much of a roadmap, DC's got a plan down by the looks of it. Albeit it's a very expensive plan because it looks like we'll see things get very Earth-2y by the end of Crisis, then watch as things develop in 52, and then after 52 is done we'll see some sort of swing back to the status quo, only more joyful.
-
A seal walks into a club......
(THINK about it) -
i think i need to re read it to get a better idea but so far so good! love the art! lois looks so damn hot!
-
i do look ho....oh, sorry...thought i was lois lane for a second.
-
Nov 18, 2005 11:12:42 PM CST
I read AS S (heh, ass) uperman, but I thought the artwork looked
by heywood jablowme
Particularly nearly every rendition of the title character. The cover alone is laughable. There's Supes sitting on a cloud. Now is it just me or does it look like he's stoned to the bejeezus? Like he got hold of some serious Kryptonian bud and just finished off half a box of Twinkies. Then on the inside where he's flying into the sun, it looks like the guy who draws Power Girl's breasts was asked to draw Superman's chin. It looks like the bastard offspring of Bruce Campbell and Jay Leno coming right at ya. Don't get me wrong, most of the work is good, but you can't screw up the main character. Good story, nice to see Lex written well for a change. I'm out.
-
But Heywood's just wrong. First of all the cover is completely amazing...Superman sitting calmly on a cloud overlooking...whatever the Superman city's called. Much better than any dramatic, low angle, god like Superman cover i've seen in a while. Second, if you want a comic with small chins you don't read a Quitely comic.
-
About pretty much all of his post! I'm looking right at that cover RIGHT NOW, and YES, the man on it is SUPER WASTED (and don't try that "heat vision" excuse)! The art IS pretty hit-and-miss; I'm not all that fond of the way Quietly draws humans. Too...I dunno...boxy? And Luthor gets some kick-ass lines. Beats the PISS outta mega-letdown AS B&R, though, eh?
-
After all, let's be equitable. You're right that everyone's entitled to an opinion, but I speak from experience when I say: You HAVE to be stoned outcher asshole on FINE KryptoKronic to be ABLE to sit on a cloud in the first place. And Kal-El there? My nigga CHILLIN'. AWWWWW YEAH.
-
I wasn't saying i was entitled to my opinion, i was saying Heywood's opinion was wrong therefore making my own inarguably right. But i was kidding, of course.
-
Now let's you, me, and and Mr. Jablowme combine our might to TOTALLY HATE on the Ennis' Ghost Rider disappointment. Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate hate hate hate, ad nauseum, ad infinitum, ad astra, this fuckin' book better start getting good in a hurry, hate hate hate...
-
ghost rider...
-
Nov 19, 2005 9:56:51 AM CST
I don't particularly care what happens with Ghost Rider, I j
by heywood jablowme
Maybe I'll read the trade while killing time at Borders. Come on Vale, Kal just smoked a FAT bowl of Kryptonian Chronic from his Super-bong. Pick up that book right now and look at the cover. That guy is mellow, I'm talking Cheech and Chong mellow. Trust me, I'm *cough, cough* familiar with that look.
-
Haven't read the book and i don't think i intend to, what with all the negative things i've been reading all over. Sounds like Ennis on autopilot to me and hey...the guy gave me Preacher, i think he deserves a big fat check for no effort at all. That and (much like Ennis, i assume) i don't give a shit about GR, to be honest.
-
Yes he is in fact quite mellow but...i must have an inocent mind because i always thought he was mellow cause he's a jolly, even tempered alien who happens to be invulnerable to almost anything...not because he smoked some of that funky marijuana kids seem to be into today. Never touched the stuff meself.
-
Thanks for the info, Thalya. And now after reading my Nighthawk and Hyperion issues, I realize I like Marvel's non-central continuity work. I like some Ultimate books a lot as well. I sure hate the main direction though. I guess I'm one of the supposed few who prefer when Marvel and DC are similar, Marvel using some of DC's structure and Dc using more Marvel characterization and attitude. BTW, that Superman cover is certainly ridiculous, yet I love it.
-
Nov 19, 2005 11:11:48 PM CST
hm? Getting ideas blackthought? And are you going to let me out
by thalya
'Welcome Homer. Anyone else see Harry Potter yet? Well-done, of course, but...it needed to feel rounder. It was all bits and pieces without story cohesion and fullness...Would've been better as a miniseries and if this is the case with GoF, there's no way in hell they're going to be able to translate OotP to the screen in under 3 hours.
-
too truncated...far better than the first two which is quite easy to do...not sure if its as good as 3...cauron has an awesome eye...and i'm still wondering what the hell happened to emma watson's acting...ron was great though, glad kloves actually gave him his lines instead of handing them off to hermy...voldy looked good though...and thayla...um...i have plently of ideas...i'm not sure if i want to let you out my cage yet...do you wish to stay or wish for freedom? i'm inclined to keep you as my pretty little bird...you could bribe me with banana bread or muffins if you wish to come to other arrangements...hmmmmm...
-
..there's cupcakes in the kitchen... Not that they may count for much and it's not like I have the key to this thing.. *rattles the bars slightly* Voldy was well done, yeah.. but it was all so rushed. They really cheated with what they gave us of the Quidditch World Cup. No sense of import or pacing. At least with Columbus' directing you got the episodic feel that built to an end. Here the characters took a backseat to the plot.
-
me started on columbus' efforts...i'll squirm and then hide in a corner leaving you in the cage forevers...though cupcakes aren't too shabby...and don't rattle the bars...i'll just get more ideas.
-
if you want out that badly i'll go get my key...sighs...no fun without prisonerr...err...i mean "guests"...
-
Nov 20, 2005 12:53:24 AM CST
*hangs head and sighs* Is it just me or am I being too subtle?
by thalya
-
i'm kinda "not the norm" miss...i don't have the courage to venture into the mind of a woman, especially one with such stupendoues passion for sequential storytelling...but "luckily?" for you i can't find the key...so now i ponder
-
i'm going to rattle some bars right now...
-
Nov 20, 2005 1:38:25 AM CST
Getting ideas blackthought? And are you going to let me out of t
by el vale
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Thalya needs to get laid. No offense, seriously...but jesus, where did subtlety go?
-
how's the weekend gone so far? what's happening in the homeland? and how far are you willing to go to protect quitely's superman art agains your opposers?
-
I LOVED it. Some people are bitching about "they left this out" or "they left that out" but I thought they did the best possible job of squeezing everything they could into two and a half hours. I WOULD like to have seen some Quiditch World Cup action, but they kinda cut past it. It's still worth the money.
-
..they did that much, but a Spartacus-sized runtime would've made it even better (not saying the House Elf bit should've been included, though Winky getting drunk on ButterBeer would've been a sight). It felt like the Whomping Willow with all the branches cut off. Without the larger context the underlying grimness wasn't allowed to seep in, but given the spotlight. I'm so happy they started off with the graveyard bit though. I was worried that would get cut. *** Vale: four and a half years without so much as a kiss from the opposite sex will do that to a person, y'know?
-
Someone on one o' these boards (you, Thalya?) said that GoF would have been better as a mini series. Probably, yeah. But, after all, it is _HARRY POTTER and the Goblet of Fire_, so I don't necessarily have a problem with dumping all the stuff that doesn't have to do with him. The requirements of book writing and movie making are VASTLY different. You and I know that the book is better. Wonder how a comic would've turned out? Thoughts?
-
It probably wouldn't have been too bad. The visuals would be great, but the world is so intricate with details that exposition could be a real hurdle. Plus, if were talking about just different media for adaptation, while a comic can do more visually than even a movie, I'd be hard pressed to favor it over film when we get the likes of Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman. And you're right, nothing can top the book; in alot of places it wasn't so much writing as a conversation between writer and reader. The movie had a ways to go towards being more L.A. Confidential-ish in that regard.
-
Absolutley
-
is dead right? once punisher is finished they are ditching the line right? gof...i liked it alot but was a bit dissapointed...i have to see it a few more times to see how it holds up...right now comfortably ahead of first 2 boring wonders but 3 still seems my favorite. what creative team would draw and write a potter comic? and goodness thayla...still in the cage...4 1/2 years is nothing...and heathen does the cog-mansion have a halo room?
-
I'll be my usually mean self and say: Less BoP, more going out and meeting guys.
-
My weekend's been cool so far...my team (Santa Fe) won this game that i thought was impossible to win and that made my day, and i'm also kinda going out with this new girl that i like and things have been interesting. Today i have to work unless i want Maria to kill me dead. How bout you guys?
-
who did sante fe de bogota beat? and who's the best player in the league right now? i'm still shocked we didn't make another world cup, we have too much talent too be fighting it out for the 5th world cup spot instead of fighting for 3 or 4 with paraguay...when did ecuador get so good? can we bring back pibe to work the midfield? sighs...now we got to wait till 2010 south africa to see if we can make it.
-
Santa Fe beat Medellin in Medellin...0-2, that was great. We're in the finals now, there's a league at first and the first 8 teams get to play the finals, divided in 2 groups of 4. Best player in the league right now? God, i don't know...there's a bunch of good ones but non that you can point out to and proclaim the best. I guess that's good right?
-
how's rodallega playing? i remember he kicked ass in that u-18 or was it u-21 tourney qaulyfiers...i just wonder who the next generation players for us will be.
-
He spends more time falling than trying to score. Next generation? Falcao Garcia man...dude's 19 years old and he's already scoring like 2 goals per game with River in Argentina.
-
rodallega must of grown a big head and started believing his press clippings and now pulls a cristiano ronalda aka diving. falcao garcia (how come my mom couldn't give me a cool sounding first name like falcoa?), i've heard good things...if he keeps this up he'll be snagged by a euro team. and here comes tino asprilla and freddy rincon and pibe, oh the memories of making the world cup.
-
It certainly does! It's a round room with a bunch of those 50 inch Philips Ambi-light plasma TV's mounted on the walls. And in the center of the room is a hologram projection of whatever we want. This room was supposed to be the War Room where we decide who to fight next, but who really wasnts to stand around planning that stuff? Killing Spree!!! And I thought GoF handled the last 20 min or so exceptionally well with Harry, Cedric and You Know Who
-
i thought cauron did an awesome job shooting that movie, far more poetic than newell can muster not to say the gof isn't good, cuz it is...the further they tread away from columbus the better. and i'm surprised that we cogs fight any crime with me locking ppl in cages and plotting banana bread schemes, with you and darth never leaving the halo room and the rest...quite an effective crime fighting team...we only call to arms when moobiehack is around.
-
Heathen: 8.5 W. You guys are lucky you don't have to resort to shoe-shopping online. And I totally agree Cuaron dropped the ball when it came to connecting the animagus stuff together. That was such a lynchpin that was dropped and one of the most magical things about the book (Harry's stag patronus and the meaning behind it) which had an otherwise hamfisted ending. *** blackthought & Vale: I'll take the cage anyday, 'cause if I actually knew where to look I wouldn't be going to GOF all by my lonesome.
-
I had a friend who hadn't read the books when he saw PoA and wondered why Harry thought that his Dad was a Stag? He thought he missed out on something, which he did. I hadn't even thought about it, but when I did, I thought of how much of that should have been in the movie. That's a nice shoe size btw and you shouldn't have to go to GoF alone, there's plenty of guy's out there, most are idiots, but I'm sure you know that already. Once we fix the Cog's Boom Tube I'm sure one of us would take a lady to a movie. : )
-
if i lived near you i'd take you to gof instead of your lonsesome...but i'd would be awkward to explain to the theatre patrons why i have you caged up and where i'm gonna put you. heathen...6 bucks...nice...can i cry with you? and let's see cauron poa was awesome...and i don't know how much fault you can put on him for not fleshing out the animagus stuff...i was under the impression that kloves wrote the script...if fault lies anywhere you should look at him first.
-
Kloves
-
harry potter and the goblet of fire...hence gof...you a basketball fan by the way?
-
Never liked it. And ouch, that's kinda harsh going to the movies by yourself...but i've heard it can be cool, so what do i know? Let's find Lady Calcium a guy people!
-
i was just asking bout hoops cuz my cousin played for the bogata piratas pirates that sorta thing and wondering if you've heard of him.
-
*sigh* kinda? *sits on the cage's birdy swing and wraps a blanket/cover around the outside of the bars* 'night. Wake me if you've got some Noah Kuttler porn, ok?
-
You all are out of your minds. GOF was, in my humble opinion, by far the best of the series. The casting was superb. Cedric? PERFECT. For the first time in the series, Hogwarts felt like it was a real school. I actually thought to myself "Yeah that reminds me of high school!". The first 2 films, while competent and visually nice, were scooby doo mysteries consisting of a literal filming of the plot points. And while I love Azkaban and Cauron (who introduced a great artistic sense to the procedings) I feel like it seems pretty lean compared to GOF. Newell crammed in a ton in those 150 minutes. The thing clipped along at a great pace but surprised me with the amount of little character moments kept it. Neville coming in late from the Ball? Fred asking Angelina to the Ball? Freaking awesome. Oh yeah and that Superman trailer gave me a sensual foot massage.
-
Ginny Weasely is still a little cockwhore.
-
Speaking of Cuaron...have you seen Y tu mama tambien? Amazing movie, one of my favorites.
-
No I have not. It's on the ol' netflix list, tho!
-
It is very good, and it's amazing how different it is from his big budget Harry Potter movie. And I'm not crazy Shigeru, I actually think that GoF will alternate with PoA as my fav Harry Potter movie depending on my mood. Like I said before, the misgiving of PoA was not fleshing out the animagus storyline of Harry's Dad and Sirius and Wormtail. GoF biggest misgiving? Honestly, the music. It had no sense of urgency besides the actual introduction of the two visiting schools and a bit of the Quidditch World Cup. I don't even mind that they cut a lot of that match or the trials or a friggin elf subplot. What do people think of Yates doing the fifth year? Wish Cauron or Newell would do it. And as mutch as I love PoA, I think GoF 'looked' more how I thought it would when I read the book than the third movie did. *** Movies alone can be fun sometimes. No luck on the Kuttler porn though. : (
-
Did someone say?... d'oh.. *blanket flap falls back down and she curls back up in her shredded newspaper nest*
-
it's cUAron not cAUron...sorry, but i'm pissy about stuff like that.
-
We gotta get Thalya out of that shredded newspaper, it's starting to smell funny. Btw, I thought about it Psynapse, but I'm still too dense. Huh??
-
my bad El Vale, I mean Vale. Dyslexia runs in the family I suppose. : ) Has LOST premiered there yet?
-
I think it MAY premiere next monday, but i wouldn0t count on it. It's been a long fucking wait, yes it has. I was downloading the episodes which have already aired up there where you guys are but then i thought it wouldn't be the same. Lost is as much about the show as it is about getting excited because it's Lost night, new episode, all that shit. Innit?
-
i refuse to let thayla out of my cage...though...if you wish to bribe me you know what i like. and y tu mama is an excellent movie...and everybody smile...it's monday.
-
Yeah, LOST on a specific night and the wait is a part of it for me too. My friends think I'm retarded when I won't download my favorite artists new album cause I want to wait for it properly. Glad that somebody feels the same way.
-
i hope everyones weekend was great!i second vale on the 'y tu mama tambien' recomendation.***4 and a half years lady c?that sucks.is it by choice?just curious.where do u live?if its southern california u will not have to attend movies by your lonesome any longer
-
Eh, half by choice, half not, Darth. Online dating seems about my only recourse ('cause oddly enough, comic book conventions aren't the best place to meet guys..), and I'm totally scared off of that. That's sweet of you, but I'm afraid I'm all the way over in SE Pennsylvania. And anyways, I do have this. *rattles cage bars* blackthought knows how to treat a girl right, that he does. How was your weekend, btw? Able to catch Harry Potter?
-
i was being completely serious in the invite. well if your ever in the area youll have to let me know.good weekend not too much happened. i didnt catch harry potter yet mostly due to laziness.probably tonight.***that sucks u havent gotten lost yet vale.its so far pretty damn good.and as for when did ecuador get so good i dont know either and im from there.they kinda crept up on everyone huh?***i can help thalya with the cooking provided were left alone in the kitchen in case any..ahem...condiments...should be liberally spread around...mmm pumpkin spice...
-
Ok, so you guys have found my blush-point.. Although here I am, locked in this cage, far far away from the kitchen.. And Darth, who knows? Maybe this is the year I go to ComicCon.
-
i have no clue when ecuador got good but i had missing the world cup...too much talent we have...sighs...and damn straight i know how to treat a girl right...i've even hidden the key the my cage from myself which was a mighty task for i see all and then some...so keep rattling miss...god, i need banana bread.
-
From what i gather i think the point could be made that the only males you're actively socializing with, Thalya, are Cogs...comic book people. And last i heard ComiCon was full of those. Could work wonders.
-
But I've been to four Wizard Worlds now and next time I'm seriously contemplating wearing a homemade t-shirt that says "Guys, get your noses out of the quarter bins and check out this deal. Single girl, actively looking, knows it's pronounced 'Dark-SIDE'. 'nuff said." But like I said earlier, no such luck.
-
BUT! if they don't notice a woman because of their comic book fixation i don't think something like that would help. You could go naked and they'd prolly think you're Witchblade and take a picture. Are you an attractive person? That helps.
-
well you know your 4 and half years...i have that beat :)...long short story if one ever wishes to hear the tale...damn them colombian women :)
-
what are the cogs an analogue for? who are we modeling ourselves from? the justice league? the justice society? the x-men? i wish to find my analogue...if it's the justice society, i am no jakeem thunder, i know that much.
-
ive decided im going to comic con for more than the one day i did this year on next years event.it would be cool to see how many cogs we can get to attend.i know i would like to meet all of u in rl.if only we could get the damn boom tubes working again it would be a hell of a lot easier.remigan is sleeping in one and the other is full of banana bread
-
that's where i hid the banana bread...if one loaf is missing i swear i will lay down my vengeance swiftly...that or take my frustrations out on moobiehack with heathen or join some cogs in halo...it's a miracle we ever battle crime.
-
But it's a little weird, even then Vale. Maybe it's just the family-friendly nature of the Wizard Worlds, but alot of guys tend to bring gfs, totally defying the stereotype. I'd like to think I'm attractive, pretty face and all, but I could stand to take a bit better care of myself. *** blackthought: do tell! And even then, which League or which lineup of X-Men are we talking? Classic? Claremont? Detroit? Superbuddies? *** Darth, that would be very cool. I tried keeping an eye out for Ambush Bug and Sleazy G at this year's WW Chicago, but no dice, and I was even at the same Waid or Rucka panel as AB.. I think we need t-shirts that say "Emergency Batsuit" or something..
-
Blackthought, share your tale!
-
my tale of how i have thayla's 4 and half years beat...um, vale you'll have to email me for that one, hell you have one of mine, might as well abuse it. cog t-shirts is what we need and i'm more partial to being like the justice league or justice society instead just cuz of the tower you know and more.
-
Are you referring to Darkseid, Ms.? I was always contemplating whether it was Dark-SEED, or Dark-SIDE? Then again, I have had noone to talk these things with. /winks **** A rare treat of how I really look, here: tinyurl.com/97rwq - you can visualize me peeking through your balcony doors at you and your loved ones. **** Batman Year 100 solicitation is up. Eff' yeah! ** tinyurl.com/db8bq ** The comicon.com/pulse Paul Pope interview (read it and weep with joy, Batman-philes) tinyurl.com/9pkon **** DC gives us Frank 'the Demigod' Quitely's cover to All Star Superman #02 : tinyurl.com/auuhe **** From this week's LITG: " And the "League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Dark Dossier" comes not with a multi-media CD... but a vinyl record. " ... And Jesus came a little. (after Shigeru) **** In other news, I just finished Grant Morrison's JLA collections with vol.6 'World War III'. Once again, eff' yeah! **** My apologies for not posting more often, but I have two more weeks until I get my hands on All Star Superman #01 and I don't want this experience to be spoiled. **** I can be reached on aim (I have yet to be accepted into the ranks of Hydra) as arisolathraios **** Vale, did you get to read 303 by Ennis & Burrows? 6 issues, from Avatar. Ennis's all time finest, says I. **** Regards
-
He's keeping it awefully stinky isn't he? Whens ComicCon? Maybe we could meet there in real life, but depends on the time and funds, not to mention a lot of us Cogs are international. *** Gus, now I have a face to go along with asking Crispin Glover questions. Geez, only blackthought, Thalya and myself to show are 'true' mug shots. *** Speaking of being last, I woke up at 6am with the Latin Godess to take her brother to work and then head to the local Best Buy to wait in line for a 360. Granted there was a kinda big line and I got there at 7:45, but I was approached by an employee who was handing out coupons and asked if I had a ticket to which I replied, "no." He looked sorry for me and said that they only had 37 xbox360's in and if I didn't have a ticket, then I was out of luck. I then took the walk of shame across the parking lot to meet my girlfriend who was returning with breakfast. I failed. Noooo!!! : ( I may get my comics today, which will make up for a lot of the morning. We'll see. A ComicCog meeting huh?
-
Thalya: about your dating problems; Three words: Cat Girl Outfit. *** Okay a new LOEG hardcover that comes with a RECORD? I officially died. Holy crap. *** Heathen, I was going to wait in line to get an XBox360 but then I realized I don't have a spare $850 and am not a frat boy. But enjoy your First Person Shooters, tricked out urban racing games, and um....First Person Shooters....uh I mentioned racing games already...hmm. All in good fun my friend!
-
IT BLOODY DOESN'T WORK!
-
i am a batman addict, thus catwoman sure works...heathen we are the only three who haven't showed mug shots? are you sure? all i've seen is gus today and darth by the statue of nude warriors in vegas.
-
and I'm fucking hideous! Just kidding, I'm a greek god.
-
That ASS#2 cover is amazing, thank you Gus! You'll be glad to hear 303 is finally downloading along with every other comic Ennis ever wrote...kinda. Shigeru that was harsh but fair.
-
thanks for all the links gus! altho the one of your pic has still not loaded! and yeah im pretty sure im the only one who posted a current pic.i know vale has one when he was a little kid.oh and psynapse as super pimp.that was pretty cool***heathen im sorry u missed out on a 360!i still think im going to wait but godamn if it doesnt look amazing! and yes shigeru's observations are kind of valid but while im not a frat boy i love me some first person shooting.***the cover to ASS 2 is cool. i still cant get over how hot lois looks! that quitely is a demigod indeed!***hey vale how do u download comics?i know i asked before but i forgot and now i want to try it! this time for sure!
-
yeah id like to see that thalya!actually having grown up with more of a 'marvel' lean id rather see black cat!
-
Well...what i do is i use a bittorrent thing to download which works wonders for me, but i try not to say that out loud in the talkbacks cause Gus would kick my ass. He uses DC++ and highly recommends it, but i never learned to use it. Heh. So go to piratebay.org or torrentspy.com if you want to go my way. Here's a pic of me for all you Vale fans: http://tinyurl.com/da4es
-
I was talking about the cat-girl outfits that populate anime conventions. Do a google image search and you will see what I am talking about. But hey, catwoman or black cat works too! (as long as there is a whip involved). XBOX360: hey to each his own. If I had plenty of cash I would definitely own one in a heartbeat.
-
well, i could wear either the black cat or catwoman suit for y'all...er...um...
-
Nov 22, 2005 2:17:13 PM CST
its funny and im not just saying it because u said it first
by darth kal-el
but vale u kind of look like i migained u would too! which is to say like my cousins from ecuador!but hey i can see why your getting the girls. hows the new girl coming along man?
-
but I will need an email for you to see it.
-
we cogs should swap mail anyway...but where? do we have our own column yet? and when does the absolute cog-smooches edition come out?
-
yorik77@gmail.com
-
he wins a prize
-
we could just give you a life time perscription of rob liefeld comics.
-
what are you doctor kevorkian or something?
-
i work for an HMO
-
danielibanez25@hotmail.com So yeah that's my name. With an
-
Who's read the 3rd issue? Its first three pages have been brilliant. Steve Dillon giving us superheroics - albeit the grim and gritty kind - fantastic. The most creepy and effective storytelling regarding supervillains I've read in a long time. **** In related news, here in Greece, a clown was arrested on charges of child molestation. Allegedly, he has pleaded guilty saying that "it was his passion and he could not resist it" and they found pictures of the 12-yr old child he was having sex with in his cell phone. This man is 56, is married and has children of his own. Furthermore at times he has appeared on national TV on his own (children's) show and thus has obtained what I can describe as 'obscure TV personality' cult status. He also had his own children's funhouse 'To Spiti tou Fotouli' (Fotoulis's House). Here's a picture of him: tinyurl.com/8ppqh
-
Guys, I was kidding before. That was not a picture of me. It was a picture of Dimitris Voyatzis (II, imdb-wise), a truly obscure greek straight-to-video film-maker (in the true sense of the word) and actor and a personal avatar of mine. **** If you 'd like to get in touch with me, try looking me up on aim as: arisolathraios **** Vale, you knew I was going to say this, but DC++ is so much better than bittorrent. You don't have to d/l the whole package just to get 5 or 6 issues of it, for starters. I could operate it easily, despite being of low intelligence. It's really easy and simple. If you 'd like to follow my instructions, you'd find it a piece of cake. Dave, if you 're reading this, know that there are quite a few titles I caught up with using file-sharing and I am now subscribing to via my lcd - hell, I've stopped d/l-ing them altogether. **** A bravo to Darth for the pre/sub-scribe joke. Bravo! In other words... LOL!
-
but i was being a smart ass.imagine someone prescribing a lifeld comic? "read 2 of these and call me in the morning" i guess his anatomical inacuracies/exagerations would probably help someone forget any pain theyre in
-
are u sure the clown wasnt really u gus?you can tell us were your friends :-)
-
Liefeld perscriptions...how would that really work? Is it like, for people who have no gag reflex? Maybe it's sort of a psychological thing, like hey...i know you've had it bad in life but at least you don't draw like this guy! Man Liefeld gets zero respect, doesn't he? What if i become a famous writer and i meet him at a con or something? Do i laugh in his face?
-
Nov 22, 2005 6:49:15 PM CST
"like hey...i know you've had it bad in life but at least yo
by darth kal-el
thats hilarious vale!the new anti depresant-back issues of x-force!
-
On the G4 network there's a show called X-Play and even they rip on Liefeld! I've seen them do it twice. And speaking of the gaming network and games and such, I can't believe the lack of consoles that shipped out. It's a freakin gimmick I'm sure, but damn if it's not crazy for stores only to get five consoles in ya know? And shigeru, I totally don't fit the frat boy image, but I do enjoy FPS' (Halo 3. Summer 2006.) and I hope you enjoy your
-
Morrison has met his equal in you. **** And Thalya and guys, speaking strictly from my experience, I can't see how a person well versed in the DCU multiverse have any date problems. In fact, girls seem to go gaga for '50s (Earth 2) Superman lore. That's right fellas, pick this up -->> tinyurl.com/bpwwy <<-- and you are on your way. ::sad smiley face:: **** What is this crap I'm hearing? The world has forgotten Him? Lois has moved on? She is married and has someone else's child? What is there in those guys' water? I gather that All Star Superman is the antidote to that kind of drivel.
-
prescibing liefeld comics which led to his name being said many times and his name hurts to read over...in other news...news!...that is all.
-
Nov 22, 2005 7:14:58 PM CST
speaking of Earth 2, I have to say this about Morrison & Quitely
by gus nukem
It should be called Earth 3. At the time it was released, the DCU multiverse had been nullified, since all the universes had merged. And before that (pre-CoIE), the opposite, malevolent version of the DCU is the Earth 3 one.
-
oh, my bad
-
im not worthy to be in the same paragraph with morrison!so you must be joking right?wait i dont get it...
-
heathen is going to reveal himself!next thing you know thalya will bake more bread and be eaten out again!and speaking of im curious to see what our lady c looks like!
-
if we can stop heathen from "revealing" himself, then again he is taking after that greek clown.
-
heathen revealing himself or liefeld comics?which is the lesser of 2 evils?
-
you got me there...sighs...tough call.
-
A Rob Liefeld drawing of Heathen revealing himself?
-
And yep, Darkseid. Oh that Kirby.. *** Hmm... Cat Girl outfit, huh? I could swing the anime cat ears, but I'm not sure if I'm kittenish enough.. A bunny costume on the other hand.. (I'm partial to rodents and Stitch. Neega nala qweesta!) *** At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi? At last we shall have our revenge? *** Uh-oh.. *sympathetic lonely-person hugz Darth through the cage bars* Well.. I did get a couple of pics of myself the other day.. I was thinking about putting up an online ad, but they're only so-so, I suck at getting pics taken of me, my eyes are never quite open..
-
just post them lady c! im sure were all curious!
-
You're so touchy-feely, Darth..
-
Darth sure has a way with the ladies
-
Fine fine fine.. They're kind of hit and miss and it took forever to load software, register stuff online, and upload, but here, have a slideshow, fellas.. http://tinyurl.com/cglpr The purple shirt ones are from tonight after a long day of hard programming.
-
I totally pictured you as a brunette.
-
no blushing young lady get back out here!
-
*peeks out through the cage* Mornin' guys. Wonder when we'll get the new TB..
-
pictures are flying all over the place...morning to all...and hmmm....a new tb? not sure, will they or won't they? i know it's a holiday tomorrow, so either they get it out today or are travelling to family if assholes have family.
-
That face I'm making is definitely post-volcano-poop. Or maybe I'm just PUMPED TO THE X-TREME TO BE IN MEXICO!!! TOTALLY RADICAL! Funny thing is, that was probably the clearest shot of me I had. Weird.
-
Nov 23, 2005 12:22:20 PM CST
If you people are going to be posting pictures and whatnot
by mrboinfoint
Go to myspace or OkCupid. Aw, I'm just jealous 'cause I have no face.
-
and I'm not misspelling this..
-
See this yet? tinyurl.com/a5yky
-
heath@aintitcoolmail.com ** Yep, Heath is The Heathen's real name (a stretch I know) forward me Shigeru's pic on his honeymoon. Later gents and lady (I pictured brunette too or dark red hair!)
-
With your brunette and/or dark-redheaded ways and enchantments...but you're found out now sister!!!
-
When I read your post, I had another window open on that exact page. Weird. But yeah that looks like the tits.
-
I think Shigeru: As white as it gets should be my new slogan/catchphrase/themesong.
-
yeah that was my wife's. But she made me hold it... yes I'm whipped. Sad.
-
What is with the brunette-ness? Ok, so if you met in IRL I'm very much the quiet demure (I guess, blonde) type, but deep down I've got an inner redhead.. I've seriously considered going red or at least strawberry blonde, too.. *** And one_thalya@yahoo.com
-
shig, you posted pics of your wife and bag? where? lemme see? hmmm.....back to nurbs modeling i go.
-
I need your email if you want to see my Mexico Scary Face. Which indeed has me holding my wife's bag in the picture, but no wife. Just me and my whiteness.
-
The Heathen is ghostly pale, gotta go spend the day with my girl now, and is anyone getting spam mail yet? : )
-
Sadly there's no lady Shigeru in the pic. I call shennanigans!
-
Maybe she doesn't exist! But I am off for the holidays folks (no net at the house yet, STILL). See you all on Monday. Have a happy turkey day you cogs from the states! "Hey Native Americans, thanks for the turkey and food and stuff! Here, have some cholera."
-
you just gave marvel the idea for their next mutant crossover!
-
Nov 23, 2005 5:52:32 PM CST
heath the heathen white as can be shigeru south american pimp va
by darth kal-el
i love my friends!even gus the pervy clown!
-
probably one of the trolls put me down for a bunch of shit.oh well such is life on the net
-
heathen promised to reveal himself,shigeru posted a picture of his bag, and i gave thalya an ass squueze! were going to be the x-mansion pretty soon! altho we dont have a butt-bamfer like kurt on the cogs...to add to the sexualness, between squeezing thalya's ass and the batman year 100, im sporting some serious wood!
-
http://tinyurl.com/ab763
-
But i'd be really pissed off if someone bought a 360 for 17.000...i mean that's just taking it a little bit too far, there are people who can't feed their kids
-
but theres probbaly rich fucks out there with nothing better to do than spend money
-
for a muffin.
-
happy TG a$$es and cogs!!
-
Gobble gobble, everyone!
-
feed my addictions...the cogs are ever so supportive.
-
Sorry to our Native American friends out there. 15 G's for a 360? That guy needs to be stoned, him and whoever buy's it. I'm ticked about the availability of it. I'm hearing it may be until late January or February until their readily available. It feels like Microsoft is trying to create an uproar much like when the PS2 came out. It's super manipulative marketing and I'm even more upset because I actually want one. Anyway's have a good day guy's and gal and just remember, The Heathen Heath will reveal himself soon!!!
-
is daddy coming home for Christmas?
-
last!
-
bitch!
-
last!
-
last
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 383 total posts 380 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 111 total posts 111 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 75 total posts 73 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 71 total posts 68 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 77 total posts 55 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 54 total posts 48 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 165 total posts 41 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 41 total posts 41 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 500 total posts 35 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 28 total posts 28 posts