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AICN COMICS REVIEWS! METAMORPHO! PUNISHER! CASTING COUCH: COBRA! AND MORE!!!

BEGINNING by ALUCINOR11	Oct 13th, 2005 03:54:43 AM
NUMBER ONE
FIRST IS LAME by ALUCINOR11	Oct 13th, 2005 03:55:48 AM
Use start or something else to mix it up.
Seriously Gary Oldman is too easy to cast. by ALUCINOR11	Oct 13th, 2005 03:57:48 AM
HE CAN DO EVERYTHING!
"when monsters suddenly started stampeding, I kind of lost inter by kintar0	Oct 13th, 2005 04:28:52 AM
Maybe you should just stop reading comics?
Seriously, though! by kintar0	Oct 13th, 2005 04:32:25 AM
Seth Fisher is drawing two of the most stunning comics right now for DC. His "Time Flies" and "Will World" books were absolutely incredible. I say: if you don't like Fisher's art, then you don't like art.
Yeah, whoever came up with the placement of that Honda Civic ad by Tall_Boy	Oct 13th, 2005 05:27:20 AM
I flipped the page over. Twice, dammit!
I told ya' before, Cobra Commander is - by squidman	Oct 13th, 2005 06:25:00 AM
Jude Law! Jude Law would be a great shrieking, effeminte kook. Kudos on the Sean Bean casting, though. He was the best part of Flightplan.
Damn good casting there, Bug by ErnieAnderson	Oct 13th, 2005 06:36:14 AM
Couldn't have done better myself.
I was thinking Kate Beckinsale for Baroness by chrth	Oct 13th, 2005 08:04:49 AM
Juliette Lewis doesn't do it for me.
true about the baroness by blackthought	Oct 13th, 2005 08:37:08 AM

.... by blackthought	Oct 13th, 2005 08:37:56 AM
that she just doesn't do it for me either that is.
The Mohawk guy in DC Special... by eggrolls	Oct 13th, 2005 08:38:06 AM
was Arak; Son of Thunder. He was an American Indian who accidently ended up in Medeival Europe, fighting among the Vikings. Decent book for a Conan clone.
Does anyone else wonder what color Metamorpho's johnson is? by MrBoinfoint	Oct 13th, 2005 08:38:50 AM
No? Just me? Okay. Gotta love them wacky 60's. At least he wasn't created by the magic cure-all of radiation poisoning.
Wouldn't that be 'magic cause-all'? by chrth	Oct 13th, 2005 08:57:06 AM
For a brief second I thought it was about Morph ... but alas, not to be.
That Juliette Lewis is one sexy chick. by rev_skarekroe	Oct 13th, 2005 09:04:31 AM
In an odd sort of way. Like the girl in high school that you were afraid to admit to your friends you were attracted to. http://photos1.blogger.com/img /173/3313/1024/Juliette-Lewis. jpg
I don't care how cute she appears in pictures... by chrth	Oct 13th, 2005 09:23:10 AM
she's craaaaaaaaaaazy
Dave's casting suggestions for Metamorpho area hundred time by mortsleam	Oct 13th, 2005 09:27:51 AM
Seriously, dude, Juliette Lewis? She can't even speak english in her native accent, how the hell would she pull off the Baroness? You need actors that can actually act. Well, Gary Oldman is of course perfect, but then, he's perfect for everything. EVERYTHING!!!!
Eric Powell by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 09:49:01 AM
While I agree with your assessment of the monster book (very "meh" excempting the amazing art and, for some reason, the "Hulk hate space!" line), "The Goon" lately has been very all ages. I've seen nothing in The Goon lately that couldn't be in a Marvel book, and the Goon still maintains a high level of comedic quality.
Juliette Lewis as The Baroness? Um ... no by TheAFLACDuck	Oct 13th, 2005 10:25:13 AM
Sorry, but I always pictured someone ... y'know, good-looking as the firstlady of COBRA. Like say Angelina Jolie! or Eliza Dushku. Somebody like them
Star Wars Episode III will own your ass! by jesuschrist	Oct 13th, 2005 10:49:40 AM
Right down to the hole.
Cobra? What-ever. So anyway... by Homer Sexual	Oct 13th, 2005 10:53:34 AM
Did anyone else find the conclusion to Villains United an underwhelming end to an excellent series? And Omac was kind of the same. I guess because rather than ending, all these books are setting up the "big event." And the uber-excessive hand-wringing (particularly and most ridiculously by Batman) over WW offing Max Lord is just tiresome. Very Tiresome!
The role she was born to play... by AstroThunder	Oct 13th, 2005 10:54:32 AM
Anyone remember that Juliette Lewis gag on the Daily Show many years ago? Paraphrased: "In The Other Sister," Juliette Lewis plays the role she was born to play... a retard.
Fell by Fantomex	Oct 13th, 2005 11:04:31 AM
Fell is a great format, but a horrible pairing of format/genre. Det. Fell is basically assigned to a case, decides to go out for a few drinks with the one attractive person in the entire city, and she tells him all the information he needs to find the killer. What a coincidence!!! Ellis makes good use of 16 pages, but not even he can tell a satisfing mystery in that space. An enjoyable read, but by the end it doesn't get anything more than a "meh". And I'm going to go ahead and assume that your GI Joe casting coach was purposfully ironic. Juliette Lewis? Thats hilarious.
I can't get into FELL, but I like the experiment. by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 11:15:51 AM
It's definitely a cool idea, the whole bang-for-buck approach (although ya gotta laugh a bit when a two dollar comic's a bargain), but Ellis's protagonists annoy me like few other protagonists. I mean, how many ways can the guy retool his own personality into a bad-ass template? That's pretty much his "thing" it seems. Write a thinly disguised version of himself, have the character get laid, kick ass, and have a few pages of humanity, and use as backdrop whatever gnarly shit Ellis has been reading about (porn, smoke children, etc.), rinse, repeat. I won't say that I haven't been lured by repetition in plenty of comics - even with all the different approaches to superheroes, say, there's assloads of formula - but Ellis's approach seems that much more self-aggrandizing. I think the guy is pretty much selling the persona he's created for himself, and that IS kinda interesting. Little goes a long way for me, though.
Much as I hate to agree with MovieMack by Homer Sexual	Oct 13th, 2005 11:28:10 AM
His above post is right-on. I already said the GI JOE Casting Couch was lame. This one, even lamer (more lame?). Next time: Suicide Squad casting couch featuring Paul Hogan as Boomerang.
Now this looks like a job for by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 11:33:20 AM
SUPERMAN!
Catherine Zeta Jones is the Baroness, and let no one tell you di by Terry_1978	Oct 13th, 2005 11:34:31 AM
Betta recognize.
GOTHAM COUNTY LINE was the most unintentionally funny book of la by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 11:45:02 AM
Partially for all the reasons Bug mentioned, but mostly because...Niles has Batman wearing a jetpack for about half the issue, blasting around like the Rocketeer! From Grant Morrison, I expect this kind of approach, but when horror-dom's guru tries his hand at Batman, it just comes across as the funniest thing ever. See, when Batman uses the jetpack, his cape furls up like drawstring blinds, and then when he lands, he presses a button on his belt (it's actually marked "CAPE" like it would be on the old '60s show!) and the cape flumps back down! My favorite scene, though, was the panel of Batman saying "Case closed" and blasting off from the middle of a bunch of suburbanites. All it needed was the DRAGNET "Dun-de-dun-DUN!" and it would've been a moment of perfect comedy. ***** On the sunny side: nice art!
Oldman As Cobra Commander! by ZombieSolutions	Oct 13th, 2005 11:50:18 AM
omg, that's poifect! too bad it's all a phantasee... (btw, i thiought FELL #1 was great. i'm in for #2)
Aww, do we have to talk about more G.I. casting? by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 11:50:49 AM
"The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead." Cog Smooches?
I like how all the anti-Casting Call folks are still talking abo by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 12:05:35 PM
Geez, folks, it's only an occasional feature amidst the regular reviews! No one's taking away your candy, and really, is stunt-casting a G.I. JOE movie any more frivolous than speculating on who Mockingbird is or what's gonna happen in INFINITE CRISIS? Search your feelings. You know my words to be true. ***** Dumb joke for readers of Ed Brubaker's CATWOMAN: What do you get when you cross INFINITE CRISIS with Slam Bradley? "Infinite Creezus"! Oh, come on, it's funny.
By the way, what I hate about the line you quoted Heathen... by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 12:08:52 PM
...is that it's meant to be some great, biting insight on Batman's part, but all it really is is a metacontextual comment on how far DC has let Superman slide as a character. I read that comment and I don't think, "Great characterization, Geoff Johns!", I think "DC's unknowingly citing their own emasculation." 'Course I'll have more to say when we Roundtable this beeyotch next week. Just warming up is all.
The last time you inspired anyone... by Homer Sexual	Oct 13th, 2005 12:10:45 PM
That was a good line! Batman is clearly responsible for the deaths of so many people, yet he is all self-righteous with WW. This bugs me. Unfortunately, the whole DC "heroes never kill, never, never, never, no matter what, etc" is absurd. OTOH, Marvel's "kill her!" and having basically the entire cast of Marvel Super Heroes ready to axe Wanda is the reverse problem. House of M #7 vs. Infinite Crisis #1? Which is better, and why? It seems to me that HoM7 indicates that even Magneto was ready to off Wanda, and Pietro creatd the house of M to save her. Is this correct? If so, I no like. OTOH, the last page of IC1 really did not work for me. But I was excited by/about IC.
Infinite Crisis by Psynapse	Oct 13th, 2005 12:40:06 PM
BEST BOOK THIS YEAR: Why? Simple. In the first issue they nailed you in the gut with what the stakes really are for the people in this universe on both the personal and cosmic scale. To be a 'hero' of any type in the DCU right now is to REALLY be risking your life. SPOILER ALERT* While the Freedom Fighters have always been lame in my book they sure went out like pro's. Deathstroke's ginsu special on Phantom Lady was not nice at all. Watching Bizzaro literally beat the Human Bomb's skull into guacamole actually instilled a feeling horror in me. And who didn't LOVE HB's brutal and final take down of Dr. Polaris? END SPOILERS Moreso, The fact that DC has owned up to EVERYTHING they have done to their universe before this was sheer brilliance as far as I'm concerned. I've never seen that kind of intellectual maturity in any marvel book. This ain't no Marvel sux/ DC rox soapbox, just sayin' that in terms of story DC is the far winner if for no other reason the level of maturity occurring in their line. IMHO, as always. (*_^)
A Roundtable!!! Awesome Dave. by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 12:44:02 PM
Can
Well put Psynapse by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 12:47:00 PM
I do agree.
I see what you're saying about that line Dave by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 12:53:25 PM
but at least DC is owning up to it you know? They seem to be trying to put things in order and I applaud them for that. Whatever happens next week at the Roundtable, I'm pretty sure despite whatever faults this issue had, that it will be far better recieved than HoM. I mean, IC #1 got to the devil shit!!! I'm enjoying it greatly so far.
Generation Dumbass? What about Generation Wontbie? by mortsleam	Oct 13th, 2005 12:56:12 PM
Either way, they're both retarded.
Infinite Crisis #1 was keen beans by AstroThunder	Oct 13th, 2005 12:58:45 PM
Mutha fuckin' John Wayne -- Really dug it, wondering what will happen next and where the story is going to go. Shit hasn't just hit the fan in this first issue, it's spattering off the fan blades and hitting people in the general vicinity. Hope that the story doesn't fizzle, it's got a lot of momentum and potential right now.
The best thing about FELL. is that it's paving the way for o by SleazyG.	Oct 13th, 2005 01:13:13 PM
Matt Fraction's CASANOVA will be dropping from Image next spring. Same format, except the debut issue will be double-sized for the same price. The art looks stunning and it's Fraction doing 60's-influenced espionage (more Danger: Diabolik than James Bond, though). Very different from FELL., and with a lot of potential. I believe Image has also contacted a third creator to do the same. The fact Ellis carries enough weight to introduce a different format and have it succeed on this level is pretty damned impressive, and I'm looking forward to what Image has for us as a result.
Wait A Minute? FELL Isn't A Comic Biography Of THREE'S by Buzz Maverik	Oct 13th, 2005 01:15:22 PM
To hell with that noise, then. He played the landlord at the boarding house where Dustin Hoffman stayed in THE GRADUATE, too.
I think IC could be a good thing by DrLektor	Oct 13th, 2005 01:26:52 PM
maybe that's one of the benefits of this latest crisis, so all the heroes can suddenly lose that familiarity we have with them. Any writer can come up with a story and it'll be PC (Post Crisis) and thus something new. Miller's latest batman... okay that was too far for me, but the essence of the dark knight can be summed up in one sentence, revenge on crime. Take that and you have the making of any good batman story, continuity be gone.
What made me say "This Guy Doesn't Get Batman." by Solrider77	Oct 13th, 2005 01:28:04 PM
Pretty much the from the line "There are no such things as Ghosts." or something like that. Granted Batman is supposed to be suspicious, but come on!!! This guy knows DEADMAN, and has met at least three versions of the SPECTRE. Since when does he not believe in an afterlife???
There by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 01:32:03 PM

Heathen, you're definitely onto something by AstroThunder	Oct 13th, 2005 01:44:03 PM
Dido and Johns (and I think even Rucka) have been saying in a bunch of comic convention panels that with IC they wanted to explore the notion of what it is to be a hero. To some extant, this is similar to a lot of Johns' JSA stories where the powerhouses of the past inspire their heroic progeny.
Can we talk about Infinite Crisis next week? by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 01:49:30 PM
Can't we talk about how much Brian Bendis and Cobra Casting Couches suck instead? We have the next 6 months to talk about how much Infinite Crisis sucks.
Now that all the "browncoat nonsense" has passed by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 01:53:42 PM
Serenity TPB w/ Adam Hughes cover out in December * http://tinyurl.com/9d3v6 *
Hey Thalya by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 02:08:13 PM
The new Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid? : )
Yeah...sorry...I second the "No" on Juliette Lewis as the Barone by superhero	Oct 13th, 2005 02:18:38 PM
She's just not sexy enough...sorry...but Zeta Jones isn't the way to go either...this is a tough one...
That last page of Infinite Crisis is awesome! by rev_skarekroe	Oct 13th, 2005 02:20:59 PM
I'm sold! Well, not literally. I mean, I still have no intention of actually PURCHASING the book or anything.
Oh, and Thora Birch as the Baroness. by rev_skarekroe	Oct 13th, 2005 02:22:25 PM
I'm serious. http://www.101lifestyle.com/im ages/celebs/thora_birch/thora_ birch_001.jpg
Backhands SideshowBob by Psynapse	Oct 13th, 2005 02:23:47 PM
That's just it, Bob. Infinite Crisis DOESN'T suck. It rocks nuclear electric acid-spewing donkey balls beeyatch! If it ain't to yours tastes then rock on to your own beat but let the rest of us munch away on our ever-so-yummy comic book feast that it is. I mean, C'mon, (and I repeat) WHEN have you ever seen a publisher say "Y'know what? I know we said all those things never happened with all of the new things that happened. You and I both know that's a crock of sh**. Tell you what, it ALL did happen and we're gonna give you a story that actually addresses that. Oh hey and just for kicks we'll have it written and drawn by 2 pros that are quite arguably the best in the biz right now." I AM YOUR BITCH, DC!! GIVE ME MORE! (Sorry about the last bit, my meds are wearing off) >:P
I haven't read IC by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 02:29:50 PM
And if I do, I'll buy it next week. I just don't want to read spoilers here. Although, I am guessing that if rabid fans of "new-DC" are going nuts over it then I won't like it. DC fans have definitely turned weird over the last year or so. What's up with that?
Thora Birch by chrth	Oct 13th, 2005 02:30:31 PM
I think that pic is a few years old at this point (when she was still a teen) ... do we know what she looks like now? Or is this a recent pic?
Not a by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 02:51:15 PM
Give it a go sideshow. It helps if you've read the original Crisis and are up w/ current events though. If you are I don
rev_skarekroe by Nairb The Movie	Oct 13th, 2005 02:52:57 PM
...you're an idiot. Identity Crisis was sooo good (Plese A$$Holes hold off for a second) because it played off of conituity slighty, but was a self contained story. Infinite Crisis #1 is really just Crisis on Infite Earth # 13.... A sequel to a 30 year old story line is just bleeeech...Hummananna hummananana chickii chickii hock toooey mahnanana blech! But Ex Machina #15 soooo good. Do we get a roundtable anihalating Infite Crisis next week? (probably not because it seems A$$holes are on the Time Warner pay stub) But I still wanna be one...
Let's not stretch the TB this week please by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 02:58:41 PM
* tinyurl.com * rev. And I don't even know what to say to Nairb
See what I'm saying about new-DC fans? by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 02:59:27 PM
It's like Invasion of the Body-Snatchers.
IC... by blackthought	Oct 13th, 2005 03:06:27 PM
is far better than HOM, this much i do know.
Everybody loves blackthought, but what did he think about by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 03:12:38 PM
Everyone Hates Hugo? And what are you saying sideshow?
Famke Janssen as the Baroness -- I dare you to name someone hott by NivekJ	Oct 13th, 2005 03:24:21 PM
Question: Is Serpentor gonna be in this or is that GI Joe 2: Rise of Serpentor? No? How about GI Joe 3: Wrath of Cobra-La? Alright, I'll stop.
Back off, jeeze. by rev_skarekroe	Oct 13th, 2005 03:24:48 PM
Firstly, Nairb, calling me an "idiot" for liking the last page of a comic is a bit extreme. Maybe you should learn to relax. Secondly, Heathen, I'm well aware of how long the urls I post are. I didn't stretch the talkback and have no intention of doing so. Thirdly, chrth, Birch is blonde now (and thinner) but that's nothing a dye job wouldn't fix.
Please don't belittle me for liking something..it disservice by Psynapse	Oct 13th, 2005 03:31:08 PM
Dude, I'm about as old school as you can get. One of my all time favorite stories from childhood was the introduction of the Crime Syndicate. What is exciting about DC's 'new' direction is that it really is new in the fact that they are addressing everything 'old' in the process. Moreover, IC, like Kingdom Come is actually tackling what it means to be a superhero not just some big splodey slugfest. apologizes for backhand (But it WAS a backhand with love man, kinda like spanking your monkey if you will)Sorry, the meds have totally worn off now (*_^)
Sideshowbob: Well as a former Marvel Zombie...DC is where its at by TallScott	Oct 13th, 2005 03:32:16 PM
I used to buy only Marvel but now DC comics are just hitting alot of right notes with me as a Comic Book reader. I dont know why but the Marvel books are rather uninteresting to me. Daredevil bores me to tears, Spiderman did the unthinkable and joined the Avengers and his books are kinda out there, Too many x-books and Woverine is in every team PLUS hes in the Avengers. Talk about overkill! I do still enjoy Astonishing X-men and The Defenders is a very enjoyable read but still ive been buying mostly DC books beacuse they seem to understand that comics are supposed to be fun to read. JSA is the best team book out, IC #1 was great and lived up to the hype, Villians United kicked butt all over the place, and Manhunter is a solid read. They seem to not be locked in like the Marvel books are. You have Plasticman for fun and cartoony, The Virtigo books for more mature reading that no other company can seem to copy ( 100 Bullets is the shiznit ) So now its make mine DC!
Yeah, Niles can't write Batman at all... by Heywood Jablowme	Oct 13th, 2005 03:41:33 PM
What Batman should have said to Gordon was, "Nice slippers, you geriatric retard". If you're going to write Batman, do it right. Sincerely, Frank Miller
Bats has always been the one that wasn't afraid to put Super by Terry_1978	Oct 13th, 2005 04:16:49 PM
It only makes since he calls him on this one.
Famke Janssen as the Baroness... snore by Fantomex	Oct 13th, 2005 04:17:41 PM
Famke Janssen is the "safe" choice. Its the first thing to pop into everybodys mind because she basically already played that character in Golden Eye. And IC #1 > All 7 issues of HoM so far, although the latest issue would have been pretty damn good if Marvel hadn't spoiled the ending.
DC / Marvel by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 04:29:26 PM
I really don't think DC comics are fun to read. No offense to people who feel otherwise. Clearly it's just me and a few others. The DC heroes lately just act so...wussy. It's like the typical DC comic these days is just whine, whine, punch, whine, whine, punch, whine, punch, punch, whine, whine. Seriously, if my friends acted as wussy as the DC heroes do I'd stop hanging out with them...and they're not even (to my knowledge) superheroes. *** Not to let Marvel off the hook--they have their own issues, to be sure. There are more fun books at Marvel, albeit not many overall. *** When I say "new DC fans", I am referring to this recent crop of DC fans who don't love DC as much as they hate Marvel. You see them on the net here and there. "Identity Crisis rules. IN YOUR FACE, MARVEL!" "Oh, Marvel's doing a crossover now--ALL THEY DO IS RIP OFF DC!" It's like reading comics is not even about loving what they love, just hating what they hate. They also tend to strongly feel that what DC is doing now is innovate, original, and edgy. And it's just not any of those things (but don't tell them). But there's nobody here like that, that I know of, but they're out there. *** Ultimately, I think DC and Marvel both suffer from a similar problem: they put too much influence in the hands of their flagship writers (Bendis and Johns), both of whom are very talented and very flawed. And the flaws of those respective writers seeped into their entire lines moreso than what makes the writers great.
hmmmmmmmmm......... by blackthought	Oct 13th, 2005 04:41:53 PM

How Jason Todd Survived by holidill	Oct 13th, 2005 05:11:50 PM
DC Is bringing back the annuals early next year. In the Batman Annual they are going to explain how Jason Todd survived. For anyone who was interested. Oh yeah Catman and Deadshot the new Butch and Sundance. Hell yeah. Villains United # 6 was great. So was IC.
stupid casting choices for GI Joe by lynxpro	Oct 13th, 2005 05:14:51 PM
First off, Destro ain't black. He's Scottish. Second of all, get someone hot to play the Baroness. That would be the same actress who should've played Catwoman, Wonder Woman, or Talia Al Ghul. That would be Monica Bellucci. The only decent casting choice made in this little fanboi column is Sean Bean as Zartan. Donnie Yen should be Storm Shadow. And more importance should be placed on the real leader of GI Joe, which is Hawk, not Duke. A master sargent does not fly planes, or commands officers. Hawk was made a general in the later Marvel Comics.
COBRA! by gundam_negative	Oct 13th, 2005 05:16:18 PM
I would cast a different group: Storm Shadow: Jet Li Cobra Commander: Crispin Glover Zartan: Nic Cage Destro: Jason Statham Baroness: Jennifer Connelly Tomax & Zamot: Tom Cruise Major Bludd: Pierce Brosnan FireFly: Barry Pepper The Dreadnoks: Michael Rapaport, Vinnie Jones, Cole Hauser
minor correction by lynxpro	Oct 13th, 2005 05:18:55 PM
Didn't see that Donnie Yen was listed as the pick for Storm Shadow before I typed my peace/piece...was too fumed over the Destro suggestion. Tomax and Xamot are filler for a sequel. Funny to see that they were obviously inspired by the knife throwing evil twins in Octopussy. Lewis is not hot enough to be the Baroness. And Cobra should be portrayed exactly as it was in the old Marvel Comics...a prelude to the militia movement before the Oklahoma City bombing destroyed the radical movement.
All I'm saying is... by nofate	Oct 13th, 2005 05:19:12 PM
you f...ers better do a lame ass "round table" discussion for Infinite Crisis #1 like you did to House of M #1 otherwise it will confirm my theory that you're all just a bunch of DC ball lickers. 'nuff said
why i like Bob, and "Spoilers" by Homer Sexual	Oct 13th, 2005 05:19:56 PM
Here is why I think Sideshow is great:"I think DC and Marvel both suffer from a similar problem: they put too much influence in the hands of their flagship writers (Bendis and Johns), both of whom are very talented and very flawed. And the flaws of those respective writers seeped into their entire lines moreso than what makes the writers great." Perfectly stated! Now, regarding spoilers: Movie reviews come out the day of the movie, and people know not to read the review if they don't want too much info. These reviews are a week old, and my enthusiasm to discuss the books I read a week ago isn't as high. Plus, I guess I am a ne-plus-ultra geek who buys his comics on Wednesday night and reads at least a couple of them immediately. HoM and IC, for example. Still haven't read Y, Exiles or Ultimate X-Men, all of which I love much more than, say, HoM, but I'm just so curious about HoM and IC, I can't resist.
"all it really is is a metacontextual comment on how far DC has by Gus Nukem	Oct 13th, 2005 05:25:31 PM
Agreed. While reading the book and the various miniseries leading up to it, I felt that the mastermind behind it all, will not be a DCU villain, neither a hero turned villain, nor any multiverse character at all, but will turn out to be the DCU creators themselves. You know, as in Johns and Rucka and Didio and Levitz turning up through an invisible bubble or something and apologizing for the massacre of heroes and worlds in the last two Crises and for the 'dickery' (couldn't find a better noun, sorry) heroes and villains have come to be. If not them, it could be the DCU status quo as a villain (a Morrison concept, perhaps...?). Nah... Personally, my money's on balckthought. ***** It seemed to me that the DCU creators were in fact referring to themselves as the architect(s) of this crisis; and through that they will absolve themselves towards the initial concepts behind the characters and their fans by restoring things to the way they believe they should be. I probably will be proven wrong.
TallScott by Nairb The Movie	Oct 13th, 2005 05:26:34 PM
Liar... You are just saying that to make DC look bad... BY THE BY...Its all relative in the mass more conception of the treaty? Cha?
I agree with Sideshow so much i think we should just merge and b by El Vale	Oct 13th, 2005 05:37:03 PM
Altho' i may be exagerating. But here's my point about the IC: I get what's happening, i get that they're trying to put the heroes through a lot of personal shit in order to come out the other side and say "you know, we've been acting kinda asshole-ish...so let's be heroes again :D"...except of course for all the heroes who will die, to be replaced with other versions of themselves who aren't assholes. I get all that. But to me it feels like it's still about 2 years of rapings and bullets through the heads of heroes and darkness and crying and betraying so that they can finally come to the conclusion that being happy is better than being sad. That's hundreds of comics and dozens of stories and thousands of dollars spent on what should be as simple as an editorial mandate: "Nope, no one's killing Sue Dibny in the DCU! No one's killing the Blue Beetle...sorry." Do heroes really have to wade through all this death and destruction and anal rape to see the light? That doesn't sound heroic to me! And it feels like people are paying lots of money for something that should be quite simple: Make the heroes heroic. Is it REALLY necessary to have an identity crisis and the countdown to the crisis and the mini series that were just a prelude to the crisis (what, like 89 of them?) so that the writers can finally start doing their jobs proper?! I say thee NAY!
Looks Like It's Time For Ol' Buzz To Chime In On The Con by Buzz Maverik	Oct 13th, 2005 05:42:20 PM
I must say I've been waiting a long time for this one! And ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN VOL. 7 did not disappoint a single bit. We've got the whole Gwen Stacey clone/Jackal/Spider-Clone epic. I think yer all on crack! It was so well done that I could over look the part where Peter Parker wondered if he were the clone and not the dead guy. You guys all read it so you know that in the previous issue, a drugged Spidey fought the Jackal and was severely clawed. He would have have cuts and scratches all over his body that Spider-Clone wouldn't have. But the structure, the pace, the tension were so good that this gap in logic (HA! it's about a human spider meeting the clone of his girlfriend who was murdered by a super-villain and having to fight his own clone for identity!)was easily forgiven.
" A master sargent does not fly planes, or commands officers. " by rev_skarekroe	Oct 13th, 2005 05:43:13 PM
Military organizations also do not, as a rule, hire karate experts, astronauts, or football players. Also, they don't let Marines go into battle wearing nothing on top but a powder blue vest. G.I. Joe is a toy.
I haven't gotten around to picking up all them ESSENTIAL SPI by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 05:50:35 PM
...but one of the first comics I read as a kid was the MARVEL TALES reprinting the issue you mention, Buzz, with the Jackal clawing up Spidey something fierce and Spidey's battle with his clown. Damn cool issue, and I forget the artist (it was one of those excellent '70s stalwarts who always gets forgotten), but he knocked that Spidey/Jackal fight outta the park. You really get the sense that Spidey's throwing these clumsy, awkward punches, and the Jackal's just dancing around him, cutting him to pieces. I think he even bashes the downed Spidey with a table. Not bad for a graying old science professor!
But I Bullshit! I Bullshit Because I Love. I Know The Big Book by Buzz Maverik	Oct 13th, 2005 05:50:54 PM
...was ESSENTIAL WEREWOLF BY NIGHT VOL. 1. Bronze age monsters, bay-bee! Big ass lettering. Appropriately schlocky art in places. Writing generally by newbies like Marv Wolfman and Doug Moench who weren't in the league of the superhero writers like Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. I was disappointed that this volume didn't cover the full scope of WEREWOLF, which included Lissa Russell's version of the Darkhold curse and the introduction of a mercenary hired to captured the Werewolf, one Marc Spector: Moon Knight ("Bingo, girls! Split and fast!"). Or, most stupidly, a battle between the Werewolf and Iron Man. Being Marvel, they sometimes superheroized or at least Hulked the Werewolf, giving him Russell's brain or control over the powers. Those were always the weaker stories. Also missing was a kick ass HELL HOUSE rip off yarn by Moench and Don Perlin; also one where Jack almost kills his best friend. The sad thing is that is probably not enough Werewolf for a second volume.
Juliette Lewis is probably the most perverse casting idea for a by iamnicksaicnsn	Oct 13th, 2005 05:51:53 PM
She's ugly and can't act. What was so funny about her in Starsky and Hutch wasn't that she played a dumbass bimbo (which was funny), but the fact that anyone would be her sugar daddy, she's clearly up there on the level of crack whore.
The Artist Everyone Is Talking About Is Ross Andru, Dave! by Buzz Maverik	Oct 13th, 2005 05:57:47 PM
For my money, one of the great Spidey artists who had the misfortune of following Romita Sr. and Kane. The guy was one of the first to experiment with crazy paneling and perspectives. He really could make you feel like Spidey was up in the air. Co-created the Punisher. He did these great realistic settings with outlandish super action taking place within. His flaw, when compared to Romita and Kane, was that his villains did not give off that sense of raw power. I never felt like his Kingpin could bust those spider-ribs like Kane's or that the arms of his Doc Ock could strike with the pile driving force of Romita Sr.'s. He did the quick guys, the ones with agility powers better, like the Jackal. You should check out the Tarantula battle in the previous issue. It's just as good and was the first Spidey comic I ever bought.
BTW Dave, Ya Shoulda Given A SPOILER Warning. Now Everybody Kno by Buzz Maverik	Oct 13th, 2005 06:05:01 PM
...the Jackal was Professor Miles Warren, the only character who kept popping up in all the Jackal stories for no apparent reason and not Aunt May or Robbie Robertson or Peter Parker. I was kept in suspense until he peeled off his silly mask even though the Jackal looked just like Professor Warren. Professor W. had the hots for Gwen Stacey. I've heard some jokers post on the internet that Gwen was bangin' the Goblin and had his bastard children...Gawd, fan fiction sucks!
Hehehe Buzz is so clever and crazy, he misleaded us into thinkin by El Vale	Oct 13th, 2005 06:09:30 PM
Ugh
Hey, Buzz, wouldn't it have blown your mind if the Jackal ha by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 06:10:25 PM
"Pete, you're a helluva good kid. In fact, I was gonna try and get you a fifty cent raise from ol' Skinflint next week. But now I gotta kill ya."
But It Was ESSENTIAL GHOST RIDER That Really Kicked Ass. by Buzz Maverik	Oct 13th, 2005 06:11:13 PM
You can't get more 70s than a motorcycle stunt rider who sells his soul to the devil! It's Evel Knievel meets the Exorcist! We're talkin' insanely, heavy lined garish art and some of the biggest lettering I've ever seen in a comic book. Johnny Blaze even had a romance with DD's ex Karen Page. Some guy who draws really well told me about some fan fiction he did where Karen Page turned out to be a junkie porn star who sold Matt out to the Kingpin. I told him he should stick to artwork.
Unclench, Vale! by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 06:11:23 PM
Nobody harshes Buzz in the middle of a '70s comic flashback if I have anything to say about it.
Being infinitely happy is better than being infinitely sad (and by AstroThunder	Oct 13th, 2005 06:11:43 PM
In terms of the Infinite Crisis stuff, I think
Regarding Duke's role in G.I. JOE comics... by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 06:14:58 PM
From an interview with Larry Hama: "I always had a lot of probs with Duke as the "First Shirt". In a line infantry company, the top kick runs the outfit. He is, without a doubt the most experienced soldier in the unit. In Nam, you might have had First Shirts who had been in WW II and Korea-- and a commanding officer straight out of "Shake and Bake" or ROTC. The main prob I had was that the folks at Hasbro and the writers on the cartoon show just treated Duke as if he was interchangeable with Hawk. This is why Duke was never really developed as a character in the comic. There was also a design prob in that he looked too similar to Hawk. In my own head, I tended to think of Stalker as acting first shirt, especially in the field. There was a character in the Nam comic, Sgt Polkow, who fits the mold of what a first sergeant should really be like-- In a glorified sense. The actual first sergeant in that comic was a bribe-taking SOB, but when the chips were down, he did his job. That is hitting closer to reality."
I Believe You Mean OC, El... by Buzz Maverik	Oct 13th, 2005 06:16:04 PM
...which, btw, no one in California has ever called Orange County. I'm sorry to say that I've never watched the show because I've heard that it features a sensitive, Bendis loving comic book geek who likes new music instead of the Clash as he should. I'm not much of a TV fan.
Who's dying in the Infinite Crisis by El Vale	Oct 13th, 2005 06:17:47 PM
Rich Johnston reports (That's geek for spoiler warning) the following (DO NOT READ, DC FAN!): That Flash guy's gonna bite it, and some other Flash guy will replace him. I love all this crazy Infinite Crisis stuff because it's so original.
Dave, don't mess with me because... by El Vale	Oct 13th, 2005 06:24:17 PM
I'm the only one who laughed at Infinite Creezus. I may be your only friend.
come on Buzz.... by Lord Dork Hata	Oct 13th, 2005 06:34:36 PM
kids are understanding the clash every single day...there hasn't been a band that has matched the passion of them since what....?.....'77....? you best better recognize....
All is forgiven. by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 06:37:06 PM
And I think I'd enjoy Infinite Creezus more than Infinite Crisis. Just seven issues of Slam Bradly beating the shit out of every superhero from every alternate reality in fucking existance. Kamandi? Pistol-whipped into oblivion. The original Huntress who was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman? Biker-stomped. Space Cabby? Face through a goddamn plate window. INFINITE CREEZUS!
Could be, DocFrost... by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 06:41:24 PM
But if so, it was something that came later in his career, 'cause he's definitely an "anything goes" guy when he debutes in BRAVE & THE BOLD. The issue where he becomes an atom bomb is only maybe five or six stories into the collection.
Is Metamorpho alive? Or what? by rev_skarekroe	Oct 13th, 2005 06:43:25 PM
Last time I gave a damn he was dead or in hell with Bizarro. Or something. Or maybe I'm thinking of Guy Gardner. God, I wanna go home.
He lives on in our hearts, Rev. by Dave_F	Oct 13th, 2005 06:50:46 PM
And also in the pages of Judd Winick's OUTSIDERS, so yeah, he might be better off dead. Actually, Winick has two Metamorphos running around, though I was never clear on where the second one came from. I just know that making a duplicate of any superhero is probably a bad idea. Kind of kills the uniqueness factor, dunnit? And for a character like Metamorpho who's pretty much entirely a novelty hero...a particularly bad idea. ***** Related note: I'm not sure if Metamorpho made his first appearance in years in Winick's OUTSIDERS, but Rev, he had indeed seemingly died in the first issue of Grant Morrison's JLA some years back. You might've been thinking of that. Forget the specifics, but he formed a sphere around some other heroes in space to help them survive re-entry. He appeared to've died heroically in the process, but Morrison left the door open for his return by simply classifying him as "inert." That's the kind of death I like. Saves the embarassment of jumping through hoops when you want 'em back.
Dave by El Vale	Oct 13th, 2005 06:52:45 PM
I want you to take Dan Didio's job. Now!
Umm..o-kaaay, I believe the point was missed by a few by Psynapse	Oct 13th, 2005 07:08:09 PM
Quite often in life an individual learns their strength of character by realizing what an asshole they are capable of being. I guess, that's a little too complex for your funny books, huh? If you dont' like it or have your issues with IC that's your gig. Doesn't make it any less of an awesome story to read folks.
Quite often in life an individual learns their strength of chara by El Vale	Oct 13th, 2005 07:37:40 PM
Isn't that Spider Man's origin?
Mockingbird identity revealed on VU cover by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 07:37:57 PM
SPOILER for VU #6. So the real Lex is Mockingbird and the one w/ Calculator is which Lex from what Earth??? I also thought that Pariah couldn
essential ghost rider...you forgot something, Buzz... by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 07:38:11 PM
How many other comics this year had a showdown between Jesus and Satan that revolved around a Hell's Angel with a flaming skull for a head?
You wait for one skarekroe post by proper	Oct 13th, 2005 07:39:07 PM
then 6 come along at once :).AB = The Batman nitpicks all seem legal to me.I'm confused by Infinite crisis,does it work like this?,at the end of this mini series,all the titles in D.C.U. skip a year and then the weekly series kicks off next year and fills the gaps??.Tumbleweed ahoy.
So Infinite Sadness will turn into Infinite Happiness? by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 07:43:19 PM
That must be Bizzarro's involvement, right? Either that or the DCU all starts taking Prozac. Batman: "I was pouting because I didn't think you guys were my super friends anymore after the mindwiping, but now..." (pops pill, cue music) "I can see clearly now the rain is gone! I can see alllllll obstacles in my way! Gone are the dark clouds that had me down! It's gonna be a bright..." (the rest of JLA kicks in on backup vocals) "bright...bright, bright sunshiney day!!" And...scene.
"I think DC and Marvel both suffer from a similar problem: they by The Heathen	Oct 13th, 2005 07:44:19 PM
Well said sideshow. Like I said earlier, I'm just a comic fan in general, but as far as big events for the big two - Infinite Crisis is (finally) off to a great start. HoM is just, so non important feeling and that's the one thing it should feel like. It took me until #5 to be FULLY fed up w/ it (Ihang in there longer than most). I do like my Marvel books too: Astonishing, Supreme Power, Runaways to name a few. Well, it's been a loooong day. I'll chime in tomorrow Cogs. Later.
But wait, there's more! by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 07:46:36 PM
Superman: "I think I can make it now, the pain is gone! All of the bad feelings have disappeared! Here is my rainbow I've praying for! It's gonna be a bright, bright, bright sun-shiney day!" Everybody now!: "Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies! Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skiiiiiiiieeeees!!!"
Sideshowbob... by AstroThunder	Oct 13th, 2005 07:59:53 PM
I think you've got a hit on your hands with the IC musical. Do I smell Tony? You bethca! Nathan Lane as Superman, Matthew Broderick as Batman, and Cady Huffman as Wonder Woman.
Major hero dies? by MCVamp	Oct 13th, 2005 08:09:54 PM
How do they make it fresh? Who hasn't died and come back? Maybe they'll kill Billy Batson? Aquaman? What if they had the balls to off Bruce Wayne? Yeah right. Comics are too expensive anyways. I go to Borders and hang out in the graphic novels section for two hours and I catch up on years of missed comics. Hey, maybe they'll kill Jason Todd!
Gah! Spoiler-toxic TB! by Thalya	Oct 13th, 2005 08:31:55 PM
Heathen, I'll have to get back to you tomorrow night (I saw your one subject line and that's it). I don't get my books until Friday each week because it's the most reasonable day to slip out of work early. Normally my comic shop's closed by the time I get home. But anyway, I'm leaping into this fray just as soon as I can (oh what good week: Zauriel on the cover of JLA, Infinite Crisis has hit, and VU with NO-AH!).
Keep Original Nationalities of Characters. by Gorrister	Oct 13th, 2005 09:10:27 PM
Zartan is a Floridian. His home is the Everglades and I don't recall any evidence that he's from English. Casting Sean Bean as Zartan would be as crazy as casting Keanu Reeves as Stormshadow! Personally, I'd like to see a GI Joe movie filmed with an entire cast of unknown (or little known) talanted actors. Big Names do not automatically mean 'great movie'. Plus, big name celebrities chew up a LOT of the film budget on salaries alone. Better to spend that money on the script. There are tons of talanted, albeit 'unknown', actors out there.
gorrister... by blackthought	Oct 13th, 2005 09:15:26 PM
you mean like me!
and um... by blackthought	Oct 13th, 2005 09:25:11 PM
what is all this HOM and Infinite crisis stuff ppl are talking bout? and what does calculators and cobra commander have to do with it? speaking of cobra commander for some reason i thought vince vaughn should play him...i really don't know why...something to do with maple syrup or something. and when did bendis buy marvel? marvel might as well be called benvel or something to that affect...slott should be given more work, that's all i'minsinuating. ok...i just googled this whole crisis thing and HOM and found out that calculator is some prson minus the cool buttons and that the crisis and hom all stem from batman getting mindwiped and finiding solice in the arms of scientology and nora ephron films. this could all true or i could be very "influenced" by...lights...er...yeah lights. and i'm with the whole catman/deadshot starsky and hutch claims...hell these boys should have a buddy flick starring murtagh and riggs...or maybe maybe......goes blank...
Just thought by Nairb The Movie	Oct 13th, 2005 09:36:06 PM
How come the heroes in the DC verse like in the recent JLA stand around arguing. Why aren't they being attacked by the OMACS? Why don't the OMACS attack them when they were standing around spreading dust? How come they aren't discussing the "looming" OMAC problem?
So no real good books to talk about this week?!? by RickSlamu2	Oct 13th, 2005 09:41:21 PM
With the exception (MAYBE) of the big red cheese and the big blue boy scout, (AND IF YOU DON'T GET THAT ONE YOU SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH FOR FAKING BEING A COMIC FAN!!!) I don't see a whole hell of a lot here! A sex slave story in PUNISHER. While I
OH and i forgot again BOYCOTT X-MEN (and outher x titles) FOR 3 by RickSlamu2	Oct 13th, 2005 09:44:05 PM
December, January and Febuary ! LIKE CAPTION PLANET SAY'S "THE POWER IS YOURS!!!"
Mr. Boycott X-Men by sideshowbob	Oct 13th, 2005 09:53:01 PM
Most of us here don't need to boycott X-Men because we stopped buying it when we realized we didn't like it anymore. And the people who like it, why would they boycott it?
You're right rev. The Marines aren't sent into combat w by Heywood Jablowme	Oct 13th, 2005 10:02:17 PM
They're sent into combat with no mission objective, poor intelligence, incompetent leadership from career desk-jockeys, inadequately armored vehicles, an inadequate amount of body armor, oh, and their uniforms.
Yeah Rick, it's time to let it go pal. Keep it simple, like by Heywood Jablowme	Oct 13th, 2005 10:14:53 PM
Granted, I don't like what Claremont has done lately. But as they say, "this too shall pass". And while I'm no "brownshirt" (please don't burn my house down) I appreciated the work on Astonishing. It was good. Nothing really new though is there? Is there? Whedon's initial run just reminded us all of how good the X-Men used to be back in the day IMHO. Kind of like what's happening over at DC, huh?
They already killed Aquaman, MCVamp. by SleazyG.	Oct 13th, 2005 10:42:46 PM
In the shitfest of a crossover called "Our Worlds At War", in which Guy Gardner and Hippolyta were also killed for no damned reason in an incredibly pointless manner completely lacking in emotional impact. Then he was brought back to life in the distant past as a wave, then somehow ended back up here, then got stuck in a year-long ripoff of an elemental Swamp Thing story that left him with a poorly launched new series and a hand made of mystical water. Honestly, AQUAMAN has been better in the last year than it had been for at least a decade.
Infinite Crisis by faelon	Oct 13th, 2005 11:00:46 PM
*Warning some spoilers here* While I like that DC finally seems to be honestly and full acknowleging in continuity everything that existed before crisis and was the crisis itself, in such a way that doesn't really feel quite as strained as some elements have in the past. I am a little disturbed by the rather clear patern to the recent carnage of mostly B list heroes, both in the clearly stated run up titles and even shortly before that. Blue Beetle - dead, Captain Atom - presumed dead, Freedom Fighters (Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, The Ray, Black Condor, Human Bomb, etc) All dead, the Wizard Shazam and the Rock of Eternity - dead and destroyed, I suspect there are a few others that I missed, but sofar all of the major and dramatic carnage seems to be via sacrificing the characters from Quality Charleton and others. The characters that DC originally retconned into the DC universe as part of Crisis on Infinaite Earths. I am not sure that I am pleased with the wholesale slaughter of these quirky yet classic characters. Right now any character who did not originate within DC is probably sitting with a target over them.
I'm not asking for them to kill off the a-listers... by iamnicksaicnsn	Oct 13th, 2005 11:39:54 PM
but as a casual fan, I don't know that much about the B-listers, and it's been hard to keep track of what in the hell is going on, and who's dying, and who's killing who. That's why I personally liked Day of Vengeance the best: it had the most character development, Villains United came in a close second. They both really just gave you time to get to know and figure out who these characters are, and what's going on. OMAC started out a little confusing, but ended up being alright... but Rann/Thanagar was totally ridiculous. Impossible to follow, except for some of the Green Lantern stuff.
It's so obvious - Superman Will Die in the Crisis! by jocutus	Oct 14th, 2005 12:36:29 AM
Batman dropped that big clue in the first issue. So Supes dies and, um, becomes the new Specter? Yeah, that sounds good. And then the current Superboy will somehow merge with the old Superman grandpa version from Earth-2 and their ages average out to make them into the new Superman. And the whole world will be so inspired that Batman will get pissed of and go on an extended vacation. The two versions of Lex Luthor will merge to form the Brian Michael Bendis of the DC universe and will attempt to kill any beloved heroes holding bow and arrows. Just one question: Is Powergirl Earth 2's Supergirl or the daughter of Earth 2 Superman?
Hold up, faelon... by SleazyG.	Oct 14th, 2005 12:39:16 AM
...haven't got my hands on the book yet, but I knew about some of those casualties. Does The Ray die "on screen", though, so to speak? If he does, there's no need to freak out about all the deaths, cuz not all of 'em will be permanent. I read over ten pages of questions w/Geoff Johns yesterday at Newsarama about this, and he kept talking about how much he like Ray and wahted to use him next year. It didn't sound like he was just messing around, either...it was in the form of pretty sincere answers to questions posed by fans.
SleazyG: Ray is alive by jocutus	Oct 14th, 2005 12:55:16 AM
He was dragged off by Psycho Pirate, who I think still remembers the original crises and all the multiple earths.
Oh, Almost forgot to say by jocutus	Oct 14th, 2005 12:56:48 AM
Spoiler warning!! Was that too late?
imagine by blackthought	Oct 14th, 2005 12:58:25 AM
what one could do with a hand made of water...hmmm...
They'd better not kill everyone in the DCU by El Vale	Oct 14th, 2005 01:27:47 AM
Or else all this thematic complexity they're striving for goes the way of the dododododo. Instead of having your characters learn stuff, why not kill them all and replace them with younger people? DC wouldn't do that because Alex Ross' head would explode.
My COBRA picks ('cause you were all waiting) by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 01:41:01 AM
The guy who said the cast should be unknowns is, of course, right. Not just for because a lot of us are using actors who'd never reduce themselves to a JOE movie, but because when you look up on the big screen, ideally you want to be seeing a character and not a known actor. But saying "use unknowns" is boring for purposes of generating geek-talk, and a few name or semi-name actors can actually be a good thing, so without further ado: COBRA COMMANDER: William Fichtner (though I like the Oldman option too) *** BARONESS: Famke Janssen (sometimes the easy choice is also the perfect one, but Monica Bellucci is a good second option, and a dyed Rebecca Demornay works for me too -- ya can't go too girly on this one, people; Baroness needs a few years on her) * DESTRO: Billy Zane (Jason Statham has the physique, too, but can he convert his Brit accent to Scots?) * DR. VENOM (old school, baby!): Rutger Hauer * MAJOR BLUDD: Sam Neill * STORM SHADOW: No strong feeling on this one, but Bug's Donnie Yen pick seems a-ok. * FIREFLY: I'm gonna steal Sean Bean from the role of Zartan and cast him as Firefly. I'd never pull the mask off the character, but Bean's got piercing, scary eyes (picture him with the ski-mask in PATRIOT GAMES) so that'd be just fine. * ZARTAN: Guy Pierce. **** Trust me, these are the parts they were all born to play. All we'd need to polish it off is director John McTiernan transported through time from his peak the '80s where he made three of the all-time great action movies with guns: DIE HARD, PREDATOR, and HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. Remember that scene in PREDATOR where Arnie and company blow up that guerilla encampment and seemingly mow down half of South America in the process? 100% G.I. Joe, baby. Incidentally, of the Cobra stable of villains, for a first movie I'd seriously consider going only with Cobra Commander, the Baroness, and maybe Major Blood or Storm Shadow as their special agent. Destro you hold out for the sequel, because everyone knows he's so cool he's going to need a whole movie to dominate. Whatever goes on in the first outing (a variant on the first G.I. JOE issue?) I'd suggest, for the sequel I'd do a heavily-modified version of the Joe's first mission in Sierra Gordo (Kwinn, Doc Venom) and the subsequent adventures that culminated in Major Bludd trying to off Destro at Cobra Commander's behest. That'd be the bad-guy subplot, anyway, but the main plot would culminate with an adaptation of the issue where Cobra thinks they've pinned down the Joe HQ and we see Venom, Kwinn, and a few other sacrificial lambs die in the big showdown. This second flick would put the villains very much on the offensive and maybe even spotlight their soap operatics a bit over that of the heroes. The heroes would still get the Snake-Eyes/Kwinn sub-plot, though, and that'd kick ten kinds of ass. As for the third movie: gotta be the creation of Cobra Island, a tangible victory for the bad guys that'll remain even when the Joes drop the hammer on Cobra's secondary scheme of the movie. Ripcord would be the breakout character of the third movie, tracking girlfriend Candy onto Cobra Island for a stunningly brutal showdown with Zartan on the rain-swept shore: Ripcord's starlight scope rifle versus Zartan's compound bow and steel-tipped arrows. Tell me that wouldn't kick ass.
Oh yeah, and... by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 03:33:07 AM
The Drednoks, love 'em though I do, are likely too dated and outrageous in concept to use. BUT...if they did make the scene, they've gotta be Aussies or, in the case of leader-guy with chainsaw, a Brit: http://tinyurl.com/d2mz7 Any ol' wrestler just won't do because the Drednoks tape into a very specific '80s fear: nihilistic Australian biker gangs! You can thank George Miller for that one. As if the threat of nuclear destruction wasn't enough, he just HAD to go and throw a bunch of his countrymen into leather and scare the bejeezus out of us. ***** Also: Tomax and Xamot are NOT to be used. Some smoove-talkin' businessman type would replace 'em as our window in Cobra's Crimson Guard infliltrators. No psychic twins, though. Cheesy as G.I. JOE can be...they yet cheapen it.
Actually, only one of the Drednoks was Australian. by rev_skarekroe	Oct 14th, 2005 08:46:19 AM
The others were Welsh and English.
Death and Rebirth. by Shigeru	Oct 14th, 2005 09:09:18 AM
Can music be summed up in 2 words? Tension and Release. That's what this whole thing is about. It's what a lot of great art is about. It's kinda what life is all about, no? Going through something and seeing what's on the other side.
On a lighter note, I read IC #1 late last nite right before bed. by Shigeru	Oct 14th, 2005 09:20:32 AM
NOT a good idea. My dreams were filled with obscure DC characters battling in space and killing each other. wtf. And all through reading that book I was on the verge of "Wha-huh???" I thought I was pretty well caught up but I guess not. Well I guess a lot of it is intentionally vague and will become more clear as time goes on.
Hurry up Thalya! by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 10:25:28 AM
This afternoon/night is going to be hell for me at work, but I'll be waiting to know what you thought. *** Benvel. Speaking of which
Hawkeye lives motherfucker!!! by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 10:26:52 AM
What?
Say. You're right, Rev. by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 10:30:55 AM
I just got pwned.
Heathen - you're telling me! by Thalya	Oct 14th, 2005 10:52:53 AM
I've got 7 hours til I can get to the shop and get my books, and then add at least an hour so I can get done reading them! Augh! Just be warned, when I get in here, I'm coming in with a vengeance. Expect BANGs, ZOOMs, and much wild and crazy behavior on my part. That and very long posts..
What about by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 11:00:15 AM
KRAKA-BOOOMs? Gotta have one of those.
While you're at your shop pick up Spike: Old Times by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 11:03:03 AM
It was quite the enjoyable read with some great art too. It was my first Buffyverse comic and a damn fine start thanks to Peter David.
******SUPERMEGA MAYBE SPOILERS I JUST READ ABOUT BUT YOU PROBABL by ZombieSolutions	Oct 14th, 2005 11:07:39 AM
okay, i'm not nor have i been a regular comics shopper for quite some time. i usually pop in to the shoppe a few times a year and buy a binch of TPBs and random issues of various titles, so i am way out of touch with the latest MARVEL/DC housecleaning market strategies they pull out of their collective hat every couplea years. that being said, is it true that there are no more mutants? that in HOUSE OF M, somehow all the mutants have been wiped out? for real? please feel free to spoil the shit out of me, cause i just want to know. if the story is cool enough, i'll buy the HOUSE OF M tpb whenever it comes out... the whole DC crisis thing just sounds confusing. theres like 35 different earths? wtf? whatever.
ZombieSolutions SPOILERS HoM by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 11:23:05 AM
That's what it looks like at the end of HoM #7 doesn't it? But there is still (thank god) one issue left to sum it up rather quickly. Mutants can't be wiped out permanently for the sake of Marvels sales alone. Even the crappy X books (Uncanny and X-Men) sell like hot-cakes. Not to mention that Whedon and Cassaday are doing another 12 issues of Astonishing X-Men and Peter David is starting up a new X-Factor as well. And yeah, the DC thing IS confusing (especially if you haven't read the orig Crisis or any of the Countdown minis), but more has happened in the first issue of Infinite than in 3 or 4 or even 5 issues of HoM. That said, HoM #7 wasn't near as bad as #6, it actually progressed the story, Hawkeye might have died again, Qucksilver was the cause of it - not Magneto, and Wanda freraked out again and apparently wiped out all of mutantkind. My biggest complaint w/ #7 was the art. The panels are hard to follow w/ all the action and have I mentioned my dislike for square heads? There you have it. Hope it helps.
Wanda "freaked" out by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 11:25:26 AM
Hey Kal-El, can I borrow your Warnagler? Where you at buddy?
HoM & Mutants: Spoilers by Psynapse	Oct 14th, 2005 11:42:13 AM
There's an article currently up in Newsarama. It's an interviw with Joe Q. Cliffs notes version: Marvel has finally realized that they've gone completely overboard with mutants and X-books in general. They are not gettting rid of either obviously but in Joe's own words they want to 'put the genie back in the bottle' on both fronts. The Marvel U mutant population is about to return to the 1960's numbers and there is a STRICT mandate that no new mutant characters be created for some time. This is the editorial direction of Marvel for the next 5 to 6 years according to Joe. Now you know.....(*_^)
Infinite Crisis is the most shamelessly manipulative piece of cr by Delete Me	Oct 14th, 2005 11:45:35 AM
The ending, with its return-of-the-Golden-Age and its "This looks like a job for Superman," is meant to instill in us a higher sense of What Heroism Is, so that we embrace the book and its repudiation of the Bad Dark DC we've been getting for the last five years. But for fuck's sake, this book is put out by the same damn people who MADE Batman an unforgivable asshole, turned Superman into a whiny chump, and Wonder Woman into an cold, emotionally alien killer. So how exactly am I supposed to clap and praise DC for retoring Nobility And Heroism to the world when they've spent the last half of a decade pissing all over it? You don't get thanks for saving the buring building you deliberately set on fire.
Oh, and House of M sucked, too by Delete Me	Oct 14th, 2005 11:47:19 AM
But I imagine everyone knows that. Just didn't want to sound all "partisan."
re: astronauts in paramilitary organizations, etc. by lynxpro	Oct 14th, 2005 11:49:53 AM
Uhm, newsflash...the majority of the astronauts (astronauts who pilot the shuttle) have been military pilots, thus astronauts being part of GI Joe is not unrealistic. It would just be another military assignment. As for uniform differentiation in a film, that would be handled exactly like how Bryan Singer did with "X-Men". They all get the same uniform style with a few personal modifications. I agree with what Dave_F recommended for the most part, but I'd still place Bellucci at the tops for Baroness. She's hotter than the other names, she is European and already has a cute accent, and unlike Rebecca Demorney or Famke, you don't have to smear Vasoline across the camera lense to hide the wrinkles...even though Bellucci is also in her 40s now. Finally, going with no-names doesn't pay off anymore. Serenity being a case point, box office wise.
Delete me... by Psynapse	Oct 14th, 2005 12:19:19 PM
Don't worry you didn't come across as partisan at all, merely whiny. Just a thought: Maybe DC realized the direction they've been going in ain't so great and this is how they're gonna fix it. If you're so down on what they're doing how about this: SHUT UP AND QUIT BUYING THE BOOKS. Sorry for the caps but your argument against IC is way too obviously a personality statement on your part and not an actual critique of the material at all. Me? I'm squarely in DC's corner rightnow and willing to take on ALL naysayers. Don't like what's going on?
No names isn't the main factor for small B.O. by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 12:19:44 PM
Into the Blue had Jessica Alba and Paul "bro" Walker in freaking bathing suits the whole movie and it tanked far worse than Serenity. Wallace and Gromit is not too well known in the states and it debuted at the top w/ $16 million. And nobody went to see the original Matrix because it starred that brilliant actor Keanu Reeves did they? Then there's also the date the movies are released (September/October and January/February suck usually) and marketing budgets as well among other things.
Too many mutants? No more new mutant characters for some time? by Shigeru	Oct 14th, 2005 12:20:20 PM
Didn't Joe Q create X-23?? Yikes.
You don't get thanks for saving the buring building you deli by The Heathen	Oct 14th, 2005 12:22:27 PM
Yeah you do. Seriously, those people thanked me and would have been far more burnt if I let the whole fuckin house burn! Get what I'm saying?
Damn this cheap ass dumb terminal at work! by Psynapse	Oct 14th, 2005 12:24:01 PM
Posted before I was done! Impudent machine! As I was saying: Put your money where your mouth is and quit buying the books if you don't like what's happening. The writing IS on the wall and what's gonna go down is what's gonna go down. I've lost interest in anything Marvel is doing other than Runaways. DC however, has me wanting more. Raises flame/bulletproof shield
Come on guys Sigorney Weaver by CrichtonAstronut	Oct 14th, 2005 12:48:52 PM
is the only one who can Baroness or you know...Claudia Black.
Sigourney's still got it, but for the Baroness... by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 12:55:24 PM
...a bit too grandmotherly. Claudia Black would work, though, and is probably more realistic for the kind of actors a movie like G.I. JOE would draw. ***** In other news: did no one read my PLASTIC MAN review? You have make me sad. No wonder the book's getting cancelled...
Actually, making Alex Ross' head explode... by SleazyG.	Oct 14th, 2005 01:28:51 PM
...is motivator enough for me to want to kill off all the old timers, much as I love those guys. Ross' art can look pretty, sure, but what a tool. "I grew up looking at these old heros when I was a kid, so they're the only ones that count! Who cares what other people like? I want it my way!" Stick a sock in it, pal. We have him (thanks to his spearheading the movement quite vocally for years) to thank for the return of Hal Jordan and the sidelining of Kyle. Still cheeses me off.
The resolution of House of M isn't that hard to figure out, by SleazyG.	Oct 14th, 2005 01:36:16 PM
I mean, I've known the answer for, what, at least six months now? It's this simple: Marvel announces a big storyline affecting the entire Marvel Universe and directly tied to mutants. Marvel announces HoM follow-up title called 198. Gee, I wonder how many mutants will be left alive at the end of HoM #8?
Apparently you can't dislike Infinite Crisis in this board * by El Vale	Oct 14th, 2005 01:53:33 PM
So the guy goes to the store and buys Indefinititivity Crisis because of all the hype and happens to DISLIKE it because, after all he's a human being and is entitled to opinions and shit, and he gets the DON'T LIKE IT DON'T BUY IT argument? Already?! I get what the guy's saying, "You don't get thanks for saving the buring building you deliberately set on fire" perfectly sums up what i feel about this project: Listen kids, we know the books have been bad for a while now, but here's the twist...wait for it...it was intentional!!! You've been spending your hard earned money on intentionally bad comics :D LOL". Yeah, make mine Vertigo.
Speaking of Vertigo...how great was FABLES this week? by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 02:04:03 PM
Bringing in the Arabian fables gives the series a terrific shot in the arm. It's one of those rarest of rare titles that really never lets me down. I'm not as thrilled with the one-shot backstory issues as with the ongoing story, but I've yet to hit a stinker. Best comic on the stands.
Aww poor Vale.... by Psynapse	Oct 14th, 2005 02:04:31 PM
It's funny how you slammed my point of view yesterday but can't take it in return. You wanna bash DC and IC? Have at it then, just don't expect me to sit back and let you and the rest rant unchecked. After all, it's not like you're doing me or anyone else that likes it that favor either now are you? As the old saying goes: 'You can dish it out but you can't take it, huh?'Don't want your anti-DC slant taken to tack? Better take it elsewhere then because I am here for the duration. (*_^)
So, Vale by Gus Nukem	Oct 14th, 2005 02:07:32 PM
have you got around to 'getting' the 303 books from the 'DC' source I mentioned a while back? That is in the case you can't get them from your lcs, of course. If you haven't, what are you waiting for? If you 've read them, tell me what you thought.
I read your Plastic Man review Dave by sideshowbob	Oct 14th, 2005 02:11:32 PM
I like that book quite a bit but I never buy it because it costs $3 and takes 3 minutes to read. The thing is if it were Marvel they'd also put them out in $6-$7 digests which would be perfect for the material in every way. I did read one Plastic Man last November with President Lex Luthor that spoofed the Bush administration and Identity Crisis in one brilliant issue. The last panel was something like Superman saying "I'm sorry about all this, I'm just overly emotional because of the Identity Crisis," with Luthor saying "Well, I wouldn't know about that. I'm waiting for the trade." Genius!
Awww poor Psynapse by El Vale	Oct 14th, 2005 02:24:56 PM
He's like angry or something...relax guy! I can totally take a whole bunch of shit, don't worry hugs Psynapse, i just happened to think your point was "If you don't like it, i'm here to tell you you're wrong, bitch!". And no i don't expect you to "sit back and take it" because where's the fun in that? Oh and i don't AGREE with what i THINK IC is APPARENTLY about and suddenly i'm anti-DC?
Gus by El Vale	Oct 14th, 2005 02:27:11 PM
Ohhh the shame! A thousand pardons, no i haven't dled 303 yet...i'm dling this huge Garth Ennis DC file for his Hellblazer issues and Hitman...but i'll get around to it my man!
Dave i also read your Plastic Man review by El Vale	Oct 14th, 2005 02:29:48 PM
Made me want to buy the book, i congratulate you sir, your work is done.
anybody that hasn't read the original Crisis: by Shigeru	Oct 14th, 2005 02:45:41 PM
read that newsarama article. cleared lots up for me.
No fair Vale! by Psynapse	Oct 14th, 2005 03:16:44 PM
Dude it is NOT cool to make me laugh when I'm on a rampage! Point taken, (LMFAO actually), slaps vale on rear. It's all good but I stand behind my 'don't like it, don't buy it' stance all the way. it's the only way I've ever spoken to either of the Big 2. (*_^)
so....um.... by blackthought	Oct 14th, 2005 03:32:15 PM
when do we get a catman/deadshot monthly?
Does Anybody Think We're About To See ULTIMATE HOUSE O' by Buzz Maverik	Oct 14th, 2005 03:43:53 PM
I think Wanda is the traitor in the Ultimates. I think she killed Hawkeye. Millar isn't a linear kinda guy and skipping to modern day Marvel would be a cool way to go out.
Sideshow Is Right About Jesus Vs. Satan In ESSENTIAL GHOST RIDER by Buzz Maverik	Oct 14th, 2005 03:50:06 PM
...which preceded the bout the South Park kids watched on pay-per-view by about 20 years. I'm hoping that Marvel can scrape together an ESSENTIAL MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE just so I can re-experience the story from ADVENTURES INTO FEAR in which Morbius swam through a sea of blood without realizing it and encountered a demon called Helleyes who was sort of green shmoo with eyes all over its' body. Helleyes ruled this island and was off his rocker. He taunted Morbius like Bugs Bunny heckling Elmer Fudd. I loved Morbius' reaction when, dying of blood lust, he realized he'd been through fathoms and fathoms of blood. He was trapped there with a cool, Kolchak-like police man named Simon Stroud who should have been given his own Marvel supernatural series, sort of a monster X-FILES.
Spawn's glowing green member by SleazyG.	Oct 14th, 2005 04:07:44 PM
Wow, great call on that cover for the "milestone" issue #150, McFarlane. No, seriously, check out this link: http://tinyurl.com/an6qt It's hilarious. You know what isn't hilarious? How high the sales numbers on SPAWN still are in today's market. I mean, I don't know anybody who actually reads it. Crazy.
I probably will vote with my $$ by Homer Sexual	Oct 14th, 2005 04:20:08 PM
If DC goes back to the cornball "silver age" style, I would drop pretty much every DC book I purchase. And if post-HoM Marvel is boring, I will drop it as well. I spend way too much on comics as it is, so if both of the big 2 are "going back to a simpler time," well I can save me a little money.
Personally As A Fan, I'm In The Don't Like It Don't by Buzz Maverik	Oct 14th, 2005 04:50:36 PM
...but I've come to understand that many fans are completists. A buddy of mine is generally unhappy with Bendis' DAREDEVIL but he has a complete collection of DD so he continues on, knowing what the Bendii don't, that it will change and new eras will come. I skipped all of the last CRISIS simply because Quixote or somebody reviewed the first issue instead of me and I was really busy at work and read almost no comics for about six months in '04 and never felt any need to go back. But I can see how some fans would want to know what's going on even if it wasn't their cup of drippings. Then, you get into stuff like HOUSE O' M. What do you do when you like one issue, dislike the next, hate the next, kinda like the next, etc (if yer reviewing you might as well hate 'em all because unless you love it all, yer writing insulting replies to Bendii e-mail until BMB grows hair). Since I got fired from reviewing (you rent the @$$hole clubhouse out for one illegal sex change operation and everybody craps their pants; like I wasn't going to cut them in on the dough and like they had to do anything...okay, I did ask Sleazy to close for me while I mixed up a pitcher of margaritas but since I make the best margaritas in the whole @$$hole organization, I feel it was justified) I've had no trouble dropping HOUSE O' M and haven't missed it. Now, I just buy what I like which is the Marvel Essentials. I gotta get into the DC SHOWCASES, too, but once a Marvel Zombie, always...uh, close for me, Sleazy, everybody's glass is lookin' a little low...
I don't think they'll really go back, Homer. by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 04:54:54 PM
There's just too much value in keeping the current audience happy, and sales tell the story on what current audiences like. I know Mark Waid blabbed that everything at DC was going old school after the CRISIS stuff wrapped, but if it's as simple as he made it sound, I'll eat my hat. Hell, I've got the "old fart" gene and even I don't want a true return to the Silver Age - maybe just something closer to the way DC looked immediately after the first CRISIS (that was when I signed on, by the way). I can see DC maybe, just maybe returning to that approach (and I remind the court that this was the era when Wonder Woman killed several baddies without remorse and Supes offed the Phantom Zone crooks, execution-style), but even on that count I'm skeptical. I think "Silver Age" in a modern context means stuff like Geoff Johns' FLASH, which had plenty of dark turns, or maybe something like Morrison's JLA run. But we'll see. It's the rape and murder stuff that's had DC enjoying a decent number of converts from the Marvel crowd of late. What kind of business decision would it be to ignore such a rare victory?
Oh, and thanks for the vote of confidence on PLASTIC MAN, y' by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 05:01:00 PM
Reviewers have really low senses of self-esteem, so we need all the compliments we can get or we'll just start doling out negative reviewers to lash back at the world. C'mon, it's Psych 101. (Seriously: Thanks. Ya never know if you're talking into the wind sometimes...)
Don't Know About DC, But I Think HOUSE O' M Fall Out Cou by Buzz Maverik	Oct 14th, 2005 05:07:02 PM
I think, if done right, it could modernize Marvel, make it more realistic. One reason I enjoy THE ULTIMATES so much from time to time is that Bryan Hitch's art conveys the freakishness, the oddity of these characters in their world. People think Millar is making it realistic because he has the characters behave like jerks and talk like ... well internet geeks like us ("Who'd play AICN in a movie? Uh, well, if Vince Vaughn would shave his head he could play Ambush Bug and if Owen Wilson would dye his hair black, he could play Sleazy. We got Paulie Shore for See Thru and some Latin guy for El, either Tom Cruise or Richard Gere for Homer...") but it's really Hitch showing us how unusual the characters look that provides the realism. Superheroism (and its' sub-category mutation) should be rare, freakish and bizarre. Mutants are never the next step in evolution. In nature, most mutants are sterile. They shouldn't go back to 60s style (why would they do that? we can read the originals any time we want) but the number of super characters actually made more sense and was more realistic.
The Template For Modern Marvel Mutants Should Be... by Buzz Maverik	Oct 14th, 2005 05:13:57 PM
...Theordore Sturgeon's novel MORE THAN HUMAN (the same characters behave like X-Men at times and Brotherhood at others) instead of latter day Claremont. But, man, if they could hit on 26 year old Claremont style working with newcomer Dave Cockrum...it ain't fine art, but it's gritty rock and roll, bay-bee!
In a weird way, I kind of like Alex Ross's insufferable jerk by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 05:17:23 PM
And not just because he's old-school, either. Anyone who's read interviews with him knows he's not just an old-school generalist - no, he's got this uber specific, "You have to have been me, Alex Ross, watching SUPERFRIENDS in 1977, but even then imagining it done all realistic-like!" version of old-school running through his head that's just insane. So what interests me is that because of the guy's craft level and undisputed crowd-pleasing ability (f which I'm only occasionally a fan), he's got so much power that he can say pretty much anything without fear of reprisal from his bosses and he can even pick and choose what he wants to do. He's a bit like Byrne at his peak, but maybe even more of a superstar. Personally, I like the avant-garde Grant Morrison kind of superstar better, but Ross is still interesting to watch. Remember when he crowed about Hal coming back? Ooh, I bet you were ready to kill him there, Sleazy! It was fascinating, though. Here's a guy who was actually working for DC then and there, and he was all but saying "Kyle Rayner sucks ass." It's one of those cases Buzz talks about sometimes, where the creators exceed their creations when it comes to drama. I guess sometimes it's fun to watch a jerk in the spotlight. It's also occasionally fun to watch 'em go down in flames, but Ross seems relatively flame-retardent these days.
"Winick has two Metamorphos running around" by Immortal_Fish	Oct 14th, 2005 05:35:40 PM
Yessir. In fact, the origin of the "woogedy" Metamorpho running with the Outsiders was explained when the real, more "clean-edged" version showed up to absorb the double back into his system. Yes, I agree Morph is an expendable commodity hero, but the story was an interesting riff on the standard issue clone dillema -- which is to say, "If they are capable of independant thought and reason, then are they human?" Morph was adamant early on, claiming that the imposter was no more than a hair or nail clipping, once a part of his being that had been offshot and he aimed to claim possession of what was rightfully his. Later on, the group succeeded in getting the real Morph to reconsider, but only after a healthy bout of Morph on Morph action.
Hey, I agree wit Buzz! by sideshowbob	Oct 14th, 2005 05:52:10 PM
I love the "freak" aspects of the Ultimates, and of superheroes in general. Morission knew the X-Men were really fucking weird and wrong, and wrote them that way. Bill Seintkeiweitcxz and Bret Blevins both knew this about the New Mutants, and drew them this way. I love the idea that these superheroes are fucked-up freaks, because they are! It'll take me some time but I have a mental list somewhere in my head of writers and artists who conveyed the "freak" aspect of the characters best (with Steve Ditko being their godfather). It's also why I've always gravitated more to Marvel than DC. How can you have a character like Hawkman and treat him normal? Look at him, for crying out loud! That character design...that weapon! Hawkman should be cool. He should be punk-rock cool. And yet I've never read a book with Hawkman and thought "wow, he's cool". Bah. *** As for your DC Essential...I mean, Showcase books, Buzz: while I'm enjoying the Superman one quite a bit in small doses, I'd bet even money that Jonah Hex will be the first really compelling one.
the warnagler is all your heathen by Darth Kal-El	Oct 14th, 2005 05:54:46 PM
just gas it up before u bring it back! great reviews sorry im late but work is CRAZY!why cant people pay their mortgages on time so i can spend more time on comic book message boards.*puts arms on vale and psynapse shoulers*im glad im not going to have to give my "this message board is a friendly place dont ruin it" speech. you boys play nice.
Best margarita? by sideshowbob	Oct 14th, 2005 06:01:22 PM
I could go for a margarita right now. But it's autumn so I'll go with hot apple cider and Wild Turkey (I know, I know, I can't afford Maker's or Knob Creek right now--leave me alone). But my boss just got me the Land of the Dead directors cut DVD for my birthday so I'm going home to kick up my feet with some Wild Turkey and watch that. Talk about living!
Bob, you ever read Ostrander's HAWKWORLD? by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 06:06:54 PM
I dunno if it was "punk rock cool", but I thought Ostrander did a pretty great job of making Katar both an asskicker and political revolutionary. Had him wearing Tim Truman's sci-fi version of the costume, though, not the bare-chested classic. ***** Oh, and on the topic if "freak artists", I think that was one of the things I liked about two of the stalwarts on Morrison's NEW X-MEN: Frank Quitely and the much-loathed Igor Kordey. But I was totally into Kordey's stuff, hurried as he's admitted it was. Paul Pope draws good freaks, too. If he were to draw a mainstream book (and yes, I know I've railed against this stuff before), I'd want him on a sexy, weird revamp of NEW MUTANTS that took Sienkiewicz's run as its guiding light. Freak artists! Good topic!
Report back on LAND OF THE DEAD. by Dave_F	Oct 14th, 2005 06:09:12 PM
I was on a zombie high after the fine that was 28 DAYS LATER and the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake (haters, step off), and I ended up passing on LAND because I was actually afraid it might taint said high. I gotta know. Tell me if the food's poisoned or not.
"and Supes offed the Phantom Zone crooks, execution-style" by superhero	Oct 14th, 2005 06:17:18 PM
Yeah but Supes also went freaking nuts after that and went all Sybil on us if you remember forming his own badass wannabe Batman split personality identity know as Gangbuster because of the "choke" horror of what he had to do...lame. That's when I knew that the greatness of the re-vamped Superman wasn't going to last. That and Bibbo...christ, talk about another awful idea...
Land of the Dead by sideshowbob	Oct 14th, 2005 06:41:33 PM
It turns out the deleted stuff is an aside, not edited in a la LOTR. Though I haven't watched it yet. The movie itself is great though. If you can get past the transparent allegory of a plot and the somewhat expositional dialogue, there's some great gore, and a truly sly, wicked, dark sense of humor. I mean, it opens up with a zombie brass band crudely playing their instruments in a gazeebo...talk about having me at hello!
freak artists by sideshowbob	Oct 14th, 2005 06:46:08 PM
Well, there are some obvious ones...Jae Lee, Sam Keith, Richard Corben. I think Steve Dillon qualifies, and I'd LOVE to see him on a book like Fantastic Four (never happen). Juan Bobillo--too cute? I don't know, but I'm so thankful Marvel's giving Juan another go-around. Old-school freak artists? That may be a Buzz topic. By the way, what is it with so many "freak artists" (Quitely, Corben, Dillon, Bobillo) and their chins?
Mutant Massacre by hamgravy	Oct 14th, 2005 07:05:57 PM
For what it's worth, Marvel is soliciting a limited-series called something like "X-Men: The 198" (not to be confused with "The 4400"). I'm wildly here guessing that there will be approximately, if not exactly, 198 mutants left in the Marvel Universe after HoM. Since JoeQ has been tipping this for a while now, where is the excitement/ impact in it actually happening. Does anyone care? What about the 17 comic readers under the age of 25? Now known as "The 17."

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