The Matchstick

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2008-06-28T14:05:00.004-04:00

Moon

2008-05-15T19:58:00.001-04:00

Works Cited

2008-05-01T17:10:00.003-04:00

for Comic Books: Modern American Mythology

· -Adams, Neal; O’Neil, Dennis. Green Lantern * Green Arrow. Vol. 1-2. New York, New York. DC Comics. 2004.

· -Brownstein, Charles; Eisner, Will; Miller, Frank. Eisner/Miller. Canada. Dark Horse Books. May, 2005.

· -Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With A Thousand Faces (third edition). Princeton, NJ. Princeton University Press. 1973.

· -Campbell, Joseph; Moyers, Bill. The Power of Myth. New York, NY. Anchor Books. July, 1991 (originally published in 1988)

· -Didio, Dan (editor - various writers). Showcase: Legion of Superheroes. Vol. 1-2. New York, New York. DC Comics. 2008.

· -Falk, Ben. “Comic Books: The American Mythology”. April 18, 2005.

· -Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York, New York. Warner Books. 1969.

· -Jacobs, Will; Jones, Gerard. The Comic Book Heroes: From the Silver Age to the Present. New York, New York. Crown Publishers, Inc. 1985.

· -Kidd, Chip; Ross, Alex; Spear, Geoff. Mythology. New York, NY. Pantheon Books. 2005.

· -Oeming, Michael; Wagner, Matt. “Michael Avon Oeming Takes On Matt Wagner”. May 12, 2006.

· -Ross, Alex; Waid, Mark. Kingdom Come. New York, NY. DC Comics. 2006.

· -Smith, Ron. Mythologies of the World: A Guide to Sources. Utah State University, Utah. National Council of teachers of English, 1981.

somehow this isn't surprising

2007-09-18T19:54:00.001-04:00

phoenix design

2007-06-12T00:22:00.000-04:00

Top 5 for 2006

2006-12-11T23:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally managed to pick my top 5 books for 2006... this was a grueling process as there were many books that I enjoyed this year. Anyway, here's what I came up with!

#5
X-Factor (Peter David)

One of the only Marvel books I like anymore! Well, at least that's part of their usual continuity. Peter David has made characters that I never really cared for seem new and interesting while maintaining an incredible overall story. You can't ask for more than that!

#4
52 (various)

A good, consistent, weekly comic... not to mention an event comic that actually introduces new readers to DC. It was somewhat hit and miss early on, but it picked up fast. The Black Adam family has been one of the more interesting stories, but this book is almost always the first I read when I get my books (unless LoSH came out!)

#3
Mouse Guard (David Peterson)

I love this book - a great action/adventure story that can be enjoyed by any age. The art is appealing as well!

#2
Fables (Bill Willingham/various)

Fables also made my list last year, and it has continued to be a consistently well written book. Not only are there constantly new characters being introduced and new worlds that we're able to explore, but we also get to see how the characters we already know progress. This isn't only a great series - it also was one of my favorite issues this year - Fables #50. Bigby Wolf and Snow White's wedding alone made this book guaranteed a spot in my Top 5.

#1
Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes (Mark Waid/Barry Kitson - usually)

This was my pick for the best book of the year without even thinking about it. Not only is it fantastic to have a solid Legion book around again, but having Mark Waid writing it makes it even better. Not only is it a fun book, but it manages to tell the story of many different heroes while maintaining an overall ongoing plot at the same time. The introduction of Supergirl made the series even better. Not only is the a better version of the latest Supergirl incarnation (I'm not to fond of her in the 21st century at the moment) but she adds a dynamic to the Legion that has been missing since the Giffen retcons. Hands down the best series this year!

An extra kudos to Kurt Busiek (Aquaman and Action Comics) and Gail Simone's books in general (Birds of Prey, Atom, Gen13, Secret Six to name a few...). I've enjoyed everything they've written this year.

Some others that were good but didn't make the cut...

Invincible
Shadow Pact
X-Men Fairytales
X-Men First Class
Nightwing
Loveless
Fell
Batman (Monster Men and Mad Monk)

I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting at the moment, but I think I covered most of them :)

Christmas

2006-11-30T03:03:00.000-05:00

Not to write another depressing post - but I guess this is in some ways a follow up from last post.

I love Christmas and I hate it.

And let me start out by saying while I know Christmas is a religious holiday to most, to me it has always been about family and giving to those you care about - not about religion.

I love the idea of Christmas. When you're a little kid Christmas is totally about getting toys and hanging out with your family (who you are probably too young to have any issues with). I remember how hard it was to fall asleep on Christmas Eve. My sister and I would wait anxiously and sneak out of our rooms to talk to each other about what would happen in the morning. We always felt as if we couldn't possibly go to sleep because we were too excited. We'd eagerly wait up hoping to hear a reindeer land on the roof (while not entirely sure if we really believed the whole Santa thing). Eventually, without really remembering how, we'd fall asleep for a few fitful hours and then wake our parents up before the sun was in the sky. Christmas was one of the best things in life.

One of my fondest memories is of a Christmas when we were at my grandparents house. I really wanted this stuffed cat that year - Oliver, from Disney's Oliver and Company. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and going downstairs and seeing that cat underneath the tree. I was so happy. It's sometimes hard to remember the times when something so small could make me so happy. My Dad was down there, I forget why, but I remember I stayed down there with him looking at the tree until I fell asleep.

As I got older, I still enjoyed Christmas, but it was a little bit different. Family still played a big part but somewhere along the way it became more about giving gifts to other people that would make them happy. It became my goal to pas on the feeling of getting that Oliver cat to others. Even now I work really hard at getting people things that will make them smile. In fact, as Christmas became less and less what I remember it being, I try harder and harder to make the people I care about happy on that day. Now, with this being the first Christmas I've ever spent apart from my family, that's beginning to drive me crazy.

I beginning to hate Christmas because no matter how hard I try it seems to make people sad - including me.

I just don't have the resources to make the Christmas I want - it seems like everything is about making ends meet now. It's not even finding gifts for people, I plan that stuff out in advance for the most part, and honestly sometimes it's better to try and DO something for someone rather than try and buy them stuff. But it's still a little depressing to want to be able to buy someone a present you know would really make their day but not be able to because you just can't afford to spend the $20. It's even more depressing to not be able to get a Christmas tree. It's just one of those things that made it feel like Christmas - decorating the tree with your friends and family. Even just waking up Christmas Eve night to drink hot chocolate and stare at the lights on the tree in your living room.

And worst of all is when you're far away from home your family's not there and a majority of your friends are either going home or have their families in the area. So then it seems like all you have left is a house with no festivity, family that you can't see, and stress about how to even afford presents for anyone, much less afford to mail them out.

Don't get me wrong, it's not really as bleak as I make it sound. I have my boyfriend here, he just doesn't have quite the same attachment I have to this holiday. It's just that it's getting harder and harder to keep trying to make Christmas happen.

I guess I'm just wishing for a better world, where Christmas creates joy, not stress, and brings people together. Sometimes life seemed easier when something as simple as a stuffed cat could make me so happy.

I'll just have to find a way to let go of all the old Christmases and learn to build my own Christmas :)

I Need A Hero

2006-11-29T05:25:00.000-05:00

Grife, if there's anything that's truly wrong with the world today it's the lack of heroism. I have to wonder if there are any real heroes left in a world that seems to determined to tear down and ridicule those who try to really be heroic.

When did we start to live in a world where it's more interesting to see a good person slandered by some stupid "dirt" in their past rather than appreciated for the good that they have since decided to do? What kind of place is our 21st century? A place where there's a five mile pileup on the interstate because everyone has to stop and gawk at the person with a flat tire, but no one pulls over to help them? A place where you hear your neighbor's wife screaming but you don't go over to see if any thing's wrong because it's none of your business? What has humanity to be proud of in this day and age?

Where's the good samaritan, or even the courteous neighbor? I find myself growing more and more depressed seeing daily evidence of our societies degradation. I can only hope that I don't find my comic book morals crumbling under the weight of this world as sometimes it's hard to see what humanity as a whole has to offer.

Where's Superman when you really need him?

I feel as if humanity has not only lost it's way but that as a whole we have stopped looking for a better way. We build a world where the older we get the more life drags at our hearts and souls. We become such heartless creatures and only look back at our childhood with rose colored glasses and mourn for what might have been rather than working towards what could be.

This world needs heroes, without them humanity will continue to be little more than a plague on the planet, parasites with little appreciation of the life around us. If all the good people in the world would take time to be just a bit more heroic in our everyday lives humanity would greatly improve, and maybe, even begin to change.

Just a few late night thoughts... this is what happens when my "weekend" is filled with Cosmic Boy (the mini-series) and Kingdom Hearts...

another update!

2006-11-13T00:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm going to try and start working from my new site, so feel free to check it out! It'll be a few month before I 1. work out the kinks and 2. have the site looking the way I want it but feel free to offer sugestions!

NOW ENTERING THE SUPERHERO CLUBHOUSE

theme song

2006-11-10T18:21:00.000-05:00

After hearing this today at Spencer's I felt the need to share... This is the old Wonder Woman show theme song.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
All the world's waiting for you,
and the power you possess.
In your satin tights,
Fighting for your rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.
Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
Now the world is ready for you,
and the wonders you can do.
Make a hawk a dove,
Stop a war with love,
Make a liar tell the truth.
Wonder Woman,
Get us out from under,
Wonder Woman.
All our hopes are pinned on you.
And the magic that you do.
Stop a bullet cold,
Make the Axis fall,
Change their minds,
and change the world.
Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
You're a wonder, Wonder Woman.

What disturbs me most is "In your satin tights, fighting for your rights"

I didn't even know she wore satin tights! Gee, shows what I know...

FYI

2006-11-09T23:58:00.000-05:00

Just to give anyone who still check out my blog an update...

This past month (or two) has been hectic. Halloween is the busiest time of year for my company so I have been working almost non stop. Between running the Halloween store for two weeks, working at my own store, moving, and attending a wedding out of town I have been swamped. I doubt the holiday season will help things out much either =/ I will, however, continue blogging. I just don't know how soon I'll beable to do it all the time again.

1. I won't be using this blog as much - I will be devoting most of my time to my Legion blog (Superhero Clubhouse) and will use this blog for most of my non-Legion and non-comic related posts. As such expect that most of my writing will be focused of the Legion and comics only. Any political/personal/art/creative writing will remain on this blog.

2. Thanks to my wonderful father I should have a scanner in a few months. Yay!

3. While my new site is under construction I'll be posting on the Matchstick and will announce when I tranfer over :)

4. Notice, my sn is now Brainiac6 in honor of my new blog.

Thanks for your time!

Gwen aka Cshiana aka Brainiac6

More Civil War funtime!

2006-10-06T00:07:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I wandered onto one of my regular webcomic's sites (Errant Story) to find this today! This only makes me like M. Poe's work all the better :)

I especially like the Spidey sense going off there!

Wonder Tot

2006-10-04T22:36:00.000-04:00

I can see it. Totally.

Halloween and Superheroes

2006-10-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

First off, if you too hate Civil War you HAVE to read this! I stole it from Jim who stole it from Shawn :)

"Is it morally wrong to clone a God and put Hitler's brain inside of him? And then let him loose to kill? That's a tough moral quandary, isn't it? I mean if you're RETARDED or whatever."

On to my post!

So, I tend to spend a lot of time with Halloween stuff while, you know, running a frelling seasonal Halloween store out of (apparently) the goodness of my heart. Many of the items we get are the same year after year, but luckily the costumes seem to be getting cooler - mostly. I'm going to share a few pros and cons of the Superhero Halloween costume.

Growing up in a comic book store, despite being female, I really wanted to be a Superhero for Halloween. Of course back when I was a kid there were almost NO superhero costumes around for the season, and if there were, they were boys costumes. In fact one year I had a Batman costume. Because it'd be a cold day in hell when I could get a Batgirl costume (not that I'd have been able to fill one out back then *cough*).

The first time I worked for Spirit Halloween (about 3 years ago) this was still the sad state of things. The ONLY women's superhero costume was Wonder Woman, and well, lets just say I'm not a 6 ft Amazon hottie - and I don't want to walk around at some party with my ass hanging out. Instead I went a Lara Croft and convinced my boyfriend to be Indiana Jones (because I actually wanted to go as Indy, but Lara was the same sex as me).

Last year I went back to Spirit and happily found the superhero situation much improved - the guys had all sorts of options, not only Bats and Supes but Wolverine, Hulk, Thing, ect. Us girls had Batgirl! Yay! Of course the costume wasn't exactly Babs, but it was a cute costume that got the point across without being a Legs Avenue costume. Unfortunately the wrist glove things were way too small and the belt was teen sized (literally, they had a teen sized version of the costume and all the adult sizes had that belt). So that year I went as Robin Hood. Yet another Halloween dress as a male hero, because dammit, that's what you can fins the costumes for. Well that and the fact that I'd honestly rather dress up in some of the guys costumes anyway. Every year it seems as if the girls costumes have less and less to them and I'm not a naked kinda person.

This year is much better - the Batgirl costume fits right (I think I'll actually get to be Batgirl this year - although I found myself an actual Batman utility belt for the costume), the Wonder Woman costume is cute while still paying homage to the actual character - ignore the cape - and Supergirl's costume is straight out of the comics. Also, a few of the stores have Susan Storm costumes :) There's still a ways to go, but at least there's improvement. They even have little girls superhero costumes (the WW one reminds me of Wonder Tot), which makes me very happy. If only they had been around when I was a kid!

ugh, metal

2006-09-26T00:54:00.000-04:00

This is my new color Kaylee picture... I HATE metal... I can't make things look shiny and this makes me very sad. Also, I think her head may be a wee bit big. I swear it looked better when I drew it, but I'm probably dillusional. Luckily her scarf is totally awesome. I think it may be the only thing I actually like about this picture.

As a side note, I have somehow been suckered into running a Spirit Halloween store for 2-3 weeks to give the DSM some time to find a store manager. This means I am exausted. If I don't find an assistant manager by the end of this week I will have to work open to close every frelling day because the guy who's been helping me out goes back to Orlando on Sunday ><>

Also, does anyone know how to make an actual banner for these blogs? I need to make this site look better.

More ramblings later. Sleepy time now.

epiphany

2006-09-21T17:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was completely exausted. I've been helping The poor people over at Spirit Halloween set up their stores and after several days of little sleep, hard work and leaving work to go to work... well I came home and passed out at 7pm. I woke up around midnight from a fantastic dream though - a well written Nightwing story! (yes, I am a geek) Anyway my dream has given me some awesome ideas for improving Nightwing.

First of all Nightwing has to leave NYC behind. He definately doesn't belong there. As for a city for him to get established in, why not Baltimore? I know, I know, according to many people no one cares about Baltimore. I however, think Baltimore could be a great superhero backdrop city. Think about it. Baltimore has a high crime rate... higher than NYC's actually. So it could use a hero. It has cameras on the streets (in some places) - I bet someone could integrate that into an intersting plot. The inner harbor provides a good night life backdrop. Fell's Pointe could be used in all sorts of stories in itself! Also, in my dream, Nightwing was in Baltimore, and it worked =P

As for a plot start - does anyone else remember the undercover stuff Dick used to pull off back in the day? (and no, I'm not referring to Devin's gansta plot) He even infiltrated Brother Blood's place during the Judas Contract - sure he was caught and brainwashed, but still. Anyway, I think this story should start of with Dick coming to Baltimore to investigate the disappearence of a friend (a cop friend - either from his days on the force or otherwise). This friend had gone undercover to investigate a string of kidnappings and murders that seemed to be connected in the area. After a month he disappeared without a trace leaving his young son behind without any parents. So Dick feels like he has to find out what happened to this guy. That's how I'd begin the story. He'd make an ally right off the bat (maybe a unknown low key superhero who's been investigating the mystery by his/herself) and the main bad guy wouldn't be revealed into at least 1/2 way into the story.

As a side note... Dick belongs with Babs - there will be no interference in this area. Dick needs a kick in the pants and a spinal transfusion to make him into the hero he once was - these will be provided. Dick needs a job, a real one. He either needs to open up a private investigation firm as a front for his moonlighting or he needs to be attending classes at UMBC or JHU as a retuning student to get a teaching degree. He'd be a great teacher at a college level and it'd allow him to have a more flexible schedule without having a job as a male model (rolls eyes). So him establishing himself in a new city should feel more permanant.

So yeah, go go dream time!

I wish I was in charge of writing Nightwing, but damn am I glad that Marv Wolfman will be doing a short run :)

shameless plug

2006-08-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

Okay, recently Jim has started a blog of his own (yay Jim!) Anyway he posted today in response to an email from a friend and as a way of shamelessly plugging his blog I will post part of my response here!

In reference to the death of imagination...

"This is a bit of a bitter and jaded argument. In so much as I agree with being angry at the Bats thing saying that there is no more imagination is unfair in the extreme. Imagination is "the mental creation of an idea or thought representative of a quality of uniqueness". As such it is NOT an entirely unique thought (if there even is such a thing on the grander scale). Take mythology for example - the story of Cinderella has been told in references to different cultures all over the world - before many of these cultures had any contact with one another. Why? If these cultures had met with eachother we would say that one culture had just adapted the story from the other (still imaginative in its own right), but that's not what happened. Perhaps we should look at the bigger picture of humanity. The stories we tell, no matter how fantastical, our stories of our experiences, of our lives, of what we perceive and observe. That's why so many myths hold similar themes and even plots and characters. Because despite the fact that you live in a different place or even time the human story is in so many ways the same. So perhaps there are no NEW stories, but there is still imagination, without that we would stop telling the story. Take Gregory Maguire for example, he's made a career out of the retelling of stories from a different perspective - Confessions of An Ugly Stepsiter, Mirror Mirror, Wicked..., and all these stories can offer us is a different perspective. In comics look towards Neil Gaimen and Bill Willingham - they both rely heavily on stories that have been told before to guide them as they tell us the stories from their perspective. It's not about the originality of a story because you will always find something else like it... it's about how it's told. It's about whether or not the story tells us."

Yay, shameless plugging :)

superhero quiz!

2006-08-24T23:44:00.000-04:00

You Are Batman

Billionaire playboy by day. Saving the world by night.
And you're not even a true superhero. Just someone with a lot of expensive toys!

What Superhero Are You?

more legion fun

2006-08-15T16:32:00.000-04:00

Heh, check out Wildfire... this character creation thing is so much fun :)

ah, flight

2006-08-15T01:51:00.000-04:00

Well what do you know, I've managed to invent my own flight ring!

Here's what Atlas City looks like from above!

Of course my flight ring isn't as cool as Dad's yet... I can only fly VERY slowly.

City of Heroes

2006-08-14T14:55:00.000-04:00

My boyfriend picked up City of Heroes the other day (an online game) and as much as the game itself is somewhat entertaining the true greatness of this game is character creation. It's soooo much fun to make superheroes and their costumes. Let me introduce you to my character, Brainiac 5's kid, Brainiac 6! Her name would have to be Quelore Dox... I think she'll have to be a character when I run my Legion Aberrant game :) (no I don't know who the mother is =P)

This is a close up!

Then here's a shot taken when I was using my force shield (from my force shield belt of course!).

Anyway, I think she turned out nicely :) One day I'll get flight when I invent a flight ring!

cancellations

2006-08-11T10:49:00.000-04:00

So our Abberrant game got canned :( Aparrently a majority of our gamer base (André and I not included) were not having fun with the game. So we were out voted and that's it =/ No more Tsunami or Valor for now. Since André was so bummed out about it I decided that once I was done running my L5R campaign I'd run a superhero game. However I refuse to use the Abberrant world because it reminds me way too much of the Marvel Universe (or at least what the Marvel U is in danger of becoming with this Civil War nonsense). I think it loses some key elements of the superhero genre such as:

1. Orgins. Part of the fun of the superhero world is the variety of zany hero and villian orgins. Abberrant, having come up with a technical reason for characters to have powers (very similar to the mutant gene in Marvel) loses out on this aspect of the genre. At least Marvel allows for the occasional Spiderman, Dr. Strange or Thor type character. In Abberrant ALL powers come from a biological mutation. There are no exceptions.

2. Aliens. There are no where near enough aliens in Abberrant. It's very disheartening considering some of my favorite characters (Starfire, Martian Manhunter) are aliens. I think the whole space epic is a part of comic book genre that deserves to be explored if you're going to role-play superheroes. There are also no amazons, robots, or sea-dwellers.

3. Awesome villians. Abberrant's villians are soooo two dimensional. Ever good superhero world needs villians like Brain and Mallah, Lex Luthor (in purple spandex!), Joker, Magneto... I could go on. Not to mention the fact that every good hero/hero group needs their own rogue gallery and with flat background villians, well, there's very little to work with.

So I've decided when I run my game that I may use some of the Abberrant system but I've decided to use 31st century DCN as my setting. Because nothing says super team fun like the Legion. I'd give my players two choices - they could either play Legionaires or Legion rejectees... and form a substitute Legion :) That way I could use characters and villains from the old Legion books and have a great backdrop built in. I'd use some of the core Legionaires as NPCs but I'd let the players get assigned to missions by themselves. I know if I was a superhero I'd want my chance to beat down Emerald Empress, Universo and Starfinger! I mean, who wouldn't?

Babs

2006-08-07T00:47:00.000-04:00

You know what makes me happy? Barbra Gordon as Batgirl. I know that the recent issue of Birds of Prey may just be a cruel hoax. BUT with Cassie Cain out of the picture I am hopeful. I would be insanely happy if Babs was Batgirl again. I am probably setting myself of for severe disappointment, but hey, I'm a sucker.

Thank Goodness

2006-08-02T22:40:00.000-04:00

Mr. Didio,

I would like to discuss your recent letter (found in Ion#4 among other books).

"I just happened to mention I wanted Nightwing to die in Infinate Crisis... I thought it was a funny story but boy did it piss people off. It seems that there is a huge (and as I found out, very vocal) fan base for Dick Grayson."

Wow Dan, just figured this one out, eh? The sheer amount of commentary on the comic blogs and forums alone in regards to Devin Grayson (as in hating her for messing with Nightwing) didn't tip you off? I'm not sure how that one passed you by, but hey, at least the powers that be squashed your death of Nightwing idea before you ended up tarred and feathered. Because believe you me, I would have showed up with the tar.

"My first reaction when I got my job was that he was redundant and had to go."

Redundant? Redundant how... isn't the fact that he was neither Batman nor Robin the same thing that made him unique? If he was filling the role of another character then yes, he'd be redundant... but heck, even Nightwing realized that he had grown beyond Robin and didn't want to be Batman. In fact that was the whole reason Marv Wolfman made him into Nightwing back in his Titans days - because Dick wanted to become his own man, his own kind of hero. Even Chuck Dixon covered that in Nightwing Year One.

Thank goodness the vocal fans of the DCN have once again (*cough* Manhunter *cough*) informed you of your mistakes. As much as your decisions seriously piss me off at least you listen to the fans. Nightwing will be in good hands with Marv Wolfman and hopefully with whoever follows him.

Now you just need to listen to those of us who are angry at the idea that you don't want Dick and Babs to get together. Somehow, at the rate you're going, I expect this won't be the last time you have angry fans chasing you around.

Thanks for your time. Please stop messing with our beloved characters. Batwoman is NOT an acceptable consolation prize.

~Cshiana

rant

2006-07-31T00:44:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm seriously getting tired of this Civil War stuff. It was bad enough to have Spiderman come out of the closet (or whatever) but seriously - why is he Tony Stark's do-boy? Also, Ive noticed that all the "heroes" are in an incredibly crappy situation for no damn reason. I mean, c'mon, wtf? Why would they try to take out their "friends" so ruthlessly? It soesn't make sense for them to turn against their own so quickly. It's like they've all been replaced by characters I've never seen before (except maybe Captain America... he's closer to character than Iron Man - but I've always hated Iron Man so I may be biased). And then, there's Thor. I thought Thor was supposed to be a God... what's he doing mixed up in all this? Don't tell me they made a NORSE GOD register!!! How does that make any sense whatsoever?

Another thing... I used to love Steve McNiven's art. His work on Meridian was an inspiration for a lot of the design ideas that I contributed to Legacy and his art was radiant and almost ethreal when he drew Sephie and her world. Now it seems so... flat. Grainy and flat. Every once in awhile I catch a glimmer of his previous talent (like one of the drawings of Emma Frost) but there's little to no spirit in his work on Civil War. It may be partially due to the colorist (who's work also reallllly bothers me) but I think anyone who picks up a copy of Meridian can see the drastic change. Then again alot of people are raving about his work... but alot of people disliked the revamp of Batman and Superman (something about it being uncreative and "boring") so I guess I'll just keep on disregarding most of the reviews I read.

Then, there's Batwoman. Ugh. What the HELL is a rich, pedicured and pampered socialite doing running around fighting crime in Gotham?? Were her parents murdered before her eyes inspiring her to spend a lifetime training to aquire the skills she would need to do battle with the evil men of Gotham? No. Was she a young genius daughter of a police comissioner inspired to push herself to her physical and mental limits by training and studying day and night for many years by Batman's crusade? No. As far as I can tell she's Paris Hilton with a closeted attraction to women. Is it just me or does this make no sense? 52 makes me sad...

On the upside I enjoyed JLA... it did of course serve to point out how severely messed up DC continuity has been over the years but I thought it was kind of sweet.

Oh, and we went and saw Superman Returns again - I still really enjoyed it :)

reworks

2006-07-26T19:20:00.000-04:00

More art time! This is what I've been spending a lot of my time on during the week I was denied my computer.

This is my rework of "Before the Dawn". La'el's hair looks much better and I managed to mostly fix his eyes. Also, I finally found a good knotwork design for Cshiana's gloves. I am much happier with this picture now. Cshiana still looks better but I've gotten much closer to what I imagine La'el looks like.

As you can see I also fixed La'el's hair here and it was a definate improvement. I also redid the sword a bit and while weapons aren't my strongest point I think it turned out decently.

My leaves are awesome ;) I rock at drawing leaves!

Superman #654

2006-07-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

As much as I enjoy Kurt Busiek's work I'll admit I was a little bit worried about this issue of Superman since it was the first issue venturing into 1 year later Superman outside of the Up Up and Away storyline. My fears have been layed to rest - I'm happy to say the I enjoyed Superman #654 :) I love the fact that Busiek is still keeping his focus on Clark over the man of steel as Clark has always been the most interesting part of Superman's story to me. I think too many writers forget that Clark is who Superman chooses to be while Kal'el is the alien he was born as. To me that makes Clark Kent the heart of the Superman character. The art wasn't all that impressive but I can deal.

Also, Busiek has managed to make Lois and Clark's romance shine again like it hasn't for so many years. He makes it seem as if it's just as magical for the couple as it was before they were married. I appreciate that and I love how much importance Busiek gives to the love between Lois and Clark.

Many reviews seem to be protesting about the lack of creativity involved in bring a character back to basics (in reviews for Batman as well as Superman) and I have to say - these must have been the people who enjoyed Supes as a spineless whiny washout and Bats as a total jackass. Personally I am very happy to see a return the the characters I grew up with as opposed to the strangers that were running around post ICrisis. AND I believe it takes quite a bit of skill and creativity to restore a character to glory... which is whi I'm glad Marv Wolfman will be helping Nightwing on that hard journey.

Overall it was a very sweet and somewhat amusing Superman story and serves to reaffirm my opinion that with Kurt Busiek at the helm, Superman is in good hands.

On a side note, sorry I was gone for so long! Between storms and internet issues (not to mention the fact that my monitor likes to randomly stop working and I really can't afford a new one) I haven't been on the computer much in the past week. Thanks for you patience ;)

geek time!

2006-07-18T15:18:00.000-04:00

Just needed to share this... I wish I was rich and could totally outgeek myself =/

more art!!

2006-07-17T01:20:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, you guys would rather me actually post than look at sketch work, but I've been drawing a lot so bear with me.

This first one I'm pretty proud of because it was a live sketch! (As opposed to my normal venue which is drawing while looking at a photograph or picture in order to tell where everyone's limbs go!) This is my co-worked lazing about.

The next one is a new drawing of Kaylee - I especially like her scarf - also, notice the l33t Klingon weaponage ;)
This one is of La'el (at least my interpretation thereof), an NPC (Non-player character) from Corey's D&D game. He's kind of Cshiana's unrequited love, although she's still in denial, and will probably remain there. Of course that's totally her fault for falling for someone who's taken.
I'm fairly proud of this last one. It's supposed to be Cshiana and La'el together (although as previously discussed that will never happen because Cshiana would never actually hook up with a married man, she's just settling in for the painful process of loving someone from afar). I wanted to do a semi "romantic" image and Cshi is my favorite character to draw. Either way despite the fact that I couldn't get La'el's eyes completely right I still really enjoy this drawing.

One day I'll color them and they'll look even better! This ends today's art interlude!

art interlude

2006-07-16T03:12:00.000-04:00

Here's the most recent picture I did - it's Cshiana and Anica (Arielle's character). It's my first attempt at more than one person in the picture. I'll post it again when I have time to color it!

updates

2006-07-14T23:04:00.000-04:00

As many of you have probably noticed my updates have become sporadic recently. Unfortunately this trend will probably continue - although I'll always update at least three times a week. Between working full time and trying to move ahead on various writing projects I find that my free time is becomeing non-existant. When school starts next month I will have no life at all. So I won't have as much time for posting on a daily basis.

That being said I enjoy writing posts so I will make sure that there's at least three new posts a week. I apologize that I won't have time to update daily.

Reasons to read A Princess of Mars #2

2006-07-12T00:36:00.000-04:00

DEJAH THORIS

Dejah Thoris is the ultimate damsel in distress in some ways. She's the most beautiful woman on two planets, she the princess of the great city of Helium and she eventually falls in love with our hero, John Carter. But there's so much more to her character than a two dimensional "catalyst" character.

Dejah Thoris is the princess of a city of Mars, and believe me when I say that pretty much everyone on Mars is expected to be a warrior. In fact one of the green Martians, Sola, is probably the most pacifistic person in this book. Dejah Thoris is a fierce woman used to giving orders and has no qualms about jumping into the fray whenever the opportunity presents itself. She's stubborn and headstrong, passionate and intelligent, kind hearted and bloodthirsty all at the same time.

Many people may intially look at a lot of the artwork done for the Martian covers and think that Dejah Thoris is some weak willed woman there to be the pretty ornament on John Carter's arm - and they'd be wrong. First of all, Dejah Thoris' fighting spirit is one of the reasons John Carter falls in love with the amazing Princess of Mars. Second of all, don't mistake the nakedness... EVERYONE is naked on Mars! (Now that'll be interesting if they're trying to make this a kid's movie ;) ) Unlike many "boys" fantasy novels it's not only the women walking around clothing-less, the men only wear the absolute nessesities as well. In fact, throughout most of the beginning of this book John Carter isn't wearing anything at all.

Actually Burroughs does a fairly good job of explaining the differences between male and female roles throughout the story without ever ONCE seeming to make the women the weaker sex.

Dejah Thoris, the woman willing to face a raging horde of bloodthirsty green men just to die by the side of the man she loves. A woman willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the safety of her people. Dejah Thoris, the woman who holds her head high even when a captive of her enemies.

Read A Princess of Mars. Dejah Thoris wills it!

oh, ew

2006-07-11T20:35:00.000-04:00

I guess I'll just have to keep telling myself that the Supergirl in the Legion is a different Supergirl... I miss the insainty that was Matrix/Linda. *sigh*

A Brief Moment with Batman 654

2006-07-10T23:26:00.000-04:00

What a mavelous conclusion to the eight part Face the Face.

My faith in Batman is renewed. It gives me hope that we won't be seeing "asshole Batman" around anymore. Not only do we have a fantastic conclusion of the actual storyline (as if Harvey Dent taking over the Gotham zoo wasn't good enough by itself) but we also have a return to the core of the Batman universe.

The confrontation between Batman and the Great White Shark was wonderful. Not to mention it was pretty cool that the whole escapde was being controlled from behind Arkham walls. One of the best parts:

Batman: Oh, and when I catch Harvey Dent - of course he isn't Harvey anymore, he's Two-Face. But when I catch him - and I will catch him - I'll tell him what you did. And then I'll being him here.

The end of this issue nearly made me cry. Seriously. When Bruce asks to adopt Tim as his son I was so happy. I thought, wow, this is the Batman I remember growing up, a Batman who fought crime because he didn't want to witness any more broken families, a Batman who took in Dick Grayson because he didn't want Dick to grow up alone the way he had. A Batman who wants Tim to still have a family.

Thanks DC, even though you've seriously screwed up at times (and Dan Didio is still on my explosive runes list) at least you've given back Batman to us. For that, I am grateful.

Next... more reasons to read A Princess of Mars!

Reasons to read A Princess of Mars #1

2006-07-10T22:23:00.000-04:00

Adventure

John Carter is quite possibly the greatest adventure hero of all time. This book has everything. Epic battles, revenge, betrayal, true love, true friendship, self-sacrifice, exploration, aliens, wierd science, super powers, just, strong and handsome men, strong, fierce and beautiful women, dark secrets, evil rulers, frightning monsters, espionage, space travel, codes of honor, exotic cultures and even a loyal pet.

If that's not all the adventure you could want and more, well, there must be no pleasing you.

The only adventure story that even comes close to A Princess of Mars is The Princess Bride - and even then, it only comes close.

Damn you Frank Miller!

2006-07-09T04:23:00.000-04:00

Haha...

So I was doing a search to find the art from A Princess of Mars (having recently made Arielle a convert) and I found a link to info on the movie they were having made.

At first I was excited to see that Paramount had decided to make my favorite story EVER into a motion picture - I thought, damn, about time.

Then I saw that they had hired Robert Rodriguez to direct it. Hey! Even better! He even made the brilliant move of hiring Frank Frazetta as production designer.

Then I saw that the movie no longer had a director. Why you may ask? Because of Frank Miller. *sigh* As much as I thought it was pretty damn cool of Robert Rodriguez to resign from the DGA in order to have Frank Miller listed as his co-director for Sin City I cannot help but mourn the loss of his talents from Paramount as a result. Now the retitled "John Carter of Mars" (why the hell they retitled it I don't know) is on it's third director... whose last project was a kids movie. I have a feeling this movie, if it's ever completed, will make me cry myself to sleep.

Legos

2006-07-06T00:12:00.000-04:00

I had Legos when I was a kid, and sure, they could be fun. But damn, we went to Toys R Us the other day and until then I hadn't realized how awesome Legos had become! We got two pirate ships (similar to the one in the picture but a bit smaller) for André to use as props for the D&D game he runs. The little skeleton pirates are pretty awesome. Also, at the Mega Blocks website they have this little flash video of the lego-pirates... and it's hilarious. I don't think it's intended to be, but it is. You should go watch it!Marvel has quite a few mini legos heroes running around. Wolverine is pretty funny looking. They actually had Spidey and the Green Goblin in their own little package with a city building scene that you could make into their battle ground.

Batman has a couple of different sets - this is the one with Two Face, but there's also a Joker, Killer Croc, and Catwoman one. Actually they had one really elaborate scene in the Lego-Batcave set up in the display case and they even had Lego-Alfred!

I wish Legos were this cool when I was a kid. Now I want to get all the Legion pocket heroes and a bunch of yellow legos and build the old style clubhouse - you know, the one that looked as if it was way to smalll to actually house their meetings.

Either way at least I have pirate ships to play with :) It helps me get in the mood for Pirates of the Carribean this weekend. I'm very excited!!!

Happy 4th

2006-07-04T00:41:00.000-04:00

For some reason I find the idea of Wonder Woman pledging alligence to the American flag amusing. Maybe it's because she's not American. Oh well, happy Independence Day anyway :)

Battle Royale!

2006-07-02T00:37:00.000-04:00

The Legion of Super Pets

(Proty 2 not appearing in this episode)

The Legion of Substitute Heroes!

Now, one thing I love is the old introductions to comic books. It's something I miss every time I open up a modern comic story. Seriously, no matter how silly the old intros were they were certaintly eye-catching. Take, for example, the intro to our story today:

If that doesn't make you want to know what happens I don't know what will. I mean the fact that Supergirl is ordering the super pets to "knock 'em for a loop" is intriguing enough. Perhaps the Subs are so far beneath her notice that she feels the need to humiliate them (taking a page out of Aquaman's book) by sending a flying monkey, cat, dog and horse - all wearing capes nonetheless - to beat the poor kids senseless. Then let's take in the rest of the picture. We have an astonished Night Girl, a cowering Polar Boy (this is already bad if the team leaders are stunned) and C-kids 1 and 2 are standing on the sides watching in awe as Stone Boy uses his power only to be knocked over by Krypto and Fire Lad makes to run in fear from Streaky's claws of steel! Now that's what I call a eye-catching senario!

Now as the intro clearly establishs S-girl and boy have had their memories of the future erased and have been replaced by some masked characters (Sir Prize and Miss Terious) due to a kryptonite cloud surrounding 30th century Earth. So we know that Supergirl doesn't recognize the Subs as allies from the future. But what could possibly cause her to sic the pet squad on the poor bastards? Lets take a closer look and perhaps we'll discover why S-girl felt so provoked by our hapless heroes...

Well so far everything looks okay... except Cosmic Boy obviously forgot to mention that whole mind erasing thing... (Saturn Girl: Cos, why didn't you tell the Subs about Kara's memories of the Legion being erased? Cosmic Boy: *smacks himself on the forehead* Damn, I knew I forgot something! Oh well, what's the worse that can happen?)

Wow! Where did that come from? Now lets review, we've got some nighttime super strength on our side, a guy who can grow plants, ice powers, fire-sneezes, statue, I mean stone, boy, and a kid who can change things colors. What can they possibly do against the all powerful super pets you may ask? Well, let's find out!

Luckily for the Subs the Superpets are easily fooled. As you can see Green Boy (another Legion rejectee) would have been just as useful as Color Kid here. Yet, somehow, against all odds, Color Kid has managed to eliminate TWO of the Super pets right off the bat with minimal effort. And here my bets were on Polar Boy throwing the first "punch".

Alas, my favorite Super pet taken out by his drug addiction. See, Denny O'Neil thought that Roy's drug problems would help people to see that you should stay away from drugs but I think Streaky's problem illustrates the issue just as well. I mean look at him! In a matter of seconds he goes from a super-powered whirlwind of claws and teeth to a froliking kitten thinking nothing more than "yippee!". And C-kid must be some sort of kitty drug dealer on the side to be carrying aroung catnip seeds... because really, what use would catnip seeds be againt anything except a poor drug addicted cat? Three down and only Comet left. And despite this mind blowing defeat Supergirl is on the sidelines laughing at the subs... I begining to wonder what kind of superhero she really is... maybe Aquaman really is a bad influence!

Now, with only Comet left standing, it must be down to Polar Boy doing something, right? I mean out of all of them he has the most useful powers (not to mention he's the leader of the team...).

Sadly, this is not the case... after barreling through the other Subs with incredible ease Super horse is only stopped by Night Girl's impromptu shield... also getting the imprint of the "enchanted horseshoe" mentioned earlier. Against all odds (and logic) our heroes have won the day, er, night. Now, back to the future!

What, you may ask, happens to restore SG and SB to the Legion of Superheroes? Is it Brainiac 5 with his superior intellect? Element Lad showing up at the Legion's doorstep? No my friends, even better. It's *drum roll* Color Kid!!!

Which really makes no sense at all.

I love the old Legion stories. I think this even tops Composite Superman! I really hope that DC puts out a Legion of Superheroes Showcase... I mean really, who cares about old Superman stories when you can have old LoSH stories instead?

teaser

2006-07-01T23:50:00.000-04:00

This post is taking way too long and I have to get up early tomorrow for work. So in the meantime check out this sneak preview!

Stone Boy vs Krypto

linkage

2006-06-30T23:45:00.000-04:00

A friend sent me this cool link. You can audition for either Jean Grey or Namor (voice acting).

Substitute Heroes

2006-06-29T23:24:00.000-04:00

First appearing in Adventure Comics #306, the Legion of Substitute Heroes is almost as awesome as the Legion of Super-Pets. The Subs was founded by Legion rejects and the original team had six members.

Polar Boy, or Brek Bannin, had cold based powers. Honestly, I'm not sure why the Legion rejected him as the only objection seemed to be that the Legion was worried he'd freeze one of them on accident. He was later accepted when he had better learned to control his powers (or some other lame excuse to make up for the fact he wasn't accepted earlier) but until then he led the Subs.

Night Girl (aka Lydda Jath) wanted to join the Legion because she had the hots for Cosmic Boy. She was rejected because her super strength (given to her by her father who obviously supported his daughter wanting to join a team of super heroes for some crush) didn't work in direct sunlight. She joined the subs to be a Cosmic Boy groupie. She later married Cos proving that even stalkers can live happily ever after.

Stone Boy (Dag Wentim) had the awesome power of turning into stone. This may have been useful if he could move when in stone form. However, he made a great weight for Night Girl to use for lifting!

Fire Lad (Stag Mavlin) could breath fire... but often had accidents as he sneezed fire as well. He was deemed to dangerous to join the Legion. He aquired powers from inhaling meteor fumes - no, really!

Chlorophyll Kid (Ral Benem) could make plants grow really fast. He carried seeds around with him to make his power more useful.

Color Kid (Ulu Vakk) could make things different colors. He'd have made a fantastic designer but instead went off to join the Legion of Superheroes. The Legion told him to take a hike ("That's an unusual power, but not great enough for the Legion!") and he ended up with the subs. I think Brainy was snickering the entire time the poor kid was trying out.

Basically the subs were founded because getting rejected from the Legion created some self-esteem issues in the rejectees. So the subs vowed to use their powers to "pinch-hit" for the Legion.

Now, the best is yet to come as I introduced the subs for a reason... tomorrow: the Legion of Substitute Heroes vs the Legion of Super Pets in a battle royale! Or, dare I call it, the ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN OF ULTIMATE DESTINY!

Exibits A-C

2006-06-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

I think these pictures speak for themselves, but I'll write a disclaimer. My Superman is not some creepy stalker asshole. BUT that's just my Superman. As far as the ONE instance in the new movie where Superman could be seen as a stalker type there is plenty of support from the comic books for what he does. Also, André made a good point in reference to said scene - it makes Superman seem a bit more human. Either way, enjoy the exibits!

and if that wasn't enough let me direct you to Scipio over at the Absorbascon... because even if kissing cousins is okay some places kissing 15 year olds isn't!

Like I said, I realize this isn't the Superman we believe in, but if you can read some of these stories and still enjoy Superman stories then you should beable to enjoy the movie.

Superman Returns

2006-06-26T17:19:00.000-04:00

*WARNING* MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS (although I will do my best to avoid them)

André and I went to see a sneak preview of Superman Returns tonight. The AMC near us does promotional showings of new movies but you have to go really early and wait in a loooong line to have a chance of getting in - especially when it's a movie that everyone wants to see. We showed up a the theatre over an hour early and almost didn't make it in. In fact we were the last group of twenty to be allowed in the theatre. Literally. There André and I were standing at the front of the line, him wearing a Superman shirt and me in a Batman shirt (that's how we went into the Batman Begins movie as well) and one of the managers comes up to the front of the line. We really thought that we were going to be told that they weren't any seats left (especially because they didn't let us in with the previous group of twenty because there were two of us and they only had room for one more person) but then the guy tells us that there's only room for twenty more and only if you were willing to sit in the front row. Well of course we went in. See, André's brother had gone in much earlier and said he would save seats with us - so not only were we the last people in, but we got good seats as well. My point is, we went through a lot of trouble to see a movie we were both convinced was going to be a disappointment.

I'm so happy we went anyway.

The movie was fantastic. Even super!

No, really, I ended up loving this movie.

First off, let me say, I know there are quite a few things comic book fans will complain about in this movie - there are always things that people will want changed. I know, because I heard some of the complaints about Batman Begins and I still believe that it was the best interpretation of Batman (as far as live-action movies go) yet. Superman is much the same, a good iconic story reintroducing us to a character that has been too long absent from the big screen. Superman Returns is a story about Superman the myth, and as such it was wonderfully done. Superman is meant to inspire us - for me, in this movie, that's exactly what he did.

Brandon Routh brings much more to the screen than just a resemblence to Christopher Reeves. He brings a sense of awe to the role of Superman while allowing Clark, the human heart of our hero, to gaze longingly at Lois and wonder if he still fits into her life after his five year absence. Routh plays homage to Reeves while still making the role his own. His Clark Kent is sweet, a bit clumsy, and very lovable. His Superman is awe-inspiring, heartbreaking, and above all, heroic. Mr. Routh has come a long way from soap operas and I'm glad Bryan Singer convinced the studio to take on an unknown for such a major role.

Kevin Spacey does an almost John Shea-ish Lex Luthor. Despite the misleading nature of the trailers, Lex is the diabolical madman/evil-mastermind we have all come to love and adore... I mean hate. He is cruel, ruthless, and wants to bring down Superman and dominate the world. He does have a few over the top moments but nothing out of character. I certaintly didn't think of Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor but I've been proven wrong.

Kate Bosworth was another pleasant surprise. Having seen her previous work I hadn't thought she was a good call for the role of daredevil Lois Lane. I was happy to be proven wrong (again). Bosworth played a passionate and feisty Lois Lane and the chemistry between her and Superman was very realistic.

The action scenes were breath-taking and the iconic moments gorgeus without detracting from the story itself. I especially liked the tribute to Action Comics #1, it was very enjoyable.

Jimmy Olsen get showen up by a kid with a cell phone camera. Priceless.

Cyclops (James Marsden) gets to be a hero-type! The poor guy certaintly got the short end of the stick in X3 so it was nice to see him in this movie.

As for the plot, well, if you've been enjoying Busiek's run on Superman you will like this movie's story. I'm pretty sure Kurt has been working on the recent Superman books with the movie in mind. There are some striking simalarities.

I'm going to go see this movie again. Then, when it comes out on DVD, it's going on the shelf next to Batman Begins. I'm so happy that instead of being horribly upset I ended up being blown away. Superman has returned to us and it's about damn time.

LoSH cartoon

2006-06-25T22:23:00.000-04:00

I've been looking forward to the Legion of Superheroes cartoon coming out this fall... until I saw the promotional pictures. Now I'm a bit worried.

What is with Timber Wolf's head? I mean, sure, I can see the werewolf look, but his head looks squashed. And Phantom Girl's eyes are just plain creepy looking. Also, where's Cosmic Boy? I mean, I know I've made fun of the poor kid's costume in the past but he's one of the founding three! You can't have a Legion without Cos! I've read that he's in the actual show (Wil Wheton's doing his voice) but I really think he should be one of the core members at the launch of the series.

This promo just causes me more worries. What did they do to my sweet wonderful Brainiac 5? Has he been replaced by girraffe boy? ugh. After the pain the animation causes me with the Titans series I'm not sure I can take much more. I'll still give the show a shot but it may go the same way as the Titans - in that I won't beable to watch it because it's so ugly. Oh well.

so sorry

2006-06-25T03:00:00.000-04:00

It was pointed out to me that I accidentally left Beppo out of monkey day. In apology we're having a super-pets post.

The Legion of Super-Pets consisted of:

Beepo the super-monkey from Krypton who was tricked by Superboy into deep space only to be discovered years later by Supergirl and finally be accepted as a Super-pet. I still think it was cruel of Superboy to stand the poor chimp out in desolate space. The ASPCA would have had a field day if they had only known.

Streaky, or super-cat, was NOT from krypton and has a superhero orgin story! Streaky was Linda (Supergirl)'s pet cat who was exposed to Kryptonite X. The powers were only temporary but could constantly be recharged because there was a piece of K-X in the cat's yarn ball. If only they had known that any ordinary house cat could be super powered but it was not to be. I don't think they ever figured out where super-cat's powers were coming from. L33t Kryptonian science!

Krypto aka super-dog is probably the most well known super-pet even appearing as recently as S&B Public Enemies. Batman constantly makes fun of Superman for having a dog in a cape protecting his fortress. Indeed, I would make fun of Supes for such a thing too. Krypto's secret identity (because even a dog is smarter than Peter Parker when it comes to keeping a secret ID!) was Chip, CK's dog. He even disguised himself with a dark patch made with wood stain over his eye. Krypto was also the leader of the Space Canine Patrol Agency and found a way to become youthful again after almost dying of old age. Now that's one accomplished dog!

Comet (super-horse) was actually used somewhat recently in the Matrix run of Supergirl. He wasn't the same of course, but it was still fun to have them play with the idea of a super powered horse again. Comet was actually a centaur originally named Biron but when Circe tried to make him fully human the spell was sabotaged and he became a horse instead (but had nifty super powers). He could become human when there was a comet in the sky and he had the hots for Supergirl (then again, who didn't? It seems like everyone and their sister had a thing for S-girl).

And last but not least, Proty II. Proty was Chameleon Boys telepathic shape changing pet and was underestimated when first trying to join the Legion of Super-pets. He was given several challeges by other members and eneded up showing all the other pets up. He even saved Krypto from a shark (Krypto was weakend by green-K at the time)! Proty really seemed to be superior to Chameleon Boy in his abilities which I always found amusing.

Go go Super-pets! Outshining the actual Legion more times than is believable!

The really cool thing is I found something better than super-pets action figures. I know, I know, that's hard to believe. I sure you're shaking your heads right now and asking what could Cshiana be thinking? Something better than Legion of Superpets action figures? Well it's true. I give you *drum roll*

Super-pets stuffed toys! I totally need to get a hold of Streaky. So awesome.

monkey day

2006-06-24T02:22:00.000-04:00

Today (partially because I didn't get my Dad a father's day present because I am poor) I bring you monkeys... well kind of. They're actually mostly gorillas but I like the word monkeys better.
First up is Wonder Gorilla! If there's any character I didn't want to see as a Gorilla it has got to be Wonder Woman. Although I'm always amazed at those superhero costumes. Now that's what I call well made!

Ahh, Evolution plus. As in Evolution plus brain swapping and gorillas... or maybe he was de-evolved? Nah... that doesn't make sense, I mean, the whole premise of evolution in relation to our closest "relatives" (chimps by the way, not gorillas) is based on our last common ansestor not an existing species. Poor Ralph, you're one confused primate.

Y'know, you learn somethign new everyday. I'd go by Detective Chimp too if my name was Bobo. Stupid human! Of course wax statues can kill! You live in a world where Composite Superman can exist!

Yes, those fearsome gorillas. Truely a blight upon the world with their heinous acts of leaf-eating and grooming. You go Batman, kick that gorilla's ass! Meanwhile the Joker and Lex Luthor are free to roam about.

And last but not least a monkey on Brainy's head. This ladies and gentleman is one of the most brilliant men in the 30th century and he has a monkey - so why don't you?

Fables #50

2006-06-22T22:23:00.000-04:00

I cannot properly express my glee at recieving Fables #50 in the mail today. Inadequate as words may be I have to make the attempt regardless.

You already know how much I love Bigby Wolf and I thought little could top my happiness at his return last issue. I was wrong.

I've spoken before about how romance is mostly dead in comic books today. In Fables it is alive and kicking. Bigby and Snow's love story has been one of the more interesting things in comics since Fables hit the shelves. We have had the chance to see them through their growing friendship, their inevitable romance, and the pain of seperation. Finally united they are given a chance at a real happy ever after.

This issue also gives us the bonus of Bigby as an action hero once again. As much as I have enjoyed the interim issues (as in story archs without Bigby) the heart of Fables has always been Bigby Wolf and Snow White. Also, the cover art from this issue got autioned off on ebay! There are some rich Fables fans out there. I eagerly await whatever Fables has in store for us next and even if the next six issues are a complete letdown this comic will still be on my top 5 list for 2006.

If you haven't been reading Fables you've been missing out. It's a story that makes one feel as if there is a world of adventure, romance and possibility out there just waiting to be discovered.

Comic Book Movies

2006-06-22T01:03:00.000-04:00

Tonight at work we had a discussion about comic book movies. It was between myself, another comic book fan, and a non comic book reader. When both the other fan and I expressed our disappointment at the latest X-Men movie it was unsurprising that our other co-worker enjoyed the movie and even made a remark about us comic readers being picky. It's only natural I suppose, we do after all have higher expectations of the movies going in... but part of it struck me as funny. After all aren't we the ones who continue to read comic books that constantly rehash the same old stories over and over again? And if they're written well we most likely enjoy said story all over again.

I mean sure, the movies have a lot of discrepancies... but really, so do the comics they originate from. Yes, in the X movies Rogue is jailbait (disappointing male fans everywhere I'm told) but so what? Does it really matter that much - is it really that people want to see an exact story form the comic books - or is it that they want to see their interpretation of the comic? Personally I could care less about the changes made to Rogue's character (although I thought they were stealing somewhat from Kitty Pryde's story when the Hellfire Club was out to get her, but only a bit). However I'll admit I've never been a fan of Rogue and thus have little interest invested in the character. When they changed Nightcrawler in the second movie though - I was pissed. So many people thought he was great in the movie (from what I can tell this came mostly from the opening scene in which he wasn't even acting under his own volition) but I couldn't stand his character. Why Cshiana, you may ask, as I have always professed a great love for the Nightcrawler character. Well it's quite simply because of how much I love the Nightcrawler character. I felt gypped during his movie appearance. I don't know about everyone else but I always thought that while religion was a part of Kurt's character, that it wasn't the sole focus of his existence. I always hated the small point in time where he was crazy religious. Seriously I hope they fired whomever came up with the priest collar + spandex costume. To me Nightcrawler will always be this fun loving swash buckler who grew up in a circus raised by gypsies. X2 seriously let me down with that character interpretation.

My point here is that for those of us who have some sort of emotional attachment to certain characters and storylines it's hard to accept something deviating from out own vision.

I wish screen writers would realize this. If they stuck more closely with the comics themselves they'd probably do a lot better with the actual fans as opposed to just trying to make a buck. They'd also still make money in the process as in order for these stories to become popular enough to make it to the big screen they had to be popular with the readers first. If the actual characters and stories weren't worth anything in the first place why would anyone be making a movie out of it? I mean it's not too hard - the whole thing is already story boarded for heaven's sake! At the very least throw a What if? or Elseworlds into the title... that was us comic book fans don't expect the characters we've come to know and love and maybe we can enjoy the movies as much as the uninitiated viewer.

filler!

2006-06-21T00:02:00.000-04:00

Filler fun with Tsunami! (yes I know I said I'd stop but I feel guilty about not posting anything new...)

fyi

2006-06-20T03:45:00.000-04:00

I start my new job today (Tuesday) so I'm not posting anything new tonight. I'll be back to posting regularly by Weds night at the latest. Sorry for any inconvienence!

I think I'm addicted!

2006-06-20T01:46:00.000-04:00

This one wasn't the best drawing - the proportions are off, but besides that it wasn't too bad so I stuck with it. This is Kaylee from the game my boyfriend runs. Yes I play two different dark elves... kind of. Kaylee is actually a dark elf while Cshiana is a half shadow fey-half human. It's complicated. She supposed to be sitting on the edge of a ship (after we got away from the zombie pirates). I liked how the colors turned out - and yes, I know, it's a lot of black.

Don't worry, this is the last one for awhile... at least until I've made more headway on the background for Cshiana's picture. This is a picture I drew for my boyfriend's D&D character (not Corey's game, a different one). It's one of the few pictures I have of a guy that's half-way decent... all my male drawings look so feminine =/

Tsunami

2006-06-19T07:01:00.000-04:00

Edge of Sorrow

2006-06-19T05:56:00.000-04:00

Okay, after much work I have finished this picture of Cshiana except for the background (it's on black at the moment until I figure out how to make mist) which will take a lot more work. Let me know what you think!

side note

2006-06-18T18:04:00.000-04:00

Back to comic books...

My boyfriend owns about 10 different Superman t-shirts and has always been a big Superman fan. So I thought it was really cute when he told me this story.

He went to Walmart the other night wearing one of his many Superman shirts and shorts that are blue with a red stripe down the side of them. When he was walking around the store a little girl smiled and shyly waved at him. He overheard her say to her mom, "Look Mommy, it's Superman!"

He's been in a good mood ever since :)

Evolution and ID

2006-06-18T17:46:00.000-04:00

Today we're taking an interlude into a real world debate that has really been frusterating me. As many of you know I am an anthropology major at the University of South FL. As such I've taken several classes exploring Darwin's theory of Evolution. Recently there has been a movement to allow "intelligent design" (ID) into the public school system in science classes. Now, the idea here is that ID is NOT creationism but a legitimate scientific theory - and I think that's wrong. I hate the idea that we'd allow a specific religous belief into our public scools as a scientific theory. It defeats the whole idea of America being a place of religous freedom. Sure, put ID in schools - but keep it in private schools and theology classes. I apologize for the lack of comic books today...

Over the ages there have been many different ideas on how the earth was created. From Brahma’s cosmic egg in Indian Mythology to the Earth and Sky’s birth of the world in Greek mythology, the beliefs on how the world came to be greatly vary. The question we have to ask ourselves is: what sets evolution apart from creation mythology? The answer to this question is that creationism is a belief based on religion while evolution is a theory based on scientific inquiry.

To better understand the differences between creationism and evolution one must first examine the definitions of belief and science. A belief is an idea taken on faith that cannot be scientifically tested. Science is a method of inquiry requiring the generation and testing of a hypothesis that has the chance of being rejected. Creationism cannot be tested and there is no physical evidence supporting its ideas, therefore it should be classified as a belief. Evolution can, and has been tested successfully by scientific method repeatedly. The amount of physical evidence and data gathered supporting evolution is overwhelming, while creationism often relies on religious doctrine over fact.

Another major difference between these perspectives is time. Creationism has been a part of the human species for as far back as we can trace. Humans have always sought to explain the world around them. Looking back on mankind’s varying creation stories, one can observe how much time and effort has been put into the tradition of creationism. It has had centuries to develop and become indoctrinated. Evolution, in contrast, is a relatively new concept. Despite the amount of evidence supporting evolution as a theory creationists hold fast to the comfort of beliefs that have, in one way or another, supported humanity through its "childhood." Because evolution challenges entrenched ideology and forces a resolution that does not cater to man’s ego, it will take time to be more widely accepted.

The irony here is that evolution and creationism can peacefully coexist. Yes, evolution can challenge the beliefs of a creationist, but if people can question their faith and open their minds to encompass a larger explanation of creation and still retain their beliefs it would only serve to make their faith stronger.

Unfortunately many creationists see evolution as an attack on their beliefs and values. They end up undermining their own cause with such cartoons as Creationwise, by Dan Lietha. They attempt to attack the validity of evolution as a science by claiming that scientists who use evolution as a working theory are faithless individuals who lack spirituality. This only serves to make creationists seem infantile and petty. Spirituality is something that should be encouraged and explored rather than taken on blind faith. From a scientific perspective I can only look at cartoons such as Creationwise as a sad example of how creationists see themselves.
Creationism and evolution as a belief and a scientific theory are both important parts of modern culture. Science and belief can both be used to explore the vast universe of which we are all a part of. However, one must still understand that a belief cannot be tested and therefore cannot fall within the realm of science. Science is a process that helps us develop our understanding of the physical world and evolution is a part of that. Creationism is best left within the range of theology and faith. As Joseph Campbell said, "When the story is in your mind, then you see its relevance to something happening in your own life. It gives you perspective on what’s happening to you." (The Power of Myth, pg 2). Both evolution and creationism can be a part of Campbell’s story once it is understood that they are not opposing ideas, but perspectives that can work together to encompass a greater whole.

getting there

2006-06-17T08:04:00.000-04:00

still pretty awful looking but I think I need a nap before game...

progress

2006-06-17T06:57:00.000-04:00

OK, the basic colors are done - whee! Obviously no shading has been done yet.

Also these two filters were pretty nifty looking~

the one reminds me of the Sin City look and the other one is neat and glowy!

toys!

2006-06-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

First off, another weekend has come around so I will be somewhat absorbed into the world of D&D but only for a short period - nothing as bad as last week which was many games in a row.

I got a new toy tonight - Photoshop! I am so excited to finally get ahold of this (thanks Gary!) as I can now begin experimenting with digital color. I have a feeling that much of my free time will be consumed by playing with photoshop over the next week or so, be warned. I'll still be posting of course, there's just a good possibility of me posting phases of my artwork.

The other night I spent a good amount of time assembling bags&boards and oddly enough it started me down memory lane. Growing up in a comic book store my sister and I both spent an inordinante amount of time with boards and bags... I remember how tedious it could be, and yet it's a good memory. We used to make games out of the task to keep ourselves from falling asleep. We had a lot of strange little tasks like that back then. Like organizing comic book cards... I remember it being fun at the time although now I'm not sure of the appeal. I mean, yes, playing with cards can be fun... I just don't see their purpose. Heh, I know at least one customer had my sister pick out his card boxes for him because she always seemed to pick the boxes with rare cards :) Anyway, it's funny what things will bring on an onslaught of memories.

Just to start you off on the art train, this is a picture of Cshiana for D&D. She's half-drow so it's going to be a challenge to do her skin tone. I'm sure I'll figure something out though!

Secret Identities

2006-06-15T11:42:00.001-04:00

Are secret identities necessary? On a whole, yes. I mean I can just imagine how much duller Superman would be without Clark Kent. Not every hero needs a secret ID of course, but I find that the heroes who do have them are more interesting by far.

Lets take a look at heroes who have no secret ID.

She-Hulk

This book was BORING until they brought Jennifer Walters back. Seriously, I never could care about the glamourous world of She-Hulk and liked this character A LOT more when she had to be Jennifer again. I appreciate that Jen prefers She-Hulk but that was part of the reason it was interesting to give her a human side - it helped you to empathize with her character. Not to mention you got to discover the character all over again. As much as Jen isn't a "secret" ID (at least not anymore) the character is much more interesting without just She-Hulk.

Wonder Woman

I like Wonder Woman, I really do - but I have a hard time caring about the day in the life of an Amazon Princess. As much as I enjoy WW I could never relate to her character. She's one of the celebrity superheroes and as such she's seen as "above" humanity rather than beside it. I think this is one of the major flaws of the heroes who don't have a secret ID. Of course with this character her secret ID has always been a bit of an issue as she's always WW first and when she does have a secret ID it's little more than a facade. The only time her secret ID was convincing was in the silly WW hippie comic era with her wacky clothing and martial arts instructor. Of course those books are some of the most fun.

Supergirl

This is another character who has had some issues with the whole secret ID thing. As much as she really hasn't needed it I wish they had been able to do more work pursuing Kara as Linda Lang and this was a fresh twist on Kara's character. Without a secret ID it was difficult to fit Kara into the whole Earth thing. Obviously she doesn't need this on New Krypton, but everyone there has superpowers and there's no real reason to find a different way to relate to the main population. Of course I always loved Peter David's work on Matrix/Supergirl and that whole storyline was a cool way of giving Matrix a secret ID as well as really making her Supergirl. I was pretty sad they phased her character out.

in comparison:

Superman

As I said before, I wouldn't care for a Superman with no Clark Kent. Without his secret ID this character would lose the most interesting thing about him. Supes isn't about what he can do as Superman - it's about the fact that in spite of what he can do he still wants to be one of the people he protects. That's what makes him such a great hero. Also, where would the Superman comics be today with all the wacky secret ID hi jinks that ensued? There would be no bad jokes about the fact that Clark hid away his identity with a pair of glasses, there would be no torturing of Lois, and worst of all there would be no Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter. The secret identity is a wonderful thing!

Batman

Batman would be so much less effective if people knew who he was. I mean he'd be hard pressed to strike fear into the hearts of villains as Bruce Wayne: Millionare Playboy. I'm laughing just trying to picture that one. No, really, try to picture that one. If I was a villain I'd fall down laughing. Even the new Spectre said it - that somehow finding out who Batman was just made him a man behind a mask. Secret IDs allow for the superhero myth to grow, without it the heroes are just paparazzi bait. Beyond that now Dick can carry on the Batman legacy without having to do much more than change his costume. While many people do know that the man behind the mask has changed enough badguys think it's the same scary man out there hunting them down. Sadly some of the secret ID thing seems to have backfired with Hush but Dick seems to have worked that out (we'll see).

I think the secret identity is a long standing comic book tradition and is of huge importance to the superhero genre. Secret identities not only help to answer the question of how these heroes deal with the fact that their enemies could come after their loved ones but they also allow the reader to better relate to the character. Yes, there are some great heroes who don't have secret IDs (the F4 for one) but that doesn't mean it'll work for every character. I, for one, am a big fan of the secret ID :)

sweet sweet internet

2006-06-14T16:48:00.000-04:00

Thankfully, after much internet withdraw, Brighthouse has restored our cable connection. It wouldn't have been that bad except for the realization yesterday that not only had I left my cell phone off over the weekend because of too many "unknown" callers but that since we have digital phone service my house phone was disconnected too. Now normally this wouldn't matter that much, but I realized that no one out of town had any way to contact me. In some ways this was kind of nice, a little break from a world where anyone can get ahold of me at pretty much any time. On the other hand this meant that I couldn't do things like send a thank you email to Jeff for the books he sent me... so I had to call my Dad (once turning my cell back on) and have him do it for me.

The thing is though, without my normal posting schedule I realized just how disconnected from the rest of the world I've been recently. I don't think I see my friends outside of game anymore... not that game hasn't long been the primary method of socializing here in Tampa (for my friends) but there's something to be said about just hanging out as yourself. This especially holds true after last weekend... three games in a row, ugh. Don't get me wrong, I love gaming - it fits in well with my fantasy-escapism personality. But three gaming sessions back to back (to back) left me feeling a bit burnt out. Maybe I'm getting old or something because I remember when a gaming filled weekend left me feeling refreshed as if I'd just had a pleasant vacation. Then again it may also be due to the fact that it was three separate games so I was playing different characters.

Either way I'm glad that last weekend was an exception due to shuffling schedules and makeup games.

A brief summary:

Friday - fighter/pseudo-monk action time! This was my first time at Gary (the inker of Legacy!)'s game and it was lots of laid-back fun. I got to fight a hot-pocket golem!

Saturday - Corey's D&D game, Ravenloft style. Seeing how almost all our characters are depressed several of us got "drunk":
Worf: ...and then Death took over Darkon.
Cshiana: Wait a sec... Death's a person?
Worf: uh, yeah, I guess so...
Cshiana: Is Life a person too then?
Worf: ..... umm, I dunno, could be.
Tori: Well if Hope can be a tree, Death can be a person.
*insert crickets chirping*
Cshiana: Sure, that makes as much sense as anything else here.
*more drinking*
Also, there was much cursing about gypsies...
Old gypsy woman: If you fulfill your oath a unholy reunion will result but you can overcome it if you remain strong.
Cshiana: ....
....
....
Can I ask you a question?
OGW: Of course.
Cshiana: Why do you even bother? I mean, seriously, what's the point of all this prophesy stuff anyway? No matter what you say it's always so vague that it could mean thousands of different things - so why even bother? I mean let's review here, first you all tell me that to save my father I have to save your granddaughter so she can tell us the wording of the curse she placed on my father... now you show up and tell us that we can't possibly save your granddaughter so we have to kill her - and that apparently you've known the words to the curse all along. And according to you the only way to break the curse is to bring the key to the world's destruction to the people who want to use it to free the thing that could destroy the world. So in summary: I can only free my father by possibly destroying the world and apparently bringing about some unholy union in the process... did I miss anything?
OGW: *looks all mysterious and disappears into the storm*
Cshiana: Bloody Gypsies!

Sunday - Aberrant!We managed to contain an unbelievably powerful nuclear radiation creature (aka Glowstick) while barely averting an international disaster.
Glowstick: I will take what I need, but I will stay out of your protectorate.
Valor: Great, how about you give us some time and we'll find a way to give you your own area to live in with a renewable energy source for you to feed on?
Glowstick: RAWR! I will not be imprisoned!
alor: Not a prison, your own property.
*more attempt to come up a a peaceful solution for all resulting in going around in circles*
Glowstick: I will take what I need.
Whisper: Wait! Why don't you go to Chernobyl? There should be energy to sustain you there while we come up with an unlimited food source for yo
*Creature flys off to Russia*
*Tsunami realizes that the Phoenix Corp has just sent a nuclear-powered being with no regard for human life to a foreign country*
Whisper: Well that should by us some time! *teleports away*
Somehow though, everything worked out okay in the end.

On the comic book end of things I finally got to read the new Wonder Woman book. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but it has potential.

As for 52... I had to be amused at the idea that Animal Man is hanging out with naked Starfire and complaining. That man is obviously devoted to his wife - about time someone's not just randomly sleeping around in the comic book world. I actually enjoyed the latest 52 since it had a bit more story and less Booster Gold.

On a side note my Mouse Guard books are now being passed between 4 different people down here - I haven't found anyone who doesn't enjoy those books. Most exciting was the fact that Jeff sent me a signed copy of Mouse Guard #1! Thanks Jeff <3 That goes right up on my list of cool stuff next to the Batman sketch Scott Hanna did for me of Batman back when I was a kid.

I'm sure tomorrow's post will be somewhat more coherent. Well, maybe :)

Writer's Block

2006-06-10T03:00:00.000-04:00

I hate writer's block - and it's not so much that I don't have anything to say as I'm not sure how to get it across. *sigh* So today's post will be about lots of random things!

First off - last week's comics...
I had a really good time with my recent infusion of stuff to read. I convinced my Dad to find Ballad of Sleeping Beauty for me and it was a great read. You could definately tell that it was one of the author's first attempts at writing a comic book but it had some great ideas and I'm always fond of stories that make use of fairy tales and mythology. The art was perfect for the mood of the story and I loved the coloring. It was sparse and well formed. It's great when the art and story work so well together. Also, turning Sleeping Beauty into a western was a great idea :)

I finally got to read S&B 26 and maybe I was being overly sensitive but I cried at the end knowing it was for Sam Loeb. It really made me miss someone I never actually knew. It was very sweet that so many people came together to do that book as a tribute to him.

Then there was Nextwave the coloring book. SO awesome. I mean, yeah, it was a fun book anyway, but the idea of coloring a comic book is exciting for some reason. And yes, I totally plan on coloring it.

I really enjoyed Local #5 and I think it was the best issue so far. It was a very inventive story and we got to know the main character a bit better. That and I can empathize with the nametag thing, we used to switch them all the time at work.

onto other stuff:
I'm really excited at the idea of working on my comic, Legacy, again. I have our original artist and inker on the team and I may experiment with doing the coloring myself if Corey consents to helping me out a bit. After looking around online for a bit I discovered that Dark Horse is accepting submissions until December 31st '06 and Image and Asp seem to accept them on an ongoing basis. Hopefully it'll come together this time!

I'm still working on an illustrated story (illustrated by Legacy's inker actually) that will be published regardless of whether or not we find an outside publisher. We finally get to start pulling the layout together in 2 weeks and I figure it should be ready for publishing by early 2007. There's a website that does cheap publishing so if nothing else I'll be able to bully people I know into buying my book :)

Project Nightwing is on the shelf for now because as much as I'd love to work on it I won't have time now that we're restarting Legacy. So it'll be on the backburner for awhile although I already have a basic plot sketched out.

Tomorrow is D&D and Sunday is Aberrant so it should be an entertaining weekend.

I found this comic book while looking on ebay and for some reason found it to be intriguing. Cross-company storys always amuse me.

Oh! On a side note I've been spending some quality time over at Neil Gaiman's home page and I was surprised (and happy) to see that they're making a Stardust movie!

Anyway, time to sleep...

EBAY

2006-06-09T18:17:00.000-04:00

I have given in to the ebaying devil. We will see how it goes!

Game Master

2006-06-07T21:26:00.000-04:00

At the start of this year I undertook a new project: to game master a Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) table-top game. As I am now six months into the game I thought I'd take some time to reflect on this experience.

First off I should mention that I didn't discover "gaming" until college. During my freshman year and Eckerd College I met several of the Vampires on campus through one of my dorm-mates. Having lived in a fantasy world inside my own imagination since I was old enough to have semi-coherent thought it was no surprise that the gaming world caught my attention. My new friends quickly integrated me into the on-campus LARP games and I had a wonderful time. I LARPed for two years before I was offered the chance to play in a table-top game. Oddly enough my first game was on September 11th (fantasy is so much better than reality!) and the game itself was L5R. I don't even remember a lot of the early game sessions as I spent most of my time trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Eventually though, it became my favorite game, even over the LARP setting that I had so enjoyed. That campaign ran for two years and I even received a rare compliment when one of my fellow gamers told me how much he had enjoyed my character's story.

Needless to say I developed an attachment to the world of L5R and it has remained my favorite table-top environment even today (although I throughly enjoy both D&D and Aberrant). So when my friends began to delve into the world of L5R cards I found myself thinking about how much fun we used to have in our old campaign and I picked up the new players guide. This brings us to my decision to experiment with the role of GM for the first time.

Now, I've ran games before, but never a table-top game. Let me tell you, it has given me new respect for the comic book writers who can keep continuity straight! It's a huge challenge to keep track of all the various supporting characters (not to mention the fact that many of the supporting characters are people who your players came up with, so you have to learn those stories too). I find myself taking constant notes while running the game in order to keep up!GMing is also one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a creator (this may be due to the fact that I haven't been published before, but anyway). As much as the world is already created for you it's up to the GM to create the cast and set the mood for the game. I've drawn on a LOT of my experience with comic books to keep afloat. It's amazing to see how far a simple plot hook can go and it's a constant challenge to create on the spot as one of your players goes on a tangent that you never expected.

I've always believed that RPGs are a fantastic way of improving a writer's skills as you actually play the characters you create. Ever game session you get to know your own character better and better and have to opportunity to discover new things about your creation. I can truly say that the gaming world has helped me to become a better writer. I rarely have problems establishing my character's personalities now days and I haven't had a character that acted "out of character" in a story in a long time. GMing has only heightened this experience. I even manage to surprise myself sometimes because so much of your story has to be flexible in order to work with the players.

As I hit the 6 month mark with my game I realize that I look forward to each session with anticipation, not only because of the story I want to share with my players, but also out of the excitement of not always knowing what will happen next.

Endings

2006-06-07T18:38:00.000-04:00

I think one of the major problems of the comic book industry is their reluctance to end stories. Having re-read some of Maison Ikkoku recently (a manga by Rumiko Takahashi) I realized that manga has a huge advantage story-wise over mainstream comic books - they have the luxury of ending their stories. I've always liked the saying "There are no happy ending because nothing ever ends." Unfortunately that phrase seems to haunt the American comic book industry. Even if there is a happy ending to a storyline it doesn't make much of a difference because a few weeks/months/years from that point someone will make sure that ending is ripped apart or red lined or horribly terribly altered. Or, comics will do a tragic story that actually touches the reader on an emotional level - but because nothing EVER ends even our tragedy is stolen from us! I mean, who can really mourn the death of a character when they come back time and time again? Let's look at some examples!

Amazing Spiderman #121

The death of Gwen Stacey was (one of) the best storylines in comic books. The love story between Peter and Gwen was a beautiful thing and Peter's emotional trauma at her death was so real the reader could easily empathize with him. Peter's romance with MJ never managed to strike me as completely real because of the Gwen Stacey tragedy. This story arch was one of the defining moments of Peter's life and as such I believe the creators over at Marvel should have left it untouched. Instead... they turn Gwen Stacey into the kind of girl who would sleep with the Green Goblin. If this story had been allowed it's ending Gwen would still be the girl I remember her as and her love story with Peter could have remained pure. Instead I get the image of Gwen SLEEPING WITH GREEN GOBLIN. Why Marvel? Why?

Nightwing

Anyone else remember how Nightwing "found" himself back when he became Nightwing? I know Chuck Dixon does, but Devin Grayson and now Bruce Jones both seem to think that Nightwing is still messed up over things he supposedly resolved. Not to mention even Grayson wrote the final issue of Nightwing (before one year later) as if Dick had risen above all the crap she threw at him. We even had him propose to Babs! But now Jones is writing Nightwing as if he never got over any of his issues. The writers keep ignoring ALL of Nightwing's "happy endings" because I guess people think that angst sells.

Donna Troy

I can't even remember the amount of times this poor woman has gotten a happy ending only to have it ripped away. Sure, this character has some serious continuity issues as it is, but even so I fell sorry for Donna. Back in the days of the New Teen Titans Donna got married and had a baby and I thought that was a great change for the character. That all got screwed up several times over. It's like no comic book character is really allowed a happy ending.

There are many examples of story arch "endings" being undone for one reason or another but I think the biggest cause of this phenomenon is that American comics think that endings kill sales. Instead of coming up with original ideas or building up new characters the industry recycles old stories over and over again knowing that nostalgia sells. They cater to "the good old days" and know that a book will automatically sell if they bring back a dead character. The problem is that the longer they do this the more it actually harms the story that was already there. Sure, you're selling to the readers who have been around forever but you miss out on new readers because who wants to pick up a book that you can't understand because you haven't been a reader for the past 5 years?

Sandman is probably one of the most well known and respected comic books around. I have met so many people who have read at least one graphic novel from the Sandman run. Why? Because it's a self-contained story. You don't have to delve into the entirety of a comic book universe to enjoy Dream's stories. The reason it is a great comic book is because Gaiman allowed it to end and DC was smart enough to stop the series when Gaiman finished the story. I can't think of a single comic that forsakes real endings that can outshine a self-contained story arch. I'm not saying that continuing books are a bad thing - I'm saying they're a bad thing IF the story doesn't move on. Life is about the actions that define and change you, people have to grow and so do characters. By constantly re-hashing old stories the writers/editors rob their readers of the good stories they have told as well as denying the new generation of heroes the chance to come into their own. Endings don't ruin stories, they make them.

Despair

2006-06-06T00:43:00.000-04:00

I was asked by a friend to write a Sandman story focusing on Despair. I thought I'd share what I came up with.

Suzuko looked into her daughter’s eyes and saw only the horror of her own existence. There were times when Kikyo resembled her father so strongly that Suzuko could only gasp as the pain of his absence hit her like an onslaught of arrows from the sky. At times like this the beautiful woman would retreat to her balcony and let the cold mountain air numb her soul. Her winter-white hair would billow in the wind and sweep upward as if longing for the stars. Suzuko, too, longed for the stars, for a freedom she would never know again. She had gone into the arranged marriage with open eyes of course, but the child, she hadn’t expected her to remind her of the love she had known so acutely. Her husband had no idea, he believed Kikyo to be his daughter as the midwife’s lies about the baby being premature had eased whatever suspicions he may have harbored. Still, Suzuko knew, and knowing what she could no longer have was killing her. There was only one way to be free of this despair. Realizing this Suzuko let a cold and heartless smile slip across her face. After tonight she would no longer have to be reminded of the man she had been abandoned by.

"It is strange to me sister, that they seek to escape my realm by falling into yours. They only end up coming back to me in the end, even if it’s only for a moment." Despair commented.

"Oh I wish they would stay sometimes, I get so lonely and confused, and I like this one especially. She reminds me of ice cream and songs about seagulls." the girl who once was Delight chewed on her orange fingernails as she looked through another of Despair’s mirrors.

"They stay with you sometimes sister, but this one is mine. I have my hook deep in her heart - she only flirts with you."

"Ooo, is she? Do you really think?" Delirium blushed and turned back to the white-haired woman in the pyramid-shaped mirror. "Maybe I’ll ask her for a dance. With cartwheels and pumpkins and sparkly dresses!" Depair ignored her sister’s chatter and dug deeper into Suzuko’s pain.

"I’m not done with you yet pretty thing."

"Burn it Kikyo, do what Mommy tells you to do, don’t disobey me." Suzuko’s eyes gleamed with madness and her daughter cowered before her. Kikyo had never seen her mother like this and the candle dripped hot wax on her hand as she shivered in indecision. "Do what I tell you child!" She grabbed her daughter by the throat and shoved her into the rice paper door. Kikyo screamed in pain as the flame caught and began to grow. Suzuko left the child sprawled on the floor sobbing, reaching her hands toward the flame as if welcoming a long absent friend. The fire spread through the house rapidly and it wasn’t long until she heard her husband’s screams. She had blocked the hallway that would have let her jailer escape and knew herself to be the cause of his agony. Her prison was burning down around her and yet she felt nothing. She wondered why the heat had yet to warm her frozen heart. Kikyo had already passed out from the smoke and Suzuko watched the ends of her hair blacken from the ash. Then, she saw him. With his long black hair lose from it’s top knot and his kimono sleeves burnt from rushing into the house he looked a different man, but Suzuko knew him - Miyo, Kikyo’s father. She didn’t know how he had known but seeing him again dragged Suzuko back into reality. She gasped in pain as the heat rose in the room and her skin began to burn. He gathered Kikyo close to his heart and reached his hand out to Suzuko. Even now he would save her life, even though he had seen what she had become. The love in his eyes hurt her as she saw what she had almost done. Her own daughter, she had tried to destroy her only child, Miyo’s child. She turned away from his outstretched hand and walked further into the burning house. She knew then that despair was the only freedom she had ever had.

"But she’s gone to our elder sister now. She didn’t stay with either of us. Now neither of us will dance in sparkles and seagulls." Delirium looked saddened for a moment as the pyramid mirror faded away.

"She was mine in the end, not Death’s. She see’s them all but none of them love her as they love us. And they do sister. They do love me so once they know they belong to me."

"Do you love them too? I do. I love them as much as candy frogs, black bubblegum on days of the week and fireflies."

"I do love them sister. That’s why I give so much to them. I give them hopelessness. Without hope they never want for anything else. What more could they need?"

Zombie Pirates

2006-06-04T01:39:00.000-04:00

No real post for now as tonight was a D&D night.

It was our first game of this campaign and we decided that since all our characters were so drastically different that it'd be hard to come up with a reason why we were traveling together. So our DM decided on a railroad plot.

This resulted in some of us being captured by zombie pirates. They wanted to interrogate us for information and then eat us. Luckily we escaped. wheee!

Here's hoping everyone else is having an entertaining weekend as well!

grrr

2006-06-03T16:52:00.000-04:00

Well that's it. i officially HATE Dan Didio.

One attendee asked the panel who they’d wanted to see killed in "Infinite Crisis."
Didio stated baldly, “I wanted Nightwing dead. Follow Nightwing’s story- he was supposed to die!”

Oh that rat bastard.

I'm glad he doesn't get everything he wants at DC.

Condiment King

2006-06-03T03:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of the aforementioned Condiment King

I left my pants at home...

2006-06-03T01:06:00.000-04:00

I finally got last week's comics today and I was excited to see Skye Runner #2. Sadly it wasn't quite as good as the first issue, but it was still enjoyable. It did however have me thinking more about the Eric Larson article Jeff emailed me the other day.

As much as I don't agree with everything the man says I can't help but agree with some of what he says about costumes in comic books. I mean, cmon, superhero costumes are pretty silly as a rule. As much as I believe Phantom Lady's costume to be ridiculous it doesn't offend me. I'm not sure why it would offend anyone really. I mean I grew up with Starfire's costume and it never bothered me.

The only things that bother me about drawing superheroes is 1. When they all look like clones and 2. When they look drastically different from one comic to the next. I swear Hawkgirl's breasts are only that huge in her own book (and only when she's in costume... maybe it's part of her disguise). I believe there's even a superhero song out there about wearing your underwear outside of your pants. They actually make fun of that in one Batman Animated series episode with the Condiment King (yes, you heard me, the Condiment King - if you haven't seen that episode go purchase Batman season 3 NOW... the Condiment King is kicking Gorilla Grodd off of my list and them bumping everyone else back as he takes Magneto's rank). The man is actually wearing his underwear outside of his pants. And you know what? That's okay in comics and comic book genres.

I mean sure, it's got to be seriously uncomfotable fighting crime in a thong and high heels. But hey I wouldn't be caught dead in some of the costumes out there if I was a guy either...

Anyway, the reason Skye runner had me thinking about this was because of Skye's costume. I mean the girl is wearing very little. But the thing is the writer himself makes fun of it. He's playing to the fantasy genre and dressing the warrior-girl up in very little clothing, but he makes it part of his story and has fun with it. So not only am I not offended at the scant clothing I actually end up enjoying the book more because of it.

You have to take several steps away from reality to envision the world of comics anyway. So what difference does it make that Red Sonja has a chain mail thong? As far as I'm concerned, very little.

Literary Reference!

2006-06-02T17:31:00.000-04:00

I stole this scan from Scipio over at The Absorbascon because I was pretty excited to find a literary reference in an old comic. Not just an old comic - an old silly comic. People always make fun of the old comics and their wacky stories - but what some people don't seem to understand is that their wackiness is what makes them so great! So I thought it was pretty neat to see a mark of fine literature in one of the old wacky books. See if you guys catch it!

Writing and Comics

2006-06-01T20:55:00.000-04:00

I've always thought comics were one of the most interesting mediums and learning to read off of them has predisposed me to the form as far as creating goes. Now as much as I would be forever happy with my life if I was a talented artist and could spend my time drawing comics for sustanace, this is, alas, not the case. Luckily I'm at least a decent writer and so I find myself composing all sorts of comic book stories in my head. I've written without a comic book format of course, countless essays, character backgrounds and a few short stories - but the medium I keep wishing to work with is comic books - the place where you have art AND story working together to acomplish something more by combining means of expression.

A few years ago I worked with a friend of mine to try and create a comic book - my comic book - Legacy. Unfortunately my friend wasn't quite as passionate about the project as I was and we never went anywhere with actually bringing the story to the public. I still have all the work I've done on the story as well as a lot of the character art so that one day I can find an artist who shares my love for comics and wants to bring Legacy to the public.

Recently I re-read my initial work on the book. Usually when I go back to something after a few years I tear it apart and rework it from the bottom up. I've always been a fairly harsh critic of my own work and as such can find a lot I want to improve on in my older work. Not so with Legacy though. I was suprised how much I really put into just the first issue. I was even more suprised with the fact that I may actually have the potential to become a good writer and not just a decent one.

I think the comics medium is my strongest because I have such vivid mental imagery when I write. While I am fairly good with description it translates better (to me anyway) with art alongside of it.

I'm not writng this to make any specific point - this was mostly to get a lot of my thoughts on "paper". But what I would like to know, is what do you think makes a good story? This doesn't have to refer to comic books, but any medium for story telling. Also, what creative medium do you prefer for telling stories (both from a creator and recipient perspective)?

Link!

2006-06-01T16:08:00.000-04:00

In regards to our recent discussions go check out Ragnell's latest post! She has some wonderful things to say and it's well worth reading :)

The Good Times Are Killing Me

2006-05-31T23:29:00.000-04:00

As an anthropology student I spend a lot of time studying the past and reflecting on the things that have already come to pass. I spend more time in yesterday at times than I do in today - or as the Wolfriders would call it, the Now. Tonight though, I find myself wondering just what living in the past does to me.

For one, I do believe that history, both in a worldview and on a personal level, is important. Learning from the past is what helps us to change and grow and gives us the chance to learn from our mistakes. But spending too much time in nolstalgia can damage the quality of our lives.

I remember my Dad's comic book store vividly. When my sister and I lived at Comics And... we were happy. I spent my days reading, playing make-believe in the basement (my sister was Peacock Girl and I was Flexability Cat), dreaming of imaginary places, and learning most of the important things there are from superheroes. If there was a "golden age" to my life, that was it. I miss it more than I can adequately express. But it's gone now and it's not coming back. If I spent my time mourning the loss of that time I'd never come to appreciate the Now.

The same goes for the comic books themselves. I miss the old stories, the times when it seemed as if comics showed us how to pick ourselves up and how to stand tall. But as much as I love those stories I have to focus on the good stories there are now or I'll miss out on so much. Maybe the "good old days" aren't what's important. Maybe it's the good people - the writers who still believe in their characters, the artists who give us a window into a facinating world, and the readers who keep demanding higher quality from a society when quality is too often thrown to the wayside. The readers who shout, "More isn't always better! Sometimes it's just more!" These are the people who make me believe that comics will continue and that they will become better. If those people give up all that's left is the past - and that will lead us nowhere, fast.

So I say read comics for the future. Read comics to your kids. Don't give up on superheroes... because after all they never give up on us.

PC is Killing Comics

2006-05-31T01:46:00.000-04:00

*WARNING*

This post may offend the easily offended. If you are offended by possibly controversial statements then don't read this post. Nasty comments will be deleted. You have been forewarned. That said, this isn't intended to piss people off but you can never make everyone happy.

Thanks to Dan Didio Affirmative Action has come to a comic book store near you! I wouldn't want to get a job due to my minority status (or gender for that matter) so why should a superhero be written as a "miniority" just for the sake of attempting to be PC?

OK, I realize that heroes should be diverse, I have no issue with that. I do have a problem with the idea that the new Batwoman is a lesbian as a selling point. I could care less what Batwoman's sexual orientation is - sure I understand that love and romance is part of the story behind a character... but why is it so important to Didio to keep talking about Kate Kane being gay? Answer: he wants to appear PC.

Yes - bring in minorities, yes - allow for gay characters. That is how it should be because a hispainic guy or a lesbian is just as likely to be a hero as anyone. But I want characters to be created because someone has been inspired to write about them, not because their editor tells them that they have to come up with a minority character because it's PC. That's a death sentence for the story right there... it's a character fostered by a business decision and that leads to a character without the passion of the writer behind it. The way Didio presents it, it's as if he doesn't care much for the character themselves but only if they make him look like a politically correct guy. It's just another way of selling books to him.

Sometimes people wonder why there are so many white male characters in comic books. I myself had a hard time identifying with many of the female superheroes that were around when I was growing up (some girls think they had it rough growing up wanting to look like Barbie - that's nothing when there's women like Starfire running around). But let's face it - the best way to write is to write what you know - and even now the comic world is populated by more men than women. So you're going to find the male characters more prominent... most guys find it easiest to write male characters... and you can tell when the female characters are written but a man most of the time too. It's only natural. Some of the best female characters out there right now are written by a woman - Gail Simone writes strong women who ring true to the female reader. This is because she's writing what she knows. (This doesn't mean you can't write a female character if you're a guy or vise versa, but every writer knows that if you can pull from your own experiences you can write a better story. It's one of the first rules you learn in writing.)

My point here is that diversity will come to comics naturally over time the same way female superheroes have grown more varied over the years. If it's forced I have a feeling it will piss off more people than it pleases. If a character is given to someone to write JUST BECAUSE someone wants a gay character it won't be done well. If some writer is gay or has gay friends and wants to bring some of that culture into a story and because of that they come up with a character to explore that world, then it has a chance of becoming a great story. Until that time just make sure that at least your supporting cast is varied to reflect the world itself. Let characters evolve naturally.

Diversity in comics is great - we live in a diverse world and comics should reflect that. But I think it's also important to remember that people are all PEOPLE first and foremost. Homo sapiens... there is no biological race and no genetic trait for sexual orientation. I think the heroic journey itself should be held with more regard than the color of someone's skin or who they find attractive. At least for me I continue to care more about the virtue of the character themsleves than any accident of birth.

I'm hoping Batwoman's writers will focus on the character herself and not making her the token lesbian vigilante. With good writers she could be a neat character.

slacker

2006-05-30T04:37:00.000-04:00

Sorry guys, no real post today. I'm not feeling well and I just can't get the "PC is killing comics" post right because of it. I've got at least half of it down and will finish it tomorrow, but I do apologize for the delay. I just refuse to post something like that only doing a half-assed job.

I did notice something funny and disturbing today though. While reading through the Dark Phoenix Saga (reminding myself of all they missed out on in the recent movie) I found something I had missed all these years. In issue #129 of Uncanny X-Men (I think, they don't actually tell you the issue numbers in the old graphic novels - it's the 1st appearance of Kitty Pryde if that helps) the X-Men take Kitty out to a malt shop while the Prof. talks with her parents. There's a side panel where Wolverine is looking at a magazine with Colossus peering over his shoulder. A few panels later they focus in on the two and you see that Wolverine is flipping through an issue of Penthouse!

At first I was stunned. As an adult (and as a teenager too, I suppose) I realized that many people enjoy looking at "dirty" magazines (and it really doesn't bother me) but it had never occured to me that Wolverine would do it! In a malt shop! With Colossus! I'd scan the picture if I could but I have no scanner so you'll just have to look it up :) I think I shattered a childhood perception today...

At least Colossus has the decency to look suprised at what Wolvie is flipping through. I guess after all the Mariko stuff later on I kind of though of Wolvie as being above looking at pictures of naked women. He always seemed kind of honorable back in the "good 'ole days". Now I have discover the were no good days :( Gee, I'm glad I never picked up on that when my Dad read us this book when we were kids. *sigh* Oh well, I'm sure I'll recover - at least I haven't found evidence of Superman reading Playboy.

Abberrant Day

2006-05-29T00:18:00.000-04:00

Today was our second Abberrant game and it took up most of the day. As such there won't be much of a post.

This game wasn't as "exciting" as last since it involved more footwork than anything else. It was fairly informative though. It's interesting to watch as our team dynamic evolves. I never really gave much thought to what superheroes do in their downtime before - you know, the heroes who have no secret identity(as most superhumans in the Abberrant world don't have a secret identity). My character, for example, live on the island that serves as the Phoenix Corps base of operations. So when we have downtime when our GM is off running another scene I have to figure out what it is Gilly does in her free time when she's waiting around for something specific to happen (and thus can't run off to the lab to get work done or hang out with the dolphins). It was interesting to think about. I hope stuff like that will help me with writing characters in the future. Developing a new character is always fun :)

Anyway, I know most of you aren't interested in my gaming life, but since it usually takes up a good amount of my time on days we play I'm ususally too burnt out to write a real post. So have a great holiday and I'll come up with something more insightful for tomorrow's post! For today all I have is this:

What confuses me the most is that off-again on-again lightbulbs are "a new mystery analysts thriller!" Where do they come up with this stuff?

Project: Save Nightwing

2006-05-27T22:18:00.000-04:00

Here's the general idea I came up with:

Due to a lack of quality in the current DC series, Nightwing, I am proposing an alternate storyline starting from "1 year later". This will be written as if it would actually be published - i.e. it will fall within the continuity of the current DC universe.

I have a good idea of what I want to do with this as far as the plot goes, but I need to figure out what city Nightwing should be based out of. I'm not sure how well NYC works... it doesn't really suit Nightwing. So I'm asking for suggestions. I'd prefer to keep him on the East Coast though as I am more familiar with that area.

I'd also like everyone's thoughts about what could be done to revive the Nightwing series. Because I am trying to do this as if it were an actual project proposal we have to assume that Devin Grayson's work is cannon (well, to an extent anyway). Try and imagine what you'd like to see Nightwing doing "1 year later" and go from there :)

I appreciate any help I can get.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

X-Men: Last Stand

2006-05-26T15:37:00.000-04:00

*possible spoilers* - but I really think I managed to keep my review pretty vague.

The X-Men movies seem to have gone the way of the comics - tossing out character developement for flashy battle scenes and predictable plot lines. As much as I was hoping for more, I can't say I was too suprised at the lack of quality in the latest X movie.

There was little to no character developement in this movie. I was pleased to see much more of Kitty in this movie, unfotunately both her and Colossus are just throwen into the story without us getting to know them. Rogue, who we had come to love from the previous movies, barely had any screen time. Wolverine was yet again the "star" of the show - to the point where they screwed with the only good thing Scott Summers ever had. Oh, and that's the other thing. Scott finally got to have a bit of a role... which was wasted during the course of the movie. I will admit that Angel was gorgeous. I've always liked the Angel character and even though we didn't get to know him it was still nice to see him fly. The one new addition that did fairly well was Beast. Kelsy Grammer was a great casting call and even Beast's fighting scenes were awesome. Nightcrawler is not in this movie - and there is no explaination as to why he's gone. It's as if he never existed *rolls eyes*. Then there was Callisto - WTF? She was nothing like her comic book counterpart. I didn't even know she was Callisto until I went home and looked at the casting info. All I can assume is that in the world of Hollywood the Morlocks are a bunch of goth kids. Seriously, what were they thinking? Juggernaut didn't really look like himself either, although his personality was much closer to the character than Callisto. Jamie Maddrox? Completely off. This made me sad as I have recently come to like the character of Multiple Man. The actors certaintly did the best job they could - it wasn't thier fault that no one got screen time.

As for the plot... it was like they tried to throw in too many things at once (kind of like the characters!). They had a Dark Phoenix plot, another excuse for crazy mutant battles/protests plot, a Sentinel teaser and what could have been a Morlock plot. The truely regrettable thing is if they had picked one of these plots, stuck with it, and done it right, this would have been an awesome movie. Instead we get a plot straight out of the badly written comic book days - mismatched, poorly patched together and confusing. They don't give you anytime to care about what was happening. Yes, there were "cool" scenes - but all they did was play to the fans of the comic books and did nothing to redeem the actual movie. Then, to top it all off, the ending is so predictable I saw it coming twenty minutes into the movie.

Of course my biggest disappointment in the movie was the fact that they put Jean in some ugly red dress and we never saw Famke Janssen in the Dark Phoenix costume. I mean, c'mon... give me something to work with here!

The movie wasn't a total loss - there were good moments and it was well acted. Seeing Kitty in action was cool. Jean was, as previously mentioned, hot. Hugh Jackman, as always, does a great Wolverine. Ian McKellan was awesome as usual. All in all I will probably end up owning the movie if only to watch Angel fly - but I feel let down somehow. I really hoped for more.

Note: this would have been posted much earlier if not for blogger being bugged out every time I hit the publish button - sorry for the delay!

midnight movie intermission

2006-05-26T02:33:00.000-04:00

Just got home from the midnight showing of the new X-Men movie. As it's pretty late I'll post a non-spoiler review tomorrow morning. Until then I leave you with one thought: Jean Grey was hot... unfortunately she had next to no lines :(

Jeff's birthday post

2006-05-24T18:40:00.000-04:00

For Jeff's birthday (which was yesterday, May 24th) I asked him what topic he would like me to write about. He responded with, "Who are your favorite 3 writers in comics or otherwise right now. Why? Is there any comic writer you can't stand? Why?" Here's the answers to those questions...

My three favorite writers (and we're going to stick in the comic book world because otherwise I'd never come up with an answer) are Neil Gaimen, Gail Simone, and Mark Waid. As to why:

Neil Gaimen

First of all, there's the Sandman, possibly one of the greatest stories ever written in comic book form. Gaimen created a whole new level to the DCU and more - he did it well. He managed to not only write a story that could hold your interest and tweak your imagination, but to write it in such a fashion that it worked on many levels. You could pick up Sandman as a monthly book, a single graphic novel, or as a whole, and everytime it was a good read. Also, everytime you read the series you find something new. Second, there's American Gods, one of my all time favorite books. Gaimen interweaves all sorts of mythology into an outstanding story that gives the reader a glimpse of America from the standpoint of the immortal. I think Gaimen is one of the only writers I've read that manages to bring a spark of insight to whatever he writes.

Gail Simone

I will add that Gail Simone is a consistantly good writer as well as the things I've stated before. That's rare to find in comic books. She writes intriguing characters, fun stories, and never fails to forget a humorous remark even in the darkest of times.

Mark Waid

Ever since Mark Waid made Wally West into a great character I've had a lot of respect for his work. His transformation of the Flash was amazing. Wally became a real hero and Waid has a talent for establishing strong foundations as well as continuity. The other thing I enjoyed with Waid was the love story he gave Wally. Many other writers would have had Wally sleeping with 3 girls at once or some other such nonsense. Instead, Waid gave Wally true love - love that stretched across the bounds of time and space and saved Wally time and time again. I am also enjoying his run on the Legion of Superheroes. It's fun, interesting, and deals with deep issues without it becoming so depressing that you stop reading. Mark Waid is an awesome comic book writer, and I'm always happy to give his work a shot.

As for a writer I can't stand, at the moment that would be Frank Miller. This may come as a suprise to some, especially considering his supposed brilliance, but I really dislike his writing at the moment. I have enjoyed his work in the past, don't get me wrong, but Batman Allstar really bothers me. That is NOT my Batman (or my Robin for that matter). I also don't understand why everything Miller writes is such a angsty, dark mind trip. I mean, look at Alan Moore's work... sure he has a lot of similar themes, but it's not all the same in the emotions he conveys. Take a look at the difference in between From Hell and Top 10 for instance. Moore can try new things. Miller seems to be writing Allstar as if the iconic version of Batman belongs in Sin City. Personally I prefer Batman and the Monster Men and wish Miller would learn to chill out.

Hope that answered your question Jeff (even though I know you've been enjoying Allstar Batman ;) ) and I hope you had a great birthday!

Bigby Wolf

2006-05-23T03:18:00.000-04:00

This is a post about why Bigby is one of the best characters in comics EVER. That's right, EVER. Sure, he's surly, he's mean, he probably only bathes once a month, but he's still amazing.

First of all he's a detective, that in itself can be pretty cool. My new found love for Jason Bard partially stems from the detective angle. I admit that growing up with a Dad who has bought me every Detective issue since I was, what, seven? may have something to do with the fact that I'm a sucker for the private eye. Bigby's also a more loveable (perhaps more redeemable) Sam Spade - and c'mon, how many people didn't love Sam Spade the first time they watched the Maltese Falcon? He's also a spy master. I love how he has this network of Fables working undercover. Really, who would think Cinderella was a spy? That's right, no one. Only Bigby could find such a perfect agent.

Second, Bigby's a wolf. Not just any wolf, but a great big one that huffs and puffs. Personally, I never rooted for any of the little pigs... I always wanted the Big Bad Wolf to win. I mean, sure, eating Grandma was a bit extreme, but only a bit. It was totally Red's fault for trusting a wolf in the first place. Hmm, maybe this is why I was never the popular kid in school *cough*

Then there's the fact that despite Bigby's sorid past, he becomes the hero of Fabletown. I know that I was excited to see him come into Fabletown as a giant wolf and huff and puff. Bigby turned the tide of that battle - it was a memorable comic book moment.

The best thing about Bigby is how he is around Snow. His love for her is so obvious... of course the fact that he was shacking up with some other girl recently bothers me, but I have a feeling that we don't know the entirety of that story yet. Either way Bigby and Snow have one of the few true romances left in comic books right now, so Bigby has to be pretty darn awesome.

Oh yeah, and Bigby's cute too - in a gruff kind of way :)

I think Bigby is one of my favorite characters around... especially since Nightwing has been stolen away from me. I was VERY happy to see his return in the latest issue of Fables. I've enjoyed the divergent stories, but I really kept reading because I wanted to see Bigby again. Hopefully Willingham will give us plenty of Bigby and Snow!

It's also nice to see how the characters are actually allowed to change and grow, despite the fact that Fables are immortal.

Geeks

2006-05-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

I know I've discussed this somewhat before, but after perusing both Seven Hells, and subsequently Written World, I began thinking further about women who read comic books and do other "geeky guy" things.

A few years ago I remember one of those spoof emails going around that listed the 10 things that could be used to identify a geek. Looking back on some of the activities listed I have to wonder why geekdom is usually associated with guys. Here were some of the things listed:

Comic Books

Well anyone who reads this blog is well aware of the fact that I am a comic book fan. While I realize that comic books have a larger male fan base, I find it odd how suprised guys are when they find out I know more about comics than they do (usually). I know many female comic book fans - it's hard to believe we're such a rarity that the cashiers at the stores look at us bug eyed when we walk up to the counter with an issue of Batman.

Star Trek etc

I'm a trekkie... my sister's a trekkie... heck, my Mom's a trekkie. In fact I think I know more girls who are into Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings than I know guys. Actually I've always found sci-fi and D&D type fantasy more appealing than Friends or Sex in the City.

Video Games

Ah, another type of store where I get funny looks from the cashiers - places like Game Stop and EB. Obviously I'm there to buy a gift for my boyfriend or my brother. *sigh* I will admit that I don't know all that many girls who play video games on a regular basis, but still, I know they're out there.

RPGs

Even I have to admit that my one female player recently dropped out of my tabletop game. I have to assume this is because a lot of boys grew up playing D&D and other rpgames while girls usually don't become exposed to it until later in life. I didn't even discover the world of gaming until I went to college and fell in with local comic book geeks who introduced me to LARPing. It is pretty hard for girls to get into the LARP side of gaming sometimes... many of the guys look at you as if they've never seen a girl before. Still, most of my female friends are into some sort of RPGing.

Online RPGs

When I played both Everquest and War of Warcraft people assumed I was a guy. A lot of this has to do with the fact that so many guys make female characters on these games, but the amount of times people refered to me as "bro"... well, lets just say it got old.

I guess the point of all this is that women are just as likely to enjoy "geeky" stuff as guys are. Maybe the market shouldn't just be opening up to kids to get more readers... maybe they should also clue into the fact that women are interested in the market too. Maybe then I'll walk into new comic or gaming stores without feeling like the cashier has never seen breasts on someone before.

X-Men Fairy Tales

2006-05-21T17:40:00.000-04:00

So when I went to check out Read More Comics yesterday I ended up getting X-Men Fairy Tales #1 (well, actually André got it for me) our of curiosity.

Wow, I ended up being plesantly suprised by a Marvel book.

Sure, it's a stolen idea on multiple levels (Sandman Dreamhunters as well as Fables), but nonetheless, an enjoyable read. I actually liked the Cyclops character! This has only proved the fact that X-Men works better as a Japanese fairy tale of course, but here's another shocker - it's an ALL AGES BOOK!

On another high note, the art was very nicely done. It managed to work with the Japanese theme without looking like manga art, and the coloring was lovely. I think Beast in the guise of a mischievious blue monkey was my favorite character, he was very entertaining. Iceman appears as a snowy dog, Prof. X as a monk, Cyclops as a woodsman, and Angel as a bird. This was a very cute story and I look forward to the rest of the miniseries. If you haven't read this yet I'd highly suggest checking it out :) It reminds me of the stories Kitty and Illyana used to tell back when I loved the X-Men.

Comic Book Stores

2006-05-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

It's a hard thing to find a good comic book store - at least as far as I'm concerned. Oh, I admit I'm a lot pickier than others owing to the fact that no store will ever top my Dad's, but I don't think that I ask all that much. First of all I don't want it to be some sort of creepy boys club in which most of the people who work at the place have never seen a girl before. Secondly I'd prefer it to not be a corperation as I enjoy being a person and not a number. I'd also like a place where the people are friendly, like to talk about comics, keep their store clean and well lit, and have a decent knowledge of their product. Also, I hate stores where you fell pressured or guilt tripped. I really don't think this is a lot to ask.

Since my Dad's store closed we haven't managed to find many stores that fit this criteria though. Part of the reason is that in any given area there are probably a maximum of three stores to choose from. The other reason is that too many of these stores just fail to meet my expectations.

Cosmic Comix in Catonsville, MD is a great store. My family has been frequenting it for several years now and followed them over when they moved from Ellicott City. It meets all of my above criteria (though I will say the new store is much more open and well lit) and even goes so far as to exceed my expectations. I enjoy dropping by and picking up something new to read every time I'm in town.

The Comics Club in Brandon, FL has recently become a disappointment. For the past few years I have only had good things to say about this store. Unfortunatly this is no longer the case. I loved that this was a store run by a small family - the fact that their little girl was growing up in a comic book store reminded me of my own childhood. The owners were nice enough and they were always willing to go out of their way for us. Then it went downhill. Over the past few months we've been harassed about buying stuff EVERY TIME we walk in the door. A friend of ours, Corey, had asked one of the owners to look into an L5R set out of curiosity - when the owner told him what was actually in it Corey decided that he didn't want it. A few months later the owner starts asking André and I about Corey and tells us that he had been told (by Corey) that he was "thinking" about ordering this L5R set and that since the owner hadn't heard from him again he went ahead and ordered it anyway "just in case". OK, fine, we agreed to ask Corey about it. We did, and Corey said he'd talk to the guy (which he did, and decided AGAIN, after attempts made by the owner to guilt trip him into buying it, that he was not interested). Fast forward to FCBDay - again the owner asks us what's going on. We tell him we don't know, that Corey had said he had talked to them about it already. He starts telling us stories about how he'd not make much profit off of it even if Corey bought it, how he ordered it because he thought he wanted it, how he's been holding it when he could have had other buyers, and asking us if we wanted to buy it... blah blah blah. We tell him (as we had in the past) that he should sell it to one of these "other buyers" because we weren't interested. If that wasn't bad enough, when we get up to the counter to buy a graphic novel and claim our free books the other owner - his wife who is usually great to talk to - starts asking us about the whole thing. By this time André and I are fed up and haven't gone to the store since. I don't go to the comic book store with my bags packed for a guilt trip - I go there to buy stuff and talk to comic book people.

Read More Comics in Brandon, FL is quite possibly my new comic store down here. We just checked it out today (thanks to a tip from The Hero's Alliance) and it seemed like a fairly nice store. It actually reminded me a lot of Cosmic Comix, and the guy working at the counter was very nice (and reading Fables too, so at least he had good taste. It was nothing like the store down the street from us that seems to be the creepy guy store, and there was even a section dedicated to young readers. So far, this looks like a great store.

52

2006-05-20T00:20:00.000-04:00

Booster Gold... somehow I liked him better when he first came to my attention in the Justice League. Of course after Infinate Crisis Countdown I have found myself frequently missing the days of the old JL. You know, the one with Batman constantly throwing around Guy Gardner, the one where Ted and Booster wise cracked a mile a minute - back when Batman occasionaly made jokes and Max Lord was just an over glorified used car salesman. The days of Fire and Ice and Maxima. I miss those comics. Now I get Booster Gold: Mr. Advertisment. *gags*

I know he's the guy we all love to make fun of but at least it wasn't so painful before.

Then there's Ralph. I know he's depressed, but c'mon, suicide? Not the Ralph I used to know. I was hoping that 52 (as much as I knew it was going to be depressing) would be showing us that world that the big three were so certain was being left in good hands. Instead it is looking more and more like a Marvelized DC. This depresses me. I look to Marvel if I want grittier and more "realitic" (as the liberals put it) comics. DC is supposed to be the inspirational worldview - but apparently no one's told Dan Didio that.

Oh well, at least the art is good and they've got plenty of issues to improve the story with. Until then I have the reassurance that Kurt Busiek is writing Action Comics.

Tomorrow I have to go fight many many werewolves so I'm not sure what time I'll get home to post. I hope everyone has a good weekend. I'll try to have more information about Project: Save Nightwing soon.

Cshiana's Top 10 Comic Book Villains

2006-05-18T22:36:00.000-04:00

I know I asked people before who their favorite superhero was. I haven't answered because I think it's pretty obvious who my favorite hero is *cough* If you haven't figured it out by now check out my icon. I thought it would be more fun to change things up and discuss favorite villains! So without further ado I give you my top ten villains!

10 Gorilla Grodd

He's a gorilla... with telepathy...
As an anthropology major I had to study primatology. I assure you that the average housecat is more dangerous than a gorilla. And yet the Grodd appearences keep coming. 10th place is my salute to a persistant villain. I still think my cat, Grayson, could beat him up, but hey, whatever works...

9 Two-Face

I like Dent as a villain because as much as he's criminally insane he's also highly intelligent. I wish they'd find a good writer to explore his character a bit more - he's the comic book version of Jekyl and Hyde and I always loved that story.

8 Deathstroke the Terminator

I've always liked Slade, but I have to say, the Judas Contract won me over. Talk about planing in advance! And the execution was beautiful (although Nightwing still beat him). His one failer was using a mentally unstable child in his plans... thus his downfall. I believe the Judas Contract was the high point of his career.

7 Magneto

Yeah, so he's been messed with A LOT over the years, but at heart he's still a great villain. He's the classic example of the bad guy with an honorable goal... he just believes that the ends justify the means. I always enjoyed the friendship between him and Prof X.

6 Composite Superman

A janitor with an unreasonable grudge against Superman and Batman gains the Legion's superpowers when stuck by lightning that also strikes the Legion statues in the Superman museum... and that's not all!! He then dresses up in half a Batman costume and half a Superman costume. You don't find quality like this any more!

5 Dark Phoenix

The original Dark Phoenix Saga created a great villain - and used the whole idea of absolute power corrupts absolutely to do it. To top it all off she had one of the best costumes EVER. I miss you Jean Grey...

4 the Adversary

Fable's has done a wonderful job with creating a villain that is more of an idea than a single person. It's not the adversary himself that causes the suffering of so many - he just started a domino effect that has become one of the best good vs evil stories around.

3 Ras Al Ghul

Ras was an amazing bad guy... because he wasn't really evil. One of my all time favorite stories is Son of the Demon when Batman and Ras work together for the greater good. It really put Ras into perspective. And really, his goals were always for the greater good in the big picture. I can't say I disagree with him all the time.

2 Lex Luthor

The end of ICrisis as well as the Villains United series has served to show how truely evil Lex Luthor is - a true represenative of the darker side of humanity. Lex is an epitamy of super-villainy.

1 Naraku

Rumiko Takahashi has created some amazing villains in her Inuyasha series such as Kikyou and Sesshomaru. Her greatest creation was the villain behind every evil in the main characters' lives - Naraku. He is everything a bad guy should be: Intelligent, manipulative, crafty, callous, and incredibly evil. I have yet to find a better written villain in comic books.

Honorable mentions: Brother Blood (yay evil cult villain!), Joker, and Hitler (who has been the villain in enough comic books to count as a comic book villain)

I think what really got me started on this train of thought was reading S&B Public Enemies when Superman talks to Batman about the "good villains" and Batman says, "Clark... what the hell are "good" villains?" Well Batman, I hope I've provided some answers.

reviews MORE!

2006-05-17T23:25:00.000-04:00

First, let me finish up with last week's books (as in the books I recieved last week)

Detective Comics 819

I'm really enjoying reading about Batman being, well, Batman again. No more asshole Batman! It's truely a thing of beauty. I also find myself amused at the reintroduction and subsequent death of washed up super-villians. I mean Orca... wow. I'm so tempted to tell my Aberrant GM that I want a super villian named Orca to be Tsunami's arch-nemesis. I mean... the whole idea of Orca is just so mind-boggeling. This is almost as amusing to me as '77's movie Orca. Either way I'm loving Detective Comics right now. If nothing else ICrisis has brought about the return of Batman and Superman. I also love how closely Batman and Gordon have been working together. Another bonus was more Jason Bard and Mr. Orca! I'm enjoying Jason Bard as a reoccuring character... pants optional.

Action Comics 838

Superman is inspirational again! So cool! I am sad that the Adventures of Clark Kent may be drawing to an end, but I believe that Busiek really knows the character of Clark and Supes, so hopefully it will keep going strong. That said, I loved the train scene. The moves back to a time when Superman was just building as a myth is great... it's helping to reintroduce the character and hopefully will keep him going strong. It's also nice to see his relationship with Lois - they've let their love story grow strong again. Overall, Action Comics is one of my favorite books at the moment, which is suprising as I've never been a Superman fan.

Now, onto the books I got today, of which I will do a more comprehensive review later, but this one can't wait:

Nightwing 120

This book is TRASH. FCBD's Owly is far superior to the current Nightwing run. I didn't think it was possible to put anyone worse than Devin Grayson on this book but I was wrong. Now, not only is the character still being ruined, but the plot is crap. Apparently Jones cannot write worth a damn... not to mention the art.... don't get me wrong, the artist can draw, but his people are incredibly ugly. But seriously, I have rarely read anything published that was as poorly written as this issue - completely disjointed, Dick Grayson apparently throwing his secret identity away, some super-model with powers (I think we can guess what the "female Nightwing" solicitation was about), and to top it all off the lamest excuse for a cliff hanger ever - because NO ONE CARES if Jason Todd dies - in fact I really hope he does. Die Jason die. Am I the only one who's head hurt trying to read this book? I doubt it. Long live Owly.

reviews 5/16

2006-05-16T16:54:00.000-04:00

Mouse Guard 2

Mouse Guard is a great all ages book. It's nice to see a comic that kids would love to read that I can pick up an enjoy as well. This issue focuses on different mice than the first one did. I have to say that I love the fact that the head of the Mouse Guard is named Gwendolyn :) It's fun to see tiny mice involved in a tale of adventure and espionage. I especially enjoyed Conrad's bold stand against the crabs - that was awesome! I eagerly await the nest issue.

Teen Titans 35

So I'm beginning to assume that at least Wonder Girl will be back with the Titans soon enough - if not she really needs her own book as following her character is important after Conner's death. I liked that Kid Devil and Ravanger have a friendship building as it show's Ravanger isn't as bad a person as she likes to come across. I do wish that Johns would tone some of the content down as Titans would be a good young adult book if there were less naked scenes. And maybe I'm a really big dork but I was excited to see the Doom Patrol. This would be a pretty good book if they'd cut down on the soap opera drama a bit and let these kids grow into real heroes - I'm still not sure how I feel about Ravanger on the team, but we'll see.

Supergirl 6

Was anyone else as confused as I was by this book? Why do they have to screw with Supergirl even more? Didn't she just have an epic battle with her evil side a few issues ago? Personally I was terribly confused by this issue and find I really don't care about Kandor's plight. I liked Supergirl the way she was - a warrior with a bright spirit - not some angsty teenager in a tattoo parlour on the verge of seriously hurting someone with her heat vision. If they've created another hero just to turn her into trash I'd rather not read about it anymore. Not to mention... Kandor? Where does Supergirl fit in continuity wise in DC. One second she's heping out Supes, the next minute she's in Kandor with Powergirl having apparently shirked her duties to Metropolis... and she seems like a different person in Legion. ugh.

Outsiders 36

Nightwing is so much more himself in this book, which is always nice to see. I am NOT a fan of Thunder's new look, I thought the 'fro went out of style in the 70s. I enjoyed Nightwing taking on an army by himself, that was awesome :) I'm not sure how I feel about the de-aged Jay Garrik. I'd rather see them make Bart the new generation's speedster as opposed to recycling another golden ager... wasn't Allen Scott enough? But if this is just a mystery plot it could be interesting. Either way this is a book I keep on finding an interest in. Maybe it's because it's my Nightwing fix.

Aberrant Day

2006-05-15T01:03:00.000-04:00

As today was our first Aberrant game I spent most of it away from the computer. It was a great beginning game. We ended up with the team name of the Phoenix Corps as our team is an extension of a non-profit organization called the Phoenix Foundation (thanks MacGyver!). Our team consists of Tsunami, Ember, Valor, Whisper, Scourge and Angus Aegis (don't ask).

I can't begin to describe how cool it was. We had a neat first mission (involving saving Scourge) and Valor got to put the bad guy into orbit -literally! All it all it was a fun day.

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day! In ancient times mothers were seen as heroes for giving their lives to their children.

I will be posting a few reviews tomorrow and Tuesday. Until then, I leave you all with a question: Who is your favorite superhero and why?

Myth and Comics

2006-05-13T17:14:00.000-04:00

"A glorious place, a glorious age, I tell you! A very Neon Renaissance - And the myths that actually touched you at that time - not Hercules, Orpheus, Ulysses and Aeneas - but Superman, Captain Marvel, Batman," - Tom Wolfe, The Electric Koolaid Acid Test

First of all Jeff, in direct response to the interview you posted, I would like to say that I don't think Oeming is very well read on the subject of mythology. Anyone who has done any research or given any thought to the matter of mythology has read Joseph Campbell, and it seemed as if Wagner was the one who knew his work.

Are comic books modern mythology - in a word, yes. At the very heart of the heroes that cut to the quick of our souls there is the resonance of stories that touch the essence of the human experience - stories that tell the human story. This doesn't cover every comic book, obviously, but how many people felt actual sorrow when Barry Allen died - I know I did. If I can cry for the death of a fictional character, that makes them at least a little bit real to me, especially in relation to the part of me that believes in humanity, and in the characters that represent that humantiy.

First, what is mythology? Joeseph Campbell has said that "myths are the clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life", and Bill Moyers has translated that to mean "what we're capable of knowing and experiencing within". In the book of Alex Ross' artwork, Mythology, Campell is also quoted, from his famous book The Hero With A Thousand Faces (which inspired George Lucas' creation of Star Wars) as defining myth as "the secret opening through which the inexaustible energies of the cosmos poor into human cultural manifestation... the very dreams that blister sleep, boil up from the basic, magic ring of myth." One dictionary definition (Princeton.net) defines mythology as "myths collectively; the body of stories associated with a culture or institution or person". So looking at this information, we can link comics to mythology from a myriad of different angles. Superheroes as a manifestation of culture as well as representatives of culture, as guides to our inner stories and beliefs, and dreams of humanity's potential.

Mythology does require belief, but it is more about belief in ourselves, in our spiritual potential, then it is about religion. It's true that some comics are the children of capitalism, but they can be, and many times are, so much more than that.

Let's use Superman as an example. In my junior year of high school I was in an AP English class in which we were meant to work on a research project. I was attempting to prove that comic books were an important part of American culture. During my presentation I wore a Superman t-shirt and asked my class (which consisted of many people who had never read comic books, I know because I asked them) who among them recognized the man on my shirt. EVERYONE raised their hand. I then asked them what he meant to them and had the gratification of hearing most every person call out words like justice, hero, truth, courage, liberty. Even my 11th grade English class recognized a superhero as a cultural icon, a manifestation of human potential. Another good example of Superman as myth can be traced back the The Death of Superman. On one hand, it was a marketing event, the death of a great hero. On the other hand, since when did a fictional character's death make it onto the daily news. I remember feeling as if Superman had really lived in order for it to be so painful when I heard a news anchor say that Superman had died. My sister and I weren't the only ones in school wearing black armbands that week. If belief is a factor in defining mythology then I can introduce many people to whom these characters are something to believe in.
Myths are supposed to be the stories that teach us about the human experience, that help us to understand our own stories and our spiritual and mortal place in our lives. They help us to understand not only what it means to live but what it means to die. Myths help us to discover what "we need to signify, to touch the eternal, to understand mysteriousness, to find out who we are"(Bill Moyers, The Power of Myth). For me superheroes have done all these things, and I know I'm not alone. There is a sense of awe and beauty when I read a book like Adventures of Superman 648, where I get to see the heart of the myth that is Superman. When Lois speaks for humanity when she says "That's the gift of Superman. Even when today seems so uncertain... he makes us believe... in tomorrow."

Isn't that the power of a mythical hero after all? To make us believe in tomorrow. To show us how to make it there, not by doing it for us, but by leading by example and inspiring us to greater things, to fight for us when we've forgotten how to fight for ourselves. Even Superman himself recognizes Batman as a hero of mythic potential. "Then, I look at Batmna and all the tragedy in his life and how, somehow, he presses on. And if he can do his job, I've got nothing to complain about."(SB Public Enemies)

There are so many things I have learned about what it is to be a human being through comic books and superheroes. If that's not mythology, I don't know what is. Every time I've met someone who grew up believing in heroes like Superman and Batman I am amazed to not only find a kindred spirit but a good person. Whenever I lose faith in humanity I turn to comic books. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Nightwing, Flash, and so many more were my other parents. When I look around and see so many kids with Superman shirts or Wonder Woman lunch boxes I know that these stories resonate on a deeper level in our culture. I understand that they are myth.

Moyers: Why are there so many stories of the hero in mythology?
Campbell: Because that's what's worth writing about. (The Power of Myth)

How old is Batman??

2006-05-13T16:45:00.000-04:00

So how old is Batman anyway? Superman? Wildcat?

How many excuses can DC (and Marvel for that matter) make for heroes that don't age? How old was Batman when he started his crusade and then when he found a young Dick Grayson who's parents had just died... etc etc

It's not hard to understand why DC and other company's have a hard time pulling in new readers, it seems as if comics have a hard time enacting actual change. I know I wasn't alone in hoping for REAL change as a result of Infinite Crisis, and while I am enjoying the one year later stuff it would have been nice to see something like Dick Grayson as the new Batman. It amazes me that Dick, Wally, Conner (Green Arrow), Cassie and many other young heroes have been allowed to grow up and yet the older heroes seem ageless.

To an extent it makes sense with Superman - he's alien, perhaps he ages slower. Or Wonder Woman, since she's a daughter of the Gods. But I fail to see DCs need to hold onto the old heroes as much as they do. I mean it's not as if they can't have elsewhere stories or whatnot. It's just hard to believe Ollie's still running around playing Robin Hood when not only does he have a growen son, but Roy's all growen up as well. And it's not as if Batman can't be cool without taking an active physical role - just look at the huge fan base behind Batman Beyond. Bruce still kicks butt while allowing his legend to contiue on with the younger generation. Even Kingdom Come worked for the older heroes - except for Dick as Red Robin, that was dumb.

DC will have a harder and harder time introducing younger heroes without aging the older generation. I still listen to classic rock while enjoying newer music at the same time. If comics embrace real change while maintaining the integrity and continuity of the DCU's heroes themselves they would have a much better chance of gaining a younger generation's interest.

It is hard to think of Batman as someone besides Bruce Wayne - but it's even harder to believe that a 60 year old man is still swinging from rooftops.

And I've certaintly had enough of Hal Jordan - I really liked having Kyle around as Earth's GL. The Flash seems to be the only comic that consistently changes out the man behind the mask.

The younger generation can be just as intersting as the old - I think Wally West proved this. I enjoyed seeing him grow up, from young Kid Flash to a member of the Titans, to eventually taking over for Barry, and now as a father. Yes, at times we miss Barry - but Barry had a good run and his legend lives on.

Everything changes - it's how they grow into something new.

to tide you over....

2006-05-13T15:10:00.000-04:00

I'm working on putting these actual posts together, so in the meantime, check this link out - it is awesome, as soon as I can make a costume I'm going to join.

the comic book reader

2006-05-11T11:43:00.000-04:00

"I contend that DC readers are more willing to drop a comic then Marvel, therefore Marvel can crank out whatever and maintain the sales lead." -Jim

I thought that this was an interesting enough subject to take it out of the comments box and do a post about it.

I have to say that I agree with Jim's comment to an extent. I still hold that DC fans are more loyal overall, I just think Marvel has a lot of fans who don't care about quality in the things that they read. DC fans expect quality and so they're more likely to drop a book even if it contains a favorite character (although I read Devin Grayson's Nightwing stuff anyway because I kept praying they'd drop her from the book) if the story is bad.

For example, after reading some of the early X-Men Essentials I was reminded of a lot of characters I used to really love when I was a kid. So, despite knowing that Marvel had since gone down hill, I went to the store and picked up some of the latest X-books. I was happy to see it wasn't as bad as I thought, but my hopes have been short lived as the writing is spiraling down yet again. Now, if I was a Marvel fan, I'd probably still pick up the books regardless - just to see Wolverine vs the Hulk and other such nonsense. I'm not sure if it's because Marvel fans don't care about story or if it's like watching a train wreck, but either way they religiously buy the books. But as a DC fan, I expect and demand quality in my comic books. So, if the Marvel stuff keeps going downhill I'll stop reading it.

Now, for a DC book I'd probably give it more of a chance before dropping it because I have a certain amount of faith in DC's standards. I'd also come back to an old favorite without waiting 10+ years to give it another chance. I think Jim's right though, a DC fan is more likely to drop a book than a Marvel fan. It's what happens when to have customers who expect a better product.

The other factor to consider here is the fact that DC fans seem closer knit than Marvel fans. Most Marvel fans I know (not too many considering some of them have been converted *smirk*) tend to buy all there own stuff and also buy every spinoff that comes out as well. DC fans seem to have an elaborate exchange going on, simalar to the mailing circle Jim and Jeff have going on (as I don't really buy anything, I just recieve and then give stuff out to other poor DC fans down here in Tampa). The DC fans I know seem more willing to share, and perhaps DC gets less sales because of that.

Well those are my thoughts. One day when I have money I'll purchase some of my own books :)

Maybe DC would interest some old fans (and hopefully new ones) if they did something simalar to the Essentials.

Infinite Crisis #7 and Civil War #1

2006-05-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

Before I go into this review... I just watched the newest trailer for the Superman movie. My fears continue to grow that this new movie will send me home to watch the entire first season of Lois&Clark to reassure myself that the Superman genre can translate well to live-action. Why do they keep making Lex Luthor jolly?? It's like all they did was watch the old Christopher Reeves movies instead of looking at the actual comic books. All they'd have to do to get Luthor's character right is read Villians United. *sigh*

Now, onto the reviews!!!

Infinite Crisis 7

All things considered Infinite Crisis has turned out very well. It's as if DCU woke up one day and said, hey, whats going on? Why is Batman and asshole? Why is Superman a pud? How can we fix this? Well, I won't say it's a perfect fix, but damn, it's a start. They've actually managed to make the heroes seem inspirational again (we won't go into the 1 year later stuff that seems to act as if some of the heroes are back to being puds and assholes). DC had allowed Superboy's death to be a wake-up call to Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman... even in the sense of pushing them over the edge. Devin Grayson tried to do something similar with Nightwing and failed utterly - Johns did it with Bats and ended up with one of the best scenes in the book. As much as I cringed at Batman picking up a gun and aiming it at Alexander Luthor, I loved the scene itself. Batman in an apopolyptic rage accosiating Superboy's death with Jason's, Wonder Woman dropping her sword and telling Batman that it's not worth it. Batman agreeing and walking away. It allowed both of them to be reborn. Then there's Superman, who's redeeming moment for me was when he said, "They murdered Superboy. And now they said they're going to take my city. Then they're going to take the Earth. I say... like hell." I also enjoyed Bart standing up to Superboy-prime, that was a good moment. I'm not sure how I feel about the speed force being gone, I really enjoyed all the Waid speedster stories and Max Mercury as the zen master of the speed force. I would also like to point out how TOTALLY AWESOME Nightwing is. I loved the scene where he jumps in front of Batman to protect him. How they reconcile that image of Nightwing with Devin Grayson's I don't know. Then there's Guy Gardner actually being cool - this only happens when he doesn't try to be cool. The whole E2 Superman-E1 Superman-Superboy-prime battle was a bit too bloody, but I'm glad E2 Supes was given a heroes death, he deserved it. I actually teared up a bit bringing me back to the first time I read Crisis and Barry died (which I totally cried over, I know, I'm a softie). Oh, and the Joker's revenge? That was awesome. The ending was what I liked best though - DCU's big three being reborn. Reading that gave me hope for the future of the DCU, even if Batwoman's mask is horrid looking.

Civil War 1

First I'd like to say I miss Steve McNiven's early work - I didn't even realize he was drawing this book until I saw his name on the cover after I read it. The story itself looks to be interesting at the very least, but it's the morals involved that have me more intrigued. The whole idea of mutant registration opens up all sorts of debate. I began to think to myself as I read Civil War, how would I feel if superhumans existed in our world? On the one hand I understand the plight of the masked vigillante - the worry that those you fight against will go after your loved ones in retaliation. On the other side, the idea that gun owners have to registar with the gov't, and how much more powerful are these super-types? Personally, I can see the merits of both sides of the argument so I haven't even decided what heroes I'm rooting for while reading (most likely the masked vigillantes because I never like Tony Stark). Anyway, my early impressions are positive if only for the fact that so far the story is thought-provoking. That, and I just decided I like Captain America. Any writer that can make me like Capt. America deserves applause.

Abberant again

2006-05-09T21:28:00.000-04:00

So, as my friends and I continue to work on character creation for our Abberant characters I find myself wondering... what is it that makes a good superhero, or for that matter a good superhero team?

Most of us have our names now; Tsunami, Ember, Valor, and Scourge... we're only waiting on two other people to choose names. We've also decided that we made our own hero team in order to avoid the bueracracy that infests to hero teams of "Earth 2" (which is what I started calling our world as it's a variant of a world we played on two years ago).

As we continue building our team, Scourge has asked some interesting questions.
1. Who will lead the team and
2. Who will manage the team

Having grown up with comic books I look to the DCU for advice. I find very little... as far as a team leader goes we'll have to figure that out ourselves - we don't have a Nightwing or Robin in our midst. As for team management, well, the last time I saw a team literally managed was the JL... and they were managed by Maxwell Lord. We all know how that ended up.

Yet both Scourge and Ember brought up a good point. We need funding if we're trying to run our own team and we don't have Bruce Wayne (or any wealthy sponser for that matter) around to pay for all our stuff. This means we need someone to manage our funds and promote our services... which makes the heroing thing feel somewhat - well, A-Teamish.

I've also realized that Bruce Wayne funds half of the DCU. I wish I had boundless wealth...

So where's the middle ground between needing money and wanting to be a selfless goodguy? I suppose I'll have to find out in character, but it's a question that doesn't get adressed all that often in comic books. There's usually a Bruce Wayne or Princess Projecta to fund selfless deeds.

If I ever become rich I'm going to start a Superhero scholorship for gamers.

Then, of course, is the never-ending team name debate. Personally, I like Harbingers, but what do you think?

Harbingers
Irregulars
Pure Elements
Sentinals
Watchmen
New Utopians
Samaritans
Excalibur

some names that aren't acceptable: Superfriends, Superbuddies, Inferior Six, and Power Posse

and yes, some of these were stolen because damn it's hard to come up with a good team name. Suggestions?

tomorrow should be comic book day, which means an Infinite Crisis review!

Romance is Dead

2006-05-08T11:46:00.000-04:00

Well I was going to write about comic book morality today, but I think I hit upon a better discussion. Before that I will say a few words about comics and morality though as I think it relates to the other topic here.

I have always said I have comic book morals. What I mean by this is I have learned morality from comic books. Comic books taught me several important things:

Romance (which will be adressed further in a bit) - Between Barry and Iris, Lois and Clark, and even Kory and Dick (an impermanent relationship) I learned to not only aspire to finding a life-long romance, but to look for someone who respected me for who I was, not just because of what I looked like or what they looked like. I came to expect friendship, meaning, and some sort of spiritual bond from a relationship - this is probably why I didn't have a relationship that lasted over 2 months until I was 20, but it also prevented me from engaging in a string of meaningless lust driven relationships. I wanted more, and even in the relationships that didn't work out I found friends that I still would do anything for. Comic books and John Carter taught me that true love is real. You just have to fight for it.

Friendship - Real friendship is knowing someone for all that they are and still standing by them. It's the idea that if your friend is in trouble you come running in to back them up and catch them if they fall. Friends are the family that you choose. Hal and Ollie, Dick and Roy, Bats and Superman, Oracle and Dinah, Kitty Nightcrawler and Wolverine (check out the stories when Wolverine talks to Nightcrawler about friendship and Colossus' debt to Kitty), Robin Cassie and Conner, Donna and Dick, I could go on forever. I may not have hundreds of people I call friend, but the people I do think of as my friends are people I would trust with my life.

Right from Wrong - There are so many comic book stories in which the heros are faced with a choice between what is right and what is easy. The heros of the comic book world inspire me to choose what is right every time. Period.

That's only a brief summary of the things comics taught me. But I think it gives a good overview. Now, onto the main topic!

Romance in Comics

I spoke earlier about women and comic books and my theories as to why women seem to prefer manga. I offered the lack of romance as an afterthought, but after asked to think about what romances are big in comics now days I felt it deserved some more thought. I realized that my personal love for manga stems almost completely from the romances. In Kenshin I wait eagerly for Ken-san and Kaoru-dono to realize their feelings for eachother. In Inu-Yasha I am almost brought to tears by Kagome's realization that she wants to be with Inu-Yasha even though he's still in love with Kikyo. Heck, I even got all happy when Naru and Keitaro finally got together in Love Hina. So why will I pick up a manga over and American comic? I'll do it when I want to read a story about love conquering all.

This is because in American comics romance is all but dead. Sure, there's Bigby and Snow in Fables, but what about the Superhero comics? Clark's adoration of Lois is still sweet, but lets face it, it doesn't leave us hanging on the edge of our seats. They've already had their epic love story. Same with Spiderman. While I was never overly fond of MJ, the two of them have passed that high - and I always though Gwen Stacey was the better love story anyway (of course now days Gwen S was sleeping with an old man, but whatever *rolls eyes*). Marvel had Logan and Mariko but they've since ruined Wolverine in general. Jean and Scott were ruined by the White Queen as well as the over abundance of Dark Phoenix stories. So who's around now?

Well, we've got Wally and Linda - however their great romance has fallen to the wayside since Waid left Flash. Dick and Babs... Dick started his one year later comic by waking up in bed next to a woman who's name he didn't know. Aquaman and Mera... still possibly going strong depending on what happens within the current story arch. However, their romance isn't filled with the tension that once marked Barry and Iris or Hal and Carol. Even the romance between Sephie and Jad in Meridian is a thing of the past as Crossgen is no more.

Beyond all that it's also as if comics have set out to destroy the epic love story once and for all. Since when did sleeping around become cannon? Dick, Hal, Huntress, most of the Outsiders, as a matter of fact more heros than I can name, have tossed long term relationships to the wind in favor of having sex with EVERYONE!

If not for Wonder Girl and Superboy I would lose all hope for love stories in today's superhero comics. But - oh wait! - that love story isn't going anywhere anymore either!!! ><

The other thing romance does is make the reader care more about the characters. It's much more traumatic when Barry Allen dies because we know he has true love waiting for him back home. In fact that's probably why they put out the Titan's annual focusing on Cassie and Conner's romance right before Superboy dies.

If we reintroduced the epic romance to comic books I believe we'd solve many of the problems in the industry today. Our heroes would be more inspiring, would have something worth fighting for and something worth dying for. I, for one, eagerly await the day love conquers all once again, and hope it begins with the wedding of Dick Grayson and Barbra Gordon.

Kids and Comics

2006-05-07T16:39:00.000-04:00

Recently a question has been asked about FCBD and kids. Why is it that FCBD doesn't inspire kids to get into comic books? I have a few theories on this.

1. Despite getting free comics (which are mostly of decent quality) most people, especially kids with short attention spans, aren't going to get hooked off of these one-shot stories. Most of the comics are geared to current readers, not a new audience. As such one free comic isn't going to draw in a new audience.

2. Most comics today are done with an older audience in mind. There are a few exceptions, but only a few.

3. The publishers would also need to hook the parents. Without parents who are willing to drive them to the comic book store and spend $3 a pop on a monthly issue, the kids aren't going to come back. Parents would be more likely to buy a video game that will keep the kids out of their hair for hours.

Despite all this I think there is hope for gaining new readers in the comic book world. I think you'd have to sell the parents (and teachers) first though. I got into comics because my Dad read me Titans as a bed time story. Perhaps free comic book day would work better in generating customers from the younger generation if the free books were written with both the new and old fans in mind. Or maybe they should just hand out free issues of Invincible - like the one with Science Dog in it :)

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

2006-05-06T11:18:00.000-04:00

Best holiday EVER!

What do you do to celebrate? Share your holiday stories here!

a few reviews

2006-05-05T14:10:00.000-04:00

Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes 17

I've always loved the Legion and this years run has been one of my favorite comics. Now with the addition of Supergirl it's become even more entertaining. Sadly, Brainy is still being a hermit dealing with Dreamgirl's death the only way a super-genius can - by trying to raise the dead. I am looking forward to Brainy meeting SG because I always loved SG's crush on him. I can't express my joy enough at Cosmic Boy's blue costume. SG's belief that the Legion is all a figment of her imagination is great - I can't wait to see where Mark Waid goes with it. My favorite quote: SG: "Wow. Where am I coming up with all this...?"

Hawkgirl 51

Decent story, but I hate the art work. It seriously bothers me how giant Hawkgirl's breasts are. And I swear the same 6 people comprise all the character drawings. As a matter of fact I think there are only two different female designs.

Invincible 31

This is an amazing book - every issue is enjoyable. I love Mark's purple baby brother, I'm curious as to what his name will be :) Also the fight scene where Mark defeats the bad guy by dropping a rock on his head is great. Especially because a whole group of heroes couldn't do anything and along comes a rock from the sky to win the day. Very entertaining. Quote? Mark: "Did I get him? I can't tell."

Blue Beetle 2

This book seems to be going well but it's a bit early to tell. The weird flashback jumping seems to be over (I hope) so I'll be interested to read next issue. Quote: Jamie: "Pants. Then a pay phone. Pay phone is optional."

Batman 652

I'm still loving this 1 year later Batman stuff. The highlight of this issue was the conversation between Bats and Bullock. It gives me hope that we never have to see asshole Batman again. Bullock: "No Bats, thank you." I am a bit confused as to where they're going with the Harvey Dent stuff, but I suppose time will tell. Oh, and Robin beating up Mothman? Priceless.

Battle For Bludhaven 2

Phantom Lady... so naked.

Villians United 1

I love Gail Simone. It's pretty cool to see Oracle vs Calculator, and Lex really has become the mastermind villian of DC. I especially love Talia pouring hot coffee on Dr. Light's lap.
Lex: Was that absolutely necessasary, Talia?
Talia: Perhaps not in the strictest sense. But I did enjoy it.

X-Factor 6

Layla is a bit annoying, but overall this issue was okay. I want to see more of Multiple Man.

Ion 1

BIG disappointment. First of all, I really don't care for the artwork. It's... well, it's ugly. Then there's the story. ugh. Confusing and indirect stories only work AFTER you've begun to establish your overall plot - this is not a good way to start off a new book. Not to mention the psuedo-mute girl, I mean, seriously. Can we get past Jade first? If this is going to be a Kyle finding himself story (which is getting old anyway, I mean how many times does he need to find himself?) it needs to not be about him hitting on some new character. And all the confusing GL stuff going on, well, I have a bad feeling they're setting Kyle up with the tired absolute power corrupts plot. Or something along those lines. I like Kyle Rayner, but so far I don't like this comic.

Checkmate 1

Eh. I'm not impressed by this book, but it's not bad either. My superhero morals were hurt by the blatent "kill everything that moves" tactics. I mean, even in Alias, my spy show, they only hit bad guys with tranquilizers (mostly). And since when did Fire become okay with burning people alive? Sasha is cool though, I'm glad she got "cured". The chess theme is a bit heavy handed and Alan Scott looks like some cheap Nick Fury rip-off.

Skye Runner 1

Tomorrow is free comic book day! If you live in Florida like me check out the Brandon comic book store. If you live in Maryland, check out Cosmic Comix. If you live elsewhere you're on your own :)

One final thought: Jason Bard and Blue Beetle both need emergency pants...