Well, the downpour of freezing rain has begun, so I'd best get something posted before the power inevitably goes out. Here's hoping that's a reverse jinx*.
'Are we humans, or are we dancing?' The radio station my coworkers seemed to have settled on keeps playing the song that line is from, and it keeps gnawing at me, so here we are.
Seems like a false dichotomy. I mean, does it really have to be one or the other? Can you switch back and forth, so that you're dancing, then you stop and you're human again? Is there a lag time, where you have to cool down for awhile before you become human again? Why is dancing considered inhuman?
If, as I saw described online, "dancing" refers to us being controlled by forces beyond our control, versus being humans with free will, well then I continue to question why use dancing. The song asks if we're a noun, or a verb, and those are the only two options. Adjectives demand representation! They suggest 'Are we human, are we dancing, or are we squishy?'
In a somewhat more serious vein, I do get the idea that when one dances, they move in a manner at least partially dictated by the music or rhythm that's being played, and thus, are relinquishing control of themselves to something else. That's all well and good, but dancing is also a form of individual artistic expression, is it not? And individual expression would be an attribute of a free-thinking, independent "human", right? Perhaps, "puppets" would have worked better, though I suppose that would be rather cliched.
* A jinx is when you say something you hope will come true, but now you've ensured it won't, right? So that was really just a jinx, wasn't it? Sure, I'm saying something I don't want to happen will, but I'm still expecting that expressing confidence it will happen will cause it not to occur.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Something A Bit More Serious Than Usual
I'm having some difficulty starting this. Perhaps best just to start at the beginning, which is Gundam Wing. One of the central conflicts is the pursuit of peace, and the problems that arise from the differences in how people define "peace", and how they pursue it. The main characters are teenagers who have decided to fight an organization based on Earth that they feel is unfairly restricting the lives of the people living in the colonies humans have constructed in space*. They fight so that the people don't have to, and believe (initially) that if they can destroy the offending elements, it will bring peace to the colonies. Other characters think of peace as something where the aristocratic ruling class runs the show, 'cause democracy and liberty are dangerous ideas**. Still others believe that war will bring about peace because if the battles are horrific enough, people will realize the futility of war, and they'll get sick of it. And then there's one person pushing total pacifism, and that's the one that intrigues me.
Can total pacifism work? Looking through the Stanford Encyclopedia's entry on pacifism, this sounds like absolute pacifism, as opposed to contingent pacifism***. Where a government would deny itself the use of force as a method of dispute settlement. Gundam Wing suggests it only works if everyone**** is on board. After all, if you're having a dispute with someone, and they bring a bat with them, and you stand there, unarmed, determined to talk it out, there's very little to stop them from caving your skull in and doing as they wish. So is the key to get everyone to agree to sit and down and talk things out, to get people used to talking with their enemies, rather than just blowing them up, and can that actually happen? Our history suggests probably not, because if you just kill everyone on the other side, you get everything you wanted, but if you talk things out, with an eye towards a compromise that will satisfy everyone*****, well you probably had to sacrifice something you wanted, and who wants to do that?
If a country preaches total pacifism, then they can't have any sort of military, even as a defensive force, can they? The entry on absolute pacifism suggests there is some belief that violence is OK as self-defense******, so perhaps a defense force is allowed. Except, if you have a military, even if it's just for protection for outside aggression, there is probably a temptation to use it, or there can at least be a perceived temptation by your neighbors. Then they get nervous and arm themselves, ostensibly to defend themselves from you, and what if one side decides they have to attack preemptively? Pacifism would seem to be at risk if only because people can be fearful and prone to abandoning ideals when they get scared.
Additionally, can someone who supports the idea of pacifism fight to protect it? If one thinks that country and its ideals are that important, they'd want to defend them, but that would run contrary to the ideals one wants to protect, wouldn't it? If one begins to fight, that's a signal they've given up on a peaceful negotiation, which doesn't seem very absolute pacifist. Contingent pacifist, I suppose, fighting on the grounds that the harm done by this fighting will have greater benefits for the long-term.
I am really surprised at how many different kinds of pacifism are out there. I guess I always perceived it as "no fighting, period", but it can have a broader range than that, I suppose.
* For example, after the assassination of a prominent person who was working towards more peaceful relations between Earth and the colonies, this organization restricted contact between the colonies, effectively turning them into isolated islands, separated by superior military force.
** I'm paraphrasing, but that's essentially what one character spouts off at a get-together of like minded types.
*** Or perhaps skeptical pacifism. The argument there is, if someone attacks you, and you kill them on the grounds it was self-defense, well, how do you know? They hadn't actually killed you, so perhaps you could have settled things peacefully. That's the gist of it, anyway.
**** Meaning everyone that group could come into conflict with.
***** At least satisfy them enough they don't take up arms again.
****** Apparently based on the grounds that absolute pacifism is an ideal, that everyone will fall short of, if only by the basic requirements of nature that require something living to perish so that another individual can survive by eating it.
Can total pacifism work? Looking through the Stanford Encyclopedia's entry on pacifism, this sounds like absolute pacifism, as opposed to contingent pacifism***. Where a government would deny itself the use of force as a method of dispute settlement. Gundam Wing suggests it only works if everyone**** is on board. After all, if you're having a dispute with someone, and they bring a bat with them, and you stand there, unarmed, determined to talk it out, there's very little to stop them from caving your skull in and doing as they wish. So is the key to get everyone to agree to sit and down and talk things out, to get people used to talking with their enemies, rather than just blowing them up, and can that actually happen? Our history suggests probably not, because if you just kill everyone on the other side, you get everything you wanted, but if you talk things out, with an eye towards a compromise that will satisfy everyone*****, well you probably had to sacrifice something you wanted, and who wants to do that?
If a country preaches total pacifism, then they can't have any sort of military, even as a defensive force, can they? The entry on absolute pacifism suggests there is some belief that violence is OK as self-defense******, so perhaps a defense force is allowed. Except, if you have a military, even if it's just for protection for outside aggression, there is probably a temptation to use it, or there can at least be a perceived temptation by your neighbors. Then they get nervous and arm themselves, ostensibly to defend themselves from you, and what if one side decides they have to attack preemptively? Pacifism would seem to be at risk if only because people can be fearful and prone to abandoning ideals when they get scared.
Additionally, can someone who supports the idea of pacifism fight to protect it? If one thinks that country and its ideals are that important, they'd want to defend them, but that would run contrary to the ideals one wants to protect, wouldn't it? If one begins to fight, that's a signal they've given up on a peaceful negotiation, which doesn't seem very absolute pacifist. Contingent pacifist, I suppose, fighting on the grounds that the harm done by this fighting will have greater benefits for the long-term.
I am really surprised at how many different kinds of pacifism are out there. I guess I always perceived it as "no fighting, period", but it can have a broader range than that, I suppose.
* For example, after the assassination of a prominent person who was working towards more peaceful relations between Earth and the colonies, this organization restricted contact between the colonies, effectively turning them into isolated islands, separated by superior military force.
** I'm paraphrasing, but that's essentially what one character spouts off at a get-together of like minded types.
*** Or perhaps skeptical pacifism. The argument there is, if someone attacks you, and you kill them on the grounds it was self-defense, well, how do you know? They hadn't actually killed you, so perhaps you could have settled things peacefully. That's the gist of it, anyway.
**** Meaning everyone that group could come into conflict with.
***** At least satisfy them enough they don't take up arms again.
****** Apparently based on the grounds that absolute pacifism is an ideal, that everyone will fall short of, if only by the basic requirements of nature that require something living to perish so that another individual can survive by eating it.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
No More Chips Before Bed. Or, More Chips Before Bed
Odd dreams last night. There was one that was something out of Resident Evil 4, with Leon and Ashley Graham, and the hordes of guys wearing hoods and robes, and wielding scythes and such. However, about the time our heroes jumped down some well, the Black Cat showed up, falling down the hole with them. And she was interested in Leon, who was me occasionally (sometimes I was viewing it 3rd person, sometimes, 1st person). I don't know what that was about.
Then it shifted to something completely different, involving Norman Osborn using Ultron for something nefarious. This bothers me because it means my subconscious has bought into this crap about Norman Osborn being a serious player who can command the respect of villains far above his weight class.
Anyway, Nick Fury was going to use War Machine (sporting a sort simplified design, like what you might see in that Brave and the Bold cartoon) and Ant-Man to do something. I assume it had to do with Ultron, but since it was a dream, who knows. What's weird is, Fury was giving Pym a hard time, talking about how he could have chosen to send any of the other Avengers*, but he chose Pym. I guess the implication was that anyone could do what Ant-Man does, and this is where it got weird. Hank said he found that doubtful. Fury, for example, perhaps could listen to and understand what ants were saying but could he communicate with them? At that point, Hank kneels down, and he's looking down at this small group of ants, who are wearing clothes. Like bow ties, and bonnets and they're carry their babies in wrapped in blankets, and they have parcels with them and all that. Ant-Man says, 'Could you explain to them the concept of individual freedom?' And he's crying a little, and the ants all look either sad, or grateful, or worried. It's like a group of, refugee ants or something, expelled from their colony for buying into Pym's lessons about freedom. Yeah, terribly melodramatic, I know.
That part wasn't explicitly stated in the dream, I'm just extrapolating based on what I can remember of a dream from over 12 hours ago.
Anyway, War Machine is getting set to blast off, or be teleported or something, so Hank tells the ants they need to get off the pad, and one of the ants replies that Hank should be careful, he looks tired, which was clearly true, everything about the look on his face, his posture, even the way i heard his voice in my head, suggested someone completely burned out**. Anyway, the ants move off, and the Teen Titans - in some weird amalgamation of how they appear in Tiny Titans, and their designs in the Teen Titans cartoon - promise to look after the ants. Except, as our heroes depart, someone captures the ants in a glowy blue bubble, and they vanish in a portal, with raven trying to track it. And all that turns out to be a ruse by some red-haired lizard lady name Malmuth, or something similar*** designed to trap Raven in another dimension. For some reason.
So yes, I either need to not each chips before bed (probably the sensible decision), or I need to eat more of them (for more dreams like this). That second option is awful tempting.
* It had to be the Marvel Adventures version, because Fury mentioned Giant Girl, whichIi know because Pym made some comment about her only being able to grow, as though that doesn't convey any other advantages. Oddly, my brain described Wolverine as the one with "lots of powers", and Spider-Man as the "bouncy one". Spidey has more powers than Wolverine though, doesn't he? And I know who Fury meant with each comment, because a little picture popped up next to each description as Fury rattled them off.
** I think this was my feelings poking through, because I woke up on Friday morning feeling like crap. It was one of those days where I wanted to fall back in bed two seconds after I got up, plus I woke up sweaty and dizzy. Even though it was the same time getting up, and the same time going to bed, I felt exponentially better when I woke up this morning. Restorative power of cool dreams I guess.
*** It wasn't pronounced like "mammoth". It was more, Lovecraftian outwordly force somehow, but I can recall the pronunciation well enough now to spell it right.
Then it shifted to something completely different, involving Norman Osborn using Ultron for something nefarious. This bothers me because it means my subconscious has bought into this crap about Norman Osborn being a serious player who can command the respect of villains far above his weight class.
Anyway, Nick Fury was going to use War Machine (sporting a sort simplified design, like what you might see in that Brave and the Bold cartoon) and Ant-Man to do something. I assume it had to do with Ultron, but since it was a dream, who knows. What's weird is, Fury was giving Pym a hard time, talking about how he could have chosen to send any of the other Avengers*, but he chose Pym. I guess the implication was that anyone could do what Ant-Man does, and this is where it got weird. Hank said he found that doubtful. Fury, for example, perhaps could listen to and understand what ants were saying but could he communicate with them? At that point, Hank kneels down, and he's looking down at this small group of ants, who are wearing clothes. Like bow ties, and bonnets and they're carry their babies in wrapped in blankets, and they have parcels with them and all that. Ant-Man says, 'Could you explain to them the concept of individual freedom?' And he's crying a little, and the ants all look either sad, or grateful, or worried. It's like a group of, refugee ants or something, expelled from their colony for buying into Pym's lessons about freedom. Yeah, terribly melodramatic, I know.
That part wasn't explicitly stated in the dream, I'm just extrapolating based on what I can remember of a dream from over 12 hours ago.
Anyway, War Machine is getting set to blast off, or be teleported or something, so Hank tells the ants they need to get off the pad, and one of the ants replies that Hank should be careful, he looks tired, which was clearly true, everything about the look on his face, his posture, even the way i heard his voice in my head, suggested someone completely burned out**. Anyway, the ants move off, and the Teen Titans - in some weird amalgamation of how they appear in Tiny Titans, and their designs in the Teen Titans cartoon - promise to look after the ants. Except, as our heroes depart, someone captures the ants in a glowy blue bubble, and they vanish in a portal, with raven trying to track it. And all that turns out to be a ruse by some red-haired lizard lady name Malmuth, or something similar*** designed to trap Raven in another dimension. For some reason.
So yes, I either need to not each chips before bed (probably the sensible decision), or I need to eat more of them (for more dreams like this). That second option is awful tempting.
* It had to be the Marvel Adventures version, because Fury mentioned Giant Girl, whichIi know because Pym made some comment about her only being able to grow, as though that doesn't convey any other advantages. Oddly, my brain described Wolverine as the one with "lots of powers", and Spider-Man as the "bouncy one". Spidey has more powers than Wolverine though, doesn't he? And I know who Fury meant with each comment, because a little picture popped up next to each description as Fury rattled them off.
** I think this was my feelings poking through, because I woke up on Friday morning feeling like crap. It was one of those days where I wanted to fall back in bed two seconds after I got up, plus I woke up sweaty and dizzy. Even though it was the same time getting up, and the same time going to bed, I felt exponentially better when I woke up this morning. Restorative power of cool dreams I guess.
*** It wasn't pronounced like "mammoth". It was more, Lovecraftian outwordly force somehow, but I can recall the pronunciation well enough now to spell it right.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Perhaps A Rousing Game Of Tiddlywinks?
You know, the X-Men used to play baseball a lot, and the East and West Coast Avengers used to have softball games against each other. I've seen Paul Jenkins and Dan Slott write stories about a lot of heroes getting together to play poker for kicks.
Do the DC heroes get together and do things like that? I know Ollie told Kyle Rayner that he and Hal used to watch boxing matches together, but I'm talking any sort of actual activity by the heroes. Say, the old hands of the Justice Society playing hoseshoes or shuffleboard, Young Justice having paintball wars, things like that.
Do the DC heroes get together and do things like that? I know Ollie told Kyle Rayner that he and Hal used to watch boxing matches together, but I'm talking any sort of actual activity by the heroes. Say, the old hands of the Justice Society playing hoseshoes or shuffleboard, Young Justice having paintball wars, things like that.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
It's More Money Either Way, But Still . . .
At the end of A Few Dollars More, Colonel Mortimer is riding into the sunset, and Monco has loaded quite a few dead bank robbers into a wagon, and has begun riding in the opposite direction. As he does, he comes across the money Indio and his boys stole from the bank, which our two bounty hunters moved during the night. Monco pauses for a moment, then reaches over, pulls the satchel out of the tree, swings it over his shoulder, and resumes his course.
My question is this: Did Monco return the money to the bank, and take the $40,000 reward for it, or did he just keep the stolen money? I can't remember how much was stolen, so I can't weigh the amounts he'd get from one choice or the other.
On the one hand, he has to turn in all those corpses to get the reward money for them, and since bank robbery (and murder) probably upped their bounties, he would probably get asked about the money anyway, so it might be easier to just turn it in.
On the other hand, there was something about the way he deliberately pauses, looked at the money, then seemed to decide "Why not?" before reaching out and grabbing the bag, that suggests to me he decided to just keep it for himself. Anyone asks, he never found out where they stashed the money, as he was too busy killing a dozen guys* by himself**.
* For the record, I'm counting everyone killed in the big gunfight, plus Nino, who was stabbed by Groce, plus the fellow killed by Indio, and the fellow Indio framed for that, plus Wild, the hunchback that Mortimer shot earlier. But not the three that Monco killed during the bank robbery scene, since he couldn't really turn those guys in at the time.
** I imagine he would leave Mortimer out of it. If Monco mentions that he teamed up with somebody, and that somebody isn't present to collect their half of the bounties, that could be problematic for Monco.
My question is this: Did Monco return the money to the bank, and take the $40,000 reward for it, or did he just keep the stolen money? I can't remember how much was stolen, so I can't weigh the amounts he'd get from one choice or the other.
On the one hand, he has to turn in all those corpses to get the reward money for them, and since bank robbery (and murder) probably upped their bounties, he would probably get asked about the money anyway, so it might be easier to just turn it in.
On the other hand, there was something about the way he deliberately pauses, looked at the money, then seemed to decide "Why not?" before reaching out and grabbing the bag, that suggests to me he decided to just keep it for himself. Anyone asks, he never found out where they stashed the money, as he was too busy killing a dozen guys* by himself**.
* For the record, I'm counting everyone killed in the big gunfight, plus Nino, who was stabbed by Groce, plus the fellow killed by Indio, and the fellow Indio framed for that, plus Wild, the hunchback that Mortimer shot earlier. But not the three that Monco killed during the bank robbery scene, since he couldn't really turn those guys in at the time.
** I imagine he would leave Mortimer out of it. If Monco mentions that he teamed up with somebody, and that somebody isn't present to collect their half of the bounties, that could be problematic for Monco.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Hellcat Continues To Drive Me Daffy
For the purposes of today's post, I'm not talking about Patsy Walker: Hellcat #5 being delayed until the second week in November. I'm only getting comics every two weeks anyway, so I guess a delay shouldn't matter as much now*. So no Cornelius Potfiller this time.
Cornelius Potfiller: How very cheeky of you, young man! To summon me forthwith by invoking the title of that delightful publication, only to inform me my services are not desired?
Calvin: Summon you? Are you a demon or something? If so, then begone! I banish then, by the power of Smith & Wesson! *levels handgun, pulls trigger*
Cornelius: I say, most unsporting! *Falls over*
Relax folks, I just hit him in the shoulder. He'll get the best treatment the 19th century had to offer. So he'll probably be missing an arm next time he appears. *rimshot* Was that rimshot worthy? Ah well, where was I? Right, Hellcat. See, I'm fairly convinced that Kathryn Immonen is driving at something with this series, and I'm think I'm going nuts chasing after it. I read #4, and say to myself "Gee, Ssayong's (the heir Patsy was sent to rescue) face looks kind of similar to Reuben's (Patsy's fashion major neighbor from #1). And she's struggling against the path her parents want for her, much like Reuben didn't follow his parents. Could Patsy be hallucinating this?"
Then I says to myself, "Didn't Patsy's mother try and turn her into the center of a money making empire, with the comics and various liscensed merchandise. And didn't I read in Essential Defenders Vol. 4 that Patsy got a bit tired of that**?" Also, the heir, who appears human, is dating a Yeti, which is a sort of monster. And Patsy was married to the Son of Satan (or Satannish, if you go by what Engelhart wrote, for whatever difference that makes). And the series makes references to Patsy's suicide, with the wolf calling her a "manslayer" and saying that her (Patsy's) people die in many ways, for many reasons. A short while later, Patsy stumbles across an SUV that sort of looks like the one she's driving***, and the wolf tells her it's her grave. Which is kind of odd since the SUV doesn't have the same paint job as the one she's in, and has a magazine she didn't have at the time (but a magazine that explains why she believes the map is actually a calendar).
Plus, there's something about the calendar (probably it calling her "sexy", and berating her when she removes her mask and it can actually see her face) that reminds me of the goofy guy she ran into at that bar in #1. The one that kept trying to come onto her, so she hit him with her mug? Which, if there was a connection, might explain his initial hostility upon her losing the mask. Then there's the guy who gave her the snowmobile ride, and also presented her with the SUV. He looks exactly the same, but he acts as though he doesn't know anything about a snowmobile ride, which is either him being a snarky jerk, or extremely significant. And that's pretty much where I'm at with this series right now, swinging between everything have importance, and none of it really meaning anything, I'm just reading my own idiosyncrasies into it.
* I'm not certain that's the response Marvel would want, but it's the one these verdammt delays are prompting.
** I don't have that particular tome with me at this time, so I can't confirm, but I know they went into Patsy's history after her mother died in that volume.
*** What this really makes me think is that maybe this isn't Patsy's first attempt at this quest. The witches said that all their roads lead back to their home now, thus they can't find their heir. So if everything leads back to where it started could Patsy have tried this before, died, and is trying again without realizing it?
Cornelius Potfiller: How very cheeky of you, young man! To summon me forthwith by invoking the title of that delightful publication, only to inform me my services are not desired?
Calvin: Summon you? Are you a demon or something? If so, then begone! I banish then, by the power of Smith & Wesson! *levels handgun, pulls trigger*
Cornelius: I say, most unsporting! *Falls over*
Relax folks, I just hit him in the shoulder. He'll get the best treatment the 19th century had to offer. So he'll probably be missing an arm next time he appears. *rimshot* Was that rimshot worthy? Ah well, where was I? Right, Hellcat. See, I'm fairly convinced that Kathryn Immonen is driving at something with this series, and I'm think I'm going nuts chasing after it. I read #4, and say to myself "Gee, Ssayong's (the heir Patsy was sent to rescue) face looks kind of similar to Reuben's (Patsy's fashion major neighbor from #1). And she's struggling against the path her parents want for her, much like Reuben didn't follow his parents. Could Patsy be hallucinating this?"
Then I says to myself, "Didn't Patsy's mother try and turn her into the center of a money making empire, with the comics and various liscensed merchandise. And didn't I read in Essential Defenders Vol. 4 that Patsy got a bit tired of that**?" Also, the heir, who appears human, is dating a Yeti, which is a sort of monster. And Patsy was married to the Son of Satan (or Satannish, if you go by what Engelhart wrote, for whatever difference that makes). And the series makes references to Patsy's suicide, with the wolf calling her a "manslayer" and saying that her (Patsy's) people die in many ways, for many reasons. A short while later, Patsy stumbles across an SUV that sort of looks like the one she's driving***, and the wolf tells her it's her grave. Which is kind of odd since the SUV doesn't have the same paint job as the one she's in, and has a magazine she didn't have at the time (but a magazine that explains why she believes the map is actually a calendar).
Plus, there's something about the calendar (probably it calling her "sexy", and berating her when she removes her mask and it can actually see her face) that reminds me of the goofy guy she ran into at that bar in #1. The one that kept trying to come onto her, so she hit him with her mug? Which, if there was a connection, might explain his initial hostility upon her losing the mask. Then there's the guy who gave her the snowmobile ride, and also presented her with the SUV. He looks exactly the same, but he acts as though he doesn't know anything about a snowmobile ride, which is either him being a snarky jerk, or extremely significant. And that's pretty much where I'm at with this series right now, swinging between everything have importance, and none of it really meaning anything, I'm just reading my own idiosyncrasies into it.
* I'm not certain that's the response Marvel would want, but it's the one these verdammt delays are prompting.
** I don't have that particular tome with me at this time, so I can't confirm, but I know they went into Patsy's history after her mother died in that volume.
*** What this really makes me think is that maybe this isn't Patsy's first attempt at this quest. The witches said that all their roads lead back to their home now, thus they can't find their heir. So if everything leads back to where it started could Patsy have tried this before, died, and is trying again without realizing it?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I Guess That Means He Was A Good Villain
Time for a little schadenfreude discussion. Nice thing about Evangelion is that it has three endings. Not sure this was the way it was originally planned, I've heard there was a lot of fan discontent about the first ending, so they made another, and then another, I guess. What's nice is, they're all kind of widely disparate endings, so you can just pick the one you like best. One is sort of a reset button, another is an end of the world sort of scenario, and then there's Shinji's Wacky Dream World. See {SPOILER!} Shinji is basically allowed to decide the fate of the world by a being that's level of power essentially makes them the Hand of God. Each ending represents a different decision by Shinji, reflecting a different mindset at a different moment in the period of time when he was being asked to decide.
The Wacky Dream World is my favorite. There are no evil monsters, so no need to pilot giant death things to fight them. Shinji's an ordinary school kid, has some friends, has both his parents, has a cool teacher. Plus, in this world Rei Ayanami acts 180 degrees from the way she behaved throughout the series*, which is highly entertaining. So it's a very cheerful sort of place, not to an absurd degree, mind you. The various inanimate objects aren't bouncing and swaying in tune with a jolly melody which fills the air, but comes from nowhere, or anything like that. It's our world, I think, with it's somewhat more mundane problems than "giant monster appears from nowehere tries to destroy entire city" they frequently faced.
It was only a couple of months ago I realized something about the ending that made me like it even more. I mentioned on Saturday that Shinji's father is a terrible parent, in addition to being an evil, manipulative bastard. There aren't many fictional characters I've wanted to see get their comeuppance more than Gendo Ikari. Iron Man, post-Civil War, for example, doesn't even come close**. Well, in Shinji's Dream World, all we see of Gendo is him sitting at the breakfast table, face hidden behind a newspaper he's apparently reading. He does not move during the brief moments we see him. His only response to comments directed to him is a "Hmm", or a grunt***.
It occurred to me, what if Gendo was trapped? The world has changed according to Shinji's whims, into a world he thinks will be better. People that died are alive. People that were in comas are not. People he wouldn't see if they had their original job are now in jobs where he can see them regularly (Misato, who was his commanding officer and guardian, is now his teacher). Still, there appear to be some limits. Asuka is supposedly his best friend in this world, but she can be pretty abusive towards him, and certainly a bit bossy. That's how she was in the world originally, so it seems he can't shake that image of her, even when he's trying for a better world****.
So I think to myself,what a wonderful world. Wait, that's not right. I think to myself, the only side of Shinji's father we've ever seen Shinji exposed to is a cold, distant manipulator, one completely willing to throw his son into battle with no training, and discard him the moment Shinji steps out of line. There is nothing in between, no father-son bonding or connections. Shinji either receives orders from his father and is then dismissed, or is told how disappointing his insubordination or weakness is. So maybe Shinji can't conceive of his father as a warm, loving, supportive human being. The best he can do is see him as not being a manipulator and jerk, and the only way to achieve that is to have him do nothing at all, the way Wally West did to Inertia. I doubt Shinji would have done it consciously. He was undoubtedly more focused on the fact he'd have his mother back, or have a normal life. It might not even occur to him what happened to his dad. After all, when he sees his father in the Dream World, Gendo largely ignores him, and doesn't interact with him. So pretty much what their relationship was before.
I have to say, the idea of Gendo Ikari being forever trapped in that seat, staring at that paper, unable to say or do anything, well, I just really enjoy the thought of that. Even if he has all sorts of brilliant schemes, he can't do a thing with them. He's just stuck. Forever.
* For the majority of the series, Rei behaves less like a human than Commander Data from Next Generation. Which was a big part of the reason I liked the character, actually, because I thought she was sort of learning how to be more human, or at least more expressive with her emotions.
** I like that part of how Marvel (or Matt Fraction) appears to be trying to rehab Tony's image is by putting him in opposition to the guy who stole his job, who is really evil and deranged. See Tony's a good guy, he's trying to resist Norman Osborn! Like him again, won't you? Uh, no. There are a host of people I'd rather see defeat Norman Osborn. Cyclops for example, and you know how I feel about Cyclops.
*** Something along those lines. It's been five years since I've watched it, which is why me thinking of this now was kind of startling.
**** The antagonism takes more of the form of friendly needling though, where before, at least at the beginning, she seemed to truly dislike him, and resent the hullabaloo over his skills as a pilot.
The Wacky Dream World is my favorite. There are no evil monsters, so no need to pilot giant death things to fight them. Shinji's an ordinary school kid, has some friends, has both his parents, has a cool teacher. Plus, in this world Rei Ayanami acts 180 degrees from the way she behaved throughout the series*, which is highly entertaining. So it's a very cheerful sort of place, not to an absurd degree, mind you. The various inanimate objects aren't bouncing and swaying in tune with a jolly melody which fills the air, but comes from nowhere, or anything like that. It's our world, I think, with it's somewhat more mundane problems than "giant monster appears from nowehere tries to destroy entire city" they frequently faced.
It was only a couple of months ago I realized something about the ending that made me like it even more. I mentioned on Saturday that Shinji's father is a terrible parent, in addition to being an evil, manipulative bastard. There aren't many fictional characters I've wanted to see get their comeuppance more than Gendo Ikari. Iron Man, post-Civil War, for example, doesn't even come close**. Well, in Shinji's Dream World, all we see of Gendo is him sitting at the breakfast table, face hidden behind a newspaper he's apparently reading. He does not move during the brief moments we see him. His only response to comments directed to him is a "Hmm", or a grunt***.
It occurred to me, what if Gendo was trapped? The world has changed according to Shinji's whims, into a world he thinks will be better. People that died are alive. People that were in comas are not. People he wouldn't see if they had their original job are now in jobs where he can see them regularly (Misato, who was his commanding officer and guardian, is now his teacher). Still, there appear to be some limits. Asuka is supposedly his best friend in this world, but she can be pretty abusive towards him, and certainly a bit bossy. That's how she was in the world originally, so it seems he can't shake that image of her, even when he's trying for a better world****.
So I think to myself,what a wonderful world. Wait, that's not right. I think to myself, the only side of Shinji's father we've ever seen Shinji exposed to is a cold, distant manipulator, one completely willing to throw his son into battle with no training, and discard him the moment Shinji steps out of line. There is nothing in between, no father-son bonding or connections. Shinji either receives orders from his father and is then dismissed, or is told how disappointing his insubordination or weakness is. So maybe Shinji can't conceive of his father as a warm, loving, supportive human being. The best he can do is see him as not being a manipulator and jerk, and the only way to achieve that is to have him do nothing at all, the way Wally West did to Inertia. I doubt Shinji would have done it consciously. He was undoubtedly more focused on the fact he'd have his mother back, or have a normal life. It might not even occur to him what happened to his dad. After all, when he sees his father in the Dream World, Gendo largely ignores him, and doesn't interact with him. So pretty much what their relationship was before.
I have to say, the idea of Gendo Ikari being forever trapped in that seat, staring at that paper, unable to say or do anything, well, I just really enjoy the thought of that. Even if he has all sorts of brilliant schemes, he can't do a thing with them. He's just stuck. Forever.
* For the majority of the series, Rei behaves less like a human than Commander Data from Next Generation. Which was a big part of the reason I liked the character, actually, because I thought she was sort of learning how to be more human, or at least more expressive with her emotions.
** I like that part of how Marvel (or Matt Fraction) appears to be trying to rehab Tony's image is by putting him in opposition to the guy who stole his job, who is really evil and deranged. See Tony's a good guy, he's trying to resist Norman Osborn! Like him again, won't you? Uh, no. There are a host of people I'd rather see defeat Norman Osborn. Cyclops for example, and you know how I feel about Cyclops.
*** Something along those lines. It's been five years since I've watched it, which is why me thinking of this now was kind of startling.
**** The antagonism takes more of the form of friendly needling though, where before, at least at the beginning, she seemed to truly dislike him, and resent the hullabaloo over his skills as a pilot.
Monday, January 19, 2009
I'm Clearly Being Silly Here
So Batman shot Darkseid with the same bullet that killed Orion to kick off this whole Final Crisis hoobadijoob. It occurs to me you don't typically reuse a bullet that's already been fired. The casing, sure, you can save those, reload them, and fire them again later if you know how. The part that actually gets fired through whatever it is you shoot at? That's usually a bit messed up, not really suitable for firing again.
I dig that apparently they showed Batman picking up the round and storing it in the ole utility belt*, then he busts it out and busts the proverbial cap in Darkseid's, um, upper torso region, I guess. For those of you that might have your copies handy, was the round he picked up still looking flawless? I mean, it did have to go through Orion before impacting in the pavement, and that dude is pretty tough***. Yes, it was a bullet fired backwards in time, using a copy of Metron's chair as the crosshairs, and also containing a horrible, mutagenic virus****, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be exactly like an ordinary bullet fired from an ordinary gun!
So obviously, I'm being tongue in cheek here, which I wouldn't normally feel compelled to say, but this is Final Crisis we're discussing, and that always seems to get things riled up. I'm just curious. I have to say, I haven't been reading Final Crisis, and I don't find myself terribly interested in the outcome (more than I was for Secret Invasion, though, which is saying something coming from a Marvelite such as myself), but it does provide some entertaining fodder for this here blog.
* Where did he find the gun? I'm legitimately asking, 'cause I haven't read it, you know. I'm guessing he found it sitting on a table in one of Darkseid' lackey's labs, since they were busy being dead or otherwise distracted. It seems like it was kind of large for him to have it hidden on him somewhere**.
** Maybe if he was rocking the Norm Brefoygle-style 20-foot cape. You could hide a family sedan in that thing.
*** By which I mean, his physical structure is dense, making it difficult to injure him. Maybe I should have said nigh-invulnerable isntead, but that's the Tick's line.
**** The Morticoccus virus was inside the bullet, right? And it was released, right? I mean, Desaad-in-Mary Marvel tagged Wonder Woman with it, right? How did the baddies get ahold of it, since Batman had the bullet it was delivered in? It clearly wasn't released by the bullet being fired, or the infection would have started much sooner, at the place where Orion died. Or it would have started in the future and worked backwards, so that in a sense, the first infected person might appear seconds after the bullet was fired, but more people would become infected every second, since the bullet would continue to spread the virus as it traveled into the past, and so those newly infected people in the past, would lead to more infected people in the present/future, right*****?
***** See, that's the kind of stuff that makes me hate time travel. And my own brain does it to me. Just for that, I'm gonna get blind drunk, that'll learn it.
I dig that apparently they showed Batman picking up the round and storing it in the ole utility belt*, then he busts it out and busts the proverbial cap in Darkseid's, um, upper torso region, I guess. For those of you that might have your copies handy, was the round he picked up still looking flawless? I mean, it did have to go through Orion before impacting in the pavement, and that dude is pretty tough***. Yes, it was a bullet fired backwards in time, using a copy of Metron's chair as the crosshairs, and also containing a horrible, mutagenic virus****, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be exactly like an ordinary bullet fired from an ordinary gun!
So obviously, I'm being tongue in cheek here, which I wouldn't normally feel compelled to say, but this is Final Crisis we're discussing, and that always seems to get things riled up. I'm just curious. I have to say, I haven't been reading Final Crisis, and I don't find myself terribly interested in the outcome (more than I was for Secret Invasion, though, which is saying something coming from a Marvelite such as myself), but it does provide some entertaining fodder for this here blog.
* Where did he find the gun? I'm legitimately asking, 'cause I haven't read it, you know. I'm guessing he found it sitting on a table in one of Darkseid' lackey's labs, since they were busy being dead or otherwise distracted. It seems like it was kind of large for him to have it hidden on him somewhere**.
** Maybe if he was rocking the Norm Brefoygle-style 20-foot cape. You could hide a family sedan in that thing.
*** By which I mean, his physical structure is dense, making it difficult to injure him. Maybe I should have said nigh-invulnerable isntead, but that's the Tick's line.
**** The Morticoccus virus was inside the bullet, right? And it was released, right? I mean, Desaad-in-Mary Marvel tagged Wonder Woman with it, right? How did the baddies get ahold of it, since Batman had the bullet it was delivered in? It clearly wasn't released by the bullet being fired, or the infection would have started much sooner, at the place where Orion died. Or it would have started in the future and worked backwards, so that in a sense, the first infected person might appear seconds after the bullet was fired, but more people would become infected every second, since the bullet would continue to spread the virus as it traveled into the past, and so those newly infected people in the past, would lead to more infected people in the present/future, right*****?
***** See, that's the kind of stuff that makes me hate time travel. And my own brain does it to me. Just for that, I'm gonna get blind drunk, that'll learn it.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
I Want To Let This Sink In
The Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.
Fear the Buzzsaw that is the Arizona Cardinals!
Fear them! *shakes fist*
Fear the Buzzsaw that is the Arizona Cardinals!
Fear them! *shakes fist*
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Looking Into Deserving Happiness
This is related to that tangent I went on in Thursday's post about whether Martin "deserved" to get the happy ending or not, given his past actions. It's not a serious investigation of that, because I don't know what I could say about it. Is happiness something that's deserved, or that could be denied on the basis of what you do or don't do? I guess it is, in fiction at least, since stories often end with the antagonist not getting what they wanted, and the audience is OK with it because that character was bad, so to heck with them. Or we're sad when the protagonist meets a poor end because they deserved better, and so on. It goes on in real life as well, when people talk about how so and so doesn't deserve that, whether it's something positive or negative. I'm not sure what that's related to though. Empathy and jealousy? Belief that there might be someone out there that pulls the strings, and really they ought to know better than to {insert whatever series of events one might find fair or unfair}.
There's one fictional discussion of this that I think of frequently, and it floated up to the front of my mind on Thursday, so I figured now's a good time to get it out here. Some of you may be familiar with a manga/anime called Neon Genesis Evangelion. I watched it with Papafred (who was probably on his 20th viewing of the series or so by then) about five years ago, and that's where my mind's at today. On the surface, it's a show about some kids piloting giant monster-things (called Evas) to fight and kill other monster-things (called Angels). There's a lot more to it, but any other relevant points will come out as I go along. At one point in the series one of the supporting cast (Suzuhara) is tapped to become a pilot. In his first test run, his Eva goes berserk, with him trapped inside. The main character, Shinji, refuses to fight, because he might hurt his friend. Shinji's dad, who's the man in charge and an utter bastard, locks Shinji out of the controls, enagages a sort of autopilot for the Eva, which succeeds in killing the berserk one. In the anime, Suzuhara loses an arm and leg. In the manga, he winds up dead.
Shinji loses it and threatens to destroy the base, his dad short-circuits that plan, and Shinji is discharged from the service. There's another attack, and a recurring character by the name of Kaji grabs Shinji and gets him to a shelter. They start conversing and Shinji talks about how sick he is of the fighting and how he just wants to be happy, and Kaji's response is Shinji doesn't deserve to be happy. He is alive at the cost of Suzuhara's life. He could have fought, maybe defeated the Angel and saved Suzuhara, but wouldn't accept the responsibility, and now his friend is dead. Thus, he forfeited the right to happiness. It's harsh*, but Kaji's speaking from experience. There was a cataclysm 15 years previously, and in the aftermath Kaji ran with a group of orphans, living in the remains of an abandoned building, stealing food from a nearby military post. Except Kaji was caught one day, and presented with the "they die or you die" question, and he chose Option A. He did escape and try to warn his friends, but by the time he arrived, the soldiers were leaving, and his friends were dead. Their lives for his, and so to his mind, he's in the same boat as Shinji. Their lives are no longer there own, and they need to be spent doing things to atone, thus Shinji needs to go back to fighting and protect the world. It's very Spider-Man in that way, presented more bluntly, since I don't recall say, Matt Murdock, flat out deciding Peter can no longer be happy because Uncle Ben was killed by The Burglar Spidey didn't stop.
Well, OK, if Kaji feels that way, I guess that's his call, but he does like Misato, Shinji's commanding officer and the closest thing the kid has to an actual parent**, and she likes Kaji, so what about that? If someone could have happiness by being happy with Kaji, shouldn't he help them acheive that, and just be grateful he attains happiness by proximity?
This is where I think Kaji gets too broad with his view on things for me. See, Misato was at the origin of the cataclysm, because her father was part of the crew studying it and she was visiting. As things go awry, she's injured and knocked unconscious. Her dad puts her in the remaining escape pod (single-seater, naturally), and sends her on her way. He dies for her, and to Kaji's way of thinking, she doesn't deserve any happiness either. Which is kind of asinine really. Unlike Shinji, who chose not to fight, or Kaji, who chose to tell the soldiers where his friends were, Misato made no decision. She didn't get the chance. Now, she didn't like her father much, he was one of those "my work is too important for silly crap like my family!" scientist types, so maybe Misato would have chosen to save herself. Smacked him with a pipe, jumped in the pod, and given Daddy the finger as floated away. We don't know. I always find that to be the hole in Kaji's train of thought, that if a friend throws him/herself on a grenade for you, it counts the same as if you threw them on the grenade to save yourself.
Although, that ties back into how I perceive the characters, and the attachment (or lack thereof) I form with them. Misato's one of the few characters in the series I acutally liked. She plays at being the party girl, as a defense mechanism, but she's also one of the only adults in the series that actually seems to care about the well-being of the pilots, while I get the feeling everyone else views them as expendable weapons to save their own hides. So I root for her, and the idea that this guy, who vaguely reminds me of Gambit - with his stubble and rougish style - doesn't think they should try and be happy together because neither of them deserve it, well that annoys me. Shinji's whining and constant indecision over whether he will be a pilot or not, whether he wants his father's approval or not, well indecision over damn near everything really***, prevents me from really feeling too bad for him. I don't wish ill upon him, but he wasn't even trying to find a way to save his friend during the fight, he simply refused to do anything.
I'm not sure why that particular scene resonates with me. It's a depressing way of viewing life****, and maybe I was surprised to see a character damning themselves along with the person they were trying to give a kick in the pants to. Or it could be I just found his logic dumbfounding and I didn't like him lumping a character I root for with himself. I'm curious what the creator's intent was with that scene, because the more I think on it, the more I think Kaji hasn't thought this through enough, is probably using it as an excuse to keep his distance from others*****, and it starts to hurt his argument from my perspective. Perhaps Shinji shouldn't be listening to this guy, and should just continue on as he was. That wouldn't have worked well for the story as it wound up proceeding, though.
* Though to be fair, Shinji needs a periodic kick in the pants. He has self-esteem issues, and positive reinforcement is good, but sometimes they don't have time to build him up, and just have to push him forward.
** Shinji hadn't seen his dad in a decade when the story begins, and his mother's dead. When Shinji initially refused to pilot an Eva, Gendo sent him away, disgusted. Shinji is only useful to Gendo as an obedient weapon, and beyond that means zilch.
*** Which is something I haven't sussed out. Shinji quits and rejoins, and quits again, and I'm annoyed with him. Spider-Man periodically swears Spider-Man no more, only to start web-slinging again, and I like him. I haven't figured out what the difference is to me between the two.
**** Is it Objectivist? You lived because they died, that's wrong, regardless of circumstance, end of story.
***** That's true of practically everyone in the series. They're all emotionally-damaged goods, and none of them seem capable of sustaining close, serious friendships for any extended period of time. Supposedly (going by stuff I've read on the Internet) the creator of the series was dealing with serious depression issues while making it, which might explain a lot, if true. Not saying it is or isn't, just saying it's a possible explanation I've heard.
There's one fictional discussion of this that I think of frequently, and it floated up to the front of my mind on Thursday, so I figured now's a good time to get it out here. Some of you may be familiar with a manga/anime called Neon Genesis Evangelion. I watched it with Papafred (who was probably on his 20th viewing of the series or so by then) about five years ago, and that's where my mind's at today. On the surface, it's a show about some kids piloting giant monster-things (called Evas) to fight and kill other monster-things (called Angels). There's a lot more to it, but any other relevant points will come out as I go along. At one point in the series one of the supporting cast (Suzuhara) is tapped to become a pilot. In his first test run, his Eva goes berserk, with him trapped inside. The main character, Shinji, refuses to fight, because he might hurt his friend. Shinji's dad, who's the man in charge and an utter bastard, locks Shinji out of the controls, enagages a sort of autopilot for the Eva, which succeeds in killing the berserk one. In the anime, Suzuhara loses an arm and leg. In the manga, he winds up dead.
Shinji loses it and threatens to destroy the base, his dad short-circuits that plan, and Shinji is discharged from the service. There's another attack, and a recurring character by the name of Kaji grabs Shinji and gets him to a shelter. They start conversing and Shinji talks about how sick he is of the fighting and how he just wants to be happy, and Kaji's response is Shinji doesn't deserve to be happy. He is alive at the cost of Suzuhara's life. He could have fought, maybe defeated the Angel and saved Suzuhara, but wouldn't accept the responsibility, and now his friend is dead. Thus, he forfeited the right to happiness. It's harsh*, but Kaji's speaking from experience. There was a cataclysm 15 years previously, and in the aftermath Kaji ran with a group of orphans, living in the remains of an abandoned building, stealing food from a nearby military post. Except Kaji was caught one day, and presented with the "they die or you die" question, and he chose Option A. He did escape and try to warn his friends, but by the time he arrived, the soldiers were leaving, and his friends were dead. Their lives for his, and so to his mind, he's in the same boat as Shinji. Their lives are no longer there own, and they need to be spent doing things to atone, thus Shinji needs to go back to fighting and protect the world. It's very Spider-Man in that way, presented more bluntly, since I don't recall say, Matt Murdock, flat out deciding Peter can no longer be happy because Uncle Ben was killed by The Burglar Spidey didn't stop.
Well, OK, if Kaji feels that way, I guess that's his call, but he does like Misato, Shinji's commanding officer and the closest thing the kid has to an actual parent**, and she likes Kaji, so what about that? If someone could have happiness by being happy with Kaji, shouldn't he help them acheive that, and just be grateful he attains happiness by proximity?
This is where I think Kaji gets too broad with his view on things for me. See, Misato was at the origin of the cataclysm, because her father was part of the crew studying it and she was visiting. As things go awry, she's injured and knocked unconscious. Her dad puts her in the remaining escape pod (single-seater, naturally), and sends her on her way. He dies for her, and to Kaji's way of thinking, she doesn't deserve any happiness either. Which is kind of asinine really. Unlike Shinji, who chose not to fight, or Kaji, who chose to tell the soldiers where his friends were, Misato made no decision. She didn't get the chance. Now, she didn't like her father much, he was one of those "my work is too important for silly crap like my family!" scientist types, so maybe Misato would have chosen to save herself. Smacked him with a pipe, jumped in the pod, and given Daddy the finger as floated away. We don't know. I always find that to be the hole in Kaji's train of thought, that if a friend throws him/herself on a grenade for you, it counts the same as if you threw them on the grenade to save yourself.
Although, that ties back into how I perceive the characters, and the attachment (or lack thereof) I form with them. Misato's one of the few characters in the series I acutally liked. She plays at being the party girl, as a defense mechanism, but she's also one of the only adults in the series that actually seems to care about the well-being of the pilots, while I get the feeling everyone else views them as expendable weapons to save their own hides. So I root for her, and the idea that this guy, who vaguely reminds me of Gambit - with his stubble and rougish style - doesn't think they should try and be happy together because neither of them deserve it, well that annoys me. Shinji's whining and constant indecision over whether he will be a pilot or not, whether he wants his father's approval or not, well indecision over damn near everything really***, prevents me from really feeling too bad for him. I don't wish ill upon him, but he wasn't even trying to find a way to save his friend during the fight, he simply refused to do anything.
I'm not sure why that particular scene resonates with me. It's a depressing way of viewing life****, and maybe I was surprised to see a character damning themselves along with the person they were trying to give a kick in the pants to. Or it could be I just found his logic dumbfounding and I didn't like him lumping a character I root for with himself. I'm curious what the creator's intent was with that scene, because the more I think on it, the more I think Kaji hasn't thought this through enough, is probably using it as an excuse to keep his distance from others*****, and it starts to hurt his argument from my perspective. Perhaps Shinji shouldn't be listening to this guy, and should just continue on as he was. That wouldn't have worked well for the story as it wound up proceeding, though.
* Though to be fair, Shinji needs a periodic kick in the pants. He has self-esteem issues, and positive reinforcement is good, but sometimes they don't have time to build him up, and just have to push him forward.
** Shinji hadn't seen his dad in a decade when the story begins, and his mother's dead. When Shinji initially refused to pilot an Eva, Gendo sent him away, disgusted. Shinji is only useful to Gendo as an obedient weapon, and beyond that means zilch.
*** Which is something I haven't sussed out. Shinji quits and rejoins, and quits again, and I'm annoyed with him. Spider-Man periodically swears Spider-Man no more, only to start web-slinging again, and I like him. I haven't figured out what the difference is to me between the two.
**** Is it Objectivist? You lived because they died, that's wrong, regardless of circumstance, end of story.
***** That's true of practically everyone in the series. They're all emotionally-damaged goods, and none of them seem capable of sustaining close, serious friendships for any extended period of time. Supposedly (going by stuff I've read on the Internet) the creator of the series was dealing with serious depression issues while making it, which might explain a lot, if true. Not saying it is or isn't, just saying it's a possible explanation I've heard.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Do The Sound Effects Harm His Credibility?
I had something more substantial planned for today, but I can't seem to focus so tomorrow for that. For today, I was watching Iron Man, and Tony has announced Stark Industries won't be making weapons anymore. Shortly afterward, Pepper is watching some financial analyst guy assess the situation, and the guy is, well "over the top" is probably understating it. He compares Stark Industries to the Hindenburg, compares the fate of the company to his smashing a coffee mug with a baseball bat, and employs numerous sound effects throughout.
OK, I've seen this guy on TV before, so I know he has an actual show where he discusses the world of business. Is he like that on the show all the time, or does he occasionally tone it down and have serious conversations with experts about the effect of this layoff, or this merger? If he's always making with the noises and physical comedy, is he someone people in the field take seriously? I imagine he would use those methods to keep people interested in economics and commerce, but it doesn't seem it would lend much weight to his arguments. Perhaps he's operating by the ESPN school of "Guy who yells loudest is right".
OK, I've seen this guy on TV before, so I know he has an actual show where he discusses the world of business. Is he like that on the show all the time, or does he occasionally tone it down and have serious conversations with experts about the effect of this layoff, or this merger? If he's always making with the noises and physical comedy, is he someone people in the field take seriously? I imagine he would use those methods to keep people interested in economics and commerce, but it doesn't seem it would lend much weight to his arguments. Perhaps he's operating by the ESPN school of "Guy who yells loudest is right".
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Then Who Is It, Martin?
I was watching Grosse Pointe Blank two nights ago, and I reached the scene at the reunion where Martin does battle with Felix La PuBelle, the assassin that already attacked him at the convenience store earlier in the film. After an intense (and entertaining) hand-to-hand battle, Martin kills Felix by stabbing him in the throat with a pen. Points for creativity, Mr. Blank. About that time, Debi comes up the stairs looking for Martin, and comes across Martin kneeling over a dead body. As you might imagine, Debi is a bit shocked by all this, and all Martin can say is, 'It's not me.'
What the heck does he mean by that, I wondered? He said it once before in the movie, during a job in Miami. At that point, his target is pleading with him, promising to stop doing whatever it is he's doing that's made Martin decide to kill him. In that situation, 'It's not me' ostensibly refers to this being a job to Martin, and that the person the target needs to be talking to is the one who hired Mr. Blank, whoever that might be. So that frames it as an excuse for Martin. I don't think he's explaining himself to the target, so much as reaffirming his choice with himself. He can do it because it's not personal. He's calm about it, clothes are neat, hair in place, it's just no big thing.
The second time, though, he's speaking to a witness to his killing a person, a witness he happens to like quite a bit. Quite how this is supposed to work as a response to Debi's look of shock and horror, I'm not sure. Is he trying to say he didn't do this, he just happens to be there in front of this corpse, holding a bloody pen? So I think Debi (and the earlier target) are supposed to represent Martin's inner self, an inner self that's grown tired of killing for money*.
This time, well, it's still an excuse, but now he's trying to convince himself that all the violence around him isn't something he's actively contributed to. He's a bystander, caught in a maelstrom of blood and death not of his own creation. Which, of course, is a load of crap, and I'm sure he knows it. His clothes are a mess, his hair is mussed, he looks sweaty, clammy, generally unhealthy. Whatever disassociation he's built up internally to do the jobs over the years is falling apart, and it's taking its toll on him.
And it only gets worse as things progress, because then the guns that are there because it's a job start getting pointed at the people he cares about**, which rather forcibly reminds Martin that he's been subjecting people to this kind of loss for years, and even if it wasn't personal for him, it certainly was felt on a personal level by those assignments' loved ones. And by the end of that skirmish, Martin doesn't look good at all. He's not only sweaty and pale, he's bleeding himself this time. The barriers he built keep falling, and he keeps looking worse. Ultimately though, that unhealthy, injured state was transitory, because he looked fairly healthy by the end***. Which suggests the wounds had to be uncovered before healing could begin, suggesting Martin's been damaged for awhile and just hasn't recognized it, visits to a psychiatrist or no.
The question in my mind now is, when did that start? He says he was sitting there on prom night and realized he wanted to kill someone. And he chose to leave town and go somewhere (the military) which would presumably help him harness/come to grips with it in some useful way****. Was the problem something predating all of that, something that allowed Martin the, as he put it, moral flexibility to recognize he wanted kill someone, and yet not be terrified of that realization? Or was it something that built up gradually over the years of doing that, when he'd learned something from the killing? I have difficulty deciding whether some of Martin's reasons for what he's done are rationalizations, or if they're somewhat sound reasons. There are times he sounds as though he's certainly thought things out, but I suppose that doesn't mean it couldn't all still be horse hockey.
* Or killing in general more likely.
** Well, I'm not certain how much Martin actually cares about Debi's father. Like he said, he might be saving him because he has a newfound respect for life, or it might simply be due to his being in love with Debi. Of course, by choosing to save Debi's father, and take him home, Martin does put Debi in the line of fire, so he ends up with someone he cares about as a target. Though I suppose if Martin had just driven off with Debi's dad, Grocer would have gone after Debi to try and lure them back.
*** And it occurs to me that rooting for Martin Blank is not unlike rooting for the Secret Six. After all, he was a hired killer. Like Debi said after the reunion, he shouldn't get to be with her, should he? That gets into whether or not the taking of a life removes any "right" one might have to happiness, and whether that depends on circumstance. I throw that in because I imagine there are at least a few people in the world who would say taking a life is always wrong, reagrdless of the circumstance, and yes, one would forfeit the right to any happiness at that point. Though that raises the question of whether it's within our control as to who does and does not get happiness, doesn't it?
**** I guess. I've never been in the military, so I don't know if it helps people with certain impulses actually harness them. And then there's the question of whether harnessing it is the right move, or whether it's better to find some way to excise it entirely.
What the heck does he mean by that, I wondered? He said it once before in the movie, during a job in Miami. At that point, his target is pleading with him, promising to stop doing whatever it is he's doing that's made Martin decide to kill him. In that situation, 'It's not me' ostensibly refers to this being a job to Martin, and that the person the target needs to be talking to is the one who hired Mr. Blank, whoever that might be. So that frames it as an excuse for Martin. I don't think he's explaining himself to the target, so much as reaffirming his choice with himself. He can do it because it's not personal. He's calm about it, clothes are neat, hair in place, it's just no big thing.
The second time, though, he's speaking to a witness to his killing a person, a witness he happens to like quite a bit. Quite how this is supposed to work as a response to Debi's look of shock and horror, I'm not sure. Is he trying to say he didn't do this, he just happens to be there in front of this corpse, holding a bloody pen? So I think Debi (and the earlier target) are supposed to represent Martin's inner self, an inner self that's grown tired of killing for money*.
This time, well, it's still an excuse, but now he's trying to convince himself that all the violence around him isn't something he's actively contributed to. He's a bystander, caught in a maelstrom of blood and death not of his own creation. Which, of course, is a load of crap, and I'm sure he knows it. His clothes are a mess, his hair is mussed, he looks sweaty, clammy, generally unhealthy. Whatever disassociation he's built up internally to do the jobs over the years is falling apart, and it's taking its toll on him.
And it only gets worse as things progress, because then the guns that are there because it's a job start getting pointed at the people he cares about**, which rather forcibly reminds Martin that he's been subjecting people to this kind of loss for years, and even if it wasn't personal for him, it certainly was felt on a personal level by those assignments' loved ones. And by the end of that skirmish, Martin doesn't look good at all. He's not only sweaty and pale, he's bleeding himself this time. The barriers he built keep falling, and he keeps looking worse. Ultimately though, that unhealthy, injured state was transitory, because he looked fairly healthy by the end***. Which suggests the wounds had to be uncovered before healing could begin, suggesting Martin's been damaged for awhile and just hasn't recognized it, visits to a psychiatrist or no.
The question in my mind now is, when did that start? He says he was sitting there on prom night and realized he wanted to kill someone. And he chose to leave town and go somewhere (the military) which would presumably help him harness/come to grips with it in some useful way****. Was the problem something predating all of that, something that allowed Martin the, as he put it, moral flexibility to recognize he wanted kill someone, and yet not be terrified of that realization? Or was it something that built up gradually over the years of doing that, when he'd learned something from the killing? I have difficulty deciding whether some of Martin's reasons for what he's done are rationalizations, or if they're somewhat sound reasons. There are times he sounds as though he's certainly thought things out, but I suppose that doesn't mean it couldn't all still be horse hockey.
* Or killing in general more likely.
** Well, I'm not certain how much Martin actually cares about Debi's father. Like he said, he might be saving him because he has a newfound respect for life, or it might simply be due to his being in love with Debi. Of course, by choosing to save Debi's father, and take him home, Martin does put Debi in the line of fire, so he ends up with someone he cares about as a target. Though I suppose if Martin had just driven off with Debi's dad, Grocer would have gone after Debi to try and lure them back.
*** And it occurs to me that rooting for Martin Blank is not unlike rooting for the Secret Six. After all, he was a hired killer. Like Debi said after the reunion, he shouldn't get to be with her, should he? That gets into whether or not the taking of a life removes any "right" one might have to happiness, and whether that depends on circumstance. I throw that in because I imagine there are at least a few people in the world who would say taking a life is always wrong, reagrdless of the circumstance, and yes, one would forfeit the right to any happiness at that point. Though that raises the question of whether it's within our control as to who does and does not get happiness, doesn't it?
**** I guess. I've never been in the military, so I don't know if it helps people with certain impulses actually harness them. And then there's the question of whether harnessing it is the right move, or whether it's better to find some way to excise it entirely.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Trying To Make Sense Of Comic Book Science
In Guardians of the Galaxy #8 we learned that Ronan had the scientists of the Kree Empire rebuild the Babel Spire the Phalanx initially constructed in Annihilation: Conquest Prologue #1*. Ronan recognized the Kree weren't exactly at their best right now, and the barrier the spire creates would hopefully provide some protection. Plus, it needs an energy source, and that means he had a use for all those damn Skrulls trying to secretly invade his empire**.
Of course, the barrier created by the Spire wound up being more of a Maginot Line*** than a {insert manmade defensive structure with greater direct success rate}, considering that Star-Lord made it to the Kree homeworld**** and the Inhumans went around it so easily, it might as well have not even been there.
That seems a bit curious. Consider that in Nova #4, Rich opened a stargate and hauled butt for the border of the Kree Empire once he learned the Phalanx had taken over. He hit the barrier and got crisped. OK, so teleportation involves hopping into some other dimension, then popping back into the one you started in at a different point. The barrier may have cut Kree space off from the rest of the universe, but that doesn't extend to those other dimensions. Except that leaves me wondering what the hell a stargate is supposed to be then? It's obviously some form of faster than light travel, if Rich can cross the distance between star systems in less than an hour. I was under the impression that it was equivalent to a hyperspace jump, like the ones they have in Star Wars. In both cases, one has to adjust for the gravitational influences of stars, planets, various other sources of significant matter*****.
Perhaps it's a matter of the "distance" removed from the universe in question. I haven't seen teleportation depicted as being affected by gravitational forces. Teleporters travel through a dimension far enough removed from their home universe that the forces present in said universe don't interfere with their travel. Stargates (or hyperspace) is just outside the home universe, so it can be interfered with by those forces.
The Phalanx barrier cut Kree space off from the rest of the universe, such that nothing could get in or out (except Rich opening a stargate as he was flying into a star, and that lacked accuracy and control). There was no communication between those inside and outside, the Quantum Bands couldn't draw from wherever their energy normally comes from. So I guess the answer is that the barrier forms a sort of gulf between what's inside and what's out, and stargates normally can't cross it. Stargates are an RV when the bridge is out, and teleporters are a helicopter.
Well, I feel better. Not really.
* It's funny, Babel Spires are normally formed from the Phalanx themselves, and signal their Technarch "parents", but here it was formed from corrupted Sentry robots, and created a barrier. Guess we chalk that up to Ultron being in charge.
** I like how Ronan was insulted - without really showing it - by Star-Lord thinking they'd need his assistance to deal with Skrulls. The Kree haven't been fighting the Skrulls to a stalemate for thousands of years by luck.
*** I know, that isn't really fair to the Line, since it did force the Germans to attack Belgium first, as planned, and it was ultimately beaten by aerial bombing, which it wasn't prepared for. Still, for the amount of time, effort, money, and hopes they had in that thing, it really didn't meet expectations.
**** I assume the barrier was up when Quill dropped by. The spire was already rebuilt, and certainly appeared to be up and running.
***** Wonder if that includes dark matter?
Of course, the barrier created by the Spire wound up being more of a Maginot Line*** than a {insert manmade defensive structure with greater direct success rate}, considering that Star-Lord made it to the Kree homeworld**** and the Inhumans went around it so easily, it might as well have not even been there.
That seems a bit curious. Consider that in Nova #4, Rich opened a stargate and hauled butt for the border of the Kree Empire once he learned the Phalanx had taken over. He hit the barrier and got crisped. OK, so teleportation involves hopping into some other dimension, then popping back into the one you started in at a different point. The barrier may have cut Kree space off from the rest of the universe, but that doesn't extend to those other dimensions. Except that leaves me wondering what the hell a stargate is supposed to be then? It's obviously some form of faster than light travel, if Rich can cross the distance between star systems in less than an hour. I was under the impression that it was equivalent to a hyperspace jump, like the ones they have in Star Wars. In both cases, one has to adjust for the gravitational influences of stars, planets, various other sources of significant matter*****.
Perhaps it's a matter of the "distance" removed from the universe in question. I haven't seen teleportation depicted as being affected by gravitational forces. Teleporters travel through a dimension far enough removed from their home universe that the forces present in said universe don't interfere with their travel. Stargates (or hyperspace) is just outside the home universe, so it can be interfered with by those forces.
The Phalanx barrier cut Kree space off from the rest of the universe, such that nothing could get in or out (except Rich opening a stargate as he was flying into a star, and that lacked accuracy and control). There was no communication between those inside and outside, the Quantum Bands couldn't draw from wherever their energy normally comes from. So I guess the answer is that the barrier forms a sort of gulf between what's inside and what's out, and stargates normally can't cross it. Stargates are an RV when the bridge is out, and teleporters are a helicopter.
Well, I feel better. Not really.
* It's funny, Babel Spires are normally formed from the Phalanx themselves, and signal their Technarch "parents", but here it was formed from corrupted Sentry robots, and created a barrier. Guess we chalk that up to Ultron being in charge.
** I like how Ronan was insulted - without really showing it - by Star-Lord thinking they'd need his assistance to deal with Skrulls. The Kree haven't been fighting the Skrulls to a stalemate for thousands of years by luck.
*** I know, that isn't really fair to the Line, since it did force the Germans to attack Belgium first, as planned, and it was ultimately beaten by aerial bombing, which it wasn't prepared for. Still, for the amount of time, effort, money, and hopes they had in that thing, it really didn't meet expectations.
**** I assume the barrier was up when Quill dropped by. The spire was already rebuilt, and certainly appeared to be up and running.
***** Wonder if that includes dark matter?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Don't Give Up Now!
When I reached the end of last week's Secret Invasion: War of Kings, I was a bit disappointed in Ronan. He lets Medusa just take his hammer, and then kneels before Black Bolt*. It seemed too easy for the Inhumans, given Ronan's extreme sense of duty to the Kree Empire. Take a look at his recent resume:
- Willingly surrenders himself to Kree authorities on trumped up charges, even when told by the arresting officer that they would totally understand if he blew them off.
- Despite having been found guilty of trumped up charges and stripped of his title, still fights with his fellow Kree against the Annihilation Wave. When he decides the House Fiyero are running a poor campaign, kills their representatives on the front lines**.
- Then journeys back to the Kree homeworld to convince the rest of House Fiyero to see the light. Learns they've signed a backroom deal with Annihilus' chief lieutenant, Ravenous. Smashes Ravenous' face like hamburger, kills remainder of House Fiyero. Assumes control of Kree Empire, as they lack other options, and the people will follow him.
- When the Phalanx conquered the Kree, Ronan decided the best option was to unleash an army of Sentry robots. He was willing to kill his people, rather than let the Phalanx control them.
Yet here, the Inhumans barge in, kick butt, and Ronan doesn't even try and stop Medusa from taking his weapon? Doesn't even try one attack on Black Bolt? I get that Black Bolt is a true king, and Ronan always saw himself as simply a regent, just keeping the seat warm, but still, these are the Kree we're talking about. They jailed Bug because he got his mack on with some of their women, thus contaminating their genetic purity. Like Rocket Raccoon said, to the Kree, everyone else is a lower lifeform. But they'll accept some Earthlings, whose ancestors they genetically altered, as their rulers? Especially after they had half their empire taken by the Annihilation Wave, and then were conquered by the Phalanx, this can't do their pride any good. I could see there being a 50% chance of the people accepting this if Ronan pitches it to them, and a 50% chance they'd turn on him, declare him a traitor for allowing weapons the Kree created*** to now rule their creators.
Really, I'm just stunned he gave up so easily. Seems unlike Ronan.
* Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "Kneel before Zod", does it?
** Not during a battle mind you, during a planning session.
*** And subsequently abandoned/forgot about/left alone until they decided they needed them, but I doubt the Kree would see any significance to that. We created you, we own you forever, 'cause we're the Kree.
- Willingly surrenders himself to Kree authorities on trumped up charges, even when told by the arresting officer that they would totally understand if he blew them off.
- Despite having been found guilty of trumped up charges and stripped of his title, still fights with his fellow Kree against the Annihilation Wave. When he decides the House Fiyero are running a poor campaign, kills their representatives on the front lines**.
- Then journeys back to the Kree homeworld to convince the rest of House Fiyero to see the light. Learns they've signed a backroom deal with Annihilus' chief lieutenant, Ravenous. Smashes Ravenous' face like hamburger, kills remainder of House Fiyero. Assumes control of Kree Empire, as they lack other options, and the people will follow him.
- When the Phalanx conquered the Kree, Ronan decided the best option was to unleash an army of Sentry robots. He was willing to kill his people, rather than let the Phalanx control them.
Yet here, the Inhumans barge in, kick butt, and Ronan doesn't even try and stop Medusa from taking his weapon? Doesn't even try one attack on Black Bolt? I get that Black Bolt is a true king, and Ronan always saw himself as simply a regent, just keeping the seat warm, but still, these are the Kree we're talking about. They jailed Bug because he got his mack on with some of their women, thus contaminating their genetic purity. Like Rocket Raccoon said, to the Kree, everyone else is a lower lifeform. But they'll accept some Earthlings, whose ancestors they genetically altered, as their rulers? Especially after they had half their empire taken by the Annihilation Wave, and then were conquered by the Phalanx, this can't do their pride any good. I could see there being a 50% chance of the people accepting this if Ronan pitches it to them, and a 50% chance they'd turn on him, declare him a traitor for allowing weapons the Kree created*** to now rule their creators.
Really, I'm just stunned he gave up so easily. Seems unlike Ronan.
* Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "Kneel before Zod", does it?
** Not during a battle mind you, during a planning session.
*** And subsequently abandoned/forgot about/left alone until they decided they needed them, but I doubt the Kree would see any significance to that. We created you, we own you forever, 'cause we're the Kree.
Monday, January 12, 2009
It Probably Wouldn't Jibe With The Point Of Brand New Day
I saw a cover that promised the New Avengers were going to have to fight it out with Osborn's Dark Avengers. I really don't care too much about that, but the cover showed Spider-Man squaring off with someone that is supposed to be the Dark Avengers' Spider-Man. I imagine he's wearing the symbiont, though whoever it is reined in the alien, given the absence of huge teeth or a really long tongue. I suppose this team is even more public than the Thunderbolts, so Norman needed someone who can control the symbiont better, less attempted cannibalism in front of cameras, and the like.
Anyway, what I thought about was Spidey, during that battle, offering to let the symbiont join with him again. Everything I've ever read says it wants Peter, first and foremost. More than Brock, or Gargan, or whatever sucker it happens to latch on to at any particular moment. And given some of the folks on the Dark Avengers, Spidey could probably use a power boost to get through that battle.
Yeah, it's unlikely Spider-Man would ever willingly bond with the symbiont* again, and doing so would probably go against the tone that Brand New Day has tried to establish for Spider-Man. After all, if being married is going to cut down on his ability to have girl trouble, what's being permanently bonded to an alien goo-thing going to do? Though I suppose you could hi-jinks where the symbiont gets jealous of whatever girl Pete happens to be dating, or gets sore if he spends too much time hanging out with Harry. Still, seeing Norman Osborn in a position of considerable power, in spite of all the things he's done, might just make Pete a little depressed, perhaps a little frustrated or desperate. I doubt Norman would expect Peter to willingly pair up with the symbiont again, so that would probably be quite a surprise.
* Assuming the Dark Avengers' Spidey analogue is wearing the symbiont, as opposed to one of those Iron Spider suits. Those do have camouflage abilities, but they were also Stark tech, so according to Secret Invasion, they all should have crashed and burned when the Skrulls got more openly aggressive. Plus, Norman already had the symbiont, and I can't imagine he would let a weapon like that out of his grasp.
Anyway, what I thought about was Spidey, during that battle, offering to let the symbiont join with him again. Everything I've ever read says it wants Peter, first and foremost. More than Brock, or Gargan, or whatever sucker it happens to latch on to at any particular moment. And given some of the folks on the Dark Avengers, Spidey could probably use a power boost to get through that battle.
Yeah, it's unlikely Spider-Man would ever willingly bond with the symbiont* again, and doing so would probably go against the tone that Brand New Day has tried to establish for Spider-Man. After all, if being married is going to cut down on his ability to have girl trouble, what's being permanently bonded to an alien goo-thing going to do? Though I suppose you could hi-jinks where the symbiont gets jealous of whatever girl Pete happens to be dating, or gets sore if he spends too much time hanging out with Harry. Still, seeing Norman Osborn in a position of considerable power, in spite of all the things he's done, might just make Pete a little depressed, perhaps a little frustrated or desperate. I doubt Norman would expect Peter to willingly pair up with the symbiont again, so that would probably be quite a surprise.
* Assuming the Dark Avengers' Spidey analogue is wearing the symbiont, as opposed to one of those Iron Spider suits. Those do have camouflage abilities, but they were also Stark tech, so according to Secret Invasion, they all should have crashed and burned when the Skrulls got more openly aggressive. Plus, Norman already had the symbiont, and I can't imagine he would let a weapon like that out of his grasp.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Might As Well Hash It Out
I mentioned yesterday that I occasionally feel odd rooting for the Secret Six, given their past histories. It's silly, in a certain sense. Yeah, the entire team has killed or maimed people at some point, but, you know so has Frank Castle*. For that matter, so did Clint Eastwood in any number of his movies. Well sure, you say, but those were bad guys, but at least some of the people the Six have disposed of were criminals, right?
As much as I pick on it, Bane's parental concern for Scandal isn't the issue. I think it's little things (and isn't it always little things with me?), how they react to random people they come across. I distinctly recall being put off by Deadshot pointing his gun at the hotel staff - who had offered him one of those lemon-scented, hand moistened towels - and demanding one of the aforementioned towels. While those towels do sounds quite pleasant, it wasn't as if the employee had disposed of the towel. he was standing there, still holding it, waiting for Floyd to stop his vomiting (and internal monologuing) long enough to respond in the affirmative or the negative about the towel. Even that feels like an odd reaction to me, because I wasn't really bothered by Floyd robbing the convenience store in #1**.
I think the difference in the two sequences is that one person just happens to be around Floyd, while the other is actually trying to be helpful to him, and Floyd still points his gun at him, when really, all he needed to do was take the towel. I find myself comparing it to the Punisher in the Man of Stone arc, when he learns a lot about Zakharov from that journalist, and then warns the journalist to go home, for his own safety. The journalist didn't listen, and Zakharov had him killed, but Frank at least tried to help him out.
It's that lack of compassion towards random people that makes my rooting for them, or feeling empathy for them, more difficult. Not impossible, and not frequently, but every so often they remind me they aren't nice people. Which is as it should be, since they aren't really nice people, even to each other (sometimes). If they were, the book probably wouldn't be as interesting, but it does produce a certain disconnect for me with the characters.
* I wouldn't be surprised if Frank's body count exceeds the Six' combined total.
** I was a little disturbed by his response to Catman's "lost child" hypothetical, where he seemed to equate not going out of his way to run the child over with "helping". For some reason, I thought that was cold, even for Deadshot.
As much as I pick on it, Bane's parental concern for Scandal isn't the issue. I think it's little things (and isn't it always little things with me?), how they react to random people they come across. I distinctly recall being put off by Deadshot pointing his gun at the hotel staff - who had offered him one of those lemon-scented, hand moistened towels - and demanding one of the aforementioned towels. While those towels do sounds quite pleasant, it wasn't as if the employee had disposed of the towel. he was standing there, still holding it, waiting for Floyd to stop his vomiting (and internal monologuing) long enough to respond in the affirmative or the negative about the towel. Even that feels like an odd reaction to me, because I wasn't really bothered by Floyd robbing the convenience store in #1**.
I think the difference in the two sequences is that one person just happens to be around Floyd, while the other is actually trying to be helpful to him, and Floyd still points his gun at him, when really, all he needed to do was take the towel. I find myself comparing it to the Punisher in the Man of Stone arc, when he learns a lot about Zakharov from that journalist, and then warns the journalist to go home, for his own safety. The journalist didn't listen, and Zakharov had him killed, but Frank at least tried to help him out.
It's that lack of compassion towards random people that makes my rooting for them, or feeling empathy for them, more difficult. Not impossible, and not frequently, but every so often they remind me they aren't nice people. Which is as it should be, since they aren't really nice people, even to each other (sometimes). If they were, the book probably wouldn't be as interesting, but it does produce a certain disconnect for me with the characters.
* I wouldn't be surprised if Frank's body count exceeds the Six' combined total.
** I was a little disturbed by his response to Catman's "lost child" hypothetical, where he seemed to equate not going out of his way to run the child over with "helping". For some reason, I thought that was cold, even for Deadshot.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
2008 Comics In Review - Part 4
This is the end, my only friend, the end. Got a bit maudlin there, didn't I? ABP had more chores and Wade is probably busy with Tiger Shark, so you just get me. That means I get to bore you with some stat stuff I wouldn't have been able to get to with the others around. Lucky you. As you might have noticed, I'm buying less than I used to from 199 comics in '06, to 144 in '08. Marvel's piece of my wallet's is shrinking, down to 68.75% in 2008 (compared to 85% in '06, and 87% in '07). As you might imagine, DC's taking up most of the vacated space, from 7.4% in '07, up to 26.4% in '08. Yeah, I have a lot of time on my hands, why?
The Punisher #54-63: Ennis' run ended, and my purchasing of the title ended a few months later. And now they're starting the book over, which they might have been better off doing immediately after Ennis wrapped up his run.
High Point: First, the beginning of #57, when the Delta boys have found Frank's base, and figure they've got him, with their tasers and tear gas. Except Frank knew they were coming, and he's got a gas mask too. And night vision goggles. And a bat. Restrained beatdown ensues. Second, the end of #54, when Frank has returned his daughter to her aunt for safekeeping, and she wants to know about O'Brien (her sister, the baby's mama). Frank tells about that morning in Afghanistan, and then says 'Memories like that, I try and kill. But you might do something with it, if you like.' That was a terribly sweet and terribly sad scene, that pretty well sums up what Frank's willingly done to himself.
Low Point: I'm thinking the end of #62, the 'And she is dead' thing. That felt overdone to me.
Robin/Spoiler Special: I think I bought it because it was a slow week for me, and because I do like Spoiler, and I'm glad she's not dead. It wasn't anything special.
Secret Six #1-4: It's weird book. I feel odd at times, rooting for this bunch, given the crap they've done in their lives. I swing between being amused by Bane's concern for Scandal, to being touched, to being disturbed. The book has action, laughs, grossouts, amusing dialogue, appealing art. I'm not sure it's a good idea for the first arc to be 7 issues long, though. Feels like it might be drawing things out too long.
High Point: I'm partial to the scene in the convenience store where Deadshot teaches the would-be robbers the proper method, then takes the money (and smokes) himself. Floyd has all kinds of issues doesn't he? After that, it might be Mammoth's turn as a trustee prison guard in #2. I didn't realize he was that stupid, but he's high comedy, I tell you.
Low Point: Eh, I can't really think of one. Sometimes I feel like the thing in #2 where Catman is trying to figure out what it was Batman ate was drug out too long, but others time I like it because it was Catman getting under Batman's skin, and we can always use more of that, right?
Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #1: I don't think Tucci's doing anything particularly wrong, he's going for a realistic, respectful portrayal of the World War 2 soldier, but from the first issue (and the parts of subsequent issues I've skimmed in the store) it hasn't felt like Sgt. Rock. More a generic World War 2 sergeant. I saw Tucci threw the Haunted Tank in for #3, but viewed from an outside perspective, where the ghost is a "who knows?" aspect.
Suicide Squad #6-8: I canme back when there was less focus on Rick Flag, and more focus on going on missions. I think the problem was Ostrander was exploring the question of what makes a person who they are with Flag and the revelations about his past. I've seen Ostrander do this previously with GrimJack, a character I liked a lot more. No real interest in exploring it with Mr. Flag.
High Point: Flag scaring Waller a bit was nice, but I'm giving it to Captain Boomerang Jr. saving Deadshot from Maraduer. Close second actually goes to the discussion between Twisted Sister and Windfall on the way to their mission. it was twisted and a little depressing, but kind of hilarious. I may need professional help.
Low Point: Hmm, can't think of one.
Terra #1-4: Went for it on a whim. Figured Amanda Conner drawing, Power Girl guest-starring, there were many worse things to spend the money on.
High Point: I enjoyed Power Girl trying to teach Atlee some things about life on the surface. While PG should know about that stuff, she spends so little time in her civilian identity, it's probably beneficial for her too.
Low Point: The big villain fight at the start on #4 seemed almost perfunctory, like they had to have it. I think I would have preferred Faulkner working more quietly, exploring first, maybe causing problems inadvertently, rather than going nuts because his girlfriend got smashed. His curiosity, combined with a certain level of amorality, could have been interesting. Well, amybe we'll see him again.
The Last Defenders #1: I couldn't get behind the premise of the mini-series, I think. That the Defenders have always fallen apart because they've never landed on that magical, perfect lineup, and that Kyle Richmond is better off as the financier, rather than an actual superhero.
Ultimate Spider-Man #118-122: After buying the series since #3 or so, I finally dropped it for a number of reasons. One, Bendis' previous multi-issue arcs didn't feel as well paced as I'd like, with endings feeling rushed (that Goblin arc especially, he spent too much time on Carol Danvers screwing up, I thought). Two, the upcoming multi-issue arc was going to heavily involve symbiotes, and I wish Bendis had stuck to his original guns and left Venom out (I remember those early letter pages, where the fans were screaming for Ultimate Venom - no I wasn't one of them - and Bendis -or whoever was answering the letters - kept saying "no plans at this time", but then there Venom was, and then they wanted Carnage, and we got him too, and it was just, sigh). Three, Ultimatum was looming, and I wanted to get gone before Loeb destroyed everything. And I wasn't loving Immonen's art. Not that it was bad, I just didn't enjoy it as much as Bagley's.
High Point: #121, where Peter has to explain why his and Kitty's baby project got destroyed, and his reaction to the extremely generous grade they received.
Low Point: I'm a little surprised at Magneto showing up, chatting with Liz and asking her to come with him, then just leaving calmly. He wouldn't have cared if he had to fight the X-Men. Also, the X-Men seemed awfully pushy and aggressive. We'll probably find out later that Jean was manipulating Liz' mind. Sounds like what Jean would do.
X-Factor #27-32, Layla Miller, The Quick and the Dead: Messiah CompleX ended, and Layla was gone. Then Rahne left. Even bringing Arcade couldn't boost my enthusiasm. The double whammy of unfinished looking Stroman art and Secret Invasion was enough to send me running.
High Point: The Quick and the Dead. Probably because I had a lot of fun analyzing Raimondi's art, the body language of the characters' during Pietro's hallucinations. Arcade's 'Fail. Safe. Which word did you not understand?', plus Rictor's punching him in the face was kind of amusing too.
Low Point: I wasn't terribly pleased with Rahne leaving, but I think it was the end of #32, when the team has settled into life in Detroit, and things look nice, and then we see Madrox' big message to Val didn't work and all his yadda-yadda about being a step ahead was bunk. That was a tad frustrating.
Young Avengers Presents #6: It was Matt Fraction, writing Classic Hawkeye, with art by Alan Davis. Plus, we were introduced to the phrase 'Central Park Carriage Ninja', and reminded that you never tell Clint Barton that he can't make that shot.
There you go, all done. Resumption of usual posting stuff tomorrow.
The Punisher #54-63: Ennis' run ended, and my purchasing of the title ended a few months later. And now they're starting the book over, which they might have been better off doing immediately after Ennis wrapped up his run.
High Point: First, the beginning of #57, when the Delta boys have found Frank's base, and figure they've got him, with their tasers and tear gas. Except Frank knew they were coming, and he's got a gas mask too. And night vision goggles. And a bat. Restrained beatdown ensues. Second, the end of #54, when Frank has returned his daughter to her aunt for safekeeping, and she wants to know about O'Brien (her sister, the baby's mama). Frank tells about that morning in Afghanistan, and then says 'Memories like that, I try and kill. But you might do something with it, if you like.' That was a terribly sweet and terribly sad scene, that pretty well sums up what Frank's willingly done to himself.
Low Point: I'm thinking the end of #62, the 'And she is dead' thing. That felt overdone to me.
Robin/Spoiler Special: I think I bought it because it was a slow week for me, and because I do like Spoiler, and I'm glad she's not dead. It wasn't anything special.
Secret Six #1-4: It's weird book. I feel odd at times, rooting for this bunch, given the crap they've done in their lives. I swing between being amused by Bane's concern for Scandal, to being touched, to being disturbed. The book has action, laughs, grossouts, amusing dialogue, appealing art. I'm not sure it's a good idea for the first arc to be 7 issues long, though. Feels like it might be drawing things out too long.
High Point: I'm partial to the scene in the convenience store where Deadshot teaches the would-be robbers the proper method, then takes the money (and smokes) himself. Floyd has all kinds of issues doesn't he? After that, it might be Mammoth's turn as a trustee prison guard in #2. I didn't realize he was that stupid, but he's high comedy, I tell you.
Low Point: Eh, I can't really think of one. Sometimes I feel like the thing in #2 where Catman is trying to figure out what it was Batman ate was drug out too long, but others time I like it because it was Catman getting under Batman's skin, and we can always use more of that, right?
Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #1: I don't think Tucci's doing anything particularly wrong, he's going for a realistic, respectful portrayal of the World War 2 soldier, but from the first issue (and the parts of subsequent issues I've skimmed in the store) it hasn't felt like Sgt. Rock. More a generic World War 2 sergeant. I saw Tucci threw the Haunted Tank in for #3, but viewed from an outside perspective, where the ghost is a "who knows?" aspect.
Suicide Squad #6-8: I canme back when there was less focus on Rick Flag, and more focus on going on missions. I think the problem was Ostrander was exploring the question of what makes a person who they are with Flag and the revelations about his past. I've seen Ostrander do this previously with GrimJack, a character I liked a lot more. No real interest in exploring it with Mr. Flag.
High Point: Flag scaring Waller a bit was nice, but I'm giving it to Captain Boomerang Jr. saving Deadshot from Maraduer. Close second actually goes to the discussion between Twisted Sister and Windfall on the way to their mission. it was twisted and a little depressing, but kind of hilarious. I may need professional help.
Low Point: Hmm, can't think of one.
Terra #1-4: Went for it on a whim. Figured Amanda Conner drawing, Power Girl guest-starring, there were many worse things to spend the money on.
High Point: I enjoyed Power Girl trying to teach Atlee some things about life on the surface. While PG should know about that stuff, she spends so little time in her civilian identity, it's probably beneficial for her too.
Low Point: The big villain fight at the start on #4 seemed almost perfunctory, like they had to have it. I think I would have preferred Faulkner working more quietly, exploring first, maybe causing problems inadvertently, rather than going nuts because his girlfriend got smashed. His curiosity, combined with a certain level of amorality, could have been interesting. Well, amybe we'll see him again.
The Last Defenders #1: I couldn't get behind the premise of the mini-series, I think. That the Defenders have always fallen apart because they've never landed on that magical, perfect lineup, and that Kyle Richmond is better off as the financier, rather than an actual superhero.
Ultimate Spider-Man #118-122: After buying the series since #3 or so, I finally dropped it for a number of reasons. One, Bendis' previous multi-issue arcs didn't feel as well paced as I'd like, with endings feeling rushed (that Goblin arc especially, he spent too much time on Carol Danvers screwing up, I thought). Two, the upcoming multi-issue arc was going to heavily involve symbiotes, and I wish Bendis had stuck to his original guns and left Venom out (I remember those early letter pages, where the fans were screaming for Ultimate Venom - no I wasn't one of them - and Bendis -or whoever was answering the letters - kept saying "no plans at this time", but then there Venom was, and then they wanted Carnage, and we got him too, and it was just, sigh). Three, Ultimatum was looming, and I wanted to get gone before Loeb destroyed everything. And I wasn't loving Immonen's art. Not that it was bad, I just didn't enjoy it as much as Bagley's.
High Point: #121, where Peter has to explain why his and Kitty's baby project got destroyed, and his reaction to the extremely generous grade they received.
Low Point: I'm a little surprised at Magneto showing up, chatting with Liz and asking her to come with him, then just leaving calmly. He wouldn't have cared if he had to fight the X-Men. Also, the X-Men seemed awfully pushy and aggressive. We'll probably find out later that Jean was manipulating Liz' mind. Sounds like what Jean would do.
X-Factor #27-32, Layla Miller, The Quick and the Dead: Messiah CompleX ended, and Layla was gone. Then Rahne left. Even bringing Arcade couldn't boost my enthusiasm. The double whammy of unfinished looking Stroman art and Secret Invasion was enough to send me running.
High Point: The Quick and the Dead. Probably because I had a lot of fun analyzing Raimondi's art, the body language of the characters' during Pietro's hallucinations. Arcade's 'Fail. Safe. Which word did you not understand?', plus Rictor's punching him in the face was kind of amusing too.
Low Point: I wasn't terribly pleased with Rahne leaving, but I think it was the end of #32, when the team has settled into life in Detroit, and things look nice, and then we see Madrox' big message to Val didn't work and all his yadda-yadda about being a step ahead was bunk. That was a tad frustrating.
Young Avengers Presents #6: It was Matt Fraction, writing Classic Hawkeye, with art by Alan Davis. Plus, we were introduced to the phrase 'Central Park Carriage Ninja', and reminded that you never tell Clint Barton that he can't make that shot.
There you go, all done. Resumption of usual posting stuff tomorrow.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Calvin Appears Lost In Thought
{I'm not lost, just trying to understand any part of the "Tim Kurkijan is the father of Tony Kornheiser's child" thing on PTI today.} Oh. I don't think I can help with that. {I don't think anyone can, so don't sweat it too much. Got your chores done, I assume?} Enough Mom let me visit today. All this sweeping and farming is tiring. {Chin up, bucko. Gotta give a good showing this week.} Why? {You know why. This is the last of the weekly reviews for awhile.} What?! {I told you that already. I'm headed back to the boonies, which means comics every two weeks. At least your mom won't be able to complain I'm keeping your from your chores and studies.}
I don't feel much like hugging or applauding now. {Start with violence then. See if that gets your motor running.} I think Black Bolt has to get a Bonk. The Shi'ar weren't hurting him, so he shouldn't have killed them. {And it helped kick off an intergalactic war.} I want to Applaud Scandal because she wanted to save Bane, but I have to Bonk her, because she cut Deadshot for no reason. {That applause was a little weak.} I'm trying! {Geez, sorry.} Bane gets Applause for being tough, and a Hug for getting hurt so much. I'm going to give Ronan a Bonk, because he just gave up. Why did he do that this time? {Thank you! That's exactly what I've been wondering!}
I don't feel much like hugging or applauding now. {Start with violence then. See if that gets your motor running.} I think Black Bolt has to get a Bonk. The Shi'ar weren't hurting him, so he shouldn't have killed them. {And it helped kick off an intergalactic war.} I want to Applaud Scandal because she wanted to save Bane, but I have to Bonk her, because she cut Deadshot for no reason. {That applause was a little weak.} I'm trying! {Geez, sorry.} Bane gets Applause for being tough, and a Hug for getting hurt so much. I'm going to give Ronan a Bonk, because he just gave up. Why did he do that this time? {Thank you! That's exactly what I've been wondering!}
Thursday, January 08, 2009
2008 Comics In Review - Part 3
Deadpool: [So where's our furry clump of cute?]
CalvinPitt: Under house arrest. Intimidating Mama Panda was not pleased that ABP was ignoring chores to hop over here for these posts.
Deadpool: [I'll pull off a daring rescue for half a million.]
CalvinPitt; Thanks, but no. Even if I had that money, I'm not getting you or myself on her bad side. I've been there before. There was growling, and unfriendly teeth very close to my throat.
Immortal Iron Fist #12-21, Orson Randall and the Death Queen of California, Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death: Art difficulties are the story here. David Aja was largely absent from the last few issues of the Brubaker/Fraction (and eventually just Fraction) run, due to either some health problems, or because his wife was pregnant, I can't remember which. Either way, there were other things which demanded his attention, so the art was not quite where it was. Then Travel Foreman became primary artist to go with new writer Duane Swierczynski, and for some reason, his work doesn't seem as nice as it did when he was drawing flashbacks sequences in the earlier issues. Not sure what the deal was there.
High Point: I think the 22-year punch delivered in #21 by Wah Sing-Rand, plus his subsequent saving of the believers of K'un-Lun has to go here. Don't get me wrong, Danny Rand punching a train and making it explode was plenty cool, but it was already loaded with explosives, so it really wasn't going to take much to make it go boom. [He punched the train? Just throw a bunch of mines on the track.] I don't think Danny had any mines. [Then drive your car into it at high speed, but the only people that should be in front of trains are the people you throw from them. Like Billy Crystal.]
Low Point: The Mortal Iron Fist wasn't a bad idea for a story, but the art wasn't helping as much as I'd like, and I had some issues with how Danny won the battle. [Getting crazy always works in a fight! It's what made Wolverine into the big, multi-title appearing success he is today!]
Moon Knight #20-25: I started buying it for the Mike Deodato drawn battle with Werewolf by Night, and I've stuck around for the running battle with the Thunderbolts. Of course, now he's going to run into the Punisher, and that may test my tolerance for the Punisher outside the MAX bubble. Say Wade, maybe you should hunt down Jack Russell. I bet there are a lot of people who would pay big money for a werewolf. [Sure, I love dogs. Like Air Bud, how does the dog shoot a basketball? How does it pass the ball? Is it the Stephon Marbury of sports movie animals?] Are you going to keep referencing old movies all day (and I don't believe Marbury is a good example anymore)? [Yes.] What about my suggestion? [Not until someone hires me for it. What good is it to have a werewolf in a cage, waiting for someone who wants to buy it?] You could teach it tricks, or poke it with a stick. [Hmm. . .]
High Point: I really liked #20. The battle with the werewolf, what it helped Spector realize about himself. Although, he seemed more stable in that flashback than he does in the present, maybe because of Marlene. The way he tricked Bullseye was pretty good too. The sort of reconciliation with Frenchie and Ray was nice too, since he had been kind of an ass to them.
Low Point: Still, the covers had been hyping the Bullseye/Moon Knight fight for two months beforehand, and Spector spends the entire fight running. I know that's what he'd been doing against the rest of the Thunderbolts, but that was 5-on-1, all of them with some superpowers. This is just Bullseye. I know, he's super nutso, kill-you-with-anything, but is the threat level elevated that much? I'm just not buying it, but I haven't bought Bullseye as a threat since I read Daredevil #200, where DD kicked the crap out of him with one arm in a sling. Kind of hard to take him seriously after that.
Ms. Marvel #23, 24: I just gave up. Secret Invasion was coming, and I couldn't figure out where Mr. Reed was going with it. Carol wants fame, then she just wants to be a good hero. She wants everyone to follow the law, except when she doesn't. She wants to be hardcore, but doesn't want to accept responsibility for it (though I think later she admitted she let Puppet Master blow himself up, when she hadn't mentioned that before). The Aaron Lopresti art was swell, but he was leaving the book, so that was one less thing holding me there. [But you still have to like how that sash sits on her hips.] Yes Wade, you're absolutely correct. [Why will she team up with Spider-Man and not me? She's a former secret agent, so am I. She's pretty, I'm disfigured. We're like Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy.] She will Wade, she's just waiting for the right mission, I'm sure of it. Everybody wants to team up with Deadpool. [I'm not an idiot you know.] I just wanted to cheer you up.
Nova #10-20, Annual #1: Rich found Warlock, stopped the Phalanx, ran afoul of the Silver Surfer, fought Skrulls with Darkhawk, and is watching the Worlmind make poor decisions. I'm looking forward to War of Kings getting Rich back out in space.
High Point: Rich deciding to save everyone on Obrucen was nice, his heart-to-heart with Gamora was kind of sweet. I think I'll tap his brief team-up with Super-Skrull, where they trounce some Skrulls, then Rich destroys a Skrull warship. For non-Nova coolness, the part where Rich is explaining to the surfer why he needs Galactus to wait, and the Surfer closes his eyes, and just like that, he's shielded all the escape shuttles from the electromagnetic distortion, and they can leave. Excellent demonstration of how powerful the Surfer is now.
Low Point: I wasn't a big fan of the Annual. A little of Nova's past, some hallucinated future, some weird fight with the transmode virus making some construct out of the ground around them. Not really that great. Though he did remember Ko-Rel, the first new Nova recruited since Rich became Nova Prime. Be nice to see her get a mention during the current recruitment drive. [I could be a Nova. I look great with a bucket on my head.] I don't think you're an average member of the species, Wade. And I'm not going to ask where you learned how you look with a bucket on your head.
Patsy Walker: Hellcat #1-4: Oh what to say? I love this mini-series. It's beautifully drawn, it alternates between silly and serious, and it doesn't just hand everything to you on a silver platter. On the downside, it's driving me insane trying to figure out what deeper meaning Immonen is driving at. i keep seeing different little things that make me think this or that, and I just can't put it all together. [It makes perfect sense. Just listen *Wade begins gesturing, but not making any sound*] Wade, what are you doing, you didn't say a word. [The white caption box was talking, weren't you paying attention?] Deadpool, that's a visual gag! We're doing a text piece! It's like trying to do Keystone Kops on the radio! [Good morning Vietnam! *throws a grenade over his shoulder* KABOOM!]
High Point: #1, How Patsy deals with rude people in a bar. Her exchange with herself in #3 when the forest is catching on fire (Great! I can see the headlines now. Hellcat burns down Alaska. Iron Man says, "It's not my fault." "Is too," says Hellcat.) How she deals with a naughty giant wolf that knocks over her vehicle. Her devious and manipulative nature.
Low Point: That three-month wait between #3 and #4. Sure, it gave us Cornelius Potfiller, but that's really not going to balance the scales. [Not with your writing skills.] Gee, thanks Wade. My self-esteem needed that punch to the kidneys. [I could give your body a punch to the kidneys, make a matched set.] No.
CalvinPitt: Under house arrest. Intimidating Mama Panda was not pleased that ABP was ignoring chores to hop over here for these posts.
Deadpool: [I'll pull off a daring rescue for half a million.]
CalvinPitt; Thanks, but no. Even if I had that money, I'm not getting you or myself on her bad side. I've been there before. There was growling, and unfriendly teeth very close to my throat.
Immortal Iron Fist #12-21, Orson Randall and the Death Queen of California, Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death: Art difficulties are the story here. David Aja was largely absent from the last few issues of the Brubaker/Fraction (and eventually just Fraction) run, due to either some health problems, or because his wife was pregnant, I can't remember which. Either way, there were other things which demanded his attention, so the art was not quite where it was. Then Travel Foreman became primary artist to go with new writer Duane Swierczynski, and for some reason, his work doesn't seem as nice as it did when he was drawing flashbacks sequences in the earlier issues. Not sure what the deal was there.
High Point: I think the 22-year punch delivered in #21 by Wah Sing-Rand, plus his subsequent saving of the believers of K'un-Lun has to go here. Don't get me wrong, Danny Rand punching a train and making it explode was plenty cool, but it was already loaded with explosives, so it really wasn't going to take much to make it go boom. [He punched the train? Just throw a bunch of mines on the track.] I don't think Danny had any mines. [Then drive your car into it at high speed, but the only people that should be in front of trains are the people you throw from them. Like Billy Crystal.]
Low Point: The Mortal Iron Fist wasn't a bad idea for a story, but the art wasn't helping as much as I'd like, and I had some issues with how Danny won the battle. [Getting crazy always works in a fight! It's what made Wolverine into the big, multi-title appearing success he is today!]
Moon Knight #20-25: I started buying it for the Mike Deodato drawn battle with Werewolf by Night, and I've stuck around for the running battle with the Thunderbolts. Of course, now he's going to run into the Punisher, and that may test my tolerance for the Punisher outside the MAX bubble. Say Wade, maybe you should hunt down Jack Russell. I bet there are a lot of people who would pay big money for a werewolf. [Sure, I love dogs. Like Air Bud, how does the dog shoot a basketball? How does it pass the ball? Is it the Stephon Marbury of sports movie animals?] Are you going to keep referencing old movies all day (and I don't believe Marbury is a good example anymore)? [Yes.] What about my suggestion? [Not until someone hires me for it. What good is it to have a werewolf in a cage, waiting for someone who wants to buy it?] You could teach it tricks, or poke it with a stick. [Hmm. . .]
High Point: I really liked #20. The battle with the werewolf, what it helped Spector realize about himself. Although, he seemed more stable in that flashback than he does in the present, maybe because of Marlene. The way he tricked Bullseye was pretty good too. The sort of reconciliation with Frenchie and Ray was nice too, since he had been kind of an ass to them.
Low Point: Still, the covers had been hyping the Bullseye/Moon Knight fight for two months beforehand, and Spector spends the entire fight running. I know that's what he'd been doing against the rest of the Thunderbolts, but that was 5-on-1, all of them with some superpowers. This is just Bullseye. I know, he's super nutso, kill-you-with-anything, but is the threat level elevated that much? I'm just not buying it, but I haven't bought Bullseye as a threat since I read Daredevil #200, where DD kicked the crap out of him with one arm in a sling. Kind of hard to take him seriously after that.
Ms. Marvel #23, 24: I just gave up. Secret Invasion was coming, and I couldn't figure out where Mr. Reed was going with it. Carol wants fame, then she just wants to be a good hero. She wants everyone to follow the law, except when she doesn't. She wants to be hardcore, but doesn't want to accept responsibility for it (though I think later she admitted she let Puppet Master blow himself up, when she hadn't mentioned that before). The Aaron Lopresti art was swell, but he was leaving the book, so that was one less thing holding me there. [But you still have to like how that sash sits on her hips.] Yes Wade, you're absolutely correct. [Why will she team up with Spider-Man and not me? She's a former secret agent, so am I. She's pretty, I'm disfigured. We're like Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy.] She will Wade, she's just waiting for the right mission, I'm sure of it. Everybody wants to team up with Deadpool. [I'm not an idiot you know.] I just wanted to cheer you up.
Nova #10-20, Annual #1: Rich found Warlock, stopped the Phalanx, ran afoul of the Silver Surfer, fought Skrulls with Darkhawk, and is watching the Worlmind make poor decisions. I'm looking forward to War of Kings getting Rich back out in space.
High Point: Rich deciding to save everyone on Obrucen was nice, his heart-to-heart with Gamora was kind of sweet. I think I'll tap his brief team-up with Super-Skrull, where they trounce some Skrulls, then Rich destroys a Skrull warship. For non-Nova coolness, the part where Rich is explaining to the surfer why he needs Galactus to wait, and the Surfer closes his eyes, and just like that, he's shielded all the escape shuttles from the electromagnetic distortion, and they can leave. Excellent demonstration of how powerful the Surfer is now.
Low Point: I wasn't a big fan of the Annual. A little of Nova's past, some hallucinated future, some weird fight with the transmode virus making some construct out of the ground around them. Not really that great. Though he did remember Ko-Rel, the first new Nova recruited since Rich became Nova Prime. Be nice to see her get a mention during the current recruitment drive. [I could be a Nova. I look great with a bucket on my head.] I don't think you're an average member of the species, Wade. And I'm not going to ask where you learned how you look with a bucket on your head.
Patsy Walker: Hellcat #1-4: Oh what to say? I love this mini-series. It's beautifully drawn, it alternates between silly and serious, and it doesn't just hand everything to you on a silver platter. On the downside, it's driving me insane trying to figure out what deeper meaning Immonen is driving at. i keep seeing different little things that make me think this or that, and I just can't put it all together. [It makes perfect sense. Just listen *Wade begins gesturing, but not making any sound*] Wade, what are you doing, you didn't say a word. [The white caption box was talking, weren't you paying attention?] Deadpool, that's a visual gag! We're doing a text piece! It's like trying to do Keystone Kops on the radio! [Good morning Vietnam! *throws a grenade over his shoulder* KABOOM!]
High Point: #1, How Patsy deals with rude people in a bar. Her exchange with herself in #3 when the forest is catching on fire (Great! I can see the headlines now. Hellcat burns down Alaska. Iron Man says, "It's not my fault." "Is too," says Hellcat.) How she deals with a naughty giant wolf that knocks over her vehicle. Her devious and manipulative nature.
Low Point: That three-month wait between #3 and #4. Sure, it gave us Cornelius Potfiller, but that's really not going to balance the scales. [Not with your writing skills.] Gee, thanks Wade. My self-esteem needed that punch to the kidneys. [I could give your body a punch to the kidneys, make a matched set.] No.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
What I Bought 1/7/09
Bad luck for the store today. All the store's copies with the X-Men: Manifest Destiny cover had the pages of next week's issue of Spider-Man/X-Men (or is that X-Men/Spider-Man?). Whoopsie! Wonder if that was a widespread problem, or just localized?
Secret Six #5 - Bane deals with the consequences of his response to Junior's "You die or they die". Jeanette interrogates Cheshire. Deadshot treats the hotel staff somewhat shabbily. Well, shabbily by my standards. He didn't shoot them, which is practically pleasant by Floyd's standards, I suppose. Team skirmishes with more desperate, incompetent villains, and we learn the truth about Junior.
Secret Invasion: War of Kings #1 - What is it with Marvel and combining the names of different events for the titles of comics? They gave us that House of M: Civil War mini-series, and now this. Is this going to be a thing they do now? Black Bolt decides the Inhumans are done hiding, and they're going to kill lots of people. So they kill some Skrulls, then go around (with ridiculous ease) the Phalanx shield the Kree put back up, and take over. Oh, and they gave the Shiar an excuse to attack the Kree, and Vulcan's wearing robes like he's Tiberius, or Caligula or something (I vote for Tiberius, since I've read he was a unpleasant sort, and Vulcan's brief cameo is spent partially complaining of the dark mood he's in).
Secret Six #5 - Bane deals with the consequences of his response to Junior's "You die or they die". Jeanette interrogates Cheshire. Deadshot treats the hotel staff somewhat shabbily. Well, shabbily by my standards. He didn't shoot them, which is practically pleasant by Floyd's standards, I suppose. Team skirmishes with more desperate, incompetent villains, and we learn the truth about Junior.I'm having a hard time understanding how Junior is so dangerous. I get that Junior lacks scruples or limits in any significan way, but can't even stand without a crutch, and has a body that looks to be a mangled mess. The issue ends on what's meant to be a tense standoof, but it would seem to be a simple matter for Lawton to just shoot Junior. Bang, bang, one problem solved. They're going to have to do that eventually, you just know it.
I'd really like to talk more about Nicola Scott's artowrk, but I'm not certain what to say. It's not a flashy style, but it's effective, I think it's pretty, though it has the requisite gruesome factor when necessary. I appreciate Jason Wright's coloring, because the shadows are there when you need to darker mood, but for the most part he keeps things bright, almost cheerful. That might seem at odds given what goes on in the book, but I think it works for a title about people who do occasionally awful things, and are rarely troubled by them. The dark deeds don't constantly weigh on them, and so it isn't all doom and gloom.
Secret Invasion: War of Kings #1 - What is it with Marvel and combining the names of different events for the titles of comics? They gave us that House of M: Civil War mini-series, and now this. Is this going to be a thing they do now? Black Bolt decides the Inhumans are done hiding, and they're going to kill lots of people. So they kill some Skrulls, then go around (with ridiculous ease) the Phalanx shield the Kree put back up, and take over. Oh, and they gave the Shiar an excuse to attack the Kree, and Vulcan's wearing robes like he's Tiberius, or Caligula or something (I vote for Tiberius, since I've read he was a unpleasant sort, and Vulcan's brief cameo is spent partially complaining of the dark mood he's in).Gripes I have. One, Ronan. I'm going to save that for another, extended post of griping, but for now, he gave up too quick. Two, is Black Bolt really this powerful? They've got a device which amplifies his whisper enough that it can make their entire city (which is now a space battleship) move at superluminal speed. They captured the energy of his whispers and use it as protective armor for their soldiers, and bullets for their weapons. If he's that powerful, why couldn't they have him kill the bleeping Sentry before he decided to get cosmic with himself? And yes, he's angry, but he's being a tad reckless. "La la, I'm off to kill some Skrulls! Oh, those Shiar ships say we're in their territory? I'll, kill them too! La, la!"
I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be rooting for here. I actually felt the worst for the Skrulls, who were in full retreat before the Inhumans fried their butts. Not sure that's what the War of Kings braintrust is shooting for. I guess I should end on a positive. Paul Pelletier draws a really cool looking giant city/space battleship.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
2008 Comics In Review - Part 2
Calvin: {Oh, I am so clever. C-L-V-R! I mean, C-L-E-V-E-R! Telling Adorable Baby Panda and Deadpool to show up at 10, when I'm getting the post done at 7. They won't be able to drive me insane tonight!}
Voice Behind Calvin: So what happens when they show up?
Calvin: {Eh?}
Voice: Well, they'll show up at 10 and find out you finished the post without them. What do you do then?
Calvin: {Oh, I hide. I've been taking lessons from Bob. They'll search awhile, not find me, and then give up.}
Voice: [Good thing I never arrive when I'm supposed to! Mostly 'cause I can't remember when I'm supposed to show up.]
Calvin: {Agh! I mean, ah, Wade, ABP, good to see you.}
Deadpool: [Sure, you're happy to see us now. Just like my fellow X-Men, always acting like they want to hang out, then vanishing when i show up with the ranch dressing and kiddie pool.]
*ABP and Calvin stare blanky at Deadpool*
Calvin: {Maybe we should just begin.}
BloodRayne Automaton, Prime Cuts #1, 2, Tokyo Rogue #1-3: [So she's a vampire.] {Half-vampire.} [How does that work?] {Different universes, different rules. Vampires can reproduce in hers.} Like how Overused Kirby Creation's universe resets every so often, but your universe just has certain events fade out of existence over time. [Headache.] {Anyway, Rayne fought giant, enchanted fire salamanders, mute priest ninjas in gas masks, and a golem, and that was just one issue. I think you'd like her Wade. She's enjoys cutting things, shooting thing, and driving motorcycles.} Would she like Wade, though? {Does anyone like Wade?} [Everyone loves me, like Ned Flanders! Only with a teleporter!] And no mustache. {Yeah, if your body keeps regenerating, why don't you have hair?} [Say, shouldn't we be discussing high points?]
High Point: He's sensitive about it. {I get that. I'm a little sensitive about hair loss as well.} [I didn't lose my hair, I shaved it!] Sure. {Absolutely. I'm giving the high point to the "nunchaku that opens a dimensional portal that releases a ninja-killing demon" from Prime Cuts #1.} [Can't go wrong with multi-functional weaponry.] Like an exploding chair? [Exactly.]
Low Point: {The delays in between issues of Tokyo Rogue. Fortunately, they've changed the policy so they don't solicit anything until everything is done but the lettering, so projects ought to come out regularly once they get started.} [That's kind of real world for these, isn't it?] {I'm working on these posts with an anthropomorphic panda and a comic book mercenary. I've lost track of where the various levels of reality end.} [Oh.]
Blue Beetle #24, 25, 27: [How can you have only bought 3 issues of this internet darling? You monster!] {I don't know, things came up. My car broke down, I didn't have money for cab fare, there was an earthquake, a terrible flood, locusts, it wasn't my fault! *sobbing*} Geez, that's so sad. [I'll say. He couldn't even bother to get the whole quote right.] What? [He ripped that off from Belushi in Blues Brothers.] What?! Say, where'd he go? [Looks like he has the run for his life thing down. He really must have been learning from Bob. I miss Bob.] You'll see him this month. [Really? Oh boy, I better prepare a surprise for him!] But you won't remember I told you that after this post. It's like your recap page.
Booster Gold #0, 7-15, 1,000,000: [So a guy everyone thinks is a doofus secretly protects time?] Yeah, it's great, and it can make you laugh and cry and everything!
High Point: Booster and the Blue Beetle working together was nice, but I think I liked Booster pretending to be Killer Moth, punching out Batman. [You weren't kidding about this book making you laugh! They did the death scene from Wrath of Khan! But they cut Booster off midway through his "KHANNNN!" moment.] That wasn't funny, it was really sad! [Sez you. Melodramatic death is really funny to me.]
Low Point: Ted Kord having to die again. It was his choice, but it was so sad. Not funny, sad. *glowers at Deadpool* [Well, I'm voting for the ripping a gorilla's face off from #13. Points for the violence, but how can I enjoy its capering if you pull its face off? Now all it's going to do is scream! Have to get my gorilla-killing gun.] I wish Calvin would run back here.
Cable/Deadpool #49, 50: [How does he get top billing? He wasn't even in the book!] His name is still on the cover! [Covers lie all the time! Did Jimmy Olsen ever kill Superman with a Kryptonite turtleneck like the cover said he would?] What? [It's fine though. Cable was just dragging me down. I have my own series and it sells better. I have four readers now, instead of just one! Nope, I don't miss Nate at all. *sniffles*] There, there, I'm sure Cable misses you too. A kid that won't shut up could never replace you!
High Point: When you made sure Brainchild wouldn't be able to escape in #49. Maybe you should have given Ka-Zar some guns for the whatever it was you were taking. [Hey, I didn't kill the loinclothed jerk for stabbing me in the ears, I say we're even.]
Low Point: The end of #50, because it meant the series was over. [Geez can you spare some of that cheese for my chimichangas? Chimichanga, chimichanga.]
Deadpool #1-5: I think Calvin still can't get over liking this series. You fought Skrulls [Tricked 'em and killed 'em] and zombies [Tricked and killed them too.] But you have no money. [I'm working on that!]
High Point: When you explained why you have all those pouches. [That's it? Not beating a Super-Skrull, or telling off Nick Fury?] Nope, lots of people do that, but no one ever explained what all the pockets were for.
Low Point: I can't believe you drank a bottle of poison. [I thought it was water!] It said poison right on the bottle! [I couldn't tell! Medina drew my hand so it was obscuring the label!] Stop blaming other people, Wade! [Oh, 7:30! *mumbles* is on TV! Gotta go! *teleports*]
Guardians of the Galaxy #1-8: So it's just me now? Fine, the first team only lasted six issues, and they only spent 3 of those closing those holes in the universe that were so important. Then they fought each other. Now the new team is fighting the Badoon. They get distracted like they were Wade.
High Point: I liked how Drax decided to find the Skrulls on Knowhere, and fighting the Badoon. And fighting on a block of frozen time is just cool. He-he, "frozen", "cool".
Low Point: That they had a Secret Invasion crossover, and there weren't any Skrulls on the team at all! It just turned out Starlord had Mantis mess with the teams' minds! Didn't they learn anything from Identity Crisis?
Reviews tomorrow, Part 3 on Thursday! I hope Calvin at least comes back by then.
Voice Behind Calvin: So what happens when they show up?
Calvin: {Eh?}
Voice: Well, they'll show up at 10 and find out you finished the post without them. What do you do then?
Calvin: {Oh, I hide. I've been taking lessons from Bob. They'll search awhile, not find me, and then give up.}
Voice: [Good thing I never arrive when I'm supposed to! Mostly 'cause I can't remember when I'm supposed to show up.]
Calvin: {Agh! I mean, ah, Wade, ABP, good to see you.}
Deadpool: [Sure, you're happy to see us now. Just like my fellow X-Men, always acting like they want to hang out, then vanishing when i show up with the ranch dressing and kiddie pool.]
*ABP and Calvin stare blanky at Deadpool*
Calvin: {Maybe we should just begin.}
BloodRayne Automaton, Prime Cuts #1, 2, Tokyo Rogue #1-3: [So she's a vampire.] {Half-vampire.} [How does that work?] {Different universes, different rules. Vampires can reproduce in hers.} Like how Overused Kirby Creation's universe resets every so often, but your universe just has certain events fade out of existence over time. [Headache.] {Anyway, Rayne fought giant, enchanted fire salamanders, mute priest ninjas in gas masks, and a golem, and that was just one issue. I think you'd like her Wade. She's enjoys cutting things, shooting thing, and driving motorcycles.} Would she like Wade, though? {Does anyone like Wade?} [Everyone loves me, like Ned Flanders! Only with a teleporter!] And no mustache. {Yeah, if your body keeps regenerating, why don't you have hair?} [Say, shouldn't we be discussing high points?]
High Point: He's sensitive about it. {I get that. I'm a little sensitive about hair loss as well.} [I didn't lose my hair, I shaved it!] Sure. {Absolutely. I'm giving the high point to the "nunchaku that opens a dimensional portal that releases a ninja-killing demon" from Prime Cuts #1.} [Can't go wrong with multi-functional weaponry.] Like an exploding chair? [Exactly.]
Low Point: {The delays in between issues of Tokyo Rogue. Fortunately, they've changed the policy so they don't solicit anything until everything is done but the lettering, so projects ought to come out regularly once they get started.} [That's kind of real world for these, isn't it?] {I'm working on these posts with an anthropomorphic panda and a comic book mercenary. I've lost track of where the various levels of reality end.} [Oh.]
Blue Beetle #24, 25, 27: [How can you have only bought 3 issues of this internet darling? You monster!] {I don't know, things came up. My car broke down, I didn't have money for cab fare, there was an earthquake, a terrible flood, locusts, it wasn't my fault! *sobbing*} Geez, that's so sad. [I'll say. He couldn't even bother to get the whole quote right.] What? [He ripped that off from Belushi in Blues Brothers.] What?! Say, where'd he go? [Looks like he has the run for his life thing down. He really must have been learning from Bob. I miss Bob.] You'll see him this month. [Really? Oh boy, I better prepare a surprise for him!] But you won't remember I told you that after this post. It's like your recap page.
Booster Gold #0, 7-15, 1,000,000: [So a guy everyone thinks is a doofus secretly protects time?] Yeah, it's great, and it can make you laugh and cry and everything!
High Point: Booster and the Blue Beetle working together was nice, but I think I liked Booster pretending to be Killer Moth, punching out Batman. [You weren't kidding about this book making you laugh! They did the death scene from Wrath of Khan! But they cut Booster off midway through his "KHANNNN!" moment.] That wasn't funny, it was really sad! [Sez you. Melodramatic death is really funny to me.]
Low Point: Ted Kord having to die again. It was his choice, but it was so sad. Not funny, sad. *glowers at Deadpool* [Well, I'm voting for the ripping a gorilla's face off from #13. Points for the violence, but how can I enjoy its capering if you pull its face off? Now all it's going to do is scream! Have to get my gorilla-killing gun.] I wish Calvin would run back here.
Cable/Deadpool #49, 50: [How does he get top billing? He wasn't even in the book!] His name is still on the cover! [Covers lie all the time! Did Jimmy Olsen ever kill Superman with a Kryptonite turtleneck like the cover said he would?] What? [It's fine though. Cable was just dragging me down. I have my own series and it sells better. I have four readers now, instead of just one! Nope, I don't miss Nate at all. *sniffles*] There, there, I'm sure Cable misses you too. A kid that won't shut up could never replace you!
High Point: When you made sure Brainchild wouldn't be able to escape in #49. Maybe you should have given Ka-Zar some guns for the whatever it was you were taking. [Hey, I didn't kill the loinclothed jerk for stabbing me in the ears, I say we're even.]
Low Point: The end of #50, because it meant the series was over. [Geez can you spare some of that cheese for my chimichangas? Chimichanga, chimichanga.]
Deadpool #1-5: I think Calvin still can't get over liking this series. You fought Skrulls [Tricked 'em and killed 'em] and zombies [Tricked and killed them too.] But you have no money. [I'm working on that!]
High Point: When you explained why you have all those pouches. [That's it? Not beating a Super-Skrull, or telling off Nick Fury?] Nope, lots of people do that, but no one ever explained what all the pockets were for.
Low Point: I can't believe you drank a bottle of poison. [I thought it was water!] It said poison right on the bottle! [I couldn't tell! Medina drew my hand so it was obscuring the label!] Stop blaming other people, Wade! [Oh, 7:30! *mumbles* is on TV! Gotta go! *teleports*]
Guardians of the Galaxy #1-8: So it's just me now? Fine, the first team only lasted six issues, and they only spent 3 of those closing those holes in the universe that were so important. Then they fought each other. Now the new team is fighting the Badoon. They get distracted like they were Wade.
High Point: I liked how Drax decided to find the Skrulls on Knowhere, and fighting the Badoon. And fighting on a block of frozen time is just cool. He-he, "frozen", "cool".
Low Point: That they had a Secret Invasion crossover, and there weren't any Skrulls on the team at all! It just turned out Starlord had Mantis mess with the teams' minds! Didn't they learn anything from Identity Crisis?
Reviews tomorrow, Part 3 on Thursday! I hope Calvin at least comes back by then.
Monday, January 05, 2009
2008 Comics In Review - Part 1
Adorable Baby Panda: Yeah, I get to help!
Deadpool: [So do I, and I even agreed to for some editorially mandated reason!]
CalvinPitt: {Oh, this is gonna be a disaster.}
Why? {You two have the attention spans of goldfish, so with all the wandering off-topic we'll never finish.} We can focus! [Sure. This chair isn't comfy, and I bet it can't blow up either.] {At least I have chairs!} [*hurt silence* What we got to drink?] {Nothing. I live on water produced by my metabolism, like a kangaroo rat.} Don't they die if they drink water? [Are we on Animal Planet? Am I gonna have to fight the Rhino again?]
{Moving on. No division of the posts into DC, or solo Marvel titles, or Cosmic Marvel, because the numbers don't really support it. So we're just working alphabetically, handling about a quarter of the comics at a time.} So how are we handing out applause and hugs? {No. That'll take forever, and we've been doing that all year. I'm just going to talk, you two throw in comments as you feel like it.} [Famous last words, chief.] {*sighs* I know.}
Amazing Spider-Girl 16-27: {Hobgoblin's bid to be the new Kingpin wrapped up and crapped out, then the clone showed up, and everything went haywire. Every time I think I've gotten acclimated to one plot twist, DeFalco throws another one in I'm not fond of. It's like a test.} Well, you should enjoy the book while you have it. [It's not going anywhere. The book is like a zombie, or Marvel Zombies, you can't kill it.]
High Point: {Spider-Girl teams up with Hobgoblin to fight an army of crime bosses and cannon fodder. Or the Stasis Tube May humiliating Gene Thompson by tossing him casually over her shoulder.} [So Tube Spider-Girl plays rough? I'm intrigued.] {Wade, she's a high schooler, put it in neutral.} What are you two talking about? [Well, you see little furry one, when Uncle Deadpool sees a moving object he experiences -] {Whoa! You take the over there *points to different room*, where it won't show up in the transcript!} [Fine. He lets you hit people every week, but gets freaked out when we starting talking about -] {Move farther away please!}
Low Point: {It's a toss-up between Magneta and the Sisterhood of Mutants, and Norman Osborn rearing his head again. Actually, it's not a toss-up. I'm so sick and tired of Norman *expletive deleted* Osborn! Go away forever, damn you!}
Amazing Spider-Man #555-561, 580: {It was a uneventful year for Amazing Spider-Man, as nothing even remotely controversial happened to the title. But seriously, at least the title was free of the millstone that would have been Secret Invasion tie-ins, and they used some damn fine artists this year. Not that Ron Garney was bad last year, just they also had good artists this year. With backpedaling like that, I could play cornerback.}
High Point: {Well, we had the return of the Blank and Marcos Martin doing his thing, but for me it was Spidey's run in with Ol' Vern, who you better believe knows what a tempocity ratio is. Vern, if you ever need a place to hide from SHIELD, look me up.} [Your high point is a homeless guy?] A homeless guy who fought a Mayan death god with Molotov cocktails! [What do you know about Molotovs? If I had some booze, I'd show you a Molotov!] {Would you do it outside?} [Sure.] {There's vodka in the fridge.} [Yahtzee! Come, my Pandawan!]
Low Point: {I wasn't thrilled with Peter's turn as a paparazzi, but the real low point is probably one of the issues I didn't buy.}
Annihilation Conquest #3-6: {Marvel's second round of cosmic warfare wasn't wuite as excellent as the first, probably because, as Jason noted, the Phalanx never got around to actually threatening the rest of the universe, since they were still consolidating their power base.}
High Point: {Warlock telling Phyla he was disappointed in her lack of fight once they reached the Kree homeworld. Not because I enjoyed watching him chew her out, but because she turned it right around on him, and in the process of explaining what changed his perspective, he helped her get her nerve back. I like that better than getting her back in the fight by insulting her or invoking Mar-Vell's name. Starlord putting up his dukes in #6, like he was going to fistfight Ultron-in-Adam's body, only to have Nova show up and save his bacon.}
Low Point: Where's a hose? We need water! {What?} Wade lit the cloth, but then he changed his mind and decied to drink the vodka instead, but it was on fire, and he drank the fire, and now he's yelling a lot. {*sighs* He'll be fine, just tell him to roll around.} OK! *runs out*
Batgirl #1: {Let's simply say that my preferred interpretation of Cassandra Cain doesn't seem to jibe with Beechen's. Or DC's. I don't know who to credit/blame, so let's just leave it at that.} [Oh, you can't just move on like that. Unleash the fan rage, like a sickly cat's cry!] {Wade! You're OK!} Actually, he's horribly burned. {How can you tell? *Calvin and ABP bust out laughing* Seriously though Wade, read these two pages of exposition, then tell me what I'm supposed to say. *shows Deadpool two pages of Batman, Nightwing and Robin discussing all stories involving Cass since One Year Later*} [Great Claremont's Ghost! It's horrible! *falls over, stunned*]
Batman and the Outsiders #4, 5, 7-14: {I should have stopped reading this book months ago. I never learn.} I want to know what the life under the Moon's surface was up to! {I don't believe we will ever know. it was probably some sort of secret invasion, hence all the placing of their psyches inside humans.} [The fiends! It's my duty as an Avenger to stop those Skrull monsters!] Wade, you're not an Avenger. You aren't even in the Initiative anymore. There is no Initiative anymore. [What?! When? Is that why my government checks stopped showing up? I thought there was a mixup with my direct deposit!] {Also, we're talking about your Distinguished Competition, and they don't have Skrulls. And Skrulls don't come from the moon, they come from another galaxy.} [That's just what they want you to think.]
High Point: {On the buttkicking side, Batgirl saving Katana, Grace, and Ollie from the firing squad. On the lighter side, the clothes Ollie picked out for Metamorpho to wear when they found him in France. Where's Rex?} Don't forget about the Dibny's showing up! {That was pretty cool, even if they are stealing Deadman's shtick.} [He should sue them. I sued Deathstroke and the Creeper for stealing my gig once.] {Uh, Deadpool, both those characters have been around longer than you.} [That's what it said in the countersuit, and that's why I started my own line of buttkicking merhcandise, to pay my legal fees.] Did you win? [Well, I sued the female, Vertigo Creeper but they said she was dead by now, and my suit wasn't designed to target her heirs or the other Creeper. Then Deathstroke tried to kill me, but all his super-brilliant planning didn't work against a tactical genius like me.] {You kept falling in his traps and not dying, didn't you?} [Yep.] {And when he tried to kill you by hand, he failed and got worn out to where you stomped him?} [Just call him George Foreman.] But you're the one with a line of merchandise. [Fine, call me Super Mario, because I jumped up and down on his head, until I gained enough points for 100 extra lives.]
Low Point: {When they killed Dr. Minadad. He was a good character for lightening the mood and they blew him up because apparently the Black Golve had master computer programmers on their payroll or some such dumbassery.} Oh, you cursed. {Yep, between me and Wade, we're corrupting you like crazy tonight. Anyway, that's it for today, now both of you scram.}
Deadpool: [So do I, and I even agreed to for some editorially mandated reason!]
CalvinPitt: {Oh, this is gonna be a disaster.}
Why? {You two have the attention spans of goldfish, so with all the wandering off-topic we'll never finish.} We can focus! [Sure. This chair isn't comfy, and I bet it can't blow up either.] {At least I have chairs!} [*hurt silence* What we got to drink?] {Nothing. I live on water produced by my metabolism, like a kangaroo rat.} Don't they die if they drink water? [Are we on Animal Planet? Am I gonna have to fight the Rhino again?]
{Moving on. No division of the posts into DC, or solo Marvel titles, or Cosmic Marvel, because the numbers don't really support it. So we're just working alphabetically, handling about a quarter of the comics at a time.} So how are we handing out applause and hugs? {No. That'll take forever, and we've been doing that all year. I'm just going to talk, you two throw in comments as you feel like it.} [Famous last words, chief.] {*sighs* I know.}
Amazing Spider-Girl 16-27: {Hobgoblin's bid to be the new Kingpin wrapped up and crapped out, then the clone showed up, and everything went haywire. Every time I think I've gotten acclimated to one plot twist, DeFalco throws another one in I'm not fond of. It's like a test.} Well, you should enjoy the book while you have it. [It's not going anywhere. The book is like a zombie, or Marvel Zombies, you can't kill it.]
High Point: {Spider-Girl teams up with Hobgoblin to fight an army of crime bosses and cannon fodder. Or the Stasis Tube May humiliating Gene Thompson by tossing him casually over her shoulder.} [So Tube Spider-Girl plays rough? I'm intrigued.] {Wade, she's a high schooler, put it in neutral.} What are you two talking about? [Well, you see little furry one, when Uncle Deadpool sees a moving object he experiences -] {Whoa! You take the over there *points to different room*, where it won't show up in the transcript!} [Fine. He lets you hit people every week, but gets freaked out when we starting talking about -] {Move farther away please!}
Low Point: {It's a toss-up between Magneta and the Sisterhood of Mutants, and Norman Osborn rearing his head again. Actually, it's not a toss-up. I'm so sick and tired of Norman *expletive deleted* Osborn! Go away forever, damn you!}
Amazing Spider-Man #555-561, 580: {It was a uneventful year for Amazing Spider-Man, as nothing even remotely controversial happened to the title. But seriously, at least the title was free of the millstone that would have been Secret Invasion tie-ins, and they used some damn fine artists this year. Not that Ron Garney was bad last year, just they also had good artists this year. With backpedaling like that, I could play cornerback.}
High Point: {Well, we had the return of the Blank and Marcos Martin doing his thing, but for me it was Spidey's run in with Ol' Vern, who you better believe knows what a tempocity ratio is. Vern, if you ever need a place to hide from SHIELD, look me up.} [Your high point is a homeless guy?] A homeless guy who fought a Mayan death god with Molotov cocktails! [What do you know about Molotovs? If I had some booze, I'd show you a Molotov!] {Would you do it outside?} [Sure.] {There's vodka in the fridge.} [Yahtzee! Come, my Pandawan!]
Low Point: {I wasn't thrilled with Peter's turn as a paparazzi, but the real low point is probably one of the issues I didn't buy.}
Annihilation Conquest #3-6: {Marvel's second round of cosmic warfare wasn't wuite as excellent as the first, probably because, as Jason noted, the Phalanx never got around to actually threatening the rest of the universe, since they were still consolidating their power base.}
High Point: {Warlock telling Phyla he was disappointed in her lack of fight once they reached the Kree homeworld. Not because I enjoyed watching him chew her out, but because she turned it right around on him, and in the process of explaining what changed his perspective, he helped her get her nerve back. I like that better than getting her back in the fight by insulting her or invoking Mar-Vell's name. Starlord putting up his dukes in #6, like he was going to fistfight Ultron-in-Adam's body, only to have Nova show up and save his bacon.}
Low Point: Where's a hose? We need water! {What?} Wade lit the cloth, but then he changed his mind and decied to drink the vodka instead, but it was on fire, and he drank the fire, and now he's yelling a lot. {*sighs* He'll be fine, just tell him to roll around.} OK! *runs out*
Batgirl #1: {Let's simply say that my preferred interpretation of Cassandra Cain doesn't seem to jibe with Beechen's. Or DC's. I don't know who to credit/blame, so let's just leave it at that.} [Oh, you can't just move on like that. Unleash the fan rage, like a sickly cat's cry!] {Wade! You're OK!} Actually, he's horribly burned. {How can you tell? *Calvin and ABP bust out laughing* Seriously though Wade, read these two pages of exposition, then tell me what I'm supposed to say. *shows Deadpool two pages of Batman, Nightwing and Robin discussing all stories involving Cass since One Year Later*} [Great Claremont's Ghost! It's horrible! *falls over, stunned*]
Batman and the Outsiders #4, 5, 7-14: {I should have stopped reading this book months ago. I never learn.} I want to know what the life under the Moon's surface was up to! {I don't believe we will ever know. it was probably some sort of secret invasion, hence all the placing of their psyches inside humans.} [The fiends! It's my duty as an Avenger to stop those Skrull monsters!] Wade, you're not an Avenger. You aren't even in the Initiative anymore. There is no Initiative anymore. [What?! When? Is that why my government checks stopped showing up? I thought there was a mixup with my direct deposit!] {Also, we're talking about your Distinguished Competition, and they don't have Skrulls. And Skrulls don't come from the moon, they come from another galaxy.} [That's just what they want you to think.]
High Point: {On the buttkicking side, Batgirl saving Katana, Grace, and Ollie from the firing squad. On the lighter side, the clothes Ollie picked out for Metamorpho to wear when they found him in France. Where's Rex?} Don't forget about the Dibny's showing up! {That was pretty cool, even if they are stealing Deadman's shtick.} [He should sue them. I sued Deathstroke and the Creeper for stealing my gig once.] {Uh, Deadpool, both those characters have been around longer than you.} [That's what it said in the countersuit, and that's why I started my own line of buttkicking merhcandise, to pay my legal fees.] Did you win? [Well, I sued the female, Vertigo Creeper but they said she was dead by now, and my suit wasn't designed to target her heirs or the other Creeper. Then Deathstroke tried to kill me, but all his super-brilliant planning didn't work against a tactical genius like me.] {You kept falling in his traps and not dying, didn't you?} [Yep.] {And when he tried to kill you by hand, he failed and got worn out to where you stomped him?} [Just call him George Foreman.] But you're the one with a line of merchandise. [Fine, call me Super Mario, because I jumped up and down on his head, until I gained enough points for 100 extra lives.]
Low Point: {When they killed Dr. Minadad. He was a good character for lightening the mood and they blew him up because apparently the Black Golve had master computer programmers on their payroll or some such dumbassery.} Oh, you cursed. {Yep, between me and Wade, we're corrupting you like crazy tonight. Anyway, that's it for today, now both of you scram.}
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Party Horns! Pointy Hats!
Happy New Year! *blows horn* {Little late aren't you?} Well, you didn't invite me over, so I had to wait. {I wasn't here then, I was at a party.} What, you went to a party? *snorts dismissively* {Yes. I have friends besides you and Wade, you know.} Wade is your friend? {I guess. A friend who hurts me and steals my mini-pizzas, but a friend nonetheless.}
Doesn't sound like much of a friend to me. Ronan is going to have to get a Bonk, because he threw Starlord into the Negative Zone, and he's working with Blastaar. {Well, Starlord worked with Blastaar, too.} Yeah, but he just used him as a decoy! {Oh, so it's OK to treat a sentient being as disposable cannon fodder? Should I be checking you for an image inducer?} No, but, um, you see, it's was. . . fine, that was bad too. That was the past, and this is now, and we are talking about now, uh, now! {That is quite the grasp of the language you've got there.} Yeah, well, English isn't my first language. It would be easier in Russian. {Wait, Russian is your first language?} No, it's my second language, but it would still be easier. {Huh.}
I'm not changing my mind about Ronan. He's acting like Vulcan, so there. {Hey now, he is not acting like a spoiled child, you take that back!} No! {Fine, just don't expect me to stand up for you when he shows up to accuse you of crimes against the Kree.} I thought I was your friend! *sniffles* {Fine, I'll stand up for you when Ronan shows up to sentence you.} I thought he was showing up to accuse me. {Same thing with the Kree. You're guilty until. Well you're just guilty, end of discussion.} Eep. {So what about the Guardians themselves?} Groot gets Applause for destroying that big monster thing, but Vance Astro gets a Bonk for not keeping his mouth shut about what scattered the last team. {Now wait a second, he had a point. Keeping secrets and dishonesty helped wreck the last squad, and since Bug was nice enough to rejoin, he deserves to know.} He didn't have to blab in the middle of a fight! {Point for you.}
When are we doing the Year in Review posts? {I don't know. Starting tomorrow, I guess.} Hooray! {I was thinking about handling them alone again this year.} *crestfallen* Really? {Things just swing too far off track when there's more than one of us working on it.}
Doesn't sound like much of a friend to me. Ronan is going to have to get a Bonk, because he threw Starlord into the Negative Zone, and he's working with Blastaar. {Well, Starlord worked with Blastaar, too.} Yeah, but he just used him as a decoy! {Oh, so it's OK to treat a sentient being as disposable cannon fodder? Should I be checking you for an image inducer?} No, but, um, you see, it's was. . . fine, that was bad too. That was the past, and this is now, and we are talking about now, uh, now! {That is quite the grasp of the language you've got there.} Yeah, well, English isn't my first language. It would be easier in Russian. {Wait, Russian is your first language?} No, it's my second language, but it would still be easier. {Huh.}
I'm not changing my mind about Ronan. He's acting like Vulcan, so there. {Hey now, he is not acting like a spoiled child, you take that back!} No! {Fine, just don't expect me to stand up for you when he shows up to accuse you of crimes against the Kree.} I thought I was your friend! *sniffles* {Fine, I'll stand up for you when Ronan shows up to sentence you.} I thought he was showing up to accuse me. {Same thing with the Kree. You're guilty until. Well you're just guilty, end of discussion.} Eep. {So what about the Guardians themselves?} Groot gets Applause for destroying that big monster thing, but Vance Astro gets a Bonk for not keeping his mouth shut about what scattered the last team. {Now wait a second, he had a point. Keeping secrets and dishonesty helped wreck the last squad, and since Bug was nice enough to rejoin, he deserves to know.} He didn't have to blab in the middle of a fight! {Point for you.}
When are we doing the Year in Review posts? {I don't know. Starting tomorrow, I guess.} Hooray! {I was thinking about handling them alone again this year.} *crestfallen* Really? {Things just swing too far off track when there's more than one of us working on it.}
Saturday, January 03, 2009
What I Bought 1/3/09
I'm back. Helped my dad with some random stuff around the house, concluded that his dogs like him too much, which is why they're so much less crazy when I'm the only one around, 'cause they don't give a damn about me. New Year's was all good times. Friends of mine from the college years met a friend of mine from the pre-college years, and a good time was had by all. And hey, first New Year's party I've been to in 4 years that didn't end with druken partygoers fighting. Always a plus, that. Anyhoo, review time, such as it is.
Guardians of the Galaxy #8 - Now we know how Starlord wound up in the Negative Zone. The current Guardians convince the Badoon to leave the planet they were wiping out, and Adam Warlock is trying to get a meeting with the Holy Matriarch.
This is how I like for writers to juggle multiple plot lines. The Starlord story gets most of the pages, so we get considerable movement there. But they leave enough pages to follow up on the cliffhanger the Guardians were presented with last issue, providing a temporary resolution there, and give us a quick check on Adam and Gamora to keep them fresh in our minds. I also like Ronan's portrayal. He's not the angry fellow he was in Annihilation or Conquest, because the situation is somewhat more stabilized, so he reassumes that cold demeanor he usually holds. Also, I am glad somebody else (besides Dwayne McDuffie) is going to do something with the questionable decision to place a prison in the Negative Zone which has a gateway to Earth. It's still a bad thing to just have sitting around.
When I saw Pelletier's name was missing from the cover and interior credits I was a bit displeased. Sure, it's good that Marvel's decided to use artist that can meet monthly deadlines for their events, I just wish they were yanking artists I like from books I enjoy, you know? Still, Brad Walker was quite effective for my tastes. His linework seems thinner than Pelletier's, and he might not add quite as much detail to the surroundings, but I think that may open things up during the fights scenes. There are times Pelletier's fights seemed almost claustrophobic, as if the pages weren't large enough to contain the battles. Which is kind of a cool sense, but a little frustrating, because I feel like I'm missing some of the effect of the work. Didn't have that same feeling here. So if Mr. Walker is taking over, I can live with that, I think.
And that's all there is. See you tomorrow.
Guardians of the Galaxy #8 - Now we know how Starlord wound up in the Negative Zone. The current Guardians convince the Badoon to leave the planet they were wiping out, and Adam Warlock is trying to get a meeting with the Holy Matriarch.
This is how I like for writers to juggle multiple plot lines. The Starlord story gets most of the pages, so we get considerable movement there. But they leave enough pages to follow up on the cliffhanger the Guardians were presented with last issue, providing a temporary resolution there, and give us a quick check on Adam and Gamora to keep them fresh in our minds. I also like Ronan's portrayal. He's not the angry fellow he was in Annihilation or Conquest, because the situation is somewhat more stabilized, so he reassumes that cold demeanor he usually holds. Also, I am glad somebody else (besides Dwayne McDuffie) is going to do something with the questionable decision to place a prison in the Negative Zone which has a gateway to Earth. It's still a bad thing to just have sitting around.
When I saw Pelletier's name was missing from the cover and interior credits I was a bit displeased. Sure, it's good that Marvel's decided to use artist that can meet monthly deadlines for their events, I just wish they were yanking artists I like from books I enjoy, you know? Still, Brad Walker was quite effective for my tastes. His linework seems thinner than Pelletier's, and he might not add quite as much detail to the surroundings, but I think that may open things up during the fights scenes. There are times Pelletier's fights seemed almost claustrophobic, as if the pages weren't large enough to contain the battles. Which is kind of a cool sense, but a little frustrating, because I feel like I'm missing some of the effect of the work. Didn't have that same feeling here. So if Mr. Walker is taking over, I can live with that, I think.
And that's all there is. See you tomorrow.
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