January 2008 Archives
Review by Mike HeronimeWhen the last season of Lost ended, we couldn't figure out what we would do with our Wednesday nights so we decided to re-watch the last three seasons of Lost before tonight's premier of Season Four. We watched a couple of episodes each Wednesday until we got to January and then mapped out how many episodes we had left before January 31st. In January, we watched about 4 to 5 episodes each week. Last night we watched the last two episodes of Season Three in our final preparation for Season Four's commencement (God, we sound like such dorks).
Like so many others, we have been captivated by the mystery of Lost. With every new story thread it's easy to doubt that the creators of the show are following a central plot. Or that they even know themselves what the answers are to their web of questions and puzzles. It's not hard to believe that Lost's creators aren't even sure how this whole crazy thing is going to end yet. And then, when you pour over the episodes again, you see how all these things are connected, even if you still don't know what they mean.
Near the end of Season Three, you start to imagine that you're so very close to learning the answers to the secrets of Lost. Hanging out with the Others revealed so much, but in typical Lost fashion, raised so many more questions. And with a stroke of genius, they feed us a flash-forward which totally turns everything upside down again. Then comes the promotions for Season Four. "Lost is now Found," they say. "All your questions will be answered," they promise.
Tonight's episode does what Abrams and Lindeloff and company have done so well for the last three seasons. It convinces you that you know what everything means, and then Jack walks in on Hugo and Hugo apologizes, "I shoulda gone with you instead of Lock." Whoosh! What happened? How did Hugo end up off the island if he went with Jack? What's Charlie talking about? Is Hugo crazy? And if Jack's not crazy, what's Kate's problem? The flash forwards are amazingly effective as story telling devices. Maybe even more so then the flash backs. That might be the biggest surprise yet. Every season, nearly every episode, these guys rewrite the rule book, spin their story in a new direction, introduce new characters and new story threads, create new devices, and of course, new mysteries.
Tonight's season premier of Lost is just like all of the other episodes. It's unexpected. Exciting. Perplexing. Mesmerizing. And satisfying in it's ability to leave you wanting moe. So much more. Here's to a new season of Lost.
PRESS RELEASEContraband (www.contrabandcomic.com) a new graphic novel by writer Thomas Behe and illustrator Phil Elliott, is a near-future tale revealing an all-too-possibly-real world of underground video, violence and crime on cell phone networks. Contraband follows a young man's journey into a new "voyeur underground", where profit-hungry youths prowl streets, secretly filming radical events with mobile devices to satisfy society's demand for sensational on-the-go content.
Co-creator Phil Elliott was approached on the street by a teenage girl asking for money. It's a sad but common enough occurrence in cities, but when Elliott refused, the situation became something much different from anything he'd experienced. "A younger kid -- he must have only been about 10 -- started swearing at me, 'Give us some ******* money!'" he recalled. "I was then aware that there was another girl filming all this on her mobile phone. What was going on here Were they trying to provoke me What happened to the video"
The incident took on a greater significance for Elliott when writer Thomas Behe contacted him to see if he were interested in drawing a comic he'd written, which explores a voyeuristic underground where profit-hungry youths prowl the streets secretly filming violence and catastrophes with mobile devices. That comic became Contraband. Behe was inspired to write the story after he noticed that people's concerns about cell phones had shifted from the physical dangers, such as radiation or tumors, to more cultural concerns. "The new concerns were more social-related," he said. "Kids receiving intimidating texts from class bullies. A mate of mine was even propositioned to subscribe to some sort of spy-cam exhibitionist mobi-blog. I had no idea why these folks were secretly filming everyone, but there was tons of stuff on there."
In the near-future society of Contraband, bands of content-hungry amateurs armed with camera phones record violent scenes, some of which they instigate, to satisfy society's demand for ever more shocking on-the-go entertainment. Toby, a self-styled "citizen journalist," is documenting this underground when he is discovered by agents for a cell-phone channel called Contraband. Forced to work for them, Toby is assigned the task of finding a female activist set on sabotaging Contraband and must navigate a difficult path where he must choose between his own safety and the greater good.
Contraband is a 144 page black and white graphic novel written by Thomas Behe and Illustrated by Phil Elliott. Published by SLG Publishing and due for release in February 2008, Contraband, isbn # 978-1593621018 is $12.95 and is available at: www.slgcomic.com
For more information about Contraband go to www.contrabandcomic.com.
Review by Mike Heronime
Last Saturday, we drove from Dallas to Denton (about a 40 minute drive) to cruise the campus (UNT), have dinner, and catch a movie. We were pretty intent on seeing Cloverfield having exchanged Cloverfield for the Bucket List the night before. Given all that we were trying to accomplish during our Denton trek, its no wonder that we ended up at the movie theater with no time to spare. The guy at the ticket counter warned us that the movie was pretty full and that we would likely have to sit in one of the front rows. And as he put it, "it might make us throw up."
It was at this point that I realized two things: Cloverfield was going to be an experience that I was not entirely prepared for. And Mexican food for dinner was a bad idea. Luckily we were able to score a couple of seats together in the middle of the theater after sheepishly asking a few people to move closer together to make room for us. Good thing too. I'm not a squeamish person but after sitting through J.J. Abrams answer to the question, "What happens when the Blair Witch Meets Godzilla," I was pretty happy that I wasn't sitting in the front row.
By now, you've probably heard about the unorthodox approach taken by the Cloverfield creative crew in filming their monster movie. From beginning to end, the audience experiences the entire film through the lens of a hand held video camera being shared by a small circle of friends. These friends are enjoying a fun -- if not overly typical -- going away party for one of their group when the Manhattan apartment they are rockin' starts shaking violently. Rushing to the roof they begin to witness the spectacle of an exploding Manhattan.
For the next hour and half, this group of friends rushes outside where they nearly get creamed with the head of the Statue of Liberty, try to leave Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge where they lose one of their friends to a giant tentacle or tail that smashed the bridge to pieces, attempt to escape through the Subway where they are attacked by monsters, rush to a stranded friend's aid in a collapsing skyscraper, and fly out of town (or almost out of town) in an open helicopter. All along the way, we're treated to glimpses of a giant monster on a mindless rampage.
This movie risks a lot by taking such an unconventional approach to what would typically be a summer blockbuster type action movie. And I think their risk pays off. From watching this movie, you get the feeling that you now know what it would REALLY be like if you were in a city when it was attacked by Godzilla or King Kong. Thankfully, this level of reality was never spoiled by attempts to explain the origins of the monster or long involved plans to destroy the monster. Just the simple human reaction to crisis and the need to survive.
Best of all, the movie ends the way a horror movie should end -- unhappily.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be trapped in a subway with the son of Rodan, be sure to check out Cloverfield before it comes out on DVD. This is definitely a flick for the big screen. And if you're really adventurous, be sure to take a seat in the front row.
Enjoy.
Last Saturday, we drove from Dallas to Denton (about a 40 minute drive) to cruise the campus (UNT), have dinner, and catch a movie. We were pretty intent on seeing Cloverfield having exchanged Cloverfield for the Bucket List the night before. Given all that we were trying to accomplish during our Denton trek, its no wonder that we ended up at the movie theater with no time to spare. The guy at the ticket counter warned us that the movie was pretty full and that we would likely have to sit in one of the front rows. And as he put it, "it might make us throw up."
It was at this point that I realized two things: Cloverfield was going to be an experience that I was not entirely prepared for. And Mexican food for dinner was a bad idea. Luckily we were able to score a couple of seats together in the middle of the theater after sheepishly asking a few people to move closer together to make room for us. Good thing too. I'm not a squeamish person but after sitting through J.J. Abrams answer to the question, "What happens when the Blair Witch Meets Godzilla," I was pretty happy that I wasn't sitting in the front row.
By now, you've probably heard about the unorthodox approach taken by the Cloverfield creative crew in filming their monster movie. From beginning to end, the audience experiences the entire film through the lens of a hand held video camera being shared by a small circle of friends. These friends are enjoying a fun -- if not overly typical -- going away party for one of their group when the Manhattan apartment they are rockin' starts shaking violently. Rushing to the roof they begin to witness the spectacle of an exploding Manhattan.
For the next hour and half, this group of friends rushes outside where they nearly get creamed with the head of the Statue of Liberty, try to leave Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge where they lose one of their friends to a giant tentacle or tail that smashed the bridge to pieces, attempt to escape through the Subway where they are attacked by monsters, rush to a stranded friend's aid in a collapsing skyscraper, and fly out of town (or almost out of town) in an open helicopter. All along the way, we're treated to glimpses of a giant monster on a mindless rampage.
This movie risks a lot by taking such an unconventional approach to what would typically be a summer blockbuster type action movie. And I think their risk pays off. From watching this movie, you get the feeling that you now know what it would REALLY be like if you were in a city when it was attacked by Godzilla or King Kong. Thankfully, this level of reality was never spoiled by attempts to explain the origins of the monster or long involved plans to destroy the monster. Just the simple human reaction to crisis and the need to survive.
Best of all, the movie ends the way a horror movie should end -- unhappily.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be trapped in a subway with the son of Rodan, be sure to check out Cloverfield before it comes out on DVD. This is definitely a flick for the big screen. And if you're really adventurous, be sure to take a seat in the front row.
Enjoy.
Review by Michael VanceArchie’s Pals and Gals Double Digest #s 113-116/$3.69 and approximately 169 pages each from Archie Comics/various writers and artists/sold at book and comics shops and at www.archiecomics.com.
So
what new does one write about Archie’s Pals ‘n’ Gals since all of the
approximately sixteen Archie titles are basically interchangeable?
This “double digest” offers more than forty features including everything from one-page gags, pin-up art, coloring pages, and word games, to comics stories of varying lengths. However, that’s not different. Almost all of the Archie digest publications do so.
Archie’s Pals ‘n’ Gals is well-written and drawn in a simple style with few details that targets a younger audience. Its cast includes Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Betty, Veronica, and a smattering of “second banana” characters. Herein, gentle reader, lies the real difference between this and other Archie titles: Pals ‘n’ Gals is loaded with secondary characters.
The featured bunch includes Lil Jinx (a five or six year old girl), Sabrina (the Teenage Witch), GiGi (Lil Jinx’s young friend), Mr. Lodge (Veronica’s rich father), Josie and the Pussycats (a teenaged Rock and Roll band), Little Archie (with the gang also at five or six years of age, Little Sabrina (as a kiddo), Ginger Lopez (a teenage girl), and a host of others.
The stories featuring teenagers focus mostly on boy and girl relationships and situations at school, work and home. The younger bunch of bananas tackles the problems faced by preteens. The goal in every story is a gentle fun that wins more smiles than laughs.
And stories and characters are all set in a world without nihilism or graphic sex or violence in which each character is gifted with a sense, almost always implied instead of stated, of human value and nobility.
Archie’s Pals ‘n’ Gals is recommended for readers of all ages so inclined.
Michael Vance
Review by Michael VanceGrowing Old with B.C.: A Fifty Year Celebration/$19.95 and 196 pages/from Checker Book Publishing/words and art by Johnny Hart/sold at book and comics shops and at www.checkerbpg.com.
Look up "funny, adv." in Wiley's Dictionary, and you'll find a drawing of Johnny Hart. Look for Wiley and you'll find one of those unshaven, cone-shaped cavemen that made Johnny Hart famous. But if you try to find Hart himself, you'll be sadly disappointed.
Johnny Hart died in 2007 after writing and drawing that wildly successful bunch of bananas, er, eh, cavemen in the comic strip, B. C.
Look up from almost any of the hundreds of comic strips reprinted in Growing Old with B. C. and you'll do so with tears in your eyes and deep-throated laughter.
How can you not laugh at stuff like: Peter: Do you have any yellow grapes? Curls: Sorry, we're all out. How about some gutless nectarines?
All of this slap-happy visual and verbal word play is drawn in a simple style that looks like you could do it on a paper napkin in a bar when you are half-sloshed. I dare you to try it.
You'll also need to be very clever to imitate Johnny Hart. Surely, he held the record for running gags, most of them featuring a caveman leaning on a boulder lettered with a business name like Dr. Peter: Head Shrinker, Wiley's Dictionary, and The Curse Exchange.
Finally, you'll need to be politically incorrect. Few cartoonists today can create characters like The Fat Broad and The Cute Chick and survive.
How anyone can survive Hart's demise is difficult to imagine, although the heirs of B. C. seem to be holding their own.
If you wish to hold your own copy, don't delay. This wonderful anthology is highly recommended, and won't last long on book shelves. Grog!
Michael Vance
Review by Mark AllenBatman: Legends of The Dark Knight #168, published by DC Comics, cover price $2.50, back issue prices vary.
My definition of the perfect comic book story: An entertaining tale that hooks you right away, and contains a beginning and ending in a single issue. Such stories are nearly extinct, these days. I found one, however, in Batman: Legends of The Dark Knight #168, in a story entitled "Urban Legend."
Long-time comics scribe Bill Willingham weaves a Bat-tale that's worthy of a "best-of" collection. That is NOT hyperbole, folks. I mentioned stories that hook the reader right away, and this one does it with 50-pound test line. Without giving away any major plot points, I'll simply tell you that the main character of this issue suffers some very severe trauma of both physical and mental nature, and the reader feels a great deal of it right along with him.
We're not talking about 100% shock value, however. No, no, there are plenty of would-be "greats" resorting to that in the beleaguered world of comics. The shock is there, to be sure, but it's backed up with intrigue, drama, characterization and a darn fine mystery to boot. That doesn't typically result in comics without great writing, as well as great art. And, speaking of the art...,
I'd never heard of artist Tom Fowler before reading this story, but I'm now a fan. The players in this yarn are wonderfully characterized with a slightly exaggerated style that is fluid and action-oriented. The hero is tortured and suffering, yet a noble and sympathetic figure. The villains appear shifty, smarmy, and at times, a little greasy. All of it is splashed onto the background of the seedy and violent Gotham underworld, a place I would only go within these pages. And, it's a trip well worth the taking.
This issue of Batman: LoTDK is recommended for older readers who are tired of having to read 30 different issues of six different titles to get one story.
Mark Allen
PRESS RELEASE"Seductions" Offers Unique Perspective - Plus Vampires!
A history of seduction and how techniques have evolved with the changing roles of women may seem like an odd subtext for a comic book, but Writer Gary Scott Beatty wanted to offer readers something unique with his book "Seductions," listed for comic shop preorder in January 2008's Previews catalog.
"The first piece of advice every writer receives is, 'Write what you know,'" said Beatty. "I'm not claiming to be some great lover, but I spent a lot of time working in bars watching how groups of people pair off through the night. As I got older I noticed how women's attitudes toward the chase changed through the decades."
Beatty explained that, as a member of several bar bands, he had a unique perspective on the mating ritual. "Most of the bar is watching the band, but people don't realize the band is also watching them."
The vampire "hero" of "Seductions" is caught in a maddening cycle. He wakes 10 years after each feeding. The world changes around him and only two things remain: his desire to feed and a yearning for a long lost love.
The done-in-one short story comic book features impressive pencils by "Oz," "Dark Oz" and "Land of Oz" illustrator Bill Bryan and computer-over-pencils coloring by Beatty. As graphic as the book sounds, both artist and writer decided to play it cool. "We could have dipped the book in blood, but subtle horror is what really creeps me out," said Beatty.
"I was talking the script over with Bill at the beginning, saying I wasn't sure how to classify the story to explain it to people. Bill informed me 'Seductions' is a love story." Beatty laughed. "It sure isn't anything like any love story I've ever read! I'd say 'Sex and the City' from a male perspective, with vampires."
"Seductions" must be preordered from your local comic book shop! Interested readers can find their local comics shop by calling the Comic Shop Locator Service at 1-888-COMICBOOK (1-888-266-4226) or online at http://csls.diamondcomics.com.
"Seductions" Offers a Different Look for Comic Book Pencils!
The trend in comic books has been to take an artist's pencils and manipulate the look into something photographic, but "Seductions" Writer, Colorist and Letterer Gary Scott Beatty knew the look he was after when he contacted illustrator Bill Bryan for pencilling.
"When I look at a beautiful piece of artwork, in ink or pencil, my first thought is to enhance what's there, not cover it up," Beatty explained. "The comic world hasn't seen the gorgeous stuff Bill Bryan can do with a pencil, unless they've seen him at conventions, because all of his previous comic book work has been inked. My challenge was to add color without subtracting from Bill's subtle tones."
The done-in-one short story comic book "Seductions" features pencils by "Oz," "Dark Oz" and "Land of Oz" illustrator Bryan and computer work by Beatty. The reaction has been overwhelming, said Beatty. "The look is just phenomenal. You can still see the hand of the artist."
The vampire "hero" of "Seductions" is caught in a maddening cycle. He wakes 10 years after each feeding. The world changes around him and only two things remain: his desire to feed and a yearning for a long lost love. Readers soon discover "Seductions" is not a typical, romantic love story.
"I'm also a computer fan, but I really admire artists who have a command of their tools and produce qualities on the page you can pause and appreciate," said Beatty. "With physical drawings disappearing from animation, comics and even the newspaper funnies, I'm determined to not overpower any artist I color."
Interested readers can find their local comics shop by calling the Comic Shop Locator Service at 1-888-COMICBOOK (1-888-266-4226) or online at http://csls.diamondcomics.com.
http://www.aazurn.com
http://www.garyscottbeatty.com
Review by Mark AllenBatman, # 667-669, published by DC Comics, 32 pages, $2.99.
Stop me if you've heard this one: Batman and Robin take a weekend jaunt to a Caribbean island to hob-knob with several other "dynamic duos" from around the world, and it ends up becoming a very un-campy murder mystery. That's the premise of "The Island of Mister Mayhew" in issues 667 through 669 of DC's Batman comic.
If writer Grant Morrison's not doing the impossible, here, it's something very close. He takes a bunch of "weird c-list crimefighters" (Robin's words, not mine) and makes them interesting. With the exception of possibly one or two of them, further investigation of such characters, in Morrison's hands, could prove entertaining, I suspect. To me, it illustrates the adage that there are no bad characters, just characters without the proper story.
What's more, the writer takes a three-issue tale and gives it a much more expansive feel using well-placed flash-back sequences.
J.H. Williams proves, as he does in most of his projects, why he is a fan-favorite artist. With a flair for realism, as well as a versatility which allows him to delineate between present and past events with apparent ease, Williams "paints" the mood of the story with just the right shades of the suspenseful, the horrific, the macabre, even the pitiful and ridiculous. Yeah, it's all in there.
Besides that, he may be one of the best Batman illustrators in the business. His Caped Crusader is eerily calm, but can easily be imagined housing multiple psychoses. In short, he's "spooky," and that's what Batman is supposed to be.
I suppose I should mention that this story builds off of an idea first conceived in the '50's, in Detective Comics and World's Finest Comics, but knowledge of previous history is completely unnecessary for enjoyment of this run, which is uncommon for DC, and to be commended.
These issues of Batman are recommended to older fans of superhero history and those who enjoy a good mystery.
Review by Mark Allen
Review by Mark AllenRecently, Marvel Comics decided to begin making their comics available online. Dubbed Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, the program will boast 2,500 comic books available for viewing, with 20 additions every week, for about five dollars a month. The "classics" will be included, of course, to help (hopefully) new readers become familiar with the company's flagship characters, such as Spider-Man, The Hulk and Captain America. So, is this a good thing? The short answer is "yes." The long answer is more involved.
For years, many comics fans have feared the encroachment of the digital age into their beloved hobby. Their trepidation has centered mainly around the belief that, once comics are put on the 'net, or on cd-rom for home viewing (which has already been done), they will one day no longer be able to purchase the single-issues and paperback collections that bring so much enjoyment. As a fan, I'll admit the thought is disturbing. After all, the comics experience is not just visual, it's tactile. There is no substitute for holding that colorful pamphlet in your hands, enjoying the brightly-colored artwork on slick paper, then tucking your newest addition into the rest of your carefully managed collection of four-color fiction.
It's that very experience, however, that leads me to believe that there will always be some individual or entity that will be publishing comics on paper. Human beings like to "show off" what they have accumulated, and you just can't do that effectively on a screen.
The upshot of Marvel's venture is that it will help introduce new and younger readers to the work of individuals who broke fresh and exciting ground, not just in comics, but in entertainment itself. The likes of Lee, Kirby, Ditko, Romita, Sr. and many others will come alive for yet another generation. Ultimately, it will drive most of them to seek out that material in a more tangible form.
Fans shouldn't fear Marvel's foray into the digital universe. They should embrace it as an investment in comics' survival.
Mark Allen
Top Feeds From the Comic Book NewsCenter