Still Alive

It's been over a month since I last posted anything. Time just slips by, you know? Here's the quick updates:

1) Turned down by the police. Doesn't surprise me, even though I made the first cut. I didn't make the second cut, however, so I'm back to trying to get BLET and the general job search.

2) Comics have been slowly becoming decent it seems.

-The Flash hasn't been nearly as entertaining as I had hoped, and as much as I'm not real fond of Acuna's art he should at least be allowed to finish his story arch. Maybe deadlines were rushed or something, but I don't like style jumps that drastic. Nice jab at Batman.

-Countdown has been pretty crappy since it began, but I honestly feel like the stakes are actually appearing and growing....finally....it's only taken maybe 6 monthes? It's not poorly written, but it hasn't read like it is important. I also don't really care about the characters as much as I felt like the characters in 52 (and I didn't really know the characters in either story very well, so that's not the issue).

-Teen Titans feels like it is just treading on old stories now. And, like with Countdown, I'm sure something important is happeneing, but I don't feel like it is. Maybe the art is too light for the story it's trying to tell or something. It just doesn't have a kick.

- Action's recent Bizarro trilogy has been probably one of the best stories I've read in the DCU in a long time, except for maybe the Sinestro Corps arch in Green Lantern.

- Sinestro Corps has been absolutely solid and the first thing I grab out of my comics to purchase. It has been awesome since it began, until the recent Corps issue. Jumping around with the artists having different styles is a bad idea - and the plot didn't advance much at all. it felt like a classic 'we need to tie all the strings together, and this book isn't as important so we'll use it' script. When the Corps issues are collected together it will probably work if they are seperating the titles for the TPBs, but whatever.

- Conan still is a core title for me and it is absolutely amazing. Best hard fantasy title on the market.

- IDW still is pretty solid with their Transformer title, but I just with they didn't feel the need to mark their books a dollar higher than standard price. Nicer cover, sure, but there's no justification.

3) On my writing front I've slowly grinded back into writing, but due to sheer lack of time I haven't been able to make any real progress on any book. Maybe once some things work out I can give a better update solely on that topic...

Officially boycotting 'Transformers' in theatres

Final stray was pulled to cause me to 100% boycott the upcoming movie.

"It's 'Transformers' -- you can't take it too seriously,"
--Director Michael Bay

Thanks for deciding not to take the franchise seriously, and my interest in seeing what would have been this fanboy's 20 year old dream...

Still Alive

Been a while since I've posted anything here. I had a bit of a crisis on my hands, and that has preoccupied my free time - free time which I had very little of thanks to crunch time at work. I'm fatigued both mentally and physically, but things are on the upswing.

I've slowly picked up work on my novel again, but it is rough right now. Still haven't recovered files from old computer to new computer.

As far as comics go, I'm still having fun reading 52. I'm really liking Lobo, especially because I have little exposure to him. Green Lantern was also very very good after finally being released. IDW also released a comic focusing on Shockwave and the Dinobots, which gets much love from me (Shockwave is an old favorite of mine). Otherwise this month has actually been pretty slow for what I read. This coming week looks to be fough though...

Big bit of news is that I am currently in the planning stages of a D&D campaign at the local comic shop. Not totally sure when it will begin, but it is at least two weeks out.

That's all for now...blah...

Transformers news

Apparently a big piece of news was revealed at Comicon.

Peter Cullen is the voice of Optimus Prime.

My feelings for the movie is now back to even, I'm not hyped nor am I disgruntled. I think there is a chance for the movie to be great, just as much as I think it will fail miserably.

Now if only Frank Welker will get attached...

Transformers, the Bay Film

It could be said that I'm a fan of Transformers, specifically gen 1. I happily review the comics as they come out. I know the main players, and I have my favorites.

I am also very worried about what Michael Bay is doing.

Recently an image of Optimus Prime in vehicle mode was leaked. He's based on a Peterbilt, which makes sense. He's not a flatnose, but that doesn't bother me so much. They are not used in America anymore as far as I can tell, and they were primarily a Japanese vehicle if I remember right. There are two things that bother me about this.

First, Bay stated that he chose the Peterbilt because he thought Optimus should be a massive 40-50 foot tall robot, and that truck could house enough insides to make the mass fit. I find this hard to take, since what makes Optimus Prime such a powerful character isn't his size. It's his charisma. I always thought he was maybe 25 feet tall, which probably makes sense for the flatnose cab. His battle prowess and such came from the Matrix, which was all the knowledge of those before him and such. Making him stand 40-50 feet is very much something Bay would do, because he likes taking things to a popcorn-extreme.

Second, Optimus is black with red flames for a paint job. Sit and think about for a minute, but don't take too long else you may burst a vessel in your brain. I don't think I really need to explain this. Optimus Prime is red with white trim and a blue frame. He is Red, white, and blue - because he's a real American hero. He doesn't have black, because that is Nemesis Prime or whatever they are calling him now.

There are also issues with changing some of the vehicles, but I'm not so worried about that. Bumblebee has always been trouble because VW doesn't like others using their vehicle image. I can accept his use as the bridge with the humans, because he has often been the one who was seen more as a kid than the other Autobots.

I can also accept Megatron turned into a tank. He has also been cannon-based. I can honestly say that turning into a Walther p38 would have caused a lot of general public outcry. As much as I love the symbolism behind that, the tank makes sense according to War Within and Gen2. Besides, it is an easy way for him to have his fusion cannon, if Bay keeps the fusion cannon.

I have worries about Soudwave and Starscream. Soundwave may still be a boombox, but that'll mean that Bay keeps him about 4 feet tall in robot mode. Starscream maybe tossed into the same lump with his "brothers" Thundercracker, Dirge, Skywarp, and Sunstorm (and the rest of the clones). Starscream is the one whose spark was screwed up, became immortal, and has megolomania on par with Megatron. Starscream is just impatient when it comes to victory. I hope Bay is aware of this, as are the scriptwriters.

I would love to have Shockwave appear because he is one of my favorites, but I don't see how he would make sense in this movie. If it gets a sequel, maybe, if they return to Cybertron. Dinobots also wouldn't make much sense in this movie, and Unicron should be saved till he could be used as a cap to a trilogy.

Other issues I'm curious about are the female transformers. There aren't many, because supposedly the models became more 'gender nuetral' through upgrades and time since they didn't reproduce in that way. Arcee would be the main choice, but I fear Bay will totally mess her up if he's included her.

Bay has said he wants to audition the original voice cast, or at least those surviving. Very smart move. He has also said that he doesn't want to show any robot modes beofre the movie is released so everyone who sees the movie sees it with a fresh mind. Stupid move. Transformer geeks will rip it apart by speculation.

Get Peter Cullen, show us Optimus Prime transforming into robot mode, and have his say "Autobots, roll out" with his gun in hand while pointing. If you do this, Mr. Bay, you will have won over us geeks.

Comics!

Transformers: Infiltration #6 - The grand finale to this arch was just as I great as I thought it was going to be, and I'm glad I stayed through till the end. The Autobots appear absolutely helpless, and the Decepticons are at the brink of internal war. Two things to note are Megatron looks to be a tank, and Optimus Prime shows up right on que. There's going to be a break before the next arch begins, called "Escalation" - so you can figure out what will potentially happen. I still wish they'd only have like two different covers, like their other Transformer titles. 8.5/10

Street Fighter II #4 - Holy crap issue four is finally out. It has only taken since the begining of the year for another issue to appear. So was the wait worth it? I have a solid SF bias, so I'd say yes. Gen is featured heavily, as is "Akuma" (I really wish they'd use Gouki), which makes the issue interesting. Gen doesn't get a lot of background outside this comic, so everything helps. The story focuses almost entirely on the background of Gen and Akuma, about their original battle and their rematch. Main: 8.5/10

The backup story deals with Cammy and the rest of Delta Red, mainly about trust issues and such. It is simple and straight forward, and doesn't do anything to advance the main plot. It is interesting, however, and I like the style. Backup: 7.5/10

Green Lantern #12 - It's been a long time since Cyborg Superman had a little action, and it was fun. He even has apparently been taught by the Borg and can use nanobots to control biologicals. Also, figures that Guy gets stuck into a giant Manhunter with all the fun of a parasitic metaphor. 8.5/10

Quickies

Green Lantern Corps #2 - Royal intrigue, galactic lantern fanboy prince, and Mogo. I'm really interested in where this is going. Also, no way in hell Soranik is dead. 8/10

52: Week Ten - Ten weeks and still on schedule. Clark Kent is awesome, and "Supernova" reminds me of Dr. Light. 7.5/10

Green Arrow #64 - Surprise ending! Also, lots of witty banter and Deathstroke has a killer plan in the works. 7.5/10

Tomorrow I'll have more thoughts and numbers...

Comics! - Finally!

Yes, I have comics and they have been read. Not many came out from my selections, but I figure some things are worth talking about. Here are a few reviews, now with bold!

OMAC #1 - OMAC Project was interesting enough for me to get into the current Checkmate ongoing series, which I really like right now. However, with time I have drifted away from the idea of OMAC, and I'll admit I sort of skipped over the story in Brave New World. Now the question is begged of what I thought of this issue.

Personally, I didn't feel much happened. A single OMAC still exists and Brother Eye apparently still exists, and OMAC is being called "home" by Eye. Despite the lack of progress the story really flowed well. I'm still curious about this mini, and I have a sneaking suspision they may turn OMAC into a sort of Robocop type character - driven by protocol, nearly unstopable to carry out the law, and torn by the human aspect when making descisions. 7.5/10

Detective Comics #821 - Paul Dini writing Batman is good. Finally a single solid issue. No arching plot. One fully contained mystery that gets resolved in classic Batman style. I love it. Not much else I can say about this issue, except that I would think it would be a great starting point for the new reader.

Two things about the issue I'm not too fond of. One is petty, the other is odd. First off, I think the cover art is odd due to the way the cowl is drawn on Batman. It looks like Batman has no neck and the eye holes are huge. The petty bit is the massive 8 page ad in the center for that Dew competition. It's absurd, and who in their right mind would really read the whole thing? I barely notice ads in comics because I want to read the story. I notice ads like those because I become frustrated not being able to switch back into reading mode. It's jarring and takes me out of the story, like an infomertial in the middle of a television show. Still, I guess they could get away with including something like that considering the story. 8/10

JSA #87 - I didn't even know the title was ending on this issue. The fact that it did is upsetting, mainly since it didn't feel like it needed to end. Characters were still missing, and there was no reason to end except that the brownstone was demolished in battle.

JLA dissolved because they couldn't make ammends with each other, they went their seperate ways to cool off. Breaking up - it's a good reason to end a title. JSA didn't break up, in fact it looked like they became closer knit - not a good reason to end a title. To me, it looks like they are rebooting the title becuase they are rebooting everything else. Can't a single group title survive Infinite Crisis? I mean, come on, there has to be some continuity between preIC and postIC, and why not the group of heroes who pretty much personify legacy?

Oh well, my biggest complaint was that the title ended in more of a pop-fizz than a bang. Gent Ghost felt in the end felt like a generic bad guy bent only acting like a villain-of-the-day. No extreme struggle in which lives were honestly threatened. Ghost threatened their lives, but they were never in real danger. Besides, Wildcat gets a real shining moment, and that was fun to read. 6/10

Transformers: Evolution#1: Hearts of Steel - Long title, but I like the concept of the title. Basically think of it as an ongoing Elseworld title based on Transformers. This first story arch puts them in the Industrial Revolution, with John Henry and Mark Twain. In the begining with the story background all the transformers are like dinosaurs and dragons and stuff. Later when they reawaken, Bumblebee turns into steam engine and shockwave appears as an ironclad ship. So far I'm really liking this title, because it is essentially extreme bizarro Transformers, and that is awesome. 9/10

Quickies!

52: Week Nine - It's not Galactus, and more Question! 7/10

Batman: Secrets #5 - I've really liked the insanity spun by this miniseries, and the ending is just as nicely twisted as the rest of the run. 8/10

Teen Titans #37 - Doom Patrol exposed, Kid Devil and Ravager are become pretty interesting, and I didn't especially enjoy the ending. 5/10

Supergirl #7 - Supergirl is manic, Powergirl is awesome, and once again the ending left me scratching my head in a bad way. 5.5/10

Secret Six #2 - I think I have to reread Villains United and the special, becuase I don't remember some of this, still, the plot is very nice and twisted. 7/10

Conan and the Songs of the Dead #1 - Most hardcore and potentially offensive issue of DH's Conan yet, and it still reads like classic Conan. Not for kids! 7.5/10

That's it for this week. I like this review style, so look forward to it being the standard now (allows me to focus on the issues I liked, as shoot through the rest of what I have read).

Comics!

Comics were a bit of a disapointment this week, but I'll touch on a few that were decent.

52 going on 4 weeks on schedule, and more Question & Montoya action. Space crew returns from the R/T war with Alan missing his eye and a huge Hawkgirl. Also, Mr. Irons is freaking out. I really wish these issues were longer, but hey, they come out every week so I have no room to make requests. So far the history of the DC universe segments are interesting (I know very little of it), however, I'm not fond of Donna Troy so her focus makes it a rough read for me. 7/10

Ion #2 - Starting to make a little sense, but Kyle Rayner is having identity issues. Bit of a fun issue, but I fail to see the logic of leaving the assassin that want you dead alone on Earth. I'll just figure Rayner couldn't think clearly, as he seemed to be nable to last issue as well. It should be noted, that Rayner really is something special becuase the Guardians are actually going outside telling the other Lanterns to leave him alone. 7/10

The Spectre #1 - This was the highlight of this week from what I read. I really liked Gotham Central, and this really feels like an extension of that series, and it is a smooth read. It doesn't really make much sense that god's vengence was put on hold worldwide for a year simply becuase Allen turned the offer down initially, but maybe the Spectre is getting his own chance to punish him for that year by forcing him to witness the craziness that the Spectre's wrath manifests as. Who knows, but comparing to the other Crisis Aftermath title this is such a better read. Two characters to keep up with, and a simple exploration of possibilities. 8/10

Transformers: Infiltration #5 - I initially had resurvations about this title becuase it started off slowly. I'm glad I stuck with it. The arrival of Megatron, and his jerking the Decepticons back in line really shows the reader how serious the character is. Everything is falling into a massive climax due for the next issue and the Autobots appear mostly helpless on the sidlines. 7.5/10

Week's Pull #1 (starting a regular numbering)

Battle for Bludhaven #1
I have been sort of anticipating this title, due to curiosity as to the outcome of the city thanks to Chemo. After reading the first issue of the miniseries I was left scratching my head in confusion.

I was hoping for more aftermath with the Teen Titans with their attepts to save who they can, but they only appear in what is basically the prologue of the issue - jump forward a year. Turns out after a year of No Man's Land style isolation, Bludhaven has spawned a bunch of teams of Atomic-themed metahumans. There is a conspiracy that has appeared out of nowhere from what I've read. The Society is linked somehow, but as of right now I have no idea what is really going on.
1.5/5

Green Arrow #61
I'm really liking Oliver. Right now, I wish he would consider being President, but at the same time I admire him for knowing exactly why he's mayor and why he doesn't want to be the Pres. Everything is really building up very nicely and it really is a fun ride. Not much else to say, but it is one of the better OYL arches.
4.5/5

Superman #651
Things area still getting interesting with Luthor and others, and Clark is remaining Clark - for now. Still a strong story that is getting a little more complicated by the issue.
4/5

Nightwing #119
My brain hurt after finishing the issue. Several typos snagged my reading, bringing me out of the story - that's a bad thing. The story is fairly slow moving, making it a bit hard to finish the issue. Jason is interesting, it's just a shame that the title isn't following him wholely now.
2/5

Transformers: Infiltration #4
The story is really building up, and the ending was really nice and twisted. Pacing was really quick and verity is getting character development. On a side note, I can't help but wonder about Bumblebee since he chose a female holographic avatar. Also, Ratchet and Bumblebee's constant smiling gets really freaky after a while.
4/5

That's it for the majority this week.

Comic Run 3-8

Not much came out this week that I have pulled, and it wasn't that impressive of a draw either.

Best of this Week - Transformers: Infiltration #3
Like I said, not much came out and surprisingly this was the best issue that came out in my opinion. That isn't saying it is bad - quite the contrary. I feel the story is really starting to shape itself up to a decent story. There is a lot happening behind the scenes apparently, and we are only now getting a glimpse of what potentially is happening. The scale of the battle is slowly having the curtains drawn back, and the personal stakes for the characters are taking form.

I'm still turned off at how they are trying to create their own continuity, but I feel like it is finally taking shape. The new designs are nice (mainly just minor updates to modern vehicles and such). I really like Bubblebee's new look, mainly becuase it looks like he actually transformed from a VW bug. I also like the style of the Decepticons, becuase now they actually feel like their name has substance. They are really pulling strings behind the scenes and are using hit-and-run tactics to keep themselves out of wide view of the world - deception and stealth just as their name suggests.
4/5

Second Best of the Week - Batman and the Monster men #5
Really good issue, but the series has been good nonstop. I really like how this oozes the old-school Batman feel and wish there was more Batman like this. The plot continues to chug along and full speed complete with some of the last minute twists. I also really liked the moment with the unveiling of the Batmobile and the dialogue between Bruce and Alfred over its look.
4/5

Surprise of the Week - Teen Titans #33
This title has been fairly good since it began, and had really good moments like the Titans Tomorrow arch, which is mentioned in this issue. However, I belive this issue would be one where many would cry out that the series has 'jumped the shark'. This issue's entire plot could have easily been condensed without the internal monologues copied from Superman/Batman in one of the issues of Infinite Crisis, or began the arch at the end of issue 5 and continued it in 6 like they are doing with other sub plots.

I'm sure there are a number of fangirls out there in the wired that enjoyed seeing Superboy stripping Nightwing out of his old suit after he was blasted back into icy waters, but I'm no fangirl. I will, however, give it points for lots of exploding Earths in the sky. It is indeed an awesome site as a backdrop, but doesn't make up for the totally wasted Teen Titans issue.
1/5

Also my reorder for Batgirl #73 came in finally. As sad as I am to see the conclusion to one of my more favorite characters and titles, I have to admit it was one very good issue. I really hope there is a good future for Cassandra in the DCU, but her smirk in the aftermath makes me seriously worry.

Comic Batch, part 1: Not-DC

Well, my comic haul today was larger than normal and hit me in my pocket a bit harder than usual. On the plus side, good stuff came out for the most part. Problem is that I'm a bit of a slow reader since I like looking at the art and analyzing it (can't help it, I'm an artist afterall). Instead of talking about everything after I finished reading, I thought I'd comment a little on the few things I've read. I'll start out with the titles I get outside the DC lineup.

Transformers: Infiltration #1 (IDW)
From the setup in #0 I was looking forward to this series as a potentially excellent story. Past series in the Transformers line have always been about the robots, with a few humans tossed in for the ride. The premise they have set up focuses more on the human element, which I'm willing to accept as something unique to the comic storyline.

The catch is, a human story in the Transformers universe is a tough act to perform, and will rely heavily on good writing. A heavier use of angles in the art to help portray scale will help, but the writing would be far more important. Issue 1 of this series, writing wise, is bland at best. The art is fairly good over all, not nearly as good as the Dreamwave run, but that is a hard act to follow.

I really want to like this comic, but so far it is pretty average. I like the limited cast, and predict it will help make the introduction of other important characters have that much more of an impact. Probably what bothers me the most about this series is that, through the writing it sets up that stuff has happened before, but the story begins as something entirely new. As an "old school" fan of the Transformers franchise I know the premise, I know the history, and I know the characters - and this is set up like a brand new franchise for those who have never encountered these robots in disguise before.

I just hope they limit the number of variant covers as the titles progresses, becuase four covers for the standard run with (I think) three incintives is a bit too many. Still, out of curiosity I'm on for the ride for this series, so here's hoping they pull something good off for all the hype they've built up.


Conan #24 (Darkhorse)
This will probably be the most controversial issue in a while for this series. The cover originally had a full nude woman on the front (which was "adjusted" for the "domestic" release, meaning they added a clothes). There was also a few panels of bare breasts. They were handled well (artistically speaking, in my opinion), so to all you feminists please don't fuss. I expect parent groups to cry foul, and the comic book defense league summoned on a few minor cases, however, thanks to the parents unaware that the comic isn't for kids (hence the occasional full disembowlment and decapitation scenes, aside from the whole "bloody" thing).

Story wise, it's a pretty standard story following the same thief-Conan arch from the last few story arches. Solid writing and art as much of what came before, though I've posted a while ago that this team (Busiek and Nord) won't be part of this title for much longer. This issue feels like filler, though it is a multi-issue story. This is how filler should be handled, since filler issues in Conan can be easily mistaken for real plot.

Comic shop didn't have the limited print nude cover, but they had a small order on the way. I put in my request for it, given that I have a thing for variant covers and that this comic is awesome.


Tomorrow I'll post my comments on the DC chunk of my gathering. I've read part of it so far, but it's just easier to lump publishers together. Downside, by the time I post about them, others would have already posted on them. Still, I have my own opinions, if anyone actually wanders through and reads them...stay tuned.