Damn you podcasting!

Well, last month I posted that I was not planning to buy the Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman #14. But after listening to Peter David on About Heroes' podcast, he convince me to go ahead to purchase that issue. So I'm going to throw my hard earned $3.00 your way.

I recently got an Ipod and have discovered podcasting which has increased my monthly spending on comics. Podcast is another medium for comics artist and writers to the word out on their products. A lot of time they provide tid bits of information that can't be found in the solicitation blurb in Previews.

For example on Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman #14- "It's the return of Peter Parker's old flame, Deb Whitman! Unfortunately for Peter, she's written a tell-all memoir about her relationship with him, entitled "How Spider-Man Ruined My Life." Ouch! As if that weren't bad enough, the Vulture has been set loose from prison to scavenge for Spider-Man, but who's behind his release and what nefarious scheme do they have up their sleeve?"

Initially, the blurb did nothing for me. I had no idea who was Deb Whitman was and had little interest in the Vulture. So based on the lines from Preview, I was not going to order these issue and was planning to drop the issue. Then comes the About Heroes' podcast with Peter David. In the podcast, he briefly mentions the F-N Spidey and that was enough for me to order it. Deb Whitman was apparently an old girlfriend of Peter Parker that uses to date in high school. Peter drove Deb crazy between his secret identity and Spiderman. Peter David plan to run crazy with this story, plus throwing some unexpected twist like Betty Brant (another old girlfriend) in to the mix.

Again damn you podcasting...

First you tear my heart out....

Then you build me an new one. It has been a roller coaster week. Brian K Vaughan and Adrian Alphona announced they were leaving the book. I was sad. But Brian had an ace in his sleeve. He had hand picked his replacement, which was interesting... it was interesting that he had chosen Josh Whedon (Sweetiness!). Micheal Ryan was also coming on the book, which make it a double awesome! I love his art on Excalibur. My only concern is if this comic will maintain its monthly status.

Say it ain't so...

Well after the big news from Ultimate Spiderman and Mark Bagely, comes more bad news for Marvel fans. Creators Brian K Vaughan and Adrian Alphona are leaving the Runaways after issue 24. Brian announced on his message board before the official message from Marvel. (Kinda odd that they wouldn't stay for the 25th issue.) They will be surely missed and whoever attempt to fill their shoes got some big shoes to fill.

Ultimate Spiderman #98, 99 and Annual 2:

My month’s comics came in yesterday and boy did I get a lot of Ultimate title. I received: Ultimate Fantastic Four #32, 33 and Annual #2; Ultimates Annual #2; Ultimate X-men #76 and Annual #2; Ultimate Spiderman #98, 99 and Annual 2. That is nine issue of Ultimate title to read this month…

Ulitmate Spiderman #98 & 99
The clone wars storyline continues...

Spidey is reeling from the exposure of the Scorpion's unbelievable identity. But even that pales besides the string of revelations awaiting him such as: Who kidnapped Mary Jane and what does he/she want? Who does Spider-Man struggle against in the old warehouse where he fought his first battle? Who is waiting for him in the house in Queens he and his Aunt May abandoned recently? Your jaw will drop and your mind will go numb when you learn the solution to these mysteries. And the world of Peter Parker will never be the same.

Boy, does the solicitation description hits that these issue on the nail! Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley are really turning the Ultimate Spiderman universe around. At the end of issue 99 left me in awe and screaming "oh my jim-who-icky-monkey- slappy- butthole…" And let me say that I have only said that phrase once in my life. You will be absolutely shocked with this roller coaster ride. I can’t wait to see how they finish this series with issue #100. This is a must read. RATINGS: STORY- 10/10 ART 9/10

Ultimate Spiderman Annual #2
While Foggy Nelson offers Spidey some legal advice, Police Captain Jean DeWolfe gives him some other advice...on how to take down the Ultimate Kangaroo! Will Peter Parker be able to navigate his way through this all-action moral maze? And more to the point...will Punisher just shoot him instead?

Last years annuals were not very good in my opinion, so going into this issue I was ready to be disappointed... and of course, I was wrong. Instead I was wowed, the writing of Bendis again. This issue really feels like a well made action movie. It was follow up of the "Warriors" storyline and interjected throughout the story was a little back story on what has happened between the "Warriors" storyline and now. The flashbacks really added the movie feel to the story. And of course Mark Brooks’s art really shined and executed the feel to perfection. RATINGS: STORY-9/10 ART-9/10

The "Crocodile Hunter" killed.
Steve Irwin was one of my heroes when I was growing up. He was killed by a stingray. It's tail pierced his chest and through his heart. Rest in piece.... CRIKEY

Star Wars Legacy #2:

I just finished reading Star Wars Legacy and it is fun. Out of the new re-launch of Star Wars comics this one is the most intriguing of the bunch. While Knights of the Old Republic deals with the Jedi past and Rebellion is set between episode 4 and 5, Dark Times immediately after episode #3, this series happens 125 years after episode 6.

More than a hundred years have passed since the events in Return of the Jedi and the days of the New Jedi Order. There is a new evil gripping the galaxy, shattering a resurgent Empire and seeking to destroy the last of the Jedi. Even as their power is failing, the Jedi hold to one final hope: the last remaining heir to the Skywalker legacy who doesn’t want any part of the Jedi legacy.

The Star Wars geek in me loves the concept. The Imperials and the Sith are at war with each other. The New Jedi Order is on the run. The last Skywalker is a dirty bounty hunter. What is there not to love? Easily, this series is going to feel like an excellent episode of Joss Wheldon’s Firefly, which is a good thing. John Ostrander and Jan Duursema are the creators and I can give any more respect to them. I like the direction and I love the concept. Now go and read this comic. RATINGS: STORY- 9/10 ART- 8/10

Spoiler Glore!
If you read Spiderman titles, there is a nasty rumor floating around comics. Click on the link below to the possible major spoiler link. Then check out Mike Wieringo's thoughts on this issue.

Well, I hate change…

Earlier this week, Marvel released their November solicitations and there has been some unexpected changes in the artist department. For many of comic titles, I am tied to the artist and only buying them because my favorite artist is on that title. Two of my regular monthly pulls are having artist changes. Scott Eaton is taking over the art chores for Mike Wieringo’s on Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman and while Mike Deodato Jr is replacing for Gary Frank on Squadron Supreme. No disrespecting for the incoming artist, but I will miss the outgoing artist. I’m not sure if these new guys will be able to keep me buying their respective titles. I got a month to make a decision and maybe I’ll see some previews to change mind… Maybe I'll shift some of my money to the cool What If? titles coming out.

Bunny porn in 30 seconds....
Just kidding. Angry Alien Production has created a 30 seconds of pure genius by combining movies (no porn) and rabbits. They have taken classic and made them new again. You can watch movies like Jaws, Star Wars, Casablanca, and Titanic. The latest feature is Raiders of the Lost Ark. Hop over there and check it out.

Arizona State University (ASU) W.P. Carey MBA
This off topic, but I thought I would help with this fellow blogger's plight. Read this link.

Beware....
When are in the parking lot and making out... be careful.

Oh baby hit me one more time...
Or not... CNNSI.com reports that a minor league baseball team, Newark Bears are having a child safety night. They are calling it "Britany Spears Baby Safety" night. There is free admission for those that bring a real baby, or baby toy, or dress like a baby. They are going to provide car seat safety information. Also they hinted a special guest that was going to sing and dance would be there.
For those who don't remember, Britany earlier had placed her son improperly in the car seat and almost dropping her son on his head.

You Want to Be a Superhero?
I am a reality TV junkie. I will be the first to admit it. I have a problem. So when I heard Sci-fi channel was having a reality show about superheroes, I was really geeked out. When I heard Stan Lee was involved with it, I got really, really geekd out.

I was finally able to watch the show yesterday and let me say it is pretty awesome. It is different than most other reality competitions. In Survivor / Amazing Race type, it is about athleticism, intelligence, and guile. In the shows like Top Chef and Project Runway, the focus is one skills and creativity. Here the show focuses on skills of a superhero, but since there are no superpowers in the real world, the show focuses on character traits, which was a new concept for me. Stan Lee plan to base his show on judging courage, character, honesty, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion, resourcefulness.
Hopefully it will level the playing field for the non-athletic types.

The cast included Tobias Trost as Levity, Jonathan Finestone as Rotiart, Tonya Kay as Creature, Chris Watters as Major Victory, Steel Chambers as The Iron Enforcer, Mary Votava as Monkey Woman, Nell Wilson as Fat Momma, Darren Passarello as Nitro G, Chelsea Weld as Cell Phone Girl, Matthew Atherton as Feedback, E. Quincy Sloan as Tyveculus, and Tonatzin Mondragon as Lemuria.

The first episode was a hoot and with lots of patent Stan Lee’s comic twists. I enjoyed this episode and looking forward to the next. You Want to Be a Superhero? comes on Sci-fi channel Thursday 8PM central with multiple re-airing during the week… By the way I’m rooting for Fat Momma.

Another funny video:
Here is a funny commerical about cleaning. Found it on video google.

Grounded #2-6:
While I am waiting for my new shipment of comics to arrive with Civil War and OYL goodness, I have decided to thumb through some comics that I haven’t read. One of them was the series Image’s Grounded. I was putting off reading this comic because I was missing issue 1, but for some reason I decided to read them anyway.

The good news: Superheroes are real. The bad news: You're not one of them. When Jonathan is sent to a high school for super-powered teens, he's forced to abandon his dream of having powers and deal with the reality that he's the only kid without them.

Missing the first made it abit tricky to learn all the characters, but it was a great read. This comic has its moments with witty and inventive solutions. I also enjoy on Mark Sable’s take on the teenage superpowered beings. He understands that teenagers don’t want to take responsibility yet in life and want to enjoy life first. So in one scene in issue 3#, Jonathan is getting pounded by the hologram robbers and his classmates all flee instead of fighting. Jonathan gets upset and asked why they aren’t acting like heroes. The answer was quite shocking to Jonathan. They don’t want to be heroes. They rather dream up schemes to use their power to become rich and famous instead.

I love the art. It fits well with the comic and very stylish. But again the writing is what stands out in this series. I did not enjoy Wildstorm’s take on high school life with the Intimates. I know that there are different types of stories. Intimates is more of a slice of life piece and Grounded was more typical straight story. But so me the characters from Grounded were more appealing and interesting. Either way, I highly recommend this series in 6 floppies or trade…now I got to find someone with issue #1. RATINGS: STORY-9/10 ART-7/10

Casanova #1 and Paul Jenkins' Sidekick #1:
Osh-gosh-mc-gosh... look a review on a non- Marvel or DC floppy. I am going to some unfamiliar boundaries with reviewing a couple of new Image series: One with a hefty price tag and another with a wallet friendly one. Recently I was listening to a podcast from those guys at Around Comics and they were addressing the problems with rising prices of single issues and not able to try new comics because of it. People are more reluctant to buy new series because of the increasing price per issue of comics. It is an understandable fear. Why waste $4 on a comic that could suck? Here is going to the comic book store weekly really helps. When you go to your local comic store, you can thumb through the pages and sort of "try" the comic out, one of the big advantages of visiting your local store. So go visit you local comic store. Now back to your review…

Casanova #1: This comic has a cover price of $1.99, very wallet friendly, so I order it and guess what I like it.
Meet Casanova Quinn: scoundrel, thief and international man of leisure. The death of his twin sister ignites a cosmic blackmail scheme that forces Cass into the mind-bending life of a super-secret agent. Realities smash together, setting father against son, Us vs. Them and launching this slipstream sci-fi espionage epic!
Overall the art is fun and the lack of full color doesn’t hurt the comic one bit. The comic can be a little wordy and hard to follow, but the premise looks great and unique. If the cover price wasn’t 2 bucks I probably would have missed this little gem. I plan to pick up future issues and you should too. RATINGS: STORY- 7/10 ART- 8/10

Paul Jenkins’ Sidekick #1: Listed price is $3.50 and I almost passed on this one because of the price, but the cover art was appealing and I like Paul Jenkins’ work. So it was worth a go.
By day, he is mild-mannered pizza delivery boy, Eddie Edison. By night, he is also mild-mannered Eddie Edison…who just happens to be the alter ego of the Mister Excellent’s 20 something sidekick, Superior Boy. But the pay sucks. So Eddie settles upon an unlikely solution: He becomes a paid sidekick to three other superheroes, but soon finds out how hard it is to juggle the schedules of four super-powered morons.
This comic is actually fun and whimsical. It feels like a Three’s Company episode with superheroes. Art is good and fits with writing well. As for the story, it was good, but it worries me that Paul Jenkins might be dragging this story out with 5 issues when an one-shot might work better. RATINGS: STORY-7/10 ART- 7/10

Heroes: NBC
Okay, so I lied. It has been hellish recently for me. I have been relocated for a job and let me tell you moving in no fun. Busy with all of life over things has left this blog very neglected. Welll, thing are slowly settling down and hope to resume a normal schedule soon.

One of the new TV shows I am really sike to see it Heroes on NBC. It has recently got a lot of press during Comic-con this year. Newsarama has an excellent interview with writer Jeph Loeb. "Some people are born to be extraordinary," Loeb explained. "They thought they were like everyone else until they work with incredible abilities... Heroes chronicles the lives of these everyday people and the lives of others like them. People whose destiny just might be saving humankind!"

The trailer looks awesome and I can't wait to see more. Comic-con is going to be have a special screening. Lets hope that it is going to create the same buzz and excitement that Lost received 2 years ago.

Superman: Braniac Attacks- Sorry about not keeping up with this site. Life beckons and weblog gets ignored. I'll try to post some more reviews. A few X-men related series ended last month and I am hoping to give my 2 cents on them.

But on the DC tip, Warner Bros are releasing a direct to video Superman: The Animated Series movie called Braniac Attacks in anticipation for the Superman Returns movie. Cartoon Network ran it the movie over the weekend prior to the June 2oth release date. I love the Superman: The Animated Series that ran during the 90's, but I am disappointed with this release. Even though the movie is animated in the same style as the television series, it was totally different. I understand that updating the characters look and personale was important, but what they did was destroy the excellent work that was previously done.

The most signficant change was Lex Luthor. In the animated series, he was intelligent, power hungering, and a serious foe to Superman. His interaction and bravo made Lex... Lex. The protrayal was very similar to the way Lex protrayed on WB's Smallville. The movie protray him very similar to the Gene Hackman version: comedic foil to the serious Superman. It was very annoying and diappointing.

Overall, if you take this direct to video movie by itself without in context with the animated series it is entertaining to watch. But it fails to continue to brillant work done on the animated series. The movie is fun to watch, but not worth owning. Get the animated series season 1, 2 & 3 instead.

More stuff for sale:
Again... another auction. Mostly stuff that did not sell before. Check it out.

The Emperor doesn't take bad news well...
Ever wonder what Darth Vader said to Emperor after the 1st Death Star was destroyed? Robot Chicken was kind of enough to re-enact that moment for us. Very funny. Credit Photon Torpedoes for this one. Click here.