An Embarrassingly Gushy Open Note to Gail Simone

Dear Ms. Simone,

First, I apologize for not being around on my blog - my cousin and his daughter flew in from Virginia to visit, and boy are their arms tired.

But anyway, between that and some other stuff, I've been negligent in my comics reading duties. I wanted to congratulate you on becoming the new Wonder Woman writer - let's face it, if anyone can make that book turn around, it's you. Your writing is so many levels of awesome, I don't think I have the vocabulary to express it.

However, it means - sadly - that you're not on Birds of Prey anymore. Of course, I'll always have the trades, but it's not quite the same.

However, Birds of Prey # 108 is - appropriately - a really cool sign-off. If the book were canceled after this issue, it would be an appropriate send-off.

I mean, let's face it, Huntress referring to Catman as "Meatball"? The Spy Smasher/Oracle throwdown? The multipage spread which I want as a poster, like, yesterday? A halfway decent rationale for Green Arrow/Black Canary's impending nuptials? Black Canary being more badass than Batman? And that ending?

Priceless. Simply priceless.

Hopefully, Nicola Scott is staying on as artist - she absolutely rocks. Maybe I'll develop a major crush on her artwork.

But anyway, thanks for the wild ride, and remember: if you need anyone to be "roughed up", or need some professional "enforcers", please let me know, and I'll arrange it. I live in Chicago, now, you know.

However, if the person to be roughed up is Dan DiDio, I'll handle him myself.
Thanks again, and best of luck.

Your pal,
Gordon

Springfield: City of Wonders

gordonsimpson
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

Yes, I know I've been away from the blog for a bit - I have a good excuse. My cousin and his 10 year old daughter are visiting from Virginia, and unlike some people, the adults wear the pants in our family.

Yes, even the women wear pants in my family. We're strange.

So it was in that spirit that we decided to check out The Simpsons Movie. I can honestly say - there will not be a funnier movie out this year.

It is, in all honesty, an elongated version of your typical Simpsons episode...and that's not a bad thing. In fact, the filmmakers have fun with that concept. Saying more would only spoil it, but dudes, you have to see this movie.

Also, another note - there are some jokes and concepts that might not necessarily be appropriate for kids. Three words: "Naked Bart Simpson".

However, this film has a ton of great jokes, and I can attest to the honesty of this film in one regard. Having worked for an EPA-funded project, they really are evil. (Albert Brooks is frickin' brilliant as the EPA Director).

But you need to see this film. Seeing this film is good for democracy. It will also make you laugh yourself sick at the awesomeness of "Spider-Pig".

Also, as a tie-in, Burger King allows you to "Simpsonize" your photo. I've posted a picture of yours truly to this blog. Feel free to consider this an informal "meme" and get involved.

This movie deserves an Oscar, folks.

Coming up: an open note to Gail Simone! August's Record You Should Own! My Take on Doctor Who Series 4! And....a new weekly feature!

Interview Meme

First, between having family visit and working on making "Lazy Blogger Syndrome" a prominent disorder for the DSM-IV-TR, I've been busier than Corey Feldman and Corey Haim at a photo op. But anyway, whilst perusing the internet, I came across Ben Varkentine's blog (through the inimitable and well-named Johnny Bacardi). Here's how the totally voluntary meme works., if you want to play along:

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Do YOU want to be interviewed?
Interview rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post containing your the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
   

---

And now, onto Ben's questions:

1. You pride yourself on tipping scared cows. My first question: What, if anything, do you hold sacred? I personally believe in everyone's right to have an informed, insightful opinion based on giving people full information and having them make their own choices. I believe that people have the right to make their own moral choices...but that they also have the responsibility to live with the consequences. I also hold sacred the belief that all individuals should be treated with respect, dignity, and grace. In addition, I believe fully in accountability (including my own), as well as in putting a best effort in and letting go of the results.
   
   
2. Carrying on Becca's newly introduced tradition of Dr. Who questions, what is your favorite Dr. Who story? One televised, and one non-televised, if you like. For televised stories, I'm going to have to go with Talons of Weng-Chiang It's got tons of Hinchcliffe/Holmes goodness - a historical backdrop reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes; incredibly witty and sharp dialogue (sample: "Man who walk too quickly step in bear trap"); a plot that actually can stretch out over six episodes (although some of the Asian stereotypes are very wince-worthy), and for the Chris Sims in us...a killer dwarf robot. (Extremely close second - Genesis of the Daleks)
   
   Untelevised, I'm going to have to go with the Big Finish audios...and my personal favorite is Spare Parts: a Fifth Doctor "Genesis of the Cybermen" story that is flat-out creepy, scary, and powerful story. (Most of the BF audios, for me, range from OK to flat, although I think Master and Sympathy for the Devil are close seconds for best untelevised story.
   
   
3. How do you feel about Jerry Lewis? You know, if you're looking for great movies featuring a guy acting like a total nut job for two hours, he's your man. His late 50's/early 60's output is nothing but dynamite. (And his work with Dean Martin - frickin' priceless). Unfortunately, at times his tendency towards bathos can be Chaplinesque...and not in a good way (and I'm not a big Chaplin fan). And if Will Pfeiffer and Fred Hembeck really loved Lewis, why not discuss some of his later dramatic work? His stint on Wiseguy was pretty good, and he did OK on Law & Order: SVU. But I'm not a Lewis worshiper...unless he engages in a scenery-chewing contest with William Shatner.
   
   
4. If you could, what cancelled TV series would you restore to a network schedule? For the sake of this question, you don't have to worry about the cast and crew having taken other jobs, etc. You say back to work, they're back to work. What is it? Veronica Mars, pure and simple. I always liked the fact that it was a well-written mystery show...although, if I did bring it back, I would do it a la Columbo as a series of tv movies. (Towards the end of this last season, I felt revisiting some of the older themes smacked a little of shark jumping)
   
   
5. Whadaya got against jazz? - For some reason, it just doesn't "click" for me as music. I think, at times, some jazz musicians come across as vain, pretentious, and snobbish, as if other forms of music (more accurately, popular music) don't exist. In addition, I'm slowly getting into some jazz...but quite frankly, I just don't get it. And I love R & B/blues/soul, so it's not that I don't like similar forms.

And if you're observant, you will notice that I answered Ben's bonus question first.

A Meme For Mike Sterling

Please see this for an explanation.

P.S. to Mike - I stand behind my opinion of Voyager as a kids' show. Even with Seven of Nine.

What Would Stephen Baxter Do?

"Heaven is empty, and hell is bursting apart at the seams."

To be honest, Russell T. Davies' work on Doctor Who - especially some of his scripts - have been hit-or-miss for me. He is touted as one of the best television writers in the UK, but I wanted to sample some of his non-Who work. At the very least, I would expect some of the same weaknesses to show up, so I chose (appropriately) a more fantasy-based piece.
The premise of The Second Coming is simple: video-store clerk Stephen Baxter is out for a night of drinking with his mates. After that, he disappears for six weeks, and upon his return, announces that he is the son of God. Consequences ensue.
I am trying not to spoil this piece, because quite frankly, it's one of the best written pieces for television - a worthy inheritor to the legacy of writers like Rod Serling. It's not perfect, but watching it makes me wonder if the pressures of DW are not allowing Davies' to play to his strengths.
That may be an unfair call - it's tougher to write three to four 50 minute stories than a solid two and a half hour story. If, given the plot description, you're expecting Second Coming to be a solid parallel to the Gospel stories, you will be disappointed. If anything, it is like an episode of the old Paulist-produced Insight series (which did a kind of interesting take way back in 1977), but updated with a fresh, modern sensibility. For example, Baxter tells a priest that certain members of the clergy are too busy "shagging choir boys", and the priest gives a thoughtful yet assertive defense. This is not a show that takes sides - although Davies is an admitted athiest, there are some really strong seeds for discussion for people of any faith.
(And for those who would claim this is sacrilegious, answer me this - after watching this, why should this piece be considered blasphemous and the Left Behind series so sacred? Or is any piece that attempts to deal with religion and spirituality in a serious manner automatically suspect? Much like The Prisoner, Davies' script asks many questions, and even when possibly positing answers, provides much to talk and debate - this is not a DVD to watch alone. In fact, here's a meme - everyone who reads this post, rent Second Coming, and blog your thoughts, linking back to me.)
In viewing this story, it's very easy to see why Christopher Eccleston was on the short-list to play the Doctor on the 2005 revival. (Although, personally, I thought he was flat-out brilliant as Bilbrough on Cracker. His sudden shifts from being manically "power-mad" to flat-out despair (at one point, claiming that accessing his divine knowledge was like "downloading 50 million megabytes into a pocket calculator") seems to be an audition piece for his performance as the Ninth Doctor. (In fact, it is reminiscent of Paul Cornell's script for Father's Day, where the Doctor admires a couple for running into and out of bars, having "an adventure I can never have." Stephen Baxter, as a consequence, is having the adventure that he doesn't want). Granted, it is hard not to see 2005 story elements in this 2003 piece...but there you go.
However, there are two aspects of this production that might not get much recognition: Lesley Sharp's performance as Judith and Adrian Shergold's direction. Shergold masterfully handles the material in a way that is realistic and engaging - it would have been easy to make this mauldlin and manipulative; Shergold does neither. (In fact, his handling of the more "fantastic" material is almost Hitchcockian in its subtlety). But Sharp, as Judith, provides a character who really is the centerpiece, moving between doubt and faith, temptation and acceptance, and who (at the end) provides the "explanation" and climax of the story.
Now many who have seen this have problems with the ending, ranging from it being too humanist to being an out-of-nowhere cop-out. Without spoiling, on the one hand, I see their point...but Davies seems to have carefully set out on an almost subliminal level where the story was leading. In addition, there is a slight ambiguity about the ending - not like the Sopranos final episode, more like Fall Out - suggesting that, at times, spiritual decisions are often difficult. (The final two to three minutes, providing a coda, seems unnecessary, almost as if Davies were under pressure to provide a "happy" ending).
However, there is much to recommend about this - as a "rough draft" for Davies' later work; as a meditation on religion and its impact on society; as a purely entertaining piece of fantasy. Whether you are Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, athiest, or some other background, there's enough to warrant watching this.
It is as close to a masterpiece as Davies has come...so far.
Not only strongly recommended, but mandatory.

5 Random Cool Things on the Internet

Just to get your weekend off on the right foot - five completely random items from the Internet:

1. Homercat makes Mojo Nixon available for the masses (and kids, Mojo don't mind being distributed electronically)
2. Make your own cola!
3. Bedazzled presents David Letterman and Michael Jackson in a wacky skit!
4. Instant Garage Sale!
5. The greatest reason to see this movie this summer:

SICKO: The Review & Bonus Rant

Since I didn't want to write a rambling post on SICKO - here's a rambling podcast.

Enjoy!


Click here to get your own player.

Your We're Geniuses in France Sketch of the Day

More Newsarama Drama

It's pretty much being spread all over the comics blogosphere - DC's teaser for the "Final Crisis" in 2008, presumably what Countdown is counting down towards. Surprisingly, the above photo was submitted to Newsarama with little fanfare.

I know several people on the blogosphere have chimed in, but my two cents, for all it's worth:

• I'm all for teaser images, but couldn't we wait until closer to May? And quite frankly, I would rather have buzz around a good story than a picture.
• Speaking of which, is that Michael Turner's signature by Wonder Woman's right foot?
• Why do I get the feeling that the old "Earth-1" heroes are going to replace our "New Earth" heroes? (Not a spoiler - just speculation)
• Well, this explains all those Crisis on Multiple Earths trades that were released.
• Yeah, like this is going to be the Final Crisis. Just wait - soon it will be Ultimate Crisis: Paper or Plastic.
• Maybe I'll be recovered enough from my ban on mega-crossovers to check it out, but hopefully, there'll be a lot of punching enough.
• This better result in a Showcase Presents: The Inferior Five collection. (Hey, if Sterling can like Swamp Thing, I can like Inferior Five.)
  

Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, whatever. (Don't mind me - just being Mr. Crankypants tonight. It's the humidity)

Chewin' The Fat

Now, a brief disclaimer: the following item is going to discuss issues around body image. Being a guy with - let's face it - a slightly soft and doughy middle, this can easily be seen as "Hello, pot, this is kettle" time. But as a humble, pop culture/comic blogger, I would be remiss by not chiming in.

Recently, while reading the multitude of blogs in my Google Reader account, I came across Screen Rant's link to this article. There's an organization out there that is advocating for more "people of size" on television. Admittedly, I have mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, body image issues are extremely prevalent in our culture, and we would not want to promote unhealthy living. Culturally, we send mixed messages - just look at the whole Tyra Banks issue. Yes, she's doing a lot to promote the idea of being comfortable with ourselves...but she is the graduate of an industry that aggressively promotes ideas of beauty. In addition, you have people like Meme Rice, who represents a group with some noble goals, but demonstrates some wacky ideas about what is "fat". I have no problem with more "people of size" on television, but do we really need to go out of our way to further images of size?

I have no problem with representation of other genders/ethnicities/sexual preferences being promoted in our culture - after all, one is born a man/woman/transgender, and there's no surgery that can, say, cure me of being Polish. However, with weight, there's a thin line between being soft and doughy...and being morbidly obese. And we send some very mixed messages about overweight people, especially when they're willing participants.

Case in point: Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News. Mike Sterling posted a very not-safe-for-your-sanity clip of Harry...well, let's not go into detail. However, Harry has done little more than become the Kevin Trudeau of movie bloggers, mythologizing himself as an "outsider on the inside" based on little more than self-promotion...and having been fooled at least twice, AICN is slowly, but surely, losing its geek cache. Much of this was done by Harry playing up the whole "fat-geek-without-a-life" card...I mean, anyone who names his film festival the "Butt-Numb-A-Thon" isn't quite playing to even the lowest of brows. (And reading his site's message boards make most comic message boards read like certain bloggers of taste and wit). I'm surprised that there hasn't been a truly major goof on his site, such as "In Season 3 of Doctor Who, here is the true identity of the Face of Boe*"


Ok, it's the Face of Moe, but I think you get the idea...

I know I've rambled about body image, and don't mind seeing more people of size on television. But does it bother me that there aren't? Nope. Not at all. Because there's plenty of work in representing other types of people - people who've been underrepresented - and quite frankly, I think we need to focus more on treating people as individuals rather than waist size.

And please feel free to leave any death threats/verbal comments to 206-203-3032.

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*Clicking on the link will reveal a possible spoiler. But I have wanted to do this joke for soooooo long

On Second Chances and TV Shows

Now, I admit, I'm extremely anal when it comes to my love of shows, especially shows that show some potential. But I also sometimes comes late to the table - it took my mom, Lefty, and several others to sell me on the charm of Veronica Mars (which, for me, is like Raymond Chandler writing Sweet Valley High). So when I hear of a show that deserves watching, I'm all on that like peanut butter on toast.

So earlier tonight, I went onto the CBS.com web site, and decided to check out the pilot of Jericho. And after watching the pilot, I wondered to myself

• how this pilot even came to become a series, and
  
• why people are so gosh-darned fascinated with this series.

Yes, I know the basic premise - a small town is isolated in the wake of a possible nuclear attack on a major city...but the writing on this pilot is just so awful. It's a mish-mash of different styles (it's a family drama! It's a post-apocalyptic piece! It's a piece of small-town Americana! It's one of those wacky Lost-type mysteries!), and at several points, I felt motivated to punch out my monitor, frustrated at how cheesy the pilot was.

But wait, Gordon, those of you who are fans of the show will say, you're being so unfair - you have to watch every episode of the series in order to get it. It's all of a piece. You're judging an entire show based on one episode.

To which I would respond - the whole point of a pilot is to set the mood, and more importantly - to get people to tune into the next episode. I appreciate that the producers are trying to create a 21st-century spin on nuclear holocaust literature - however, too many of the characters are written from simple cliches - the Prodigal Son, the Noble Sherriff, the Troubled Leader, the Lost Love, and nobody really struck an emotional chord. Insert a do-it-yourself tracheotomy ala MacGuyver, and Gerald McRaney's "big speech" at the end, and you have a piece that might have worked in the 1970's, or even the early '80s....but not for the more sophisticated watcher.

It's fashionable to bash Lost - I've done it myself - but it's upped the ante for episodic television, making the more arc-driven tendencies of Buffy and Babylon 5 more prominent. Heroes managed to take a somewhat stock, fanboy-esque question (super powers in the real world) and give it a Watchmen-esque weight by stripping the costumes and focusing on impact. Doctor Who's 3rd season - despite a dodgy ending - probably comes the closest to an overall arc from beginning to end. Although the new Battlestar Galactica doesn't do overt arcs, thematically it's probably as close as we're going to get to a depiction of decimation by an enemy.

Which is why Jericho comes up so short in its pilot, and which is why I will not follow it for a second episode. It doesn't give us characters to care about - it gives us ciphers. It doesn't shoot for grand themes, except "let's all behave ourselves and be nice because that's what we are about." It might reek of some slight network interference (which is not limited to original programming - just ask Stephen Moffett), but it only shows that too many cooks can turn stew into broth.

Still, there are two things about Jericho that I can appreciate - it provided me with pretty good grist for a blog entry. And it makes me appreciate The Postman even more.

RIP Peter Tuddenham

Just read on Outpost Gallifrey that Peter Tuddenham has passed on.

Although he's done plenty of voice work (especially on Doctor Who, he is responsible for one of the greatest "characters" on British television.

Your Snarky Saturday Comics Review Podcast

Yeah, it's kinda rushed...but it's also kinda cool, at the same time.

(I do drop an f-bomb or two, so please don't play this around any two year olds)


Click here to get your own player.

Bring The Pain!

jlajsalsh
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

Ya gotta answer when Bahlactus calls.

And yes, I know I need a decent scanner.

EDIT: Almost forgot - this is from Justice League of America, first series, # 148...and a damn sight better than Meltzer's attempt, if you ask me.

A Little Bit O'Springfield

Convenience Stores
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

Consider this a "good reason why I moved back to Chicago"....

As a promotional gimmick for the upcoming movie, several 7-11s nationwide were converted to "Kwik-E-Marts". Luckily, one of them happened to be located within 15 minutes of my home...so I went, brought my digital camera, and took some pictures.

Rather than try to post them all on my blog, I'll direct you to this neat-o super-keen Flickr slideshow.

As an added bonus, I also live a short walk from the infamous "giant Indian" from Wayne's World. (Think "drive during Bohemian Rhapsody). I've included that picture as well.

However, if you want to see the big pile-of-cars-on-a-stick from that movie, you better get out here. More information found here

It's All Excuses, Baby, All A Stall....

As you could probably guess, I have been mega-busy - interviews, networking, job seeking, temp work. So I've been relatively absent, and here is my semi-regular series of bullet points, linkblogging, and general stuff:

• As per a comment that Lefty made, I've used Blogger to label all the past "Record You Should Own" entries. That way, if you click on that link, you should get every single past entry. Consider this the next time you're shopping for tunes.
• Speaking of which, my current album of the moment is Tim Fite's Over the Counter Culture as reviewed on Sound Opinions. It is available as a totally free download here.
• I've added some new doo-dads from Twitter and Technorati. Enjoy!
• Trailers from Hell!
• Help wanted: how do I do a slideshow on Flickr - and can I post a slide show on the blog. Trust me, the idea I have for this....y'all are gonna love.
  
• For all my fellow bloggers - if you're ever in Chicago, let's do the town. I'll have to be careful with Bully, though - some places will look at him and only think of this.
• Bedazzled does Batgirl! (Completely work safe, honest!)

And now for your 90's hip-hop-influenced one hit wonder of the day.

Blogging Down in Blogger Town

I have to admit, I've been quite busy these past few days - in fact, I managed to get my drink on with Andy Sunday night, before he headed out to Vegas. I only hope that I didn't do anything too embarrassing, like, I don't know, bump and grind in a go-go cage to a klezmer band.

Other than that, I'll be OK.

Anyway, Roger tagged me for a meme, and since the directions on these are more confusing than trying to drive in Los Angeles, please bear with me.

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1. Electronic Cerebrectomy
2. Byzantium's Shores
3. Tosy and Cosh
4. Ramblin' with Roger
5. Blog THIS, Pal!

Next, select five people to tag.
I don't like tagging people, but...oh, well...

1. Brian
2. Rab
3. Rosie O'Donnell
4. Church of Klugman
5. Zombie Tom

What were you doing ten years ago?
I was finishing up my master's practicum, involved in a long-distance relationship (in fact, I think it was 10 years ago this month when my then-girlfriend came to visit), and living large in Rogers Park. I was also doing stand up comedy at the No Exit Cafe...and I sucked. I sucked harder than Lindsey Lohan after a few lines of coke.

(I'm sorry, that was in poor taste, but at least it will get me a PG Rating)

What were you doing one year ago?
Working as a Program Director, gearing up for a massive community night out...and worrying about my father's health. Within four weeks, the night out was a success (no thanks to my staff and director, but more on that in another post), my father had a triple bypass, and things were...shaky, at best.

Five snacks you enjoy.

1. Oreos
2. Green seedless grapes
3. Bananas
4. Cool Ranch Doritos
5. Caramel and cheese popcorn mixed together

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics.

1. My Generation by the Who - I listened to this first album endlessly in high school.
2. Help! by the Beatles - of course, I also watched this movie (and A Hard Day's Night) repeatedly as a child. Curse you, 3:30 pm movie on Channel 7!)
3. Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones
4. I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash - curse you, Mae, who was my mom's best friend who was obsessed with Johnny Cash so much she had a life-sized cardboard replica in her apartment!
5. Tears on My Pillow by Little Anthony & The Imperials

Five things you like doing

1. Movies - I hate going to multiplexes, but even still, there's something magical about seeing a movie on the big screen
2. Finding new, hip places to hang out - yes, for a brief time, I was a club rat, but my tastes have expanded to coffee shops, bistros, etc
3. Dining Out - in fact, my new favorite show here in Chicago features Chicago restaurants
4. Watching basketball - I used to play religiously when I was younger, despite my size; however, my knees prevent me from doing more than cheering on the Bulls
5. Reading

And finally...

Five things you would never wear again.

1. A green parka with orange lining, or a parka/anorak
2. Muscle shirts
3. Socks with shorts
4. My Kids in the Hall t-shirt (it's a collector's item)
5. Knit hats

A Rather Immodest Proposal

First, thanks to Andy for correcting me about Stax/Volt for this month's Record You Should Own. It's good when, every once in a while, I stand corrected - a little humility is good for the soul....especially when you're called "an effin' genius".

But anyway, I was reading Scott McCloud's Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels, and was at a little bit of a loss. Sure, I could give it the plain, regular review - that much like his previous Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, this demonstrates a great understanding of how comics "work" as literature. In fact, it's kind of like an auto manual - if the first book was how cars in general work, Making Comics taught you how to change the oil, the spark plugs, etc. In short, it's indispensable.

However, given that there's a lot of, well, crappy writing in comics, I also wanted to give readers of this blog - as well as interested parties - a chance to do more than just, say, not buy crappy books, but to make a statement. After all, because this blog gets a lot of referrals from When Fangirls Attack, I can no longer refer to women as "sweet cheeks", even as an endearment, because I have a greater responsibility to not promote sexism.

So, here's my proposal, and please follow along - when people would like to encourage a restaurant to banish smoking within its establishment, there are two tactics they can use. In a smoking restaurant, they can opt to not dine there and announce that they prefer a non-smoking place, and then take their money and dine in a smoke-free environment, thus exercising the power of the pocketbook.*

However, I am calling on all readers of this blog - who may also be comic readers - to consider taking the following actions:

• Stop buying a particularly disliked book for a period of time, and set the money aside
• Purchase a copy of Making Comics
• Send it to a writer who you feel really needs to read it.

Let's face it - whether it's Brad "Unconnected Fannish Events" Meltzer, or Judd "But Jason Todd is so cool" Winnick...or even shoot for the top. Send a copy to Dan DiDio and Joe Quesada...but when you do, enclose a note stating that you stopped buying a particular company's comic because, quite frankly, you found it lacking in quality, and that you felt strongly enough to let them know that their actions were the problem.**

Sure, everyone goes online and talks about bad books, but does anyone do anything about it? Nah. It's just easier to snipe...and with the increasing number of people who keep saying, "Shut up and get over it - they're just comics", it's probably more effective to take action than to talk. If you don't feel comfortable ordering from the links here, just find a local comics shop that can help. In fact, maybe Mike "Sweet Cheeks" Sterling can help - he's just that kind of guy.***

And finally - please feel free to link to this post. Comment if you think I'm being, well, a bit of an arrogant blowhard. A short time ago, WFA posted a link to a guy who, when he was called out on his BS, deleted the comment and said, "Hey, I just took away your free speech - now you have something to cry about." Of course, he forgot that part of the reason why we read/write blogs is because we want to have conversations that help us drive the medium forward, because at the end of the day, all we really want...are well-written, well-drawn comics.

Let's face it - statues, hentai covers, and badly written crossovers are not the problem, but are the symptoms. The only way to fight this is to take some positive action.****

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*I know I've blogged about smoke free advocacy before, but let's not go there this time. It's about the comics, and I'd rather not open the tobacco-free can of worms right now.
**And to pour salt in the wound, remind Winnick that he kicked Puck out of the house on The Real World: San Francisco. That might get him riled.
***OK, I know I said I wouldn't pick on him, but I couldn't resist. Besides, he always calls me "Angel Drawers" in e-mail. No, I won't publish them online, why do you ask?
****And if you want to send Michael Turner a copy of Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, I won't stop you

No Doctor Who Series 13 Reviews for YOU!!!!!

Normally, here's where I would review new Who - but I'm still recovering from the series ender (spoiler free review - crushingly disappointing, but more later) However, since this blog is known for comics and Doctor Who (as per Andy), and I don't want to disappoint - here are some other Who-related reviews.

The first is that, thanks to a friend, I was able to catch a copy of the 1996 TV Movie, which is unavailable in any format in America. When it came out, I thought it was OK, even though it could have used some stronger writing. I had believed the rumors about why it failed - it came on the same night as the series finale of Rosanne, it was a back door pilot, and that Fox didn't quite "understand" the concept. In fact, I kind of wished that there had been an American release of this story on DVD.

Now, I have to change my mind, because after viewing it again, I realize...it's not very good. It's actually, for the most part, really lame.

I don't blame McGann (who, at the very least, succeeds in pulling off the Doctor), but I do blame the production staff. After all, the story begins with exposition that not even Stephen J. Cannell could have pulled off (..."It was a request that should never have been granted"), huge holes in the plot (Sylvester McCoy's Doctor, looking very much like Larry Fine, just walking out of the TARDIS into gunfire? Didn't think so), nods to what the production team thought that network executives wanted, not-so-clever nods to the fans, a companion (Chang Lee) who makes one nostalgic for Adric, the weird CGI snake, but ultimately, the fatal flaw in this is....

Eric Roberts.

Whatever promise he had early on...he squandered . And looking at his performance, it's so campy, you half expect there to be a walk-on by Adam West. Oh, boy, this was bad...and makes you feel grateful that a series wasn't pursued based on this movie. There are enough nods to science fiction cliches (such as "I'm half-human...on my mother's side") that you realize that the production team was so intent on making Who appeal to the "American market" that they nearly forgot the uniquely British charm of the series. (However, if you want a better Doctor/Master matchup, check out this Big Finish audio. Now this is more like it, especially at the end...but no spoilers here). The TV movie is proof that old school Who...probably would not have made it.

But hey, enough snark - how about some relatively upbeat reviews!

First, in a series of "budget" discs comes The Sontaran Experiment...and let's face it, it's an OK curiosity. A two-part time filler between The Ark in Space and Genesis of the Daleks, there's really not much to it - a Sontaran experiments on humans, and the Doctor stops him. Even though I know it's a value disc, there's a very thrown together quality to it, especially since the documentary was allegedly supposed to be included on The Two Doctors. If you're really curious, Netflix it - otherwise, you can pass.

What I would strongly recommend is the three-disc Doctor Who - The Beginning Collection set. The first episode of "An Unearthly Child" alone has a great, Serling-esque quality to it. Although the first story is a little....underwhelming, the first Dalek story and the bottle show of "Edge of Destruction" more than make up for it. Just a word of caution - if you "play all" on disc 1, you get the pilot before "An Unearthly Child", so no, you're not watching the same episode twice.

Oh, and if you were renting new series 2 from Netflix - they've gotten new discs without glitches on them. And hopefully, you caught the series 3 premiere on the Sci-Fi Channel last night.

And now, a little exchange from the Doppelganger's comments section.

ME: "the Eccleston Doctor was shellshocked, pushing people away, recovering from the Time War.

His Master should be icy cool, very charismatic, so much so that you don't notice that he slaughters people. In fact, his attitude is calm and detached, almost like a surgeon. In fact, almost as if the Master were the "hero" of the series..."

DOPPELGANGER: Now you see how cool that could be? Jeez, Ecclestone would probably be glad the Master turned up - it'd be someone who could empathise...
Foreshadow his arrival much earlier, make us believe that maybe he was a good guy for a while - could he REALLY be that bad? Surely his heart was in the right place? He was mislead by a dodgy intelligence dossier....

Happy Fourth of July, Everyone!

And please - don't shoot off firecrackers. Go see a fireworks show where there are trained professionals.

Plus, grill some meat today. You deserve it.

P.S. Thanks, Lefty!

Why I Love - And Hate - Comics

Every time a piece of me dies when I see some of the hype, like this piece from Newsarama....I then read something with passion and fire.

Please take a few moments and read this post on Kalinara's blog. I promise that you won't be disappointed.

July's Record You Should Own

First, I just want to say - this is probably the sexiest podcast I've done so far. Give it a listen. (There is some salty language, however)

Also, has anyone messed with Blogger's Layouts, and if so, whaddaya think?


Click here to get your own player.

The Writer is the Villain Of His Story

"It’s astonishing that this comic is DC’s best-selling comic. The only reason I can think of that is that people simply are desperate to see their favorite characters in a book together. That’s a terrible reason to buy a comic book." - Greg Burgas

I know, Greg, Ragnell, and the Absorbascon have all weighed into how bad this book is, but I would like to place the emphasis where it belongs - the writers, Brad Meltzer and Geoff Johns.

(Note - I am not a regular JLA reader, and only picked this up because I enjoy the old JLA/JSA team-ups. A friend lent me this issue...and they are a friend no more. But I digress)

Anyway, as I read this whole saga, something bothered me which I couldn't figure out...and then, once I read the "ending", as it were, it occurred to me - Meltzer and Johns essentially wrote what Roger Ebert termed "the idiot plot". In a way, it makes sense - these five issues are full of nice, little moments that don't really hang together, including

• Wildfire being made of Red Tornado technology? (You'd think android technology would improve in 2,000 years...)
• Dawnstar a lesbian? (Maybe I missed something, but I don't remember the groundwork being laid for this - can anyone clarify?)
• The surprise appearance of Degaton, Despero, and the Anti-Humanite (I actually thought there was a link to the birth of the white ape, but this went nowhere - this reminds me of the old Ibsen quote which states, "If you have a pistol on the mantle in act one, it better be fired in act two")
• Superman's fond remembrance of the Legion (OK, I liked this. I admit it. I'm a Legion fanboy)
• The nods to past continuity (OK, if you're trying to distract a group which has one of your former colleagues as a member, do you really reenact the death of a teammate? Or do you, say, conjure up the Fatal Five or Starfinger or someone else?)
• The cliche "surprise" ending? (Does anyone care who Braniac 5 "really wanted"?)
  

Let's compare this to the first JLA/JSA/LSH crossover in the first series of Justice League of America (which is conveniently reprinted in this trade) In this, we experience the following things happening

• The JLA and JSA are summoned to the 30th century
• They help the LSH fight Mordru, and prevent him from summoning the evil demons Snap, Crackle, and Pop*
• Thanks to magic, several members of all teams are under mind control
• Snap, Crackle and Pop are summoned, decide that they have their own agenda, and all three teams work to stop them

Now, you can easily accuse me of nostalgia for a 30 year old story - however, this story follows the basic rules of fiction as per your high school English class. There's an introduction of characters, a conflict, and resolution. Even this 30 year old story - with a cool fan-type moment - understands the principles of good storytelling. Unfortunately, Meltzer and Johns failed (and I'll lay more blame on Meltzer - his two series for DC had out-of-nowhere endings. Johns, at least, understands slightly the needs of narrative).

There's nothing wrong with having cool fan nods...but not at the expense of story. It's ironic that JLA # 10 received attention mostly for Michael Turner's cover than its content. My main concern is that, in bringing back the multiverse, DC will use it as an excuse for sloppy writing, rather than as a creative tool. In short, this kind of proves what I was trying to say awhile ago - that rather than appeal to readers, the Big Two are acting more out of their own fannish impulses.

Nothing wrong with fannish impulses - but used in a good story, they can add. However, Brad Meltzer has pretty much messed this story up, and demonstrated that he's more interested in his own fannish desires than, say, good storytelling. Comic readers deserve better.

However, as long as one person keeps drinking the Kool-Aid, we're never gonna get it.

---

*I know they're really the Demons Three, or Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast. Call it my snark of the day