Comic Junkie Part Two

OMAC R.I.P.

2012-01-25T23:43:00.000-08:00

In the old Star Trek series there was a mysterious barrier around the galaxy, and there seems to be one around OMAC: both the original Jack Kirby run and the DCnU run could not make it past the issue #8 mark-which is sad as OMAC was the one title of the DCnU that I was still reading.

In retrospect the new series was a homage to the original, as someone said on Facebook it was a "love letter to Jack Kirby" and why not?

OMAC is one of those characters that is always on the outskirts of the DC Universe. His first run cancelled mid-stream with a cliffhanger. He was revived in a series of back up stories in Warlord and appeared in Kamandi (sort of...kind of) as Kamandi found he was a decedent of Buddy Blank (OMAC's alter ego) and was briefly transformed by Brother Eye (OMAC's satellite enabler) into a blond punk war god.

OMAC cropped up in DC Comics Presents next to Superman himself, vanished off the radar for a while then reappeared in a four issue black and white series by John Byrne that was so good that I hated it at first but then learned to love it.

I was disappointed when DC, as it began it march of yearly mega crises brought back the concept with none of the soul as a robotic menace.

Two bright spots were the reprinting of Kirby's run in hardcover in color: not too bad DC (too bad you did not include the Cancelled Comics Cavalcade material though-fan gripe beep! beep! fan gripe!) and an appearance in real live animation (I know just roll with me here) on the Batman The Brave and the Bold animation series.

OMAC, poor OMAC, from a world where one can buy a girl-bot in a box; but can't get your own series into the double digits. Well at least you went out before that horrible new DC logo would have been pasted on your book.

Beat the Mid-Winter Blues with Comics-Not Food!

2012-01-25T23:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday after work I stopped at my favorite comic shop: Brooklyn Comics @ 493 7th Avenue in Brooklyn New York. Where else is there going to be a spinner rack outside of the store with issues of Little Lotta? I even found a Cracked Magazine on the outside rack.

Inside the store is jammed with boxes, I felt like I was at one of those good table at the convention. The owner has brought in more silver age comics with very reward 2 and 1 dollar boxes. I scored a coverless golden age science fiction comic, the aforementioned Cracked Magazine and some bronze age Marvels. There is a sale going on for recent issues at far less than cover price.

In talking to the owner he said it is slow around January so now might be a good time to come in and help boost the local economy. As always when I was there people from the neighborhood came in to chat. I was also happy to see parents leading their children into to the store to buy some comics. A good way to get into reading and art.

I was tempted to buy the oversized Flaming Carrot #1 on the wall, the back issues of Journey and the Black Adam Mego Retro figure, but my aspirations are always bigger than my wallet.

Ultimate Spider-Man Diversity or Race Baiting

2012-01-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

I have given much thought to Micheal Morales replacing Peter Parker as Spider-Man in the Ultimate comics version of our favorite Web Slinger.

Some people do not like the change seeing what Marvel says is an attempt at greater diversity actually being exploitative. I have to be in agreement with this one. Suppose you took Luke Cage and said he was going to be killed and a white guy was going to be Power Man? If a Japanese girl was going to be the new Storm or if the Bill Cosby role on I Spy was going to be recast by an Indian guy? Kind of hurts when it is on the other foot? That is the problem with diversity today, it is supposed to add something additional, instead it is always subtracting from one group for another. And it is hurtful.

How so?

Well first to begin with look at heroes like the Falcon, Luke Cage, Storm and Static. These were unique heroes crafted to be black from day one. There was an investment in creating a unique character, story, legend. Sure there were misfires like Black Goliath but other characters like Black Lightning are fondly remembered.

When you do the hand-me-down thing it is playing it safe. It is saying that we don't think a minority character can make it on its own unless it is grafted onto another character's legend.

It also sends a message to white readers that diversity is subtractive instead of expansive. It is a policy of supplanting instead of expanding.

I personally found the covers to be exploiting the racial angle also. The first issue at top was okay, but the second cover at bottom (Issue #6) has him rolling his mask up for no other reason than to be exploitative.

It is Marvel's playground ultimately so they can do in it what they like, but it does open a window into what society feels about the issue of diversity.

To have and to hold...Digital vs Print Comics

2011-11-26T04:49:00.000-08:00

I face this debate everyday when I open up my Kindle to do some reading. The Kindle allows me portability and to change the size of the font when my eyes are tired. That being said I still go to flea markets and used book stores to buy books.

Digital comics present their own set of challenges.

In their favor:

They are portable.
Once publishers offer on line more of their past comics you will be able to read a whole run of your favorite title. Efforts were made to recently to put comics on DVD ROMs.

Against:

The opposite of above, as of now not everything is out in digital.
Physical comics can gain value. Digital editions don't.
It will wreck and destroy the comic shops; while they all won't go under many will.
I can sell, trade and give away my physical comics, I can't legally do so with a digital edition.

That being said there is the sense of history you get when you hold a silver or golden age comics. You hold in your hands something that at one time was at the newsstand. You wonder who owned it. Sometimes a scribble here or a filled out coupon there give you a clue to the book's past. Each fold or tear is part of the book's history. Even the mint condition comics have a story to tell.

There is a price point also. Economically the middle people, your comic shop and distributor are being cut out of the deal. All the gravy goes to the publishers, and yet the price of digital comics remains close to the physical ones. There are sales but shops have dollar bins.

I believe that digital comics should have a license that when you buy it you can after a set period resell it or trade it. Though the problem is since the companies can sell infinite copies would there ever be a back issue market.

One thing I really would like to see is reprints of some of the extinct lines such as Quality Comics and other out of business publishers. Let those characters see the light of day. Heck! I think if Cracked Magazine went digital reprinting past issues of the magazine it would turn a profit.

I would like to think there is a balance. Look at newspapers, digital news did not destroy them, it supplemented them. Perhaps the same scheme will eventually happen with comics. We will still buy them where we do, but also be able to buy a back issue we could not afford on line as a digital copy. Time will show which way the market will go, but I always think this medium will be anchored in paper.

OMAC vs OMAC

2011-09-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

I actually remember when the first issue of OMAC came out on the newsstand. The cover was shocking in its simplicity with the white background. It was bold in the sense that the main character was only seen from afar with the woman in the box (predating the woman in the fridge by a good two decades).

The story was simple and straight forward (Spoiler) Buddy Blank (great shades of Dickens Batman) is such a nobody that he won't be missed when he is transformed into OMAC (who always reminded me of a non-flying Superman with a Mohawk).

The tagline "The World that's Coming" reflected the book. For its brief 8 issue run the series explored a future world where science had gone mad a big armies would be too disruptive. After the series was over there was a sort of cross-over with Kamandi though Kirby had left the book by then); a series of back up stories by Jim Starlin, and the occasional appearance in DC Comics Presents. He had also appeared in the cartoon "Batman: The Brave and the Bold."

I almost forgot a four issue prestige format series done by John Byrne which is well worth digging out. It had plenty of WTF? Moments but had a really great time twisting payoff. And if I remember right it was done in black and white. A very daring and overlooked jem.

I did not like the OMAC robots during some of the recent DC crossovers, which brings us to DCnU's version.

The new OMAC by Giffen is a homage to Kirby, it retains the original first issue's flavor and pacing while setting it in the present instead of the original book's future setting. I do not like the character design, it looks like blue Hulk stole somebody's OMAC costume from the superhero laundrymat. But overall I found the first issue enjoyable. I don't think this has the legs to last more than six issues but I will enjoy it while I can.

Ultimate Action and Ultimate X-Men-Seperated at Brith

2011-09-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

Okay I took a liberty in flipping the Action cover, I could have flipped the X-Men cover just to make the point more apparent. Homage? Or message? Ultimate Superman anyone?

The Brooklyn Comic Shop with a Mission

2011-09-11T20:38:00.001-07:00

How did I come across Brooklyn Comics & More? And why should you make the trip also?

Well the secret origin is I had an anthropology assignment and the comic shop I had gone to for years when I asked for some help looked at me as if I spat up issues of Heroes Reborn on their counter. Dejected I went outside, I remember passing a shop on 7th Avenue in Brooklyn while searching for a burrito and decided to give it a shot.

Like with tattoo shops I can pick up the vibe of the store as I go in, and I was not disappointed. While not huge in size the store packs a lot in and on sunny days has a spinner rack outside. I noticed an abundance of Archie and other titles throughout the shop. After revealing myself as a martian, wait! You did not just read that...flash...as I just said after revealing myself to be an anthropology student I talked to the Vice President of the store Gary.

His mission is to bring more children into the hobby. While I was there several kids came into the shop on their own. Gary helped them with their purchases in a non-patronizing manner.

The shop really goes all out to help its customers, special ordering items and they carry a very nice selection of independents. I bought my retro Mego Darkseid figure there.

Every Holmes needs a Watson and in this shop it is Jennifer (or is it Jenny? I am horrible with names). She is more knowledgeable on past plot lines than even I am. You can see she has a passion for the hobby and actually reads what she sells.

I have come in on a Thursday and have often seen Gary and Jennifer checking the new book racks and carefully making their next order. The precision of this process is staggering and shows the micro-economy that most comic shops must function under to survive. Often they will mention customers by name and know who needs what or who bought what.

I always seem to come in when there is a sale, the last time they were selling complete sets of various series and prestige stuff going back to the 1980s. I picked up a lot of books I had been looking for.

Another nice thing is the sense of community, when things are a little slow I have come in and we have talked about a wide range of things including what music superheroes listen to. I still say Superman listens to classic rock or country but I might be wrong.

Gary once said this store was his dream and I can respect that, and that is why I patronize this shop and encourage you to do so.

It is located at 493 7th Avenue Brooklyn NY 1-718-840--5840.

DCnU : Its the Dollar Stupid!

2011-07-31T06:01:00.000-07:00

DC is wonder why its audience is collapsing: Could it be the price of comics? Duh! Let's look at some figures.

Even adjusting for inflation the 12 cents you spend on a comic in 1968 adjusted for inflation would cost 74 cents today, not the $2.99 to $3.99 it would cost today.
At one time DC was offering in the 1970's a 100 pages for 50 to sixty cents, and 52 pages for a quarter. True there were reprints but often they were ones you had not read. Currently you get a big 20 pages for the three to four dollars you are spending.
Value per page the Marvel Essential Spider Woman is $16.95 for 568 pages= about 2 cents a page. If you spend $3.99 for 20 pages it is almost 19 cents a page.

Clearly part of it is the pricing. I think DC must look into ways of boosting page counts of its books.

One way would be to switch to cheaper newsprint and even try black and white like the essentials with color and better paper when the stories are reprinted in the trades. Another idea would be a smaller Manga style format (the bulk of which are in black and white).

Lastly DC needs to pick up more advertising to supplement bigger page counts. Look at fashion magazines they are back breakers that are supported by ads. Comic Con International with its multi media focus shows comic fans will support ads for music, movies, and television that go beyond the genre.

Clearly it is important for readers to find a bargain at the comics shops and not just in the quarter bins.

DC Reboot: Where are the Women?

2011-07-31T05:48:00.000-07:00

Part of DC's reason for the reboot of all its titles is to bring in new readers. The aim seems to be to recruit children and teens to comics by simplifying its continuity. However, this approach seems to be missing one of the key audiences that would boost new comics sales: Women.

This new reboot with the ousting of Secret Six a title with strong female characters and writing by Gail Simone, the cancellation of Powergirl, and with Barbara Gordon going from the mastermind (and symbol of hope for the disabled) Oracle to just another costumed head buster (Batgirl), things don't look good.

Female fans are out there. A talk I had with a comic shop owner showed that Sandman was a big seller to women, who are currently buying: Chew amongst other titles. Clearly if DC wants to raise its sales instead of rehashing the old formula how about launching titles women would buy and making an effort to diversify their creative staff with more women?

Let's face it when DC launched the silver age it was a mostly white male club, but the target audience has since fragmented spending their money on video games and Manga when they read. For DC to catch up it needs to expand its fan base and that means the end of the comic book sausage fest. And who knows, with more women coming into the shops maybe more guys will follow.

Fan-UP

2011-06-10T04:59:00.001-07:00

If you like the DC Nu go out and buy it! If not show some courage drop all DC titles. The only way they are going to know our displeasure is if you vote with your wallet.

Don't Call it Reboot

2011-06-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

I know some fans are saying the sweeping changes to DC is not a reboot, but then what is it? It is said that some characters origins will be changed and others will be given minor tweaks (hopefully not leaving any marks). This is a recipe for disaster.

As the song says "...let me tell you about the man of steel."

Crisis on Infinite Earths was DC's attempt at some housekeeping; I never found it to be necessary as the same could have been done by just retiring characters or making changes along the way. If anything the Crisis robbed DC of that rich tapestry of alternate earths.

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths was over John Byrne took control of the Superman titles. One of the changes he made was that there no Superboy, Superman took up the role of Superman when he reached adulthood as he did in the first Superman movie. There was no Supergirl or other survivors of Krypton. He did, however, allow Ma and Pa Kent to live longer than they had in the old continuity for which I am sure they are grateful.

Okay, small problem, no Superboy, who then inspired the Legion of Superheroes? A key element of the Legion was that it was based on the deeds of Superboy and Supergirl.

Eventually they decided on a pocket universe where lived the Superboy who inspired them. However, this poor Superboy was promptly killed off.

It turns out that everytime the Legion had gone back in time they were "pushed" into the pocket universe. Next problem though, all the Legion stories involving the DCU now came into question. In the silver age Superman often met the Legion, but now he did not know them. So who was the silver age Superman they had met? If you say that these stories never existed post-Crisis then they are not part of the cannon, which destroys any of the stories and events linked to them.

Let us not even go into the Hawkman mess...

Crisis on Infinite Earth was an attempt at a full reboot; this partial reboot (a re-bootie?) can only lead to more problems than it solves. They are right, don't call it a reboot, call it a mess.

DC Universe and Archie Shall Save You!

2011-06-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Is a reboot really what DC needs? I think the savior of the DC Universe is right across the comic racks in the guise of Life With Archie. This is opening your market done right.

First off it is magazine size, so the art is bigger. The price is $3.99 for this oversized comic magazine that could be sold in many places regular comics cannot be.

Then there is the content; the series shows to alternate tracks; one in which Archie marries Betty Cooper and the other in which he marries Veronica Lodge. There is a page of exposition that brings readers up to speed and then we jump into the two different stories.

Of course these are different than the regular Archie titles, but readers are smart and know this. Archie tried their "real-look" stories and their "manga-look" stories but did not do a line wide change. Archie's problem is the opposite of DC, they want to bring in the older reader and I think they are doing a good job with this title.

DC should really call Mr. Weatherbee and take notes.

Jim Lee Master of the DC Universe

2011-06-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

Was I the only one who was underwhelmed with Jim Lee's redesign of the Justice League? The costumes looked like the worst of the 1990s. And what was that thing around Wonder Woman's neck? Why did the Flash need a neck strap on his costume, did he grow a goatee he is trying to hide.

One disturbing thought in my head is this: If Jim Lee redesigns all these costumes does it effectively mean that nobody can ever make a claim against DC such as the ongoing action by the estate of the creators of Superman? Something to think about.

It all appears to be Heroes Reborn all over again.

DC Comics The Alternate to the Reboot

2011-06-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

Does DC have an alternate to the reboot it wants to undertake this September? Yes, but it would involve some hard work, but in the end it would actually make their line stronger. These steps would include:

Recognizing that good stories bring them in. Watchmen, Camelot 3000, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns; the 1970s Neal Adams run on Green Lantern; Jack Kirby's New Gods; Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run and Starman. All were great stores that have stood the test of time and have been reprinted over again.
Recruit from overseas and around the world new artists and writers that can bring a fresh take on these characters. Stop relying on your stable of small "name brand" artists and writers to save the day.
Take chances with your characters, real chances, not some reboot you can walk away from.
Yes changes can come, but make them organic, not part of some sweeping company wide crossover. Let Green Arrow hang it up and let a younger person take up the bow.
Invade the Manga racks where many of the young fans are hanging out. The Vertigo line lends itself well to this task.
Set up playgrounds for new ideas. DC needs the equivalent of Marvel's Max and Ultimate lines where changes and stories can be told without alienating your key fan base.

I don't think any of this will be done and in the long run DC will have a mess on their hands. A letter will go out and some rewriting shall be undertaking as was done with Heroes Reborn.

DC The Rebooting the Fans

2011-06-05T04:55:00.000-07:00

Well, as everyone has read DC is going to reboot its entire line of comics (yet again) this September in the quest of a sales spike and media coverage resulting in new fans coming to the ranks. In addition, DC will make available digital editions of its comics available on the same day that the new comics ship to the comic shops.

I think this is a massive case of "group-think" (this is where a group of people get together and come into consensus with nobody voicing contrary opinions) at its worst, here is why:

The younger readers they hope to woo are into Manga. Here in New York all you have to do is walk into a library or Barnes & Noble and you shall find the under 21s crowded around the manga sections.
Just as with the "Death of Superman" or on the Marvel side of the coin "The Outing of Northstar" there is a spike in sales followed by a drop. Who takes it on the chin? The comics shops.
Other people will run to the shops thinking these new number ones are an investment when they are not. Why are older comics so valuable? No one saved them and they have genuine scarcity. Sometimes modern comics spike upwards due to movie excitement, but then go back down to their prior price levels.
The long time fans might not support this action. They are tired to two solid years of Countdown, 52 and Brightest Day. Everyone was waiting for some sort of payoff that never materialized.
People are sick of reboots. The Legion of Superheroes was just starting to get on track when they are going to reboot again.

In the end all this action will do is serve to alienate longtime fans and drive them towards Marvel and other venues. It is an ugly circle, as they will be forced to???? Reboot yet again. But will anyone care.

Who is Killing the Great Book and Comic Shops of Brooklyn?

2011-05-30T19:18:00.001-07:00

A few months ago Rocketship Comics on Smith Street was closed for a while; I wondered what was up. There was no sign, then one appeared saying they would "try to be re-open soon."

Someone actually put up a sign saying they missed them. Finally the shop had a going out of business sale and the prices went down and down. I had never gone to the shop before; I was scared off by their alternate business look, did they only sell Nancy and Sluggo books? I felt for them. They took their shot at the top and it was not to be. I did swallow my shame and helped them liquidate their inventory by buying a few armloads of trade paperbacks before they locked their doors.

Then Heights Books went under, also located on Smith Street. They had prided themselves on being eclectic with a bit of snobbery thrown in. I scored several piles of cheap old paperbacks, whose covers I scanned for my other blog. But the snobs were just not breaking out the cash.They had sale, after sale. I went in it was "fill up a bag" for a set price. I could not find anything to put in my bag.

They shortly closed. One day I walked by and it looked like a sex toy store had opened in the same storefront; but it was only a "dress-up" for a movie that was being filmed. I should have known better; those yuppie mothers; who think it is 1930's America would not stand for such a thing; even though that is how they got to be yuppie mothers in the first place.

Now I see the bookstore on Atlantic Avenue has a 50% off sign in its window with "The End is Near" written underneath. At first I thought it was a tie-in with the May 21 "Doomsday" predictions, now I am not so sure.

What is making these bookstores fall? Well first off there is the snob factor, the selections tried to be overly highbrow. Disorganization; please put books in clearly marked sections, I want to browse the subject I am interested in, not search the store to find it. And price wise you have to compete against Barnes and Noble and Amazon; so price accordingly, if not the new stuff (which neither bookstore carried) at least with the used stuff.

It is rough to run a used bookstore but it can be done. Here's a Bookstore on Coney Island Avenue has moved at least twice and has been in business for at least twenty-five years. They are a store for book lovers, not for pretensions.

Beatles and Napster

2011-05-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

I gave up eMusic and signed up for Napster. So far I am liking it and it works on my Droid phone. One thing though; the Beatles are missing. Oh they have every Beatles tribute and cover band, and some Beatles interviews but that is it.

Now I know they are overly conservative in venturing into the electronic world, look how long it took them to go with Apple for iTunes. It is a shame that the most innovative group of musicians has (along with their heirs) turned so conservative.

Other groups are cranking out albums with unreleased material; the Beatles have more material that is unreleased out there (though not as much as Jimi Hendrix who has had more albums out dead than when he was alive) than what they put on their Anthology series; which was over a decade ago but we will never hear it.

So what do I do? I listen to the Kinks, The Rolling Stones, and Mojo Nixon. What does that say? Other people's brands are out there getting more fame and meanwhile even the Fab Four's star may start to fade...

eMusic Goodbye

2011-05-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally had to kiss eMusic goodbye. They switched from a credits systems (x amount of credits = and album) to one of cash.

That I could live with.

What I could not live with was that if I had a busy month and did not use my credit by the next refill; Bam! My credits from the prior month disappeared.

Then there was the dangling remainder. I'd buy two albums and had a small amount of change/credits left over that would do me no good. I could buy a song or two but that was it; I tried buying an album over the months but it did not work out!

And what really hurt was when I cancelled one of the answers to the questions on their exit-survey was about not being able to "roll-over" credits as being one of the reasons someone would cancel their account.

They make a little extra over the nickels and dimes they take from customers but lose customers in the long run! And they don't have to do this, but will continue to do so until they hurt enough to do the right thing.

Amazing Spider-Man 657

2011-05-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

After Johnny Storm died I kept hearing that line from a Beatles song: "...you are going to carry that weight for a long time." But this issue was special. First off the simplicity of the cover, just a quiet moment of reflection.

The story dealt with Spider-Man's long history with the FF and with Johnny. There were some great lighthearted stories within (even a funny one with Sue). This is the cement that allows Spidey at long last join the quartet; a shame he is going to be tossed out like yesterday's news when Johnny comes flying home.

Jimmy Olsen: Back in Form

2011-05-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

I am just loving this comic. Prior to this Jimmy had three states: first there was the goofy adventures he had in the 1960's; then there was the fantastic Kirby run; followed by his more adult adventures for the remain of his run in his own title. After The Crisis he became just a loser, kicked out of his house, losing his job. In short he was Peter Parker without the spider-powers. This collection made up for it; they give a head nod to the more fantastic story elements and update Jimmy without him being Superman's overly-dependent pal. Much enjoyable.

Bones: Not a Bad Season But No More Zach?

2011-05-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

This season got off to a slow start, but at least we did not have Booth acting like a love sick pup. But what happened to Zach! Ever since they screwed him over and wrote him out of the series he was appearing at least once a year. Now he has been all but forgotten.

Now that Bones is entering its seventh and probably final season maybe it is time to add some drama by bringing him back and dumping the "intern-of-the-week" concept.

Oh! And I thought that "Finder" backdoor pilot with the guy who finds stuff should be left at the backdoor. It sucked, I can't see it being made into a series. I never liked the backdoor pilot concept as for all of eternity there will be that one episode that had the regular cast playing second fiddle to the newcomers.

The only one I liked is the Star Trek one with the guy with the cat, but that is because it was incorporated into the rest of the story.

Well I am Back

2011-05-30T16:26:00.001-07:00

With a break in school before summer classes begin I am going through my pile of comics from my pull list. Book after book. Some I glimpse and some I steel myself to read. Have been enjoying the Red Hulk in HULK best of all so far.

NBC and Jay Leno

2010-01-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

Every company needs to hire somebody who is entitled to break into the homes of upper management, grab them by the neck and shake them while screaming loudly "What were you thinking?"

Hence this whole Jay Leno thing could have been avoided. I just think the networks tried to save by running a talk show five nights a week instead of dramas and it came back to bite them.

Even if you had a nude woman doing the show for five nights a week eventually the ratings would go south (hey! I did say eventually).

Doctor Who The End of Time - I am feeling the blues.

2010-01-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

It is sort of ironic, that I have not felt so sad watching a television show since the end of Life on Mars (USA version); since a member of the British cast of L.O.M. played the Master on this the last episode of David Tennant's reign as the 10th Doctor.

Spoiler:

In The End of Time Part Two The Doctor absorbs a fatal dose of radiation and is dying; he goes around saying good-bye to all his companions, then he takes the TARDIS (and if you do not know what that is you should not be reading this article, it must have no interest to you); and flys into space. He sobs that he does not want to go, voicing what every viewer must have felt. Then he regenerates into the youngest Doctor ever who laughingly takes to the role.

I know Tennant could not portray the Doctor forever, but it is kind of like losing a friend.

A second bit of irony is that I turned on my trusty really old Zen music player and what came on it of all things: Changes by David Bowie; a Doctor Who and Life on Mars link. Well I guess I will just have to sit this one out and wait to see what happens next.

Watching Doctor Who is like buying a puppy, you know you will have fun, but in all likelyhood you will watch it grow old and die, and then replace it, and that is how I feel now, at the sad end of the trek.

Netflix 28 Days Later - Netflix Customers Punished

2010-01-10T03:53:00.001-08:00

It was recently announced that Netflix, in a deal with Warner Bros., will delay the release of Warner Bros. DVDs for 28 days in order to let Warner Bros. have more of a chance to sell their DVD prior to them becoming available for rental. In exchange Netflix will be allowed to stream more of Warner Bros. movies.

Who does this hurt? Well in my opinion this is specifically punishing Netflix users, as other DVD by mail services, and "brick and mortar" stores will not be taking part in this embargo. What is Netflix going to say; "Use Netflix and get the hottest titles a full month after release?" And it does not look any better on the horizon as other studios will broker the same deal.

This will actually encourage me to try Blockbuster where they don't charge an extra $8.00 fee for blu-ray rentals, or even the automated Red-Box kiosks. I would have never done so if it was not for their move to delay movies. Let's face it this "deal" will only encourage people to go to less ethical sources for their movies; or borrow friend's copies.

Will it kill me no! I can wait, but I think it is the principle of the issue here. I, who was a booster about how great Netflix was, can no longer say so. 28 Days Later was a horror movie, but now it is also the term I use for how I am treated as a loyal customer.