Comics and Geeks

What Collected Editions or Graphic Novels Would You Want With You On a Deserted Island

2016-04-07T17:32:00.000-04:00

I just saw this post over on SF Signal tonight and followed up and read Part 1. Which graphic novels I'd want with me on a desert island is a topic I’ve thought about a lot.
The interesting thing about the limitation of not allowing titles like Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, or Maus, is that none of those titles would make my list regardless.
So what collected editions and graphic novels would I want with me if I were stuck on a deserted island?

Robert’s Deserted Island Collected Editions and Graphic Novel Collection Part 1

Planetary: Absolute Edition by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday, and Laura Martin (nee DePuy)

Planetary is very close to being my all-time favorite series. It's a 27 issue limited series plus three one-shot crossover issues published separately that took about 11 years to complete.
My discovery of Planetary was almost accidental. I bought The Authority #1 because of the gorgeous Bryan Hitch / Paul Neary artwork and widescreen action. I enjoyed the story as much as the art. Someone in the comics shop told me that Planetary and Authority were going to crossover, so on a whim, I picked up the last copy of Planetary #1 and the then new issue #2. I was hooked. Planetary #3 with the Hong Kong ghost cop may very well be my favorite single issue of any superhero comic ever.

Laura Martin is the first comics colorist whose work I followed as I would pencilers, inkers, or writers. She "grew up" in Wildstorm's coloring group and helped computerized coloring progress out of the "gee whiz" era of the early and mid 90's into a mature artform. It was in reading some of what Warren Ellis had written about Laura in the early days of Planetary that led me to pay attention to her work and that of other colorists over the years.
John Cassaday is the other "unknown" talent that came out of Planetary. Cassaday's work on Planetary is another case of watching an artist fully come into his own and have his style develop to insane heights. It was Planetary that led to John getting Astonishing X-Men which is one of the most beautiful X-Men series in a very long time to come out of Marvel, regardless of how I feel about Joss Whedon's writing on the series.

As beautiful as Cassaday's art and Laura Martin's coloring is on the standard comics page; they are phenomenally gorgeous in the enlarged size of the Absolute Editions. If you can't get the Absolute Editions (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2), there is a Complete Authority collection out this January (now) that collects the entire series including the three crossovers.

You can also get The Planetary Omnibus, which contains the entire series in one large, oversized volume. The paper isn't quite as good. It's convenient to have in one volume that you can pack in that large suitcase you will have to check.

The Witching Hour by Jeph Loeb and Chris Bachalo

The Witching Hour is one of those titles that is just offbeat, and you will either like it or you won't. First, I have to say that Chris Bachalo is one of my all-time favorite artists. I didn't become familiar with his work until Generation X and the two Death limited series but once I did, I followed his work like a hawk. Secondly, I have to say that I'm normally not a huge fan of Jeph Loeb's comics writing. Somehow in this series, Loeb managed to impress me.

This quirky book deserves a post of its own. I describe The Witching Hour as Fantasy Island meets Leverage. It's the story of Grey and his compatriots as they try to help people by giving them the opportunity to be better. As in real life, most of the time, those they are seeking to help slip right back into the morass they managed to climb out of but occasionally someone manages to stick it out and fight their way back on top.

It was a four issue square bound series. It's out of print, but I've had no problem finding the issues and graphic novels on eBay for reasonable if not cheap prices.

GI Joe: A Real American Hero by Larry Hama and friends

Like many kids who grew up in the 80s, the first comic book series that I followed faithfully was GI Joe: A Real American Hero, written almost entirely by Larry Hama.

What can I say about Larry Hama? The man is a craftsman. He is a talented artist, drawing the famous "Silent Issue", issue #21, but it is as a writer that Mr. Hama shines.

One of my favorite issues of the series was #34 where Ace and Lady Jaye in the Sky Striker go up against Wild Weasel and Baroness in the Rattler. It was this cool two scene (by scene, I mean the interior of the two planes) story where each set of characters were interacting together and with each other without any real communication happening between the two aircraft.

Other favorites were the issues of Storm Shadow's various transitions, including being somewhat possessed by the ancient warriors that were used to build Serpentor briefly.

The bonds between the "brothers" Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes were some of the best moments in the series.

One of the big elements that run through the series, again and again, is the constant struggle between vengeance and forgiveness. There is the story arc of Zartan and his time pretending to be the Blind Master and trying to redeem himself only to slide back into being a criminal thanks in no small part to the machinations of Cobra Commander. There is also the scene where Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes reconcile after Storm Shadow breaks into the Pit II.

GI Joe: A Real American Hero had well developed plots with complex characters and very rarely, if ever, completely dropped a subplot, even if it took years to circle back around to resolve it. In many ways, GI Joe did a better job of being the book that Chris Claremont tried to make the X-Men in his 80s stories. Somehow Larry Hama could keep up with the balls he kept throwing in the air better than most other creators.

X-Men Inferno by a whole bunch of people

There is an entire group of X-Book crossovers that happened around this time. Some of them were good, and others weren't.

Inferno was the grandaddy of them all. It touched not only the X-Books but crossed over and affected almost every Marvel title at the time. It is one of the rare crossovers whose effects were felt for years to come. From the transition of Cyclops's wife into the Goblyn Queen and beyond to Hobgoblin's transformation into a real demon/goblin in the Spider-Man books, The Inferno transformed elements of the entire Marvel Universe either directly or indirectly.

Inferno is when the world including their former colleagues who were part of the teams Excalibur, X-Factor, and New Mutants learned that the Uncanny X-Men were still alive having been thought dead for some time.

The artwork by Marc Silvestri was dynamic and kinetic and beautiful.

Mutant Massacre by a very similar bunch of people

In many ways, the Mutant Massacre was felt just as widely as the Inferno, but it was also a much quieter crossover. Much of the action happened offscreen. We mostly heard about what was going on. Also, this was during the (first) time that Magneto had joined the X-Men and was the headmaster of the school. This meant that the New Mutants were Magneto's responsibility, and he didn't know where they were or what was going on with them.

The thing that makes the Mutant Massacre so rereadable is the emotions come through in many of the titles that were involved. It's the subtlety and the overwhelming sadness that affected the entire X-Men corner of the Marvel Universe.

The Immortal Iron Fist by Matt Fraction, David Aja, and friends

I've written about The Immortal Iron Fist before. All I'll add today is that The Complete Immortal Iron Fist Volume 1 was released and I bought it to keep in my truck so that when I was somewhere stuck waiting without didn't have a book with me (yeah right), I'd have something to read.

Hawkeye by Matt Fraction, David Aja, and friends

Hawkeye is by the same core team that gave us Immortal Iron Fist. It's a street level Hawkeye book. It's Fraction's love letter to The Rockford Files.

Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne by John Byrne

John Byrne's run on Fantastic Four, as cliched as it is, is right up there with Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's run. He did more with these characters than anyone else since Jack and Stan and up until I'd dare say Matt Fraction, Mark Bagley, and Mike Allred's recent run.

There was the destruction and replacement of the Baxter Building. You had Doom II / Kristoff coming into power. Thing stayed behind on Beyonder World and the recruitment of She-Hulk, possibly bringing She-Hulk the status she deserves. Sue Storm-Richards coming into her own and her transformation from Invisible Girl into Invisible Woman.

Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walt Simonson by Walt Simonson

This was one of the most fun runs on the Fantastic Four. We had time travel. We had adventures. We had dinosaurs. And of course, the "resurrection" and return of the one true Dr. Doom.
Plus we got the Fantastic Four II team of Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider all drawn by Arthur "Don't Call Me Art" Adams for a three issue adventure.
All-Star Superman: Absolute Edition by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
I think this may be my all-time favorite Superman story in spite of Grant Morrison doing his best to create the ultimate Superman story.

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

All-Star Superman crams in almost every trope of the Silver Age Superman stories into 12 issues and makes it work as a cohesive whole. The artwork by Frank Quitely feels like some of his best. It's almost like they almost gave him enough time to do it the way he wanted to do it.
It also fulfills the promise of every Superman story that Grant Morrison has ever told including the DC 1,000,000 mega event of the early 2000s. We get to revisit some of the future Supermen one more time and see where they originated.

All-Star Superman can be read and enjoyed completely on its own. The only exception is the Jimmy Olsen references. If you've never seen the stories where he gained powers and tried to be a superhero, you might not appreciate the jokes. Even with that caveat, if you happen to be aware of any of the other material referenced, it makes the experience all the more full but you can enjoy the title thoroughly without it.

Grendel War Child by Matt Wagner

All of Grendel would qualify but Grendel War Child would be a must. It’s my favorite of all of the Grendel tales. I’m not sure if it’s the whole Paladin protecting the young "prince" or if it’s the fancy lightsaber, but there are elements of this story that resonate with every post-apocalyptic heroic tale I’ve ever read or seen in movies. I can read this one over and over again.

I'd go with The Grendel Omnibus Vol. 4 because it's a highly portable volume and it contains not only War Child but the other parts of the Grendel Prime's story.

Titles That Are Conspicuously Absent From This List

Watchmen

I read it once. I liked it. I can't possibly ever read it again. I've tried. It's too bad too. I like some of the characters, like Rorschach, whom we're not supposed to like too much, and Ozymandias. It could be that I came to Watchmen several (I think 10) years after it was released and I had read so many of the pretenders and copycats that came out after.

Dark Knight Returns

Of the holy trinity, this one could almost make my list. I do reread The Dark Knight Returns. It's hokey and dated and yet at the same time, it's very readable regardless of the era.
Carrie Kelly is the star of this book, not Bruce Wayne or Batman. Superman is a parody of himself and treated as such.

Maus

It's a damn good book but I can't reread it over and over again while stranded on an island. I do revisit it from time-to-time. It's good for a reread but it bums me out too much to have in my Deserted Island Collection.

Tell us what comics or graphic novels you'd want with you if you were stranded on a desert island in the comments.

Big Hero 6

2014-11-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

We saw Big Hero 6 this weekend. It was really good.

Sadly, the most interesting and most fleshed out character dies early in the film (or does he?). The villain has the coolest costume.

It has a couple of plot twists that should shock most kids under 10 and be mind numbing my obvious to anyone over 12 who has seen a film in the last 30 years. In this case, it doesn't really take away from enjoying the film. It's not about the destination. It's about the journey. I would have liked to have had Godzilla appear but there will likely be a sequel so there is hope.

There is lots of cool science in it. Tons of near future tech too. One review I read said the reviewer's daughter said she wanted to go to college to study science after watching it.

The main lead is mopey and angst ridden for much of the film. He's likeable but very much like a younger brother. The rest of the team while not completely flat are 2 dimensional overall.

The Stan Lee cameo is funny. There is one post credit scene. It doesn't really set anything up but it's funny. Think the shawarma scene after the credits in The Avengers.

Overall, I'm looking forward to the DVD when I can watch it again.

3.5/4 Stars

Snowpiercer

2014-11-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

I watched it this weekend. All I can say is "Whoa".

It's a beautiful piece of cinema. It's the director's first piece in English. He's Korean.

It's a post apocalyptic film about a train. The last remaining life on Earth is on this train. The people at the back of the train, the tail, are less than steerage. From the beginning there is a clear caste/class system in place but we don't have a clear pictures of how extreme the class gaps may be. It's certainly a story on par with a story like 1984.

Chris Evans gives a killer performance as Curtis. They go to great lengths to hide his Captain America era physique so that he'd look like he fit in a society of folks who are starving.

To say much more is to give away so much of the story.

It is based on a French graphic novel from the 80s but is an original piece. It was inspired by the graphic novel. The story is completely different as are the characters.

It's definitely worth watching. I give it a 3.5/4 stars.

It has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

As I stumbled through life the other day.....

2014-09-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Somehow, the other day, I ended up on Disney's back lot.

I have never been a Disney Geek, but I immediately recognized the Roy E. Disney building. Why wouldn't I? I've seen it in enough pictures and shows over the years. It is easy to enough to recognize. LOL. Who wouldn't?

While everyone else in the car seemed indifferent, I found it to be rather exciting. I noticed that the people working at the building seemed to have grown quite custom to it's presence. In fact, when I looked around the driveway, everyone was merely arriving or heading to a meeting.

I took a quick snapshot and headed in a different building, in a different direction - to my own meeting.

New 52: Green Arrow ArtFX+ Statue

2014-09-12T04:14:00.000-04:00

This is part of the ongoing series being produced by Kotobukiya. If you haven't had a chance to look at any of the others, I would definitely recommend that you go back and take a look. As I have already mentioned, I have already picked up Aquaman and the Flash. The next one on my list is the Green Arrow.

Specs
Distributor: DC Direct
Sculptor: Atelier Bamboo

Height: 7.5”
Available: November 2014
Price: $59.99

Pros
As I tend to prefer simplified, I'm sticking to some bullets:

Pricing. This entire series has been the perfect price. For beginners, budget conscious, or someone considering having the entire DC universe. The price on this one makes it an easy to have.
The sculpting, colors, and even the pose are spot on. Similar to Aquaman, this is simply a pretty piece. One of my favorite parts of the sculpture is the bow. NICE!
He still has an Errol Flynn look to him, with the updated look of wearing the hood.

Cons

While it is an awesome stand alone piece, he still does look better with the collection. Other than that, I couldn't really see a con to getting him.

Recommendation: HOT BUY!

From price, to the sculpting and colors, this is a beautiful piece. I have a very good feeling that he will be sitting on my desk. Finally, whether you realize it or not, Errol Flynn (who was before my time) was still cool.

Kotobukiya Deathstroke - Just WOW!

2014-09-11T21:00:00.001-04:00

In the midst of relocating, I haven't had that much time for collecting statues; however, there was no way that I was going to pass on the Kotobukiya Deathstroke statue.

Wow! This was an excellent snatch.

Kotobukiya is doing some incredible work.

Especially on their 52 series. While I wouldn't mind having the entire collection, I'm being rather selective. If you haven't picked any of them up, you should. It looks like they will be doing the entire DC Universe. Or, I could be simply fantasizing. There are a lot of obscure heroes and villains that I would love to add to my collection, and the 52 series is an excellent medium. I've grabbed both Aquaman and the Flash. I am waiting on the Green Arrow.

Back to Deathstroke. WOW! Have I said, "Wow!"

While it is fun that I can remove his mask, I really prefer it on. Overall, the sculpting and paint job are spot on. Kudos to Kotobukiya.

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It Must Be Great To Have a Dad Who Can Turn You Into a Super Hero

2014-03-28T08:07:00.000-04:00

Daniel Hashimoto is a Dreamworks animator and one of the greatest dads ever.

While pretending to be Batman, waving a light saber about, and jumping over lava onto your couch were all things we did as kids, nothing is as cool as seeing yourself doing these in real life.

Check out some of the videos from The Action Movie Kid Youtube channel.

Check out the rest of the videos on The Action Movie Kid.

via Gizmodo

Social Superheros

2013-11-21T07:07:00.000-05:00

I have been doing a lot of emarketing, marketing automation, and social media research. Such research lead me to the "If Social Sites Were Superheros" Infographic. I had to repost it.

DC Comics Bombshells: Wonder Woman

2013-09-23T08:24:00.000-04:00

This is the first in a new line of DC Statues featuring the Women of DC. Based on pinups of the ‘40s and ‘50s (that’s 1940s and 1950s to you whipper snappers), this whole line intrigues me since I love ‘40s and ‘50s pinups and I love the Women of DC.

DC has a promo video featuring the statue. It’s just a bunch of shots of the statue with the occasional view of the design artwork. Neat but missable.

Specs:

Distributor: DC Direct
Sculptor: Tim Miller
Height: 10.1”
Available: May 2013 (Yes. I know I’m late. Sorry!)
Price: $124.95 but I found it for $99.99 at Gamestop.

Robert’s Two Cents:

Pros:

It’s a really cool sculpt of Wonder Woman.
The paint is awesome.
The right balance of cartoony and comic book realistic.
The base is cool even though it features the same picture the statue is based on.
Price. At $124.95 this piece is affordable.

Cons:

As one commenter on the video points out, I’m not sure Wonder Woman and Rockabilly go together.

Recommendation:

Hot Buy! It’s a great tribute to Wonder Woman and Rosie the Riveter. I think that’s what I like most about it. I’m no feminist but there’s something compelling about the story of Rosie the Riveter and the women of the ‘40s stepping into the work force and taking on jobs that the men held exclusively up to that point. The is the right mix of sexy and empowered woman. She is strong, confident, and beautiful at the same time. Overall, it’s a nice piece at a great price.

Universal Monsters 9in Scale Creature From The Black Lagoon

2013-09-20T07:58:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that the Creature From the Black Lagoon is my favorite of the Universal Monsters. There are lots of reasons.

The film was filmed in Silver Springs near Ocala, FL, which is near where I live. It's the one Universal Monster that is an original creation. He looks really, really cool!

Distributor: Mezco

Size: 9" tall

Articulation: 11 Points

Price: $29.00 from Mezco/Retail and I found it on Amazon for $49.00.

Robert's Two Cents

Points in Favor:

It's The Friggin' Creature From the Black Lagoon
Excellent detail
Beautiful colors
It has 11 points of articulation

Points Against:

It has 11 points of articulation.
Price. $29 is high for an action figure but not too bad for shelf art.

Recommendation: Buy. It's a cool piece. It's a little cartoony but not too cartoony. It will look cool on a shelf. It's The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Also offered in a New York Comic Con Exclusive Translucent Version for $60.00. There was also a black & white version offered over the summer that is now sold out.

Buy direct from Mezco.

Buy from Amazon (affiliate link).

DC Comics Cover Girls Huntress Statue

2013-09-18T08:11:00.000-04:00

I love the Huntress and really love this version of her costume.

Distributor: DC Direct
Designer: Stanley "Artgerm" Lau
Sculptor: Jack Mathews
Size: Approximately 9.8" Tall
Release Date: March 2014, should be in the next Previews
Price $99.95

Robert's Two Cents:

Points in Favor:

It's the Huntress, one of my favorite Earth 2 characters from the 1970's. OK it's really the post crisis Earth version of one of my favorite Earth 2 characters from the 1970's, but you get the idea.
I love the colors. Great paint job.
The upper body pose is all action and well represented action at that.
I love the price point of $99.95 (aka $100) and to me the size is generous for the price point.

Points Against:

The lower part of her body is standing completely upright like a museum version.

Recommendation: PASS: I really, really want to want this statue...but I don't. If the upper body and the lower body looked like they were part of the same statue, I'd be all over this. The legs just need to reflect what is happening in the upper body just a little. That's it. That's all that is missing.

Am I being too harsh? Let me know what you think in the comments.

DC Direct: Fables Book Ends

2013-09-11T15:12:00.005-04:00

I know Zimm was reading Fables for a long time and this one is for him.

I am not a reader of Fables but I appreciate what they have done with the characters and do have my own affinity for the characters.

Distributor: DC Direct
Designed by: Mark Buckingham
Sculptor: Mike Locasio
Size: Approximately 8 1/2” tall
Release Date: March 2014, and will be in the next Previews
Price: $249.95

Robert's Two Cents

Points in Favor

Great characters and a great design.
The expensive looking gun metal silver will look great with your Fables hard covers in between them.
It has a flying monkey on it.
Just the right amount of detail.
Even if you’re not a Fables fan, they are a great pair of book ends with classic characters on them.

Points Against

They are a pricy pair of book ends.

Recommendation: I’m going with a Buy. It’s the perfect gift for the Fables fan in your life or the fan of classical fantasy novels. They are a very nice pair of book ends.

What Am I Reading These Days?

2013-08-15T11:34:00.000-04:00

I recently bought the Saga trades but haven't gotten around to reading them. I read the first issue and was not overly impressed but since it's Vaughn, I'm assuming it will read better in trade. I had a similar experience with one of his other books, the name is escaping me at the moment. BKV is a very talented guy. Hollywood did good by grabbing that guy while they could.

I'm reading the X-Books again for the first time in 10 years. I didn't expect to like it. I'm not Brian Michael Bendis's biggest fan on team books (eg: Avengers) but All-New X-Men and Uncanny are really good. Brian Wood is killing it on X-Men, but the existence of that book doesn't really make sense to me because most of the same characters are in Uncanny X-Force. Which leads me to Cable & X-Force. Why are there two X-Force books? It doesn't make sense. I can't get into X-Men Legacy though. Wolverine is good right now, as opposed to Savage Wolverine which I'm not reading. I just hate that they keep going back to "Wolverine lost his powers. Oh woe is me!" as a plot device. Uncanny Avengers is good, but I keep forgetting to read them. I really like Wolverine & The X-Men but read it in chunks. It reads better as arcs to me.

Hawkeye is probably my favorite book at the moment.

Daredevil and Daredevil: Dark Nights are really good. And while I'm on Mark Waid, The Indestructible Hulk is working for me. I started with the Walt Simonson issues and have kept reading.

Batman is phenomenal and the only New 52 DC book I'm buying. I'm digging the Year Zero arc.

The other Vertigo book I'm really digging is American Vampire. I read it in the hard covers. I like reading it in arcs but don't like waiting for the trades to come out.

Walking Dead is good. It reads better in arcs. I almost prefer to wait for the omnibus editions to come out. Otherwise you feel like the story never gets anywhere. I like The Shadow and Green Hornet.

I'm liking these sci fi mini series that Byrne is doing over at IDW. Hellboy is great when it comes out. Satellite Sam seems fun one issue in. I have the second one and haven't read it yet. And Wasteland from Oni is really good, but I prefer to read it in trade.

The only other regular books I'm reading is Usagi Yojimbo and GI Joe: A Real American Hero.

Batman, Inc. Vol. 2 #8 & Requiem for Robin

2013-04-01T17:01:00.000-04:00

The whole death of Damian Wayne feels forced.

How might one bring Damian Wayne back from the dead? How would one bring the child of Bruce Wayne and Tali al Ghul back from the dead? Hmmmm... Oh, yeah! Lazarus Pit!

One might assume that Talia has either additional Bruce Wayne...genetic material in the deep freeze. She probably also has a clone of Damian in reserve. You can't tell me that Talia didn't have a contingency plan in place in case Damian left her to work with his father. For that matter, they probably had extra Damian clones for Ra's al Ghul to eventually move his brain into.

There are too many ways to bring this character back. Grant Morrison even talks about that they could bring him back after he leaves the Batman universe. It's inevitable. I think in the time being, DC is wanting to honor Morrison's desire to have the character die at his hands and they want to give Harper Row a time to shine. That or they're just screwing with us on Harper Row.

Just my 2 cents.

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

2012-07-23T10:29:00.001-04:00

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (BTDKR) is the perfect conclusion to the story that Chris and Jonathan Nolan started in 2004’s Batman Begins.

To be clear, I wasn’t excited about seeing this film. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first two. They are both excellent films, but this was not my Batman. I didn’t even plan on seeing it in the theatre. We didn’t have the kids for the weekend and I had taken a nap and woke up and decided it would be a good time to go to the movies. What’s playing? BTDKR was the closest to anything I wanted to see that was playing locally.

While BTDKR is the third film in the trilogy, it is really the sequel to Batman Begins. If you haven’t seen Batman: The Dark Knight, you could read the wikipedia article and be prepared for BTDKR. Then again, you can pick up both Batman Begins and Batman: The Dark Knight for $10 in Blu Ray each or somewhere around $6 in DVD.

There were a number of pleasant and unexpected twists. They play the Ra’s Al Ghul elements really well. Tom Hardy is very Banelike. He’s huge, skilled, and incredibly intelligent. The developments at Wayne Enterprises were full of intrigue and were handled well.

There is very much a Hero’s Journey angle to the story. They very much break Bruce Wayne and he has to rebuild himself as he has many times in the comics. There is another character who also goes through his own Hero’s Journey. John Blake while a hero throughout the movie is resisting a call to action. He goes through the whole cycle by the end of the movie.

Points in Favor

This is the closest to the Batman of the comics that Chris Nolan has gotten. This time he got it completely right and made a great Chris Nolan film at the same time.
Anne Hathaway makes a great Catwoman. Hathaway brings the right balance of sex appeal and
Tom Hardy makes a great Bane.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a great job in the role of John Blake. I can’t say too much about his role, but in many ways this film is John Blake’s story. It’s about the man he has become and the man he has yet to be.
After seeing Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon for the third time, I’m not sure I ever want to see any one else in the role. For me he is Jim Gordon.
The plot twists. There are so many potential spoilery elements it’s difficult to write a decent review without giving them away. Like most Chris Nolan films BTDKR is full of twists and turns that you don’t see coming.
The new Batmobile, or rather The Bat, which is Batman’s flying Batmobile. I love that they did a possible Batmobile that flies.

Points Against

It is difficult to hear some of the dialogue. From Bane speaking from behind his mask to Christian Bale talking like he has laryngitis while in the Batman costume to Jim Gordon mumbling everything he says while in the hospital, they really seemed to go out of the way to make you try to hear what was said.
Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. To do the things she was doing, she really should have been a more athletically built woman. It’s again not a huge issue, but it bothered me a little.
They chose to go with the origin of Catwoman from Batman: Year One. While I don’t like that version of her origin, it provides an interesting motivation for the character.

Recommended Reading:

Read them before or after. It really depends on what you want your movie viewing experience to be like.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Bane vs Batman
Batman: The Son of the Demon
Batman: Year One
Batman: Knightfall

Recommendation: HOT BUY! It’s definitely worth seeing. It’s both a great Batman film and a great Chris Nolan film. They definitely got it right with this one. And even better, it’s not in 3D.

Sidebar: Due to the tragic event in Colorado at the premiere, they had law enforcement officers at the entrance to the theatre. I had my messenger bag with me. I don’t like to leave my iPad in my truck. One of the officers came over and asked to look in my bag. I opened it and he asked what that was. I told him it was my iPad. He thanked me and went back to his post. The ironic thing is there were two other pockets that could have contained something that they wouldn’t want me to bring into a theatre. Also he didn’t look in or at the case I keep my bluetooth keyboard in. The case could have very easily concealed a weapon. I didn’t have a problem with them looking in my bag. I don’t use my bag to sneak snacks into the theatre. It’s just that the illusion of security is worse than no security.

With Just One Glance

2012-07-08T11:51:00.002-04:00

I never really have posted any music, but I had to on this one. I can NOT get enough of this song. The mixes, on Sirius Chill, are awesome. They just need to play it a tad bit more.

No, this is not part of my geekiness; however, for this song, it just might change for a bit.

SyFy "Eats Up" the Summer

2012-06-17T11:38:00.003-04:00

What can I say, I had a bit of a bump between my last post and this post. Doesn't mean that I had given up on my enjoyment of "B-Movies." To be honest, some of them don't even deserve a "B-Movie" Rating.

Just last night, I was laying down to catch up my kingdom (in "Kingdom Age") on my iPad, when WA-LA - there was "Piranhaconda!"

I had to watch!

While not the campy gore of Sharktopus, Piranhaconda offered a semi-serious story of screaming botoxed women. Men are usually not botoxed on SyFy. Prinhaconda offered plenty of gore, but in some cases, the people were consumed "way too fast."

I'm certain that it will be replaying; however, next week is "Arachnoquake". Some how, I'm not 100% certain about this one. 2-Headed Shark, Sharktopus, and Prianhaconda. Those are worthy creatures.

Like the 2-Headed Shark, I am debating Piranha 3DD. The trailer is too funny! I fail to see how a straight guy would not watch the show. LOL

2 Heads. 1 Shark.

2012-05-19T09:04:00.000-04:00

Movie Review: 2 Headed Shark Attack.
Okay, I lied. This isn't a movie review.   I wish that I could do a review, but I have been banned from renting the movie. Even when there is nothing else on TV or PPV, I have been told that I could not spend the $6 of such a preordained classic.

Yes, yes. I have tried to explain the significance of "2 HEADS 1 SHARK"; however, Jamie does not seem to grasp the sheer brilliant concept behind the movie.

I already know what I am renting, as it is akin to the now classic, "Sharktopus".

For those of you who have not seen the trailer and/or realize the classic concept behind the movie, I would recommend you take a moment to watch and enjoy.   If you happen to rent the movie, please do not rub it in.

Wow, What a Summer of Movies!

2012-05-13T11:31:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Summer Movie line-up looks awesome! I can't believe how many movies I actually want to see. I can't believe how many movies I am considering seeing, and of course, I can't believe how many movies I will eventually catch on Pay-Per-View. Soooooo.....

Movies that I want to see:

Avengers
Dark Shadows
MIB III
Prometheus
Brave
The Dark Knight Rises
The Bourne Legacy

Movies that I am considering:

Battleship
Snow White and the Huntsman
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The Amazing Spider-Man
Total Recall
ParaNorman

Movies that I will catch on Pay-Per-View:

Hunger Games
The Pirates
Chernobyl Diaries
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Now, I could have provided all of you with links to each one of them, but that is a sheer waste of my time. I also could have provided you with a more exhaustive list; however, I have movies to see!

Quick Post On The Avengers Movie Part II

2012-05-07T10:58:00.001-04:00

A question came in on the original post. I'll paraphrase: "Do I need to see any of the previous films to enjoy The Avengers?".

I would suggest seeing Thor. Loki is the main villain and Thor is really the setup for The Avengers. Thor sets up Loki's motivation for his actions in The Avengers. With that said, if you haven't seen Thor, they explain enough to bring you up to speed.

The Ed Norton Incredible Hulk is referenced, but if you've ever seen an episode of the show or red any issues of The Incredible Hulk, you're good. The one line that definitely ties it into the continuity is one about what Hulk did to Harlem.

As for Captain America, it's technically the lead in, but all you really need to know is that he is a government created super soldier that the government hasn't been able to replicate and he was frozen for 70ish years.

If you haven't seen one Iron Man film, you'd be fine. They're barely referenced and what references there are are explained.

Nuff Said!

Quick Post On The Avengers Movie

2012-05-06T22:39:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen The Avengers (aka Avengers Assemble) yet. Run, don't walk, to the nearest theater and see it.

You won't gain much by watching it in 3D, but I would love to have seen it in IMAX. The Helicarrier scenes (most of the film) and the final battle scene all look like they were really meant to be seen in IMAX.

The only aspect that took me out of the film was that they had Scarlett Johansson's best assets featured on the screen every chance they could. I'm not complaining, but it pulled me out of the story a couple of times.

Mark Ruffalo, as much as I don't really like him, brought his A Game and killed it as Bruce Banner. I am actually looking forward to him playing Banner in further Avengers and Hulk films. Really, really good job.

It was Robert Downey, Jr., as Tony Stark/Iron Man who "stole the show", except he didn't have to. It was his show to own.

It is a little long at 2:20, so be sure to hit the restroom before the previews. And it is a Marvel movie, so you will need to sit through the credits. There are two extra scenes. The first is after the flashy, pretty credits and the second is after the complete, boring credits. The second one doesn't add much to the story or continuity...and yet it says a lot about what was going on.

My wife, my 8 year old daughter, my 5 year old son, and I all loved it for a variety of reasons.

Green Lantern Animated Series - Statues

2012-04-26T06:51:00.000-04:00

Following up with a previous post, I thought I would give you a glimpse of the statues coming out of the Green Lantern: Animated Series. Now that I am enjoying the series, I'm actually considering adding a couple of these to my collection. (Still not a fan of the Hal Jordan statue. Though, I will give it a second look after this post.)

Each statue is running around $125, which is not that bad for a statue, and they are using different sculptors for various pieces. Take a look at Atrocitus and Saint Walker. Before the series, I had seen the Atrocitus statue and had considered putting in an order. Now that I know there will be an ENTIRE collection of these characters, you just never know. Definitely some "Hot Buys".

What's On Now!

2012-04-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

I really didn't extrapolate that much on my April 7th blog, so I thought that I would provide you with a bit more information.

Season 2 of "Game of Thrones". Do I really need to explain this one?
"Big Bang Theory" Reruns. This is primarily Jamie's doing. He is trying to catch up on a series that I have enjoyed for years. By the way, how many of you try to spot cool items in the apartment or comic book store?
"Young Justice". When this first started, it didn't grab my attention, but with the "Green Lantern: Animated Series" lead in, I'm starting to watch some of the new episodes. Another question: Have you seen the trailers for the new Batman animated series?

A host of new summer seasons are about to start, and I can't wait to "sink my teeth" into some of those.

Yes, it's a vampire reference, and I'm not really that keen on vampires. However, I did get to use the word "keen."

What I'm Watching Now: Green Lantern Animated Series

2012-04-07T08:47:00.000-04:00

When I first saw the promo for this series, I really didn't think anything of it; however, after a few episodes, I set the recorder. In fact, I am recording Young Justice again.

Take a look:

Now I have to reconsider the statues.

DC Direct: Cyborg

2012-03-16T16:11:00.000-04:00

And.....back to another statue.

I went a little video happy there for a section.

I was peaking at the new stautes announced by DC Direct. This one caught my eye.

Distributor DC Direct
Artist Jean St. Jean
Size 6.25"H x 7.4"W x 4.5"D
Release Date 07/11/2012
Price $69.95

Zimm's Two Cents
YEAH! I finally have a DC bust that I really, really want. It's not Batman, Superman, Robin, or Wonder Woman. It is not the Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow or Aquaman. It is .... okay, you get the point.

It's Cyborg!

Points in Favor

Loving the colors. Great paint job.
I actually like his face. It has a "youthful" appearance to it.
Just the right amount of detail.

Points Against

We really have to work on his emblem. Not a fan.

Recommendation: Hot Buy!!!! I'm grabbing this one. I might even order it off of the new DC Direct website. (Kudos to the new site.)