This week in the Comic Roundup I review Nightwing, which this month ties into the Night of the Owls event, the return of Youngblood, the title that launched Image, and a comic book that is all about the fighting, AvX Versus.

Nightwing #9
By Kyle Higgins, Eddy Barrows and Andres Guinaldo

When the titles in the New 52 were announced and it was revealed that Dick Grayson would be returning to his Nightwing persona after a time as Batman, I was thrilled. He is one of the more fully fleshed out heroes in comics and I was glad the spotlight was going to be fully on Nightwing again. But I had no clue when the Court of Owls storyline began that it was going to elevate Nightwing to almost equal status with The Batman, which has been a long time coming.

See, in the Court of Owls, storyline, it has been revealed that the Grayson family has long taken the role of the Court’s lethal assassins, the Talons. Dick Grayson was supposed to be one of them, but fate stepped in and changed the plan. Now, in this Night of the Owls tie-in issue, Dick has to fight his great grandfather to save the Mayor of Gotham. Over the course of these events, Higgins and Batman writer Scott Snyder have made Dick Grayson a character with equal weight to Bruce Wayne, something that writers have been struggling to do for decades. He has officially stepped out from under Batman’s cape and become a stronger, more prominent hero in his own right. The icing on the cake is the art by Barrows and Guinaldo, who do some great work and make the revelations of the issue all the more powerful.

If you haven’t been reading Nightwing, start. Now.

Youngblood #71
By John McLaughlin, Jon Malin and Rob Liefeld

You all knew the review was coming, didn’t you?

How could I not review the return of the title that launched Image 20 years ago? And after the success of the other Extreme books, I had high hopes that Youngblood could come roaring back and be the comic book I always thought it could be. The concept always had so much potential that was never capitalized on, maybe this time it would be different. Turns out, not so much…

While McLaughlin does a lot to try and tackle the demons of the title (the ridiculous, pin-up poses in the artwork, Youngblood never being taken seriously), it unfortunately reads like a relic of the times that spawned it. While the other Extreme books have forged new paths and reinvented themselves, for Youngblood it’s the same old, same old. Even the artwork has an old fashioned style that just looks silly next to the art on a book like Glory or Bloodstrike. Now, maybe McLaughlin and Liefeld have a master plan somewhere and this is all leading to some greater story, but if not, damn, what a waste.

I really had high hopes for Youngblood. I have always wanted the title to succeed. Unfortunately, I must be the only one.

AvX Versus #2 (of 6)
By Various

Marvel knows that what fans want to see in Avengers vs. X-Men is the fights; Avengers and X-Men kicking the snot out of each other and they have launched AvX Versus as the place to show just that. While the main book follows the story of Hope and the coming of the Phoenix Force, here you get no plot or story whatsoever and just page after page of super heroes beating each other to a pulp.

And for what it is, it’s not all that bad. We get to see Captain America and Gambit go at it with some great Steve McNiven artwork and Spider-Man face off against Colossus drawn by the always incredible Salvador Larroca. And make no mistake, in this miniseries it’s all about the art. There literally is no story to speak of and the word balloons just take up valuable space.

Now, $4 an issue is an awful lot to ask for a series like this and if you don’t read it you won’t miss anything of the Avengers vs. X-Men event, so I can’t really recommend it. However, if you like awesome artwork, seeing superheroes beating the living crap out of each other and you have an extra 5 dollar bill burning a hole in your pocket, this is the book for you.

Hey geeks! You like Philadelphia, right? Sure you do. And beer? Yeah, thought so. How about cupcakes? Uh huh. Well have I got a deal for you. Take a look…

Beer Cakes is the result of a girl who loves cake, loves beer, and loves going to breweries with her Dad…  After a couple fresh pints and some good pub food, I always wanted something sweet and was disappointed at the lack of dessert on the menu.  So I began to develop some recipes.  What I came up with was a way to make cake that tastes like beer!

Using the amazing craft brews that Philadelphia has to offer, I put beer in both my cake and my buttercream.  What makes every craft beer unique is the flavors and spices that are used to brew them.  I play with those same ingredients in my recipes to bring out the beer’s flavor. The result is an amazing dessert that has savory and sweet notes that will tickle your taste buds.

While you can check my website (www.beercakesphilly.com) to see a list of the flavors that I’ve created so far, there are so many more awesome Philly beers that are just waiting for me.

Right now Beer Cakes Philly is only a wholesale or special order business, and though it’s going very well, I want to bring my cakes to the masses. I want everyone in Philly to have the chance to stop in for a beer cake!

My bakery won’t look at all the way you would expect a bakery to look.  You will most likely walk in and think you’ve entered a dive bar.  My cakes are about the beer, and the shop should be too.

I see local art on the wall, eclectic decorations, wooden tables that you can carve your name into, old tin signs, white christmas lights… can you picture it?

I imagine my Beer Cakes Philly storefront everyday, and with your help I’ll be able to wake up every morning and actually live the dream.

We’ve all had sweets made with beer before, but made to actually taste like the beer itself (and its special ingredients)? That’s new. And she’ll be open late, so when you’re leaving the next Geekadelphia / Tatooed Mom’s Halloween Extravaganza, you’ll have somewhere to go! Pony up.

The Project: Beer Cakes Philly

Creator: Lexi Malmros

The Sweet Spot: A measly $25 gets you six pack of cupcakes from the shop. Way better than any actual sixer you could pick up for that price. Know a real hophead? Drop $100 and you can get a novelty cake or two dozen of the little guys.

Funding Deadline: June 16th, 2012

More Info: Learn more on the Kickstarter page, on the Beer Cakes Philly website, or over on twitter.

Every Monday Geekadelphia features a Kickstarter created by locals. Check ‘em out and support our local geek scene. If you have a project that you’d like featured on site, contact geekadelphia@gmail.com

What if you could use science to make sure that your significant other is the one? That is the premise behind the romantic comedy Losing Control, a film by native Philadelphian Valerie Weiss.

The story of the movie follows a young scientific protegee who is trying to get results from her long term experiments as well as her long term boyfriend by using the scientific method. The cast includes Miranda Kent and Reid Scott and the film is written and directed by Weiss.

She explains that the genesis of the film came to her while in school.

“While I was in grad school I wondered what would happen if a woman in her 20’s could understand science and use it to her advantage in gaining control of her love life,” Weiss explains. “It made me wonder what if you could use your brain to make sure you have an everlasting romance.”

Losing Control is playing at the Landmark Ritz at the Bourse starting through May 24th and Weiss will be holding a Q&A session after the 7:30PM shows through Wednesday.

So head out to the Ritz at the Bourse, support a Philly native and learn all about better love through science.

Losing Control @ the Bourse
Now through May 24th, 2012
400 Ranstead Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.losingcontrolmovie.com

Inside the Wagner

We all use electricity every day for almost everything we do (just try to charge your precious cell phone without it) but we almost never think about where it comes from. Luckily, there are people a hell of a lot smarter than us who do know and are willing to share.

On Wednesday, May 23rd at 5:30 PM, the Wagner Free Institute of Science will present their last Weeknights at the Wagner lecture, “Electrifying Philadelphia: Pageantry, Progress, and Power in the City Beautiful.” Dr. Aaron Wunsch, a lecturer in Penn’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, will talk about how Philadelphia first began using electricity, its advertising and how it spread to other parts of the area.

The lecture is free and open to the public with a Members Reception following afterwards. And just think; the next time the power goes out, you’ll be able to regale everyone with stories of how electricity first came to Philly to keep people entertained. Win/win.

Electrifying Philadelphia
May 23rd, 2011, 5:30pm

Wagner Free Institute of Science
1700 West Montgomery Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19121
(215) 763-6529
www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org

Because someday… this could be you.

All your life you have dreamed of working in advertising. So you went to school, got your degree, graduated and now have a kick-ass portfolio you are just dying to show off and can’t wait to get your career as a creative professional off the ground. Or maybe you worked in advertising, but with the economy the way it is, got laid off or downsized and are looking for an opportunity to start over and get the creative juices flowing again.

Now, for the tenth time, Portfolio Night will descend on Philadelphia and give aspiring copywriters, art directors and designers the chance to network and show off their portfolios to creative directors from some of the city’s top agencies. Done in a “speed dating” format, you will be able to have your portfolio looked at and reviewed by directors from the city’s top design firms, make connections and get valuable feedback.

So put the finishing touches of your portfolio and be at Lincoln Financial Field (West Club Level) on May 23rd at 5:00 PM. The cost if $30, but experiences like this are really invaluable. And who knows, you may walk away with that creative job you have always dreamed about.

Portfolio Night 10
www.portfolionight.com/10

Selecting the best mobile internet provider has become a tricky business, as there are so many operators offering a myriad of deals for you to wrap your head round. Contract lengths are getting longer and longer, with providers wanting to lock you into a contract for as long as 2 years. Finding the right deal has therefore become quite a complicated task.

Here are some tips for fining the best mobile internet deals.

Usage:

First it is important that you ascertain how much data you will need on your mobile internet contract. You have the choice to take up an unlimited mobile internet package but for this luxury you will no doubt be paying a premium. If you happen to be a casual user who is more interested in checking emails occasionally rather than downloading and watching video content on your mobile, taking a limited data package will save you a lot of money in the long run. The average mobile phone user uses roughly 250mb per month, so picking a contract with 500mb should be enough for most users.

For those who intend to take an unlimited mobile internet contract, it is vital that you read the service providers small print to discover whether they employ a fair usage policy. Fair usage policies allow the network to cap your internet if you are using too much data at certain points of the day. Look for providers that offer a truly unlimited internet service.

Tethering:

Some users like to make the most of their mobile internet packages by tethering their phone to their laptop, allowing users to turn their mobile phone into a wireless hub. If you intend on utilising this function, you should most definitely invest in the best mobile phone deals that offer unlimited internet as data usage can escalate very quickly.

Internet speeds:

Many network providers advertise inflated ‘high speeds’ for their mobile internet services, when in reality these statistics are only based on ‘optimal performance figures’. The only real way to discover if these figures are realistic is to scour the internet and forums for user reviews and mobile internet speed check statistics.

Customer service:

Mobile phone network providers are renowned for poor customer service. If you intend to take a contract that spans over 2 years it is essential that you research which network provider offers the best customer service. Nothing is more annoying than having to deal with a provider who takes months to get things done. Choosing the right provider will inevitably save you hours of waiting and arguing.

Once you have researched all your needs, it is best to visit many different network providers’ websites to see the best deals available. Using non established mobile phone providers can save you considerable amounts of money but these services are never guaranteed to be good for everyone as network coverage will vary from area to area.

On this month’s episode of the Geekadelphia Podcast Jo and Dan sit down with Melissa from Operation Nice to explore her pursuit for niceness everywhere. We also talk about some up coming events in Philadelphia, and how we’re excited for this year’s Geek Awards.

You can also right click and save as the file, here. Listen to it on the go, while you’re jogging, whatever. Enjoy!

Operation Nice
www.operationnice.com

Follow Jo Pincushion @JoPincushion
Follow Dan Tabor @danthefan

Photo by Beau Roulette

Back in high school, a few friends and I painstakingly taught ourselves how to play Pardon Me and Drive on acoustic guitars, in attempts to impress girls. I mean, why else do you pick up an acoustic guitar? Ten years later, and I’m still listening to (and poorly playing) songs by Incubus.

So needless to say, I was pretty thrilled that I had a chance to ask Brandon Boyd, the lead singer of Incubus, a couple of questions. They just toured through the area (some of you might have caught them at Penn’s Landing) and are playing in Camden tonight.

Fun fact, Brandon not only spends a lot of his time writing music, but he also paints and writes books. And as a serious book and publishing geek, I asked him some questions about his literary and artistic pursuits.

So along with your music career, you paint, you’re into photography, you’ve written books… how do you manage to find a way to balance all of your passions?

I like to follow muse wherever she goes! Sometimes she wanders into bookish moods, sometimes into noise and I am compelled to organize notes and words into song, then occasionally she will sing to me from the backside of a camera. I made it sound a lot more esoteric than it actually is; I just really enjoy making things. Pulling thoughts, moods and landscapes out of the ether! There I go, back to the esoteric.

Speaking of those books, what are some of your major literary influences? How have they affected your writing?

A few of my favorites are Henry Miller, Tom Robbins, Robert Anton Wilson, Kurt Vonnegut, and William Burroughs to name just a few.

What’s the best book you’ve read lately?

I read a short story by Henry Miller called The Smile At the Foot of the Ladder then went immediately into Eckhart Tolle’s Power Of Now. Just finished that this morning. Beautiful book, by the way.

Photo by Derek Bahn

Where can our readers scope out some of your visual art and your photography (besides in the books)?

I’ve been slow to make my photography easy accessible, truth be told. Mostly because I am still stuck on the last pangs of that old idea of ownership. Knowing that once you post it belongs to everyone! An idea I love theoretically, but am still wrapping my head around.

But in the meantime, my girlfriend steals photos from my computer all of the time that I take of her and I on some of our weekend warrior jaunts. She posts them on her Tumblr. Much of the blog is her visual and spiritual reference point but she throws in some pretty cool stuff from my light capturing box every now and again!

Any plans to tour art galleries with your visual art?

One day perhaps. I adore the idea of taking my art on trip! Know of any places I can put some holes in some walls?

Now, since we are a Philly blog, I have to ask… what’s your favorite thing about Philadelphia?

I love the bricks! California is almost entirely devoid of brick, maybe an unstable ground thing. But I love how red Philly is! Among other things. You guys seem to have a pretty good handle on that ol’ music thing as well. After all, we borrowed Ben Kenney from Philly!

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For more information on brandon please visit www.brandonboydbooks.com and www.enjoyincubus.com

If you spent any time watching the WWE or ECW for the past 20 years, you know the name Mick Foley. Or, you know him better as Cactus Jack, Dude Love, or, most likely, Mankind. Foley proudly wears the title as the Hardcore Legend, the man who made chairshots, exploding tables, and thumbtacks fashionable, and one of the most beloved character in the history of professional wrestling. The Mickster has entered the second (or maybe third, as he is a New York Times bestselling author) phase of his career: stand up comedy. The scary part? He’s good.

Geekadelphia caught up with Foley— who is on tour with comedians Louis “Twitchels” Centanni and The Reverend Bob Levy— and chatted about redneck typecasting, being the Justin Timberlake of Comedy, and a Santa Claus obsession.

Was doing comedy a dream for you?

It wasn’t always a dream. I always enjoyed comedy. The dream was wrestling. Half of the performance of wrestling was to make people laugh for me. I couldn’t continue doing that, so I looked for a medium where I could have as much mic time as I wanted. And, comedy is something you can think of while driving, and then work on and use later.

Did someone approach you about doing stand up?

I did a lot of speaking at universities and colleges, so I had the experience of talking in front of a crowd for longer periods of time. Back in 2009, someone did approach me about doing a show at the Improv in Hollywood. So, I put together a blend of wrestling stories and life stories, and did a 25-minute set. I enjoyed it.

So, is this the next step in your career?

I don’t know. I don’t want to do anything that will take up a lot of time. So, maybe a few weekends a month, I would like to do a tour overseas. I like to create. Whether it’s in the ring, or on the page, or stand up.

So, what can people expect from you on this tour with Lou and Bob?

Figuratively, I avoid the Spanish announcers table. I leave that to Bob. He cleans up after I leave men on base. So, my plan is to watch Louis, and do the opposite, like I did when I guest hosted  Jimmy Kimmel Live. The week before I guest hosted, he had Mr. T. on. I watched Mr. T., and then did the exact opposite. Worked like a charm.

You were on 30 Rock, too, in a pretty memorable spot. How did that happen?

Judah Friedlander is a good buddy of mine, one of my favorite comedians. He’s my favorite bearded comedian. He’s a big wrestling fan. So, there was an idea for a wrestler to show up, and Tina Fey remembered me from my Kimmel appearance. I was shocked she knew my name. I loved the role as one of Jenna’s crazy friends. I would love to do that every week.

Was that what inspired this career change?

No, it was a nice storyline, but that was it. I had actually given up on comedy, and someone else forgot that, and booked me in a club in Plattsburgh, NY. But, the night in NY went great, and I was encouraged to keep up the effort with comedy.

You wrote a very successful book, “Have a Nice Day.” Are there any more in the works?

I just finished up a Christmas children’s book called “A Most Mizerable Christmas,” which features WWE stars The Miz, John Cena, and CM Punk. I love Christmas and Santa Claus. It was a good creative outlet.

You played Santa Claus on Smackdown!, any other plans for the Santa suit?

I’m doing a documentary on Santa Claus, actually, and am going through the Santa training up in Santa’s Village in New Hampshire. It should be pretty awesome. It’s part of my nerdy obsession. I know that WWE attracts a geek culture, which I’m a part of. I think the company didn’t realize it, and I was part of it. I embraced that, and think my role as Commissioner Foley was the peak of my career.

Wrestling has gone through a time where they’re trying to get away from the over-the-top violence. Do you agree with the move?

Absolutely. I think it’s a great move. As a Dad, there aren’t any more calls I make to the wife, telling her not to let the kids watch the show. Like, don’t watch Sexual Chocolate (Mark Henry). There’s no more of that. I think there was even a Thanksgiving episode where Mideon was assumed to have made love to a turkey.

Who are the young talents making their mark in WWE right now?

I think Randy Orton is doing great work right now. Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, and Dolph Ziggler are great. Ziggler is one good feud away from being a big star. Of course, The Miz is amazing. He is featured in my book, after all. But, really, I want to do comedy. I want to see where it can go.

Do you have dreams of doing your own show, or writing your own movie?

I don’t know. This is still new for me. One of the reasons I started doing comedy was to break out and perform more without the wrestling. For awhile, I got the same casting. The redneck bartender. The redneck bodyguard. The redneck. It’s tough to re-invent yourself when you’ve done something else very visibly for so long. It’s like people are surprised I am pretty good, and not just because they have low expectations. I don’t blame people for expecting me to be the wrestler. Can’t be mad at them for that. (Ed. Note – Foley does not start off his set by jumping off the stage into a table, with Levy hitting him with a chair.)

Who were your inspirations for comedy?

Listening to storytellers like Bill Cosby. It’s a cliché, but he can make a chocolate cake recipe 10 minutes of comedy gold. Stephen Wright was great.

What’s the dream project for this part of your life? Anyone you want to work with?

I had my dream with wrestling. It was a blessing. I think this is something I am just trying out. My dream is to be to comedy what Justin Timberlake did with his acting. Take people who dislike one thing I’ve done, and have them enjoy something else new I’m doing. It’s not easy. That’s where having established comics with me like Bob Levy helps. People that might be on the fence, but that will sway them. Since Bob is the Trina Michaels of comedy.

—

You can catch Mick Foley (with Bob Levy and Louis Centanni) at Antony and Cleopatras in Williamstown, NJ tonight. Contact the venue at 856-629-2211, or purchase tickets at the door. Online tickets are no longer available.

If you have ever starred blankly at your Kindle because it wouldn’t work right or tried to figure out how to set up a TypePad blog and went to the bookstore to get some help, then you probably know the name Scott McNulty. The author of several books about everything from Google + to WordPress, Scott has been helping people get in touch with their technology for years.

Scott was nice enough to answer a few questions about writing, being a foodie and giving writing advice to your wife.

So tell the Geekadelphia readers about yourself. Have you always been a tech guy?

I’ve always been a geek, even in the Dark ages when that wasn’t cool, but I haven’t always been a tech guy. I spent most of my childhood/teen years reading about elves and spaceships, but I wasn’t really interested in technology. In fact, I didn’t even own a computer of my own until a year after I graduated from college in 1999.

What’s the hardest part of taking something like, say, the Kindle Fire, and making it easy for anyone to use?

Probably getting people to realize that tech books offer up useful information that you won’t find in the manual. Technology companies spend a lot of money trying to convince people that their products are “intuitive” and “easy to use.” In some cases this is true, but I find that lots of people still turn to the geeks in their lives to answer a variety of questions.

When I write I try to image myself in that role of tech confidante, answering the questions people have but might be hesitant to ask because the gadget they’re using is supposed to be so simple to use.

Other than that it is all about judging how much your reader knows vs. what they don’t. Will they know what “tapping” and “swiping” on a screen means? Surely they’ve heard of apps, but do they really know what apps are?

You are also something of a foodie. Are there any similarities between writing about food and tech?

I don’t do a heck of a lot of food writing, but I can tell you that people really into food, just like those really into tech, have strong opinions and aren’t afraid to share them.

Your wife Marisa McClellan just published the Food in Jars cookbook. As someone who has written a whole bunch of tech how-to books, did you have any advice for her?

All writers have a natural enemy: the deadline. My biggest piece of advice for Marisa, which she ignored, was: start writing as much as you can now even though your deadline is months and months away. When I wrote my first book I had something like 7 months to write it, so I spent the first month thinking about how cool it was I was writing a book.

I spent the second month thinking maybe I should start. The third month was devoted to really getting that outline fleshed out while the fourth month was all about organizing my desk (I can’t write this all these distractions!). Then I freaked out because I only had a few weeks to turn in the first half of the book, so I spent as many of my waking hours as possible feverishly writing.

I hoped to spare Marisa this experience, but you really have to live through it to understand.

So what’s next for you in terms of writing?

I’m sure I’ll write another tech book or two that no one in my family will read.

If you had a choice, get your hands on the next-gen iPad a month before everyone else or dinner at a brand new high end restaurant so you could write a review, which would you choose?

Assuming the dinner was free, I’d go with the restaurant. It would be neat to play with a next-gen iPad, but you have to return those review units so I’d end up buying one for myself. However, I don’t think the restaurant would want me to return my meal.

Scott’s Website
www.blankbaby.com

Fork You
www.forkyou.tv