The Ineffable Me

Earliest Known Photo of Men Drinking Beer

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:41:00 +0000

Heh. Dudes drinking beer:

Here are three gents named James Ballantine, Dr George Bell and David Octavius Hill drinking an Edinburgh Ale in 1844. This is the earliest known photo of men drinking beer.

Taken from The Roosevelts.

Coming Out: Gay Superheroes And Such!

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 06:34:00 +0000

The thirty-fifth installment of my "Nerding Out With Nick Dean" column is in today's edition of The Post-Journal:

Heh. Yelp.

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:24:00 +0000

Nerding Out About Grant Morrison

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:31:00 +0000

The thirty-first installment of my "Nerding Out With Nick Dean" column ran in this past Sunday's edition of The Post-Journal:

Give The Gift Of Comics

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:59:00 +0000

The twenty-ninth installment of my "Nerding Out With Nick Dean" column ran in this past Sunday's edition of The Post-Journal:

The front page...

The jump page...

Comic Book Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:25:00 +0000

The twenty-eighth installment of my "Nerding Out With Nick Dean" column ran in this past Sunday's edition of The Post-Journal:

Assessing The New 52

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:54:00 +0000

The twenty-seventh installment of my "Nerding Out With Nick Dean" column ran in this past Sunday's edition of The Post-Journal:

DCU Reboot - Week 1: Redux

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Eh, I don't think that's the right use of the word "Redux."

But regardless, before I begin writing about DC's second week of rebooted releases, I figured I'd follow up on my last blog post with these thoughts:

Action Comics #1

ACTION COMICS
Action Comics #1 was better than I expected. It kept me interested in Superman the whole way through! And I'm not a Superman guy! I am, however, a Grant Morrison fan, as well as a sucker for anything about journalists, which has always been that one tiny little hook to hold my interest when it comes to Clark Kent, Lois Lane and The Daily Planet.

Anyway, Action Comics #1 did not disappoint. It was interesting to see another take on Superman's early years by Grant Morrison. The character's still kind of a pompous dick, but his motives seem a little different here. He's more an antihero, caring not for the proper channels and instead doing things his way as he believes they should be done.

I think what I liked the most about the comic was the twist on his powers. He hasn't fully come into them by the start of the comic. He can't fly, but he can leap tall buildings. He's not impervious to pain, but he can stop speeding bullets. Oh, and he's just about as powerful as a locomotive.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Men Of War was one of the last comics from Week 1 that I read and I was pleasently surprised with it. I didn't realize it was a Sgt. Rock comic. I know little of the character, other than the Sgt. Rock story in DC's Wednesday Comics collection. It reminded me a little bit of Vertigo's Weird War Tales. Although, maybe that was just due to the inclusion of an unnamed superhuman in the lead story and the fact that there was more than one story in the book. Sadly, this is not something I'll probably end up buying. And admitting that fact's painful because, surprisingly, this is something I really enjoyed reading despite not being a military guy or into war comics in general... This was just an all around decent, really well-written comic that I'd like to read but probably won't ever pick up again. Same goes for so many others of the DC Reboot so far: Swamp Thing, Stormwatch, Animal Man... I really enjoyed these first issues (and might have to buy them in trades), I just can't afford them as monthly titles. I mean, I've really become a fan of Jeff Lemire's work, but I just had to cancel my monthly subscription to Sweet Tooth. I looked back and realized not only do I have the series's entire run so far in comics, but I've also got all the trades (which I don't regret owning the double format, I just can't afford to keep buying so much every week).

DCU Reboot - Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:06:00 +0000

As my last post explained in great detail, there have been some changes at DC Comics.

Detective Comics #1

DC is in the midst of relaunching its comics line with 52 new number 1 issues, the first 13 of which came out last Wednesday.

What follows are some thoughts on a a few of those first 13 titles to come out.

DETECTIVE COMICS
Tony S. Daniel began his Batman work as the artist for Grant Morrison's "Batman, R.I.P." run... which... was pretty awesome. After "Batman, R.I.P." came "Battle For The Cowl" which Daniel both wrote and drew. The news that he'd be taking over Detective Comics as a title from Scott Snyder didn't have me as excited as the fact that Snyder was still staying on as the writer for DC's Batman title. I liked "Battle For The Cowl" alright and everything, but it just didn't have the same heft as Snyder's recent work on Detective Comics. Maybe a lot of that has to do with the fact that "Battle For The Cowl" was a bridge between two points and so Daniel was a little limited in the story he had to to tell.

This first issue of the new Detective Comics shows a much different Daniel than I remember from those "Battle For The Cowl" books he wrote. He knocks it out of the park here. I thought I'd be sick of reading joker stories after everything Grant Morrison's done in recent years and the Batman/Joker imposters which was in Detective Comics and the movies and all the canonical Joker stuff and blah blah blah. But I was wrong. This first issue of the new Detective Comics is a serious success.

BATGIRL

Batgirl #1

Barbara Gordon is back in the Batgirl costume. And she's walking! And, honestly, for all the pre-release blah blah blahing everyone did about taking Barbara Gordon out of the wheel chair and putting her back in the Batgirl costume (and even though I understand those thoughts and concerns)... this turned out alright. And why wouldn't it? It's got Gail Simone writing it. And that's an Adam Fucking Hughes cover, which, as long as the quality of this first issue continues (cover and story-wise. I realize Hughes isn't the inside artist.)... I'm on board as a regular reader.

I thought there'd be more of an explanation as to why Barbara's walking again, but I really like that Simone sort of sidestepped the issue. Maybe I have to go back and re-read the book, but it seemed like this is taking place on an alternate timeline separate from the path she'd been on in recent years in the DCU. This is three years after the shooting and apparently the wound wasn't so bad that a little time and physical therapy couldn't get her up and walking. Unless I'm missing something. She obviously spent years in the wheel chair, but this first issue finds Barbara moving out from living with her father and into a new single life -- which holds some promise of conflict, such as keeping her quirky new roomate from finding out she's Batgirl. Plus there's the seeds of a lot of unresolved issues she's still yet to deal with as a result of the Joker shooting from "The Killing Joke." Maybe most of all, the thing I loved about this first issue is the little nod Gail Simone threw in to the fact that this is an adult Barbara Gordon reprising her "Bat-girl" role. The opening scene where she's saving a married couple from killers and the woman says: "Thank you Batwoman!" That was priceless.

BATWING

Batwing #1

This first issue of Batwing was better than I thought it would be. Of course maybe that's just because, with all the many thing's DC's had to promote of late, the Batwing character and this new title really hasn't been on my rader all that much. Here's a character who has roots in Grant Morrison's "Batman, Inc." idea, but really wasn't a major player in that comic at all (from what I remember). So, going in, I really didn't have any expectations for Batwing #1, which is maybe why it seemed exceptional to me. More than likely though it was equal parts that and Judd Winick.

This first issue offers an easy introduction to the character as well as an interesting and compelling first storyline. Winick not only expertly crafts an easy-to-get-into first issue introducing us to this new character, but also gives us a flavor of his world, introduces us to his supporting cast members and creeps us out with an original new villain. Batwing's world feels both familiar and new, coming across as essentially an African continent version of Gotham City. A lot of the familiar elements present in Gotham are here in Batwing's world, the names and faces are just different -- the game's still the same.

If I had one criticism of Batwing, it would be Batman's presence throughout this first book. Of course, if Batman were absent entirely, I'd surely be making the opposite argument.

DC Wants You!

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:01:00 +0000

The twenty-sixth installment of my "Nerding Out With Nick Dean" column ran in this past Sunday's edition of The Post-Journal:

The front page...

The jump page...

Glorious Time For Geeks

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 23:16:00 +0000

Last month's August column marked 25 installments of "Nerding Out" for The Post-Journal:

The column printed Sunday, Aug. 7, but I'm just getting around to posting it now because I just finished up this Sunday's September installment.

Hello, World

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:06:00 +0000

Why Not Be A Writer?

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Heh. Yeah...

All Fired Up

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Finally fired up the Char-Broil last night:

Kind of wishing I would've taken pictures of the dinner I cooked.

My lady picked up some pre-made burgers from Wegmans, two-packs of jalapeno cheese burgers and mushroom swiss burgers. Plus she bought some chicken and veggie kabobs which came out decent, but not as good as the burgers.

So, all-in-all, the grill's inaugural cook-out was a success.

I think I'm going to call her Big Black.

Now all I need to do is get some financial backing from either Char-Broil or Wegmans for all the free promotion I'm going to be doing on this blog.

All Finished And Ready For Fire

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:53:00 +0000

Finally got around to finishing this last night:

My Wife Bought Us A Grill

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:40:00 +0000

It's a combo grill and smoker:

It's almost assembled.

Serious Business, Motherfuckers!

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Mondaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Nerding Out Over HBO

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:46:00 +0000

The July issue of "Nerding Out" was published in both The Post-Journal and The Observer last Sunday:

Oh, and did I mention it was the twenty-fourth installment of the monthly column? No? Well, that's two-year's worth, bitches!

Double Rainbow At The Mall

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 22:37:00 +0000

Forget everything else I've said today. I just saw a rainbow:

James Brown/Jamestown

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:49:00 +0000

So, I was just on Twitter (killing time instead of working)... And someone posted about how the words "James Brown" and "Jamestown" sound similar.

Rather than actually get to work, I decided to dig this out of the archives:

CONTINUED

This might be the start of a massive archival project that I don't really have time for, but would be fun (and probably should do anyway).

Good Advice. I Think I'll Take It.

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:26:00 +0000

This Is How I Work

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 09 May 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Yep.

Nerding Out With Roger Stern

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:37:00 +0000

The twenty-second installment of “Nerding Out With Nick Dean” ran yesterday in both The Post-Journal and The Observer:

Last Month's 'Nerding Out'

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Sun, 01 May 2011 18:34:00 +0000

The twenty-first installment of “Nerding Out With Nick Dean” ran in both The Post-Journal and The Observer last month:

Yep. Just... Yep.

noreply@blogger.com (NickDean) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 04:52:00 +0000