It has been awhile. Although my lack of Top 10 List postings are beginning to make All Star Batman and Robin’s publishing schedule look like a well-oiled machine, I have a few other things on my mind. Here are some tidbits from recent weeks:
Where There Is A Will, There Is A (No) Way- The prestigious Eisner awards committee must of found Grant Morrison’s peyote stash. How else to explain Cry For Justice getting a nod? This is the Marisa Tomei of comic nominations! Will Eisner…Cry For Justice…does not compute…
Welcome To The Future- What does compute, and does everything else for that matter, is my new toy: The IPad! I can sit and watch my itunes bought copy of Superman: The Movie; make use of an App that shows me every episode of LOST for free; read the latest novels; play games; get crystal clear digital comics; surf the web and Youtube; etc. all in a handy device that weighs a little over a pound. Plus, I finally got a DVR. Mr. Bleeding Edge, that’s me.
Who Will Yield The Shield- Chris Evans was far and away the best part of the Fantastic Four films. I thought his take on Johnny Storm was awesome. However, I’m a bit concerned about him playing Captain America. Evans has made his mark as a young, modern day smart alec. Captain America doesn’t have an ounce of sarcasm in his super-soldier body. Everything he says is totally sincere. He not only believes in values and ideals, he makes you believe them as well. He commands gods into battle. Even the mightiest beings heed his call of, “Avengers Assemble”. Steve Rogers grew up as a struggling artist during the Great Depression. Until, he was so moved by the plight of the innocents in war ravaged Europe that he volunteered for military service. I just don’t see Evans as a leader of men, or a product of a bygone era. Putting him alongside either the older Robert Downey Jr., or a Bucky (Sebastian Stan in the role) who is just two years younger is awkward as well. But, I’ll be happy to be wrong (though I still like Mark Valley for the part).
Roll Call- Speaking of Captain America, current Cap scribe Ed Brubaker’s new book Secret Avengers just had its roster revealed. They should just call this the John Conlon League. I really like every character on this team: Steve Rogers, Beast, War Machine, Moon Knight, Valkyrie, and Nova! This new title is a must buy.
The True Tiny Titan- Another bit of news I feel was designed just for me, was the announcement of a new Atom (Ray Palmer, thank you very much!) co-feature in Adventure Comics (which will already have a lead story starring my faves- the Legion of Super-Heroes). There will also be a Brightest Day One Shot to kick it off. I’ve been a gigantic Atom fan since his old 60’s cartoon series, so I can’t wait!
DC’s New Dawn- Brightest Day #0 hit the stands this week. In 48 pages readers were treated to dozens of potential plotlines. There is SO much ground covered here. This is a real treat for me. Aquaman, Hawkman, Ronnie Raymond, Hawk, and the others are all given a host of tasty subplots that will make for a great year’s worth of reading.
History Strikes Once- This week also saw the arrival of Barry Allen’s very first #1 issue. Most readers may not know that Jay Garrick, Wally West, and Bart Allen all got to start their Flash runs with a brand new title. But, poor Barry’s original series actually continued the numbering of Jay’s old Golden Age book (the thinking back then was that kids wouldn’t want to buy a number one in favor of a more established series). In typical Barry fashion, while this book was a long time coming, it was worth the wait. Geoff Johns kicks off a ton of intriguing elements (not the least of which is the revelation of 2011’s big event Flashpoint), though he’s already driving the whole Central City “on the go” metaphor into the ground. On art, I miss Scott Kolins (for me the greatest Flash artist- ever), but Francis Manapul makes Barry Allen seem like a fresh new character.
Party On- I just got my invite to Comic Masters annual movie party (in May). Boy, am I psyched. Not only will Iron Man 2 be on the screen, but tons of comic talk will follow. I’ve actually had to miss two weeks of gabbing about books with the gang (due to various reasons) so I’m anxious to get back in the swing this weekend. Friday a bunch of us will be at Dom’s for a movie night, and then Saturday it will be back to yakking about the good stuff. Can’t wait!
You are either a day late or 5 years ahead of schedule (in re: DVR & I-Pad).
ReplyDeleteI was wondering when you were going to get around to the Chris Evans as Captain America (as John Keller screams from the other side "NO"). I could see Mark Valley as him, I could also see (would really rather see) Thomas Jane as Cap. Or even Booth from Bones (David Boreanaz). I'm really not thrilled with Chris Evans although I do think he is a good actor, just not for this role.
As for Secret Avengers -- I was wondering why Beast left the X-men in a lurch all of a sudden (I knew it wasn't because of all the drama). But its good to see him being used again; hopefully in a good way.
As for the Brightest Day--also hopefully it will be better (FOR ME, I am not speaking for anyone else) that Blackest Night which left me with a 'meh' feeling. (Although I most definitely was happy my Men came back -- Aquaman and Hawkman.)
This summer's crop of movies will be saving me a whole lot of money: I'm only going to see in the theatres The Losers; Iron Man 2; Robin Hood; Shrek Forever After; Prince of Persia (Kyle's dragging me to see that one); Toy Story 3; Jonah Hex (have you seen the make-up yet? I feel it's a little bit lacking, but that's just me); Despicable Me; and maybe Knight and Day. Everything else I can wait for DVD.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!
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