Weekly Comic Reviews for June 17th, 2009

I'm continuing to see my monthly comic purchases decline. Although I had three books this week one of them is ending and another I'm dropping after this issue. This may mean I'll be going to the comic shop less frequently and possibly posting less (if that's even possible) or trying to find other stuff to post about (like starting to review more webcomics and TPBs I'm reading). But we'll have to see. As for this week...

Elephantmen #20 -- This issue continues the focus on the women of the Elephantmen universe and this time it's Vanity Case in the spotlight. Marian Churchland's art has fit these issues well and there's been no trouble following the story visually. And the stories have had a range to them and were all well written. But I should probably focus on this issue instead of reviewing them all at once. It's just that this was another solid issue for this series and it's getting a bit difficult to come up with new ways of saying that for this series. If you aren't reading this series I highly recommend you do, maybe not starting with this issue necessarily but check it out soon.

Mysterius the Unfathomable #6 (of 6)-- At times I've felt this series jumped around a bit more than I would have liked and had a little too much going on but this issue really wrapped it all up nicely. Tom Fowler's artwork has been solid throughout the series and I thought it told the story nicely in this issue. The series may be worth checking out if you're into an odd supernatural sorta thing that's a little hard to describe to others... At least for me.

Angel #22 --I had been enjoying these last few issues a little more than the first 18 or so but I have to say I think it's gone down in quality as the issues went on. The storytelling seemed to get more and more choppy. Things were just bouncing from one setting/situation to another with no real flow. I'm either missing things or it's just not being fully flushed out. I almost started laughing in this issue when Angel literally run into a guy who conveniently points him in the direction he needs to go. When Angel gets there the same guy is there (at least it looks like him) but I thought he was running away? Why was he running to? To be honest, I'm lost by a lot of stuff going on. Maybe it's just me but the story just isn't working. So yeah, this will be my last issue of the series. Which also means I won't be recommending it.

On another Elephantmen note, I noticed that the cover to an upcoming TPB collecting these last few issues advertises a new story by Marian Churchland. I've made a quick comment on the Elephantmen blog asking about it but I have to admit, I don't like the idea of putting new content in the TPBs. Character sketches, pencils, scripts, stuff like that I don't mind. But if new content is going to be put in the TPBs it seems like a slap in the face to those of us picking up the single issues. And if that's the way they're going to go I'll be dropping the monthly subscription and going with the TPBs but I'd like to know up front.

Weekly Comic Reviews for June 10th, 2009

A whopping one book came out for me this week, and it wasn't even put in my subscription box. But since things are a little hectic at work right now, here we go...

War of Kings: Savage World of Sakaar #1 (of 1) -- Right off the bat, yes, this book is pretty much your standard "tie in" where it has no real impact on the War of Kings story or Skaar's (even the final page teasing of a return to Sakaar seems empty given the events of the last few issues of Skaar). On top of that, you have the expected story of the two adversaries crash landing on Sakaar and turned into unwilling allies in order to survive (the planet itself and eventually Skaar). Having said that, there are a few twists to the story and interesting character stuff going on that keep you interested. Perhaps I would have liked a bit more Skaar interaction but that's just because he's really why I picked this book up but there was a lot going on here (which seemed nice given how so many books seem to have so very little actual content to them) so it was understandable. And the art was pretty solid in its storytelling. So to tie things up rather quickly, I enjoyed this book despite not reading War of Kings (which I hear is really good) and despite (or perhaps because) my expectations of your standard tie in to two other books.

Weekly Comic Reviews for June 3rd, 2009 -- SPOILERS

Just two books this week:

Skaar #11 -- Liking the shortened title, it's easier to type. We get introduced to Skaar's inner child while also seeing what exactly happened on Sakaar when Galactus showed up. But the story of this book is on the last page (not a huge story if you've seen anything about the next issue). I like where this book is going and some of the parallels between Skaar and his father. The art was solid in telling the story and I didn't find the issue as "choppy" as some of the earlier issues. Though the story is turning more into a superhero book (bringing in Osborn, the FF, She-Hulk, etc, on Earth rather than a barbarian warrior on a distant planet) I think I'm actually enjoying it more, despite not reading any of Marvel's Dark Reign stuff (or any other Marvel book that I can think of at the moment). I'm looking forward to the next issue and seeing where things go with the Incredible Hulk series starting up again. And to bring it back to this issue, I give it a thumbs up (cliche I know).

Buffy Tales of the Vampires (one shot) -- To start, the art style wasn't particularly to my liking. I know a lot of people like it but I found it a little too distracting and hard to follow (I kept not recognizing characters for instance). The story was well written but it almost feels done before, the whole idea of vampires being seen as "cool" and nobody thinking of them as soulless demonic killers. I'm hoping the main Buffy series is going somewhere "different" with that. So, although it was well done I wasn't a huge fan of this issue. It did fill in a bit more about what's happening in Buffy's world outside of what's happening immediately around Buffy but it might have been possible to do that without doing it as a one shot with no recognizable characters. Fans of the series will still probably want to pick it up but shouldn't be too worried if they don't.

As for other stuff I'm reading, I did polish off "Was Superman a Spy?" a little while back and it was great. Really interesting stuff for those looking for a bit more insider stuff to their favourite characters and stories. I'm still working my way through "The 10 Cent Plague", it's also really well written and has some very interesting stuff in it. And I've also caught up on the first five volumes of Scott Pilgrim and I thought those were great, lots of fun. And I think that's it. Back to work I go.

Today...

Today is David Gallaher's birthday and I think it was suggested by someone (not pointing fingers here) that everyone should celebrate his birthday by going over and reading High Moon (or maybe the suggestion was to pre-order it on Amazon, I'm kinda tired and can't remember at the moment). So yeah, go over and read it, favourite it, and wish David a happy birthday.

This week's reviews will be up later today.

Weekly Comic Reviews for May 27th, 2009

Let's see if I can get my reviews done before my cross validation results are in (that'll be the only science talk of this post, promise). So we have three books...

Ultimate Wolverine VS Hulk #6 (of 6) -- That's it? And I don't mean "That's it, I waited 3 years for that?", I mean "That's it, I bought 6 issues and that's the payoff?" Okay, the collars were a pretty new idea but this is "Ultimate Wolverine VS Hulk" and other than the ripping in half which was done in issue 1 and then replayed in pretty much every issue afterwards all we get are fancy collars. I was disappointed in quite a bit of this book from She-Hulk's apparent lack of a healing factor and the Hulk needing to "catch his breath" from a fall from a plane before he can even leap? Did I miss something there? Despite some funny and entertaining moments during this series (Logan's talk with his inner panda for example) this series feels like a let down for me. Not a big let down, but a let down nonetheless. Oh, and what was with the Hulk's size in those last few pages? I didn't think he grew when he got angry (to the point where his fingers were bigger than Fury).


Runaways #10 -- We have a one shot here as the new creative team fully kicks in next issue (Kathryn Immonen doesn't start writing it until next issue). But I liked this one shot. I think it captured a bit more of the fun aspects of Vaughan's initial run. Not that Whedon and Moore didn't put some fun into it, it just felt different. Molly's time with the X-Men was just silly fun and I enjoyed it. Though I can understand some not enjoying it so much, but in my opinion it's not really to be taken seriously so I can let a lot of things slide. It was just a simple, fun issue, with a pretty big emotional element to it that I won't spoil. But the real story kicks in next issue.

Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #6 (of 6) -- I do enjoy this series, the artwork is beautiful and the characters are unique (though I still have personal issues with distinguishing them by their look). But I think from here on out, I'll be waiting for the collected versions of the stories. They actually do a good job of making each issue episodic and you do feel like you get a story in each, but after reading the first in collected format and the second in individual issues I think I preferred the collected way. But I'm looking forward to the next volume, I'll just have to refresh my memory of the story and the characters when it comes out.

I won't be doing a full review of Invincible vol 10 or Astounding Wolf-Man vol 2 but I did enjoy both. But I am hitting one of the usual problems of going the TPB route, I've seen too many images from Invincible issues (covers and such) so I saw quite a bit coming. Though I have to admit, the thing with Cecil didn't quite go the way I was totally expecting so that was a good thing.

Oh, and I didn't finish this before the results were in but due to a brain fart I had to re-run the experiment. :( Oops, that was more science talk wasn't it?

A Quick Sketch - Codex

Just posting a quick sketch I did yesterday. No real reason. The character is Felicia Day's avatar from the Guild, Codex. I'm not quite sure who owns the rights to the character or it's likeness and I'll have no qualms about removing it should I be asked to do so.

A Little Clarification

Going over my post "Following the Dream" I realized there may be the chance for a misunderstanding so I just wanted to clarify that last line. In no way was I saying that pursuing the dream and that the work done by those I mentioned was pointless but I see that it may have come across that way. So I apologize to anyone who read it like that, especially to anyone I named in that post. The line was actually meant to be a weak attempt at humour by belittling my own post. I was tired (like usual) and couldn't really think of a clever way of bringing that post to a close (like usual) so I figured I'd just label the post pointless and then I wouldn't have to come up with a closer.

The post did have a point for me though, it was to highlight the respect and admiration I have for artists (writers, actors, comic artists, etc) that continue to put themselves out there, especially the independents without the backing of a major company, and to tie it in with the events of my own life.

I apologize for not making that clear.

Weekly Comic Reviews for May 20th, 2009

Have to make these reviews pretty quick, too much work to be done today (long story).

Planet Skaar Prologue -- I have high hopes for the Planet Skaar storyline and I thought this book was pretty good at giving us a look at what's to come. Though it felt a little weird being labelled a "Prologue", it felt pretty much like an issue 1. I thought the art was a little weak, some panels were good and others looked off. I'm still trying to figure out if Reed was stretching his face for one panel (his face seems to change a lot in the next). But despite some weakness to it, the art did tell the story fairly well (though there was a panel/scene or two that could have been more clear). Overall I'm really looking forward to it. And yes, I'll be picking up Pak's Incredible Hulk but I'm still not picking up Loeb's Hulk series.

Mysterius the Unfathomable #5 (of 6) -- Sometimes reading this series feels like a whirlwind of events as you jump through settings and times. Characters come and go, and I find it a lot to keep track of. I'm starting to wonder if this series would be better read as a TPB. I did find that I was pretty disappointed with some of the set up in this book, I don't want to spoil it so I can't really say more than that. I'm still enjoying this book for the most part but I won't be too disappointed to see it come to an end, I don't think I'd stick with it if it was ongoing. Though maybe if it was ongoing it could be more episodic.

Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen #5 (of 5) -- We get the conclusion of the storyline... Wait, was there a storyline that I was supposed to be keeping track of? Really? Anywho, I wasn't really reading this for a deep story, it was just pure Colbert fun. So if you don't like Colbert, stay away. But I got some chuckles through the series and I thought it was pretty fun.

Angel 21 -- While Mysterius felt like a whirlwind I'm not sure what this one felt like. So many times I found myself wondering if I missed a page or something. It jumps around, the writing seems a bit disjoint, and the art can't tell enough of the story to cover for it. I think this book needs a second lookover to pace it out better so the story flows and the reader can follow along and get more engaged. As it is, I feel like I'm just seeing snippets of something going on, none of which ends up seeming important. Though to be honest, I've already decided I'll be dropping this series after the next issue.

Makin' Money

After my last post I thought back to the two times I made money off my "art". One time was in high school when I painted a picture that was auctioned off for charity. It was a picture of a kingfisher and was one of the first times my colour blindness really came into focus (people asked me why the branches around the bird were green but they looked brown to me). I think the picture sold for $60 and they gave me $15 of that.

But the first time was either in grade 1 or 2 where for 5 cents I'd draw a person's name in bubble letters. But a fellow student told on me and my teacher forced me to give back the money (though they got to keep the "drawings" I did). Come to think of it, I think I may have lost money on this one when some students claimed I had taken money from them even though I hadn't.

Following The Dream

Part of this post has been stewing in my head for a while. Another part was put in place during last night's How I Met Your Mother. In the episode, Lilly convinces Ted to "take the leap" by not chasing his dream of being an architect (something that hasn't been working for him) and let the "universe" direct him (ie. take a teaching job at a university). Without going into it too much, my feelings are obviously mixed. On the one hand, you want Ted to follow his initial dream and succeed but you know it often doesn't work out that way. And you can't throw your life away following a path that just isn't going anywhere.

Which brings my ramblings to a more personal level. I had several dream jobs through my life. One that stuck with me for a while was "teacher" (even while doing my Master's in university the possibility of lecturing/teaching seemed like a possibility). And of course, there was the times I wanted to do something more creative (like make comic books or movies or something). The teaching thing fell apart at some point. I think the idea of imparting my knowledge in pretty much anything and influencing the next generation always stuck with me but the idea of putting up with the kids always got to me. Plus, those around me always discouraged it since there wasn't much money to be made and everyone seemed to have this idea that I should be making lots of money.

The more creative job prospects pretty much died before they even started though. Everyone around me said that only a select few actually get to make a living at it, and for every success in the various artistic fields there are so many stories of those who failed. And clearly I wasn't good enough to be one of the success stories so I would be far better off looking elsewhere for my calling. So I followed the math/science route and at the end of high school I went to the guidance counselor who suggested I had the marks to get into Computer Science and here I am. I'm definitely not making the money I guess I was "supposed to" but I have my current government job that pays me pretty well, has good benefits, and usually doesn't require much overtime. And by sticking in a research institution, I usually get to do projects I really care about and can get behind. So it's good.

But over the years I've really noticed how reluctant I am to publicly show my more artistic projects. I've been improving on this, posting stuff on DrunkDuck, the odd image here, and for friends on other sites, but I usually do so pretty reluctantly, very quietly, and with much discomfort. Every time I do so I think back to those people who said I wasn't good enough to be one of the success stories and I imagine them seeing whatever I do and saying "See, I knew he wasn't good enough."

I think that's what makes me see so much potential in media produced for the computer/internet. It's open to so many who may never have had the opportunity before. Now many of them won't be able to make a living at it but it opens up more possibilities for those still pursuing that dream. And if not, they can still put their work out there while making a living doing something else. And that's why I have so much respect for people who put themselves out there, for David Gallaher out there promoting the heck out of his High Moon series on Zuda, for Valerie D'Orazio putting her writing up on her blog for everyone to check out, for Felicia Day working so hard on the Guild, and for every other creator putting themselves out there for everyone to see. Obviously they have the talent to make it work and they haven't given up.

Okay, to sum up this post... Ah heck, I'll just tag it as "random stuff" and "ramblings", that way I don't have to sum it up, it can just be pointless. :)

Weekly Comic Reviews for May 13th, 2009

I only had one book this week, which is actually one more than I was expecting when I entered my comic shop. Unfortunately I'm a little busy at work and super-tired due to feeling under the weather so it'll have to be quick.

Elephantmen #19 -- We get a look back into Sahara's history as well as what exactly happened between her and her father in the hospital a few issues back. It's definitely not a light hearted story and the punches aren't pulled. Having said that, the book continues to be incredibly well done. The writing is great as usual and the art told the story very well.

One thing I really like about Elephantmen is that you pretty much get a solid story in each issue. Sure, there was the spore wars with it's cliffhangers and the stories tie into one another building a larger narrative but after reading an issue I don't have that feeling of knowing I have to wait 5 more months for the story to end. They are doing a great job of keeping it episodic while still building on a larger story.

On a side note, Valerie D'Orazio looked at the demographic data for various sites, including comic book ones. I've looked briefly at the table but not enough to come up with anything other than what she has to say on her site. I have noticed that DC has done a few things to try and improve their website (which I've said in the past that I really disliked) but one thing Valerie says plays true for me in a big way:

"One thing I sometimes point out to clients is how a smaller site with a relatively simpler design does so much better than sites with all the flash and bells & whistles -- case in point xkcd, but many personal blogs, etc."

This is one of my pet peeves as well, throwing everying and the kitchen sink into the main page with as much eye catching animation and over the top presentation as you can fit into a page (or more). When I get hit with pages like that it often leads me to go back to Google and search for whatever in particular I'm looking for. If that search ends up leading me to back to the particular page (ie. the Marvel solicit page for a particular issue or character page) then fine but if I can avoid that site, I probably will.

Anyhow, rants on that stuff would probably be better left for another post. One made when I'm thinking a little more clearly.

May 2009 Zuda Competitors

I probably won't get around to doing a full review of all of this month's competitors so I think I'll just talk briefly about the ones I'm leaning towards voting for. But before I do I have to admit that I'm pretty stupid, I thought the Zuda winner was determined by voting only but it turns out it's also based on ratings, favourites, etc. I guess I should have read it more closely... Then again, I'm not the one competing. :) So for this month my favourites at the moment include:

Lily of the Valley -- Not quite sure where the story is going yet (which is a good thing) but have a sense of the feel of the story (also a good thing). An interesting art style with a sort of a weird/quirky thing going on that works well with the story.

Sides -- Again, I liked the art and the story seems like it could be interesting and different. I'd definitely keep an eye on this one should it get chosen.

Flowing Wells -- I'm not sure if there was enough meat to these 8 pages to really hook me, I felt like there could have been a bit more there to not only show more of what's going on but also to hook me in. The artwork was pretty amazing though.

And looking like a real longshot for my vote at the moment...

Gone Zombie -- On the one hand, it looks like a zombie story and I'm not big on them (despite reading the Walking Dead but that's because that book is more about the characters than the zombies). On the other hand, like Walking Dead there seems to be the potential for the story to be more than just a zombie story. Again, I'd probably check it out should it get selected but it probably won't get my vote.

Weekly Comic Reviews for May 6th, 2009 -- SPOILERS

The downside of picking up your comics over lunch, you have to go back to work for the afternoon knowing that they are sitting, unread, just a few feet away.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #25 -- Well, Dawn's story seems to have come to a close, at least for now. Overall, I enjoyed the issue. The usual combination of fun, character moments, and a bit of action. There were a few things that I felt could have been flushed out a bit more (this doll maker seemed to come out of nowhere unless Imissed something, Buffy leaving him so quickly also seemed a little odd, and Dawn's farewell to Kenny seemed a little too simple) but on the other hand, the story gets moved along at a pretty good pace. The art was good for the most part and told the story well. Overall, another enjoyable issue of this series for me.

Hulk Broken Worlds #2 (of 2) -- I know the first issue had a few problems and maybe some people didn't enjoy it that much, and I was actually expecting this to be the weaker of the two issues so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying this one more than the first. The stories range from the moving Hulk stories (focussing on Banner and the characters around him) to simple fun stories (manga Hulk versus Fenris using the Midgard Serpent) and they all seemed to hit the mark for me. The art was pretty solid throughout as well. I definitely enjoyed this book overall. I know it's really more for Hulk fans than your every day comic fan but it may be worth checking out either way. And it gave me my Hulk fix for a little while at least. :)

So that's it, only 2 books this week. I'm hoping to get some reading done this weekend in between house cleaning and mother's day stuff. On the top of my reading pile would be Planetary Volume 3 (haven't started), "The 10-cent Plague" by David Hajdu (currently about 100 pages in), "Conspiracy!" by Valerie D'Orazio (only one chapter in so far), and "Was Superman a Spy?" by Brian Cronin (haven't started yet). We'll have to see how much I actually get done. :)

Non-Comic Annoyances

Just have to complain a little.

Going back to public transportation, I just had to shake my head at the two young women who got upset at the bus driver for asking them to move further back to allow a woman in a wheelchair on to the bus. Moving back to allow people on should be common courtesy, getting upset because you're asked to do it to allow a person in a wheelchair on is just stupid.

And I've been hearing radio commercials for a restaurant advertising their "date night" special. What bothers me about it are the stats that are being thrown around. The first claim is that a very high percentage of women prefer to have the man pay for dinner. The second claim is that a VERY high percentage of women find men with a lof of money sexier (which seems kinda funny when you're advertising how they can save money on their date). I can't even really put my finger on why the ad irritates me so much, possibly it's just that they seem to be pushing the idea that you'll fail at dating until you have lots of money that you spend on your date, but it makes me want to avoid the place. Or maybe I just need to lighten up.

Weekly Comic Reviews for April 29th, 2009 -- SPOILERS

Before I get to the reviews, as I was waiting for my bus yesterday I saw a young blind woman trying to get on another bus. As she was trying to feel her way on to the bus three, yes three, people decided to cut in front of her, bumping her seeing eye dog out of their way as they did so. I thought about getting on the bus just to give these people a piece of my mind but I hesitated and the bus left. Some times I really do want to believe in karma.

On to the reviews.

Skaar #10 -- At least they shortened the title and dropped the "Son of Hulk" which I didn't really care for anyways. On the positive side of things, I'm still liking Ron Lim's art over Garney's. I have liked a lot of Garney's work but something just wasn't working here. As for the story, there seemed to be a lot going on and at times it was hard to follow. I may have to go back and re-read it and I'm not sure that's a good thing. But even despite that, there's the feeling that there's a good story going on and we're getting to see some development in Skaar. I'm looking forward to seeing his upcoming adventures on Earth given where he is (character wise) at the moment. I don't know if it makes my recommended reading list but I'm sticking with it for the time being.

Runaways 3 #9 -- I have to go back on some things I've said in past reviews for this series. We now learn that something is going on with Nico and where it started. And I'm happy about that. I did prefer the art here to Humberto Ramos'. I was surprised that Moore is leaving the series with a lot of loose ends (especially with Nico) but I think that's good, it creates more of a continuing story. Overall, although Moore didn't really knock my socks off with his run on the book I think it is in a good place right now and I'm looking forward to what comes next. And I liked the little bit of dialogue at the end as the kids were playing their games. But you'd have to read it, I couldn't do it justice here.

Ultimate Wolverine Vs Hulk #5 -- Well, at least they're acknowledging how much they are jumping back and forth in time for this book. I saw one review where someone was pointing out how frustrating it is that we have a series titled "Ultimate Wolverine VERSUS Hulk" and other than the Hulk ripping Wolverine in half, we haven't really seen much of the "versus" portion of that. I don't think that bugs me so much but it is noticeable. As for this issue, Leinil Yu continues to provide great art for this series and I actually found this issue a little less irritating with the flashback/flashforward writing as we seem to be moving in a more forward direction now. I am looking forward to seeing how everything comes to its conclusion and maybe in the end, the TPB will be worth recommending. But overall, I thought this was a good issue.

I also picked up a few TPBs yesterday with Astounding Wolf-Man Vol 2 and Planetary Volumes 2, 3 and the Crossing Worlds TPB. As well as the Marvel 70th Anniversary special which might be worth checking out for people who don't want to spend the money on the Marvel Chronicles (though to be fair, I'm only saying that based on a brief flip through of both books, I haven't looked at either in great detail yet). I haven't got to read those yet (other than half of the Wolf-Man TPB which I stopped upon seeing Invincible since I haven't got the latest TPB of that series and I don't want anything spoiled for me) but perhaps I'll post reviews when I do. But then again, I say that a lot about the TPBs and don't get around to posting reviews so don't hold your breath. :)

And congratulations to the creative team behind Earthbuilders on Zuda. Even though it didn't get my vote it looks like it's going to be a very well done webcomic which I'll have to check out when more pages get posted.

Heroes Season Finale -- SPOILERS

Yeah, I recorded it to watch it later so I'm a little behind.

Wow! I can't be the only one who was severely disappointed by that episode. I was really disappointed with the first half of this season and I felt the second half was only slightly better. But this episode sort of blind sided me. The battle with Sylar was ridiculous. I know they're under a budget and everything but the extended shots of Claire peeking through and then pacing around just annoyed me. And the number of things that seemed to just happen so easily to get from point A to point Z, well, I couldn't even keep count. I felt like I wasn't being told a story but getting the cliff's notes. The sudden "We need Nathan alive" stuff for example. Yes, they did end up explaining it quickly but only after they'd already come to the conclusion to do it. At first, it just seemed like it was plucked out of nowhere.

Even the stuff left open for next season doesn't catch me. Sylar still peeking out from under the Nathan blanket? Who didn't see that coming? Tracy back hunting down the people from building 26? Yippee. And Hiro suddenly saying he had to go home and nobody saying anything? He's there with people who know him, one of which is a doctor, another that's a Senator, and the Senator's mother who still has lots of power. Why would he leave and why would they let him? Unless they already know something (ie. he's dying).

Overall, the finale left me with questions but not in a good way. I don't even know if I'm going to be back to watch it next season, that's one question I have.

Weekly Comic Reviews for April 22, 2009 -- SPOILERS

Let's get right to it shall we...

Elephantmen #18 -- This was a powerful issue. The story was pretty simple and the art wasn't overly complex in its detail which fit well. The reader is presented the story in its most raw form without interference from a preaching narrative. In usual "Elephantmen" fashion, it concentrates on the characters while giving the reader a glimpse into a larger story. I think reaction will vary depending on the reader's beliefs and feelings toward the subject matter but it's done extremely well. I'm probably starting to repeat myself with my reviews of this book but it's just been so good.

Detective Comics #853 -- In case you were wondering why I'm reviewing this, it was the second part to the Neil Gaiman story. This was a pretty weird storyline, which I probably should of expected of Neil Gaiman. After the first issue I tried to explain it to my brother and was having a pretty hard time. I don't think I'm any better off after this one. It's something you'd have to read to get it and to be honest, I'm not sure I do exactly. But that's not necessarily a bad thing here. For me, it left me with a fantastic story about what it is to "be Batman". Though I'm sure everyone else who reads it would read that last line and go "What? Did he read the same thing I did?" And if Neil Gaiman ever saw this review (yeah, I know he won't but just go with me here) he'd probably say "This guy just didn't get it" and hope I never review his work in the future. But in the end, I really think it's worth checking out, it's a pretty amazing two issues. And who knows, maybe you'll be able to come back and tell me what it's "really" about. :) Oh yeah, my favourite line had to be the "retire and golf" line. I laughed at that and now I'm curious, if Batman can put so much into his belt imagine what he could do with a golf bag.

Angel #20 -- I've been enjoying this series more with the new creative team but this issue felt a little bit like a let down. It wasn't that bad but there were parts that I thought could have been done better. It seemed like the story jumped a bit at times and things weren't exactly clear. Things seemed to jump between panels or pages and it was a bit disorientating. One example that comes to mind is when the character transforms into a rampaging animal only to be unconcious in the next panel. Maybe we're supposed to surmise what happened but it didn't feel right to me. And there were other parts, like when Angel says "Mine is defective" (or something like that), I didn't know what he was refering to. I'm guessing he was talking about his sword not working on a demon but I felt that could have been more clear in the art. And around that time, it looked like Angel had large claws (his fingers were large and to a point), that seemed odd. It was just a lot of these little things that seemed to take me out of the story a bit. The overall storylines I'm interested in, I just don't think the execution is where it needs to be.

So that's it for this week. And yes, I'm now twittering. :)

Weekly Comic Reviews for April 15th, 2009

Wow, busy day today and I almost forgot to do my weekly reviews. That could also be due to only getting one book this week. So without further ado...

Mysterius the Unfathomable #4 (of 6) -- First off, I think Tom Fowler's art has been working well with this series. I think it's hitting the right tone and it works well in this issue with all the weird and "wonderful" creatures. Unfortunately though, I found this issue to run on a bit too long at too slow a pace. Maybe it's just that it didn't seem to keep up the tempo of the previous issues or we've just hit a lull in the 6 issue storyline (or, and this is a definite possibility, it was just me) but it seemed like too much of a chore to make it through. And maybe the dialogue (the rhyming) didn't help too much. Fortunately, we end on a cliffhanger with promise of some excitement in the next issue. Not a bad issue but not one of the better ones of this series.

And that's it. Kinda sad huh? Oh well, next week promises to be busy comic-wise for me.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century #1 preview

Newsarama has some preview pages here but just so you know, they try to blur certain body parts out but it may not be safe for some work environments. Anyways, I enjoyed the first two volumes but I wasn't a big fan of the Black Dossier. This looks to be more along the lines of the first two. So now the question, pick it up individually or wait for a TPB/hardcover version to put on my shelf with the other LoEG?

Wow! I seem to have a lot of things I want to blog about today... Perhaps I shouldn't have deleted my twitter account after all. :)

Very late but oh well...

I didn't realize this until now but despite Marvel's article talking about Rey Mysterio using Marvel characters as inspiration for his masks what character did he go with for Wrestlemania? None other than the Joker. Though I'm pretty sure it's not the first time he's gone DC, I think I recall a Flash one. But I do find the timing of it (with that article) pretty funny.

Weekly Comic Reviews for April 8th, 2009 -- SPOILERS

Well, I had hoped to get this review in on the weekend but I had a busy couple of days. I only had the one book last week, Ultimate Wolverine VS Hulk #4, so let's get to it shall we. And SPOILERS abound!

Ultimate Wolverine VS Hulk #4 -- I have to be honest, I found this issue somewhat lacking. Right from the start it seemed obvious to me that Betty would be She-Hulk in this universe so the issue felt like it dragged as they try to point to it being Jen Walters. It may also have to do with the time shifting as we are once again taken back into the past to see how it all came about, leaving the ending to this issue just moments after the ending to last issue. It just doesn't feel like anything is progressing. I'm pretty confident that will change with issue 5 since I can't see any reason to go back again (but I could be wrong). And all this is weird for me because I really think I should be getting into this book. The art is great, the dialogue smooth and witty, and the story is an intriguing one, but something about the execution of it just isn't hooking me. I wonder if it would be any different had I waited for the TPB.

I also had the opportunity to read Valerie d'Orazio's Memoirs of an Occasional Superheroine. I'm honestly still digesting it, going over and over a lot of thoughts and feelings that it's brought up for me. Right from the start, it's raw, it's powerful, and it's heart wrenching. I can't put into words just how much I admire Valerie's strength, to go through what she's gone through and be where she's at now, both personally and professionally.

The thing that has me thinking the most is that I'm opening my eyes more fully to the people I've associated with, some as friends and some as no more than acquaintances who shopped at the same comic store. Now I'd like to say that none of them came close to the people Val writes about but the truth is, I don't know. There was and always will be the rumours about one guy or another but that's all I ever heard, rumours. Heck, I've had several rumours spread about me, some from people I considered my closest friends. But I do know that I see bits and pieces that connect those people and the ones Val writes about, from the somewhat socially inept to the downright creepy. I'd have to admit to putting myself somewhere in the "somewhat socially challenged" category. And I still wonder about that guy who I saw at some conventions with the store name "Kool Kards and Komics" (the K's were always in big letters).

Perhaps one day I'll have some more coherent thoughts on this and I'll come up with something clever and insightful but that's all I have for now.

Zuda April Competition Reviews

Wow, it's been a long time since I did a Zuda review. And to be honest, I wasn't really planning on it this time (my comment about weekly reviews was about print comics) but since Ryan and Tim are looking forward to them... :)

In alphabetical order:
Cancer Troop 4 -- I thought this one was well done (though on a nitpicky note I thought the first few pages could have been a bit clearer as to what was going on). The art was unique, especially when it comes to the colour choices, and the characters were more interesting than I expected going in. And the pacing of the last few pages was excellent. But unfortunately, I just didn't feel there was anything in these first 8 pages that would make me want to vote for it. I'd like to see it continue just to see where it's going but that's not always enough to get the vote (especially when there are other books I really want to see more of).

Earthbuilders -- This is definitely a high quality book with solid writing and art. Perhaps if it wasn't constrained to 8 pages I would have liked the action to be a bit bigger (larger panels and a bit more pacing) but with more pages you have more room for storytelling. But unfortunately the story just didn't grab me, there just wasn't anything there I felt was "new". Perhaps if it were to continue and more of the story was flushed out I'd go for it but these 8 pages weren't enough for me.

Intergalactic Law: Grey Squad -- I actually had a hard time reading this one. There is some definite talent there but the story and pacing just seemed all over the place. It jumped ahead with no warning and we just kept getting snippets. The art was sort of hit or miss with me with some panels/characters seeming a little too sloppy for me. Even the talk balloons seemed a bit off at times either with too many or just drawn out kind of weirdly. It was pretty unique though and had a lot of potential. But unfortunately "potential" won't get my vote this month.

Mecha-Simian -- Maybe I just have Stephen Colbert on the brain for some reason but this one sort of reminded me of Tek Jansen in some ways. But that's neither here nor there. The art was pretty solid (though given time I think there's some room for improvement), good pacing, and there was enough story there to get the general idea across and engage the reader. I guess my only issue with this book was that the main character felt a little too "done before" with the only difference being this one is a monkey. But since we don't see any other good guys this doesn't feel too out there, I mean we also have robots and a talking ship already. So unfortunately I think this one falls just short for me.

Myth -- At first I thought this one was going to be a miss for me as the first few pages just didn't grab me but then the fifth page knocked me over. The art has a nice style to it and the writing is good. I generally skip the intro paragraph and go mostly by the 8 pages but in this case, the 8 pages left me slightly wanting and it was the intro paragraph that gave me a better idea of what to expect from this book. I think this is a bit of a negative on one hand (that the 8 pages just didn't feel like enough) but on the other hand, they were enough to make me check out the intro to see what it is that I just read. I could definitely see myself coming back to check this book out, especially if it keeps up this level of quality. And with more pages to work with I think it could really be good. So it remains on my short list of potential vote getters.

Pirate Eye -- I think the first thing that stood out for me on this book was the art and not necessarily in a good way. It's of a fairly high quality but too static. I just didn't feel any emotion or movement to the characters. Even a guy getting shot in the leg doesn't really seem to be reacting. And that scene could have been much more dynamic in its perspective. And I'm not sure if the writing really helped. Though the general idea seems like a decent one these 8 pages just didn't have any "oomph" to them, nothing that made me think "Wow!" It just felt like we were getting from point A to point B in a pretty straight line. So unfortunately I just don't think there's enough there for my vote.

Spy6teen -- Again, we have another high quality comic here. The art was great (though at times I thought the inking could have been a bit smoother) and the writing was well done with great pacing (combined with good layouts) and an interesting character. I'm already wanting to learn more about her backstory as well as see where things go from here. I really can't think of much in the negative category for this one. Perhaps I would have liked a bit more info about how/why a 16 year-old is a government spy but you could see that there was a story there and it's just something you'll have to wait to find out. And perhaps one could say we've seen similar stories to this but considering the high quality of these 8 pages again, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that once we get into the story it'll evolve into something different. This one is currently sitting as the favourite for my vote but I like to mull it over before I make my final decision. It really did get off to a great start.

The Daemon Brethren: Advent of Chaos -- You can tell that a lot of work went into this one, especially artistically, but I think it falters for me. First up, I think the brothers could have been a bit more distinct in their faces from each other. Some of the pages involving the action came across as a little confusing as to what was going on. Perhaps too much was just crammed into too little a space. And there were a few times where the art style seemed to differ so a bit more consistency in the art could be needed. Unfortunately, the story didn't really catch with me and when I read the intro paragraph I got even more confused. The story just didn't seem to flow and needed a bit more polish. That last page had me confused briefly as we move to Chicago suddenly and yet we have someone talking. It took a second before I realized that this was the conversation from the previous page continuing. I think that could have been executed better. So while there's some definite talent there, I just don't see myself following this book.

The Kind You Don't Bring Home to Mother -- Right off the bat I was pretty hooked into this story. It seemed pretty unique and the characters started to grow on me right away. The parents were great and I found myself chuckling at them the most. The art was solid and well laid out. The pacing was well done and the dialogue was great. Overall, I really don't have much negative to say about this one either. To be honest, after re-reading it for this review I think it's right up there beside Spy6teen. I'm not sure which one I will eventually go with and who knows, Myth might make a comeback over the weekend. :) I'm so indecisive, but at least it's a positive that there are a few books this month I'd like to see continue.

The Rise and Fall of the Penguin -- I think every book has an audience it reaches out to, I'm just not part of that audience for this book. I'd say I'm far from it. I didn't find it funny nor did the story really interest me at all. And the art really doesn't work for me either. I'm really not even sure there's much else I can say about it.

So that's it, I'm currently going back and forth between Spy6teen and The Kind You Don't Bring Home to Mother (which I think I'll call TKYDBHTM) with Myth still in the running.

Quick update on the reviews

I just wanted to mention that my weekly reviews will be delayed this week, possibly until the weekend due to a doctor's appointment tonight and my mother's birthday get together tomorrow.

Also, High Moon, Celadore, Bayou, and several others have update on Zuda and the April contest is under way. I haven't decided who I'll be voting for but after a first read through them I think Myth, Spy6teen, and The Kind You Don't Bring Home to Mother are the three frontrunners for my vote.

And I really need to organize my reading better as I'm currently trying to read 4 books at once including re-reading Watchmen, The 10-Cent Plague by David Hajdu, Valerie D'Orazio's Memoirs of an Occasional Superheroine, and still making my way through the Hulk Omnibus. Hopefully the long weekend will help.

Len Wein

I just wanted to comment on the news regarding Len Wein's house fire. My thoughts are with him and his family during this troubling time and my condolences on the loss of their dog, Sheba. I hope someone steps up and helps out a man who has contributed so much to the world of comics and beyond.

Weekly Comic Reviews for April 1st, 2009

I only picked up one book this week so this shouldn't take long. :)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #24 -- We have a Faith one shot here with her following through on her decision to help the slayers who have nobody to help them, she quickly learns about the "Slayer Sanctuary" and the action quickly picks up. Overall I thought this was a pretty good issue though it felt a little choppy at parts (more so in the beginning I think where things just seem to quickly fall into place in order to get Faith and Giles from point A to point B). Overall the story may feel a little "done before" but we do get to see a few character moments for Faith and the new slayer. So I enjoyed it but it didn't necessarily blow me away.

On the webcomic front, the latest update for Bayou contains some incredibly beautiful art and I really love this series. And I finally read through the Night Owls, and it really is well done. Sometimes the jokes or characters seem like something I've seem several times before but it's written intelligently enough to bring a new twist to it. So I'll be keeping an eye on that one as well.

And that's it for this week's reviews. Anything I missed?

Free Webcomics?

Newsarama just posted an article about a poll they conducted on their website about whether "digital comics" should be free. I'm actually somewhat surprised that the numbers are so high for paying for digital comics. And I think in many ways, I agree with a lot of what is said. First up, I think giving it away free does devalue the comics themselves. And I just don't think relying on advertising revenue is a viable model, you're relying on other companies to be successful enough to pay you and if they hit a dry spell so do you. Also, I've talked before about the feeling of "investing" through paying for comics in my previous rambling on webcomics.

On the other hand, I still haven't seen a model I'm entirely happy with. For one thing, I really want the download option or something similar. And this actually goes beyond just "download", I want the book to remain readable 5 years from now so this means it probably can't rely on one company's reader software. This wouldn't be for all books, some I'd be happy to just be able to read online and that's it. But other books, I may want to be able to open up 5 years from now and read it. So if the book is no longer available (because I haven't kept up with the subscription, the company stopped offering it, the technology used to read it is no longer supported, or whatever) then I can't. You could also go with the option of providing digital and print versions but then the creators have to take into consideration that their work has to fit both mediums and that could limit their storytelling techniques.

I also wonder where webcomics like the ones on Zuda, DrunkDuck or whatever could fit in this. I could see someone paying a buck for an issue of Spider-Man or the latest Brian Michael Bendis book but would they pay for an unproven talent with a new idea? Probably not at first. But if you give them away for free I wonder how many people will pay for them down the road. Perhaps if they are good enough some people will want that guarantee of being able to read them in the future and want a downloaded or print version. Or if you do try to fit them in then perhaps they can be freebies to start, pay to read some comic and you get a few pages from a Zuda/webcomic for free. But these are just ideas off the top of my head and the idea of giving these webcomics away for free does go against my earlier statement that comics shouldn't be made available for free.

Another issue I see is if companies go their separate ways on this then that could be a stumbling block. If someone wants to read two Marvel books, two DC books, two Dark Horse books, two Devil's Due books, two Image comics,... then are they going to be happy going to any number of sites, downloading software for each site, paying for each site, etc, etc. I'd probably get tired of it myself. I think it might even be better in some ways if one external company ran it. That would be an interesting model, especially if you tied in webcomics. So someone could pay to read an issue of Amazing Spider-Man, be given the option to add a few pages from a webcomic of their choice for free, and the money is split between Marvel, the webcomic owner, and the providing company (with Marvel getting the bulk of it). I can't really see this happening of course but I think it would be interesting. There is the huge risk that the comic companies would now have to rely on this external company to keep things running.

It seems the more I think and ramble about the idea of digital or web comics the more questions it raises for me. I also have friends who own or work in comic stores, and it scares me to think what this would mean for them.

Weekly Comic Reviews for March 25, 2009 -- SPOILERS

I'd like to say it was a fairly busy week for me comic-wise but it's just relative. Since I don't buy too many books a week of 3 books plus Wizard magazine is "fairly busy" for me. So let's get right to it shall we... Oh wait, be warned that all of this week's reviews will CONTAIN SPOILERS so you have been warned...

Runaways vol 3 #8 -- This issue seems to fit in with Moore's other books in terms of pace in that in the end, you don't really feel like much has happened. There's a lot of little events and character moments but it can feel like it's dragging on a bit. It's still enjoyable but I'm still looking for something more (and no, I don't even know what "more" is). The art was okay, I wasn't really a fan of Ramos on this book so this felt a little better for me, though there were some parts I felt could have been a bit better (Nico's look seemed off in some panels). And speaking of Nico, Moore has really been writing her as bad with the magics. I thought she seemed a lot more competent but since he's taken over, her spells have been going awry, more like she was in her early days. I kinda hope there's a reason for this but I have a feeling there isn't.

Skaar Son of Hulk #9 -- Well, at least someone can write a good Hulk even if it's not the current Hulk writer and it's not even the Hulk. Okay, that was uncalled for. A lot of people are really enjoying the Hulk series and I'm just bitter. Getting back to the issue in question, it has the feeling of things falling into place. Both literally (the ruler of Sakaar determined, people fall into line, etc) and in other terms (Skaar coming into his own, his character being flushed out a bit more, and we see there will be some progression made). I'm looking forward to seeing what Caiera and the Surfer have in store as the end of this issue was interesting to say the least. I think the series has also improved under Lim's art. I normally like Garney's art a lot but something just wasn't working for me with his work on Skaar. I think this book still has potential and I'm sticking with it.

Elephantmen #17 -- In some ways, you sorta know where this issue is going right from the start but I was still intrigued to see how it got there. And as is the norm for this series, the unique characters really make the story from the overzealous police, the old lady, right to Hip and Ebony. Also, we get a quick moment to indicate that the events from last issue of the Spore Wars story aren't necessarily over and done with which I rather liked because I had originally thought Miki's survival came a little out of nowhere. I love how the story just keeps growing with each issue of this series. I did find the art a little lacking in places and I found a few parts a little off (I don't want to get side tracked with the details but one jarring scene had two police talking helmetless and the next they were helmetted, it was rather weird, I wasn't sure if that was to indicate the passing of a small amount of time or whether the scenes where they were talking took place before they even started going after Tusk). As well, the two main officers just looked too similar once they had their helmets on. One seemed to be the older of the two (the bald one) but it became harder to distinguish them. So I thought there was some room for improvement there. I think I've rambled on enough though, despite some shortcomings (and what book doesn't have some) it was another strong issue from a series I continue to enjoy.

And I guess that's it for now. So let me know what you've been reading if you want. And if you don't then take care. :)

Watchmen

I finally got around to seeing Watchmen. I'm not going into great length on it, I think pretty much everything has already been said about this film. But overall, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was as faithful to the book as they could make it (though I know some would disagree on this point based on the major change in the ending). I could nitpick about this or that, or say what parts I wished were included but overall, I thought it was a great film.

Now if I could just get my hands on a copy of "Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation".

And for something totally unrelated, I also decided to catch up on the Guild recently. I had heard about it on some Joss Whedon sites and on the Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog DVD, and I thought Felicia Day was great in Dr Horrible, so I decided to check it out. It was good for a few laughs. I'm not actually a gamer but I still found it pretty funny.

Weekly Comic Reviews for March 18th, 2009 -- SPOILERS

Let's get right to it shall we...

Angel #19 -- I liked Kelley Armstrong and Dave Ross's first issue much more than the first 17 and I think this one may have been slightly better. I think the storytelling, the art, the flow, the dialogue everything seems to be working better for me. It's not really blowing me away mind you but I'm enjoying it. I've already pretty much decided I'll be dropping the series after issue 22 but I think I'll enjoy these last few issues.

Mysterius the Unfathomable #3 (of 6)-- I think I forgot to list this one in my monthlies last month. I guess it's because it's only been a few issues and I have a crappy memory. So my apologies for that. I found this issue to be packed with stuff being hurtled about at a very fast pace. And it works for the most part but I did have times where I had to go back and forth to figure out who was saying what, there were times I found that there was just so much crammed into it. But it worked well in giving a sense of urgency to the characters and the story. And Tom Fowler's artwork lends itself well to this kinda out there story and unique characters. I feel I should point out that one of the main reasons I started picking up this series is because Tom is a friend of a friend of mine but I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying it.

I also polished off two TPBs in the past week. Powers Vol 12 and Planetary Vol 1. Some quick comments on both but be warned MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!

Powers vol 12 -- I'm rather happy that Deena is powerless by the end of this story, I really didn't like having her and Walker being powers. Though obviously her powers were a bit different than your standard ones. Anywho, it was a very intense chapter for Powers but a very well done one.

Planetary vol 1 -- I don't really know why I picked this up, I just noticed it on Amazon and remembered so many people talking about it in the past and thought "what the heck." On the one hand I like the writing and Cassaday's art is great (though I find he's improved a lot since this first volume) but on the other hand, I found myself shrugging off some of the "twists". The "tie" to Crisis/JLA/multi-world stuff, Doc Savage, Godzilla, the FF, the Hulk,... it just felt a little "done before" to me. But the main story of the Planetary themselves is interesting and I'm curious to see where it goes. The fact that it's only 27 issues/4 TPBs also probably helps, if it was ongoing I might not be as interested to see where it goes.

I think that's it for now. :)

Spider-Girl goes "digital"

So Marvel has announced that Spider-Girl will be continuing online via its Digital Comics Unlimited thingmajig. Could this be the start of something? Could we be seeing more and more books that aren't selling as well start moving online? And would it be seen as a viable money maker? And could this have saved some of the Marvel books I liked that were eventually cancelled?

I think we'll just have to wait and see. I will say this however, I do like that Marvel is trying to find a way to keep these books alive in some form or another. Though I'm sure someone will see it as them trying to get Spider-Girl fans shelling out for a subscription even though they only want that one book. But you can't please everyone. :)

A few things from the interview with Tom DeFalco:

"Marvel.com: Will the digital format change anything about the way you plot or script your stories?

Tom DeFalco: Not at first, but, as time goes on, I'll be experimenting with the format. As far as I'm concerned, the digital format is like the early days of television. It took the writers, actors and directors a little while to learn what could and could not be done with their new format. At first, everyone treated television a lot like radio, but then people realized that the actors could actually move around and that visual action could be used to advance the story. We're still learning what the digital format can do. You should ask me the same question a year from now."

I love that answer!

And...

"Tom DeFalco: I think it's time to introduce a whole bunch of new villains and supporting characters."

That was one thing I had said about the series before, I didn't like the Spider-Man foes or their knock offs that much. I'd be more interested in seeing something new.

And a final thought of my own, on the one hand I really hope they maintain top notch talent on whatever books they go the digital route on. On the other hand, I think it could open up the door to Marvel to possibly showcase newer talent.

Yahoo on comics

While visiting Yahoo I noticed they had a photo gallery of comic related pictures on their site and flipping through I see pictures of Captain America #25 (his death), the Hulk (movie version), Downey Jr (as Iron Man), Obama/Spidey, etc. and then I get to a picture of Ultimate Captain America and I read:

"This illustration released by Marvel Comics, shows comic book hero Captain America from the Ultimates universe. Marvel Comics, which killed off the veteran superhero almost a year ago, brought him back to life Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008"

Now I wonder how I'd explain to the layperson just how they got it wrong...

Edit: And would the layperson even care? ;)

Weekly Comic Reviews for March 11th, 2009 -- Pas de spoilers!

I got nothing.

Yep, travelled down to the comic shop and there was nothing for me. I did expect it but I had hoped I missed something or that I'd see something on the shelf that caught my eye but nope, nothing. At least nothing I really wanted to spend money on. So I went home and cracked open the Incredible Hulk Omnibus. I've had it for a while now but I've been busy reading other stuff. It's really interesting to go back and see how the character started. I find the Hulk to be one character in particular that has been portrayed in so many different ways through the years by the various writers so it's interesting to me to go back to the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby stuff.

Which kinda leads me to a possible rambling. I don't have all my thoughts laid out just yet but it also connects to something that was said in the Comic Book Club's latest review video of Final Crisis #7. I think it was Alex who said that he feels Final Crisis would have been better for him had it been outside continuity. Then there were comments on Valerie D'Orazio's post questioning what will be the next classic graphic novel where it is suggested in order for a book to achieve this it will have to be something that is discreet. Which leads me back to the question that I've rambled about before, how should continuity be handled.

I have to say that Alex's comment rang true for me to a high degree. I haven't really been a big fan of the Marvel or DC event storylines as many felt forced to me and one of the reasons for that is that I'm always trying to figure out where it all fits and how everything got to these points so quickly. But if the events weren't part of some larger continuity, if we just had a story marketted as "Let's see what would happen if Norman Osborn gained control of SHIELD, etc..." and we could just brush it aside when it was done (which some of my friends have said that is how they look at it) then I might pick up the TPBs (provided I didn't have to buy 10 just to get all the crossover stuff).

And even the non-event books might fit into the same category. Looking at the Hulk we have a few points in his history I didn't like, John Byrne's second run, Bruce Jones' run, and Jeph Loeb's current run. But again, I find that for me a big problem is seeing how these fit in the overall storyline for the character and the Marvel Universe. Again, if they were marketted as a disjoint story I'd probably have less of a problem with them. I know there are other Hulk books that are said to be outside continuity that I've read and were of probably a lesser quality than these runs yet they didn't seem to rub me the wrong way like these runs did.

Now quite a few of my friends say that this is how they read comics anyways so they don't have the same problem that I do. So maybe I'm alone here but I do want to point at least some of the blame on the companies and writers as well. It's not like they are pushing the idea of the stories being disjoint and a lot of their stories rely on the continuity and they flaunt it when they can go back to tie their story into something that happened 20 years ago. And I think they encourage the idea that Spidey in comics now is the same guy Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created, the same guy that was on the bridge when Gwen Stacy died, the same guy that went through the whole clone saga, etc, etc. And I understand that, fans feel they have a connection to that character as they've been reading his life story so long it's almost like he's their closest friend (yes, I know how sad and geeky that sounds and maybe it's overstating it).

And that can be the biggest loss of dropping continuity altogether. Fans have grown attached to the character and if you're always playing with the idea that the Spider-Man in one story shares some elements of his history with some of the previous versions then is he really the same character? And if all we have are Hulk comics where the character may or may not share some of his history with previous versions can we really grow so attached to them? They may make for compelling individual stories but will there be something that makes the character speak to us if he's always speaking differently?

As you can see, my thoughts are still a bit messy on this subject. I could ramble on and on, going back and forth, but I think I'll just leave it for now because really, I have no answers yet. Maybe I'll do a more proper rambling on the subject in the future.

Hip Flask: Ouroboros???

In an interview over on CBR, Ladrönn had this to say about his current projects:
"I’m working on three projects right now. In the U.S., I’m drawing the second issue of “Hip Flask: Ouroboros,” ..."

This is the first I'm hearing of "Hip Flask: Ouroboros" and as a Hip Flask/Elephantmen fan I'm very interested so I'm putting it out there, anyone have any info on this?

A Few Tidbits...

I don't think I have any books coming out this week. That usually means I'll end up spending more money buying TPBs. :) So few tidbits...

I'm nearly caught up on Powers, I recently finished volume 10 (volume 11 is out and 12 is coming out shortly). I've been enjoying this series quite a bit but I'm a little uneasy at the direction the story seems to be taking. Though I'm hoping the writing will get me through it. One thing I'm kinda noticing is that with Oeming liking the 2 page spreads I sometimes get a bit lost if I don't notice the panels spreading over the break or the letter balloons falling right in the middle because I don't crack open the TPB far enough (don't want to break the spine). But that's just me I think. :)

I also picked up the Joker by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo. It was an interesting story with a unique look artistically. For Batman fans who can't get enough Joker I'd definitely recommend it.

In terms of Zuda comics, I'm still reading my usuals (High Moon and Bayou) and the new chapter of Celadore started and it looks good. I'm also curious to see where "I Rule the Night" is going. I haven't got through all the latest competition entries but some look very nice, I just hope some of the writing is of the same level of quality.

I am such an evil person...

Because I keep getting friends who had stopped buying comics back to feeding their addiction. Whether it's Fables, Elephantmen, Invincible, or even books I don't even buy (New Avengers and a crapload of other Marvel titles). I'm even working on my 18-month old nephew with Hulk and Spider-Man toys. Which leads me to... I'm going to be an uncle again. My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their second child.

Yeah, you got me. This post has nothing to do with me being evil, I just wanted to post my happy news in a weird way for some reason.

A Watchmen Review... But Not Mine

I wasn't able to get out to see it on the weekend, hopefully next weekend. But some friends went to see it and when I asked one of them what he thought he replied in a not so happy voice:
"Ugh! The action scenes were great but it was like two and a half hours of story!"

Weekly Comic Reviews for March 4, 2009

It's rather funny that while I'm trying to trim down my purchases I end up having busier than normal weeks for me. But it was only 4 books.

Hulk Broken Worlds #1 (of 2) -- Yeah, I'm still trying to get my Hulk-fix after dropping the Jeph Loeb series. So maybe the delays with that series are helping me as I get to pick up these filler issues. This issue varied... A lot. From the classic look/feel of Roy Thomas/Herb Trimpe to the Hulk 2099 story. It's 4 short stories, all well done in their own unique way. And for long time fans of the character who may want to see more of a specific time in the Hulk's life (Future Imperfect, House of M, Jarella, etc) or a certain personality then they are good little teasers. Obviously for non-Hulk fans the history will most likely be lost on you. Still, I actually recommend picking it up.

Ultimate Wolverine VS Hulk #3 -- The wait is over. :) To be honest, this particular issue didn't work for me all that well. The jumping back and forth in the story just seemed to take me out of it and yes, we get it, he ripped Wolverine in half. The book just seems to focus too much on that, trying to make it "the" cool moment. The way I see it is that it happened, it was shocking, let's move on and not jump back and forth in the story so we can keep centering on it. The art was great though with a high energy level. But despite my dislike on how the story is being presented, I am liking the story if we could just get it moving. So although this particular issue felt like a little bit of a letdown I'm still looking forward to the rest of the series.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #23 -- I had mixed feelings about this issue as well. On the one hand, I don't really care for the whole "Harmony goes public" storyline so far. And the rogue slayer just doesn't seem all that interesting to me. On the other hand, I really liked the Andrew story elements here, the art was its usual high caliber, and we get some more Buffy fun. It's still a good series for Buffy fans.

Echo #10 -- I know, I know, this book has been on the chopping block for a while now. Overall I rather like it but I'm really thinking the monthly book format is not working for me here. Even this issue, which did have some pivotal scenes, felt lacking to me. Everything seems to be moving along so slowly that every month I get to the end of the book and think "That's it?" So this is going to be my final issue. I may keep an eye out of the TPBs though as I am a little intrigued to see where everything is going.

So that's it for this week's comics. I also finally finished all 10 volumes of the Sandman. Wow! That series has a lot to absorb. Feel free to let me know what you've been reading.

Gearing Webcomic Content Ramblings

In the comments to my last rambling (the one before the reviews) Von Allen posed some interesting questions in discussing making webcomics, either for portable electronic devices or something else: "Should content be geared to these screen dimensions? Or a compromise between the requirements of print versus online versus handheld? Or something else?" So allow me to ramble on the options...

Gearing Content to a Specific Medium/Device
There are some definite advantages to doing this. The comic creators have control over how content is presented and can feel their message is as they want it to be where as different mediums/devices may "distort" it. Looking at a print comic for example, they've been around for a while now and writers and artists have built up a library of techniques that have worked, and what hasn't. And that library is still growing. But I find that when print comics are taken directly to another medium (whether it's "motion comics" or just scanned in) you are now adding a new level that can change how the book is read.

Additionally, creators can take advantage of some features of the medium/device and how those users are used to using it. A print comic can be pretty limited in comparison to what you could do with the infinite canvas of a computer monitor. You can even direct the reader as you like through the panels or scenes. Webcomics are very young in comparison to print comics and I think it'll be exciting to watch them do so.

And there's the question of whether you can really compromise for every scenario. Who knows what the next device will be? How it will be used? At least if you build your comic for the iPhone you know what the reader will be experiencing. Attempting to compromise for every medium possible would be impossible.

Compromising
By not gearing your comic to one medium or device you are also not restricting your audience. For those of us who don't have an iPhone, comics made for that device won't be read unless it eventually gets ported to a medium we do have access to. And if the creators don't have control over that transfer then it may not work as well as it should. And here we're allowing the reader to pick the medium they are most comfortable with. Some are more comfortable reading comics on the computer or handheld device than print and prefer to make that decision for themselves. Because as much as I talk about the creators controlling their work, it's the readers who buy it and who interpret it. Some readers may be okay with a creator saying "This is how I envision this work, take it or leave it" while others will want a more flexible environment that accounts for their personal tastes.

Also, gearing your work to one medium/device can actually be limiting in some ways. You are limited to the abilities of that device and you fall into a narrow view. Making your work more generic and forcing the device to have to do the work of presenting your comic in a readable format (by people writing software or whatever else to present comics in a readable format) means you can actually open up some options to the creators.

Technology changes very quickly and gearing your work to a medium or device could be a waste of time if that medium/device is obsolete by the time you're finished your comic.

Final Thoughts
I really don't want to say "This is the way I think it will go..." or even "should go...". A lot of people (even a lot who read comics) who might read this rambling would probably say "they're just comics, who cares about the 'medium' and all these other 'artsy' ramblings?" And though I may disagree with the idea that they're "just comics", a lot of readers don't care about this stuff, they just want to escape into a "good read". There's also the more business minded because let's face it, people need to make money to live in this world. I've barely touched on the business side of things, it can be a rambling of its own, and the business factors will be a (if not 'the') driving force behind a lot of decisions made by the creators and the companies behind them.

So yet again, I have no answers, just more ramblings. But I do think that one way or another this will be one of the more memorable times for comics, for good or bad. There is so much possibility for comics going so far beyond what they are now while at the same time, with that possibility of success there's plenty of room for failures.

And I don't see an answer in sight any time soon. I mean, look at print comics, that medium in itself is still in growth. They are still finding news ways of getting their stories out there, you could even say the idea of writing for the monthly book versus the TPB still hasn't been settled (according to some) and probably won't any time soon. And not everyone agrees that this is even an issue.

So feel free to share your ramblings, hopefully I'm not the only one who ponders these types of things. :)

Cheers!

What I'm Reading... The Monthlies

It's been a long, LONG time since I did my weekly review thing so I've decided to do something a bit different to catch up. Basically, here (quickly) is everything I've been reading as of late because to be honest, I can't remember what I've reviewed and what I haven't. And I'll probably miss a few books that I've forgotten that I collect, I'll try to add those as I think of them. I'll start with the monthlies as I like to call them and save the TPBs for another post...

Elephantmen -- I think this one may be my favourite monthly. I may have been a bit disappointed with the ending to the Spore Wars but it did leave a few dangling possible stories that seemed intriguing. And I kinda like that some of the recent stories are showing more of the importance of some of the earlier ones.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- I'm not a big fan of the whole "Harmony going public" thing and such but I guess it makes sense, it was bound to happen and seems to connect with what's happening in LA in Angel. Overall, the book has been pretty consistent but I'd like to get back to more of the Twilight stuff soon.

Angel -- Man, the ending of that series felt like a kick to the crotch. Yeah, I know that sounds harsh but I did not like it at all. And I wasn't even the biggest fan of this series to begin with. I did kinda like the latest issue though.

She-Hulk -- I know some people are upset that Peter David didn't try to do what Dan Slott had been doing but I still felt this series was very well written and had some interesting storylines. The art was rather inconsistent but pretty good at time and not terrible at other times. I'm sorry to see this one go but I won't be giving the "new She-Hulk" a look, it just bugs me too much.

Skaar -- I'm rather glad to see Lim taking over the art chores on this book. The series has been struggling a bit to work for me but it has had its moments. The last couple issues seem to have picked things up a notch so I'm sticking it out for now. And I'm looking forward to the Planet Skaar storyline.

Tek Jansen -- I know, it's silly (or maybe even "stupid") but I expect nothing less from Stephen Colbert. Though the fact that it's a limited series probably helps. :)

Runaways -- I haven't read this month's issue yet but I've been fairly disappointed with this series. Last month's issue had a pretty good ending to the storyline but the art still rubs me the wrong way. It may be on the chopping block for me which is surprising.

Echo -- Speaking of the chopping block, this series still seems to be going a little too slowly for me. Every issue barely seems to get started when I suddenly realize that I'm done. I'll be picking up next week's issue but I'll most likely be dropping this and maybe coming back for the TPBs.

Mouse Guard -- Again, I haven't read this week's issue yet but I'm sure it's go great art and an interesting story. But it may be another one I'll be picking up in hard/softcover when each chapter is done. It's good and paced well but the time gap between issues and such make it a little tough for me to get back into it by the time each issue comes out.

Stay tuned for my TPB list. :)

Ramblings on Webcomics

I've been recently asking the question "Why aren't webcomics working for me?" a lot. And by "webcomic" I'm going with a comic that is created for distribution on the web, and not print comics that are eventually put up to attract new readers or what not (though some of what I say apply to them as well). Some times I've been mulling it over in my own head and some times I've been discussing it with anyone who will listen (including some who probably didn't want to) so why not post some ramblings here. I have to post something after all. :) This also means that not all the ideas were originally mine. In fact, I'm not sure who came up with some of them so if you're reading this and think "Hey, that was my idea!" feel free to take credit in the comments.

I will get back to doing reviews eventually but my ability to pick up my comics is pretty sporadic at the moment. So until then, I'll go with a random ramblings when I can.

As a comic enthusiast/nerd/geek and someone who works with and is familiar with computers/the internet you'd think the combination would work well for me. But it doesn't and I don't know why. So here are a few random thoughts on the topic.

So let's look at some differences between webcomics and print comics as I see them.

Content: On the one hand, webcomics appear to have a much wider range of content with varying themes and styles (of course I can't prove this). Although you may have some people trying to replicate an already successful book you'll also have people exploring the freedom that comes from just being able to do whatever you want without having to prove to some guy in a business suit that it's marketable or fits in with their money making strategy. Though I should say that the "some people" who are replicating successful ideas is actually a pretty big number too but I guess that adds to the variety in a way. So having said that there should be something for everyone including me.

Schedule: With comics you have a monthly (or something resembling monthly) schedule or a longer gap if you're going the TPB route. For webcomics, the strips are often daily while ones with more elaborate pages or stories are often a page or two per week, or several pages at once every few weeks. Ignoring the daily strip webcomics for now, that's a pretty significant difference in how the work is presented especially if the creators don't take that into consideration. With a monthly book a single page is just a small part of a story, connected by the pages around it. When you are reading a webcomic that updates a page at a time it can lead to problems. If the page is just a small part of the storyline then it feels more disjoint with large gaps of days between these small parts. The tempo is different and it's harder to build a flow from page to page. Though anyone reading through the archives will probably find it less noticeable. Updating a few pages at a time can improve this as long as it's also taken into account. I find a lot of webcomic creators (including myself) trying to find a balance where a page is a worthy story element on its own while at the same time fitting into a narrative for someone reading the full story. How well that is achieved is left to the reader but I often find it's not a good idea to try to balance these.

Money: Here's a funny one. Most webcomics right now are free online. There may be a special print version or some features that you can pay for but the ones I stick to trying are freely available. And other than free comic book day, print comics are not free. You'd think that would be a plus for webcomics right there but there's something else I'm considering at the moment and that is that the money I've spent on books are actually keeping me spending more. Sounds weird doesn't it? But if you take some series (call it "series X") and say I buy the first 7 issues. Now say I'm only kinda liking the series, I may stick with it at least until the current storyline ends because I figure I've already invested money in the first 7 issues, and if I drop it now it might feel like I've wasted my money on those first 7 issues with no closure on the story. And for an ongoing book that doesn't really have closure with the end of each storyline, who knows how long this can drag on for. So I'm thinking the money has created an investment for me in the series, though it may not be the "financial investment" one may think of. I know, you probably think this is a stupid argument but it seems to be the situation for me a lot of the time. And so with webcomics, if I hit a bad patch the only real "investment" I've made (if it's not an emotional investment) is the time I've put into it. So just giving up on the book means I may feel like I've wasted my time reading it up until this point but it won't feel like I've wasted money. I think this also ties in on the idea of "ownership". People complain about not owning a copy of a webcomic (or a print comic put in a digital library). Sometimes it's about being able to go back and read the book any time they want or at least knowing they have that option but I think on some level there's more of a connection going on. That when you "own" the comic you feel a bit more invested in it. Feel free to tear this point apart.

"Guarantee:" Print comics generally have a company behind them and "guarantee" of continuing, sales and company solvency permitting (is that the right term, "solvency"?). This is a pretty big one. I've been burned too often by getting into a webcomic only to have it stop abruptly when the creator lost interest or just got too busy. No conclusion, no closure, just stopped. Companies generally don't do this. Even if a book is failing you'll usually see some sort of conclusion. Not always a good one but as long as you see it on the solicitations you feel safe in believing the book will be there for the next few months. There is also the issue of the "hiatus" which seems to happen much more often in webcomics as well. And with companies, they'll usually provide some sort of "filler" (ie. a book with that character that's not really relevant to the current story) if you really want it. For webcomics this may mean "fan art" which really isn't "filling".

Quality: This one is very debatable as beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all. At first glance I find print comics to be of a higher quality at least in terms of art and appearance. They have more of a budget, more time to invest in it, often a team of artists, etc, etc. And they are often professionals who have been doing this for a while and have learned to do it well (for the most part). And they probably wouldn't have made it to print if their work didn't connect with a large number of people. Webcomics don't usually have that filtering so you'll get a lot of people whose work only really connects with a handful of people. But on the other hand, there are some incredibly talented individuals working on webcomics that just haven't been given the break they need or choose to go the webcomics route. And they usually have a much invested interest in making it work as it's their own character and their own story. It's often more than a job (not to say that many people working in print comics feel it's just a job, but if they're on a monthly book they generally have an issue or two here and there that were of the "I just have to get something out there" variety). But here's the thing, with print comics you are generally looking for really high quality amongst books that are already deemed by people to be of a high quality. With webcomics, you are often left searching for high quality amongst a sea of comics ranging from extremely amateurish to extremely high quality (with, let's face it, a lot more in the amateurish range). Though that's also not to say that some of the amateurish books can really improve as time goes on and could become a great book too. You can try looking at certain sites (limiting yourself to Zuda or only looking at the books "feature" on drunkduck or some other site) and getting suggestions from various blogs or "Top 100 webcomics" lists but that's not always that easy either. Some have ulterior motives while others just have extremely different ideas of what makes a quality book. It is getting better though.

Access/Ease of Use: This is actually two points that I'm trying to merge here. You'd think by "access" I mean "everyone with the internet has access to a free webcomic" versus "everyone with the money or maybe a library card has access to a comic" (provided the local library carries comics) but actually I mean how you "access" the comic. Do you pick it up at your local/online store or do you surf on over to a website looking for an update (or checking your RSS feed or whatever). Now I'm showing my age here but for me it's become a ritual of heading out to the local comic every week to mingle and check out the new books (both the ones I have on reserve and other stuff). I just don't get that same feeling when I turn on the computer and start surfing around trying to find out what books I normally check out or possibly other books I haven't noticed before have updated. And when webcomics (especially the non-established ones) can bounce around from site to site or have me going from site to site to find all the single page updates I just don't have that same feeling as when I sit down to read a printed comic. Which leads me to ease of use (sorta). When I buy a printed comic I can read it on the bus or wherever else I go. Webcomics I need an electronic device of some sort and often an internet connection to read. So I'm fairly limited there. Overall, the print comic experience (from heading to the store to sitting down reading them) just seems more enjoyable.

Proper Use of the Medium: This one is pretty far out in left field and I know a lot of people don't see things the way I do but here's my thing, I believe that in order to create a better work you have to factor in the medium that you are using. I find even print comic "professionals" sometimes miss out on this, from writers who don't really know how to write a comic to artists who lack the ability to effectively tell a story and make the reader's experience more of a chore and much less enjoyable. But in general, print comics go through several sets of eyes, all having the opportunity to say "hey, some thing's not working right here." The web opens up a whole new universe of possibilities (look at the "infinite canvas" for example or other new presentation formats) that I think we're just beginning to explore. But I think we're at a pretty young stage where creators are using the same mentality that they use in comics. And the funny thing is that some print comic creators are probably stuck using methods from other formats (such as film or traditional text novels) instead of making use of the comic format. And again, this ties in to some of my previous points but I'm just rambling here. :)

Or maybe it's just me, none of this applies to you and you now think I'm pretty insane (or more so than you originally did). But what can I say?

Wow, that was a much longer post than I thought it would be and probably much longer than it should be.

New York Comic-Con

So the New York Comic-Con starts today and I'll be missing it again this year. Every year it seems to be the same story for me, I talk the talk but don't walk the walk. But I still have a mission to experience the New York Comic-Con at least once.

So what would I have done had I gone? Or perhaps that should be "what would I have HOPED to have done had I gone" considering how busy these things are. I would have liked to try and meet Richard Starkings of Elephantmen, I've been blown away by that series since it started so that would have been cool. Then there's David Gallaher, Steve Ellis, and several others at the Zuda panel. I probably also would have checked to see if anyone from DrunkDuck would be going and maybe meet up with them.

Aside from that, I'd probably just play it by ear. See if I could get a sketch (of the Hulk of course) or two from artists selling sketches, get something Hulk oriented signed by Peter David, attend an educational panel or two if I'm able to, and just soak in the geek atmosphere. I wouldn't even try for the main Marvel, DC, or Image panels, not only would I not get in but they aren't really appealing to me at the moment.

Yeah, it's probably a stupid thing not to go in with more of a plan but I think I'd enjoy it anyways.

So for those attending New York Comic-Con, I hope you have a good time. And feel free to let me know how it goes for you, good or bad, so I can live vicariously through you. :)

Ramblings...

Moving on...

Until the buses get back up and running my ability to pick up and review my regular monthly books remains up in the air. So hopefully once we get enough buses running next week I'll be able to make it to my comic store on a semi-regular basis. I had been hoping to get down there this past Saturday as Tom Fowler was signing copies of his new book, "Mysterius the Unfathomable", but it wasn't to be.

So let's talk about what other books I've been reading in TPB form. We have the latest volume of The Walking Dead (volume 9), a really moving volume after the events of the previous one. This series continues to be engaging and keeps me guessing as to what will happen next. Then we have Powers, I'm still waiting on volume 5 but the first four were a great mix of... well, pretty much everything you'd want. I laughed, I cried, I loved it more than Cats... Okay, that's a lie, I don't love anything more than Cats.

A friend is also lending me the Sandman TPBs and I've been making my way through them. I'm currently on volume 7. Engaging stories but not exactly an easy comic to breeze through, it seems no matter how hard I try it feels like I'm missing story elements.

I also picked up the first volume of Locke and Key after hearing much buzz about this book. I liked Gabriel Rodriguez's art on the Great and Secret Show, at first I didn't think I would but the style really seems to fit these weird horror type stories. And it continues to be great here. The story is well crafted and I'm really happy to hear it will be continuing, I'd hate to have it end where it did.

Hmm... I'm sure there's more stuff I've been reading since I last posted but I can't think of what at the moment.

As an aside, webcomics seems to be becoming a hot topic at the moment. Either it's because of the economy, Diamond's announcement of raising their benchmark, or something else, or maybe it's just time for the comic news media to talk about it again. Hopefully I'll be able to assemble my thoughts on the topic soon, whether it's about people trying to make a living off webcomics, or just seeing them as a stepping stone to "real"/print comics, or how many webcomics just get deserted (possibly linked to the first point), or just what webcomics I recommend (though that didn't go so well last time).

That's it for now. Take care!

yay

51 days later they decide to send everything to binding arbitration...

...

The heck with it, I'm just happy it's over and I'll be getting my buses back soon. And I'll leave it at that.

A Few Random Things...

I'm not sure if I'll be able to pick up my comics this week so I might as well post some other random thoughts.

First up, we have Marvel posting a picture of the "New She-Hulk" which appears to be the daughter of Thundra and the Hulk (from her stealing his DNA). I absolutely hate this. As a fan of She-Hulk who is not happy that her book is getting cancelled my first reaction was not good but I may be misunderstanding their plans. I really hope they aren't starting a new She-Hulk series with this "Thulk" (hey, if people can create "Rulk" I can go with "Thulk") as "She-Hulk" because that would seem like a kick in the pants to me. If that's not the plan, if she gets her own "Thulk: Daughter of Hulk" series then I may check it out. If she does indeed go with She-Hulk then I'll probably be passing. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but I'm getting tired of some of the crap Marvel is doing.

Secondly, we have the talk of Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell signing on for Iron Man 2, possibly as the Crimson Dynamo and Justin Hammer respectively. I'd love this. I think both are extremely talented actors. I'm already imagining just how great any scenes with Downey Jr and Rockwell together will be.

And a little while back I read an article on Newsarama discussing opportunities for breakthroughs in 2009. Regarding breaking into the digital market, it's easy to see that computers and the internet will continue to dominate comic talk but I really hope that more focus is put into using the medium properly. I usually find printed comics taken directly to digital (whether through "motion comics" or whatever else) often don't work as well for me. I think it's because the people doing the transfer really aren't considering how the story gets told. A good comic writer will use the medium to tell the story more effectively and what they do often ends up getting lost in the conversion. I find comics written specifically for the digital medium are more effective.

There seems to be a lot of talk about movies/television in that article as well. Now while I recognize the upside of those forms (more money for the creators and hopefully increasing the awareness of a good comic, etc, etc) I sometimes feel that people (creators, readers, and everyone else for that matter) see comics as the lesser form and just a stepping stone to something "better" and that worries me a bit. But then again, that's just me.

Hmm... That's all I can think of at the moment but I'm sure there's more I wanted to talk about... Oh well.

Just Checking In Again...

As you've probably guessed, I wasn't able to get downtown to pick up my comics last week. In fact, I wasn't really able to get anywhere last week. As I don't own a car nor do I live in the downtown area, I've been pretty much stuck at home during the transit strike. I've had to rely on friends, family, and the odd taxi to get into work or do the necessities (pick up groceries and such) but I won't be burdening them (the friends and family I mean) even more with driving me downtown to go shopping.

So if anyone's wondering, reviews will continue to be sporadic until this thing is resolved (I'm currently guessing late January).