Archive for December, 2008
Where was this guy before they decided to use Tony Daniels? I checked out the preview for Batman #684 and was floored by Guillem March’s art. He looks like he would have fit in perfectly at Caliber. It’s readable and has more of a rough around the edges tone to it. In my mind, slick is the opposite direction you should be going in for Batman. It’s why I think Paul Gulacy’s a terrible fit on Catwoman. Also why I think Alex Ross is a terrible pick for a cover artist. Gulacy and Daniels lack any sense of texture and grit. It’s a part of why I never fully enjoy Batman.
I realize now that Morrison is partly to blame for the indeciferable RIP arc. That is painfully clear given the trainwreck that’s been Final Crisis.
Here are a few things you didn’t know about Geo-Force, the Sensational Character Find of 1982:
He rose from the grave in his very first adventure, prefiguring the zombie craze by about 20 years.
He spreads the wealth.
He sasses Batman and gets away with it.
When he builds a new HQ, he at least shows you the view, unlike other millionaire superhero financiers we could name …
He brushes and flosses, and drinks milk regularly.
And he’s down with the brothers.
Next time: That’s one way to do it! Be Here! It’ll be good!
In today’s Dispatch, they’re talking about creating a Special Improvement District for the 161 corridor. There’s already one for Downtown and the Morse Road area.
A Special Improvement District levies a charge on business owners in the area, and the money is spent on beautification, special programming and increased security. The downtown one organizes farmers markets, those neon-shirted “ambassadors” who pick up trash and help visitors, and off-duty police officers.
This is all great, but really, isn’t this the job of the local government? If you have to go outside of the local government, isn’t that a sign that something’s not working? And is anyone else weirded out by the idea of a neighborhood contracting its own security? How many steps are there between this …
… and this?
Today’s page is once again provided by PANELista Andy Bennett.
(click image to enlarge)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008, 1/28/2008, 2/4/2008, 2/11/2008, 2/18/2008, 2/25/2008, 3/3/2008, 3/10/2008, 3/17/2008, 3/24/2008, 3/31/2008, 4/7/2008, 4/14/2008, 4/21/2008, 4/28/2008, 5/8/2008, 5/12/2008, 5/19/2008, 5/27/2008, 6/2/2008, 6/9/2008, 6/16/2008, 6/23/2008, 6/30/2008, 7/7/2008, 7/14/2008, 7/22/2008, 8/4/2008, 8/11/2008, 8/18/2008, 8/25/2008, 9/8/2008, 9/22/2008, 9/29/2008, 10/6/2008, 10/13/2008, 10/20/2008, 10/27/2008, 11/3/2008, 11/10/2008, 11/17/2008, 11/24/2008, 12/1/2008, 12/8/2008, 12/15/2008, 12/22/2008)
I’m skimming the Other Paper review of The Spirit, and I come across this line:
“Based on a legendary newspaper comic created by Will Eisner in 1940, The Spirit is a dead-on reproduction of Eisner’s alleged masterwork.”
I’m trying to decide which part of that sentence offends me more: “alleged” or “dead-on reproduction.”
For all you graphic designers out there, here’s a cool rundown of the various proposed logos for Obama’s campaign. Check out the comic book inspired one:
… even Clone Hitler. Here’s Clone Hitler receiving life-saving care from his Jewish day nurse, who was a little slow.
Clone Hitler would later realize what he’d done the first time around, and shoot himself. That, folks, is a happy ending. Read all about in Outsiders No. 35, Sympathy for the Fuhrer.
Here’s what Xmas looks like in the Bogart house this year (please excuse the crappy cell phone pic):
Check out the star– or the bent top branch where the star would be. This year, the missus picked out a live tree that’s actually a couple inches taller than the ceiling. Oops.
Note the lovely garland, strung along the top third of the tree. It stops before going further down so that the 1-year old won’t grab it and charge across the room, knocking over the tree and destroying half the ornaments… again.
How ‘bout those lights? What lights, you ask? The three strands of lights the new dog chewed through and destroyed. Luckily, they were unplugged at the time.
All we’re missing is Linus standing in front of it, telling everyone about the true meaning of the season.
Merry Xmas, everybody.
Yeah, I’ve got the itch again…
—–
Bud Light presents Real Men of Genius. (Real Men of geee-nius!)
Today we salute you, Mr. 90s Speculation Fad Cover Bringer Back Man.
(Mr. 90s Speculation Fad Cover Bringer Back Man!)
Having nearly caused the collapse of the entire comic book publishing industry in the 90s under the weight of crass, ill—conceived, money-grubbing gimmicks like multiple variant covers, you’ve decided that there’s still too much money to be made exploiting dumbass fanboys not to bring back those same exact crass, ill—conceived, money-grubbing gimmicks like multiple variant covers.
(Where’s my fish scented scratch-n-sniff Aquaman #0?)
So what if you’re just fueling the same fires that nearly bankrupted the whole industry by greedily pandering to ignorant collectors? We see the method to your speculation madness, O’ Hideous Huckster of the Hobby.
(Embossed metallic tits on Power Girl makes my eyes burn!)
Hologram covers? Foil embossed logos? Limited-edition leather bound books? Please. Those are so 1993. You’re all about the new digital millennium: “negative art” variant chase covers.
(I’ve got Photoshop, who needs to pay an artist?)
So crack open an ice cold Bud Light, Mr. 90s Speculation Fad Cover Bringer Back Man, for when it comes to repeating the mistake of history, you do it in style…with an interlocking gatefold cardstock cover.
(Bud Light Beer, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, Missouri)
So I finally got around to watching Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The verdict? It was entertaining, but it wasn’t Hellboy.
Sure, the second time out they had a bigger budget to work with, and it showed. Some really nice set pieces, good special effects, and a couple of great choreographed fight sequences. I loved most of the character designs as well.
But it wasn’t Hellboy.
A war between humans and elves?
The troll market?
Goblins?
Tooth fairies?
I’m not sure what comic book series writer/director Guillermo del Toro was reading when he wrote this film, but it sure as hell (no pun intended) wasn’t Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, more likely. Heck, the only thing missing was a cute goth girl and a defrocked angel, and you had yourself a Gaiman pastiche. Come to think of it, he did have a dark angel character in there…
Now, don’t get me wrong, the first Hellboy movie wasn’t a faithful adaptation of Mignola’s series either. It was bright and colorful and bombastic, sharing more with superhero flicks than the subdued color palette and sensibilities of the comic. But at least it echoed most of the themes of the Hellboy comic. You had your ancient slumbering Cthulhu-esque gods. Your Nazi occultists. Your mythological monsters from ancient civilizations. And of course the whole Right Hand of Doom storyline. Add all those up and throw in Ron Perlman’s likability factor, and I was able to enjoy the movie despite the fact that it was quite a departure from the comic in terms of tone and mood.
So yeah, the new movie shares the fate of many other sequels built upon the surprise success of the first movie. They got a bigger budget and got so busy dreaming up more elaborate special effects that they forgot what made the original so appealing. I wasn’t disappointed, and I didn’t hate the movie, but it just left me lukewarm.
Oh well, the important thing is there are still new Hellboy comics coming out, and even though Mignola’s not on art duties, I’m just fine with Duncan Fegredo tearing it up in his own style.
Hey, did you know there’s a live rescue going on near Bethesda, Maryland where a giant water main break has trapped drivers in their cars?
You didn’t? Really? Because it’s on every friggin news channel on TV this morning. Nonstop.
God, the more of this crap I see, the more I think Jonathan Hickman had it right.
“Superhero — his full name — is a former wrestler from Clearwater, Florida, who wears red and blue spandex and a burgundy helicopter helmet, and drives a 1975 Corvette Stingray customized with license plates that read SUPRHRO.”
“Some superheroes have joined forces in local crime-fighting syndicates: the Black Monday Society in Salt Lake City, the Artemis National Consortium in San Diego and the tautologically titled Justice Society of Justice in Indianapolis.”
Today’s page is provided by PANELista Andy Bennett.
(click image to enlarge)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008, 1/28/2008, 2/4/2008, 2/11/2008, 2/18/2008, 2/25/2008, 3/3/2008, 3/10/2008, 3/17/2008, 3/24/2008, 3/31/2008, 4/7/2008, 4/14/2008, 4/21/2008, 4/28/2008, 5/8/2008, 5/12/2008, 5/19/2008, 5/27/2008, 6/2/2008, 6/9/2008, 6/16/2008, 6/23/2008, 6/30/2008, 7/7/2008, 7/14/2008, 7/22/2008, 8/4/2008, 8/11/2008, 8/18/2008, 8/25/2008, 9/8/2008, 9/22/2008, 9/29/2008, 10/6/2008, 10/13/2008, 10/20/2008, 10/27/2008, 11/3/2008, 11/10/2008, 11/17/2008, 11/24/2008, 12/1/2008, 12/8/2008, 12/15/2008)