Comics Devastation!

The Revolution, brought to you by Pepsi and Honda

2011-09-28T23:23:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it, this has been the ad for Levi's Jeans of late:

Study it for a second. What are they really trying to sell?

Are they using images of rebellion/revolution (complete with a lone presumed protester versus a wall of riot police) to sell jeans? Or is someone using the vehicle of a mass market jeans manufacturer to slip the idea of rebellion into the mass consciousness?

Which will end up being the stronger message?

Good ideas vs. Great ideas

2011-01-30T23:25:00.003-05:00

I realize I’m about five years behind the curve with this, but I’ve recently gotten into Doctor Who in a big way (specifically, the David Tennant era). Watching the show, in all its quirky charm, got me thinking about sci-fi, and what separates a merely good, workable idea from a
Great, memorable, game changing one. For example:

Good idea: An interstellar space traveler with a ship that can move through time and space and adapt its shape to match its surroundings.

Great idea: Having the adaptation ability fail so that it’s stuck in a charmingly idiosyncratic form which stands out from its surroundings.

Take Wolverine: When Len Wein introduced everyone’s favorite Canadian mutant in the pages of the Incredible Hulk, those trademark metal claws were intended as simply part of his costume. But it was Chris Claremont who took it a step further: the claws were in his body. Metal claws as part of your costume: cool. Metal plated claws as part of your skeleton: cool, kind of creepy, and way more interesting.

Or there’s the story of a young boy who finds himself the recipient of a great destiny where he will become the greatest magician of all. But what makes Harry Potter so much more compelling than Tim Hunter?
In Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling makes adolescence part of the journey. Harry’s “Hero’s Quest” begins when he enters wizard school at 10, and along the way he picks up skills and experiences that help him face off against his ultimate nemesis at age 17, where he’s finally old enough to go out on his own. The metaphor would almost be overbearing if it weren’t so neatly interwoven into the story. Is it coincidence? How many people’s teen years didn’t feel like some kind of epic journey where every experience was fresh and bigger than life and the most moving thing to ever happen ever? The Harry Potter books are guideposts through the most harrowing period of most peoples’ lives.

These are just some examples. I may touch on more as they come to me, but it's something I'm sure we all could weigh in on.

In space, no one can make you scream

2010-07-07T23:02:00.003-04:00

There are questions about existence beyond the planet earth that many people have: Is there life on other planets? What is dark matter made of? Seriously, what is up with that face on Mars?
But none of these hold the mystery, the wonder, the true wonder of discovery as that one age-old question: how will zero-gravity affect the sexytime?

Unfortunately, this will remain unanswered (at least officially), according to NASA Commander Alan Poindexter. In a recent interview, he shot down a reporter's question about potential interstellar hook-ups.

"We treat each other with respect and we have a great working relationship. Personal relationships are not ... an issue," said a serious-faced Mr Poindexter. "We don't have them and we won't."

Now, being a government agency, of course NASA has to show its employees as proper men and women of science and all that. And it's not like there's a whole lot of free room in the International Space Station.

But let's face it, anyone willing to strap themselves into a large piece of metal sitting on top of a bunch of missiles and get fired out past the earth's atmosphere to go hang out in another piece of metal before plunging back to the surface has way more pioneer spirit than the rest of us. And when they need to unwind... well, I'm sure they're not the kind of people to let one Poindexter get in the way.

Mutants in Michigan

2010-06-08T23:25:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I wrote anything Detroit-centric - okay, let's be honest, it's been a while since I wrote anything at all. Plans are in motion on that front, don't you worry. In the meantime, it seems that fortune has smiled on the Mitten State, as it turns out the new X-Men movie will be filming in Michigan.

It seems the West Michigan Film Office is currently scouting locations for:

areas with a 1960's, South-American or Central American island feel for the next X-Men movie, 'X-Men: First Class.' In particular, he needs to find café and bar locations, evoking the Argentinian feel of Bariloche, and an Art Deco Cafe or restaurant overlooking a body of water. Additionally, the movie calls for a Miami styled harbor for yachts.

While this is very exciting news (especially for those of you still in Michigan), I do find myself almost focusing more on what those locations could mean for the movie's script (when were the X-Men in Miami?). But hey, it looks like those tax incentives for the film industry are continuing to pay off.

Oh, and if you have a location fitting the above descriptions in mind, drop a line to Rick Hert of the WMFO: rick@wmta.org

The future of fiction has arrived

2010-05-25T19:10:00.004-04:00

I just read today that sci-fi writers Neil Stephenson and Greg Bear are starting a new interactive multi-authored Web epic called The Mongoliad.

There isn't much on the Mongoliad home page just yet, unless you go to your menu bar and click to view the page source, which reads:

"The Mongoliad is a family of apps for handhelds
which enable a new model for publishing, and a new way to
tell stories. At the center of the service is a ripping
medieval adventure by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, and other
great authors, about a time when Europe thought that the
Monglol Horde was about to destroy their world, and the
exploits of a small band of mystics and warriors as they
turn the tide of history."

But what makes it even more interesting is that it seems reader participation is actively encouraged - "Fanfiction" additions, wiki entries, and presumably more as this evolves are welcomed.

The "Web as medium" story has been done before. Shadow Unit, is an online story featuring regular updates as well as character Livejournal accounts and a wiki page. The Web site for Warren Ellis' series Doktor Sleepless (which you should be reading) features an interactive wiki, discussion board, and even podcast. And there are probably tons more out there of which I'm completely unaware because I have a job.

But the Mongoliad does seem poised to take it to that next level for several reasons. One, the people behind it. I won't pretend I'm that familiar with Greg Bear's work, but Neal Stephenson is not only very talented at world-building, but he knows his tech (he even has a book out explaining why you should throw Windows and Mac OS out for Linux). The key phrase here is "The Mongoliad is a family of apps for handhelds," meaning all those iPhones and iPads and Nooks and Kindles and whatever else are now going to become proper mediums unto themselves. Or more appropriately, they already are, and this project is simply diving right in to this reality. As Stephenson's own Subutai Corporation puts it, this is "an experiment in post-book publishing and storytelling."

"Welcome to the future."

Comic blogger Valerie D'Orazio, in her now apparently invite-only blog Occasional Superheroine used to say how the enormous popularity in both the Internet and video games showed that today's audiences want a more interactive experience from their entertainment. It looks like we'll soon get to see just how accurate that prediction really was.

And while I won't be rushing out and buying an iPad just yet (no matter how much certain of my friends hype it up), I'm definitely interested to see how this plays out.

Also, now I can't get that Devo song out of my head.

Tuesday Triple Play

2010-03-16T22:24:00.008-04:00

Prime Time PR
Let me say right off the bat, I don't watch TV regularly. Part of this is by choice, and part due to not actually having a TV (okay, technically I do have one, but we can digress on that subject some other time). Consequently I tend not to keep up on the current programs, but this one really caught my attention - CBS' Undercover Boss. I'll let the show's own web site describe it:

Each week a different executive will leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their company. While working alongside their employees, they will see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organization and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their company run.

Two things came to mind for me when I saw the commercial for this:
1) At a time when corporate America's reputation and standing among the citizenry is the lowest it's been in generations, and people are fuming over CEO bonuses and bailouts, this is the kind of PR shot in the arm these bosses desperately need. And it comes a hell of a lot cheaper than actually making the jobs better or paying the employees more.
2)I'd seen this years before on an episode of Diff'rent Strokes. (If you're interested, you can watch the episode here.

Real Life Retcon
Apparently, the Texas Board of Education has decided that its grade school textbooks need to stop being so liberal, and has proposed new standards for what they should contain.

McLeroy is quoted as saying in a statement that the current "standards are rife with leftist political periods and events: the populists, the progressives, the New Deal and the Great Society. Including material about the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s provides some political balance to the document."

Now, there are all kinds of political and social statements one could make about all this (and many have), but personally, I think it just means that someone in Texas is a fan of Dinosaur Comics.

The Illuminati Goes Gaga
So, perhaps you've heard pop sensation Lady Gaga's new single "Telephone" and thought it was simply a catchy, if over-produced guaranteed club hit. Or maybe you saw the somewhat disturbing nine and half minute opus video for it:

(Because when I hear a song with the chorus "Call when you want but there's no one home/ and you're not gonna reach my telephone," I naturally think of a Tarantino homage ending in mass murder.)
But really, we're all just rubes, because this is actually in fact a coded expose of the mind control techniques of the Illuminati!
(Maybe I just haven't gotten to that part of the Illuminatus! Trilogy yet [though I do think Robert Anton Wilson would be sufficiently amused].)

Walmart Vocational Training

2010-02-26T19:21:00.004-05:00

In case you haven't figured it out, I'm no longer in Detroit. So it took me a little while to hear that Detroit high schools are offering job training with Walmart.

As one blog covering the story pointed out, Detroit's unemployment rate is mind-boggling - something I got to see personally when I worked at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library downtown. And we've been hearing for years now that America's moving into a service-based economy, so learning customer service and cashier skills will actually be beneficial to the students who take part in this.

Ignoring for a second all the negative associations with Walmart, there's one thing about this that really stands out - there are no Walmarts in the city of Detroit proper. Perhaps that explains the following quote, which caught my attention:

Sean Vann, principal at Douglass, said 30 students at that school will get jobs at Walmart. He said the program will allow students an opportunity to earn money and to be exposed to people from different cultures - since all of the stores are in the suburbs.

Perhaps this was taken out of context; perhaps the principal was talking about immigrant communities or some such thing. But on its face, it explains so much about why Detroit is in the condition it's in.

Sounds like something a light rail system could fix, no?

(Yeah, I know there wasn't anything comics- or geek-related here. Sometimes it happens.)

Buzz Bomb

2010-02-15T21:24:00.005-05:00

Believe it or not, I’m actually a fairly busy guy on a normal day (to say nothing of the days I have to shovel out several feet of snow thanks to a freak double blizzard), so when I saw the screen on my Gmail account telling me about this Google Buzz thing, I skipped the page and carried on my business. Which was all well and good, but after receiving an email containing this article, I realized I should see what the Buzz is after all. And, um, yeah…

The feature unveiled Tuesday will enable Gmail users to create status updates on Google Buzz and read and comment on the updates posted by their friends. Other tools turn Gmail into a showcase for sharing video, pictures and Web links to interesting stories, just as users can on Facebook and Twitter.

Now, this all sounds well and good, except that, really, do we need another Facebook? (Well, anyone who isn’t friends with their boss/family/students/teachers, a group which grows smaller by the hour.) Except that, unlike Facebook, Google wasn’t giving its users the option to sign on. Which, understandably, caused some problems for people.

In a way, Google’s just doing what it’s always done: charging full steam ahead with their products. Just think of the debacle with Google Books, where they got so caught up with the idea of digitizing and sharing books that they forgot about pesky matters such as copyright. Then again, maybe it’s not that they forgot; maybe they’re so entrenched in this vision of an all-inclusive digital future that they see such things as 20th century concerns, to be discarded in our Brave New World. Maybe, but more likely they were simply trying to make an impressive Steve Jobs-type display of their new feature. After all, springing new developments on people with little or no feedback from users has certainly worked out well for Facebook. Er, wait…

All snow and no play...

2010-02-10T21:23:00.003-05:00

So, I had all kinds of ideas of things I wanted to write about this week, since I'm trying to make good my goal of keeping this blog active. But then, the snow came. And came. And came some more. And so, having been holed up in the same apartment since Friday, my girlfriend's idea to watch The Shining over the weekend didn't seem so great.

For the more disciplined folks, it's a great chance to be productive. For the rest of us, well, it's a chance to meet those we wouldn't otherwise.

You Bayonet-cha

2010-02-01T15:08:00.003-05:00

When I first saw the ads for the Bayonetta game, I didn't think much of it. Another game featuring a kick-ass babe who shoots guns in skintight leather, uh huh. But the more I saw the ads, the more something nagged at me. There was just... something... about the character. Something naggingly familiar, but at the back of my head...

But what could it be? A brunette woman with glasses and a predilection for shooting guns. Where could I have possibly heard of that before?

Reboot Camp

2010-01-26T21:45:00.005-05:00

Not the new Spider Man movie. Or is it...?

It’s been announced last week that the Spider Man movies are getting a reboot. With the announcement of (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb as the man behind the camera, it’s obvious that Sony is looking to seriously get away from Sam Raimi’s trilogy.

Yes, the costume taught him how to play piano.

The first question this brings to mind is: does the series really need a reboot already? Sure, Spider-Man 3 was kind of a mess, but the first two films still hold up. Also, with the new film planned for 2012, it’ll only have been 10 years since the first film, a short enough time for it still to be in filmgoers’ memories.

Then again, the quick reboot has been tried already – twice so far. Although they didn’t do much for the respective franchises, the films at least gave us a Hulk with out daddy issues and a Punisher without John Travolta.

Sees no problem with Thomas Jane's Punisher

For those of us who’ve grown up on comics (especially DC comics), the idea of the reboot is nothing new. Whether it was multiple Crises, or the Ultimate line, or events such as One More Day, we’re used to seeing the continuity we’ve spent years (or even decades) with get re-written in the space of a few months. DC’s even keeping the tradition alive with their upcoming Batman and Superman OGNs, completely bypassing the storylines of the monthlies. For superhero fans, reboots are as familiar as tights.

Remember the good old days?

But what about the general populace? Are they as keen on the idea of starting over every few years? Do they have the feeling of déjà vu when they see the same storyline played out over and over again, albeit with certain surface changes? Or do they care, as long as the story and action are good?

It could just be like with remakes, which Hollywood can’t seem to make enough of – the film has just enough newness to be enjoyable, but is familiar enough to justify dropping 10+ dollars on. And let’s face it, who wants to see a movie where they need 15 minutes of exposition to figure out what’s going on.

And on that note, it seems Brian Singer’s signed on to do an X-Men: First Class movie. Anything to make us forget about X-Men 3.

It never gets old... really.

The Amazing Obama Man

2009-12-15T22:36:00.004-05:00

There’s been a lot of discussion of President Obama’s performance lately, what with the economy and war and all, and it’s brought out some thoughts I’ve had floating around for quite a while now.

It’s not saying anything new to say that even a year and a half ago one could tell there was something different about the then-senator from Illinois. Hell, lots of people have written about it, most probably better than I ever could. But what really struck me, especially around this time last year, was the way the comic people jumped all over Obama.

Even before he was elected, you had successful comic characters (and by extension, one would think their creators) making no bones about their chosen candidate:

When he did get elected, it was unprecedented. Sure,other presidents had appeared in comics before, but none like this. In terms of sheer volume and scope, Obama (or at least his image) was blazing all kinds of new trails.

What’s really interesting is seeing how the interpretations developed over time. While most comics were content to simply involve the president in a storyline or two, Devil’s Due took it a step further

…and then Antarctic Press took it even further than that:

Even his detractors, it seemed, couldn’t help but fall back on comic book imagery:

Taking all of this in, it’s easy to see that Obama isn’t just the president, he’s a full-blown Pop Culture Phenomenon. I know, a little late to the game with that one, huh? But seeing it laid out like this raises certain questions about not just the president, but his fans as well.

There are certain parallels one can draw between President Obama and Tiger Woods – and most are probably too obvious to even point out. But the main similarity (for the sake of this discussion) is the way with each that the Image overlaps with the Actual Human Being.

With his recent domestic troubles and subsequently dodgy behavior, it seems that Tiger Woods’ biggest problem of late is that his dramatically adult personal life is clashing with his image as the clean, driven, “aw shucks” kind of guy who was as charming as he was good at golf. (Think back to that Dave Chapelle sketch of Tiger Woods awkwardly declaring, “I’ve always wanted to say this – fer shizzle!”) With people learning that off the field Woods is just like lots of other celebrities – all too fallible – his popularity and position in the public’s good graces is in question.

We’re seeing some hints of this with Obama in the political field as well. With the troop escalation in Afghanistan, the total mess the health care debate has become, the continued corporate bonuses, etc., a lot of people on the political left are starting to feel disillusioned with Obama. Put simply, they’re finding the man in the office isn’t the same guy who was in that Spider-Man issue.

One thing America likes to do to its celebrities is, after having built them up, to tear them down. Tom Cruise certainly got a lot more press after jumping on Oprah’s couch than he did before that. So what happens when the celebrity happens to be the man in charge of running the country? What happens when his comic stops selling? What happens when the Symbol of Hope turns out to be just another guy in a suit doing a job?

What if Clark Kent really isn’t Superman?

Or conversely, will the Idea of Barack Obama overshadow the man to the point where all we have left is the image, devoid of any but the most basic associations? Will Sheperd Fairey’s famed “Hope” poster simply become the newest perennial t-shirt design?

(Please note, I’m not trying to make any overt political statements, but more examining the whole person/persona issue when played out in four colors.)

Dammit, Jim!

2009-11-23T21:43:00.001-05:00

Apparently skater shoe makers Airwalk have a Star Trek-inspired line of hi-tops.

The only thing is, what self-respecting Trekkie is going to want to wear the red ones?

True Tales of Geekery

2009-11-11T22:36:00.003-05:00

(Somewhat appropriate graphic.)

Back in an earlier, simpler time – 2001 – I interned at a locally-based major advertising company (I was doing copy editing, of course). One of the company’s largest clients was Chevrolet, who at the time was working on bringing a new truck/SUV-type vehicle to market.

One thing I never thought about until then was how new vehicles are named. Sure, occasionally the odd name comes out (what the hell is a "Yaris," anyway?) but for the most part the name is just there, just one more part of the car. As it turns out, there are all kinds of ways cars get their names. Often, the engineers or someone at the company will have the name in mind with the concept, and other times the company will just go with whatever the model designation happens to be (your F150, perhaps). And sometimes, someone creative gets thrown in the mix.

(Mildly appropriate graphic.)

It really pains me to admit that I can’t remember his name, but the guy writing the ads for this new Chevy vehicle also happened to be an avid comic reader – the cubicle filled with Spawn toys being an obvious indicator. When he was given the project, this overly-large bastard merging of pickup truck and SUV simply had its project number as a name. The writer knew that X57J4 or whatever it was just wasn’t going to grab anyone. So he went to the place where he knew he’d find powerful, descriptive names, the kinds that jump out at you and pull you in, that lodge themselves in the pop culture consciousness and stay there. That is to say, he looked in his comics. Marvel comics, to be precise.

And there he found his answer. So now you know, whenever you see that ugly beast of a vehicle called the Avalanche driving down the road, you know that it is indeed named after a third-tier member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Which in its own way is almost poetically appropriate.

(Completely appropriate graphics.)

As to how the Aztek got its name, well, that’s a tale for another day… preferably to be told by someone who actually knows it.

Tricks 'n' Treats

2009-10-31T14:58:00.002-04:00

With Halloween upon us, it seemed a good time to share some spooky goodies to make this - or any - season a little more creepy and fun...

The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft (Image)
This series captures the essence of the Lovecraft stories well: the
protagonists in Lovecraft’s stories were rarely Everymen, but more
often singular personalities who were haunted by some demon or Elder
God, but more often by their own obsessions. H.P. is presented here as
a struggling writer, so trapped by his own insecurities and familial
dysfunctions that he can’t even pursue the girl of his dreams (a
flapper librarian, no less – yowza!). Writer Mac Carter does a great
job of capturing the energy and vibe of a Lovecraft story while
keeping his own voice, and Tony Salmons’ art fully conveys the
frenetic creepiness of the tale. Unfortunately, the final issue has
yet to materialize, but for now it’s worth tracking down the first
three.

Paranormal Activity
By now you’ve probably heard lots about this
little-indie-film-turned-box-office-smash, but the question remains,
is it scary? Let me tell you something, my friend, it is indeed. By
aiming low – focusing on the actors’ reactions and keeping the scare
level at a slow boil – this film reminds us that, still, the scariest
things are the ones we don’t see. You’ll never look at a hall light
turning on the same way again. (Note: The trailers on the film's web site are far better than the one on Youtube, but really, you'll get way more just going in fresh. At least, that worked for me.)

Drag Me to Hell
A Sam Raimi horror movie about a woman who receives a gypsy curse that
threatens to – you guessed it – drag her to hell. It’s been 22 years
since Raimi and crew made Evil Dead II, and even after all the time
and big budget films Sam proves he never strayed far from his
(Michigan) slapstick horror roots.

The Misfits – “Scream” video
Yeah, it’s old, but still worth revisiting. Bassist Jerry Only revived
the Misfits in the mid-‘90s without Glenn Danzig, to very mixed
lineups and results. But perhaps signifying the peak of the “Misfits
pt.2” was the video for their song “Scream” (from the Famous Monsters
album). Directed by none other than George Romero (in exchange for
their appearance in Romero’s film Bruiser), it distills the zombie
movie to its essence in just under three minutes, and still delivers.

And of course...

Candy!!!

Blacker than Blackest?

2009-10-22T20:32:00.005-04:00

As we know, the DC Comics universe is deep into their latest Giant Crossover Event, Blackest Night which features, among other things, a villain reviving a whole slew of dead characters to wreak all kinds of havoc on the living heroes. It also seems to be resurrecting DC's status with fans (will Final Crisis ever truly be forgiven?), as the series has been August and September's top selling book. And, setting aside thecheap gimmicks to sell tie-in books, the buzz around the book seems pretty positive (haven't read it myself, so I can't comment).

So, with that in mind I found it very intriguing to hear about Marvel's newest Mutant Crossover Event, Necrosha which features, among other things a villain... reviving a whole slew of dead characters... to wreak all kinds of havoc on the living heroes.

Perhaps this is just coincidence; As I pointed out last post, zombies are everywhere at the moment, and both events sound like they've been building for a while. And yes, Marvel did start putting the Marvel Zombies series years ago. Still, one could see a trend developing with Marvel, were one so inclined:

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I leave it to you to decide...

Jumping the Undead Shark

2009-10-20T00:35:00.007-04:00

Well, hello there. Yeah, guess it has been a while, and the blog was starting to resemble one of those abandoned houses Time Magazine is writing about – you know, not taken down, but not maintained, just a withered reminder of the glory that once was and we all hope could return.

So in that spirit, and appropriate to the upcoming holiday, the topic at hand for this post is: zombies.

I had set out to write this entry after reading about the Night of the Stripping Dead, but before I could, I encountered last week’s Savage Love article, which featured a question form a reader regarding the ethic of – you guessed it – zombie sex (you’ll have to scroll down for it).

In case you missed that, someone wrote to a national sex columnist to get advice on the morality of having sexual intercourse with the living dead.

Seriously, people.

All of this reinforces a question I’ve been asking myself lately: has the zombie phenomenon hit its peak?

Of course, a lot of this ties into the release of the movie Zombieland – which, despite its use of the modern running zombie is hilarious and worth seeing. Interestingly, it seems that whoever did the marketing for that movie knew their stuff, as I’ve seen the movie promoted by several Zombie Walk groups (including

Detroit’s own). And with AMC producing a televised version of Image Comics’ series The Walking Dead, it seems the march of the pop culture undead is going to be a hard to put down as the monsters themselves. (In this case it may not be a bad thing, since if the show turns out even half as good as the book, it’ll be one of the best series on TV). And lest we forget, while you’re waiting for the show you can always read some zombiefied Jane Austen.

Yes, everywhere you look, there be zombies.

But why does there seem to be this tendency of late to turn everything into a phenomenon anyway? Time was, you could be into pirates or ninjas or robots or primates or whatever it was, and it wasn’t a big deal, it was just what you were into. Mainly because you were ten, and ninjas were the baddest-ass thing you’d ever heard of in your entire decade-long life. But now, it doesn’t seem to be enough to just like, say, pirates. You have to be “OMG!! Pirates!!!” Everything becomes this grand statement pop cultural identity.

To further illustrate this, I give you a prime example: bacon. Once it was simply fried pig flesh that many people enjoyed at meals. Then came Baconnaise, and all its offshoots. Then the April Fool’s Day joke Bacon Lube, which proved so popular it became a real item. There are bacon t-shirts. I’ve seen a Beer and Bacon happy hour at some hipster bar. That thing that used to be just to make you stop being hungry? It’s now something you show off to demonstrate your hipness.

This could be a result of the constant barrage of cultural input we get. If you’re some artist or Hollywood executive trying to cut through the endless sea of stimuli to get your product/creation/message across, and you see some wave that people are actually paying attention to (especially if those people are in your target demographic), well, wouldn’t you try to ride it as far as you could?

Or maybe it’s just that I’m not used to the things I like being mainstream. It’s kind of like watching a band go from playing dive bars to packing stadiums – you’re happy for them, but it’s just not the same. Then you start saying how they’re not as good anymore, and anyway none of the new fans get the band like you do.

But I digress…

Now the question is, with vampires making a comeback, will the zombie be pushed out of the undead spotlight? After all, what could possibly be a bigger draw than a bunch of shuffling, rotting corpses?

Party! Party! Party!

2009-06-04T23:50:00.003-04:00

For those of you in the metro Detroit area (or in need of some travel), Detroit Comics will be celebrating its two year anniversary this Saturday, June 6th, from high noon til 8 pm (or whenever things die down).

Featured guests include:

-Members of the Detroit Derby Girls

-The burlesque stylings of Hell's Belles*

-DJ Del Villareal of Motorbilly Radio

-along with the friendly staff and customers who make the store what it is.

So come check it out! After all, you don't want to miss it and end up like this guy, do you?:

*Okay, since this is a family friendly party, there probably won't be any actual burlesquing. Then again, you know how comic people like to party...

Superman lives... despite Brian Singer

2009-05-28T16:03:00.006-04:00

The Occasional Superheroine recently mentioned this commentary about why Superman Returns failed to score big at the box office.

"Audiences no longer crave truth, justice and the American way. They want an icy-cold, psychologically jacked hero that shoots heroin in the women's restroom after ripping out the spine of a baddie while bemoaning Corporate America. Superman, the embodiment of all that is good and right, is now merely looked upon with nostalgia -- not as a viable Hollywood product."

Reading the commentary, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the film exec who claimed that “movies starring women don’t sell,” citing the 2004 Halle Berry vehicle Catwoman as an example. Now, I’ve never actually seen the film, or any trailers that I can recall, but just from the poster I could tell you that’s a crap movie.

But with Superman Returns, the writer poses the idea that the movie failed because Superman was too pure, and supports the theory that the world wants a darker Superman. But the whole “Dark Superman” premise is exactly why Returns failed. Or rather, it’s that the film wanted it both ways.

Director Brian Singer made his name with his 1995 film The Usual Suspects, a very dark and cerebral crime drama. Geeks celebrate him for the first two X-Men movies, which managed to be good movies which also captured the spirit of the comic quite well. But with Superman Returns, Singer tried to merge his talents for dark melodrama and flawed characters with the cartoony iconography of Richard Donner’s Superman movies. There were numerous nods to those films – most obvious being Brandon Routh’s dead-on impersonation of Christopher Reeve – but mixed with those was a hard edge that didn’t fit the character.

You want dark? There’s the scene where Lex Luthor stabs Superman with the kryptonite shard and breaks it off inside of him, prison shank-style, then has his thugs mercilessly beat the hell out of our hero. When Superman is lifting up the giant kryptonite island, and one of Lex’s minions is crushed by a falling rock – something which Superman is either unaware of or just doesn’t care about. Oh, and the part where Superman’s illegitimate son kills a bad guy with a piano.

What caused Superman to fail wasn’t its lack of darkness, but that it tried to marry this darkness with the naiveté of the original movies. Having a hammy Perry White chew on his cigar while “gee whiz” Jimmy Olsen runs around trying to get that perfect shot of Superman doesn’t gel with a world of petty criminal kicking a man in the rubs while he dies of radiation poisoning. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the issue of Superman’s son which, let’s face it, was a bad idea from the beginning.

What’s most disheartening is that the Superman movie is simply following the standard of the comics. In the last few years, DC has taken an unfortunate turn in its overall tone. The company has been heavily resurrecting characters from the Silver Age, bringing back Hal Jordan as Green Lantern and most recently (and notably) Barry Allen as the Flash, as well as some of the more gimmicky elements, such as Krypto the Super-Dog or having the Justice League reside in the Hall of Justice from the Super Friends cartoon. This in itself isn’t necessarily bad, but along with these reminders of more “innocent” comics (hero fights villain, wins, no one gets hurt and everything’s fine, the end) comes a more “gritty” vision, perhaps best exemplified by the sequence in Infinite Crisis #1, where villain Deathstroke impales super heroine Phantom Lady with his sword, explaining to her that it’s “just business” as she dies; meanwhile, the once-goofy Superman villain Bizarro punches another hero to death, boasting gleefully the whole time.

This disconnect is jarring, and ultimately gets tedious. This happened before with comics in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, in the wake of The Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. So it’s a bit ironic that, in the wake of the Dark Knight film, we see yet another push toward “gritty” and “realistic” superheroes.

Or perhaps not. While the commentator clearly thinks American audiences don’t want to see noble, righteous people doing good things, we have the success of Star Trek to perhaps indicate otherwise. While the heroes in Trek definitely have their inner dramas – Kirk’s hot-headedness versus innate leadership ability, Spock’s human/Vulcan conflict – ultimately, their goal is the same – defeat the enemy, save the Earth, and live to see the next adventure. Yes, there are casualties in the movie – a whole planet is destroyed – but it’s in that larger-than-life manner that works in Big Adventure movies. What really sells Trek is the crew’s nobility, determination, and camaraderie, without which they could never have been successful.

He’s correct: Superman Returns “failed” because it wasn’t what audiences wanted. But it’s not that they want a dark, flawed hero a la Christopher Nolan’s Batman, it’s because they want a well-made movie that doesn’t deviate so wildly in tone (although the success of X-Men Origins: Wolverine might dispute that). If Smallville has lasted as long as it has, obviously there is an audience. But to write off a character based on one poorly executed and therefore poorly received movie is not only drawing the wrong conclusion, but guarantees more poorly made movies to follow. And the world already has too many of those.

Books you should read (a.k.a. catching up on the reviews)

2009-05-19T17:17:00.002-04:00

It's always a busy time in the land of Devastation!, and sometimes that means deserving books don't get their proper dues come weekly review time. To fix this, here are some recently released books worth checking out:

The Amazon #3: In 1989 writer Steven T. Seagle and artist Tim Sale collaborated on a miniseries about a reporter who goes into the Amazon rainforest tracking the story of a missing logger. This just happens to coincide with a series of attacks on a logging camp attributed to locals by the Tanando, the spirit of the forest. What ensues is a Heart of Darkness-style trip down the river, where the reporter encounters the depths and riches of the Amazon, and finds the truth about his story is more complex than he’d thought.
For a work which is 20 years old, The Amazon feels fresh and current. Sadly, issues of deforestation and colonization are still present, which keeps the book from feeling dated. And while it does brandish its message a bit on the blunt side – the image of logging equipment overrun by foliage being fairly pointed – it still works as an examination of man’s interaction with (and exploitation of) both nature and fellow man.
Seagle uses an interesting and effective narrative device of using the reporter’s notes and story as narration. The contradictions and similarities give a rounded dimension to the action and character and give insight into the self editing that goes into making a story. Sale’s thin line work and use of shadow work well with the script, capturing the simultaneous vast expanse and claustrophobic density of the jungle. His art really brings the story to life, especially in scenes where the narrator interacts with the forest villagers. This book is a rare, if slightly flawed, gem that Dark Horse did justice by revealing.

Phonogram: The Singles Club #2: The first Phonogram series, Rue Britannia, was brilliant on many levels – not just in the way writer Kieron Gillen seamlessly interwove the worlds of magic and the Britpop movement of the 90s (as well as music in general), but also that it was filled with strong characters and an emotional depth that made the story satisfying regardless of whether you knew the music or not. Or so it seemed; having been– okay, continuing to be a huge Britpop fan, I really have no idea if someone not familiar with the intricacies of British guitar rock circa 93-97 would be lost or not. But Gillen did provide extensive liner notes and commentary in the back, which one would hope would be effective. Then there’s Jamie McKelvie’s art, which is clean and crisp and just about perfect in every way.
The new series, The Singles Club, takes place in – wait for it – a dance club, and chronicles one night from numerous characters’ perspectives. While the core elements of the first series are present – music, magic, hot young Brits running around – this series focuses more on the people involved, and benefits all the more for it.
This issue is probably the most accessible of all Phonograms so far, both in storytelling and subject matter. This issue introduces us to Marc, a.k.a. Marquis, who along with being young and hip is just (barely) getting over some girl. He and a pal end up in the club, and all is fine, until the Cursed Song comes on, and he comes face to face with the image/spirit of the vibrant, cute, Eastern European girl who broke his heart. Or so it seems, although his reminiscences seem to imply differently.
Everyone’s in top form here. Gillen’s dialogue is just great – from the (unnamed) ex’s accent (“They are nothing but bullshits with bad record collections” has officially entered the lexicon) to Marc’s pal Lloyd’s attempts at pop deconstructionism – and the interactions are revealing in what is and isn’t said. McKelvie’s art is stunning in this book, full of energy and motion, and aided greatly by Matthew Wilson’s colors. All around, this is one of the best books on the stands, and definitely earns the coveted

The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #6: The second series featuring Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s dysfunctional family/super-team ends with a bang – several, actually. Picking up where the first series left off, Dallas finds the team in a collective state of despondency after one of their own tried to destroy the world. Each member is pulled – sometimes dragged – out of their individual states when a pair of sugar-addicted assassins with oversized cartoon-character masks try to track down UA member Number Five, whose future/past self (oi, time travel) is supposed to assassinate John F. Kennedy. Along the way, team member Séance meets a cowboy-on-horseback God, team leader Space Boy fights monsters during the Vietnam War, and the Earth blows up. And we learn the secret of one diner’s amazing apple pie.
With just his second series Way has proven to be a consistently talented and flexible writer, able to balance the sci-fi/fantastic elements with genuine emotion and a healthy sense of the absurd. Bá’s art suits the writing well, blending a Mike Mignloa-esque cartoonishness with a strong storytelling ability. While this series possesses a bit more of a downbeat vibe than the first, it’s a fun read, and bodes well for future installments.

The Unwritten #1: Tommy Taylor is a ridiculously popular series of books about a teenage wizard. Tom Taylor is the man who, as a boy, was the inspiration for the books. Or so the story goes. Except that a woman shows up at a press conference with evidence to the contrary. And one of Tommy Taylor’s nemeses shows up to take out Tom Taylor. And there’s still the mystery of why Taylor’s father, the author of the Tommy Taylor series, disappeared. And what does this have to do with a map?
Writer Mike Carey and artist Peter Gross have managed to interweave geek/celebrity obsession, the fantasy/reality overlap, the nature of stories, and a straight-up mystery in what is one of Vertigo’s best offerings in a while. The high concept of the central question – who is Tom Taylor, really? – is buoyed by various real world aspects, as shown by the IMs surrounding a life-feed execution of Tom Taylor by a real-life version of Tommy Taylor’s enemy Count Ambrosio.
It’s hinted that the true scope of the book will be far greater than just one character’s real identity, but even without that the book shows enough promise to warrant further reading. And the first issue’s only a buck, so you can’t go wrong.

I think that catches us up, and just in time for New Comic Day! Time to get back to my experiments of making compost out of all those old Youngblood issues.

New Comics Reviews!

2009-05-14T17:20:00.004-04:00

A short stack of reviews this week, partly because it's a slow week, and partly because I haven't had time to read everything. But not to worry, there'll be a list of things that have fallen through the cracks soon... I swear.

But for now, I present to you:

This Week's Reviews!

Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #1: Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Franz Kafka and James Joyce co-wrote an episode of The Prisoner using characters from the DC Universe? “Who hasn’t?” you say. Well, now this dream has finally been realized, thanks to FCA:E. The issue begins with former secret agent Nemesis awakening in an undesignated prison cell, surrounded by three women with bobs and mod dresses offering to be his friend. Now, while Your Humble Blogger would call this Heaven, Nemesis is obviously not happy with the situation, especially given the distinct lack of humanity present in his “friends.” His attempted escape leads through an unmarked hallway where he encounters a very ominous looking Mr. Terrific. Then Nemesis runs across Count Vertigo... that's where the acid kicks in*.
Writer Ivan Brandon sets up FCA:E much the same way Patrick Mcgoohan did the Prisoner TV show: base everything around the central character, and play up the sense of confusion and claustrophobia. Except where the Prisoner’s trippy-ness was subtle, here it’s all out, giving Grant Morrison’s meta-writing a run for its money. Artist Marco Rudy handles this well, with panel and figure work that effectively keeps the action just off-kilter enough.
Oh, and then there’s that last page. Yeah, this’ll be worth checking out.

The Punisher: Frank Castle #70: Any issue of the Punisher that opens with a Mexican stand-off between FBI agents, gang bangers and the Russian Mafia is pretty much an automatic win. Crime novelist Duane Swierczynski has delivered the best post-Garth Ennis Punisher storyline so far with this conclusion to his “Six Hours to Kill” arc. For those needing a refresher, the Punisher follows a ring of criminals to Philadelphia, where he is kidnapped and injected with a drug he’s told will kill him in six hours; for the antidote, he merely has to kill a particular mob target. This being the Punisher, he rejects the deal, and a night of mayhem and bloodshed ensues. Swierczynski succeeds in balancing the humor, twists, and straight-up carnage that made this one of the best books for misanthropic thrills. If you’ve missed the previous issues then catch the trade (no doubt coming soon).

The Walking Dead #61: Seriously, if you’re not reading this book, just start already.

So yeah, that's it for now. And remember to visit Detroit Comics and pick up all the "Old Man Logan" reprints, so Owner Brian's kids can eat. You don't want his kids to go hungry, do you? Do You?

*Thank you Kids in the Hall.

Wolverine vs. Star Trek - a lesson in trailers

2009-05-12T16:28:00.004-04:00

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this summer’s blockbusters, it’s never trust the trailers.

Take X-Men Origins: Wolverine, for example. From the trailers, it looked like it might share its tone and style with Brian Singer’s X-Men movies, properly balancing a thoughtful, well-written script with some exciting action scenes, all supported by a highly-talented cast. Instead, we got a really talented cast wasted on a script that felt like it was thrown together the weekend before shooting started – and which seemed like a waste of some good characters.

The biggest problem with Wolverine is that it really had a paint-by-numbers feel, introducing various scenes and characters from the comic without any real cohesion. Yes, it all tells one story, but it feels Frankenstein-ed together, and never delivers the impact it was supposed to. That even goes for the action scenes, which end up being a little too CGI-prefect to be really wow-ing.
But hey, it did an ass-ton at the box office, and the sequel (and spin-off) is already in the works, so what do I know?

Logan would like to discuss my criticism personally.

On the other hand...

We have the re-boot of Star Trek. Granted, I may have been a little too purist in my pre-judgment – who could possibly replace Shatner as Kirk? – but I was definitely trepidatious about this film. Yeah, it looked really flashy and hip, but that was never what Star Trek was about – even in that episode with the space hippies.

But thanks mainly to my geeky friends I did end up seeing it, and was happily proven wrong. Very wrong, as it turned out. Give J.J. Abrams (and the screenwriters) credit for keeping what worked with Trek (the personal interactions, the drama, the pseudo-science) and discarding the rest (Scott Bakula – I kid, I kid). Not only did it stay true to the spirit of Star Trek - albeit light on the political metaphor – but it made for a very involving and moving film. And thankfully did well enough that the sequel is in the works.

Spock shows us his happy face.

So the question arises, is the trailer really an inverse indicator of the film’s quality? Not always, of course. But looking at these two examples, maybe there’s hope for Terminator: Salvation after all.

"So, T-800, you ever listen to Huey Lewis?"

New Comics Reviews!

2009-05-07T20:41:00.006-04:00

Thursday evening, and you know that can only mean one thing...

This Week's Reviews!

Daredevil: Noir #2: Definitely one of the best books this week. Picking up from the first issue: Tensions between the rival gang bosses are building, and our characters are getting ready for the impending war. Meanwhile, Daredevil/Matt discovers that gang boss Orville Halloran was the man who killed his father, altering his motivation greatly. And the mysteries of the Bull’s Eye Killer and Eliza, Halloran’s moll deepen. The minor complaints I had with the writing in the first issue are gone; Alexander Irvine’s script is taut, and not only plays the split between the Matt Murdoch and Daredevil identities well, but takes the “overwhelmed senses” exposition from last issue and shows how it plays into DD’s heroics. Tom Coker’s art is still top notch, especially in a rainy sequence at the end of the book. This book manages to merge the Shadow-style pulp with the straight crime stories of Mickey Spillaine, and doesn’t come off in any way cliché.

Destroyer #2: Still brilliant. With the premise set up, writer Robert Kirkman goes right into the meat of the story, focusing on Destroyer’s search for his arch nemesis Scar, while trying to protect his family from the inevitable backlash that comes with deciding to kill all the super villains before he dies. Unfortunately, he finds his efforts aren’t as effective as he thought.
All the raves I gave this book last issue still apply, and along with Daredevil: Noir it gets the

Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1: As much of a mindfudge as Final Crisis was, it was still an Event, and as such requires its share of spin-off series. What else are superhero comics about, right? FCA:R is the first of these, and focuses on Mike Miller, a.k.a. the Human Flame, a third-rate super villain whose claim to fame in FC is that Martian Manhunter was killed on his behalf, and he was the first villain to fall victim to the Anti-Life Equation. Now that the Crisis is over, he’s fresh out of a coma and trying to high-tail it out of town before the cops/super-heroes/pissed off super-villains get him. In the course of doing so, and with the aid of a stoner friend, he incurs the wrath of the Kyrgyzstani mob. Madcap hi-jinks ensue.
The book is obviously trying to play up the farcical elements of the story – there’s even a shoot-out in a farm-themed fast-food restaurant (a nod to Kevin Smith?) – but it doesn’t quite connect, and the humor just falls flat. We’ve seen the “loser as protagonist" schtick played well, but here the jokes just seem tired. Miller insults hospital patients, steals his ex-wife’s car after convincing her he’s a changed man, or using his old (and predictably defective) prototype suit, and while it could work, it just feels very by the numbers. I guess I’d hope for more from a book featuring a main character who looks like Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

The Flash: Rebirth #2: Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash, is officially back from the dead. For readers under 40 this may not be the “ZOMG massive awesome event” that DC editor-in-chief Dan DiDio hopes it to be, but thanks to writer Geoff Johns it at least makes for decent reading.
This issue continues to examine Barry’s reluctance about returning to life. A flashback introduces us to his first meeting with wife Iris, and sheds light into the motivation for his crimefighting career – the apparent murder of his mother by his father, whose guilt Barry questions. Problems with the Speed Force arise, which brings all the speed-based heroes into story. As with the other DC Silver Age heroes who were brought back after being gone for a while (Green Lantern, Green Arrow), the series tries to update the character while remaining true to its roots. So far, Johns is doing a good job of this, by keeping the focus on the mystery behind the return. If they have to bring the dead heroes back, there are far worse ways to handle it.

New Mutants #1: In the ‘80s, the New Mutants was one of the most distinct X- books, thanks mainly to artist Bill Sieniewicz’s unique art, but also Chris Claremont’s bringing back the “teenage mutant” vibe that X-Men were too established to convey. The new series reunites four of the core members, all grown up, as they investigate the disappearance of two of their team mates. This leads them to small town Colorado, and some very unnerving discoveries.
As with most X- titles, having a working knowledge of the characters really does help, although having not read the X-Infernus series or really, any X- book since the ‘90s, I could still pick up enough from the dynamics to follow the story. And credit writer Zeb Wells with pulling off the best element of Chris Claremont’s writing, which was the interplay between the numerous characters. This book is a good continuation of the spirit of the first, and the story’s intriguing enough to warrant further interest.

Power Girl#1: Power Girl has always been an odd duck of a character. Created as a cousin of the Golden Age Super Man, through all the continuity revamps at DC her back story has changed almost as often as Wolverine’s, and as a character she really wasn’t much more than a second-rate Supergirl. With this issue writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti try to reconcile that and make her a character in her own right. In the course of this we see P.G., aka Karen Starr, try to establish a new life, having been separated from her birth universe. In the middle of this, alien robots show up in New York City, and start smashing the place up while emitting rays causing mass hysteria and violence in the streets. And then the Ultra-Humanite, a super-intelligent gorilla with telepathy, makes his entrance.
There’s a lot to take in in this issue, between the action scenes and Karen trying to create her alter ego life. Gray and Palmiotti manage to balance it all, and future issues will see if they can keep it up. For now, not a bad start.

And that's a wrap! And remember to pick up your books at Detroit Comics, a.k.a. the Fortress of Attitude!

Your Monday morning dose of awesome!

2009-05-04T12:22:00.003-04:00

(The frustrated edition)

I've been trying to post this pic for a while now, but have apparently fallen out of favor with the HTML gods. But! You need to see this, so just click here. Trust me on this. You can find out more info on the pic on artist David Finch's blog.

Now I'm off to sacrifice a SQL book to get back into good graces.

New Comics Reviews!

2009-04-30T20:27:00.004-04:00

Face it True Believers, it's time for

This Week's Reviews!

Batman: Battle for the Cowl – The Underground #1: Seriously, how many subtitles can these books have? Anyway, this is a one-shot leading up to Battle for the Cowl #3 and the Gotham City Sirens series (not to be confused with the Gotham Girls roller derby team), hereby proving that DC is trying to outdo Marvel’s Secret Invasion for sheer volume of ancillary titles. It’s kind of a shame that this book is a one-shot, as between the art and writing it could actually make a decent series.
This book opens with the Penguin hiring the Riddler to track down the former crime boss Black Mask, who is waging a war against both the Penguin and Two-Face’s respective gangs. Besides the obvious problem, there’s also the fact that Black Mask was supposed to have been killed by Catwoman years ago. Writer Chris Yost gives us a solid crime story, filled with all the back-stabbing and mistrust one would expect of the underworld. He fits the costumed fighting in this well, especially when Catwoman confronts the armed Batman imposter. The feel is fairly reminiscent of The Dark Knight, while Pablo Raimondi’s art has a clean, almost Vertigo-like feel to it. Obviously Batman’s going to have to come back fairly soon, but reading this makes me think there could be some potentially good stories without him. Ah well, I suppose there’s always fan fiction for that.

Captain America: Theater of War – A Brother in Arms: This issue continues the line of Theater of War one-shots, featuring the original Cap in various wartime stories. AbiA takes place in Germany, 1945, where Cap and a group of Army Rangers are shot down behind enemy lines. In the process of fighting for survival they take a German soldier prisoner – much to the disgust of the group’s corporal, who’d as soon shoot him and be done. As the story progresses, the enemies find their common humanity, especially when faced with the local SS officer, who has no use for common German Army soldiers.
Writer Paul Jenkins delivers a decent enough script, balancing the action scenes with the personal interplay, and John McCrea’s art is clean and tells the story well. But the story – both the plot and way it plays out – feels a bit too familiar. Not to take away from Jenkins, but it feels a lot like one of Garth Ennis’ many war books – so much so that you can guess the ending well in advance. Not a bad book by any means, but just a little too familiar.

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #4: I’ll fully admit that when Final Crisis was in full swing, this was one of the many tie-ins I ignored, figuring that a) anything not written by Grant Morrison would probably be incidental, and b) I’ve never been a huge Legion of Super-Heroes fan. Well here we are five months after the main FC ended, and FC:Lo3W is still going, mainly I think for one reason: who’s going to tell legendary artist George Pérez he needs to hurry up? Add to that the fact that he probably crams the most panels per page of any book currently on the stands and yeah, you’re going to have to just forget about that monthly deadline.
This wouldn’t be so bad if the book provided a good read. The main problem with this book is, four issues in, all I can really get out of it is Superboy killing a whole bunch of people while whining. There are some interesting developments: the return of Bart Allen (which we knew) as well as one of the casualties of Infinite Crisis, and a twist with the Time Trapper. Maybe like the main FC series, it works better when read in one sitting, so look to try that out some time between now and, oh, the 30th century.

Justice Society of America #26: With this issue, writer Geoff Johns and penciller Dale Eaglesham end their run on JSA, and they go out not with a bang nor whimper, but a party. A birthday party that is, for teenage member Stargirl, which allows Johns to really focus on the personal interactions and human dimension of the team while avoiding having to insert any mandatory fight scenes. That’s right, not a single punch is thrown in the entire issue, giving one of those rare fun comics we see all too few of out of the Big Two any more. And of course, Alex Ross’ covers (count ‘em, three for this issue!) are simply amazing. Not a bad way to go out.

And that does it for this round!

Art is dead and Detroit is art

2009-04-27T19:15:00.008-04:00

R.I.P.

Detroit's about to lose another gallery. It's confirmed that C-Pop, Detroit's very own high/lowbrow art gallery, is shutting down in June. Having prominently featured several local artists (Glenn Barr, Tristan Eaton, and the ubiquitous Niagara) along with national/international talent (Anthony Ausgang, Robert Williams, and Shepard Fairey), C-Pop has truly been an institution in this city for a decade and a half.

The good news (if you can call it that) is that their last exhibition (which takes place this Saturday, May 2) looks pretty kick-ass. Along with works from all the above-mentioned artists will be art by H. R. Giger, Winston Smith (did a lot of Dead Kennedys art), Liz McGrath, and ~~this blogger's art crush~~ Tara McPherson. You can find the info on C-Pop's Myspace page.

On a similar note, I stumbled across this Time Magazine online piece about our fair city entitled "Detroit's Beautiful, Horrible Decline". It features shots from French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre series "The Ruins of Detroit," which captures the city in all its post-apocalyptic glory. I have to say, the shots are rather nice:

The William Livingston House
The United Artists Theater

Perhaps it's fitting that another gallery should be closing. After all, as things slide, Detroit is becoming less of a city and more of an installation piece (just ask Tyree Guyton). So who needs the confines (and politics) of an enclosed display space, when you can simply go down the street and be in the art itself?

That's Monday for you.

New Comics Reviews!

2009-04-23T19:52:00.005-04:00

So, I was hoping to get these done sooner, but was too busy celebrating Detroit Comics' award (see below) to get them done 'til now. Anyhoo, without further ado:

This Week's Reviews!

Buck Rogers #0
This is a pretty standard teaser issue, but for a quarter, you could do a lot worse. While many people (or at least, older folks like us) will remember the 1980s tv show, this book shares little with it outside of name. Which isn't necessarily bad, given the old space suits.
In this issue we find ourselves with an older Buck Rogers, shot into the future, fighting giant amoebae from Ganymede, and sucked into some space vortex to parts unknown. Basically, classic sci-fi space thrills just like you want them. Everything here points to a solid start, and it’ll be interesting to see where they go with this. And it's far better for your teeth than that gumball you'd normally get with that quarter.

Detective Comics #853
Here we have the final send-off of Bruce Wayne, and what a fitting goodbye it is. Neil Gaiman’s strength has always been in bringing his characters to life (sometimes at the expense of the plot), and here he really delivers. This continues the wake from Batman #686; where the last issue focused on various (and varied) re-tellings of the death of Batman, this one focuses on Bruce himself, and acts as a reflection both of the character and the mythos of the Batman. Gaiman proves the perfect choice to handle this, and I can’t think of a writer who could have pulled it off better (although Grant Morrison’s Last Rites two-parter came close). Andy Kubert’s art is exceptional as well, particularly in the homage sequence at the end (I won’t give it away, but… yeah). And while the story does essentially make explicit what we all know anyway (the whole “death in comic books” bit), it is the tribute that Batman deserves. And as such, it earns this week's

Ignition City #2
The promising set-up of the first issue is continued in top fashion. With this issue, Mary Raven digs deeper into the mysterious death of her father, raising the ire of many of the locals, including his killer. Having established the world, Ellis gives us a taut mystery, almost a noir story and fills it with enough intrigue and unique characters to keep interest high. An excellent book.

Skrull Kill Krew #1
In the 1990s, Grant Morrison and Mark Millar created a series about a group of people who had super powers, and one job – kill off the alien Skrulls who were trying to surreptitiously take over the earth. There were about five people who read the series, and so it didn’t last very long. Having been one of those five, I was curious to see how Marvel would revive the not-very-high concept series, especially since it’s being written by Adam Felber, best known as one of the hosts of NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me program. So, the question was too great to ignore: take a ridiculous concept, add a nerdy humorist, and what do you get?
After reading the first issue of the new Skrull Kill Krew series, I can say the result is hilarity. The issue flips between origin flashbacks – continuing the original series’ reference to an old Fantastic Four story as its base – and the current day, where SKK leader Ryder spends his days eating in diners, tracking down Skrulls, and picking up the girls he saves. Oh yeah, and killing the aforementioned Skrulls. This has the over-the-top black humor one would expect from the title, plus a twist which indicates there should be a decent story unfolding as well. So the next time someone calls you a highbrow snob when you say, “I heard on NPR…”, just remember these three words: Skrull Kill Krew.

That does it for this week. And remember, this blog brought to you by the store that even French Spider-Man swears by, Detroit Comics!

We won!

2009-04-23T17:37:00.008-04:00

Check out this write-up, from this week's Metro Times "Best of Detroit" issue:

BEST GIRLFRIEND-SAFE COMIC BOOK STORE

Detroit Comics
23333 Woodward Ave. Ferndale; 248-548-COMX
Oh sure, it's still a great place to get your Green Lantern on, but the incongruously named Detroit Comics (it's actually in Ferndale) has none of the creepy mega-nerd vibe of your average android dungeon. Credit married owners Brian and Lori Kelly for creating a bright, hip and uncluttered storefront, stocked with all the graphic novels you'd expect, but also neat-o urban vinyl toys, clothing, accessories, yummy goodies from Bellyache candy and records, and the irresistible Art-O-Matic vending machine. Plus, Brian holds court with a jovial, geeky rock 'n' roll dad charm that's truly rare in a trade better known for surly clannishness.

Co-owner Lori likes to recount the story of when she went into a comic store years ago, whereupon all conversation stopped and someone piped up, "Ooh, a girl's in here!" That's pretty much the experience we're trying to be the opposite of, and the recognition is appreciated. Thanks!

French Spider-Man approves!

New Comics Reviews!

2009-04-15T22:33:00.005-04:00

It was pretty thin this week in Comics Land, but without further ado:

This Week's Reviews!
Green Lantern Corps # 35: At Brian’s behest I started checking out the Green Lantern books – even though I fully admit having Event Fatigue after Final Crisis (which, on second reading, isn’t as bad as people seem to think) – and both GL series are gearing up for the Blackest Night storyline. But given the high quality of both this book and the main Green Lantern series, I may just have to change all that.
Give it up to writer Peter Tomasi for making an issue planted square in the middle of a couple of year buildup highly entertaining to the novice just coming in. He piles on the action quickly, then drops back for some actual (serious) character development, and balances it out just right. The highlights: Prison break on Oa, culminating in a two page spread that should make every fanboy happy; Green Lantern Sodam Yat trying to save his planet from the Sinestro Corps, despite his animosity toward it and his family; GL Soranik trying to save her planet from its own bloodlust for her father, Sinestro. While I do have some reservations about seeing characters ripped in half in an ostensibly all-ages book, hey, that’s DC 2009 for you. Still, it’s an amazingly well done superhero book, and definitely worth checking out – primarily now, while you can still figure out what’s going on.

Wolverine Noir #1: We had X-Men: Noir, so really, could a Noir version of Wolverine be far behind (I mean, it’s not like Marvel would have any reason to push the character about this time of year, right?). That said, much like last week’s Daredevil: Noir, this book holds up to the concept’s promise.
Having another Noir book feature the main character as a private detective hired by some moll does seem a little repetitive, but this is our pal Logan, after all. And the femme fatale in this case is Mariko Yashida, Wolverine’s yakuza boss girlfriend in the mainstream series. This set-up allows for a series of flashbacks introducing us to Logan’s martial arts training and general childhood. Assisting him is Dog (Sabretooth), who is cast as Logan’s developmentally-challenged partner, who ends up getting more than he bargained for by taking the case.
Stuart Moore does a great job of not re-casting the characters in the noir world while retaining their essences, and C.P. Smith’s art captures the feel perfectly. A solid start to what looks like an impressive series.

And finally...

The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #1: As someone who’s read more than his fair share of Lovecraft’s works, I admit to going into this book with a little trepidation. After all, you can count how many good movies have been made from Howard Phillips’ books on one tentacle. Thankfully, the TSAoHPL manages to be a highly entertaining read.
Writer Mac Carter makes the wise decision not to try and emulate Lovecraft’s style; in fact, the book seems to work hard to avoid it. Much of the dialogue has a real screwball comedy snappiness, pushing the story along at a fairly quick pace. Lovecraft’s own narration – while appropriately verbose and moody – isn’t an attempt to replicate his writing style, but still comes off as very literary.
The story centers on Lovecraft who, stricken with writer’s block and failing to gain the affections of his beloved (a flapper librarian, no less - who wouldn’t be smitten?) comes across a cursed ancient tome, and finds that he is possessed both of a terrible new idea, and dreams that turn out to be too realistic. There’s also the matter of his jerkwad publisher and duo of busybody aunts.
Tony Salmons’ art is great and really works in telling the story, capturing the vibrancy of a busy Chicago street and jump jazz hall, while evoking the horror of an attack by one of H.P.’s notorious creatures. Not only is this worth checking out, but it won't drive you insane after reading, earning it this week's...

As always, these reviews (and books) are brought to you by Detroit Comics - the only comic store where you're guaranteed third wave ska on your visit!

CD!'s Mayoral Endorsement

2009-04-14T17:33:00.009-04:00

Thanks to the departure of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and a city charter more confusing than a typical X-Men storyline, Detroit is having a special election May 5 for city mayor (so if you're a resident, go out and vote!).

Now, we here at Comics Devastation! have thought long and hard about just who would be most fitting for the position. We've reviewed the candidates' platforms and backgrounds, and have come to the conclusion that only one person is truly qualified to handle the particular responsibilities and stresses unique to the city of Detroit.

With that, CD! gives its full endorsement for Mayor of Detroit to: Dr. Doom.

Dr. Victor Von Doom possesses skills in several key areas, namely:

Political Background: Doom has successfully ruled the country of Latveria for decades now, and has a proven track both in maintaining law and order and making a country prosper (as the citizens will no doubt attest to).

Diplomacy: Along with usual pressures of maintaining an economy based on technologically advanced weapons of mass destruction and world domination, Doom has also fended off several attempted invasions and coups, and has not been afraid to ~~literally~~ terminate government officials underneath him when their performance has proven lacking. Given the antics of the city council, Doom seems the candidate best equipped to handle negotiations with the like of Monica Conyers.

Race Relations: While some may scoff at the idea of an eastern European native running a city with a majority African-American population, Doom has consistently shown his sensitivity to matters of race and economics.

And last, but certainly not least,
Education: Doom has a Ph.D. in Evil. 'Nuff said.

And unlike our previous mayor, Doom shows little preference for inter-office romances.

Additionally, should Doom win in May, the odds of there even being an election in November will be slim at best, saving the city countless time and money best suited to more productive goals - such as destroying the Fantastic Four once and for all.

In this election, there is only one sensible choice - Doom!

New Comics Reviews!

2009-04-09T19:08:00.008-04:00

All right, Ladies and Gents, it's Thursday, and that means it's time for the New Comics Reviews!
"But wait," I hear you say, "Isn't New Comics Day actually Wednesday?" Indeed it is. But you see, Detroit is a union town, so things get done on their own time, if you know what I mean.

UAW president Rod Gettelfinger does not approve of the above comment.

Anyhow, enough jibba jabba...

This Week's Reviews!

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #2
I'll just come out and say what everyone's thinking: the problem with this whole "Batman's dead and who will be the new one?" thing is that come the next movie/when the new guy stops selling/DC needs a new Event, he's just going to come back. The last issue of Final Crisis even spelled it out for us, just in case anyone was worried. So reading all the Battle for the Cowl books almost seems like a pointless effort. But then, it's all about the journey, not the destination, so with that in mind, B:BftC #2.
The first book started with a lot of potential, playing up the legacy and significance of Batman and showing just how necessary his presence was to keep Gotham from descending into complete supervillain chaos. Given that artist Tony Daniel was essentially taking over from Grant Morrison, it was a nice start. This book keeps up a lot of what worked: Black Mask setting the Penguin and Two-Face, Gotham's leading crime bosses, against each other, Commissioner Gordon realizing how reliant on Batman he'd become, and pretty much every hero even remotely tied to Batman showing up to help out. But the book focuses a bit too much on the "Devil Batman," whose shocking secret identity actually makes sense, even if it's an underwhelming reveal. But for a concept which is pretty much doomed from the start, it makes for an enjoyable enough ride.

Daredevil: Noir #1
Here we have the third Marvel hero to be re-imagined in a 1930s setting, and of the characters given the Noir treatment so far (Spider-Man and the X-Men), he seems the one best suited for this sort of re-imagining. Writer Alexander Irvine does a solid job of translating the essential characters to that era, and even using time-appropriate plot devices: In his secret identity, blind Matt Murdock is not a lawyer, but assistant to his friend Foggy Nelson, who is - what else? - a private detective. The two are approached by a gangster's moll, offering give them information on her mob boss boyfriend to prevent him from starting a gang war with none other than the Kingpin. Irvine balances the elements well, and the superheroics actually fit in quite nicely, mainly because Daredevil's heroics consist of roughing up gangsters and torching a mob warehouse.
Irvine is obviously writing this for the reader who's unfamiliar with the character, and plays a bit too heavily with Matt's super-senses; anyone who's read Frank Miller's run on the original series knows that having the four remaining senses turned up to 11, 24/7, is a maddening experience. Still, it's a minor complaint, and one that doesn't detract from the book. Also, Irvine was born in Ypsilanti and is now on the east coast, which means he has truly lived the dream.
Tomm Coker's art is spot on as well, his heavy shadows and stark line work really evoking that noir feel. All in all, a good start to what looks to be an interesting series.

Dark Reign: Hawkeye #1
I think the best summary from this issue came from Brian Kelly (Detroit Comics owner)* himself: "It's basically an issue showing us how psychotic Bullseye is." That pretty much sums up the plot right there, but in case you haven't been following, former Daredevil villain Bullseye has now taken the role of bow-and-arrow slinger ~~and Green Arrow analog~~ Hawkeye in the new Avengers team. The whole villain-turned-hero mantle is never an easy one to wear, especially when said villain has no intention of not being a crazed killer. It's a concept that, in the wrong hands, could easily be dreck, but give writer Andy Diggle credit for some great characterization and the right amount of black humor to make a book about a guy with no qualms about letting three dozen bystanders die in the course of stopping a super-criminal actually fun.

Ignition City #1
Warren Ellis brings us yet another new book (seriously, does the man sleep?), and folks, this one gets the thumbs up. Here, he takes the basic idea behind Steampunk (anachronistic technology in a past era) and gives us a world where in 1956, not only have humans already made it to space, but we've fought wars with aliens and decided not to go back. Space travel has pretty much been outlawed everywhere, except for one lone island. This island also happens to be where our heroine - Mary Raven, former space pilot - has to go to collect the belongings of her recently deceased father, also a space pilot. Oh, and as it turns out, the island is pretty much a third world wreck filled with broken-down (physically and otherwise) astronauts and cosmonauts.
There's a lot of information needed to set the story up, and Ellis does a good job of catching the reader up quickly in the first few pages. From there, it's Mary's trip to Ignition City, and the promise of a deeper mystery behind her father's demise. Ellis definitely has a knack for character-based stories, and it's the characters - along with the novel world they inhabit - that make this worth checking out.

Last Week's Honorable Mention

Destroyer #1
What happens when you take The Walking Dead Robert Kirkman and combine him with Battle Pope Robert Kirkman? Brothers and sisters, I give you Destroyer.
Taking one of the more interesting Captain America analogs from the 1940s, Kirkman sets him as an aging superhero who learns he could drop dead at any minute. So, he decides to do the logical thing in that situation, which is to kill every supervillain possible before he dies, starting with his own brother.
As we've seen from his previous works, Kirkman knows how to delve into some serious darkness, and also knows complete farce (seriously, Battle Pope!), and with this book, he balances the two quite nicely, almost in a "come for the violence, stay for the humanity" ploy. Is it bloody? Let this unfinished art from page 1 answer your question. But then, not a few pages later, where we see the Destroyer as an old man at a family get together, and especially in his dealings with his wife pre- and post- diagnosis, it's actually touching. This book definitely gets the Fist of Approval!

That's it for this week, folks! Check back, and remember, you can always pick these books up at Detroit Comics!

*Can I get that raise now, boss?

ManiFISTo

2009-04-06T11:46:00.005-04:00

Detroit and comic books have a lot in common: both have given culture some of its greatest icons; both are often maligned and misunderstood by people not familiar with them; both enjoyed creative and economic peaks, only to see their fortunes slip into decline; and, unfortunately, both have a core of fans whose attitude is, "If you aren't one of us, stay out!"

For decades, comic books have been considered a cultural wasteland. So has Detroit. These ideas couldn't be further from the truth.

Detroit gave the world Motown, Joe Louis, Sam Raimi, and, oh, a little thing you might have heard of called the car. Comic books gave us Superman, Spider-Man, Maus, and offered young kids the idea that inside every nerdy high school student or mild-mannered reporter was someone who, under the right circumstances, could be a true hero.

(Oh, and at least for now, Hollwood is all about mining both.)

With this in mind, Ladies and Gentlemen, we proudly present Comics Devastation!

This isn't just a blog about comics (although mostly it is). It isn't"Members Only." You don't have to be "in the club" to "get it." Like comic books, like Detroit, this blog is for everyone, if they're only willing to give it a chance. It'll talk about the good, and the bad, of both Detroit and comic books - because both have given a lot to the world already, and both still have plenty to offer.

Fist image courtesy The Aquitaine.

This town deserves a better class of protestor

2009-04-03T17:31:00.005-04:00

Spotted at the G20 protests in London:

(Taken from The Gothamist.)