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52 on 52 #17 |
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This Week's Releases: August 30, 2006 |
First, I want to address the lack of ... enthusiasm around here lately. It may seem as if I'm going through the motions, not committed with the same level of enthusiasm that got me mentioned as "the All-Star of the new bunch of bloggers that seemed to pop up last year". Frankly, it's simple: unemployment sucks. One would think I would have more blogging time, but with the waiting, the worrying, and the playing of videogames as avoidance ... days get busy. Hopefully, things will come together, and I'll get back on track soon.
There are new comics this week, and I'm buying them. Well, not me, actually. My good and wonderful wife will be doing the buying this week, as we need to scale back our trips into Salt Lake City. Since she's headed in on Wednesday, she's stopping by 2005 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Winning Night Flight Comics with this here shopping list. Thank heavens I have a comic shop I can be proud of, where I know they'll not treat a woman as if she walked in off Mars itself.
I finally caught up my Battlestar Galactica viewing to the point where I can actually read the comic (set midway through the second season). My #0 is still safely tucked away, and I will greet this #1 like the frothy confection of politics, religion, and character that it ought to be. I'm also thoroughly thrilled to see another Action Comics, Brendan McCarthy's Solo, and Mike Carey and Pasqual Ferry's debut on Ultimate Fantastic Four.
All these do not hold a candle to the appearance of a new All-Star Superman, however. My eyes blink in happy surprise when I see it on the shipping list, and it's become an event to be treasured.
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T.G.I.F.: August 25, 2006 |
Actually, there were two T.G.I.F. candidates from Batman #656, a comic I enjoyed immensely. I also loved the sequence as the ninja man-bats attack that ends with "Ninja man-bats. Alarming twist."
This panel wins out for it's sheer balls and willingness to be completely over-the-top and off-the-page. For that brief panel, I could hear the voices and the soundtrack, as the Hammer Horror Batman came to life right in front of me. It's also, of course, bringing the Lichtenstein pop-art that decorates the earlier scenes right into the comic itself. It's bold and fun, and made me smile.
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52 on 52 #16 |
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Dead Rising |
So close and yet so far.
Though the boxcover legalistically proclaims that Dead Rising is "not developed, approved, or licensed by the owners or creators or George A. Romero's Dawn Of The Dead", the Capcom release is easily the movie's gaming equivalent: a compelling mix of horror and satire, of character and gore, of plot and ultraviolence. At it's best, Dead Rising throws you into that most suburban of banalities - the shopping mall - and pits you against legions of the shambling undead wielding nothing but your wits and whatever you can find lying around. As you run from store to store, scrambling to find weaponry, you'll end up dispatching zombies using everything from chainsaws to golf clubs to plastic lightsabers to red-hot skillets. The combat's fast and fluid, and the different animations and styles attached to each weapon keep the game exciting on a strategic level, as each weapon requires some adjustment. With wonderful art design, great cutscenes, and a likeable main character, this is your chance to play out the kind of zombie madness previously trapped on celluloid. It's truly "next-gen gaming", as the ability of the Xbox 360 to handle so many of the living dead at one time is more than a technical feat - it's essential to the feel of the game. Zombie herds will easily number twenty or more, and will swarm around you in the kind of scene that simply was not possible on earlier gaming systems.
For all "next-gen" power packed into Dead Rising, it's the "last-gen" gameplay elements still rearing their heads that unfortunately consign this game to the "B" list. Dead Rising is so tied to old Capcom survival horror tropes like limited saves, sparse save points, and clumsy inventory systems that every time you are about to get sucked into the well-developed world of the game, you get dragged right back to "just a game" as you struggle to find one of the few save points available.
On top of those old-school gameplay concepts, there's an ugly twist as Capcom tries to integrate an "open world" style of gameplay into it's successful survival horror formula. The whole game takes place over 72 time compressed hours (a few game hours will pass for every hour of playing), and you're constantly managing time and balancing off the demands of the main plot, the side quests, and the sheer joy of wading through animated corpses with a sledgehammer. I can't shake the feeling that I've been given a wide-open world to play in, but am punished if I play in it. One of the joys of "sandbox" games is, well ... the sandbox.
Dead Rising comes close to greatness, but a devotion to gameplay concepts that should have stayed dead and buried keeps it from becoming one of the very few stellar Xbox 360 titles available. It's an excellent title, with central gameplay that's as fun as any the console has to offer, and those that can persevere and unlock the modes that allow you to simply play in the undead sandbox will have a fantastic time. I'll keep plugging away and having fun, but I'll be holding out hope for a future sequel that will dispense with the Resident Evil stodginess.
(As a side note, it has become apparent that if you're playing this game on an SDTV, you may be in a world of hurt. HDTV looks excellent, but it seems the game was not tested on a regular ol' TV. See Joystiq for the lowdown. And the "fixes".)
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Focused Linkblogging |
Let's go.
We can't.
Why not?
We're waiting for McNiven
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This Week's Releases: August 23, 2006 |
Some great books hitting this week, though since I have an callback Thursday I'll be holding off on my purchases until then. I hate not hitting 2005 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Winning Night Flight Comics on New Comics Day, but the 100-mile round trip demands that I combine trips whenever possible. So "52 on 52" may run a bit late.
Justice League Of America reboots again, with some Brad Meltzer prose added in for top cross-promotional possibilities. "Better Late Than never" is my mantra for the Heinberg Wonder Woman. Matt Wagner begins his second run on the true All-Star Batman title. More Morrison Batman, with the promise of ninja man-bats. More Whedon/Cassaday Astonishing X-Men, and it's a title that seems to be gaining quality as it sheds buzz.
But the highlight of the week is "The People's Choice" edition of Action Philosophers!
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Fifty-Two Answers |
Scipio Asked.
Harvey Answered.
I'll join in ...
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ScatterThoughts: The Books Of August 16th |
It's a Theme Week! All-New #1 issues!
....
And expectations.
Perhaps it's simply a matter of expectations. When I heard that this was the book that would "out-Preacher Preacher", I didn't immediately assume a sweeping epic about the nature of friendship, God, and the nature of man. Instead, I assumed Grand Guignol violence, hypersex, and shadowy conspiracies directed by the physically and mentally corrupt. I went in not expecting much. So, perhaps due to these low expectations, I really enjoyed The Boys #1. The aforementioned violence, sex, and conspiracy show in full Ennis force but the whole thing is played for a bit higher stakes than I've seen from him lately. Where recent Ennis often plays as near-farce, this has a more serious tone, a bit more gravity. If that starts to outweigh his habitual writing tics, The Boys could become something that can compare to Preacher after all.
Again with the expectations, my friends. The Savage Brothers #1 (from BOOM! Studios) didn't lead me to expect much beyond a high-concept Larry The Cable Guy Meets The Walking Dead. Redneck brothers fighting and scamming an a postapocalyptic zombified Dirty South. There's the almost-standard shadowy conspiracy behind the scenes, and plenty of "dreadnek" humor ... but what sets this apart is the titular brothers themselves. There's a bit more to them than expected. There's some smarts and some nobility and some idiocy and greed, and it's that dissonance between the stereotype and the reality that provides much of the joy of this first issue, as the plot twists and turns unexpectedly around the Bros. Savage.
And this time, we discuss expectations dashed. Oh, how I wanted to love Rex Mundi #1. Combining my love for alternate histories with my fascination with Holy Blood, Holy Grail conspiracy theories, and topped with a heaping helping of beautiful art from Juan Ferreyra ... this seemed like a slam dunk. I expected the relaunch under the Dark Horse banner would finally let me jump into this seemingly fascinating book. Ferreyra didn't disappoint, but this confusing mess of an issue certainly didn't allow for new readers to enter into this interesting world. Instead of a welcome mat, I got a confusing mix of plotlines and characters that all but said "here's your hat, what's your hurry". Perhaps I will try this series again in trade, but as an individual issue buyer, I get it already: I'm not welcome. 
And finally, a title I had no expectations for: Gillen and McKelvie's Phonogram #1. This black-and-white book is about the magic contained in pop music, and the conceit is incredibly powerful. It's obviously deeply personal, and the creators' love for the music and the magic is palpable and infectious. It's Lester Bangs and Greil Marcus as High Wizards with the charm of a power-pop baseline calling upon the godly forces you always knew lurked behind Imperial Teen. The execution leaves a bit to be desired, with the characters initially hewing a bit too close to stereotype, but the concept is such a strong hook and it'll keep me coming back for chorus after chorus. Now: somebody post a damn podcast of this stuff, will ya?| [+/-] |
T.G.I.F.: August 18, 2006 |
From the piratically delightful Polly and the Pirates by Ted Naifeh, about which I will write more later.
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52 on 52 #15 |
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It's The End Of The War As We Know It ,,, |
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This Week's Releases: August 16, 2006 |
Unemployment can really screw up your groove. I should have more time to be blogging, but find I have less ... curious. I fully intend to get back in the swing of things next week, when Henry V has closed. After all, I can't really review last week's books when I still haven't read them.
I have an audition early Wednesday afternoon down in SLC, so will stop by 2005 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Winning Night Flight Comics nice and early.
I can't say I'm all that enthused by Garth Ennis' new project, The Boys. He's a writer that can hit notes of greatness (as with much of Preacher and Hitman), but then will hit the same goddamn notes again and again and again, ad infinitum. I'm already waiting for the massively overweight evil guy with a perverse sexual inclination. And, of course, the madly entertaining drunk, because it's not Ennis without that. And, perhaps, some not-so-subtle homophobia. ... Still, I suppose I'll give it a try in the off chance that it's the next Hitman.
Some new debuts have caught my eye this week: Rex Mundi from Dark Horse, Phonogram from Image, and Savage Brothers from BOOM! Studios. Phonogram promises a fascinating mix of mods, music, magic and drop-dead gorgeous art from Jamie McKelvie. Rex Mundi is a relaunch, and I sure wish Dark Horse would have ensured the old TPBs were in print as the series relaunched ... but as a sucker for all the Holy Blood, Holy Grail flim-flammery I'm buying this regardless. I've received a early copy of Savage Brothers, and hope to get a detailed post up before shopping time tomorrow.
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T.G.I.F.: August 11, 2006 |
From "The Origin of Metamorpho" in 52 #14, by Mark Waid and Eric Powell.
I don't know who that little dude with the laser eyestalk is, but he made my comics-reading week.
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Bat Blank |
Courtesy of one of my favorite new blogs - Random Panels - comes this disquieting meme.
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52 on 52 #14 |
Trained dogs and eagles assisting an Uzi-wielding ice cream truck driver to subdue a freeze-ray equipped mad scientist.| [+/-] |
This Week's Releases: August 9, 2006 |
The new release that I'm anticipating most this week isn't a comic at all: it's a videogame. Dead Rising, from Capcom is hitting the Xbox 360, full of zombie-infested-mall madness. I'm not a huge survival horror guy, but this looks more Evil Dead than Night Of The Living Dead: cartoony, mad, and satiric. The demo released a few days ago was a blast, and I'm looking forward to submersing myself in a good game ... though I freely admit, that may be the unemployment talking. It hits stores today.
Speaking of which - New Game Day is Tuesdays, New Comics Day is Wednesdays. I often think that were EBGames/Gamestop to branch out into comics it would do a lot of good for the direct market. Hell - a place where your main purchase is a $50-$60 game is one of the few shops where a $3 comic seems utterly reasonable.
In an interesting turn of events, DC carpet-bombed the WeboComicsBlogoNet - at least the upper echelons - with copies of Martian Manhunter. I'm glad to see DC taking the blogosphere seriously, but equally glad that after reading Graeme, Kevin, and Jog, I don't need to share their pain. Such are the risks of comp copies, no?
Rambling a lot this week, aren't I? Again, it may be the unemployment talking writing. I do plan my weekly trip to 2005 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Winning Night Flight Comics, and plan to purchase some comics while I'm there. The Busiek/Pacheco Superman showed the promise of legend in their first issue, and I plan to enjoy seeing a soon-to-be-classic run develop. I'm also stocked with excellent miniseries this week: Beyond, Fantastic Four: First Family, Conan & The Songs Of The Dead, and the truly fantastic Black Coat.
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The Reviewer Reviewed |
There are heat and kitchens. There is dishing out and taking. There are gooses and there are ganders. There is turnabout and there is fair play.
It's all well and good to blab my opinions in the WeboComicsBlogoNet, and publish my judgements. Now I'm on the other end of the equation, with reviews showing up in the papers over the weekend. No commentary here, as that's a mug's game ... but I will present them nonethless.
Fast-track 'Henry' is pretty amazing
The scenes are short. The acting is excellent. The set is simple and symbolic — some poles, a globe and a sword are really all it takes to remind us France and England have long been at war.
Director L.L. West's perky adaptation of "Henry V" goes a long way towards making this Shakespeare play appealing to modern audiences. Audiences are in for some hard slogging anyway, especially in some of the early scenes. Don't give up. Somewhere during the second half, you'll decide the script in general and several scenes in particular are pretty amazing.
In watching contemporary productions of Shakespeare's classic plays, we're used to the pomp-and-circumstance of period costumes and elaborate stage sets and gender-appropriate casting.
But as drama teachers are happy to remind we few, we happy band of theatergoers, some of what strikes us as experimental would have seemed traditional to the Bard's audiences. So when most layers of theatrical artifice are stripped away, what's left?
The spirit of inventive traditionalism is the most interesting element of Salt Lake Shakespeare's "Henry V," the way the production plays with audience expectations by paring down.
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T.G.I.F.: August 4, 2006 |
That would be one kick-ass hotdog stand.
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52 on 52 #13 |
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Opening Night! |
I'm sure you all are tired of hearing about it ... but I'm not tired of writing about it. So there: it's my blogparty and I'll cry if I want to! Y'all will get your comics content tomorrow with a new "52 on 52".
"It", of course, is Salt Lake Shakespeare's Henry V.
This marks my first real opening night since the Clinton Administration, and I couldn't be happier. It was a strange and unlikely series of coincidences that led me to this show, and it's almost enough to make me believe in fate/karma/divinity. This has been the best experience I could hope for in a return to acting, working with a wonderful group to create something that is quite extraordinary. Like comics, theatre is a collaborative artform and it's that synergy and synthesis that makes great art. I'm relishing the day, and savoring the countdown to being in front of an audience tonight.
Here's a bit of press from the Deseret News, and a bit more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
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This Week's Releases: August 1, 2006 |
Wednesday looms in my mental landscape as "Opening Night", yet there will also be comics. Though my current employment has put my pull list on hold, I'll still be stopping by 2005 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Winning Night Flight Comics in order to pick up at least a few books.
Seriously - comics, Shakespeare, then being taken out to a wonderful Greek restaurant to celebrate ... how does your Wednesday match up?
There's a bit on this list I'm not so sure about, and may end up passing on. In fact this list could easily chop in half, depending on how eBay treats me this week. The "Brave New World" titles (Atom, Creeper, OMAC) are already on the chopping block, for example. I also need to take a look at Agents Of Atlas in the store. I feel I should simply tradewait it, but it looks too damn fun to skip. I freely admit I am only considering Batman: Son Of The Demon because of it's possible tie-in to Grant Morrison's run on Batman ... yes, I got hooked and reeled in by DC Marketing... sue me.
The high point of the week is definitely the new Mouse Guard which has become unto a holiday around these parts. The story's slowly developing, and I'm looking forward to whatever mad action sequence this issue brings. Timm's Detective and Brubaker's Uncanny are already delivering the goods, and their presence on the list makes the drop-off from Mouse Guard an easier landing.
