Brainfreeze: Comic Love

I definitely want.

2009-07-10T00:05:00.002-04:00

I just ordered comics, and I totally ordered this.

It's a lot more muscular than Kyle Rayner should ever be, but it is an action figure with his original costume, which I've been wanting for ages.

So, yay!

Cartoons?

2009-07-09T20:10:00.002-04:00

Okay, so this isn't exactly comic book-related, but...

Animated Shorts: CN Gets "Real" As Fate of "Chowder" Up In Air.

So I'm reading the article aloud to the kids. When I get to the part where they're talking about the live-action shows on Cartoon Network, both girls say:

"They've already got three."

I did not know this because, as the ten-year-old then said:

"But I don't watch any of those."

She then said:

"I don't understand--it's called Cartoon Network!"

By the way, she absolutely loves Chowder. (And I don't mind watching it myself, it's a fun show with a lot of humor.) Lately, Chowder and Flapjack are her favorite CN offerings.

So, if my two kids (ten and fourteen, respectively) are any example, the more live action there is on Cartoon Network, the fewer actual kids will be watching it.

It's deja vu all over again!

2009-07-08T20:04:00.000-04:00

Oh, you have got to be kidding.

Marvel Introduces Groundbreaking Foilogram Covers

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...well, you know.

Yeah, I'm old

2009-07-07T17:45:00.002-04:00

Came across this blog post today:

Comic Book Crimes of Fashion: Those Avengers Jackets

This is actually one of my favorite Avengers eras, but not at all because of the jackets. :)

Linkage

2009-07-05T17:34:00.001-04:00

Interesting link at Comic Book Resources about the past and current direction(s) of Batman.

Um...eek?

2009-07-04T17:26:00.000-04:00

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Sigh.

Question for the comic-storage knowledgable

2009-07-03T17:23:00.001-04:00

So, if I put my comic longboxes in a dry but unheated attic, are the comics going to be all right?

Ah, so that's what they did

2009-07-02T15:19:00.004-04:00

So when I saw the solicit for the new Young Allies one-shot, featuring a new story, I had to wonder what they'd do with the cast.

After all, the original 1940s-era Young Allies were, well, not exactly formed with 21st-century sensibilities in mind:

The group started out under the name "Sentinels of Liberty". They consisted of Bucky Barnes (Captain America's sidekick) and four of his friends: Knuckles (aka Percival Aloysius O'Toole), Jeff (Jefferson Worthing Sandervilt), Tubby (Henry Tinkle) and Whitewash Jones (who, being merely the requisite black stereotype, didn't have a fancy name like the others). (Toonopedia: http://www.toonopedia.com/ynallies.htm)

The current version has them as Pat O'Toole, Washington Carver Jones ("Wash" to his friends), Geoffrey Worthington Vandergill (connecting him with the Marvel-Universe Worthingtons?), and Henry Tinkelbaum. Some of the changes make sense, others seem arbitrary, and according to the oomic it was the original publisher who changed the names, so that's a nod to Golden Age fans.

It's a rather sweet story, actually. Worth a read.

Bat-commentary - Red Robin 1

2009-07-01T00:05:00.000-04:00

Holy crap, when did Tim start on the steroids? You don't get extra muscles just because it's a splash page...

Damian is such an ass (but an entertaining one).

I'm kind of glad that Tim's belief that Bruce Wayne is still alive is not based on anything but hope. It means that his search is irrational, but I think that's all right, that's realistic under the circumstances.

Kind of amused that Tim's just annoyed about all the crimefighting he's doing in Europe. :)

Bat-commentary - Batman 687

2009-06-30T14:18:00.002-04:00

This book really is going to have a different tone from Batman and Robin, isn't it? I expect I'll be reading B&R first, because it strikes me as more of a fun read, but I do plan to keep getting this one, at least for a while.

I think the treatment of Dick's hesitation in taking on the cowl was presented well. I'm not a huge Dick Grayson fan, but he is growing on me.

Actually I'm considering getting the trade. Because I'm considering switching just about all of my books to "waiting for the trade" status. But not quite yet.

Bat-commentary - Streets of Gotham 1

2009-06-29T14:11:00.002-04:00

This may turn out to be one of my favorites among the new Bat-books, surprisingly. I really want to know what happens next issue now!

As for the secondary feature, I really don't know much about Manhunter other than what I've seen of her in Birds of Prey, but this looks all right.

Bat-commentary - Batman and Robin 1

2009-06-28T14:00:00.002-04:00

Um, holy crap--the villain here is absolutely chilling.

That last page pretty much drove out anything else I had to say about this book. Ew.

Bat-commentary - Gotham City Sirens 1

2009-06-27T13:40:00.000-04:00

Decent read featuring two of my favorites (and I like Catwoman well enough, too). Harley is practically perfect, and Ivy isn't bad either. Actually, this would even be a decent intro to both characters for a new reader in that their dynamic is made clear very quickly.

I also got a huge kick out of the new villain trying to make a name for himself. Presumably this is the last we see of Boneblaster.

Also got a chuckle out of "The Broker." Not that I've ever really wondered where supervillains get their nifty hideouts, but this was still a fun bit.

One to keep getting.

Bat-commentary - Detective 854

2009-06-26T13:10:00.002-04:00

I will confess it: although I liked Batwoman from the start, I probably mostly liked her for her design. You know, because we really didn't have a lot of other info about her other than her connection with Renee Montoya.

Now, with the revamped Batwoman, that's changed.

As in, I like her more now.

I still like her design--again, I like it more with the awesome new boots with the grippy soles.

I like it that her "Alfred" is her father; they seem to have a good relationship, which is also a plus in this world of superheroes who don't get along with their parents.

Decent story, intriguing, creepy villain, good read.

The Question feature also shows some promise.

This one is a keep-getting-it.

Still reading, will post...soon.

2009-06-25T03:51:00.000-04:00

Still reading those Nightwing trades! And maybe it's the mix I picked up, but I am not finding that things are made more clear by reading them so far.

Too busy!

2009-06-24T03:49:00.001-04:00

Can't write, am in the middle of reading a stack of Nightwing trades.

Namor is my favorite!

2009-06-23T00:05:00.002-04:00

The newest Dark Avengers preview has, in fact, a very, very nice Namor moment.

Doom wishes he could be that cool.

I want this, but somehow I don't think it's meant for me

2009-06-22T00:05:00.001-04:00

I'm kind of looking forward to the upcoming Psylocke mini.

I liked the original conception of Psylocke a lot. I was less fond of the current design, not because of the design itself but because of the personality shift that seemed to follow. (Not that that wouldn't be an unreasonable response to trauma...)

However, the mini will not be the original Psylocke:

And while some fans may hold allegiance to the character's original form, Yost and editor Daniel Ketchum agreed that Fraction and Land's use of the Asian version made the most sense. "She definitely is going back to her ninja assassin look," he said, citing J. Scott Campbell's variant for "Uncanny #510" as a prime example of Psylocke. "We tend to think of that as what people identify as the definitive Psylocke. I still kind of like the light pink butterfly Psylocke here and there, but I think for most modern readers Psylocke is that person.

which I suppose (along with the choice of artist) indicates the intended audience for the book. :)

Of course these days I don't read the X-books. And while I retain a fondness for Betsy, I don't like her nearly well enough to get back into that mess.

But I will probably get the mini, probably wait until the trade.

2009-06-21T13:35:00.002-04:00

Saw this up for an upcoming mini about the Rikki Barnes character, who is apparently going by the name of "Nomad," which is kind of neat.

I'll wait for the trade on this one, I think, but I will get it.

Captain America thoughts

2009-06-20T15:09:00.003-04:00

I've been seeing all this hype about Captain America: Rebirth. Which, I like Captain America, and likely would have gotten this anyway, so fine. I'm actually not convinced that it is in fact the return of Steve Rogers that's being heralded (and if it isn't, I anticipate a great deal of fan whining).

If it is, that's cool. I like Steve Rogers and have missed seeing him around. And to be honest, while I'm sure that the intention is that "Dark Reign" is at least in part supposed to be what happens to the Marvel Universe when Captain America is gone, I'm really not seeing that in the comics I'm reading. Although I'm not intrigued enough by Dark Reign that I'll be at all sad to see it go, you know?

And while I've seen concern elsewhere about what will happen to Bucky Barnes, the current Captain America, when the "real" Cap returns...to be honest, while I love the title and what's been done with the character, I think that the interesting part of Bucky becoming Cap has pretty much been done now. He's gained some comfort in the role and some acceptance by the hero community. The transition is nearly over.

But as far as just seeing Captain America in action every month, really, I'd rather see Steve.

And I'd rather see Bucky as himself.

More stuff to carry home.

2009-06-19T18:24:00.002-04:00

We're on our annual vacation now, and as usual we took an afternoon to visit all the reasonably-local comic shops we could find in the phone book. We had a list of six.

Two were closed. By which I mean, there were no longer comic shops at those addresses--the stores are gone.

The others were lovely.

One where I found a Deathstroke action figure (on sale!).

One where I found a copy of the Secret Six mini in trade form, and mumblemumble different Nightwing trades. The fourteen-year-old found an action figure of the Joker from (I think) Killing Joke--it's the one where he's in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, and she's been admiring it from afar for a while now.

One where I picked up the trade of Brubaker's Catwoman.

And one where I found some minimates for the ten-year-old. (She hasn't seen them yet, she's been playing Rock Band with her cousin.)

All good.

No title today, I'm too tired to think!

2009-06-18T11:37:00.002-04:00

You know, I just realized--yesterday I mentioned that Secret Six had supplanted Captain America as my favorite title, the one I always read first when the Big Box O Comics arrives.

But I'm not sure whether that means that I'm enjoying Secret Six a little bit more these days, or enjoying Captain America a little bit less these days. SS has been consistently good from the onset. CA has as well, although I think that #50 and #600 have provided a sort of lull. But I think it's actually more the latter than the former.

I think it's possible that I'm finding BuckyCap a little less interesting now that he's more of a part of the established superhero community. That's weird, isn't it?

I think it is official

2009-06-17T11:31:00.001-04:00

My favorite comic book is now Secret Six.

This means that it has taken over the number one slot occupied by Captain America for the last several years.

They're not at all similar, as comics go, but they do have one thing in common: the ability to get me to read one, then spend the next month wondering what's going to happen next.

Do not want

2009-06-16T00:05:00.003-04:00

You know, I know that every comic book character is somebody's favorite. And I know that "favorite" is a most subjective term.

But you know, I never really understood the need for the new Justice League of America title to start out with a focus on the Red Tornado. I don't dislike the guy, but he kind of leaves me cold. (Perhaps because I grew up reading about the Vision in the Avengers who IMO had the same routine only did it far more compellingly. Personal opinion, of course.) So, while there are a number of reasons why I didn't keep getting the JLA book, one of them was, in fact, that the first story arc featured someone I have always found dull as dust.

But, you know, different tastes.

However, I completely fail to see the need for a Red Tornado mini. Except that it's easier for the non-fan to avoid, which is a plus. :)