tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85250705237394876262024-03-21T10:43:19.705-07:00Stream of ConsciousnessA blog for comics strips and stories by Larry Kinglarrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-80411166502305075482012-05-30T12:12:00.003-07:002012-05-30T12:14:01.237-07:00Review: Animal Man Annual #1(2012)<span lang="EN">With the Rot nipping at their heels the Baker family seek refuge, and during that time a tale is told. Does this comic pack the muster to be worth your time and money? Continue reading to find out. <br />
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<span lang="EN"><strong>Animal Man Annual #1</strong><br />
Written by Jeff Lemire<br />
Pencilled by Timothy Green II<br />
Inked by Joseph Silver<br />
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski<br />
Cover by Travel Foreman<br />
Published by DC Comics<br />
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Previously in <strong>Animal Man</strong>: Buddy Baker aka Animal Man is on the run from Agents of the Rot, who are all about death and decay. These Agents want to corrupt Maxine Baker, Buddy’s young daughter, who is the current Avatar of the Red(the Animal spectrum of the Earth). The Rot will do whatever it can to stop The Red, and The Green from restoring balance. </div>
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<strong>THE STORY</strong><br />
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Like every other issue of Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man there is a intriguing story(well the “movie” issue was a little lackluster) under the creative, and sometimes gut wrenching covers, and this Annual is no different. It is a Animal Man/Swamp Thing story, but that doesn’t mean that Buddy Baker and Alec Holland. There have been many Avatars of The Red, and The Green, this story follow two such Avatars from the latter part of the 19<sup>th</sup> Century. <br />
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Lemire is quite adept at writing a tale that makes you feel for characters that you have never seen before, and getting that sense of dread that is creeping in like shadows at dusk. But while there are moments that inform, and possibly foreshadow Animal Man’s world, there isn’t that big of a sense of urgency within this story. <br />
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<strong>THE ART</strong><br />
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Timothy Green II’s art is fitting, and he really does capture Maxine Baker’s innocent child visage, which in this day and age is quite hard to do, even for some DC bigwigs. The depiction of the animals in this issue are spot on, and very emotive, as is the 1800’s creepy looking Swamp Thing. <br />
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The art on the comic isn’t overly rendered, which seems to happen when some artists don’t believe in their art. These artist think they have to throw too much detail into the work which usually results in cluttered work that is not appealing to the eye. This comic is anything but unappealing. I really did enjoy the gore, and sickness of the rot moving across the plains, which is much better then just your average dead things. This is some nightmarish stuff that’d make Herbert West cringe, so there is that for the sick freaks that love gore art, and gore art alone.<br />
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<strong>IN CONCLUSION…</strong><br />
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If you haven’t read a Animal Man comic before now you will probably be a little lost, but I could easily see this drawing someone in, and having them go out and check out the series. But, if you are a avid reader of either Animal Man, or Swamp Thing this book is a must. It’s a enjoyable, and entertaining read from beginning to end, as a shining example from the best book from the New 52 reboot. <br />
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The <strong>Animal Man Annual #1</strong> receives <strong>4 out of 5</strong> Harvey Birdmen. <br />
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</span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-2199086220581069012012-02-29T10:10:00.000-08:002012-02-29T10:10:46.490-08:00The Universal Man - "TV Dinner" - Page 8 - 14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCEiQvlI-w_TU3Rg7d6kYpQpWDmzTEws0XWXD4Y2Q0vY1c9YDe1JNtldLpgB3HJMNbIovqAETp2l2TXnKNb4sX_P8qNhRf03fDK1NsBPbDli040-Fww8dt5Fn-ncbC5BYlOgN1VIwYMA/s1600/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCEiQvlI-w_TU3Rg7d6kYpQpWDmzTEws0XWXD4Y2Q0vY1c9YDe1JNtldLpgB3HJMNbIovqAETp2l2TXnKNb4sX_P8qNhRf03fDK1NsBPbDli040-Fww8dt5Fn-ncbC5BYlOgN1VIwYMA/s400/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More pages after the jump.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That is a wrap for this story of "The Universal Man", hopefully I can do more tales with these two. </div>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-71477395122463577972012-02-29T09:57:00.001-08:002012-02-29T09:58:46.908-08:00The Universal Man - "TV Dinner" - Page 3 - 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBcdE_dU2HZBRXkkVKw-DoZHuxBoQmpNVqCSOis4bTMGcYz_ioTrnK4Kc9U1Gd5C7p7I-W7W5UFCWrshAjHB1sen7mgVmWnZCOjdA_qpV7Og67UIttLndRavxBBUvWh4zHoqwIOXSyoc/s1600/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBcdE_dU2HZBRXkkVKw-DoZHuxBoQmpNVqCSOis4bTMGcYz_ioTrnK4Kc9U1Gd5C7p7I-W7W5UFCWrshAjHB1sen7mgVmWnZCOjdA_qpV7Og67UIttLndRavxBBUvWh4zHoqwIOXSyoc/s400/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A whole bunch of pages after the jump.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A large pill to swallow, but hopefully not a bitter one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-31262333396427379122012-02-29T09:48:00.000-08:002012-02-29T09:48:37.916-08:00The Universal Man - "TV Dinner" - Page 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVLjPEPn9LVCZql5QtvPT1C1Z9rIcqc-n_E7Es9fQ0YH0YCJmZprrVQRf2ucSRNyKJgXhqo1rPoED8lCF2EZivXzI6-e83gEcQbQMQtoMhRrDyDKVAaNhSgUR4emoru01A-YKDlou6R8/s1600/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVLjPEPn9LVCZql5QtvPT1C1Z9rIcqc-n_E7Es9fQ0YH0YCJmZprrVQRf2ucSRNyKJgXhqo1rPoED8lCF2EZivXzI6-e83gEcQbQMQtoMhRrDyDKVAaNhSgUR4emoru01A-YKDlou6R8/s400/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It does rot your brain. </div>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-4433503311446326422012-02-29T09:18:00.000-08:002012-02-29T09:18:30.621-08:00The Universal Man - "TV Dinner" - Page 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssBzIwE9-BCtj8MfkdT2RQv00Z6f13M3PK4-WLa_IsSXVdEUekByEpCEpbFtqUk3QNtKAbQc8Gnd64QUHRmVtEjvJdBIia19oz4bPGKRH5-TeZ3tlcZ4qXQybehsc8nhouIdd-wKWrWI/s1600/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssBzIwE9-BCtj8MfkdT2RQv00Z6f13M3PK4-WLa_IsSXVdEUekByEpCEpbFtqUk3QNtKAbQc8Gnd64QUHRmVtEjvJdBIia19oz4bPGKRH5-TeZ3tlcZ4qXQybehsc8nhouIdd-wKWrWI/s400/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Pg_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of my favorite pages of all time. Though, I am little biased. Meet, Julie and her boyfriend, Hugh Mann.</div>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-29336563207360635312012-02-29T09:10:00.002-08:002012-02-29T09:34:12.101-08:00The Universal Man - "TV Dinner" - Cover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ3xDYSInRzW3AM8p-MfXKX5cuqpx12I2i4m9kkfcNPeTaApHkjOjG-3j3TLshtnkLQxDiSROJxBltXH0WrAednnVM8TREMqeFc6kvYTx508NPPI-wbPL1cfZ4BXhyphenhyphenPVXd3P5o9XyyfU/s1600/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Front+Cover_Full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ3xDYSInRzW3AM8p-MfXKX5cuqpx12I2i4m9kkfcNPeTaApHkjOjG-3j3TLshtnkLQxDiSROJxBltXH0WrAednnVM8TREMqeFc6kvYTx508NPPI-wbPL1cfZ4BXhyphenhyphenPVXd3P5o9XyyfU/s400/The+Universal+Man+-+TV+Dinner+-+Front+Cover_Full.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the start of something new. Posting some comic book strips. </div>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-69482301698969317332012-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:002012-01-18T22:34:41.294-08:00REVIEW - Generation Hope #15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oSJRFBwGybxPxb3KHkeFtePQ9duKLpFDnjAcdwzqEE0vBm5tD9Tj1HUP7FMNfSTzDSnvAlAjZd0SQjpVL7mBGysP6QXOtV9H7ej-3pkoO93o7DKFM49-h-agTAFXIrHWFzkr77GZzxE/s1600/Generation_Hope_Vol_1_15_Textless_REVIEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oSJRFBwGybxPxb3KHkeFtePQ9duKLpFDnjAcdwzqEE0vBm5tD9Tj1HUP7FMNfSTzDSnvAlAjZd0SQjpVL7mBGysP6QXOtV9H7ej-3pkoO93o7DKFM49-h-agTAFXIrHWFzkr77GZzxE/s400/Generation_Hope_Vol_1_15_Textless_REVIEW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span lang="EN">Sometimes you can’t go home again, and Hope Summers finds that out the hard way when the Mutant Messiah returns to Utopia with the mind wiped Sebastian Shaw. Will this inclusion to the X-Verse campaign “Regenesis” soar like a Phoenix? Or will it vanish like Maggot? Take the jump to find out faithful reader. (Some SPOILERS ahead)<br />
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<span lang="EN"><a name='more'></a></span><span lang="EN"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OrjCXN0clnQ2rTGeEE31DdiYfUslKC2auqBSR4Va3Z_aHtErWsC88Q8EBvJFHnZlBuI8ZgtmSkZ8Xb5AYM0cAr-Oz0Ub9bBHlKGhI3xUmvaRpFWxEpoZsueSTENLbJiWJHVCYMSK8zI/s1600/Generation_Hope_Vol_1_15_Textless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OrjCXN0clnQ2rTGeEE31DdiYfUslKC2auqBSR4Va3Z_aHtErWsC88Q8EBvJFHnZlBuI8ZgtmSkZ8Xb5AYM0cAr-Oz0Ub9bBHlKGhI3xUmvaRpFWxEpoZsueSTENLbJiWJHVCYMSK8zI/s200/Generation_Hope_Vol_1_15_Textless.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>Generation Hope #15<br />
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Writer: James Asmus<br />
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Pencils: Timothy Green II<br />
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Inks: Cam Smith & Rick Ketcham<br />
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Colors: Jim Charalampidis<br />
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Letters: Dave Sharpe<br />
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Cover: Jorge Molina<br />
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Editor: Nick Lowe<br />
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Publisher: Marvel Comics<br />
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Page Count: 20<br />
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Cover Price: $2.99 USD<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">The Story:</span> <br />
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Coming out of the often convoluted X-Men universe this story explores the ramifications of Emma Frost’s mind wipe of the once Black King of the Hellfire Club, Sebastian Shaw. Sebastian, who Hope views as an innocent, has been taken in by her, and her pack of misfit mutants. This causes visible act of contention from the X-Men’s super tool, Cyclops. <br />
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As Hope squares off against Cyclops and Emma, her team takes verbal flak from former M.L.F.(Mutant Liberation Front) members who don’t take to kindly to the fact that these kids are getting the “red carpet treatment” while they are treated like garbage. To be fair, among their ranks is 90’s throwback, Random, yes that guy with the dew rag, dead looking flesh, and gun hand. <br />
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This is the first issue of Generation Hope that I have read, but I went into it with a open mind, and surprisingly it was quite easy to follow. The clash between the old and the new mutants was upfront but came off kind of blandly, few quips back and forth telegraphed Hope’s team’s lack of respect or even acknowledgement of their crusading processors. But the interactions between Hope, Cyclops, and Emma Frost are the best of the book, Hope’s brazen attitude towards the former White Queen could elicit a “Damnnnnn!” from a less hardened reader. <br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">The Art:</span><br />
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The weight of the book falls on the shoulders of Timothy Green II, who you may know from his recent stint on the Rocket Raccoon and Groot back-up tales from the two “Annihilators” mini-series. While the some of the characters featured within I may not know all that well, they are all illustrated to great effect, the best being Hope, Zero(aka Not “Tetsuo”), and Random(aka shotgun armed dew rag guy), all three really stood out the most to me.<br />
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The Random versus Zero fight was a wonderfully grotesque display of how not all mutants are beautiful, no matter how many times Magneto tries to convince you. This issue was real heavy on the action for the most part that all worked, but there were a few hiccups like when Psylocke first shows up jumping onto the scene. Along with a few other detail drop out’s, which is common when there is not a single inker on a issue. Lines, and other details can get lost in translation, but compared to relative hot messes like other comics suffer from <em>*cough*“Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.” *cough-cough*</em> this issue, and it’s creators have nothing to worry about. <br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Conclusion:</span> <br />
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The story was interesting, maybe all this “Regenesis” stuff is getting all the X-Men’s chickens in a row ahead of the “Avengers versus X-Men” stuff that’s coming out in a few months time. But it was quite accessible, and that is saying something for a X-Men comic, I felt like I got to know that characters pretty well, and understand their motivation. <br />
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The art was solid, and more often then not a blast. The final splash page that gives more than a subtle nod to the movie “AKIRA” was a nice touch, and something that I thought was played off very well. Also, for those three of you that wanted to see Random show up again, here’s your chance. He is treated pretty well here. All we need now is Tusk, and we are complete. <br />
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In closing, <strong><em><span style="color: white;">Generation Hope #15</span></em></strong> receives <strong><em>4 out of 5</em></strong> Gun-Totting Red Heads. </span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-44540492691219025672012-01-09T08:27:00.000-08:002012-01-09T08:30:22.374-08:00REVIEW - Apollo 18<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZcuOJ70JoPDRH0UfC7NQYC4RXfkWrjminLy2Jo_GcKIyX59RaHNu0I9O1fBqLv1qLRcWmFflxQKV7pi6fGTWGY7WjyDIGGnNTXiIzpDVaCaTBnVlQwu-UeyzTuk5k9c03KN7hcEfQd0/s1600/apollo18poster03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZcuOJ70JoPDRH0UfC7NQYC4RXfkWrjminLy2Jo_GcKIyX59RaHNu0I9O1fBqLv1qLRcWmFflxQKV7pi6fGTWGY7WjyDIGGnNTXiIzpDVaCaTBnVlQwu-UeyzTuk5k9c03KN7hcEfQd0/s400/apollo18poster03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When it comes to horror movies I like the classics. "The Exorcist". John Carpenter's first "Halloween". Stephen King's "Carrie" and "Pet Semetary", and a whole score of movies that I could list off. But ever since "The Blair Witch Project" there have been movies that have bored me, to tears on occasion. This concept of found footage movies was in my snap judgement, quite dumb. Ooooo, a haunted house, scary. But when I saw the poster for "Apollo 18", and read the description I was drawn in. A found footage movie...on the moon? Also the poster hinted at the Soviet's involvement?! Hell, I had to see this movie now. So I waited for it to drop on Zune. What?! It's not like I am getting invited to see these things. <br />
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So this concept is good. It's not your "Paranormal Activity" or any such drek. A secret mission to the moon by the DOD(Department Of Defense), and while up there they find a Soviet Lunar Module? I was hooked. Now, there was one jump scare, but I haven't fallen for a jump scare in a while so it was welcomed. The sense of isolation and dread was present through the whole movie. It was well acted, and directed. The concept was at first kind of hard to get my head around, because I always have to see how that would work in the real world. I like to disassemble science fiction, and in the process ruin the magic, but here, there was magic to go around. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIVb353JrZ1JOg0yJLXRw1_SJKKQqllZvS3o1Gd5POXUhaTgV2g1G-fDL69K5qFy2QBaICVLBNILaJHZdJCVafUWchJG9e80XFzYsSFY9pBQbFl53O6TpAO4pVsWacKBtDtejmxkpCKc/s1600/apollo-18-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIVb353JrZ1JOg0yJLXRw1_SJKKQqllZvS3o1Gd5POXUhaTgV2g1G-fDL69K5qFy2QBaICVLBNILaJHZdJCVafUWchJG9e80XFzYsSFY9pBQbFl53O6TpAO4pVsWacKBtDtejmxkpCKc/s400/apollo-18-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I don't know how much this movie cost. I could find out. But, that really doesn't matter, it looks quite good and it's one of the best moon based movies(like there are a million of those) out there. I have to say the acting was superb, and far better than I expected. I think they raid theater trained actors that no one knows of because more often then not they are better then the Hollywood zomibes that flock there to make it the picture shows. <br />
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In closing I have to give "Apollo 18", 4 out of 5 Communist Moon Men.larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-57718543216115555132011-11-26T03:59:00.000-08:002011-11-26T04:00:27.405-08:00HOLY TERROR(Batman) - REVIEW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3vVBclnWN26W9-j7H7_AUXZRELbiLGeyN-ayqc0a8OnFUPgwuqnRPvcg1n_S8J5UtAFmFP-68Ldm7SoLdbknGrzCdM5TYdgm20L2yyyNJuvypS4someDYVdt83NbLuU2bu8s60jmsnY/s1600/holy-terror_885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3vVBclnWN26W9-j7H7_AUXZRELbiLGeyN-ayqc0a8OnFUPgwuqnRPvcg1n_S8J5UtAFmFP-68Ldm7SoLdbknGrzCdM5TYdgm20L2yyyNJuvypS4someDYVdt83NbLuU2bu8s60jmsnY/s400/holy-terror_885.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Okay, so it's been a while, but I have still been reading comics, and thinking about them. Up this time is the Hardcover, Widescreen Graphic Novel of the delayed "Holy Terror Batman!" by Frank Miller, now known simply as "Holy Terror" and you can tell right away this is not going to be nuanced.<br />
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<span lang="EN">The story is a ham-fisted tale of how The Fixer has to save the city from extremists, that are using nail suicide bombs to terrorize the city. There is nothing particularly memorable about these troubled, and or “evil” people. The plot is just as hollow as unfounded accusations of the Hill Billy trash that lives in the Ozarks, and has never seen the ocean. That being said, it’s a simple plot that doesn’t seem to be taken seriously. For a writer of Miller’s caliber who did “Martha Washington”, and his brilliant run on “Daredevil” this is not the best Frank Miller can do. <br />
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As for the controversial nature of the work where it’s Islamaphobic, maybe it is. But for those that don’t like it, don’t read it. It’s all a matter of freedom of speech. Even hate speech. In the 1940’s after Pearl Harbor the United States propaganda machine would depict the Japanese people as Buck toothed, sometimes fanged, slant eyed, yellow monsters, upon posters that gleefully declared “Slap a Jap”. This comic, I find no different than the propaganda of that era. <br />
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<span lang="EN"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyoYzranAnJwOWbdTwGMCudjMf8V7BLIg2HMIslPdVRiShOnMuV-AZG6l0RutPUOMuTMXDS3mA5YQPQRs_TpZemHg8jTTtO5QIoYfIBnK6_o_NnoGwVgHOyHgih4cQunKvxD_mX7Y33E/s1600/holyterror_p063-latimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyoYzranAnJwOWbdTwGMCudjMf8V7BLIg2HMIslPdVRiShOnMuV-AZG6l0RutPUOMuTMXDS3mA5YQPQRs_TpZemHg8jTTtO5QIoYfIBnK6_o_NnoGwVgHOyHgih4cQunKvxD_mX7Y33E/s400/holyterror_p063-latimes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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The artwork is some of Frank’s best. It’s almost as if “The Dark Knight Strikes Again” never happened. The art is reminiscent of his “Sin City” stories, so is the romance sub plot, but the stark black and white artwork at the front of the book is it’s best. Miller may be a loon to some, but his simplistic, and powerful art design still looks damn good. <br />
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About a little over half way through, you can see where the art changes from pre-DC and post-DC. The line is mighty clear, but the art still holds up. But in the end this isn’t a Batman story. It you could insert any number of non-super strong comic characters, and have a equally dumb, yet amazing looking romp through this New York City analog. <br />
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Bottom Line: If you can take this comic book for what it is, a ham-fisted, shallow story, and well illustrated piece of propaganda, then you just might like it. <br />
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Final Score: Holy Terror receives 3 Stars, out of 5. <br />
</span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-67358504362083050462011-09-08T18:31:00.000-07:002011-09-08T18:35:23.898-07:00The Comic Book Maw: 8th September, 2011<span lang="EN"></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIsxRoIfo4IHhB1TJtw8yBJN8E5LNKilWSKPVdKrVlVXfW6kyRoLFlZqK6Lf5P89drSOTPxkwQZJSMTaPOg0kySzdex569wkTJu1vkteB6rHyNME8kYtSxKiNsA2OsiHOQmaikX-LVSE/s1600/The+Comic+Book+Maw_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIsxRoIfo4IHhB1TJtw8yBJN8E5LNKilWSKPVdKrVlVXfW6kyRoLFlZqK6Lf5P89drSOTPxkwQZJSMTaPOg0kySzdex569wkTJu1vkteB6rHyNME8kYtSxKiNsA2OsiHOQmaikX-LVSE/s400/The+Comic+Book+Maw_Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><br />
Welcome! Since we live in tough times, where comics are not cheap, I think there should be no middle ground. The Comic Book Maw is a weekly, or as close to weekly round up of what comics I got, and what I thought to be good, and or bad. Hopefully it might sway you to avoid, or pick a book or two. Enjoy! <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Bad:</span> <br />
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</div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCecjFy25gEt8iqCj0R9izMlFiIR8L5fy8WDqayrX0u6vQZXdmZANqCi5EhEa_5GT6PBlKPPs_4AoY09i-05jNM0Z2MUzV_V_yKGeE1set6uZjUyudh8OXHkBJ_eukLQGl4K-QmkhUjtI/s1600/0UfEI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCecjFy25gEt8iqCj0R9izMlFiIR8L5fy8WDqayrX0u6vQZXdmZANqCi5EhEa_5GT6PBlKPPs_4AoY09i-05jNM0Z2MUzV_V_yKGeE1set6uZjUyudh8OXHkBJ_eukLQGl4K-QmkhUjtI/s320/0UfEI.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>Deadpool MAX #11 (of 12): </u>David Lapham and Kyle Baker’s run on the insane Merc with a Mouth has hit it’s penultimate issue, and this one is a clunker. It drags, it is more confusing than normal, and frankly, makes me not want to pick up the final issue. The artwork is pretty good, but the writing, dialogue, and pacing seemed to be phoned in. <br />
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</div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQLrwAA8DH_vKsGNJIE3bsA94zJjgsmUBvDvT5NpeOvgXbV_KnJUUQA2B54LE-Szmv1cqvb5dv_2cTdw0LoTo9xGK5-NLTuaNa1ZAWwljrMa21ZLJwiqg-PfS96GuWZQAk8bjs0Wdp-0/s1600/6684396-atomic-robo-ghost-of-station-x-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQLrwAA8DH_vKsGNJIE3bsA94zJjgsmUBvDvT5NpeOvgXbV_KnJUUQA2B54LE-Szmv1cqvb5dv_2cTdw0LoTo9xGK5-NLTuaNa1ZAWwljrMa21ZLJwiqg-PfS96GuWZQAk8bjs0Wdp-0/s320/6684396-atomic-robo-ghost-of-station-x-1.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Atomic Robo: The Ghost of Station X #1(of 5): </u>I got hooked on Atomic Robo via the soft cover collected editions that Red 5 put out. I love Atomic Robo, but I found out that I only love Atomic Robo in it’s complete story form. This is a comic that only reads well in a collected format. I just wasn’t feeling it. But I will surely get this in it’s TPB dress. <br />
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</div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp90pOzB0fDdUEKpIUz9oSBxy0d_r3ya7S0SaunY6Pjd7l34rhCFS287EGJa56E6jBronJNCMTOS2e7RyGgCcg2oY1nNldsPtkRHJe5rvgL14ii-1MlWuVJisIiOoNSSzApzkvXbsA7E/s1600/action_comics_1_cover_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp90pOzB0fDdUEKpIUz9oSBxy0d_r3ya7S0SaunY6Pjd7l34rhCFS287EGJa56E6jBronJNCMTOS2e7RyGgCcg2oY1nNldsPtkRHJe5rvgL14ii-1MlWuVJisIiOoNSSzApzkvXbsA7E/s320/action_comics_1_cover_2011.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Action Comics #1</u>: I like Grant Morrison. I like Rags Morales. Hell I even like Golden Age Superman. But this was not something I liked. I gave it a shot. Jesus, I paid $3.99 for it instead of finding a pirated copy floating around on the internet. So, what didn’t I like. The art for starters. Rags’ art here looks off. Really off. The eyes are weird, they are distracting. It’s like looking at a room filled with people who have lazy eyes, you are best off looking at the floor or ceiling. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOHOMAmISd_HwchgKne7qiPhRbxea3hhPw6teesiPV1ovJsNea09hEon6al-_qbDNIEWP6zPdlbzvpjnxpN_Dp3reeUsJDRWiznPJuBKXqlcKfQQ8BZbI_pTU0CqbPLpmmyFz02FHnic/s1600/action+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOHOMAmISd_HwchgKne7qiPhRbxea3hhPw6teesiPV1ovJsNea09hEon6al-_qbDNIEWP6zPdlbzvpjnxpN_Dp3reeUsJDRWiznPJuBKXqlcKfQQ8BZbI_pTU0CqbPLpmmyFz02FHnic/s320/action+2.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Rocky Road?"</span></div><br />
The noses look funny as well, he makes Lex Luthor look Arabic. There is art inconsistencies page to page. On one page Superman looks like he’s in his 20’s, the next, he looks like he is channeling Peter Parker at about the age of fourteen. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGWRyOgPzeoeHk1jqDcvJy7CP4g2b2gt2K-exMJhoEKEcsYFKKAHO91lLYmCYka2pwvMk0prmRcHzvgLc9KOr4dUeHaecF79q3WJOOMrIfnjQv2Th0g0BepYoi9f8xatAg2aIznFzg_8/s1600/action+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGWRyOgPzeoeHk1jqDcvJy7CP4g2b2gt2K-exMJhoEKEcsYFKKAHO91lLYmCYka2pwvMk0prmRcHzvgLc9KOr4dUeHaecF79q3WJOOMrIfnjQv2Th0g0BepYoi9f8xatAg2aIznFzg_8/s320/action+1.jpg" width="179" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Yeah, Ummm, Mark Bagley..."</span></div><br />
Speaking of Peter Parker, this comic is more Spider-Man than it is Superman, in particular Spider-Man 2. The crap apartment, the stopping of the train, the people standing up for him, the hair. It was not meant for me. The art was poor, I would rather have seen Brent Anderson(X-Men: God Loves Man Kills) on the art, but hey, to each, his own. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Good:</span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div></b><div style="text-align: center;"><u></u></div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHCLkfqDEWDGYzGvD8wB7OSWmNFjZJwKBAlC8GQHMtGuU_9xNihae90xy4wdHG-EDLa8Hya81G5bdeCGmjKrdQvHcWDz7PIvDeRsd_OdKdZ4r9inCOprUjzTlkcirKXpWOyX8-_vgHRk/s1600/RocketeerAdventures_04_cvrA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHCLkfqDEWDGYzGvD8wB7OSWmNFjZJwKBAlC8GQHMtGuU_9xNihae90xy4wdHG-EDLa8Hya81G5bdeCGmjKrdQvHcWDz7PIvDeRsd_OdKdZ4r9inCOprUjzTlkcirKXpWOyX8-_vgHRk/s320/RocketeerAdventures_04_cvrA.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Rocketeer Adventures #4: </u>Final issue in the anthology series starring that late great Dave Stevens’ jet pack wearing, buxom beauty loving Cliff Secord. Though this was a limited run, I really hope they do another soon, this was nothing but fun, and though this was not the best one out of the four, it’s miles above what most serialized stories offer. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u></u></div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0Pde71-ZmaD4AvLwaqeE76BuQjUZp43PWYpRMfY12qTzXW9LxWGnoHaqeKBafGTZFTW9DMjgS7kTo8a_cdLCixp7dBNb1lxdU-VYokODmkhmKhlv3S1llaaL9zn-Pu9oXI0k77KjNIQ/s1600/Flashpoint-5-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0Pde71-ZmaD4AvLwaqeE76BuQjUZp43PWYpRMfY12qTzXW9LxWGnoHaqeKBafGTZFTW9DMjgS7kTo8a_cdLCixp7dBNb1lxdU-VYokODmkhmKhlv3S1llaaL9zn-Pu9oXI0k77KjNIQ/s320/Flashpoint-5-01.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>Flashpoint #5(of 5): </u>Finally picked this up. One of the better Event Comics that has come out in recent years, hold on, well it’s better than Secret Invasion, Final Crisis, and Civil War, so yeah, pretty damn good. The touching ending, is pretty much the last I think I’ll see of the old DCU, which is now in a state of flux, and God help anyone trying to make sense of it. The artwork is good, writing by Johns not so bad. But I still miss Wally West, who was a better character, and in a better position to be a protagonist than Barry will ever be. On another note, this is the first time I have ever taken notice to how stupid the Flash, and Reverse Flash’s antennae things are. What the hell are they? Why do they exist? I don’t care what the answer is, they are stupid. This is coming from a character who runs on a Cosmic Treadmill. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77KCAdhxXGPjwDLuZlFeZN76GrIwhyphenhyphenJ6IpAROLKfWJP1cfS62oga_ErykUNB4qmv-vTQ8TqO5Hh_Kba2-xSSKR-svWmbwwz4kZ7Z038WWMEeKRK5tcBkzb5ukzQCrvbwbLf_OfaKs2Sw/s1600/UncannyXForce_14_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77KCAdhxXGPjwDLuZlFeZN76GrIwhyphenhyphenJ6IpAROLKfWJP1cfS62oga_ErykUNB4qmv-vTQ8TqO5Hh_Kba2-xSSKR-svWmbwwz4kZ7Z038WWMEeKRK5tcBkzb5ukzQCrvbwbLf_OfaKs2Sw/s320/UncannyXForce_14_Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><br />
<u>Uncanny X-Force #14: </u>Still dealing with the Age of Apocalypse, this book is firing on all cylinders, Rick Remender’s writing, Jerome Opena’s art, and the lush colors of Dean White. This book hasn’t been out for a year, and here it is September and they are all ready at issue 14. They have a system, and the system is working better than expected. Stories have been great, to phenomenal, but I am a old school X-Men nut, so I might be a little biased. But the artwork alone is worth the price, that’s if you are one of these “buy it for the art” people. <br />
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</div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1WvjJmkaRRtkYvlnUhSFtdJbtGlQkjbpeAC8ecjgBmM92_mSDmaTo1mtt5KY3DG25ZvUQbtDQpmgjgGbVfl1Rk_AlqUtas6yTpubHI4h2SKo5BnfumM4ZV_5WdsEETSMnYjLql0ax28/s1600/the-vault-comic-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1WvjJmkaRRtkYvlnUhSFtdJbtGlQkjbpeAC8ecjgBmM92_mSDmaTo1mtt5KY3DG25ZvUQbtDQpmgjgGbVfl1Rk_AlqUtas6yTpubHI4h2SKo5BnfumM4ZV_5WdsEETSMnYjLql0ax28/s320/the-vault-comic-2.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>The Vault # 2(of 3): </u>This is really comes off as a screenplay/treatment that is trying to be made into a movie, and after the first issue, and according to Bleeding Cool, this comic will be a movie. For being what it is, it is pretty cool. It’s a suspense/horror story, that deals with the mystical. I could recommend it to anyone looking for a comic that you don’t have to know tons of backstory to get into. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u></u></div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVDG7PHb6gB2o_3X67e_nWms5ROc9eGkQLkWMy__MO_p5gUG6q5rTGWIcUaBXwwOwPxtml-RFu1tgqJH08agL2hQHa881Ne9t9V0dUF3XlCvVujGF3iWMggU-mkxkPHQ_TcpF_ZWGbi0/s1600/Animal-Man_Full_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVDG7PHb6gB2o_3X67e_nWms5ROc9eGkQLkWMy__MO_p5gUG6q5rTGWIcUaBXwwOwPxtml-RFu1tgqJH08agL2hQHa881Ne9t9V0dUF3XlCvVujGF3iWMggU-mkxkPHQ_TcpF_ZWGbi0/s320/Animal-Man_Full_1.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Animal Man #1: </u>Okay this is by far my favorite comic from this haul. Animal Man comes off as a self sustained universe, that is setup within the first page, and you are able to dive right into the family dynamic. Which sets this comic apart from 90% of the comics out today. The writing is top notch, and is my first exposure to writer Jeff Lemire, and as a result I shall seek out other works by him. Travel Foreman I know, his artwork was in CLA$$WAR, and he did some work for Marvel MAX’s Supreme Power. His artwork is creepy, and the occasional elongated person is easy to forgive. The book is more deserving of a higher rating though. Disemboweled children rank pretty high up there. This is really a Vertigo book, set in the DC Universe, but hey, I now have a comic to pick up out of the 52 new number ones. <br />
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<b>In Closing:<br />
</b> <br />
It was a pretty good week. Spent $33, so I didn’t break the bank. Came out on top, and learned that Atomic Robo is read much better in one fast clip, not serialized. I still won’t support a quitter like Jim Lee, or buy another issue of Action Comics, but damn, Animal Man has my $2.99 for sure. </span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-55453486645918718612011-08-30T13:05:00.000-07:002011-08-30T13:05:56.328-07:00The Comic Book Maw: 24th August, 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7X4AsUYlb_u-SoPoH1ghJ4bHg_FGjS4wj7HNe25KfRJqgvUyMU8KCWBU56qjYARPELDo3W5ntpoywHl47hFsOj9BPu0xfQS1WqoEPouQ7-Q38dUsmEekACj84e1wCGWLJFr3CISAQRk/s1600/The+Comic+Book+Maw_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7X4AsUYlb_u-SoPoH1ghJ4bHg_FGjS4wj7HNe25KfRJqgvUyMU8KCWBU56qjYARPELDo3W5ntpoywHl47hFsOj9BPu0xfQS1WqoEPouQ7-Q38dUsmEekACj84e1wCGWLJFr3CISAQRk/s400/The+Comic+Book+Maw_Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span lang="EN">Welcome! The Comic Book Maw is a weekly, or as close to weekly round up of what comics I got, and what I thought to be good, and or bad. Hopefully it might sway you to avoid or pick a book or two. Enjoy! <br />
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The Bad:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-MEisREYTCrSHuLFpyvL8A_w74agFyaEZVf0d_NEzU1PcrvnqoDBj4jltOd-hhkAmq5vUOale3ASBIfGMpssSroDomssCFlTMZUw58pydrAdV2VBaZJyOC66zd83O2pcdr6nR7tXetc/s1600/TCM-thebad_24-8-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-MEisREYTCrSHuLFpyvL8A_w74agFyaEZVf0d_NEzU1PcrvnqoDBj4jltOd-hhkAmq5vUOale3ASBIfGMpssSroDomssCFlTMZUw58pydrAdV2VBaZJyOC66zd83O2pcdr6nR7tXetc/s400/TCM-thebad_24-8-2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <u></u></div><u>Mystermen #4(of 5): </u>Just seemed to be good but I have lost all interest in the book with one more to go. Such a tonal shift has left me shaken, and I don’t care to see how the story wraps up. <br />
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<u>Red Wing #2(of 4): </u>Became so predictable, I hate to say that Hickman is loosing his edge, but just like with Bendis, he may be hitting his plateau a little early. <br />
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<u>Baltimore in The Curse Bells #1</u>: Story was your standard revenge vampire hunting tail. Never really hooked me. Characters seemed quite flat.<br />
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<b>The Good: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijba8mJlnj5rgnpj6quR550LlpIqqUTFcB_7UBskn2Pii7IXa8sd0LPhtvf0vY0oxdOuQDV6mboEp7HE9LgpRhnZUeY0fzoa2srzDQCBbCarhOj-hPOhYfQiGHAhMUNmO2K4_oLyZ5dMM/s1600/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijba8mJlnj5rgnpj6quR550LlpIqqUTFcB_7UBskn2Pii7IXa8sd0LPhtvf0vY0oxdOuQDV6mboEp7HE9LgpRhnZUeY0fzoa2srzDQCBbCarhOj-hPOhYfQiGHAhMUNmO2K4_oLyZ5dMM/s400/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></b> <br />
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<u>DC Retroactive: Superman in the 1980’s</u>: A great story, and great send off for the the character by Marv Wolfman(Teen Titans; Crisis On Infinite Earths) and Sergio Cariello(Dynamite’s Lone Ranger). Simply for the fact that it captures what I love the most about Superman. He is the best of humanity. He is what we could be, and if you think back to Mark Millar’s Red Son if a Editor wanted he could be the last human. But regardless it was a great tale that showed Superman the wickedness that would occur in the DCU from 1984 to the present. Something the Man of Steel didn’t care for. Also, it ties into Crisis on Infinite Earths, and the art work here is great. <br />
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<u>DC Retroactive: Justice League America in the 1990’s</u>: The Bwa-Haha Era of the JLA is back, with Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire. Filled with a great writing, funny characters, a good story, nostalgia, and great art it makes me miss a era that I only knew through Back Issues. <br />
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<u>Superman Beyond #0</u>: Spinning out of the world of Batman Beyond is this set up tale for the future of Superman. By Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, and Sal Buscema, the same team that did “Thunderstrike” at Marvel, Superman Beyond is a fun tale that is true to the core beliefs of the Man of Steel. Even though it had one scene where Supes is stabbed through the chest, it could be a great read for a younger reader. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjo5d3ZXO92gP3X1BdBW6zXFWyWrvG_8PPLy05VMGEoueyjRneNpzsAShy3jz8pcpjRa0hz6IYkC6bzcWsFmneDTq9bT3S1jVOZIHj3CVU4Q7SF3wlHSVbq0Yfu1kGcsc73p5Kszec1U/s1600/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjo5d3ZXO92gP3X1BdBW6zXFWyWrvG_8PPLy05VMGEoueyjRneNpzsAShy3jz8pcpjRa0hz6IYkC6bzcWsFmneDTq9bT3S1jVOZIHj3CVU4Q7SF3wlHSVbq0Yfu1kGcsc73p5Kszec1U/s400/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<u>Avengers Academy #18(Fear Itself Tie In): </u>I am not reading Fear Itself. I don’t want to. Fraction sold out. Besides that Avengers Academy is a great read that works on its own, and has great character development in this issue. Also, the Microverse. Does Marvel have the Micronauts liscense?<br />
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<u>T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #10</u>: Last issue before this Fall’s limited series return by writer Nick Spencer. This had a great ending, very dramatic, and though the series was a slow burn it’s flashbacks got me hooked. Never knew I liked Mike Grell art.<br />
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<u>FF #8</u>: This was the proving issue. I suffered through two issues of a expositional, boring, Inhuman-centric story that killed the book for me. Great use of the characters, though the ending was wonky, felt like it was the middle part of a bigger issue that was cut off before finishing proper.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAP9UpF6pqxVHqAGPjxwljpoXnQ9vsBp1i6eruHW6y3bQYe5ID61Z_hLnut7n8ZKaGvqUtDuXdHS03erbPRJ6BvFou5FtH2o7uGi-EsAn_mBLv6Nk4Esz8jJfPaoODWq4iJjPqP61Bac/s1600/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAP9UpF6pqxVHqAGPjxwljpoXnQ9vsBp1i6eruHW6y3bQYe5ID61Z_hLnut7n8ZKaGvqUtDuXdHS03erbPRJ6BvFou5FtH2o7uGi-EsAn_mBLv6Nk4Esz8jJfPaoODWq4iJjPqP61Bac/s400/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<u>Hellboy: The Fury #3(of 3): </u>Though this was spoiled for me about being the death of Hellboy, I still got a kick out of it. I really look forward to the Hellboy in Hell story next year. Hopefully Mignola will illustrate it, instead of using these artists that clone his efforts.<br />
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<u>Uncanny X-Force #13</u>: Still in the Age of Apocalypse Universe, the X-Force team really can’t seem to catch a break, but it makes for good story telling. I love the Deadpool in this comic. He’s comically deadly. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4ptA1wo4I5U6C5dLE9rR8dzBcvp_k_FJGvzgklK-8mNuBzvuNh6sU0kQQBtkI6ErRBfMUIy9Zy7MNqDus-i5yZDYpPcqKVb26C5iW6m4c8UQChqJQ6eo1K1p7B886EQj4mm3gLA_axA/s1600/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4ptA1wo4I5U6C5dLE9rR8dzBcvp_k_FJGvzgklK-8mNuBzvuNh6sU0kQQBtkI6ErRBfMUIy9Zy7MNqDus-i5yZDYpPcqKVb26C5iW6m4c8UQChqJQ6eo1K1p7B886EQj4mm3gLA_axA/s400/TCM-thegood-24-8-2011_04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<u>Batman: Under the Red Hood TPB</u>: I hated Judd Winick. I mean HATED. But my online buddy Kristen, recommended the Under the Red Hood movie which I liked, and then recommended the Complete Collection to me as well, I loved it all. Also 15 comics under the hood for $30(cheaper if you buy online) that’s a great deal.<br />
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<u>Batman: Hush TPB</u>: The complete collection of the story that wasn’t the greatest Batman story ever, but was a fun popcorn comic that was light, and featured pretty much every single player in the DC Universe of that time. Probably won’t see anything like this again for a while. <br />
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<b>Aftermath:<br />
</b>Pretty good. Though I am not picking up any initial DCnU’s comics, I will be back to them in three months time to see how everything shook loose. I can go without them. I am hardened. </span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-78709513380709800602011-08-30T11:13:00.000-07:002011-08-30T11:13:28.280-07:00You Are NOT Special!: Things I learned about the Comics Biz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdkYinuj6CzRqGJZIzHFSe9R8byblqfeT8Pk3gzwl5905OT0ZQNbytlEKyXO2-suAoD9yflTOzM2bH2F1uRZIYHYtLXE7862-bje-joqVfEe6fBmNf8AYw9gTW7x2JMQw8asiB2v6ZJs/s1600/blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdkYinuj6CzRqGJZIzHFSe9R8byblqfeT8Pk3gzwl5905OT0ZQNbytlEKyXO2-suAoD9yflTOzM2bH2F1uRZIYHYtLXE7862-bje-joqVfEe6fBmNf8AYw9gTW7x2JMQw8asiB2v6ZJs/s400/blog1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span lang="EN"></span><br />
<span lang="EN">When I was young I wanted to work in comics. X-Men, Batman, Spider-Man, it didn’t matter. I wanted to make comics that people would enjoy, and I could be happy doing. Little did I know that the business is as cut throat as the decks of pirate ship. </span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN">I have no intimate knowledge about Marvel or DC’s practices but no one will go on record to air their dirty laundry for fear that they would be treated in the same manner as Chuck Austen or Chuck Dixon(What’s with all the Chuck’s?). Blacklisted and unable to find any work other than small companies where the rewards are slim to none, or break out on your own and self publish with a family to support. Neither are all to inviting.<br />
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But the comics industry mainly the big two, is a dying monster. Grasping at the ledge, and doing it’s best to hold on. The only reason Marvel and DC comics are still around are not for the comics, or the stories that are held within. They are idea factories, for toys, T-shirts, movies, lunch boxes, etc. That is all. The fan base went from a roughly a million twenty years ago, to about one hundred and fifty thousand now. That’s a steep drop for the printed form. <br />
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What does all this mean? It means that this industry that so many kids wanted to create have turned them to more solid goals, or made them jaded like me. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5_E2HBPPonSRDyXbPZm6VU3gcbUhgR1AmbV9CeUcUxQbdRFCQIQ7yWhyMZxI46TpchHz3TvFjPKk_Qjn82y96erxfxu2TqbUunLB1VQknqosL_8m8F2Fjy6XOO0YUxGDN0bkXaFQ6zY/s1600/contract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5_E2HBPPonSRDyXbPZm6VU3gcbUhgR1AmbV9CeUcUxQbdRFCQIQ7yWhyMZxI46TpchHz3TvFjPKk_Qjn82y96erxfxu2TqbUunLB1VQknqosL_8m8F2Fjy6XOO0YUxGDN0bkXaFQ6zY/s320/contract.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Lets talk about Contracts. Specifically “Exclusive” Contracts. What are these? What do they mean? Let me explain, they are a binding contracts that run about five years or so, or shorter, depending on the creator involved, and they hinder your ability to work for Marvel if you are on a DC Exclusive, and vice versa if you are at Marvel. These contracts give the creators the ability to do their owned creator owned work at Image, as long as their current assignments are not hindered. These contracts also give the creator medical benefits, for a person who may have a family that is a good thing to have. <br />
One misconception is that these Exclusives are a guarantee that they will see work, but that is not always the case. Sometimes these contracts are to keep certain creators out of play, and out of the hands of the competition. But since it’s a contract there is no way they can jump ship, and take an offer, even if one was made. There have been occasions where creators under contract with one company, did work for the other, and had to wait until their contract had expired before that work could be published.<br />
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Do you think you can go against the party line? Nope. You can’t. You are beholden to the status quo. With a great contract, comes a healthy dose, of shut your mouth. <br />
You are supposed to positive, up beat, you can’t say that, “Man that issue number one sucked”, it might effect sales. And we can’t have that now can we? No we can’t. You are a part of the corporate machine. A cog at either Time-Warner, or Disney. In the end you can be replaced. They can blacklist you, and get some up from the minors to take your place. They rule you with fear. They know how hard it is to get health care coverage, and if you have a family, you are going to tow the party line like a good little boy or girl. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ9yDegJShOUw2skC_l62ICN7EqKj0MPwTsOWVjsNkAIV4SL6k5wFebejx80aOqd9vcaRKS9cdRr7sCPwOdZXBVoOYKj-pVuu9LIwwkBT-A_S9fp4huiQXgZe2-Ko4HYdgYUH3Sk__Z4/s1600/Power_of_Shazam_Vol_1_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ9yDegJShOUw2skC_l62ICN7EqKj0MPwTsOWVjsNkAIV4SL6k5wFebejx80aOqd9vcaRKS9cdRr7sCPwOdZXBVoOYKj-pVuu9LIwwkBT-A_S9fp4huiQXgZe2-Ko4HYdgYUH3Sk__Z4/s400/Power_of_Shazam_Vol_1_5.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br />
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Look at a creator like Jerry Ordway, who at one time during the 90’s wrote both Superman, and Captain Marvel. Now, where is he. One or two issue fill ins on JSA as they are putting it to pasture, and drawing a movie prequel comic for the summer bomb known as “Green Lantern”. No one is safe. No one is special. Anyone can be replaced given the amount of time. <br />
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Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Dan Didio, Axel Alonso, Tom Brevoort, and Joe Quesada won’t be on top of the food chain forever, their time is ticking down. Just like the realization in Kirkman’s zombie epic, “We are the Walking Dead.”</span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-91279102340378433232011-08-14T19:22:00.000-07:002011-08-14T19:22:04.182-07:00"I WAS A TEENAGE WOLVERINE"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGvR1slAnzWTjuumlGCMselohUjTNA5x142l97CL1YYy0cawtfojAWHSOBjrwRcL1SK2_Ay_dJvpubtPP0RUVlpIIB4H-CN1ADUN1ectbnrQHAm6_wWeUG6_Nv9eRKqTc8NavLaRMjoQ/s1600/I+Was+A+Teenage+Wolverine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGvR1slAnzWTjuumlGCMselohUjTNA5x142l97CL1YYy0cawtfojAWHSOBjrwRcL1SK2_Ay_dJvpubtPP0RUVlpIIB4H-CN1ADUN1ectbnrQHAm6_wWeUG6_Nv9eRKqTc8NavLaRMjoQ/s640/I+Was+A+Teenage+Wolverine.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><br />
I am serious, I would write and draw the hell out of this comic. If I was given the chance, which will never happen. But hey, I think it would sell. To teen girls, and completionists that need every Wolverine comic book in existance. <br />
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The elevator pitch: Twilight meets X-Men's number one bad boy, Wolverine. <br />
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Hey Marvel, if you are listening hit me up. You can set me up with Tim Green II or Becky Cloonan. I am open to either one. larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-10628718374939560032011-08-14T17:20:00.000-07:002011-08-14T17:20:00.132-07:00Rough Diamond: Kill the Direct Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwtopMKJkPOcvrMhQ9vsSoB-5gnWtVGg8jAdPqbNBPq0S7MvfhlglQHCv14plSi0IdVQasVkON9eZJ_Kl4hqFWYE4vGAH8IOftuLCmwWNzj1rLLdyVynRpzKNKh7KHBgk53MjDBYgI-k/s1600/no+to+diamond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwtopMKJkPOcvrMhQ9vsSoB-5gnWtVGg8jAdPqbNBPq0S7MvfhlglQHCv14plSi0IdVQasVkON9eZJ_Kl4hqFWYE4vGAH8IOftuLCmwWNzj1rLLdyVynRpzKNKh7KHBgk53MjDBYgI-k/s400/no+to+diamond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><br />
You ever read a comic book? If so it was more than likely moved, bought, and sold by Diamond Comics Distributors. Who are they? You might ask. Well they are one man, Steve Geppi. The man that controls all the comics. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGIT0mrVWwW6IAQWYAJzTnE6nDqsLpd1QZTTMb4fczghjsOfZO1QbVQaEKqmrRwCbeCGrPPHJ2EpwYw8NxLr90BbIWfiBqDicKz9YoTUaATdm_Vg5bHAfFkvc3cVNsWO6yLe4BjL2pCw/s1600/geppi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGIT0mrVWwW6IAQWYAJzTnE6nDqsLpd1QZTTMb4fczghjsOfZO1QbVQaEKqmrRwCbeCGrPPHJ2EpwYw8NxLr90BbIWfiBqDicKz9YoTUaATdm_Vg5bHAfFkvc3cVNsWO6yLe4BjL2pCw/s400/geppi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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It’s not Dan Didio, or Joe Quesada, but Geppi, Steve Geppi. He runs Diamond. They say who can sell what, since if you don’t sell enough to make it worth his while, he will cut you loose. But hey, don’t feel bad. You are dead weight, you might be able to sell your comic online, and be able to make a profit. <br />
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Now Diamond is a racket. How so? Well Diamond is in part one company under the control of Geppi. Who not only sells the world comic books, but also tells you how much they are worth. Yes. The Overstreet Price Guide that you local comic book store uses to grade comic books is not from some independent group of retailers, historians, and the like, but from the man who sells the stores the comics. That is a rigged system, that is a racket. <br />
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But hey don’t worry. It’s no worse that Wizard right. Right? Well for those that are unfortunate enough to not remember Wizard Magazine they were a comics magazine that helped inflate comic books, and led to a dark age we are still suffering. They gave artists that tired to write like Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, and Rob Liefeld a platform, and hyped them to such a extreme(a word that Liefeld you squee over) that they became responsible for the predicament we are in now. <br />
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For the past two decades Geppi, has had a monopoly on the direct market, that I feel has led to the stagnation, and incestuous nature of the world of comic books. The direct market should die a bloody painful death. Yes this would put kill many comic book stores, but once digital comics catch on, and eventually they will. Your local “Dragon’s Lair” or “Memory Lane Comics” will go the way of the Tower Records, or Suncoast. The proliferation of the Mp3 both legal, and illegal killed the physical stores, as a whole, and so will go your local comic book store. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwR_Zv0XJwmGa0-DG6t6ZsKy2pZQx7PPHMBYCQoARFOnQ8Ztr3aRwtG1QJadYWDjfTrCv1F4EZ00VZT9-cOCcnFGnVCp56o-uRz27yrhveV6rqYqXK3IoY-98v1ThWl2FermLhBJjkkA/s1600/racket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwR_Zv0XJwmGa0-DG6t6ZsKy2pZQx7PPHMBYCQoARFOnQ8Ztr3aRwtG1QJadYWDjfTrCv1F4EZ00VZT9-cOCcnFGnVCp56o-uRz27yrhveV6rqYqXK3IoY-98v1ThWl2FermLhBJjkkA/s400/racket.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br />
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The scary thing is no one is talking about this. They are so scared since comics are a fragile market to begin with, but could this be simply because no one has known anything else? Think about it. For the twenty years this guy has had a stranglehold on the industry. There has been no growth because he doesn’t want there to be any. The retailers, and the top four companies(Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image) probably couldn’t survive a crash if Geppi and his Diamond Comic Distributors should have it’s legs taken out from under it. I say good. <br />
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I want Marvel and DC to crumble into the ocean like those building Dicaprio and his wife build in “Inception”. I guess it’s a anarchist view, but hell it’s the same old shit, just a different Wednesday. You know? Character dies, boosts sales, but drives some people away, brings in a few onlookers who still think that comic will make them some money. Big Summer Event that promises that “things will never be the same, again!” Now every comic has to tie into what they are doing. A celebrity writer comes in and spins a few characters in a off direction then vanishes like a thief in the night, leaving other writers to try and salvage their year long mess of a story. The cycle needs to be broken. The Direct Market needs to die, so does Marvel and DC. <br />
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What will rise out of the ashes? I don’t know. I hope it will be an industry built upon the back of creators that know how to adapt, that have utilized DIY tactics to overcome the comic book citadel that is the Geppi drafted system. For all those that do web comics, that sell their collections via online stores, or in person at comic book conventions, the future is yours. It belongs to you. But first we have to end this party. Either it can go the way of Studio 54. Or the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco. The choice is yours.<br />
</span></span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-56303916608889559982011-08-11T06:05:00.000-07:002011-08-11T06:05:21.782-07:00Battle of the Budgets: Walking Dead vs. Mad Men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88hZkljko16OoRGA6InwS53zFGIL6k6A83pKl0_HsSGOLcLiiUGhefK-BZOKgrsy8vI8nJJB7EgG4ohHs30-jZ2IQoPhEqmcbAS9BmvGD9u1-1suM-JnVNyfN9hN1CqzALcuaXSya3Jg/s1600/WalkingDead_vs_MadMen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88hZkljko16OoRGA6InwS53zFGIL6k6A83pKl0_HsSGOLcLiiUGhefK-BZOKgrsy8vI8nJJB7EgG4ohHs30-jZ2IQoPhEqmcbAS9BmvGD9u1-1suM-JnVNyfN9hN1CqzALcuaXSya3Jg/s400/WalkingDead_vs_MadMen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Recently, Frank Darabont(The Shawshank Redemption) the man who brought Robert Kirkman's "Walking Dead" to AMC TV was rumored to have stepped down from the show that he heralded to the highest ratings in AMC's broadcast history for original programming. But now it has been revealed that he was fired from the show. The cause for this shake up seems to be due to Matthew Weiner's fight for "Mad Men's bigger budget. Is this leaner budget the death rattle of "Walking Dead"? Should this budge cut matter?</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFDbDqMLVWOxpPqwe2_KZAdo6cK09F6SDKD-KMu0sgWa-jl70LsmkVq94AHJ7Jxof8zjtweQCDR2nVLIIIdrpRLzQYQNDdcu31XQephHXJ4ghiWcixwBkp0PU9VawgxTvjJ_D4-7uBOo/s1600/girl-zombie-The-Walking-Dead-AMC-tv-show-image-600x322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFDbDqMLVWOxpPqwe2_KZAdo6cK09F6SDKD-KMu0sgWa-jl70LsmkVq94AHJ7Jxof8zjtweQCDR2nVLIIIdrpRLzQYQNDdcu31XQephHXJ4ghiWcixwBkp0PU9VawgxTvjJ_D4-7uBOo/s400/girl-zombie-The-Walking-Dead-AMC-tv-show-image-600x322.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">"Mad Men" has been on longer, and in my opinion is a better show. Character development, design, and overall feel, it's the successor to HBO's "The Sopranos" considered one of the best TV shows ever. I think "Mad Men" is better than "The Sopranos". Mad Men costs between $2 Million and $2.5 Million to make, and it shows up on the screen. As for "Walking Dead" it costs about the same as Mad Men to make.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Well after Matthew Weiner won his argument to get Mad Men to keep it's budget the cuts had to be made somewhere, that somewhere was both the Walking Dead and Breaking Bad(In full disclosure I watched Breaking Bad's first two seasons but hated everyone except for Walter, I wished his wife, and son would be executed Gangland style), and reportedly Walking Dead was cut by $650 Thousand Dollars, at which point Darabont wasn't going to take it any more. Well not many details have creeped out from the dispute between Darabont and AMC execs but it's clear that AMC doesn't feel that it needs Darabont to keep the show going. I tend to agree with AMC.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdWfElyt4z4L5LH-MrQviObBUPPB8B6SEKjlGIf_jr-zRJCzlbShJLF7pBP6gRJqTYxmjKat9DDhdTuVpLuSC3Ts8gxSNYXJvHu6b6qZBiHHXOoVEQVpCYJC4Iv-hDrSNe3IyeBihips/s1600/mad-men-women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdWfElyt4z4L5LH-MrQviObBUPPB8B6SEKjlGIf_jr-zRJCzlbShJLF7pBP6gRJqTYxmjKat9DDhdTuVpLuSC3Ts8gxSNYXJvHu6b6qZBiHHXOoVEQVpCYJC4Iv-hDrSNe3IyeBihips/s400/mad-men-women.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">That'd put Walking dead a little shy of $1.5 Million an episode, and I think that is more than enough to do great zombie TV. You don't need to have millions and millions of dollars for a character piece. Which is what both Walking Dead the comic book, and TV series is all about. George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" thought of as his best work(my favorite is "Day of the Dead") was made in 1978 for $500,000. In today's money that would be about $1.5 Million. See where I am coming from?</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShumwke8sIZgeEDiQr1EIuviTa2pK8jwCvbnOYAnqY7o5TMT3Fh_lezW6TqJJn40BRXJwib8Y-sEV96BLcTTz49PhvTJPEZ_0vSiAjOZGGq6rzQKkPmpOBO4kEOS5UpV0v3NDEAkQPqA/s1600/The-Walking-Dead-2-550x364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShumwke8sIZgeEDiQr1EIuviTa2pK8jwCvbnOYAnqY7o5TMT3Fh_lezW6TqJJn40BRXJwib8Y-sEV96BLcTTz49PhvTJPEZ_0vSiAjOZGGq6rzQKkPmpOBO4kEOS5UpV0v3NDEAkQPqA/s400/The-Walking-Dead-2-550x364.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">If you have a positive and truly creative force behind it, they can do a Walking Dead TV series on a leaner budget. To me it all comes down to preference. I like Mad Men more than both Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and The Killing(which I never got past the first 5 minutes of the Pilot episode). I want to see what happens to Peggy(even though the actress that play's her is a Scientologist, I don't like Scientologists), what happens to Sally Draper, what will happen to Don, a pregnant Joan and her mothering abilities, so on and so forth. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">In the end the short, and slow Season One of the Walking Dead didn't get me psyched for Season Two. Maybe if (SPOILERS)</span> <span style="color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white; color: white;">Shane was shot by Carl, or they made it to the prison I'd be more pyched, that was my favorite part of the comic.</span> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(END SPOILERS) I will probably check out Season Two Walking Dead but as of right now I look more forward to season Five of Mad Men. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Come back Don, and crew, I miss you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-25322627845594472642011-07-27T07:12:00.000-07:002011-07-27T07:12:45.068-07:00The New DCU and You!...Not Me<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ2kEqEkhBokYSwox71a6JRmryvoPwLWWjKFlg0NS-xCYFpeg4N-_S4-FHDDAHW1oOaLB9pWh2_BIg7KZ3sVlVU-LrU3gYWTsIjOI5WaTk-Ahl5zVdAAUV_EyjrJGPcXKWeVql95IAto/s1600/dcnu-new-justice-league1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ2kEqEkhBokYSwox71a6JRmryvoPwLWWjKFlg0NS-xCYFpeg4N-_S4-FHDDAHW1oOaLB9pWh2_BIg7KZ3sVlVU-LrU3gYWTsIjOI5WaTk-Ahl5zVdAAUV_EyjrJGPcXKWeVql95IAto/s400/dcnu-new-justice-league1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the attempt to reinvigorate the dying medium of monthly comics DC Comics is relaunching their entire line with new #1’s. This attempt may be too little too late, but some would say, “You gotta try something.” This isn’t checking to see if the spaghetti sticks are done by tossing them against a wall, this is a business. They need to start acting like it. <br />
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With a single issue costing as much as $3.99 for little over 20 pages of story, the time has come for a revolution at DC. DC Comics should be taking the initiative to do more Original Graphic Novels, that are a complete story under one cover. Price points, and accessibility aside considering that they look great on shelves, for those that actually want to own a story, and not just digitally rent it, as you do when you buy a comic via a online store such as Comixology. <br />
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DC has a stable of creators that are established, and up and coming, these rookies and veterans could work together to give DC Comics weekly/daily web comics that could bring in web traffic. Some stories could be serialized tales from all over the DCU, from the times of Anthro to that of DC One Million. Every character could be touched upon, the only limitations are the creators imaginations.<br />
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DC could easily get ad revenue from these “free” online comics, like any site does, particularly how Youtube has gone. But unlike videos such as a guy getting hit by a Ice Cream truck, these web comics can be collected, and sold online, or at physical stores. There by making some a profit off this free endeavor. <br />
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Now I will admit, there are probably flaws with this. I don’t know one single thing about running a comic book company, marketing, accounting, etc. But I do have a vision. I can see the writing on the wall. Prices are going up, content is much more scant, and the fans, even life long ones, are fading faster than tears in the rain. But of course this all makes too much sense for them to do, and thus they will rather take the easy way out and attempt to temporarily boost sales instead of actually changing their doctrine. Change or die people. It’s evolution. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9WzDWzWbeXaUmX9wfVlHFx1fttArSwLxcqsRf4pGPB9w4uQoaskuijFQY5Xh-Zg6x95eG0yYa2aD0g3WN2i5HmCQjQCoC92PM6wEwKWTAmae909OLemrKNi7_vCAgaS1lKlQf9rA-mY/s1600/Change+is+the+law+of%2528the+anti-%2529life%2528equation%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9WzDWzWbeXaUmX9wfVlHFx1fttArSwLxcqsRf4pGPB9w4uQoaskuijFQY5Xh-Zg6x95eG0yYa2aD0g3WN2i5HmCQjQCoC92PM6wEwKWTAmae909OLemrKNi7_vCAgaS1lKlQf9rA-mY/s400/Change+is+the+law+of%2528the+anti-%2529life%2528equation%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<strong>Note #1</strong>: <br />
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When it comes to these character redesigns that every character in the New DCU will receive, for better(haven’t seen much of this), or for worse(or in some cases eye bleedingly worse). These characters are iconic. Creators have riffed of most of these costumes for decades. These generic redesigns are just that, generic. <br />
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They are not iconic, and most of them seem unnecessarily busy. Adding lines just for the hell of it, making it overly detailed, and in the case of the entirety of the Teen Titans, just outright 90’s Image ugly. The Teen Titans scream quarter bin, and I will hate to say this but, the Liefeld Hawk and Dove book looks better than Teen Titans. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAF2GmMsrGCDI_UE0NnyngPbQ40DDq-mlh1zUcIhTevW_bES-tBtmNlEcJ2uORRrN50h2m4csejo4JdfjUKwKC3Gu1o1JF80PbsJUGB8fMxnIkhEz6k673rMF1GmH4DZhrTPCuTm3TVig/s1600/tthd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAF2GmMsrGCDI_UE0NnyngPbQ40DDq-mlh1zUcIhTevW_bES-tBtmNlEcJ2uORRrN50h2m4csejo4JdfjUKwKC3Gu1o1JF80PbsJUGB8fMxnIkhEz6k673rMF1GmH4DZhrTPCuTm3TVig/s400/tthd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<strong>Note #2</strong>: <br />
<span lang="EN"></span></span><span lang="EN">I haven’t read, nor will I read any of these 52 #1 issues when they come out. My last DC comic book will be Flashpoint #5. That’s it. Why should I be spending my hard earned money on stuff that won’t mean nothing 18 months down the road? This crap is killing my bank account, and all I have to show for it is a pile of once read comic books. Also, out of principal I will not pay the same price for a digital comic as I would pay for a physical one. No way, no how. So long DC. Wake me up when you get your act together.</span></span>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-89854926542340371842011-07-25T17:59:00.000-07:002011-07-25T17:59:03.065-07:00Universal Appeal: Silent Films<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y6XAtjF7qDJs4t_m3UWDmSYXv3sy8YEWGuu6CZ0swKWdmWdBZ7dhA4UUH_zCGM0V1mz7kUWm8v8saE0RCBoR-xRnWPgkQeAv3oAU81zx8-rVEHkhwQusx0XpJHhPfJSXFJ_sFcBq-YY/s1600/silent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y6XAtjF7qDJs4t_m3UWDmSYXv3sy8YEWGuu6CZ0swKWdmWdBZ7dhA4UUH_zCGM0V1mz7kUWm8v8saE0RCBoR-xRnWPgkQeAv3oAU81zx8-rVEHkhwQusx0XpJHhPfJSXFJ_sFcBq-YY/s320/silent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today when Hollywood churns out movies with special effects that are eye candy, and starring people that couldn't act themselves out of a Mime's Paper Bag. I look to the past to see what exactly we are missing with the dissolution of the Silent Film that was overtaken by the talkie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Silent Movie was art like anyother. Flickering pictures sometimes accompanied by a piano that was played in the theater that the movie was shown. You had to rely on the ability of the actor, and the occasional "Text Break" that would flesh out what these visual artists are emoting to enjoy the movie. There were actors that still after 100 years they have a visual presence that can touch you like no modern day actor or actress ever could. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You could take any silent film, swap out the English Text, and replace it with Russian, Spanish, French, Italian, hell, maybe even Japanese, and this international crowd could enjoy this movie no matter where it was made. We have lost this Universal Appeal. We have lost this magic, and that is a shame. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JOVRi6fG0n4oKzHCyAxQ3XfrZ_tgnyQjaOsfY-8Mi0INYHK_BksG4pIhUjKPb3gTQ0fW-n5Ft_VirAsvfL8iOJnlI9bafmKCalBywd_BUNGM9DXP9SeTEaduIjB5qK7YrZvatngAdIw/s1600/ManWhoLaughs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JOVRi6fG0n4oKzHCyAxQ3XfrZ_tgnyQjaOsfY-8Mi0INYHK_BksG4pIhUjKPb3gTQ0fW-n5Ft_VirAsvfL8iOJnlI9bafmKCalBywd_BUNGM9DXP9SeTEaduIjB5qK7YrZvatngAdIw/s320/ManWhoLaughs.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Why so serious?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-48914435288792378572011-07-25T11:30:00.000-07:002011-07-25T11:30:00.226-07:00Cold War vs. Prohibition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZISuSKBmh3ROQgiK5JgQD89_otIpkbEwzrQAHDaPQ6p_hB7ktlMwjTjiI0pHLkDhpoOB-8Fijf3n5lJNNVlkX7bbdr2zZNTogHxb72lGXsQP8lfDxqGLIFh5jneLU_1BZDn0N6s1ENA/s1600/ak+vs+tommy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZISuSKBmh3ROQgiK5JgQD89_otIpkbEwzrQAHDaPQ6p_hB7ktlMwjTjiI0pHLkDhpoOB-8Fijf3n5lJNNVlkX7bbdr2zZNTogHxb72lGXsQP8lfDxqGLIFh5jneLU_1BZDn0N6s1ENA/s320/ak+vs+tommy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I was looking at a pawn shop, and at most pawn shops there are guns. Well I went in a asked the owner how much the guns were since the lighting sucked. The American made AK-47 was $700, not bad. Semi Automatic Fire(fully auto is not legal for non-FFL holders). Thirty Round magazine, that holds the 7.62 x 39 round. Nice gun. Tough gun. But then something else caught my eye. <br />
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It was a M1A1 Thompson Sub Machine Gun. A "Tommy Gun". A "Chicago Typewriter". A mobsters best friend. Now it only had the single stick clip that holds Twenty .45 caliber rounds, and the cost of this gun was $800. <br />
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I am still torn. Nothing says cool like a Tommy Gun. But the AK is a classic. It can take a beating, and get dirty. I am lazy when it comes to cleaning guns. But hey, if I save my money like I do from not buying comics, I could have a new weapon(or two) to take to the range.larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525070523739487626.post-33559549532209935412011-07-25T10:49:00.000-07:002011-07-25T10:49:27.206-07:00Step Backwards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2j8KgRumPy4tkDsIrR7eojJCThr-A1i8J1YO_6GQEK6PN8Vsewp_9AMqnWH9Rx2Ruzd-Spi4z09242i3yIbVA8f3adYyp0qrRc0HMNg6XwSnwOpPp5GzRjatoktCDImTlbeXJ2uUjo8/s1600/kid+and+comic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2j8KgRumPy4tkDsIrR7eojJCThr-A1i8J1YO_6GQEK6PN8Vsewp_9AMqnWH9Rx2Ruzd-Spi4z09242i3yIbVA8f3adYyp0qrRc0HMNg6XwSnwOpPp5GzRjatoktCDImTlbeXJ2uUjo8/s320/kid+and+comic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A few years back I took a break from comic books after getting fed up with people at my local comic book store, now with comics costing $4 a piece and telling stories that don't hold my attention I think I shall be stepping away again. I love comics. I really do. But when it comes to this montly drek time after time, I just have to step away or risk hating it all.<br />
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On the upside I will be saving money, and not wasting it on pamphlets that I read once, and put in a plastic baggy.larrykingundeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347472106487225791noreply@blogger.com0