NB of the Week

Green Arrow #7
The best part of this new Arrow relaunch is that they are finally just making him Robin Hood. After being revealed to the world as Ollie Queen (again...?) he has been cast out for the murder of Prometheus. They love him for what he's done but have to hold him accountable for murder like anyone else and their justice was to say that he can never come back to Star City. But things kinda worked out a little. After the devastation that ripped his city apart, Green Lantern had his Blackest Night shindig and in the explosion center of Star, there is now a mysterious star shaped forest where Arrow now hides from the law. He has since met a new stranger named Galahad (claiming to be that Galahad, yes) and teasers have shown other mystery figures coming at some point to be his "Merry Men". However, a lady his dad had a fling with is now taking over Star City using the name Queen and it's sending him in all kinds of angry directions. And thus we come to this issue.
After finding this new Queen had stolen his dead mother's wedding ring, he took it back and is soon visited by his dead mother. The cover calls her the "Lady of the Forest" but she disappears by the end so who knows if she will return. But her presence was direct. Olliver Queen must stop holding his past against himself. His guilt and his anger and his Lone-Gunman approach is all from guilt that he needn't carry around. As cliche as the premise might sound, it was an amazingly written issue with a very brash message for our angry hero. Great issue and I'm real excited for what things this book will bring next.

Shhhh! Don't Tell Anyone!

For the last few months or so, I have been sleeping like shit. My neck has been stiff and hurts to turn to the right. I wake up not being able to lift my right arm higher than my chest and my right wrist hurts to try to fully bend and sometimes hurts doing nothing. So with family in town, I decided to let my hippie sister give me some acupuncture (she is actually licensed and has a degree in Eastern Herbs and Medication or something). I think it's a bunch of voodoo nonsense. Or at least I thought.
After an hour and testing and checking my aura and chi and putting ten pins in me (1 in the left hand, 3 in the right hand, 2 in each foot, 1 a bit under my right knee and 1 in my neck) she said my channels should be more open and I should start feeling better and an hour after she took them all out, I do. My neck doesn't hurt and my right wrist popped for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. I don't think it will ever cure my diabetes like she says it can but my body already feels better so I will take back most of what I have said about acupuncture. Just don't tell my family that. Cuz I still don't like hippies.

Spurs' Crowd Goes Silent

I try and follow what nba I can but mostly just have to watch Sportscenter every morning. Which is when I saw this one. JR Smith puts a real good quite over the audience...

NB of the Week

I gots two separate ones, for two separate reasons so here they are:

Moment of the Week - Ultimate Spider-Man #151
With all the hoopla that is surrounding Peter and May's house (they have living with them Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake since both the FF and the X-Men are disbanded and Gwen Stacey since her father died and that's while he was trying to juggle her and MJ and being Spider-Man....) Gwen actually bailed last issue and hasn't been seen since. Aunt May, loving and missing a girl who she has no idea where she is, drastically leaves her phone messages begging for her to come back. Which she surprisingly does. Telling May she went looking for her mother and finding out that she doesn't want her around any more, May responds with, "Well, then... she's a bitch."
Hells yeah Aunt May! You tell her how it is!

Book of the Week: Nemesis #4
After the huge success of Kick-Ass, Mark Millar and Marvel started Nemesis, a story they described has "Batman if he were Joker". Nemesis is a bad mother-villain who has a hate-on for everybody in a position of power. Dude just kills people. Kidnaps the president. Reveals extremely personal stuff of his security team's personal life to the media (gay son, pregnant under-aged daughter, the usual). Dude is just vicious. Issue four is the end of the first story and it's pretty awesome. I really want to get more into how it ends, but a movie is in the works and Tony Scott is set to direct and I would hate to ruin the surprise for whenever it actually comes out but it's good. Trust me.

Clif-Notes: The Fighter

The Fighter puts Mark Wahlber and Christian Bale in the very familiar seat of down-and-out boxer who gets the fight of a lifetime. Wahlberg plays Micky Ward who, after a streak of loses, decides it's time to leave his mother and brother and fight with his real potential. Christian Bale plays Micky's older brother, Dicky Eklund, who had his fifteen minutes years prior fighting Sugar Ray Leonard and is not a druggie and a has-been. The story was very unoriginal for me. If you've seen one boxing movie (or even just a sports movie in general) you get the same story. However, what brought this movie so high up for me was the acting. Wahlberg is a bit above his "Say hi to you're mother for me" self; good, but nothing amazing. However, Bale is quite a show and steals the movie from the main fight. Bale has shown he can be a really good method actor but this movie is his first one that showed me he is one of the top names. And once the credits begin, the real Dicky and Micky have a short clip and you can see just how dead-on Bale's portrayal actually is.
The story itself is almost forgettable but the acting throughout makes it a top notch movie. If you like yourself sports movies, see it. You even get to see Amy Adam's nipples....

Burn

As I shower the filth and and stench of movie-theater-failure off me, I was listening to the radio and on popped this song. Turns out it is Papa Roach and I will admit that I really dig it. Roach is very hit and miss with me but when they are good, I think they're really good. But here's Burn. Tell me how much you all hate how gay they look. Cuz they do.

Late NB of the Week

Uncanny X-Force #3
A few years ago, Marvel relaunched the 90's title of X-Force but with a new spin. After mutants became an endangered species again, Cyclops took it upon himself to make a black-ops team lead by Wolverine that will do whatever is necessary in order to help keep them alive, and not have it tied to the X-Men (because Wolverine is so incognito that nobody would connect him from the four teams he was on...). Once word got out that this team was indeed sanctioned by Cyclops, feelings were hurt and what have you and Cyclops decided to end it. And to his knowledge, it was. However, Wolverine liked the idea and figures that they still need this team to survive.
Thus the birth of the newer book, Uncanny X-Force. I decided to give it a shot thanks to he writer, and have been impressed every issue in. Joining Wolverine is Deadpool (cuz he has to be everywhere, though I actually do like him in this one), Fantomex, co-captain Archangel and Psylock (in an attempt to keep Angel's Horseman of Death persona from taking over completely). Their first mission? Apocalypse has been reborn and they have to kill him before it's too late. The problem? He is in the body of a child and does not fully reflect the ideas that Apocalypse is known for having. However, they believe he will at some point and who wouldn't kill Hitler as a child if they could, right?
This issue picks up with Apocalypse's newest Horsemen having "defeated" the team. We get brief histories of the four new baddies as they kinda just stand around and taunt X-Force, while Psylock and Fantomex (both have psychic abilities) slowly but surely weasel their way around their minds. After some small battles, the Horsemen take Psylock away to the lair to keep her out of range from her team, where Ozymandias (Apocalypse's right hand man) is preparing for their departure, thinking they have no reason to oblige Force in their mission. As the other members of Force finally get themselves in a position to do something, it's too late and the lair is gone. Only thing is, they have no idea that Psylock seems to have let herself get grabbed, leaving us with a last page of her entering Kid Apocalypse's room, her sword in hand.
Pretty much any book that can make Psylock a total bad-ass is awesome but writer Rick Remender has done the impossible. Has made me like three characters that I otherwise hated while making a damn good spy/espionage book. This team may just be the best X-team since Whedon was on Astonishing. I'm amazed at how great this book really is. If you wanna try a new X-book with a new flavor, grab what ya can of this one while it's still somewhat available.

Clif-Notes: Tron - Legacy

Damn awesome. Plain and simple. Legacy was a sequel that not only was able to build upon the mytho that the original started but it was also able to start it's own course, making the first one a little useless. I enjoyed almost everything about this movie. My only problem was with the 3D and it's the same problem I have with most 3D movies and that's that it was not necessary. It had great 3D parts and if you want to pay the extra for it, I would recommend it, but there was really no part that I felt made it a must for the extra dimension. Other then that, great movie. Front to back, awesome fun.
I even liked the techno beats that Daft Punk did. And I hate techno but it fit perfectly with the movie and it was a great choice (even though it may have been sort of a "no-brainer").

Enter the Ninja

As I brought up MSN just now, they had a link to what they thought were the 10 best songs of the
year and this was on there. I wish I were kidding but I am not. And it's near impossible to explain anything from this so here ya go. Die Antwoord's Enter the Ninja.
(Not gonna lie, this video kinda freaks me out)

Jersey Shore Sucks

Call it morbid curiosity of just being dumb and lazy but I just watched ten minutes of this piece of shit show and want my money back. Not only are they horrible people that should be put down for all our sakes but they are HORRIBLE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD BE PUT DOWN FOR ALL OUR SAKES!!
What I saw was one of the dudes and his lady were leaving a bar and another man and his girlfriend were heckling them. Jersey Guy's girl started lipping off to the dude and Jersey Guy, while yelling at her to shut up, pushes her away. She gets pissy and storms off crying cuz she "will never be touched like that by a man ever again!" leaving Jersey Guy to fight with the drunken heckler.
I got news for all you ladies out there: if you start shit, you had better be ready to finish shit. If you are getting me in a fight, you had better hope that all I do is push you away. For some reason women think that just because they are women, they are safe to do whatever they want to men. Bullshit. I hate violence against women, first off. There are way too many abused women who just stand and take it, for whatever reason and the men behind that should be beaten worse then these Jersey people. But if you run your mouth and are just in general a bitch, you may need to get hit. Sorry. That's just how I feel. Equality In Disrespect. That's my motto.
But I digress. Jersey Shore sucks and nobody should ever want to emulate these people in any way.

Trailer Watch - Thor

The "official" Thor trailer was released with Narnia this week and I'm pretty excited for it. I think it looks bad-ass while my luck says it will suck. The trailer is just the Con footage they showed, chopped down a bit but here it is. Sound off for or against it. I expect feelings to be hurt.

NB of the Week

The New Avengers #7
After Siege, Marvel saw a relaunch of all their Avengers books, giving us Avengers and New Avengers back along with two new book, Secret Avengers and Avengers Academy. While I think Secret Avengers has been the best overall of the lot, this issue may just be the best reading issue. After a lengthy battle with Strange's teacher Agamotto, the New Avengers are just sit around and figure shit out. And that's the whole issue. It's Bendis doing what Bendis does best and that's making conversations feel real. Whether it's an argument over if Stephen Strange will stay with the team or interviews trying to find a nanny for Jessica and Luke's baby (which went to Squirrel Girl even after Wolverine's heartfelt speech, "Ok... I'll do it."), Bendis makes this over-fabricated characters feel real with every work. Maybe the two best moments went to Spider-Man. At one point, they find out that Commander Steve Rogers and the government will be paying them for their work as Avengers (which also had a great fight between Jessica and Luke over whether they would take it or not). Spider-Man, not being handed a check, knows he's screwed once again. Without revealing his identity to the government, they have no way of writing him a check. His frustration is great. Maybe the best moment, though, comes when he finds out their new government liaison also use to be Norman Osborn's assistant when he was in charge. He refuses to be a part of a team that would have her, only to have team leader Luke Cage tell him that is Steve vouches for her, that should be good enough. When every one tends to agree with that, he is left with a feeling that we have all had:
"But you see my problem now, though, right?"
"...... What?"
"I stood up like I was going to leave full of righteous indignation and now I don't want to and to just sit back down... Feels a little embarrassing."
"Go ahead. No one was listening."
"Thank you."
Oh Spidey. Will you're adventures outside of your own, crappy book ever cease to impress me?

Clif-Notes: The Warrior's Way

I thought this movie was pretty awesome. Gonna be up-front with this. When I first saw a trailer, I was thinking that we may have another Ninja Assassin, which would be totally sweet cuz that movie may be one of the manliest movies ever. But I digress.
Warrior's Way tells the story of one clan's greatest assassin as he is on the run after refusing to kill the last member of their rival clan: a little baby. There is nothing about this movie that will make it millions upon millions at the box office or have it's name in every category for the Oscars but it's a great flick. Even Kate Bosworth was awesome. The plus of this movie was that I actually thought it was a great, very well told story. It actually reminded me of older samurai tales like Lone Wolf and Cub or even The Samurai Trilogy with Toshiro Mifune. I think the story goes right in hand with those. The Violence was pretty cool, though I expected more of it. The end battles were really awesome with a "strobe-light scene" that may even rival that from Kick-Ass.
I give this movie a great 8/10. Better than average but not quite at brilliant. Worth seeing. Twice.

S**t You Don't Know - 16

In 1994 in La Paz, Bolivia, Maria Vasquez lost her cool when customer Luis Gomez complained that he had observed her sneezing in his soup as she was serving it. The Waitress forced him to eat it at gunpoint.

To Help Explain

I made a reference to some one about Rocket Raccoon the other week and they didn't quite know who he was. I tried explaining but I think it wasn't really helping. In it, I also brought up the Guardians of the Galaxy and how he and Groot were the best of friends. So here they are. Rocket Raccoon and Groot.
(just don't pay attention to the shield. That's part of the story and it's not important to this)

Talent That's Not Mine

But I'll still bask in it. In case anyone thought my amazing skills were a fluke, here's a card my brother gave me. After doing sketch cards for the Terminator Salvation movie set, he's been doing some for Star Wars stuff. A few Clone Wars season sets and this one is from the Empire Strikes Back, 30th Anniversary set. I thought I would brag to y'all about getting it. Look his stuff up. Hayden Davis. You'll be surprised how close his talent levels are to mine.

Brain Tunes

Lord help me, I think the music that won't leave continues to get worse. I heard this song on VH1 one morning (I know. I was surprised to see that somebody still played music too) and I can't get it out. On the plus side, I actually think he has a good voice, mostly in the chorus, but at least it's not all bad. I actually think he has a weird connection in his voice like Michael Jackson had. Now, before you get mad, I'm not comparing him in the least in terms of having the power that Jackson had. But his voice is one that can hit all the pretty notes like the other crappy bubble-gum pop but I also think once that chorus hits he has a darker presence that also brings him a little above that. It's a weird thing that Jackson had and I think it's cool. But here is Bruno Mars. Proceed to make fun of me. I deserve it for this one.

NB of the Week

Daredevil #512
3/4 of the books today were involved in Shadowland somehow, with this one being the best. But since it followed the ending of Shadowland #5, I must, absolutely must recap what happened first:
-Daredevil became leader of The Hand, seeking to reform them into a force of good
-Daredevil killed Bullseye after he destroyed a city block, killing 107 innocent people
-Daredevil Builds his fortress, Shadowland, on that same city block and starts waging war on most everyone. He appears much colder and more brutal than ever.
-Turns out he has been taken over by The Beast. An ancient demon who is Lord of the Hand.
-Daredevil's friends have tried to reason with him, to stop his reign of terror, but nothing is working.
-Iron Fist is able to hit him with a chi blast, connecting him to what is left of Matt Murdock in Murdock's body
-Through fear and self doubt, Murdock truly becomes a Man Without Fear, "killing" himself in his soul.
-Murdock's body goes missing
-All his friends are left wondering what happens now
-Kingpin takes over The Hand
Sadly, this is probably the quickest and smallest recap you will ever see from me. But now into Daredevil...
For reasons nobody understands, Shadowland still stands in the middle of Hell's Kitchen. "Ninja stuff" is all anybody knows about it. As the city tries to begin repairing the damage and figure out what to do, a warrant is issued for the arrest of Matthew Michael Murdock for being the cause of it all. That is, if they can find him and if they can prove it. More over, Foggy and Becky (Murdock's law partners) part ways as she refuses to forgive Matt for this. She tells Foggy it's time to stop carrying him and start his own, solo firm. Foggy stays behind, not wanting to leave his best friend in this time of need, but not certain it would do any good if he does. Even more over, Cage and Iron Fist patrol the "unprotected" streets, looking for DD. Just when they think they have found him, it turns out it's actually Black Panther, claiming Hell's Kitchen is now his neighborhood and that they should "spread the word" (which is my least favorite part. DD Reborn is a coming mini but the book Daredevil changes to Black Panther: Man Without Fear. Because Marvel needs two books out there with a Black Panther in it, even if the other one is his sister. Bullshit.). And as everyone is left with questions wondering what will happen to to HK and Daredevil, we are left with Murdock doing his best Bill Bixby impersonation, walking down a desolate road with his knapsack over his shoulder, traveling "Down a long and lonely road, paved with good intentions."
Overall, Shadowland felt a little rushed and like some things were left out for time and spacing but through it all, the DD title tie-ins were great character stuff and this one was a great close-off to everything. I have no interest in the BP Man Without Fear crap, but am really intrigued with DD Reborn to see what kind of Hell Matt puts himself through in order to find what he will consider redemption. Great stuff and worth the read, even if it felt sloppy at points.

What Does It Mean?

I found myself listening to Disney music today and I came across some realizations that confound me. First, why are all the good songs the ones by the female characters? And why are those the ones I know the most? Sure we have Go The Distance from Hercules and I"ll Make A Man Out Of You from Mulan but that's really it. Other than that we have... what? Hakuna Matata? I Just Can't Wait To Be King? Disney is known for their princesses so I suppose I can't really be too surprised. It's just weird for me to sing lines like "who is that girl I see, staring strait back at me" and "bet ya on land, they understand that you don't reprimand their daughters. Bright young women, sick of swimming".
But the biggest problem that came to me was that I was trying to decide on whether Part Of Your World or A Whole New World was the better song. That's when things hit me. That's when I realized that there is a reason I am single and in my parents basement. I just do too many things that scare people away...

I Approve

For whatever reason, I have started watching a group of new tv shows and the latest one is Breaking Bad. I've heard some very good things about this show and Bryan Cranston has won the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama for three strait years, which is every season the show has been on.
For those that haven't heard of it, Breaking Bad follows a chemistry teacher who, after finding out he has cancer with just years to live (at most), "wakes up" to the world and decides to use his knowledge to start making meth (along with a former student of his) to help pay for all the medical bills.
I'm just one episode into it and I can already see why Bryan Cranston has gotten so much praise for it. Huge step up from the idiot, goof father from Malcolm in the Middle and it's much deserved. I can't say that this show will be amazing every step of the way, but if this episode is any indication, I'm in for a fun ride. Not the show for everyone, but I'm on board.
I Approve.

NB of the (Last) Week

Fun winter weather stranded books from last week in Nevada and thanks to Thanksgiving, that pushed them into today, while books for this week are gonna be Thursday. But at least it's a cool, double dose. But I digress.

Ultimate Avengers 3 #4
This mini of the Ultimate Avengers finds them fighting vampires. Cuz nowhere is safe from vampires. And I hate 'em. Not a fan of Vampires unless Blade is fighting 'em. Which he is in this. Along with the Avengers. So I gave it a go. Fun story but nothing much happening that makes it worth buying vampires. Until this issue at least. I was sold from the first three pages in which we see a reoccurring a dream of Blade's involving the Twilight crap.
"Stella."
"Edgar."
"I know some people might think it's odd that a hundred-year-old vampire could fall for a sixteen-year-old girl. That I'd have a century of art and literature and life experience to discuss and all you'd have to talk about is that Ugly Betty Box-Set you've been meaning to get around to. But I love hearing how unfair your dad. How nobody understands you and how those bitches at the lunch table like totally drew you a death-stare yesterday. I know that we must never make love, but..."
"Stare at me, Edgar."
"Intensely?"
"As intensely as you dare."
And Vampire Hulk punching off the head of the lead vampire and taking over and feeding his blood to Captain America was cool too.

Brain Tunes

Don't even ask. I don't know why it popped into my head and I don't know why it won't leave. All I do know is that I was trying to "sing" it all night at work yesterday.

S**t You Don't Know - 15

The novelist Sir Walter Scott liked to break the ice at parties by introducing dinner guests to his novelty salt shaker, which was made from the fourth cervical vertebra of Charles I. The relic had been stolen by a surgeon during an autopsy on the royal corpse when Charles's long lost coffin was rediscovered at Windsor Castle in 1813. Scott kept it on the dinning table for thirty years until Queen Victoria got to hear about it. She was distinctly unamused and ordered that it be returned to St. George's chapel.

Parallax?

If you have read anything about the Green Lantern movie, there is a full synopsis out that says the main baddie is Parallax trying to "enslave" humanity. Well, a picture was "leaked" recently and has since been removed but here it is. I actually think it looks quite creepy and like it. Better lookie-loo before WB threatens to sue me for putting it up.

Clif-Notes: Unstoppable

I freely start out this post by saying how wrong I was about this movie. I didn't think it necessarily looked bad, just that it seemed like it would make for a boring two hours. I was wrong. This movie was pretty awesome. And for having nothing but a speeding train as your antagonist, it was pretty intense. I went with my mother and she said afterward that her jaw was hurting from all the clenching she was doing. Denzel Washington is hit and miss with me (love Man on Fire, hate Book of Eli) but this one was a definite hit. I would absolutely recommend this one. I'll even combine my two reviews and also give it my coveted Seal of Approval. So when it comes to Unstoppable:
I Approve.
(and on a side note, if you ever come into a movie a little late and there are only two people in the entire theater, don't side directly in front of them. It will probably piss them off and it will make you look like an asshole.)

Retraction

After not being able to get that Pornstar song outta my head, I got me a copy of the cd and gave it a whirl. I would now like to retract most things good that I said about this band. They had two songs that I liked. Just two. All the other ones were pu*sy pop-rock songs. Just like Nickleback. I should have seen this coming but I was just blinded by the one, awesome some. About pornstar dancing. Damn you pornstars! If not for you, I would have had not interest in this band to begin with!

Brain Tunes

I heard this song one the radio the other day (one of the few times I actually had the radio on) and this song came on. I actually really dig it and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I had no idea this is what they look like and I'm kinda glad cuz I would have never listened to this if I would have seen 'em first.
Anyway, here's Pornstar Dancing.
(and yes, that is Chad Kroeger of Nickleback in there. You apparently get to guest vocal when you "discover" the band...)

Clif-Notes: The Deathly Hallows part 1

I was able to watch the new Harry Potter last night and I actually want to read the book now so that I don't have to wait for the next movie. I didn't start out a Potter fan but each movie has made me like it more (even though they tend to be a little long) and this one definitely keeps that going. Much darker then the other ones and, surprisingly, the acting seems to get a little better too. There were some cool moments that probably would have looked good in 3D but being conversion, that's all speculation for meow. Not having read the book, I can't say things were "accurately portrayed" but I liked the cliffhanger ending and I liked what they did in this first part. My only real complaint is that it felt like this poster had it right and they mostly just ran around in forests but even that was well done.
Probably the best Potter film of the bunch, it's absolutely worth seeing. Not that everyone but Adam isn't already going to, but it's worth it.

NB of the Week

Green Lantern #59 (If Ken is reading this, stop. I spoil the issue)
It was a semi-emotional week in my comics and before Lantern, I thought I was gonna have to act all human with them. And Calling one of those moments my NB was gonna be weird.
First, in Superman #705, we have part four of Grounded which has Superman walking across the country in an attempt to reconnect with with humanity. In this issue, a little boy hears that Supes is heading their way in Chicago and hopes that he can help him and his mother with his abusive father. As the boy is thrown down the stairs after he tried to help his mother, he lays at the bottom with a final cry for help from Superman. After taking the father to the cops, he hands the little boy a phone number and says to call it every day for as long as he needs and if there's ever a day he doesn't hear from him, "There will be consequences." Pretty good issue and there's always a soft spot for kids in trouble in me, even though I like to force 'em to make my cloths.
Next, In Superior #2 (remember, it's pretty much the movie Big but with him getting super powers), Ollie and his best friend Jonah learn just what powers he not has and how far they can be stretched. Pretty awesome issue with a great couple of pages where he tries out his strength. He is trying to pull a bunch of train cars and when he doesn't think he can, we see all these flashes of the hardships he has had with MS and how hard life has been and yet how he has worked to overcome them, showing that he was strong before this and he will be strong after it too. It sounds cheesy when I say this aloud but it was a very well handled connection and one of the few "emotional" writings Mark Millar (to my knowledge) has done.
But onto the real NB. Flash confronts Hal about his teaming with Sinestro and Atrocitis as they are both murderers Hal tries to convince him of the greater good it has to be for but Barry isn't having any of it. As they argue, the Indigo Tribe arrives with both Black Hand (now one of their members) and the new host for their entity Proselyte. As Jordan argues that they have just brainwashed Black Hand, everyone is on edge and ready to fight when the "Mystery Midget" shows up with Parallax and it bonds with Barry Allen! Last page is a sweet Flash/Parallax shot. Even though we know this isn't going to last long, it was still pretty bad-ass. I love what Johns has done with the Lantern mytho and his great stories just keep coming every month. Easily one of the best books month in and month out.
(and on a little note, that is the variant cover to the issue so don't go looking for it cuz you won't find it around here)

In Brightest Day...

Here we have it. I actually still have my reservations about this movie, but I think this trailer makes it look much better then the pre-preview. Here ya go. Talk amongst.

Brain Tunes

I have had a song stuck in my head for the past couple of days and I can't get it out. I love the song but I haven't listened to it since the new All That Remains came out so I'm not sure why it popped in there. Here it is. Tell me I'm crazy.

A Pre-Preview Is Still A Preview

Apparently ET is showing a first look of Lantern footage on Tuesday and this is the commercial for that preview. But it's still pretty cool. Some of the CG looks shite but overall it still gets my NB moving...
(and just so we all know, the first trailer is suppose to be this week, in front of Harry Potter)

I Own Too Much S**t

Yes, I admit it. I own too much shit. I have shit in every corner. Shit to the left. Shit to the Right. Shit in the closet. Shit under the bed. Shit against the wall. Shit out in the middle of nowhere. I really don't even know where to begin in cleaning up after all this shit. Do I throw the shit away? Do I try to give the shit away? And what shit do I start with? All the little shit toys I've bought over the years? I have a shit ton of statues and mini busts that are just in a box. Or all the shitty sports and gaming and trading cards I've gathered over the years? Shitty video games I don't play anymore. Shit books that I may or may not have read (cuz my shit memory doesn't always remember). I gots me every kinda shit in almost every shitty way possible. Please let me know if you want to buy any of my shit off of me.... Shit.

The Comeback Kids

NBA season is a few weeks underway and I try my best to follow what I can. As a native to and relatives living in Utah, I (along with most everyone around here) follow the Jazz. Much as he's become an over-hyped cry-baby, losing Carlos Boozer seemed like a blow. They have no "big man" to compete with the likes of Pau Gasol (Lakers), Dwight Howard (Magic) or Garnett & O'Neil (Celtics) even with Boozer but without him, it's even worse, especially since the biggest guy they have is one of their better 3-point shooters and currently injured. The addition of Al Jefferson is still in the air as to if he will help or not but it's early.
Which brings me to why I'm actually writing about this. It may be early on, but the Jazz easily have the title of Comeback Kids. Currently second in their division, they sit with a record of 5-3, winning the last three. Which also set a new record. This is the first time in NBA history, since the shot clock, that a team has won three strait games where they trailed by at least 18 points! Against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, they scored 14 points in the final 28 seconds to send it into overtime where they won by 2! Not to mention their main center, Paul Milsap, scoring a career high 46 points, including 3 for 3 from behind the arc, 11 of those final 14 points and the game tying basket at the buzzer! A feat like this should not happen, let alone three times in a row but I think it really shows what kind of scrapers they really are and great of a team they can be. At least until they choke in the playoffs again.
But it should be a fun journey until that time.

NB of the Week

SPOILERS AHEAD. IF ANYBODY CARES...
Thanos Imperative #6
As stated on Monday, I was very much looking forward to this issue. I was expecting some big changes and some big surprises with how they were going to end it all but I never expected to be so sad. As nerdy as it is and as much as you can make fun of me for it, let me explain and talk about the issue.
As Thanos turned traitor on our Guardians and gave himself to Mar-Vell and the Cancerverse, the issue begins with Mar-Vell "killing" the Avatar of Death. As this happens, Nova finally arrives to the Cancerverse, freeing the others from the The Many-Angled Ones, who don't seem to care because once Thanos is dead, it won't matter. Only Mar-Vell didn't fully plan ahead. In "killing" Thanos, he has brought forth the regular universe's Death to the Cancerverse, where there is no Death. And with that, The Many-Angled Ones, Cancerverse Mar-Vell and his Revengers are destroyed, facing the death they should have met long ago. Along with their destruction, the Fault (the opening between the universes) begins to collapse in on itself. Back in the Cancerverse, as our heroes ready to teleport out, Thanos begins begging for his Mistress Death to kill him so that they can be together once more. And she just turns her back on him and leaves. Outraged, Thanos blames Star-Lord and vows to destroy everything and everyone until Death comes for him again. As a final stand against him and to keep him from leaving the Cancerverse, Nova and Star-Lord stay behind, much to the shock and disbelief of the other Guardians. We are left with them charging into another battle and these final words:
Nova: I remember you said to me once, you said "If death ever comes your way and won't let you pass, make sure you scream right back in his face."
Star-Lord: I said that?
Nova: You did.
Star-Lord: Rich, you really shouldn't trust anything I say. Most of the time, I just make stuff up."
Nova: I know. Let's just scream in his face anyway.
And with that, two of Marvel's coolest characters sacrificed themselves to keep Thanos from coming back. One of my favorite moments from this year out of any comics.
I know you guys won't really get it as much as I do, but that's because I've been following all these characters from the start. They became some of the best characters Marvel had out and some of the most humanized too. These two were the leaders of it all from Jump Street and it's very fitting, albeit very sad that they are the ones to go out fighting. I very much hope that Marvel can find a smart way to eventually bring them back but I say let them stay out for a while until Abnett and Lanning can find that way.
(and yes, in another two and a half hours, I will need to call my doctor)

Judge Ross? More Like Judge Bulls**t!

As I'm helping around the house (believe it or not), the tv was on and a court show I don't watch came on: America's Court with Judge Ross. I have no problem letting it play in the background but then the case takes a weird turn and made me pay more attention. A lady was suing another lady for running over her foot. That by itself is no big deal but the suing lady and her husband are also looking for compensation because he has a foot fetish and part of the reason he fell in love with her was that she could ball her foot up into a "fist" which is not impossible and he is unable to be easily aroused now.... And the judge gave them money for that! Dude isn't turned on by his wife's foot anymore and they get money for it. I call bullshit. Complete bullshit. His wife was hot (except for maybe a kinda bitchy looking face) and he can't get it to stand up for her because her foot is swollen and messed up. This court show is crap and I don't plan on coming back to it.

Massive NB Warning

As I sat around and fondled the internet with my knob and roller, I decided to gander at what comics are suppose to be out Wednesday and I was very pleased to see that Thanos Imperative #6 should be coming. This is the big finale to writers Abnett and Lanning's amazing cosmic run spanning over four years and more than 110 issues total! As sad as I am to see who dies and how it all comes to an end, I am also super stoked to see what happens. These writers (with the help of a few others over the years, including the great start to everything by Keith Giffen) have made me love characters that five years ago were considered shitty and detrimental to any book they were in. By far,these have been one of Marvel's top two or three series' over the years and it's a shame sales never picked up enough to keep them going.
Good bye Annihilation. Good bye Nova. Good bye Guardians of the Galaxy. Good bye Thanos Imperative. Hello Massive NB that shall follow you all for many, many hours. I may have to contact my physician.

Congratulations!

A big congratulations goes out to Aaron and wife Kim who welcomed their second daughter into the land of living yesterday morning. Olivia Jade Lee was born around 11:30, weighing 8 lbs even and 20 inches long (I do believe). I wish 'em the best with this new one and hope she turns out as good as their first one has. So far.

Spidey Updates

So some more news has been out there regarding the new, rebooted Spider-Man movie. Looks like joining Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone will be Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May. I wouldn't say they were my first picks but they could be pretty good. All-in-all, I think this movie is shaping up to have quite some potential and I'm getting a little more excited for it as the time keeps passing.
Also revealed is that there will not be a Mary Jane. Reports are saying that she's not even in the script, which is why Stone is Gwen Stacy and no MJ has been cast. I actually think I like this. If they're going reboot, start with how it should be. Give Gwen her proper due.
Or maybe they just realized that Kirsten Dunst was was too amazing and nobody could ever match her.....

I Approve

As I started watching Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam, I was first and foremost surprised that it's only 23 minutes long. As I came looked it up, it turns out that this dvd release contains this new animated feature and the three previously released bonus features of The Spectre, Jonah Hex and Green Arrow which were available on the two-disc versions of the last three DC Direct animated releases. As much as it makes sense to me, it certainly feels like a rip-off to buy this dvd. Which I did not.
But back to the main "movie". I actually really liked it. It was mostly a Captain Marvel story and his origin with Billy Batson, but ya pretty much have to throw in Superman to make people notice. The animation was awesome with some really cool fighting and the story pretty to the point for the time allotted.
I haven't been a fan of the Superman duo releases DC has done, but I really liked this one. I say you should give it a shot and watch it.
I approve.

Clif-Notes: Due Date

About half way through watching Due Date I couldn't help but feel like this was all too familiar. Like I had already watched it. But that's how a lot of movies feel now-a-days. Not a whole lot of creativity going around but I can live with that as long as it's well done.
Due Date was well done but not amazing. By the end, I felt that I had seen most of the funny parts in the trailers and that I had hyped it up way too much in my mind. I was super excited to see what I was being told was one of the funniest movies of the year and I really only got a funny movie. I definitely laughed and it's definitely worth watching but it's not going to be the greatest thing that
Planes, Trains & Automobiles! That's what this movie is! Suddenly an image of Steve Martin and John Candy popped into my mind as the movie was drawing to a close. This was essentially a remake of PT&A. Still good and still worth seeing but John Hughes make it first.

S**t You Don't Know - 14

A man hid in a cave in Ohio for two days in 1999 to avoid a meteor. Sheriff's deputies found Lloyd Albright with his tent, a huge supply of dried food and sixteen guns. "He very sincerely thought that a meteor was going to hit the Atlantic and cause a tidal wave 200 ft. high," explained a police spokesman. Albright worked as a computer programmer at the Kennedy Space Center.

NB of the Week

Chaos War #3
Thanks to Amadeus Cho, Hercules has returned from the dead, more powerful then ever before and he comes with a message: The Chaos King is coming and he will destroy all of reality! Hercules gathers every hero he can to stop him, giving out a piece of his godpower to all so they may stand a chance. What he didn't count on though, was Mikaboshi (the Chaos King) having an army of fallen gods under his control, including Herc's brother Ares and father Zeus. It is with Zeus, though, that the NB first takes place (yes, there were multiple NBs this issue). As Zeus stands before the mighty Hercules, lightning bolt in hand, he says:
"Do not weep, my son. You have done all you could."
"You don't understand, father. I weep for what I have yet to do."
And with that, Hercules unleashed power Zeus never even saw coming. Not only freeing him from the control of Mikaboshi, Hercules also killed his father, as Zeus knew one of his children would do eventually, as he did his father. With his dying words, Zeus tells Hercules that he will need "every all-father of Earth" in order to defeat the Chaos King. Enraged, Hercules uses his new godpower to reveal the all-father's location only to find that Mikaboshi used him and Zeus for this very purpose. With access to them all, he can open to portals to all realms, thus destroying all of reality. And as if things didn't look bleak enough, we find out that the one who killed Hercules to begin with, is also helping Mikaboshi: Hercules' own sister, Athena!
This book is great. Over the last few years, Hercules has gone from Avenger c-lister to a force to be reckoned with in the Marvel Universe. This character and his books deserve much more recognition then what they've been getting and you can count me on board for whatever they plan on doing with him after this mini is over.

S**t You Don't Know - 13

King Edward VII owned a golf bag made from an elephant's penis. It was a birthday present given to him by the Indian Maharaja who had heard of the king's fondness for golf, big game hunting and adultery, but not necessarily in that order.

I Approve

AMC premiered The Walking Dead tonight after a long wait and a lot of talk. As a big fan of the comic, I think it's safe to say that most of us readers were extremely excited to see how it turns out. However, I was also very concerned. Once you start reading the comics, you quickly see that it's not a typical zombie story. This story is about the people still alive. About how to deal with the world you're in now that everything you had has been taken. As the back of the trades says "In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living". My fear was that a television show would glamorize the look of the zombies more then anything.
And that fear was proven wrong.
This show was great. As a fan of the comics, I may be a bit biased but I don't care. It was fantastic. They nailed the feeling of the book even thought they stray from it a bit (they are going to follow the main plots but the journeys to and from will differ). I was quite liking it to start with but there was one scene that solidified it for me.
After waking up from a coma after being shot, Sheriff Rick Grimes stumbles into a world filled with the living dead. The first actual people he comes across are Morgan Jones and his son Duane. In the comic, that's about where it stops. They fill him in on what they can, he gives them some guns and ammunition from the station and they all go their own way. In the show, they bond a little more. Morgan has lost his wife to the "sickness" and she comes back to their house every now-and-then. As they part ways, we follow both as they try to be at their most human. Rick goes back to the park where he had earlier seen the top half of a zombie crawling along. He tracks her down, says "I'm sorry this happened to you" and shots her in the head, tears in his eyes. Morgan takes a gun and rustles the zombies outside, trying to get his wife out so that he can put her out of her misery. Unlike Rick though, he still only sees the face of his wife and can't do it. Switching between these two scenes really nailed it. That the writers know it's about the people desperately wanting to stay human in this world. Nailed and nailed.
If you missed the premiere, you missed out on some great stuff. Get online and watch it. I think AMC.com will have it up at some point soon but watch it somehow, somewhere.
I give this show a big thumbs up. Absolutely, I approve.

Clif-Notes: Saw 3D

SPOILER ALERT - THAR BE SECRETS REVEALED WITHIN THESE WORDS

I freely admit that I love the Saw movies even though everything after the first one lacked any sort of original idea for their stories and characters. The first one took an old idea and presented it in a new way and it is easily the best of the series and, I think, arguably one of the the better "horror" movies to date. 2-6, however, just became a gore fest. From "horror" to "slasher" for me. But I still love 'em for that because I still think it's fun.
Saw 3D was mostly a cliche of it's own movies. This time around, the man (Bobby, played by Sean Patrick Flanery) put into the games is done so because he has made fame and fortune off of telling his story of surviving Jigsaw. The real problem with this? Bobby has never actually been part of Jigsaw's games. So he sets out to try and rescue the people who are parts of this lie in the ultimate goal of saving his wife, who doesn't know it's a lie. His game is plenty bloody and plenty gory and it was all fun to see in 3D (though definitely not needed in 3D).
Meanwhile, Detective Hoffman is still Jigsaw's only apprentice left and he is still desecrating the "true mean" of what Jigsaw started. Jigsaw's now widow has told the cops about Hoffman and he is set to take her out. Both of these stories playing out simultaneously throughout the movie.
As much as I love me some gross gore, this movie was pretty much that and I found it to be a very unnecessary movie. Until the end. The 7th and "final" Saw actually surprised me at the end almost as much as the first one did. And here is the spoiler that tells why. Turns out Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) from the first one didn't die after he crawled out of that bathroom. Jigsaw took him as another apprentice! He has been the one in all these movies who has been planting keys inside people's eyes or sewing shut their mouths. He has been the doctor helping with it this whole time! Sadly, Detective Hoffman does kill Jigsaw's wife, Jill, but as a final instruction, Gordon was told to get rid of him if anything were to happen to her. And since Jigsaw kept Gordon a secret from the others, Hoffman had no idea some one was waiting for him. Gordon locks him up in that same bathroom from the first movie, with no way of getting out and thus ends the movie.
That ending saved it for me. I absolutely did not see Gordon coming back and this was even after I knew his character was in this movie! And it fit perfectly and made sense! I will give the credit where the credit is due. The writers of these movies have made great torture devices but, other than the first one, not real creative on the stories but this one helps redeem that a bit. I was totally thrown off guard and for that, Saw 3D gets my approval.

Kinda Weird

I saw an article on this and it's a little weird. It's from the 1928 Charlie Chaplan movie, Circus. The person does seem to holding something up to their ear. Maybe a radio? Or maybe a time-travelling cell-phone....

NB of the Week

Captain America #611
Just as Bucky starts to live with be Captain America while having Steve back, all Hell breaks lose. As always, Baron Zemo is a schmuck and wants to ruin Cap. After trying to do it physically to him, he decides its time to kill his character and Zemo releases evidence to all of Cap's history as the Winter Soldier and the murders he committed. As Steve tries his best to convince the government that he was under mind-control and it wasn't his fault, Cap does what Cap does and goes out to fight the bad guys. And what better bad guys then a group of neo-nazis? As he jumps through the skylight of a warehouse filled with banners and skinheads, his inner-monologue says it all:
"Steve says I can't let the media #@$%-storm get in the way of doing my job -- and maybe he's right. But in my heart I know I'm just trying to accomplish some good while I still have the job.
But there's one other thing I know...
Taking out guys wearing swastikas never gets old."
Hells yeah! In the end, Cap turns himself over, knowing it's the right think to do but when the morale is down and The Dream is in question, nothing kicks more ass then Captain America kicking Nazi ass!

I've Been Found Guilty

Of finally starting to feel old. Any of you who talk to me know that I may be one of the biggest kids you will find but the age factor is starting to set in. I was watching Judge Judy today (as I try to do every day when I can) and at the end, when they show all the quick sponsor commercials before the credits, they show one for a recalled hip-replacement law-suit and another for hemorrhoid cream..... Really? These are the sponsors of a show I watch and love? Balls. Kinda brings a brotha down, Knaw'mean?
If only I knew people who were older than me to make me feel young again.....

S**t You Don't Know - 12

In 1989 Walter Scott Knieriemen admitted breaking into a woman's home in Wheeling, Vancouver, but was acquitted of burglary charges after a jury found that he acted without illegal intent. A psychiatrist testified that Knieriemen suffered from a sexual dysfunction that compelled him to follow a pair of leather gloves he had recently seen the woman wear

NB of the Week

Daredevil #511
This one may be a bit tricky to see why it was cool but I'll see what I can do
A bit ago, in order to stop the Kingpin from becoming The Hand's new leader, Matt Murdock accepted the role, thinking that with the right leadership, The Hand could become an agent of good. Slowly, Murdock started to become a little darker. Eventually he put a Dojo on top a building, declaring it the Shadowland. Hand ninjas roamed the streets, taking down any kind of crime people were committing, causing most people to fear DD and the streets. As DD became darker and darker, he actually killed Bullseye, sending that panic through the hero-community as well. Turns out DD has been possessed by an ancient spirit and it is coming to rule The Hand again.
As the heroes fight for Murdock's soul in Shadowland, people start rioting in the streets, taking back what they feel it and DD have stolen: Hell's Kitchen. As Murdock and Nelson's business partner, Dakota North, tries to make her way through one of the many "gatherings", a fist flies across her face, knocking her to the ground. Pushing herself up, her head turns to say one thing, "Right" and you know she's ready to throw down too. Which she does. By then beating the snot outta the man who hit her and his friend who tries to join in. To every one's awe, she then just walks away through the crowd who can only stare in disbelief.
It was a quick and small scene, but the art on it was probably the best part. There was literally only seven boxes of art and it was great story-telling. The look on her face as she picks it up was the best. Good for Dakota. It's about time some of these "normals" started acting like they gave a damn and that's why she has earned my coveted NB Of The Week.

I Approve

Ladies and Germs, we have the Lantern! It seems to really fit the overall Lantern design (meaning the costume) and I for one like the sleek look and alien appearance and am excited to see how this movie turns out. I approve.

Is It Racist That I Still Find This Racist?

I saw a news clip about how much praise this video is getting. Apparently the story is that the head writer at Sesame Street has an adopted, black child and after she complained about not having the cliched "strait, blond" hair type, he wanted to make her feel better and wrote this song.
My problem with this (as it is with a lot of things like this) is that if a white puppet was singing about how they loved having their strait, blond hair, people would be in an uproar about how racist it is. I don't get it.
I'm not saying it doesn't have a positive message. I like that it's teaching kids to love themselves for who they are. I just think it's funny that being aimed at black kids isn't racist when if it were aimed at white kids, it would be. But whatever, right? Watch it and judge it for yourselves.

Comic Book ReCap

Ultimate X-Men vol. 9 & 10
Vol. 9 - The Tempest
As The Tempest begins, we join the X-Men as they find out a killer mas been murdering young mutants. They find this out from Northstar (in his Ultimate Debut) as he lays in a comma after the murder's bullet missed his heart thanks to his super speed and reflexes (though, it sounds like they're not quite fast enough). Marvel Girl is able to pull an image from his mind and after a little research at tattoo parlor, they find out the man is named Nathaniel Essex and he calls himself Sinister. As we see Sinister, we find that he is working for Lord Apocalypse as he needs ten "sacrifices" in order to return and claim his rule. Xavier thinks it's best to send out the older class of X-Men, leaving the "rookies"(Iceman, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Angel and Shadowcat) behind at the school with him. We are in for a surprise, though. As Wolverine and Storm raid Sinister's apartment, they find a dummy dressed in a crazy Apocalypse outfit, suggesting Sinister is a crazy fool. They also find his clippings showing that he is heading to the school, looking for Xavier. It then falls squarely on the shoulders of the "rookies" to stop him. And guess what. They do. Yay! However, once taken into captivity, Sinister is visited by the real Apocalypse, showing he may not be as crazy as we thought. And Storm went all punk as a way of trying to deal with the death of Beast.

It's almost immediately apparent right off the bat how different Brian K Vaughn's writing is from that of Bendis or Millar. As big and flashy and good as they were, Vaughn has a knack for writing characters more than action and it shows. He makes you feel for these characters more than we have so far and that's a great thing to have.

Vol. 10 - Cry Wolf
During some much needed R&R, the X-Men are attacked while at the fair by none other that Mr. Gambit himself. Turns out he's here to "steal" Rogue. As they did with Gambit, turns out the Van Strucker siblings (the weird brother and sister team that need to be in skin contact with each other to make their blast powers work...) want Rogue to work for them and their company, helping mutants. The main reason she should join? They have a suit that stops controls her powers, making it possible for her to experience human touch. Which she does with Gambit. After they reveal she will die if she doesn't join, Gambit turns on them because "this wasn't what he signed on for". He and Rogue take out the Weirdo Siblings and run into Wolverine who is there to rescue Rogue along with the rest of the X-Men. After a smack-down with Gambit, Rogue steps in to stop him, claiming to the team that she is leaving them and going with Gambit because he can offer her more than they can...

Remember when I was telling you how much I loved the first story Gambit was in? Well, this is the reason I quickly came to hate him again. He lost all the new charm and heart that Chuck Austen gave him at the start and became the "I want to love Rogue" crap he is everywhere else. As well written as this story still was, easily my least favorite so far. I'm just glad Gambit dies the next time we see him...

Next Up: Vaughn teams with Stuart Immonen for The Most Dangerous Game

Comic Book Recap

Ultimate X-Men vol. 8 - New Mutants
First, I need to say I find it a little depressing how much free time I have had these last few days and how I almost wish I wasn't using it to read comics instead of something important. I mean, are any of you really reading these? I suppose most people tune me out when I talk so blogging shouldn't really be much different. But I at least get to get crap off my mind so you will take. You will take it and you will like it.

New Mutants begins with exactly what you think it would. The first issue brings in Warren Worthington aka Angel and all the religious fanatics that you would think follow that as a real angel. Not much happened though. Second issue, however, brings on a young mutant whose powers manifested over night. Unfortunately his power is to radiate lethal poison. He wakes to find his mother dead and as soon as he gets to school, all his classmates die too. A bit later, Wolverine finds him in a cave and does what he does best and what the kid asks him to do: he kills him. Which also leads into the bigger story. Members of the administration think the presidents new, pro-mutant stance is because Xavier is in his mind, which is also why they sent the mercenaries after Wolverine in the last story. To keep with his pro-stance but to separate him from Xavier, they put together their own mutant team who try to advocate tolerance and not violence towards humans and mutants. The team, led by former Xavier student and lover Emma Frost, consists of X-Men defunct Beast, rock star Dazzler, mind possessing Karma and Cyclops' own brother Havok. Fury and the X-Men know this is all a stage, though, for those "none believers" in the White House to force a divide. As Miss Frost addresses the public with the president, sentinels attack, leaving her and her untrained team like deer in the headlights. Thankfully the X-Men are there to stop the attack, but not without casualty. Beast is caught under the rubble and killed. Fury (now with proof) arrests the party responsible and Emma, Dazzler and Havok join the X-Men.

Bendis really ended his run well. As much as the first story felt strung-out and almost pointless, you really see the big picture he was getting us to by the end. A fantastic read. And Finch's art was amazing. It's a shame this guy only got twelve issues to strut his stuff cuz he's great. Though I have no plans to buy it, I really look forward to seeing his art on the new Batman book, The Dark Knight.

Next Up: Y: The Last Man writer Brian K. Vaughn takes over writing in The Tempest

S**t You Don't Know - 11

Dr. Paul Erdos was one of the most gifted mathematicians of all time with more than 1500 published papers to his credit.Erdos was born to a Hungarian-Jewish family in 1913. He founded the field of discrete mathematics, the basis of computer science. He lived as a homeless derelict, shunning material possessions because "property is nuisance" and traveling from lecture to lecture with a tatty suitcase containing all his meagre belongings. He had no interest in anything but numbers. He died aged 83 while attending a maths lecture in Warsaw. Erdos was repulse by human contact, even the accidental touch of another person and was appalled by the idea of sexual intercourse.

Comic Book ReCap

Ultimate X-Men vol. 7 - Blockbuster

I couldn't sleep last night so at about 2 in the morning I pulled out the next story and gave it a whirl. The Best thing about this comic is also probably it's biggest flaw.

Blockbuster sees Wolverine on the run from some sort of mercenary team who are trying to kill him. Along with Bendis coming over for the writing, so does his biggest name of Ultimate Spider-Man come over for a team-up. And Daredevil. Cuz wolverine isn't smart or tough enough to do it himself apparently. Through much running, stabbing, swinging, shooting and more running, turns out some government higher-up didn't like the fact that Wolverine was able to end the Weapon X program so they sent a team in to get revenge and kill him.... That's pretty mush all that happened. And the chick in charge kills herself before he can get any answers. And Jean Totally Phoenix-es out on some military dudes, killing 'em.

I love me some Brian Michael Bendis. Yes he gets wordy and does a lot of dialogue. But the best part of his writing is his dialogue. The man has a knack for writing it almost exactly how it would be said in real life. His dialogue is crisp and fluid and it makes it very easy to read. Which is the bad part. I read six issues of talking and guns going off and it really went nowhere. It didn't have enough story in to make a great six issues and it should have been maybe three. That was my main and pretty much only problem. David Finch's art was amazing as always. Bendis' writing was amazing as always. Just not much actual story. A really good filler that could go pretty much anywhere in the title's continuity

Next Up: more Bendis and Finch in New Mutants

(And yes, you are seeing correctly. Wolverine has been on all seven trade covers so far. That's what happens when you make as much money as he does)

Comic Book ReCap

Ultimate X-Men vol. 6 - Return of the King

Thanks to the involvement of the Ultimates, the X-Men are are the run and hunted by the government. Treatment on par with that of The Brotherhood, how has been growing. Magneto back in charge, they have been recruiting every mutant possible as he prepares to make the human race suffer. As the old story goes, though, the X-Men try to stop them at every chance while using it as a chance to maybe convince people that they are indeed separate from the Brotherhood. We find out that back in the Savage Land, as Cyclops was falling off a cliff, Wolverine did in fact let him go, trying to rid the competition for Jean Grey. Cyclops was then found by Magneto's men and brought to his asteroid base where he was able to stop his world-destroying plan long enough to signal the X-Men, thus they could save the day. Even as his "plan-b" of setting off a nuclear plant in Miami is under-way, Magneto finds that Jean, tapping into the Phoenix Force, just lifted the ground up and saved the day with all the other mutants Xavier helped "escape" from government holding. By end, Magneto is taken captive by SHIELD, placed into a plastic holding cell like the movie. Rogue and Nightcrawler join the X-Men. Cyclops is able to forgive Wolverine as he does not want them to turn into Xavier and Magneto. And the X-Men are now being funded by SHIELD, leaving Nick Fury to think they are more in control. Oh, and the homosexual innuendos from Colossus are much easier to spot now that I have the foresight to see they make him gay. Totally there the whole time. He even tries to profess his love for Wolverine to him when he thinks they are going to die.

This was a pretty awesome ending to a great run by Mark Millar. As easy as the story was to predict, it was awesome and almost everyone had some sort of a bad-ass moment. As much as I would have preferred more change in the "mutant dynamic" from the launch of a new universe, I am still happy with what Millar has done. It's really just a modern re-telling of old X-Men stories and opposed to making new ones which is the best way to think of it. I for one did not go in with that thought the first time around and it's much more coherent this time. I would definitely recommend reading this book so far, especially if you don't want to try the fifty years of continuity in the real book.

Up Next: New writer Brian Michael Bendis and new artist David Finch take over in Blockbuster

Driving Sucks

And ya wanna know why? Because everyone feels some sort of entitlement to the road now. I don't mean angry people. I am way ahead on that list and yell at other drivers a lot and you should too. I'm talking about the people who can't be bothered to let other people drive on "their road". The people who will ride your ass because you're not fast enough for them even though you're already speeding. I'm talking about the people who speed up on someone because they had the audacity to pull into your lane, no matter how much room there was. I'm talking about the teenagers who speed down neighborhood streets where kids live cuz it's "cool to go fast" or the people who are more fixed on their phone conversation then they are to following the laws. And I say fuck those people.
I know we are all guilty of it at times and I sadly don't think it will ever stop, but come to terms with other people being around you. Realize that 99% of the time, where you are going in such a rush isn't actually more important than the lives of those around you. There is no need to try and squeeze between cars to try and zoom ahead and be one or two cars spaces sooner. That's literally a ten second difference at most then if you would have just waited.
People are stupid. Myself included. But I at least know I do stupid things which puts me miles ahead of all the other retards out there.

Comic Book ReCap

Ultimate X-Men vol. 5 - Ultimate War 1-4
After the ending of Hellfire and Brimstone, things only get worse for the X-Men. As a "prelude" to the next storyline, Ultimate War has The Ultimates going after the X-Men for the crime of terrorism. After finding out that Magneto is not dead, not only does the government consider Xavier and his X-Men collaborators with the Brotherhood but they have Intel that also says they have went into hiding (and only the guilty go hiding, right?). In the last story, Wolverine, Cyclops and a stowaway Kitty Pryde went to the Savage Land looking for the Brotherhood only to be "blown up" and us left with a cliffhanger. This mini brought Wolverine and Kitty back, but they claim Mr. Summers has killed in the blast and they couldn't find his body (which we all know can't be what happened). By story's end, Iceman returns to the X-Men (after nearly being killed by Proteus and being pulled out of Xavier's by his parents who then tried to sue...) and freezes almost everything, giving the X-Men a chance to escape. However, Xavier stays behind to be taken into the Ultimates' custody, trying to show he has nothing to hide and is not in league with the Brotherhood.
As well written and as much fun as this mini was, it felt like they took an issue of set-up and spread it out into a four-issue mini just for the sales. Though, bringing Iceman back, setting up Cyclops' "death" and giving Xavier to the Ultimates are pretty big deals, they were all "small" scenes in the mini and it really could have been just one issue. I liked it though. Millar is a great writer and as much as he's not every one's favorite, I really enjoy Chris Bachalo's art. Good beginning to what will hopefully be a great ending to Mark Millar's run
Up next: the eight part Return of the King.