NB of the Week

-HOW CAN THERE BE CONVERSATION IF ONE SPOILS IS DUMB?-
Co-Winners Of The Week Edition!

Powers: Bureau #8
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by Mike Avon Oeming

Hawkeye #14
Written by Matt Fraction
Drawn by Annie Wu

What these two issue did this week was prove that real, down to Earth, human dialogue will always win out for me over big story plots. No offense to Hickman and the ending of Infinity but it wasn't even close.
Over in Powers we get the start of a new story in which the super-team The Circle (which is lead by The Extreme, an obvious play on Cable and his old X-Force team and I'm assuming a little poke at Liefeld as well) is murdered except for one, who demands to only talk to Christian Walker. Meanwhile, something seems to infect Retro Girl and she is having massive problems gaining control over herself in any fashion.
In Hawkeye, the issues have now begun their split-focus with every other issue switching between Clint and Kate, this one starting with Kate. Having taken Lucky with her (I'm still partial to the name Pizza Dog) and leaving Clint for LA, she tries to start her own life as a crime-fighter. What that starts with is the finding of a thief who stole some rare flowers from a floral shop after the shop refused to sell 'em because they were special for a wedding (of whom Kate has befriended those two grooms-to-be, hence how this all began.). She's a bit out of her league in that she hasn't really practiced his solo, investigation stuff but by the end, she gets the thief, who it turns was working for Madame Masque who is looking for Kate after their earlier debacle (in the Annual from a few months ago).
In premise, these stories are nothing grand or even overtly creative but what they both have is amazing dialogue. Bendis, though causing his stories to sometimes suffer, has shown over and over that dialogue is important to him. What he writes is absolutely authentic sounding. You don't even really notice the story goes nowhere because you love reading it so much.
Fraction, on the other hand, has a knack for slow progression included in his dialogue. It's witty and funny and often filled with lines that you kinda miss until a few panels later. Much like with Clint Barton, he has turned Kate into a person instead of a character. They may be (Young)Avengers but under the work of Fraction, her and Clint are nothing more than human. These are people that we could be talking to every morning at the water cooler (if you have a water cooler near by). If more writers were able to write this realistically, I would be broke withing the first month.

Brain Tunes

A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera - Say Something
Most who know my music taste know that I may have a definite preference but that I'm open to listening to most anything (sans country). A few days ago, my brother dropped me this song. I have never heard of A Great Big World but I'd give one song a whirl. I love it. It's a very touching and sad song but it's beautiful. Everybody knows that Aguilera has an amazing, loud, strong voice but all she does is soft harmony and that for me is what makes the song so great. Will I listen to this band more? Meh, probably not. But this song stays.

NB of the Week

-I SWEAR BY MY PRETTY FLORAL BONNET, I WILL SPOIL YOU-

100 Bullets: Brother Lono #6 (of 8)

Written by Brian Azzarello
Drawn by Eduardo Risso

Last we saw, Lono was stepping up and trying to do right, but as he stood against Craneo, thug-turned-ally Paulo steps behind him, holding a gun out. His friendship seemly a ruse. Or is it?...
When this issue starts, Paulo starts shooting at the car Craneo is in, past the head of Lono. He's going to protect this orphanage and kids no matter the cost. As Craneo drives off for the inevitable backup, everybody gathers back in the church as Paulo reveals he knows the secret of Sister June. He got the gun from her because she's DEA and came her for Craneo, his crew and their whole operation. Just as it's all coming to light, Craneo arrives again with more in tow. At first, the priest goes out to try and talk sense into them. Paulo them follows in order to save him and the children. As a last ditch, the priest warns them that the DEA is here and is watching them, which only sets them off into a larger rage. Out of nowhere, shots fire, men begin to fall and Lono has stolen a car, claiming he's the DEA, forcing the gang to leave the church and children and chase after. He's doing right but it feels so unnatural. He knows it's not like him to ever run. As June and Paulo and the kids all come together, the priest finds a scooter and says he has to go after them. That before all this, he heard Lono's confession. He knows what Lono was and what he's likely to do to his captors.
"Paulo... Your friends have no idea what they're going to do. What they have... What he will submit to just to get their measure. Only God can torture the devil. Your friends... I have to save them."

And with that, we're left with this haunting eyeline. Lono is back and the dog is about to be let off the leash.
Ive said it with this mini before and it deserves repeating: Azzarello is writing this like he never ended 100 Bullets. It's grit and crime to a perfect point and I can only hope that more minis come after this one.

(Fake)Trailer Watch: Machete Kils Again... In Space

Apparently this trailer was shown at the beginning of Machete Kills but since I was unable to get to it in time, I never saw it. Luckily it's now online. Not that another Machete movie is likely but good lord I'd love to see this.

Clif-Notes: Parkland

Parkland is based on the book Four Days in November by Vincent Bugliosi and is the story surrounding the Kennedy assassination and the people who then have to deal with it all. As history goes, I know that there are many conspiracies around this. From it revolving around Johnson becoming president to there being another gunman. Thankfully, I really have no desire to find out about these as I figure it's done and it deserves to be over. What this story does is tell about the events that happened. No theories, no debates. Here's what did happen on those days and as far as the movie goes, I was quite amazed. The movie stars many great names including Paul Gimatti, Marsha Gay Harden, Billy Bob Thorton, Colin Hanks, Mark Duplass and Jackie Earle Haley and even some very solid performances from names I wouldn't normally put at the top like Zac Efron and Tom Welling. Everybody in this movie was pretty damn good, in the very least. Anybody who knows me knows that I can have quite the stomach for violence and gore and everything between but I found the first 30 minutes or so very strong and kinda hard to watch. It revolves around the actual shooting and the doctors trying to save his life and the reaction of people to the news of Kennedy's death. The mood is very heavy and you can feel it through every face, from main stars to the extras. I felt the pain of that day and it was not an easy feeling. We then follow the arrest of Oswald and his subsequent murder and are left very empty, but not really in a bad way. It's left open in a way that you know those conspiracy theories are all following suit. That you know it's not a happy ending and the last fifty years fills in all the gaps after it.
Maybe this movie didn't have the fullest story to tell and maybe it's a story that some could feel has been told countless times and therefore has less meaning. None of that takes away from the amazing acting and that acting is what makes an emotional and personal story like this one worth watching.

A Preacher Revival?

Word is that the amazing Garth Ennis comic Preacher is being picked for a pilot at AMC with Seth Rogen set to produce. For those that are comically-challenged, Preacher is the story of a preacher (duh) named Jesse Custer who bonds with an entity known as Genesis (the offspring of a demon and an angel) which in turn gives him "The Word" (forcing anybody do whatever he says). He then embarks across anywhere he needs to find answers, along with his vampire friend Cassidy and his trigger-happy ladyfriend Tulip. It's a brilliant comic from start to finish and if ya like yourself some good 'ol mature reading, look no further. Which brings me to my only problem. There's a lot of tv-unfriendly things in this book. And not just violence and harsh language. Garth Ennis is pretty much known for his adult themed writing and it's kinda hard to imagine a lot of key moments being used. As Walking Dead has shown, it's not always a problem and they could definitely figure out ways around it but Walking Dead ain't no Preacher. We're talking about things like incest, beastiality and God biting out eyes (well maybe just one but still). I love the book and would love to see any incarnation of it put to live action but I'm obviously hoping for a better one over a shitty one.

(Late)NB of the Week

-GUESS WHAT? I JUST SPOILED A BEAR!-

Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man #1 (of 3)

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by David Marquez

When Marvel's Age of Ultron had finished, 3 things had happened: 1) Those of us that bought it were screwed out of $40, 2) the Spawn character Angela was moved over to the Marvel Universe and 3) the 616 Galactus had been moved to the Ultimate-verse. That last one is from where this Cataclysm stems. Galactus has merged with the Gah Lak Tus swarm and is going after the Ultimate Earth and it's up to the Ultimate heroes to take on a new challenge.
Each of the three ongoing titles are on hiatus as they all get 3-issue minis tying into the main mini, Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand, and Spidey leads the way for 'em. In this issue, we get some aftermath from the last Ult Spidey story and not much else but that's also where Bendis exceeds as a writer. His writing and dialogue is as crisp and real as ever. Spider-Woman wants the Ultimates to go after Roxxon (from the last story), Lana (Ult exclusive villain-turned-possible-hero) is finding that she may be better suited to be a villain-turned-possible-hero, Miles finds out that his year long absence has made people (namely the police) actually miss him and Cloak and Dagger realize they are alone and may need Spidey in their lives. And then they turn around to see Galactus.
Bendis is a master with words. He makes every issue of Ult Spidey feel natural and fun and comics need those books to settle the serious tone that most others take. He writes a world that is ridiculous and lavish and he makes it all feel like it's the one we have right outside and that's an amazing talent to have. However, his writing is also the worst part of this title. We are given three issues instead of the ongoing in order to tie into the big Cataclysm event and this issue has nothing but the last page tying into it. It's an issue that would have been better suited in the monthly because now we only have two issues to take Miles into the big Galactus brew-ha. Amazing issue, just nothing to do with why it was started.

Comics Are No Place For Science...?

-MY RANTING INVOLVES ELEMENTS BROUGHT TO THE GREEN LANTERN-VERSE FROM THE LAST STORY, LIGHTS OUT. STOP IF WISH NOT TO KNOW THE CONCEPT-
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So, in a book that has different alien species harnessing emotions as energy based weapons, should I really be this baffled by the science of it? At this point in the game? In the latest story, a villain from before the current creation, called Relic (nice, subtle name), comes in claiming that he must stop the emotions from being used because it turns out that all the energy being used is from a "reservoir" that they are depleting and once it's out, existence ends. Here's where I for some reason can't stop with the science: energy cannot be destroyed so... how are they using it all? I get that the "well" could become dry, but in the idea that they are using energy from emotions, how is that energy being destroyed? How did it get filled to begin with? The storyline ended with Kyle Rayner, with all the Entities of each emotion (sans Fear but with Life. How the shit did Life just die?!) sacrificing himself to refill that "reservoir". Only he came back out and the Entities stayed to die and do it (they killed Life?!). So... emotion can refill it? Or better yet, since energy can't be destroyed, why can't somebody like Firestorm change something over into energy they can use? Then again, the "reservoir" is contained behind the Source Wall, so it's pretty convenient that the energy can be drained out from it, but nothing can go back in... I don't understand how not one Lantern from any of the factions can remember that energy can't be created or destroyed.
Or maybe I'm suddenly thinking too much into it. I'm probably thinking too much into it.

NB of the Week

-GIVING YOU THE RUNS LIKE BAD THAI FOOD-

Earth 2 #17
Superman is evil and the only way to stop him may be by magic. Until he stops the crap outta Fate. General Lane decides the Red Tornado is the best hope but in order to give it the advantage, he puts the "essence" of his daughter Lois in, hoping to provoke something from him. Before that encounter happens (in the nest issue), we also see the new Batman trying to break out some evil dudes from stasis, claiming they may be the only way to save everybody.

Superman Unchained #4
Superman and Wraith fight some Russian robots that can hurt him, Lois is given a crystal of some kind and Luthor claims Jimmy Olsen is gonna be the one to kill Superman... This book has been so late, I'll probably have to reread it all once this first story is done.

Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand #1
Regular Galactus had merged with Ultimate Galactus and is trying to devour the Ultimate Universe now. The Ultimates and everybody figure out he's not from there and they don't know how to stop him. That's about all the progress we get in this first issue, which is written by Mister Progress himself, Brian Michael Bendis.

Forever Evil #3
Somehow, the heroes have been gathered into Firestorm's matrix, with Batman and Catwoman being the ones to escape beforehand. With no heroes, it's time for the villains to step up as Luthor, Bizarro, Black Manta and Captain Cold (without any powers now) claim it's their turn to take out the Crime Syndicate.

Fatale #18
I won't even lie, this book is pretty weird and it's hard to follow unless you're familiar with the whole book. Demons, cults, robbery, rock N roll and lots of murder and sex. It's still amazing but golly darn it's getting difficult to explain.

Clif-Notes: The Kings of Summer

Tired of their home lives, Joe, Patrick and Biaggio (although Biaggio is just kinda there. No real reason) move themselves out to the woods, build a house and decide to live there. They are their own masters now. It's really that simple of a movie. The first thing that hit me about this movie was the humor. I was laughing the entire time. Biaggio in particular stole it all as the creepy, little kid who just sorta shows up and continues to hang around. And I'm pretty certain he tried to speak parseltongue at one point. The three boys (or young men, as Hollywood typically uses/calls them) had amazing chemistry together.
I'm not going to sit here and say that it's a heart-warming, coming of age type of comedy. I don't really see it being a voice for teens everywhere. A lot of people compare it to Stand By Me but I have no problem admitting I have never seen that one so I can't add to it (though if you have, there ya go) but I can say that I oddly connected. I'm twice the age of these characters and yet I understood how they felt. From the isolation of their family to their jealousy of each other over a girl. Not sure if that's a positive for the writing and acting or a negative for me and my inability to let go of the past but it connected either way. This movie has made me feel the way Safety Not Guaranteed did. not in the specifics of each, perse but in the delivery. A smaller, Indie film that took my completely by storm and kinda blew my mind.
Check out the trailer. If you have an interest, watch it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
(It's red band so be careful of the potty language)

Boobs of the Day

Noel Pugliese
I saw Miss Pugliese on an episode of What Not To Wear. While watching it wasn't done by choice, it was certainly enjoyed once I saw her body. Amazing, full and curvy. Just like the good lord intended. She has a website and a facebook if ya want to see all the other pictures. Some are definitely nicer than others but all are worth seeing.

NB of the Week

-THE SUPER-LATE-BUT-I'M-LAZY-SO-IT'S-OK EDITION-

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro #7: Bebop & Rocksteady
Written by Dustin Weaver
Drawn by Ben Bates

IDW has done an amazing job with their new Turtles series and considering how much they've released, it's impressive how high the quality has stayed (with ongoing, Micros and minis, it's been 47 total issues in two years!). However, up until this current story (City Fall), fans have had only one small hint to fan favorite villains Bebop & Rocksteady and that was almost two years ago. Now that Shredder and The Foot and waging war to take over the city, it's time for Karai to take some initiative and have her own warriors. A call is placed to all who want to serve and a battle royal is help, with the two left standing being able to change their lives forever. How will they change? By becoming badass mutants.

 

This spotlight on the two wasn't anything mind-blowing but as a fan, it was pure joy to see them wrecking havoc. They prove that they are pure force and great at destroying things. Brains and plans may not be their strong suit but that's why their henchmen. They now join the ranks of Krang, Baxter Stockman and Slash and I can only hope we get more and more characters reintroduced into the new Turtles universe. If you are a TMNT fan at all, this series is one you have to join. It's easily the best Turtles since the original Eastman and Laird stuff.