Air Vol. 1: Letters from Lost Countries

I am taking a few minutes to gather myself after a Dr. Who marathon to comment on Air.

The title and premise were intriguing when I first spotted it on Vertigo Comics. M.K. Perker's cover is neat and suggestive.

Throughout the first five pages, I kept reminding myself that Veritgo's a groundbreaknig imprint (a claim they make in the ad for Air)--convincing myself that I should give it a bit more time. Two pages later, I finally gave up on it and pawned it off on Zimm.

My only regret? Not saving it for Half Price Used Books.

Pass on this one.

Bayard

Happy Memorial Day

As I am enjoying the holiday, I thought I would make this simple and show the graphic for the Multiple Man t-shirt coming out September 2010.

Too cool!

Talk to you Tuesday.

Zimm's 2 Cents on Dr. Who - Season 5

I was finally able to catch up on the newest rendition of Dr. Who, and I have to thank Time Warner. I really like the 'on demand' feature. I was able to watch all 5 back episodes in one day - with EXTREMELLY limited advertisements. A new feature that I don't have back home.

But I digress.

I have to admit, I loved David Tennant's take on the character. He brought certain personalities, traits, and characteristics that made him one of the best Dr. Who's of all time.

Yet - when a show makes a drastic change, I give it a chance. Or at least, I try to. In this case, it was worth it. The new actor is no David Tennant, but I don't want him to be. I want something different. Yes, he does carry-on certain characteristics, but at the same time, he is still developing his own.

In one of the first episodes, he failed to stop the Daleks from escaping into the future, but he saved the human race. He could have stopped them, but he chose the human race.

And then there were "Vampires in Venice". The name alone is worth saying a couple of times.

After a day of non-stop catch-up, I like the new Dr. Who. I could have watched several more episodes, which is always a good sign. Had I not liked it, I would not have made it through the first 5 episodes in one day.

Zimm's recommendation: Watch the series, and if you haven't seen the old series, then you need to catch up.

By the way, a news special named the top 10 characters of all-time. Can you guess who was number 3? (Clue: It wasn't Dr. Who, but it was one of my ALL-TIME favorites.)

Blackest Night Bust: Green Lantern Hal Jordan

Sitting on a plane with a 2 hour and 55 minute delay is a wonderful way to end 3 weeks of chaos, exhaustion, and

So, I apologize. I apologize for the delay. I apologize for the lack of communicating. I apologize for not taking better care of myself.

But did you see this!!!!!! My opinion on this series may be biased, as I truly enjoyed this series, yet I never liked Green Lantern before this. I guess that should speak volumes.

Distributor DC Direct

Artist Ivan Reis
Sculptor Jean St. Jean
Type Porcelain Bust
Size 6.25"H
Release January 2011
Price $70.00

Zimm's Two Cents
I've been waiting for a Green Lantern statue / bust, and whether you realize it or not, I have given some of the previous statues the benefit of doubt - as I really, really want a Green Lantern statue and/or bust. With that said, this may be the one. I could really get into collecting the entire line of busts from this series.....except maybe Rage.

And Love.............not sure about avarice. Hmmmmmm. Guess I will take them as they come.

Points in Favor

• Incredible colors.
• The little pieces of detail. The different lantern symbols, the creases on his costume.
• It's Hal Jordan. (Yes, I know. I am not a lantern-junkie, but I do love the classics.....or at least this classic. Not the Flash classic. Sorry about the sidebar there.)
• His lantern symbol is 3-D.
• There are going to be 12 busts released throughout 2011. What a collection! What a way to release them. Bowen take notes!

Points Against

• DC is still having some trouble with the paint around the hair and face.

Recommendation: Buy...BUY! BUY!!!!! Not necessarily certain if this is a Hot Buy, but if you are listening Tommy, this is a BUY!

Note: Tommy is my dealer. You can find him at Best Comics.

Note to Robert and Baynard: I'm stuck on a plane and did this to pass time. Ignore all typos and any issues that you might have with my grammar.

Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars

I have just begun the second volume of Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars--Hatter M, Vol. 2: Mad With Wonder. And I am smitten, but I am not sure why.

The storyline is clever and engaging. The battles of Wonderland have begun to flow over into our own past. (Perhaps it is our past.) The Mad Hatter is Hatter Madigan, in this telling, Wonderland's equivalent of a Secret Service,-Navy Seal-Ninja bodyguard to the royal household. We follow the hat and knife wielding defender in his search for the lost Princess Alyss.

So far the narrative's focus on Madigan. Reminiscent of a fantastical Batman, the hatter moves through the moral no mans land of our past in his search for the missing princess. At times, the narrative slows to a halt, as Beddor engages his characters in traditional, well worn and tried, comic book battles and dialogue.

Ben Templesmith's artwork is what captivates, rescuing the graphic novel from the commonplace. The drawings are suggestive, provocative. No, not sexually. They provoke the imagination--forcing the reader to complete the images, the battles--forcing the reader to look closer. In this way, it reminded me of Kevin O'Neill's work in The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. This is what graphic novels bring to the table--what the genre adds to the canon. The images are essential.

It seems The Looking Glass Wars--novels, games, and graphic novels--is Automatic Pictures' sole franchise. I would be curious if anyone knew more about the publishing house and artist.

It's a fun read. If you haven't already, pick this up.

Bayard

A Geek Need to Know

Watching Star Trek, I am given glimpses of the immensity of the ship, but they are just brief glimpses. In one of the short stories when William Shatner is beamed aboard the actual Enterprise, the size of the bridge awes him.

This site provides sizes and comparisons for robots, monsters, aliens, ships from just about everything--everything. The graphics are sharp, clear. The simple background emphasizes the details while providing a basis of measurement. This should be an app if it is not one. It would be a blast to have this handy while watching Star Wars or Aliens. The figures can be moved about; set B.O.B. from The Black Hole next to R2D2. Serenity is as long as a 747--a bit shorter. That is perspective.

This guy has done his homework--although I lack the technical expertise to speak to his accuracy. Someone else may want to go on and check some of his calculations.

Overall, though, this is a cool, useful site. Bookmark it before you reread Hitchhikers.

Check it out http://www.merzo.net/.

Bayard

Sith Lords

As Zimm pointed out, I scored a sweet Darth Maul bobble head for my office. A muse and mentor, he watches me from the bookshelf behind my desk. (Two faculty and a student have pointed out that his stare is creepy--even though he has been in time out.)

I just found a picture, though, I need to have enlarged and framed.

http://thegreatgeekmanual.com/blog/picture-of-the-week-even-sith-lords-get-the-blues

It is a helpful reminder.

Bayard

Ghost Hunters

One of my favorite lines in Ghost Hunters is when they yell out, "We aren't here to hurt you." Haven't these guys watched any ghost movies, read any ghost stories, in the last 50 years? When has a ghost ever been on the receiving end when the hurting is handed out? "Are you innocent?" How many ghosts would answer that one truthfully?

Every time I watch this show, I begin running through some of my favorite ghost stories and movies.

• Thirteen Ghosts
• The Grudge
• The Shining
• The Willows
• Ringu
• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Granted, some of them are more dangerous than others. (A ranking.)

Anyway, with sounds, flickering shadows, and doors swinging shut, the season ends much better than it began. Actually, I am not sure if this is the season finale--it is billed as the "Mid-Season Finale." Does that mean the season is finished being halfway over? (Wow--the power of the Internet. They have online ghost hunter training!)

Bayard

What the.....White Ring ..... LED Lights???

I avoided buying the last set, yet I was lucky enough to pick Black Ring up at the Houston ComicCon. (Forget who snatched that one away? Hmmmmm???) But does someone really want to invest in the new set? With a white ring? With LED lights that have a special key to change the battery.

Recommendation: Pass. I can spend $60 elsewhere or Neverwhere. Also, from the picture, the lights look white instead of their intended colors.

Release Date: July 2010

Post Weekend Update

Despite my allergies and the fact that someone took my "All Star Batman & Robin", I had a blast this weekend.

However, I had recently picked up some graphic novels and had planned to sit back and enjoy Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All Star Batman and Robin. No, I havn't read it - yet. I was planning on checking it off my list this weekend. Yet, the one I had was taken from me and never seen again. Leaving me with counter 'leftovers' - Neverwhere and Air.

I hate to admit it, but I enjoyed Neverwhere. I wanted more, but I enjoyed how the story ended. I can't wait to read book 2, but is it going to drag out something I already enjoyed? Should I dare take a chance on book 2? Yeah, I guess so. I will probably end up ordering the series.

Unless, Robert can save me the time and money!

Unless, someone can tell me that the store drags on, and the first book is the only one worth reading.

But alas, since I can't seem to spot the All-Star Batman & Robin #1 anywhere in my apartment, I will have to force myself up to the local comic store to look for book 2 of the series....or should I simply read the Neverwhere novel?

The Great Fables Crossover: Fables 13

Clever and engaging. Willingham and Sturges deliver a postmodernist literary criticism graduate course camouflaged as a graphic novel. The characters willfully, gleefully, recognize the audience, the writers, and the editors. (Perhaps most engaging is Blue Ox's discomfort at being the focus of more than a single page.)

Again, Willingham and Sturges reflect on the nature of writing, narrative structure, and the relationship between audience and writer. Even if the narrative suggests that the writer brings the text to the reader, Willingham and Sturges create and rely on a reader who must bring a meaning that is not defined by traditional notions of textuality. Their readers must redefine their relationships with the characters. (The writers have been reading too much Prince and Iser.)

More importantly, their critical agenda never disrupts the tale. Goofy, clever, moving, Fables is a fun read. It's a good story.

As I have said elsewhere, this stuff is ripe for the academic publishing machine. Read it despite that. And the next time you are in the comicbook store, ask the clerk if the latest installment continues to privilege Frye's notion of audience over Iser's. When he answers, hesitate as if it really matters. Then pre-order it. You know the truth.

Bayard