Okay, the other day someone mentioned to me that I should write a comic blog. As my current blog is aptly named Shoot Your TV ---Read Comics, I figured I should give it a shot. Spoilers will abound.
Let me start out by pointing out that I read comics. This should be obvious, but I mentioned it just in case. The second thing I need to say is that I know nothing about comics. I know what I like, I know which writers make me laugh, I know what kind of art I enjoy. With all of this said I present to you...
The Fanboy Chubby of the Week
This week, I'm looking at Punisher War Journal issue one. Written by Matt Fraction, art by Ariel Olivetti, coloring by Dean White.
This is the first time Punisher is mentioned in the Civil War arc. It takes place right before Civil War issue 5.
For anyone not reading Civil War, I'll sum it up for you as best as I can. The Powers That Be have instituted something called the 'Superhuman Registration Act' which requires anyone and everyone possessing superhuman abilities to register with the government. As you can well imagine, this did not go over well. In fact it split allegiances down the middle. There's the pro side, led by Iron Man. This team includes Reed Richards and the government, other than that, no one really knows. The con team is being led by Captain America. This team has all of my flavour favorites. It's got Wolverine, Luke Cage, Daredevil, Falcon, Black Panther, and the recent addition of Invisible Girl and the Human Torch, the list goes on. Those who don't register and are caught are put in a special prison and kept there until they agree to register. There are battles left and right, leading to the death of some superheroes.
Back to the Punisher, the first thing you have to notice is the cover. And it's flawless. He's holding big guns, he looks pissed, and he's wearing the skull shirt. It's everything you want from Frank Castle.
Now, I've never read any other Punisher comics, so I'm nowhere near an expert. I saw the movie, John Travolta was good. To be honest the only reason I even read this was because Deryk put it in my hand.
The story was a bit confusing, it start out with some guy that I'm sure I'm supposed to know who he is - I don't. And the government asking him to hunt down the Punisher. Flip the page to the Punisher sitting in a van doing recon on a pedophile because he's bored. Then some idiot calling himself Stiltman shows up, Castle kills him, and then the pedophile. The guy I'm supposed to know shows up and sends some S.H.E.I.L.D agents after Castle in the tunnel ( like the Moosejaw tunnels...only presumably authentic). He kicks their asses and takes their guns and goes hunting for the Terrible Tinkerer (Okay seriously who comes up with these names?), he finds him, gets some information and heads out to find Rampage. Rampage is a grown man who makes toys to play with while he pretends he's taking over the world. Nice guy. Rampage gives Castle some gadgetry and he goes all stealthy, waiting for Iron Man to make a move so that he can kick his ass. The gadgetry goes off and he follows the blinking light into the sewers where he finds Spidey getting his ass kicked by two of his former enemies, who are now working for Iron Man. He saves Spidey and takes him to the super secret hiding place of Captain America and the 'resistance'.
A lot happens. A lot happens quickly. And while I was a little intimidated by the plethora (word of the day) of information being thrown at me, I get it. Issue one has to rock so people will buy issue two. On the upside, there were some awesome points about the writing. The majority of the script is in captions. Castle's a quiet guy, so it's nice to have some insight into what he's thinking, even if it's just obscure Gilligan's Island references.
Now onto the art. This isn't classic coloring by any means. There aren't bold colors, everything seems a bit muted (I'm sure there's a word for this somewhere). The art makes everything look more real at times, and other times makes everything look ridiculous, like the size of Castle's arms for example. The facial expressions are dead on, but everything looks shiny. If i have to take issue with anything it would be the sheer size of Frank Castle. I mean, he's HUGE! For a guy that sits in a van all day he's certainly cut. and his arms are roughly the size of Spiderman's entire body.
My verdict. It's a good read. Even if you know nothing about the Punisher other than he likes to shoot things, it's a good read. I had to read it a couple times to take everything in, but I'm weird like that. It left me excited for the next War Journal, which is always a good thing.
The best art: it's a tie. On page twelve, the 5th panel, where Castle is holding his newly acquired guns (and probably flexing), and on page eighteen, the fifth panel, the look on the Terrible Tinkerer's face...priceless.
The worst art: the last page, Captain America....he looks like he's trying to dance to Ludacris or something, it's just not working.
The best line: page 30, when Punisher is carrying Spiderman over his shoulder:
Spidey: Hey, can we stop by an A.T.M.? I don't have any cash on me, so
I can't pay your fare.
Punisher: You don't have to pay me jackass
Spidey: Oh, awesome. Action is MY reward, too.
The Worst Line: There's a lot of bad lines....
end.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
SURVEYS ARE FUN
Ten things I Love That Begin With The Letter “I”
1) Ice Cream….that ones a given, but seriously, I’m Ice creams biggest fan.
2) Iron Giant….it’s a great animated film with a kid that creeps the hell out of me…but I love it lots.
3) Image Comics. That’s right I’m cool enough to read comics. Image is home to some of the best things out there, for example, Invincible (which has gone on forvere and still rocks), Cassanova ( according to my go to comic book guy if you aren’t reading this you’re a fucktard…his words, not mine), Fell (which is a Warren Ellis…he’s the greatest), and The Amazing Joy Buzzards…needless to say Image is where it’s at.
4) Speaking of comics Immonen. He’s a comic book artist. And he’s great, AND he’s Canadian. He did the pencils for Nextwave (Another Warren Ellis), and it’s beautiful.
5) I Can’t Decide by the Scissor Sisters….download it..it’s angry disco wonderful
6) I Know I Know I Know by Tegan and Sara because they’re fabulous and the song is adorable.
7) Icarus…as in the greek myth about the cocky kid that didn’t listen to his dad….I love greek myths and my dad likes to remind me about this one far more often then he should…if you can find it download Icarus by Jason Webley
8) Internet. There are no words.
9) The Iliad….We everlasting gods . . .
10) Inferno by Dante Alighieri... Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.
1) Ice Cream….that ones a given, but seriously, I’m Ice creams biggest fan.
2) Iron Giant….it’s a great animated film with a kid that creeps the hell out of me…but I love it lots.
3) Image Comics. That’s right I’m cool enough to read comics. Image is home to some of the best things out there, for example, Invincible (which has gone on forvere and still rocks), Cassanova ( according to my go to comic book guy if you aren’t reading this you’re a fucktard…his words, not mine), Fell (which is a Warren Ellis…he’s the greatest), and The Amazing Joy Buzzards…needless to say Image is where it’s at.
4) Speaking of comics Immonen. He’s a comic book artist. And he’s great, AND he’s Canadian. He did the pencils for Nextwave (Another Warren Ellis), and it’s beautiful.
5) I Can’t Decide by the Scissor Sisters….download it..it’s angry disco wonderful
6) I Know I Know I Know by Tegan and Sara because they’re fabulous and the song is adorable.
7) Icarus…as in the greek myth about the cocky kid that didn’t listen to his dad….I love greek myths and my dad likes to remind me about this one far more often then he should…if you can find it download Icarus by Jason Webley
8) Internet. There are no words.
9) The Iliad….We everlasting gods . . .
10) Inferno by Dante Alighieri... Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Mother calls, but we don't hear
I think I might be too picky.
I mean, I know in a lot of ways I'm really picky...but this time I'm talking about guys. Now, I realize that I don't have a lot of room to be picky, I'm not that naive....this isn't where this entry was supposed to go.
I went on a thing tonight. I'm reluctant to call it a date because we just met for coffee after my night class. And I'm not really sure that going for coffee qualifies as a date. I didn't tell anyone because I'm a little superstitious and I didn't want to jinx it. Yes I do believe in jinxing things, I'm that cool.
Before I get into a bit more detail I feel I should explain something. This boy, from my english class, asked me out for a movie. He had passes or something. I said I couldn't because I had the dumb night class that I hate. He said we should meet up later for coffee then. I said yes. I don't know why I said yes. This isn't the boy in the same class that has caught my eye. This is a different boy. We don't have much in common that I know of, other than our mutual love of movies. Or so he professed. He's not ugly, he's not gorgeous either. If I had to describe him, I'd say average. So I'm not really sure why I said yes at all to a boy I don't know, to do something i don't like to do, on a night that I never go out on. (mondays suck.)
So we meet for coffee at some little coffe place. I don't drink coffee, but of course he doesn't know that. We make awkward small talk, the whole...how was class...thing. Then he says he went to see the Prestige. So I figure, okay, now we can talk. So I ask him what he thought about it.
HIs reply: Scarlett JOhanson is really hot.
NOw, I might be wrong, but is that the type of thing you say when at coffee? I didn't think so.
So I said 'yeah, but what did you think of the movie?' this was apparently a very difficult question because he thought about it for a really long time. I really enjoyed this movie, like lots. Not just because David Bowie shows up, but that helped. So i'm expecting to be able to have a fairly decent conversation about it.
His Reply: That Batman guy was good.
That Batman guy refers to Christian Bale. So I was a little put off by that, I mean this kid said he was sort of a movie buff. I don't even call myself a movie buff....but I can remember Christian Bale's name. So i agreed again, yeah Christian Bale is an awesome actor, I like most of his stuff.
His reply: Well other than Batman he hasn't been in much of anything.
I think that's where he lost me.
Christian Bale was in American Psycho. Christian Bale was in Equilibrium. Christian Bale was in the Machinist. He was in Newsies, and Swing Kids, and Little Women....The guy was in Shaft for fuck's sake.
So i decided to stop talking about movies. We moved onto music. I don't know very much about music, I know what I like and that's about it. I can tell you about maybe four or five artists that I'm a huge fan of, and other than that I let Beth be the music buff.
What I do know, is that Fallout Boy is not punk. I know that Justin Timberlake isn't hiphop. And I know that if you like Nickleback you're pretty much guaranteed to like Theory of a Deadman and Hinder.
So here's my question: Am I being too picky? I mean, is his lack of movie knowledge enough to make him that unattractive?
le sigh
BOWIE!QUOTE: I never could get over the fact that The Pixies formed, worked and separated without America taking them to its heart or even recognizing their existence for the most part.
I mean, I know in a lot of ways I'm really picky...but this time I'm talking about guys. Now, I realize that I don't have a lot of room to be picky, I'm not that naive....this isn't where this entry was supposed to go.
I went on a thing tonight. I'm reluctant to call it a date because we just met for coffee after my night class. And I'm not really sure that going for coffee qualifies as a date. I didn't tell anyone because I'm a little superstitious and I didn't want to jinx it. Yes I do believe in jinxing things, I'm that cool.
Before I get into a bit more detail I feel I should explain something. This boy, from my english class, asked me out for a movie. He had passes or something. I said I couldn't because I had the dumb night class that I hate. He said we should meet up later for coffee then. I said yes. I don't know why I said yes. This isn't the boy in the same class that has caught my eye. This is a different boy. We don't have much in common that I know of, other than our mutual love of movies. Or so he professed. He's not ugly, he's not gorgeous either. If I had to describe him, I'd say average. So I'm not really sure why I said yes at all to a boy I don't know, to do something i don't like to do, on a night that I never go out on. (mondays suck.)
So we meet for coffee at some little coffe place. I don't drink coffee, but of course he doesn't know that. We make awkward small talk, the whole...how was class...thing. Then he says he went to see the Prestige. So I figure, okay, now we can talk. So I ask him what he thought about it.
HIs reply: Scarlett JOhanson is really hot.
NOw, I might be wrong, but is that the type of thing you say when at coffee? I didn't think so.
So I said 'yeah, but what did you think of the movie?' this was apparently a very difficult question because he thought about it for a really long time. I really enjoyed this movie, like lots. Not just because David Bowie shows up, but that helped. So i'm expecting to be able to have a fairly decent conversation about it.
His Reply: That Batman guy was good.
That Batman guy refers to Christian Bale. So I was a little put off by that, I mean this kid said he was sort of a movie buff. I don't even call myself a movie buff....but I can remember Christian Bale's name. So i agreed again, yeah Christian Bale is an awesome actor, I like most of his stuff.
His reply: Well other than Batman he hasn't been in much of anything.
I think that's where he lost me.
Christian Bale was in American Psycho. Christian Bale was in Equilibrium. Christian Bale was in the Machinist. He was in Newsies, and Swing Kids, and Little Women....The guy was in Shaft for fuck's sake.
So i decided to stop talking about movies. We moved onto music. I don't know very much about music, I know what I like and that's about it. I can tell you about maybe four or five artists that I'm a huge fan of, and other than that I let Beth be the music buff.
What I do know, is that Fallout Boy is not punk. I know that Justin Timberlake isn't hiphop. And I know that if you like Nickleback you're pretty much guaranteed to like Theory of a Deadman and Hinder.
So here's my question: Am I being too picky? I mean, is his lack of movie knowledge enough to make him that unattractive?
le sigh
BOWIE!QUOTE: I never could get over the fact that The Pixies formed, worked and separated without America taking them to its heart or even recognizing their existence for the most part.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
He gets in the way but we always let him play with us
Apparently I was wrong. It's not a poem. It's lyrics from a song called Citizens of Tomorrow by Tokyo Police Club. My only brother corrected me. Which is greatly appreciated. As for the song, it's pretty sweet. If you're into Geek!Rock. Which I really, really am. But you knew that. Or I should hope you knew that.
Sometimes I wonder who I'm writing to. Then I think it's dumb so I stop.
It's weird how when you think you're totally over something. Like really over and through it, adn then you're like, oh okay....I get it...It gest easier...that's cool. And then out of NOWHERE, it hits you like a huge fuckin' truck. And it sucks just as much as it used to. And then what?
Then you throw a Disco!PityParty. You're all invited. It's Saturday night in my basement. BYOB. I'll be there drinking alone, it'll be a blast.
BOWIE!QUOTE: To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have done their best work by far with me.
Sometimes I wonder who I'm writing to. Then I think it's dumb so I stop.
It's weird how when you think you're totally over something. Like really over and through it, adn then you're like, oh okay....I get it...It gest easier...that's cool. And then out of NOWHERE, it hits you like a huge fuckin' truck. And it sucks just as much as it used to. And then what?
Then you throw a Disco!PityParty. You're all invited. It's Saturday night in my basement. BYOB. I'll be there drinking alone, it'll be a blast.
BOWIE!QUOTE: To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have done their best work by far with me.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Tiny Tim sings prayers and hymns, he's so small we don't notice him
I studied my ass of for that test.
I hate university.
I mean, getting a better mark on the test that I didn't study for then the one that i literally spent a solid week studying for is NOT okay. And i know, only a week. But that's a lot for me. Usually I don't study at all.
Midterms suck. Lots.
On an upnote, I found a poem on my desk one day:
I have a microchip
implanted in my heart
so if I try to escape
robots will blow me apart
and my limbs will go flying
and land before the ones i love
who would wail and weep
but the robots would keep them at bay
as i shut my eyes
for the very last time
citizens of tomorrow, be forewarned.
I like it.
The fic journal is up and running. And i have comments! It's pretty nifty.
What else can I write instead of writing a paper...The Dixie Chicks concert owned. Seriously. Now I have a huge girly crush on them too. If girlycrushes were oranges, i would have an orchard. For everyone who wants to go check out the preview for their documentary Shut up and Sing (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811136/trailers-screenplay-E29606-10-2)I'm super excited to see this movie, i just watched the trailer a stupid amount of times in a row. They rock.
I'm country. I know it.
i'm done.....no bowiequote.....
I hate university.
I mean, getting a better mark on the test that I didn't study for then the one that i literally spent a solid week studying for is NOT okay. And i know, only a week. But that's a lot for me. Usually I don't study at all.
Midterms suck. Lots.
On an upnote, I found a poem on my desk one day:
I have a microchip
implanted in my heart
so if I try to escape
robots will blow me apart
and my limbs will go flying
and land before the ones i love
who would wail and weep
but the robots would keep them at bay
as i shut my eyes
for the very last time
citizens of tomorrow, be forewarned.
I like it.
The fic journal is up and running. And i have comments! It's pretty nifty.
What else can I write instead of writing a paper...The Dixie Chicks concert owned. Seriously. Now I have a huge girly crush on them too. If girlycrushes were oranges, i would have an orchard. For everyone who wants to go check out the preview for their documentary Shut up and Sing (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811136/trailers-screenplay-E29606-10-2)I'm super excited to see this movie, i just watched the trailer a stupid amount of times in a row. They rock.
I'm country. I know it.
i'm done.....no bowiequote.....
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Jimmy's ill with chicken pox, and Tommy's learned to ride his bike
I hate hardwood.
I really do. It's cold and not as carpet-like...And it's dusty and fucking loud when they put it in. Gives me a goddamn headache.
Also, as much as I love multiple choice exams, I hate teachers that do the whole a and b, a c but not b, all but f....Shit like that. Its annoying.
In other news...Dixie Chicks tonight! That's right, I'm going to the Dixie Chicks concert.
I don't care who you are, everyone loves a country music concert. And those who say differently lie. Country music is fun. And there was actually a study done, and people drink more while listening to country music then any other genre....I don't know if I helped or hindered my point....But I still maintain country concerts are fun. And the Dixie chicks put on a good show, thus, my excitement.
I finally pulled my head out of my ass and saw Slither. And now I'm mad at myself for not seeing it sooner. My total girly crush on Nathan Fillion aside, this movie was SO funny.
I know it's been pegged as a horror-comedy, which is a new bridge for movie genres. But it's not scary. Really gross, yes....Scary? No. It is really gross though. And yeah, it's not going to change your world, and you can probably sit there for hours and point out plot holes. But it was entertaining. For an hour and twenty minutes I was entertained. There are some good fuckin' lines in that movie. And because of Nathan Fillion it's a bit reminiscent of Firefly. Which is an amazing show. That I could probably go on about for hours and hours. (I won't). I can't decide my favorite part of the movie. It kept me laughing so I think people should watch it.
Other than all of that....I finished Veronica Mars Seasons One and Two. For anyone who isn't watching this show, you're a fucking moron. It's pegged as the best show on television by some of my favorite people. It's witty without being overly witty like the Gilmore Girls, it's angsty without being overly angsty like Dawson's Creek, It's serious without being overly melodramatic like the OC, and it's all around awesome. The characters are believable, mostly. The dog fuckin' rules! And the plot is actually thought out. Very rarely do television shows outsmart me, I pride myself on the fact that I know who the killer is on CSI before Grissom, but Veronica Mars outsmarts me very single time.
okay enough fangirling.
BOWIE!QUOTE: Pop stars are capable of growing old. Mick Jagger at 50 will be marvelous - a battered old roue - I can just see him. An aging rock star doesn't have to opt out life. When I'm 50, I'll prove it..
I really do. It's cold and not as carpet-like...And it's dusty and fucking loud when they put it in. Gives me a goddamn headache.
Also, as much as I love multiple choice exams, I hate teachers that do the whole a and b, a c but not b, all but f....Shit like that. Its annoying.
In other news...Dixie Chicks tonight! That's right, I'm going to the Dixie Chicks concert.
I don't care who you are, everyone loves a country music concert. And those who say differently lie. Country music is fun. And there was actually a study done, and people drink more while listening to country music then any other genre....I don't know if I helped or hindered my point....But I still maintain country concerts are fun. And the Dixie chicks put on a good show, thus, my excitement.
I finally pulled my head out of my ass and saw Slither. And now I'm mad at myself for not seeing it sooner. My total girly crush on Nathan Fillion aside, this movie was SO funny.
I know it's been pegged as a horror-comedy, which is a new bridge for movie genres. But it's not scary. Really gross, yes....Scary? No. It is really gross though. And yeah, it's not going to change your world, and you can probably sit there for hours and point out plot holes. But it was entertaining. For an hour and twenty minutes I was entertained. There are some good fuckin' lines in that movie. And because of Nathan Fillion it's a bit reminiscent of Firefly. Which is an amazing show. That I could probably go on about for hours and hours. (I won't). I can't decide my favorite part of the movie. It kept me laughing so I think people should watch it.
Other than all of that....I finished Veronica Mars Seasons One and Two. For anyone who isn't watching this show, you're a fucking moron. It's pegged as the best show on television by some of my favorite people. It's witty without being overly witty like the Gilmore Girls, it's angsty without being overly angsty like Dawson's Creek, It's serious without being overly melodramatic like the OC, and it's all around awesome. The characters are believable, mostly. The dog fuckin' rules! And the plot is actually thought out. Very rarely do television shows outsmart me, I pride myself on the fact that I know who the killer is on CSI before Grissom, but Veronica Mars outsmarts me very single time.
okay enough fangirling.
BOWIE!QUOTE: Pop stars are capable of growing old. Mick Jagger at 50 will be marvelous - a battered old roue - I can just see him. An aging rock star doesn't have to opt out life. When I'm 50, I'll prove it..
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