Who's who in the Comics Bulletin Universe - Update 2009
Who is... Michael A. Diaz?
Michael Diaz lives in Michigan, but don't hold that against him.
There he works as a Sys. Admin. while fostering dreams of one day becoming a "real" writer.
Most importantly, Michael is seriously addicted to comics, something that his wonderful wife tolerates with the patience of a saint.
He also writes this weekly column that people occasionally read.
"[O]ne of the most positive
and entertaining columns going."
- Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Villains United)
WLG #293: Not Just Dead Things!
Editor's note: Welcome to our fourth week of pilot columns from writers who we are considering to take over "What Looks Good". Up this week is ComicsBulletin writer and editor Paul Brian McCoy. Please take a moment to give Paul some feedback on his column in our message board; it will definitely help us editors decide on our next columnist.
Welcome one and all to another installment of the rotating door that is, for the moment, What Looks Good. I'm Paul Brian McCoy and this week I'll be your guide through the enticing and intriguing world of my very own Geek Fetishes. Of course, our main attractions will be of the Comics variety, but as I'm a loquacious bugger, I'll be throwing in a few more items of interest that have me excited this week.
Don't worry. There's nothing dirty.
What we do have is a lot of zombies in one form or another, although there are none wearing those oh, so fashionable rainbow rings. Sorry. You don't get that stuff from me. I tried to like it. Really I did.
But it didn't take.
So instead, my walking affronts to god and nature range from those skulking about in Victorian England, to others lurching through a contemporary wasteland, to one particularly odd walking nightmare moping about underground, Punishing himself and hopefully others.
But I don't just love dead things. No matter what you've heard.
We've also got vikings, mole men, shady sea captains, and costumed heroes galore, because I have a distinctly perverse need to keep writing far beyond what's required for this column. So prepare for a peek at my viewing selections for the week, in addition to all the comic goodness.
Don't worry, though. They're mostly in keeping with the theme of the column, but there are a few picks that are included just because I geeked out when I saw they were showing up in shops and on my TV screen this week.
But enough of my jibber-jabber. Let's take a look at, in the immortal words of the Godfather of Geekdom, Michael Diaz, What Looks Good!
BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 $2.99 (Grant Morrison / Cameron Stewart)I'll be honest. The art on the last three issues threatened to drive me away from this book. But I thought the first three issues were some of the best comics work in 2009.
This issue sees Morrison's Seaguy co-conspirator, Cameron Stewart, taking on the art duties and it looks like Batman and Robin are taking a trip across the ocean for an adventure with Squire.
It's always good to see Morrison involving the "alternate" Batman characters, and with Stewart's clean line work this should be a treat for the eyes, if nothing else.
NORTHLANDERS #24 $2.99 (Brian Wood / Leandro Fernandez)
This is a series that I've been reading as the collections are released, but I just wanted to include it here because it's damned fine work by everyone involved and you should be buying it in one format or another. If you've got a few spare bucks, pick up the monthlies. If that's too rich for your blood, save up and get the trades.
But unless you're out of work, homeless, or in a mental institution, you really should be reading this in one format or another.
Don't download it though. Unless you're out of work, homeless, or in a mental institution.
I guess.
This storyline's all about an outbreak of The Plague! It has to be fun!
VICTORIAN UNDEAD #3 (of 6) $2.99 (Ian Edginton / Davide Fabbri)
Sherlock Holmes fighting zombies.
What more do you want?
As if that concept alone wasn't enough to make this a book worth taking a look at, it's also written by the criminally underrated Ian Edginton. You really should be searching out anything with his name on it, as he's never let me down.
THE WALKING DEAD #69 $2.99 (Robert Kirkman / Charlie Adlard)This comic never lets up.
Sure, there were a few months there in the middle where it seemed to lose its way for a bit, but, whether it was intended or not, after lulling us into a sense of comfort, Kirkman dropped the biggest bombs on these characters yet. If the book hadn't slowed down so much before that moment, I don't know how effective the sudden change in the status quo would have been.
But that was a while ago. I should just stop talking about it. However, it seems like some readers lost interest around then, or drifted away and might not have come back yet. For those readers, I say, "It's time. Come home."
For the past few months, with the arrival of new characters and motivations, Walking Dead has picked up energy again and seems to have a new surprise every issue. When you think Kirkman's gonna zig, he zags. And Adlard's art is consistently expressive, realistic, and shocking.
This week they arrive in Washington, and things don't look good.
And did you hear that AMC greenlit the pilot this past week? Awesome! Can't wait!
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6 (of 6) $3.99 (Ed Brubaker / Bryan Hitch)
I think I must be one of the few remaining readers who really isn't upset about the scheduling snafu with this miniseries. Even though Reborn hasn't been the best thing Brubaker's written, or the best thing that Hitch has illustrated, it's still been solid storytelling.
It's just a story that everyone already knows, for the most part. And the parts we didn't know for sure are turning out to be things we could have guessed.
I'm also a little sympathetic to a writer who plots out his story way in advance, and then, while writing, finds the story growing on him, busting past the pre-established length. Hell, that's what happens with me every time I sit down to write something, whether it's fiction or one of these gosh-darned columns.
Sometimes you've just got to let the story breathe and ignore the demands of the marketplace.
I really think that the people bitching the most about this extra issue throwing off the Steve Rogers return-reveal, are people who have never really given in to the creative impulse.
Yeah. I said it.
FANTASTIC FOUR #575 $2.99 (Jonathan Hickman / Dale Eaglesham)
This kicks off the next arc, and it looks like it's going to be epic in scale. Not only does it involve the High Evolutionary, who's been a favorite of mine since the first time I ever read a story involving him (the flashback in Avengers #186, "Nights of Wundagore!"). He's usually more interesting in smaller doses, so we'll have to see how big a part he plays in this story.
Plus, The Mole Man is back, too!
What?
I like the Mole Man.
PUNISHER #13 $2.99 (Rick Remender / Tony Moore)As long as the MAX version of Frank is around, I don't mind what they do the mainstream Marvel version. And with that said, I think Frankencastle is a brilliant idea that breathes new life into a stale character.
Additionally, I love the old Legion of Monsters, so seeing reanimated Frank defending an underground city of monsters against an army of bizarre, Japanese monster-hunters, with appearances by Morbius the Living Vampire, and Werewolf by Night, is like hooking an I.V. of awesomeness into my arm and letting me mainline my childhood comics fantasies in the Mighty Marvel Manner.
And aside from that, Remender's doing really solid writing on this comic, and Tony Moore is one of my favorite artists working today.
Did I mention that I've just gone back and started reading Fear Agent?
SECRET WARRIORS #12 $2.99 (Jonathan Hickman / Stefano Caselli)
Apparently, some longtime fans of Nick Fury find this series to be an affront to the legacy of the character.
Well, okay. If you say so.
But to me, this is the best Nick Fury story ever told.
I love the scale, the imagination, and the way Hickman has opened up the mythology of these characters. And the art has been beautiful no matter who's been doing the pencils. If you ask me, this comic makes the entire Marvel Universe a better place.
The second collection is out in hardback this week, too. If you haven't been reading, think about give it a shot. I won't guarantee you'll like it, but I think it's great stuff that expands the boundaries of how comics tell their stories.
How's that for snooty?
KICK-ASS #8 $2.99 (Mark Millar / John Romita Jr.)
I kind of hesitated before including this, since I've really lost interest in this series. But then I sat down and watched the Red Band trailer for the film version and just started giggling like a foul-mouthed little schoolgirl again.
So, even though I'm not all that excited about seeing this issue finally ship, it still looks good. We'll have to see if this is another Millar book that collapses in on itself as it crosses the finish line, though.
And even if it does, at least we'll always have Hit-Girl.
HIGHLANDER: IMMORTAL EDITION BLU-RAY(1986) $56.98
The DVD version of this classic has been out since 2002, but the reviews suggested that the picture quality wasn't the best, and really, while I'm sure it's cool and all, did we really need the soundtrack packaged with it?
Anyway, from what I've read, this Blu-Ray version is about as good as it gets. Sure, if you're not in the US, you've been able to buy this for a while now, but this week, we get our grubby American paws on it at last.
According to some reviews, the picture quality of this Blu-Ray release is one of the biggest leaps forward from a DVD release that some fans have ever seen.
Hmmm. Is this the film that inspires me to get a Blu-Ray Player?
Hmmm.
PONTYPOOL (2008) $19.98Hey look! More zombies!
This film is being called one of the most original and intelligent horror films to be released in years. It's a Canadian film based on a novel about a zombie plague that is spread via language. I think.
I've tried not to spoil too much about it for myself, so I'm going in kind of blind. But I'm very excited.
My ears always perk up when a film is called Cronenbergian. Especially since Cronenberg hasn't made a straight-forward horror film in years. It would be nice to see someone pick up the slack in that department.
Not that Cronenberg's films haven't been good. They've been freaking amazing.
But they haven't really been horror. And I miss that.
CALLAN: SET 2 (1972) $59.99
Speaking of missing something. Here's something that probably just about everyone on this continent missed. I'll bet a lot of folks over in the UK have missed this as well.
The late Edward Woodward (The Equalizer, The Wicker Man - the original, not that travesty with Nicolas Cage) plays Callan, a man with a gift for assassination, but without the stomach for the job. He's cool, abrasive, and would kill his boss if he got half a chance. Because, you see, his boss basically keeps him on a short leash with threats of having him killed if he doesn't work black-ops for the British government.
I've only seen a few episodes from the 1967 first season of this show, but last year, Season 3 (the first season in color), was released on DVD and if you like your action smart and British, then this is the show for you. This is the complete Fourth and final season and is something I'm really looking forward to spending some time with.
WAGNER: DAS RHEINGOLD (2007) 45.98 (DVD), 29.99 (Blu-Ray)WAGNER: DIE WALKURE (2008) 45.98
When I was young, I stumbled across an issue of Thor that told the story of the Rheingold, Siegfried, and the Valkyrie. It was inspired by Wagner's Ring Cycle, and ever since, I've had an interest in the opera. But, as the entire sequence is overwhelmingly long, I've never made it through an entire performance, although I tried to watch a very stylish production on PBS years ago.
Well, apparently someone has decided to produce a version of the opera with enough visual flair to keep even a cultureless baboon like me entranced for the long haul. The few pictures I've seen of this production are amazing. They reminded me of a cross between David Lynch and Julie Taymor, and if those names mean anything to you, you might want to check this out.
And, if you like these, SIEGFRIED and GOTTERDAMMERUNG will be released February 23, to complete the set.
BETTER OFF TED (ABC) "Mess of a Salesman" Tuesday, 8:30
Why aren't you watching Better Off Ted? This is one of the funniest, smartest, and raunchiest-with-a-heart-est shows on television. After a very successful first season, this show came back a couple of months ago and everyone seems to have forgotten about it.
For shame!
This is the best comedy set in an evil corporation doing horrendous scientific research that you're ever going to see. I laugh hysterically every episode. You will too. Although there may not be many episodes left.
KIDS IN THE HALL: DEATH COMES TO TOWN (CBC) Tuesday 9:00
Do you like The Kids in the Hall? Well, then if you're not in Canada, you probably need to check the internet, because the whole gang is back and, taking their inspiration from The League of Gentlemen, have created an eight-episode comedy murder mystery, the first two episodes of which aired last week. It's pretty freaking funny, in a weird and creepy way. The mayor of Shucktown, Ontario has been murdered and everyone in town is a suspect. And the physical personification of Death is hanging around town snorting souls like cocaine. What more could you want?
FRINGE (FOX) "The Bishop Revival" Thursday, 9:00
I really wish Fox would move Fringe to another night. There's just too much competition on Thursday nights and it's damaging the ratings. I'm afraid it might not come back next season, and that would be another tragic Fox loss.
This show found its groove about three quarters of the way through the first season and hasn't really let up since. Even the "monster of the week" episodes have gotten pretty darned good, and as the pieces of the overarching story arc begin falling into place it just keeps getting better and better.
For me, this is what X-Files should have been, but only rarely accomplished.
And Dr. Walter Bishop is about the greatest television character introduced in the last five years.
SUPERNATURAL (CW) "Swap Meat" Thursday, 9:00
I'm late to the party on Supernatural, I admit. But after watching selected episodes of each of the first four seasons, I was hooked, and Season Five has been the highest quality season yet. Like Fringe, they've gotten into such a comfortable groove with both the writing and the acting, that even the casual one-off episode that doesn't impact the seasonal arc are worth watching.
But to be honest, even those episodes look like they're adding little bits and pieces to the mythology.
I really hope that this isn't the last season for the show, but it's going to be hard to top the things they've done, and the things that are coming, this season.
MARVELOUS MISADVENTURES OF FLAPJACK (CARTOON) "Off With His Hat; K'nuckles and His Hilarious Problem" Thursday, 9:00
Do you remember back when Spongebob first broke onto the scene and the first time you saw it, you said, "What the hell did I just watch?!?" Then you said, "I want to watch more!!!"Imagine the weirdness and absurdity of Spongebob if it were filtered through the heroin nightmares from Trainspotting and animated with horrifying watercolor backgrounds and visuals that will creep you out completely.
That's Flapjack. The first story this week is amusing, but stay tuned for "K'nuckles and His Hilarious Problem." You see, in the world of Flapjack, candy is like a drug and booze combined. Captain K'nuckles (voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray) is an alcoholic/junkie/candy addict failure of a sea captain and Flapjack is his adventure-obsessed innocent cabinboy sidekick.
K'nuckle's "hilarious problem" is his addiction to candy. And this week, Flapjack is determined to get K'nuckles clean. There is a hallucinatory sequence toward the end of this episode as K'nuckles is drying out that will give you nightmares. But in a funny, horrifying way. It's on YouTube, if you're curious. Check it out.
This is the good stuff.
DOLLHOUSE (FOX) "Epitaph 2: Return" Friday, 9:00
It's finally over!
I wasn't going to include this show, since every week is a painful mixture of crushed hopes and wasted possibilities with a dash of erotic fantasy thrown in to provide flavor. But "Epitaph 1" was the best thing that ever happened to this show, and with this week's series finale, we return to 2020 and see what happened to our anti-tech freedom fighters.
It looks gritty, violent, and depressing, but Felicia Day is in the credits so it can't be all bad.
CAPRICA (SYFY) "Rebirth" Friday, 9:00
Did you watch the premiere of Caprica? Did you avoid it because Battlestar Galactica disappointed you? Well, just pretend that Battlestar's finale never happened and tune in to this show.Hell, you don't really need to have ever even watched Battlestar Galactica to enjoy this. It's just an all-around good piece of work, if a little slow at times.
However, in one episode it made me forget everything about the other series that ever let me down. All of the actors involved in Caprica are excellent; the plot is complex and asks some very interesting and intriguing moral questions; and the look and style of the production are believable and realistic, particularly the way the tech is integrated into everyday life.
This is science fiction for adults.
Watch it now, because I can't imagine it lasting very long.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS (PBS) "Steve Earle; Kris Kristofferson" Check Local Listings
This one's just for me, really. But HOLY CRAP! Steve Earle AND Kris Kristofferson performing on Austin City Limits! If you're looking for brilliant American songwriting then look no further.
This is one that will probably stay on the DVR for a good long time, to be watched over and over again.
This is what Country Music can be. Not that obnoxious pablum that gets played on the radio all the time.
_________________________
Are you still with me? Really?
Okay, then.
Isn't it nice that we live in a time when there's so much good genre work being done in just about every medium we've got? I know I threw a huge pile of my own Geek Fetish Objects at you, but there's so much more out there it's ridiculous! If you can't find something to geek out over in comics, movies, or on TV these days, then you should just go live in a cave and stop bringing the rest of us down.
But for those of you not heading off to your cave, stop by the messageboards and let me know what's got you geeking out this week.
Until then, Wah-hoo!
-PBM
Were Diaz's picks on the mark?
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