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Sunday, February 27, 2005

Strange #1-3
writers: J Michael Straczynski and Sara "Samm" Barnes
artist: Brandon Peterson
published by Marvel Knights

J Michael Straczynski revolutionized the Marvel bullpen when he first signed on to take over Amazing Spider-Man a couple years back. Marvel started hiring big name writers, with mixed results. Bruce Jones stumbled on Hulk. Grant Morrison blew minds on New X-Men. Kevin Smith started two limited series' (and was supposed to take over for Straczynski on ASM) and managed to finish nothing. The writer of the Man-Thing movie managed to spin a good yarn that was wholly dependent on the movie actually coming out sometime this century.
Straczynski did good with his aggressive re-invention of Squadron Supreme in Supreme Power. And Samm Barnes followed up with a worthy spin off, Dr Spectrum.
Now, they've been collectively given one of Marvel's long-languishing B-listers to rethink...and oddly, they've changed very little. Stephen Strange is still a spoiled doctor who recieves his comeuppance in the form of a debilitating injury that prevents him from being a surgeon ever again. Where the book starts taking its left turns are with the characters of Wong and the Ancient One. Wong is now a doctor himself (though he practices nontraditional medicine)...and has hair. And the Ancient One now ends up in New York, two blocks from Strange's apartment.
There's not a lot of new ideas thrown out, other than the feel of the book is more like the movie Constantine than anything Marvel's done with the character before. I have a feeling that this book won't last beyond 12 issues. Why? Because there's nothing in these three issues that motivates me to read any further.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

Another Cool Comics Site

Found this on Neil Gaiman's journal...
Suspension of Disbelief, the comics fact-checking people

Jenn Finds Us the Coolest Shit

This Place Sucks
OR...try this (also very kewl and shit)
DJ

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Ex Machina #6-7
writer: Brian K Vaughn
artist: Tony Harris
published by Wildstorm/DC Comics

I'm a whore for writers when it comes to my comics. Hence my villification of the early to mid 90s output, especially from Marvel and Image.
It's a natural that I read just about everything that Brian K Vaugh puts pen to. He is, quite simply, one of the most solid and promising writers working in comics today (though the same could be said for Robert Kirkman, Brian Azzarello, etc). Fact is, Ex Machina is one of the fresher concepts to pop out of one of the majors in the last few years (his Y: The Last Man being another of them). And the writing fulfills the promise of the premise...what happens when a superhero achieves political office?
Superheroes are idealistic sorts. Comes with the cape and tights. And this book wears its idealism on its sleeve. Therein lies its great strenght -- to speak on social issues. Like the X-books at their finest moments, Ex Machina is about something.
Perhaps I'm biased because I agree with some of the issues the book brings up. Perhaps I'm a bleeding heart liberal. Guess what? Bite me if ya don't like it. I'll stick to my guns and you people can worship the false idol you installed in office.
Booya.

Monday, February 21, 2005

Hunter S Thompson 1937-2005

FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK

Hunter S Thompson is dead.
Thompson was more than a literary giant. He was a cultural icon. He was the epitome of the drugs and booze and sex-soaked days of the late 60s through the 70s. Afterwards, he was a stalwart champion of the freedom that America represents...the freedom to get fucked up and shoot guns in the desert of the mountains...the freedom to drive an exhorbitantly expensive vehicle off-road at high rates of speed with a bottle of Chivas between your legs...the freedom to dream...
He was, without a doubt, a prime inspiration to the first incarnation of NeurOTrash as a print newsletter, back in the day.
I considered the man a prophet...one of four (along with Timothy Leary, Robert Anton Wilson and George Carlin).
We have two prophets left. Let's not waste them.

Gonzo lives. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
I miss ya, Hunter.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Funny Shtuff

PRICELESS

Marvel Team-Up #2-4
writer: Robert Kirkman
artist: Scott Kollins
published by Marvel Comics

Robert Kirkman is hotter than Heat Miser's nether regions, and Marvel is bending over backwards to let him play with the toys.
Hence, the resurrection of Marvel Team-Up, a stalwart of the 80's comic scene where Spider-Man was partnered for an issue or two with another character. It was the one Spidey book I ever really read, because there was usually an interesting guest star to make up for Spider-Man being so damn lame.
Kirkman's tweaked the formula. Spidey isn't necessarily gonna be in every issue. Instead, each issue will feature two Marvel characters in an ongoing story arc.
It started off with Spider-Man and Wolverine facing off with a new teenage mutant who also happens to be an amoral killer. The story then switched to the Fantastic Four and Dr Strange studying an extradimensional phenomenon that was caused by an ersatz Tony Stark popping into the mainstream Marvel Universe. Then, we get Iron Man and the Hulk facing off against both the mutant kid and the Tony Stark Dr Doom guy. And all the while, there's an alien monitoring things for some mysterious reason.
I love Scott Kollins' art, as well, which is making this a real treat. If only I had #1 so I knew how the story started...