Comic Reviews for October 12th 2011

S.H.I.E.L.D. vol.2 #3
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Art by: Dustin Weaver

Alright I gotta level with you guys on this issue: I am totally undecided on whether to drop this or not. It has been a year and a half now with nine issues to its credit and I don't know what the point is. Jonathan Hickman is a man with a ton of ideas and his creativity is what got me to be a fan in the first place. But after this issue, it's clear as day that there is no story here. This entire issue, sans one panel and a final page, there is no dialogue in this. The Celestial Baby, which has been an obscure part of this entire run so far, has grown to Godzilla like proportions and is now wrecking havoc in the hidden city. While I'll get to the incredible art in a minute, the issue overall reeks of laziness. We presumably only have three more issues to go before this entire story ends and Hickman only gives us this massive fight scene. It's frustrating because I still have no idea why I should care about anything in this book. From the pointless main character whose name I don't even remember (even the solict doesn't bother to mention him) to the more bizarre mathematical portion at the end; nothing makes sense. Why did we have to spend an entire issue on this predicament when bigger things are obviously dire right now?

Comic Reviews for October 5th 2011

Thunderbolts #164
Written by: Jeff Parker
Art by: Kev Walker

When the last issue of Thunderbolts hit, technically the .1 issue, I claimed this was one of the best titles for Marvel right now. It's still not a wrong statement because Jeff Parker and Kev Walker (one of the artists) has been making this one of the most fun and consistent books for the company the last year. With this new arc of the Thunderbolts being stuck in time, WWII to be exact, it offers a lot of promise and some good old Nazi killing. Sometimes though, a good book can miss a step or two. While this particular issue isn't bad by any means, it certainly feels like a 'speed bump' in a hectic street.

Comic Reviews for September 28th 2011

Daredevil #4
Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Marcos Martin

It's funny how sometimes I can be really impatient when a book doesn't come out on time. Whether it's because the book is late for creative reasons, or if my LCS doesn't get the issue on time; it really bugs me. Now the latter is not really my store's fault but it still bugs me to no end that Diamond will shaft my store. So this brings to this particular issues of Daredevil, which practically contradicts everything I just said before. Because not only will I be willing to wait forever for another issue but I would be willing to pay any type of figure for an issue of this series. (Note: This last sentence does not reflect on higher cost prices Marvel)

Comic Reviews for September 21st 2011

Severed #2
Written by: Scott Snyder & Scott Tuft
Art by: Attila Futaki

It's amazing just how far a man's mind can go to tell a story. Scott Snyder certainly has shown his horror chops in a lot of his work. But this time, it feels like he is going to tell us (along with Scott Tuft) a full on horror story instead of telling horror on the side like in Batman or American Vampire. You certainly have a lot going for this book to scare you: Hobos, cannibal murders, and a general sense of doom are throughout this comic book. If you're like me and you got excited with the word 'hobos' in that last sentence, then this is a comic for you.

Comic Reviews for September 14th 2011

Green Lantern #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Doug Mahnke

Sometimes you can't go home again.

I remember getting back into comics around 2008, not even remembering who or what a Green Lantern was. Now with Geoff Johns, a slew of artists (mostly Doug Mahnke for me), and a big screen adaptation that seems like a big joke now. But what made me interested in the character, or now universe spanning characters, is how much of a great space opera it was. Johns had so many great ideas and storylines for this entire universe that it was compelling to pick up each issue. But then, around the time of Blackest Night, the sparkle turned into a dimmer which then turned into complete blackness. (See what I did there?) I just couldn't find myself caring about Johns was creating because it felt more like he cared about his 'bigger picture' then actually telling a good story. So with the reboot coming and this new predicament of  being a Green Lantern once more I was excited to see what was their to offer.

Comic Reviews for September 7th 2011

Secret Avengers #16
Written by: Warren Ellis
Art by: Jamie McKelvie

This book has been faltering for quite some time now. Ed Brubaker gave us a fun, if not flawed, twelve issues and Nick Spencer just....well let's just forget about Nick Spencer. So with no direction in sight it feels like the Avengers book I only really liked is gonna end soon. But we have salvation my friends! First we have Warren Ellis come back to the Marvel Universe. While he may not enjoy writing mainstream comics anymore, his last few have been pretty good. Also we have a cornucopia of artists for the next six issues starting with Jamie McKelvie on this issue. That should be more then enough to pique anyone's interest right?

Comic Reviews for August 24th 2011

Batman Incorporated #8
Written by: Grant Morrison
Art by: Scott Clark with Dave Beatty

Although the series, and notion, of Batman Incorporated isn't going anywhere with the reboot it is disappearing for a little bit. With that said we have the 'final' issue of the first volume (sans a double sized one shot apparently coming out this Fall, but nothing mentioned in the solicitations) this week and it's got a lot to live up to from the incredible seventh issue. Grant Morrison seems to finally be giving us the title that was hinted at when first announced: An action packed, somewhat Silver Age return to Batman but still having those big ideas to tell the stories. For the 'last' issue of this run we have the debut of something called 'Internet 3.0'....Now that's a Morrison idea if I ever heard one.

John Swartzwelder: The Simpsons Retrospective Day 5

This is the moment we all have been waiting for! The Top Ten John Swartzwelder episodes of the Simpsons! 

A mix of episodes from the classic run of the series, to some of the seasons that people might not have appreciated. (Note: Seasons 9-12 are highly underrated) So let’s get on with this with #10:

John Swartzwelder: The Simpsons Retrospective Day 4

Welcome back to part four of this John Swartzwelder Simpsons retrospective. This list is a bit longer as we got the top ten coming up tomorrow. Today though you get treated to episodes 23-11.

John Swartzwelder: The Simpsons Retrospective Day 3

We still got thirty-five more episodes to cover in this John Swartzwelder Simpsons retrospective! Today we cover episodes 35-24

Comic Reviews for August 17th 2011

Superboy #11
Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Pier Gallo

One of the most underrated comics to come out in the last year, in my opinion anyways, has been Superboy. Jeff Lemire has written one of the strangest Superman related comics by having it be more of a character study then just a non-stop, action packed comic book. Well except for that one issue tie-in into that Doomsday storyline. But hey lets all forget that ever happened shall we? With the DC reboot just mere weeks away, and with Superboy changing radically too, issue eleven is sadly the last issue of this really entertaining comic. Does Lemire and artist Pier Gallo end on a bang?

John Swartzwelder: The Simpsons Retrospective Day 2

Welcome back to Part 2 of this John Swartzwelder Simpsons retrospective. Today we have episodes 47-36.

John Swartzwelder: The Simpsons Retrospective Day 1

If you know me, and you most likely don’t, I am a huge fan of John Swartzwelder. He is one of the funniest and most reclusive comedy writers today. He wrote fifty-nine episodes of The Simpsons, which he has no problem putting on each cover of his wonderful novels. Since I am a huge fan of the man’s work I have probably seen all fifty-nine of his episodes more than any other writer. (Although Conan O’Brien’s ‘Marge vs the Monorail’ still overshadows as my favorite episode of the series)

So I want to share the wealth so to speak this week by giving you guys a ranking of all fifty-nine episodes of John Swartzwelder. Now even though it is a rank, I don’t find any of these episodes bad in any shape or form. I tried ranking these episodes by the amount of jokes and overall story into each. So without further ado, here is part one of this five part retrospect:

Comic Reviews for August 10th 2011

Deadpool #41
Written by: Daniel Way
Art by: Carlos Barberi

You know your interest in a comic is waning if the only thing you really enjoyed was the cover. Make no mistake, Dave Johnson has been doing some great covers for this title. It's a shame that Deadpool has such an unnatural hatred because it makes people miss out on some brilliant work by Johnson. (Who I think keeps getting screwed out of Eisners for 'Best Covers') I think what makes this stand out is the use of bright blue for the background. It makes the surreal image of Deadpool riding his brain all the more interesting to look at. But again, outside of the cover, I found very little to care about this issue.

Review: 13 Assassins

13 Assassins
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Written by: Daisuke Tengan
Starring: Koji Yakusho (Shimada Shinzaemon), Goro Inagaki (Lord Naritsugu Matsudaria), Masachika Ichimura (Hanbei Kitou), Takayuki Yamada (Shimada Shinrokuro)


Unprofessional Review


THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME!!!

Comic Reviews for August 3rd 2011

Herc #6
Written by: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente
Art by: Neil Edwards

After six issues I think I finally got the tone for this series. This has a very 70s, B-movie vibe in the same vein as The Warriors or Death Wish. If you think of the comic that way, then maybe you'll find some quality in this comic. But for me that's the only time the word 'quality' will pop up in this review. After slogging through this series for six issues, this has finally made me decide to drop the character I once loved.

Top 10 Adult Swim Shows

Remember when Adult Swim used to be cool? I mean that block on Cartoon Network had it all. Great anime shows, syndication of lesser known shows, and more importantly original programming. Now a days Adult Swim seems to be contempt on airing endless King of the Hill or Family Guy reruns. Well instead of wasting your time on that, I'm gonna give you guys the best shows to look out for on Adult Swim and if by chance on DVD as well. So here it is, the top 10 Adult Swim shows! (In no particular order)
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Review: Grant Morrison Talking With Gods

Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods
Directed by: Patrick Meaney
Starring: Grant Morrison, Jason Aaron, Dan Didio, Warren Ellis, Matt Fraction, Frazer Irving, Phil Jimenez, Geoff Johns, J.G. Jones, Frank Quitety, Jill Thompson, Mark Waid


If you know me in any way, you would know that Grant Morrison is one of my favorite writers in comics. Everything he writes has a strange tone to it, but he puts a lot of ideas on the table and makes each title he works on a fascinating read. His epic run on Batman, Doom Patrol, All Star Superman, and a lot more in the past twenty years have been some of the best comics I've read. So when it was announced that a documentary was to be made on the man himself, of course I was excited about it. Seeing the huge list of other creators on the list, I expected a big opus on the life of this Scottish born creator. What it ended up as though is a confusing, downright bizarre look at a man that is very hard to believe.

Comic Reviews for July 27th 2011

Captain America Corps #2

Written by: Roger Stern

Art by: Philippe Briones

Last month I had a pretty slow week in comics when 'Captain America Corps #1' came out. So I might have had a bias in regards to actually enjoying a comic when nothing came out for me. Roger Stern has been given reigns of putting together a team of Captain America's to fight some big evil that.....well that hasn't really appeared yet.

Review: Captain America

Directed by: Joe Johnston
Written by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Starring: Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Tommy Lee Jones (Col. Chester Philips), Hugo Weaving (Johann Schmidt/Red Skull), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Toby Jones (Armin Zola), and Stanley Tucci (Abraham Erskine)

After two unsuccessful attempts at making a live action Captain America, it seemed uncertain whether our own patriotic superhero could be a believable movie star. Thankfully Marvel Studios have branched out into the film industry and have made a killing at making entertaining, but also plausible heroes. First came Iron Man, then Hulk, and then we recently got a Thor movie; so it seemed obvious that the leader of the Avengers had to be brought out sooner or later. At long last we finally have a Captain America movie with Chris Evans, a journeyman of comic book films of late, taking the title role. As a country, can we finally root for our own superhero on the big screen? Or is this yet another lame duck origin retelling?

Post #1: A New Hope

Welcome to anyone who has stumbled on this blog and the people I will be inviting too for hopefully a long time. I got interested in making a blog after realizing that 140 characters is too much of a limitation on voicing my opinion on things. So now we have this little blog created by me to voice how I feel on certain subjects. For the most part I am going to try and keep the topic solely on Television and Film. In fact a very big experiment is coming up for me in the coming months and it involves The Academy Awards. I'll post more about that later as time goes on.


But for now this is my first attempt at doing such a thing and hopefully all of you guys and gals will bare with me as I go through the ropes on making an entertaining blog. That's all for now and stay tuned tomorrow where, if all things go well, I should have my very first attempt at a film review posting on 'Captain America'.

Cya around!