Captain America #42

Apparently issue #42 of Captain America marks the end of the current story arc. First off, I can’t believe that I’ve just finished a forty-two issue story arc in this day in age. It’s been absolutely wonderful. The art, writing, and consistency of this run has reminded me why I love reading comic books. If you haven’t read the issue, go to Marvel’s website and preview it here. I don’t want to give too much away considering that the Red Skull/Agent 13 story line ties up and we discover the fate of The Grand Director (also known as the Cap of the 1950s). The important things that come out of this include:

• James continues to struggle with the idea of being Captain America, but he also starts to get it.
• The Black Widow and the Falcon continue to be treated as quality characters.
• James is going to be Captain America for the foreseeable future.

Do I miss Steve Rogers?  Yes I do.  Am I excited to see where this title is going to go now (especially since Thor met James in the Secret Invasion series)?  You bet.

If you want to read more about this issue check out reviews:

• here
• here
• and here 

Summer’s Almost Gone

My birthday was this week, and for me that’s always meant that summer is almost gone.  When I was a kid it signalled about two weeks until school started.  Of course now it means that school is just around the corner.  No update last week because my Dad and I went to New York to see a few games at Yankee Stadium. While there I did stop at one of the best comic book stores in the world, Forbidden Planet.

It’s going to be comics heavy this week…

• First, I just read Captain America #41 and while this series doesn’t seem to be closing up any loose ends, I love it. The Red Skull’s plan seems to be coming together and unravelling at the same time, the mental fake Cap is still running around, and James/Bucky is really figuring out how to be Captain America (as evidenced by events in this book). Check out LOTRKing’s review.
• I also have to mention that Secret Invasion continues to be great. Is the tide turning? It’s starting to look like we might have some hope against the Skrull invasion. My only complaint with this crossover is that I wish the main Secret Invasion book had more and the crossover titles less. I miss the old days when limited series told the entire story (like Secret Wars). In the meantime, check out LOTRKing’s review here.
• Also noteworthy of late are the Fantastic Four and a new Mark Millar book War Heroes.
• The AVClub has two comics-related articles this week; one that ties comics to the Olympics, the other is its comics’ panel which also mentioned War Heroes.

In comics and movies, Sam from Electricity & Lust (on his Screenjabber blog) checks in on the Watchmen buzz.

In links, it looks like Electricity & Lust have been out of touch for a while too. They have a bunch of links this week.

I think that might be it for now. There are one or two music items I might write about over at ROCKIST. Off to watch some Battlestar Gallactica and tackle my ever-growing pile of comics.

Laziest Sunday Ever

So after some work travel, a weekend away, late nights, etc.  I’m back to the blog.  I know, you all missed me so.  Actually, traffic has shot up like crazy from the odd 2-3 hits a day to hundreds.  Now before I go and get too excited it’s all being driven by Kirstie Alley searches.  Maybe she’s become popular again… who knows? 

So I’m going to start in comics.  There’s a shitload going on in comics.  Where to begin?

Let’s begin with the mother of all comic book movies, The Dark Knight.  Beyond smashing box office records and drawing repeat viewers and people who typically prefer Sandra Bullock movies, this movie is getting fantastic reviews.  I have not seen the movie yet, but here are the words of a few who have:

• The AVClub
• Cinematically Correct
• Electricity & Lust
• LOTRKing

Ok, continuing in comics, a lot of quality books have come out in the last two weeks as well. Once again, Captain America is the highlight of my haul. Issue #40 has got me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what the hell is going to happen. This book continues to be one of the best written and drawn comics out today. Check out LOTRKing’s review. He also reviews Astonishing X-Men #25. So far, I’m a little unimpressed with it, but I think that’s in large part due to the great run Joss Whedon had on the Astonishing X-Men.

• Also, the AVClub released its Comics Panel.
• Check out an interview with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.
• And check out the New York Times writing about the creator of Invincible.

Finally, ComicCon has been going on this week, check out the AVClub’s coverage here for July 23, July 24, July 25, and July 26. Also, the Invincible Super Blog posts the true rumors here.

Whew, moving on to music. I found a few cool reviews and articles this week, including:
Sub Pop records turned 20 years old while I was away. A few people have written about it, including Cinematically Correct, and Electric LustElectricity & Lust’s Tumblr site.

• Also in music, the AVClub reviews Nine Inch Nails new album The Slip. I downloaded it a while back for free.
• I also have attempted my own version of the best albums of each year since my birth. Not an easy task (especially for the lean years of the 1980s).

In literature and books and the such, One Story Magazine dominates this week…

• The editor points out how newspapers are cutting their noses off in spite of their face as they try to stay relevant. The latest cuts? book reviews.
• Issue 106 Safe Passage has arrived in my mail box and landed on my to read list.

Finally, in movies, I have to point to Electricity & Lust’s movies since their birth. I don’t think I’ll try it myself, but I think they have a pretty good list. They also give us a little commentary on The Wackness a movie that intrigues me for some reason.

You might be wondering why I have a picture of ROM in this post…  Well, I heard they’re making a Tron 2 and it led me to wonder why there is no ROM movie??  Ok, that’s all for now. Back to my lazy, lazy Sunday.

Weekly Roundup

I’m too tired to come up with an interesting title this week.  We saw Tom Petty last night and after standing on concrete for two hours (and stayig up late) I’m wiped out.  I don’t want to move off the couch.  so let’s begin…

In comics, beyond the pile I always have (which my local comic book guy said was a sign of my problem), Secret Invasion 4 came out this week and the cross over keeps getting better and better. Usually with a Marvel summer cross over I can figure that things will be the same at the end but with this one, I’m not sure. It’s really quite good. Some other thoughts on comics this week include:

• The Invincible Super Blog highlights some interesting comics.
• LOTRKing reviews Hellboy II. If it’s as good as some of the Hellboy universe books have been lately, it should rock.
• One book I’m looking forward to reading is Captain America White.

In movies, the AVClub has finally recognized the greatest achievement in film history… Roadhouse.

• They also discuss The Wackness.

In music, Electricity & Lust has released a list of their favorite albums since the year of their birth. I might have to try that. Check it out here. I agree with a good number of the choices.

• Plain or Pan? has some incredible Rolling Stones recordings on his blog…

In books, the Times highlighted The Size of the World, by Joan Silber. It looks worth picking up, but I’m a sucker for short fiction.

In television, I’ve TiVo’d the first installment of HBO’s Generation Kill, I’m lookign forward to it.

That’s it for now. I’ll write more once I recover.

Happy 5th

Well it’s the holiday weekend. I was going to post yesterday but I got lazy on the couch. So I’ll just jump in before I drift into a nap again.

First, in comics, I’ve made yet another trip to the comic book store. My local shop was having a sale on sets and I got the coolest thing… I found the entire run of Jack Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur. I had the last issue when I was a kid and it’s quite beat up by now. It was a great price and a nice addition to my collection. Even better, Sean will have it around and get to read the entire series. It’s really kind of mental and interesting and strange.   I also picked up Astonishing X-Men #25, the first in a new story arc with a new creative team. I doubt it will be as good as Joss Whedon’s run, but I’ll give it a try.

Also in comics:

• The Super Invincible Blog highlights the week that was in July 2. I’ve picked up some of these issues as well, including the freakout issue of Batman.
• Click here for a Comics report card. I agree totally with their thought that Captain America is the best book around.
• LOTRKing reviews both Captain America #39 and Mighty Avengers #15.

In movies/DVD, the AVClub reviews Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. I wrote about it earlier this week here. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth the time.

• The AVClub also reviews The Wackness, a new film about 1994. I’m intrigued by this movie but will wait for it to hit HBO or Netflix. I’m also curious to see the Ben Kingsley/Olsen twin thing.

In music, Plain or Pan directs us to quite possibly the coolest Dylan spoof ever.

In links, Electricity & Lust has its regular mix of cool stuff to check out. Especially interesting were the Liz Phair, Batman, and Zach de la Rocha articles. I am so glad they’ve got the time to go out and scour the interwebs so I don’t have to. They always find the best stuff.

Well, I’ll be back next week with the roundup and I’ll mention anything else I come across in my journeys. Enjoy the hotdogs and hamburgers this weekend.

Happy Father’s Day

I know I’m two days early but the title is appropriate, especially this year. So what’s going on this week?

In movies, Shannon and I are leaving the boy with his grandparents and going to see The Incredible Hulk. Everyone keeps telling me to go see Iron Man, but the Hulk and Spiderman are the two comic books I’ve been reading since I can remember being on this Earth.

• LoTRKing has reviewed it here
• The AVClub reviews it here
• Cinematically Correct is trying to avoid a much worse fate than seeing the Hulk.

In some ways the Hulk gives me a good parenting philosophy. Don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.

In comics as movies news Leonardo Dicaprio is the new rumor as the movie version of Captain America. I don’t think they’ve come up with a good choice yet.

• More viral marketing for The Dark Knight here. (Thanks to Electricity & Lust for the last two items). They’ve got a GREAT post this week.

Moving slightly from movies into comics…

The AVClub has its regular Comics Panel.

In technology, thanks to Cinematically Correct for introducing me to the search engine that gives you motion sickness… Viewzi.

It’s been a light week otherwise.  Thankfully it’s over.  I’ll share some thoughts on the Hulk once I see it.

Happy Memorial Day

A horribly busy week followed by a three-day weekend means that my post this week will short and sweet.  Plus, Sean (the comic book geek in training) is next to me and kicking me in the ribs while I type.  I’m currently awaiting the new Black Angels album to come in the mail, but Amazon.com’s shipping is slow.  I’m starting to think they hold up super saver shipping to encourage people to pay more.  Again I ask my readers to let me know if there are any quality indy record stores out there with a good web pressence. 

First, let’s start with comics. i thought it was going to be a light comics week but then my pile grew yet again with all kinds of good stuff. Some day I’ll be sharing my thoughts on comics’ arcs from a year earlier, confusing everyone. In the meantime some place to check out include:

• Local writer Zach Smith writes that Dark Horse is reprinting a very cool series called Gantz. The idea, the art, it all looks very cool and I’ll have to check it out when it’s released.
• LOTRKing writes about the latest Captain America, Mighty Avengers, and Fantastic Four. Watch out, he provides pretty good plot details so read this after you’ve read the issues.
• After some vacation and delays, the AVClub has posted its biweekly comics panel.

In music, a few things to note:

• Mudhoney of all bands is getting some love. Their early work is being reissued, and they have a new album, The Lucky Ones coming out. It’s nice to see the best band who never got noticed by the public finally get some notice.
• Tom Petty has gotten back together with Mudcrutch. I’ve heard some of it on Sirius and it’s not half bad.

In fiction, the New York Times remembered Ian Flemming, and One-Story has released issue #103.

Finally, who says that video games have no redeeming social value, suck up too much time and make kids fat?!? Now we have the Wii Fit.   Oh yeah, and I guess a few big movies have come out but something keeps stopping me from being able to go. Have a great weekend everyone!

Catching Up

I’ve been behind on blogging lately as my wife was in her ninth month of pregnancy and then had the baby a week ago.  As a result, my reading and viewing habits have been lazy lazy lazy.  Here’s a taste of what I’ve been consuming…

Starbuck’s, yes the coffee company has put out a great CD of music handpicked by Bob Dylan. Find it here. It’s a nice listen of blues, bluegrass, country, reggae, etc. I was surprised at how much I liked it.

Let’s not forget comics. It’s been a big few weeks for comics (and I’m still behind). First, I want to AGAIN mention my love affair with Captain America. Every issue gets better, James as the new Cap is fantastic, the writing is entertaining, and the art is wonderful. I’m curious to see how the entire Sharon Carter thing plays out. I’m also interested to see the new Cap start meeting other members of the Marvel Universe. The one question I have is, what’s going to be up with Steve Rogers during this whole secret invasion thing? While I don’t believe he would have sided with Tony Stark during the Civil War, would he have found a better way to resolve the conflict? Is he a Skrull? I guess we’ll see…

The other book I’ve been enjoying is Fantastic Four. Two issues into Mark Millar’s story arc, I’m enjoying the conflict that is being set up. I suspect that the new creative team is going to bring us along on big adventures and can’t wait.

And finally (in terms of comics) is the Hulk books. The Incredible Herc has been fun and Hulk Red has been interesting too. I suspect that we’re not too far off from the Hulk coming back in style. I like the subtle touches such as Clay Quartermain being around. I just wish he was a little more like the character from 10 or so years ago when he, Rick Jones, and the Hulk were on the road.

In terms of books, I just finished Generation X by Douglas Coupland. Boy, he was ahead of his time when he wrote that book in 1991. Reading it today I feel better. I’m not as weird as I thought I was…

Current reading includes Gentlemen of the Roadby Michael Chabon, The Last Defenders, Northlanders, and some New Yorkers and National Geographic Travellers. I’ve also got a CD wish list that I plan on cycling through. I’ll let you know if I hear anything good.

Captain America #34

I’ve returned from the comic book store with two weeks worth of new releases.  I started flipping through New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, FF, Astonishing X-Men, Star Trek Year 4, etc.  The title I was most excited in, however, was Captain America.  Issue number 34 introduces us to James “Bucky” Barnes the Winter Soldier as the new Captain America. 

I’m not going to give the story away but it jumps right into the action without a long protracted passing of the torch.  I think what’s made this title so compelling is that they’ve brought in strong stories, a strong supporting cast, and made it more about espionage than super powers destroying the world.  So far so good, this is a title worth checking out.

Onto Astonishing X-Men…

New Captain America

So a while back Marvel went and killed Captain America. Well, to be precise they killed Steve Rogers. At the time I was pretty pissed off. First I thought they would just bring him back from the dead, then I thought they took the Civil War thing too far. However, I started actually reading the book again. Between the Red Skull, the Winter Soldier (former sidekick Bucky Barnes), Agent 13, Iron Man, Shield, the Falcon, etc. all I’m really missing is Nick Fury. The title seems to have some new life. The writing has been crisp, the stories interesting, and I’m looking forward to it more and more.

Now, it seems that the title character is coming back. This should be interesting considering the end of issue #33 (I’m not going to put a spoiler in, go read it). Marvel has released pictures here. Go check them out, it looks like a new and interesting direction.