While I’m dealing with some rather dopey computer issues today, here’s one of the best things that happened from last week. As a big fan of Mr. Watterson and his work a d a sort of recent convert to Pastis’ hilarious strip, this is one of those “Can’t believe it happened, but SO glad it did!” events that made me smile a lot. I know people want Bill back in comics on a more regular basis, but I say take this moment and three days worth of strips and savor it. If he wants to do more at some point, it’s ALL up to him. I don’t think Calvin & Hobbes is coming back because he stopped it when he ran out of things to say with those characters and I think anything new would be forced and fan-driven, which always turns out badly in the end for some creators. On the other hand, if wants to do *NEW* material, I’m more than fine with that! Okay, get readin’, people! I need to fix some stuff and figure out what’s mucked up on the site.
Writer/editor/designer Tim Leong is a genius, packing all 192 pages of his VERY informative (and a lot more hilarious) new book Super Graphic with graphs and charts and statistics on a wide range of comic book trivia. Ever want to know how much leg Wonder Woman has shown over 70 years? Or how many places in the world (and off it) Tintin has been? How about the difference between cosplay and crossplay? Maybe you’re really curious about How many times the letter “V” was used in each volume of V for Vendetta? Don’t guess, now – buy this book instead!
These and many more answers await in this amazingly cool book which doesn’t use a single illustration from any comic out there. Instead, it’s all an amusing collection of stylized lists and artwork that never fail to entertain, educate and inform with a fine sense of humor throughout.
The book is chock full of serious info as well, but it’s the humor that ties everything together. If you don’t laugh upon seeing the Gotham City Police Department’s Utility Bill (page 154) or the two pages on Why Guys Like The Invisible Woman and Why Guys Like Spider-Man (pages 84 and 85), you may need to go to Doctor Strange and get your head shrunk for a spell. Oh, and that Venn diagram with Stan Lee’s Nicknames for the Marvel Bullpen (pages 68 and 69)? Priceless. Disney and other comic and comic strip characters, manga, anime, animated movies and indie comics also get covered here as well as lots of non-comic, but related info. So if you’re not a member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society or a junior member of the Justice League, you’ll still find a great deal of interesting stuff here to pore over. Pick this up for $18.95 over at the Chronicle Books website.
Well, it’s official and I’ll get used to it, but I’ll admit I laughed out loud and IMMEDIATELY thought of one of those many “Judge” TV shows that crowd television these days. Batman suing Superman or vice versa? For what, one can only wonder. Of course, I’d better shut it with the snark or director Zack Snyder will whip out his trusty Leica, bash me on the head with it and take a photo to post on his twitter page. Ouch. or worse, I’ll suffer the raaaaage of a few hundred thousand DC fans who will be queuing up to see this one as soon as someone posts a release date. Anyway, updates to come when I feel like it. The film just started shooting today in Detroit (of all places, but hey – they NEED those movie studio dollars), so there’s a loooong road to go before it’s a wrap.
“Cerebus means so many things to so many readers, it really is a monumental work of our times,” said Justin Eisinger, IDW’s Senior Editor Books. “Having the opportunity to work with Dave and his team to bring this HighSociety set to life—and in this form—is a special experience that we’ll never forget. The creator PERFORMING the story?! It’s a hell of a thing.”
One of the more impressive graphic novel runs of the 20th century, Dave Sim’s 300-issue Cerebus may have ended ten years ago, but the assorted “phone book’ reissues have been in demand and the best of them, High Society, is still in the process of getting a major restoration job for what’s looking to be the ultimate version of that critically acclaimed story arc. While you’re waiting, IDW comics and Cerebus author/illustrator Dave Sim have a nifty surprise for you to spend some money on this August. According to the press release:
The Cerebus: High Society Digital Audio/Visual Experience has Dave Sim reading every issue in character—complete with accompanying music and sound effects—while motion effects applied to the story art present the material like you’ve never seen it before. Each issue also includes a section of full Editorial Comments from Sim, giving fans a virtual guided tour of this masterpiece.
Well, wow. And here I thought we were just getting the book in a new edition when I opened that email. Here’s what the inside of that package looks like:
If you’re new to Cerebus, this is where the book hit its stride, as Sim’s formerly mostly comic take on sword and sorcery got serious as it added even more political and social thematic elements into the story as the aardvark ended up at The Regency, a hotel filled with intrigue, secrets and many tales that expanded the character and his supporting cast into the limelight and became a must read when each issue hit the shelves. Interestingly enough, this project started life as a Kickstarter and got fully funded (I missed that boat, by the way), so it seems that Sim and his best known creation are getting both old fans and a whole new generation of them into the series in a grand manner.
Pricing is TBA, but I’m gathering it’ll be somewhat affordable, as Sim hopefully wasn’t being paid by the character for doing all those voices! More on this one in a bit…
Yep, it’s here and as I predicted, some of the older and fogey-er critics are knocking this about a wee bit too much, comparing it to the 1954 US dub with the inserted Raymond Burr scenes. Boo on those party poopers and their constant penchant for only art house films and other stuff that’s “dryly entertaining”, I say. Sometimes you NEED a good monster stomping up the joint, even if this film isn’t a big battle royale extravaganza like Pacific Rim was.
Anyway, the big guy is also making a big comeback to comics thanks to publisher IDW, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dave Wachter. Godzilla: Cataclysm is headed to retailers this summer (actual date TBA), and while not tied in to the film at all, it’s probably going to be required reading for fans of that big ticked off lizard. I’ll need to dig up some pages from this to peek at soon, as that cover is rather nicely done.
Director Zack Snyder has yet again whipped out his trusty Leica and finally shown fans what they’ve been waiting for:
To which I say “good!” While I’m not sure how “good” a film Batman & Superman will be when all is said and done, at least Ben looks decent in that suit, although I kind of got used to that Tumbler as the go-to Bat-ride thanks to it not being an extended black bathtub with wheels that looked more at home on the Bonneville Salt Flats than on the mean streets of Gotham City. Those Burton and Schumacher cars had the turning radius of a school bus! Anyway, I guess this means more reveals as the weeks pass, as the hype wheel turns and more gets dripped out on this soon to be blockbuster.
I’m still not convinced Gal Gadot (Who? Who?) will make a good Wonder Woman, but hey, she could surprise me and the many other skeptics that think she’s a LOT less of an Amazon and a lot more of a skinny gal who worked out to PLAY one. Eh, we’ll see, I suppose…
…Or a good movie or book. Or some bad ones from any of the three choices (plus a few other forms of entertainment). As I’ve gotten older (and fartier, ha ha), I’ve slowly come to the realization that the best way to handle any bumps in the road of this thing called life is to have a hobby or hobbies that can ease the travel (and in some cases, the travel time) down the creepier and less well lit pathways we all drive into. Sometimes, it’s just good to vanish into a bit of harmless fantasy just to ease out of a stressful situation for a few hours and chill for a bit.
Yep, even it a completely off the walls horror flick like this one can get the blues chased down and considerably maimed into submission!
I’ve also found sleeping on some problems doesn’t work as well as it did years back because the whole “waking up to that problem overcooking on the stove” thing is worse when you’re older, wiser and able to do more about stuff than you could when you were younger (and a lot less smart). Interestingly enough, watching a film can actually HELP in some cases when that film happens to show a usable (and hopefully, legal) means to tackling at least part of that thing that’s plaguing you.
In other words, a damn great laugh can really help ease some types of physical or mental pain. I’ve had a few aching body parts soothed temporarily by laughing my ass off or being otherwise distracted by a movie (when it was too hard to concentrate on reading) or game (during times when I could hold a controller while something was hurting up a storm). That said, “Laughter is the best medicine” isn’t a miracle cure at all, folks – just a well-known old adage that’s true because the distraction of a solid belly laugh or giggle-snort gets your brain off the pain and onto the laugh track where it belongs. A good joke can also make for a clear head once you’re upright from that doubling over, I say.
Anyway, pay no mind to the old man – I’m just in a bit of a thoughtful mood lately…
It’s too bad Shiness isn’t coming to consoles anytime soon. This lovely Unreal tech powered crowd-funded indie RPG is only a few days into its Kickstarter campaign and almost a third of the money needed to get it onto PC and Mac at some point is in the bag. French developer Ynnis Interactive is making JRPG fans drool with some gorgeous anime visuals, a stirring soundtrack, and what sounds like fully voiced characters (like in Avatar, speaking a language created specifically for the project!), all hallmarks of a solid RPG experience. While the game will be a traditional solo experience where a party of assorted members can travel with the lead character, Ynnis is also planning some sort of online mode for their game, but it’s too early to see how it will be implemented. Given the game’s combat will be more action-oriented and in fact, play like a fighting game, it’s safe to say this is what will really make or break the game experience for many backers.
As you can see from that wonderfully illustrated KS page, the game certainly has the looks of a AAA game straight from a top Japanese studio like Level 5 or CyberConnect 2 (a good thing indeed) and other than some proofreading to tighten up the English translation, this one looks as if it’s going to be a winner and meets its financial target based on the overall quality and level of polish on display. Even cooler, there’s a companion manga in the works (the first chapter is HERE) that should expand the game’s story, characters and world in the same way popular manga such as Dragonball, Naruto and others did for their respective characters. This is one of those projects I hope more than meets its goals just so all three console companies take notice and maybe offer up assistance in getting the game to their respective platforms.
EDIT! In fact, if the game does indeed meet its $100,000 target, a console version will be the next stretch goal, so make it happen people! Hmmm… now that I’m dreaming of drooling over Shiness on the PS3, Xbox 360 (and hopefully Wii U!), I also wonder how well that Unreal engine runs on the Vita?
Here’s the trailer above in French – it’s slightly longer, but pretty much the same:
Anyway, you know what to do if you’ve watched those videos above and now have a big smile on your face. Pledge away and secure whatever premium you can afford while keeping both fingers and toes crossed that the game hits its goals and then some. This looks like the beginning of a beautiful relationship if it all comes together as it needs to…
Hmmm… this extended trailer for Fox’s upcoming GOTHAM looks REALLY good, but has me concerned about a few things. I dislike the whole concept of these “origin” reworkings because all these writers seem to LOVE throwing together every character they can write in who they think need to be in these shows with an intent to show how they came to be from nearly every angle. Sure, the fact that young Bruce Wayne is probably going to be VERY important to this series is a selling point, but do we REALLY need to see a young Catwoman as a fence-hopping Hot Topic outfit shopping (or shoplifting) kid, what looks like a too-tall Penguin and other characters who really don’t need full-on “Hey, we were in Gotham City, too!” stories? Granted, like the other DC shows, none of this will be seen as “canon” by many, but the show WILL be seen that way to younger fans growing out of the cartoons and into the Nolan films (like them or not, they’re important for a few reasons).
Eh, we’ll see, as always. I probably just don’t trust Fox for other things entertainment-wise, so my bias is showing here. Or the show will stink despite the good looks. Eh, we’ll see. I’ll at least catch the first season and see if it stands upright. The casting seems solid here, so it’s up to the writing and directing to make or break this one…
I’l bett you one whole Republic Credit that Dark Horse Comics doesn’t care a hoot that Disney has decreed only what it creates from now on as “canon” and hell, they don’t need to at all, as up until it was yanked from them, they’ve been doing up the Star Wars license pretty right all these many years. Anyway, to celebrate May the Fourth (Be With You), the company is offering up some excellent deals on digital downloads from the massive lineup of SW books it’s put out over the ages. Click away on each image to be transported to a galaxy far, far away (or more precisely, a server far, far away) where you can check out and pick up a ton (or whatever they weigh on your own planet) of books at great prices.
For you cheapskates or those new to the Star Wars visual reads thing, you can grab the first four issues of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Empire and Star Wars: Legacy absolutely free of charge. That’s TWELVE free issues! FREEEEE! You don’t even have to let the Wookie win here, as even Chewbacca knows what free means. Well, he WILL rip your arms out of their sockets if you interrupt him while he’s reading, though…
In terms of KOTOR, that particular series makes a grand jumping off point, as it’s derived from what some consider the best Star Wars video game ever created. I need to replay this once again, as it still holds up as a great example of a well-written game that’s also extremely fun to play to the point that it works as a wonderful introduction to console or PC role-playing games thanks to the well done tutorials that ease you into play during the opening sequence and make you feel comfortable with the mechanics by the time that first section is complete.
Anyway, let me shut up here and let YOU go grab some deals or at least something free to keep you occupied this weekend. Have a blast and “May the…” oh you know, you know!
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 