Tag Your It

As I wrote in my very first blog, I wear one of those "LiveStrong" Lance Armstrong rubber bracelets in show of a man you can truly say is a "Superman".
Now it seems you can get the real thing.
Dana Reeve heads the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation and they have done a very smart thing.
To benefit this wonderful organization they are selling a "Dog Tag" set for $10.00 at this site:
www.christopherreeve.org
For a mere $10.00 you will get a key chain and dog tag with chain showing the "S" Superman logo along with the phrase "Go Forward".
This is such a Fantastic idea and I will be most honored to help out such a courageous man.
And not only that, you get a really cool collectible that will make all the fanboys say "AHH".
I remember sitting in a dark theatre waiting for the opening credits to roll on what I can only describe as a mind blowing, senses shattering fantasy come true.
When I walked out of Superman the Movie I truly believed a man could fly.
That's why with today's technology I know Brian Singer plans to make the same effort come true once more.
But I must admit, I'm very skeptical.
I just can't see how this new guy can fill Christopher's shoes.
Obviously he won't be able to, so it's a wise choice to stay as far away from that version as possible.
Anyway I will be very proud to own a pair of these truly unique symbols of Truth, Justice and the American Way.
As I proudly display them I will be hard pressed not to shout " Look up in the sky, its a bird, no its a plane, no its Superman" :)

Rebirth, the Resurrection Story

Tell me how many times you've heard this one.
Hero sacrifices life to save the known universe only to pop back up again in a few years all brand new.
Or how about the side kick who dies a horrible death only to come back and enact revenge against everyone involved, including the hero.
We've seen it time and time again and quite frankly it's getting boring.
Can't DC come up with something better than to drag Jason Todd out of the grave.
And what about Marvel scaring up poor old Bucky to give Cap the hebbie-jebbies.
Oh and look Hal Jordan decided it was more fun as Green Lantern then the Spectre.
Guess he wasn't pulling enough clout as God's Wrath, he needed the little blue guys to put aside that little Parallax incident and make like friends.
I'm sorry if I'm coming off as way too cranky but enough is enough.
I can't wait to see how they're gonna bring back Clint and his arrows cause you know that's already written in the books...Right Brian.
No real character ever stays dead and as much as I would like to see Blue Beetle hack at the Omac computers again, I just can't believe he will stay dead.
Well in Blue Beetle's case, yeah its probably a certainty.
Sorry but I did say real character like Ollie Queen as the Green Arrow. Or Clark Kent as this Super guy. Or Donna Troy as WonderGirl. Or Barry Allen as Flas...Oh wait he's still gone.
Ok DC you get props for that one.
DC has done a pretty decent job of late with Sue Dibny but Marvel always seems to one-up them.
Just look at Marvel's track record.
They killed off Uncle Ben back in the 60's and dang-blasted he's a gonna stay dead...ya hear.
And while we're on Spidey, his story has the best history of keep them in the grave.
Let's see... So far we had Uncle Ben followed by Captain Stacy then his daughter Peter's "true love" Gwen and also Harry Osborn Peter's friend and Arch-enemy all wrapped up in one sweet and deranged package.
And that's just a few of them. Anyone remember Ben Reilly...yep still dead. For now!
Anyway all I'm saying is give it a rest sometimes and keep them in the grave.
After all it does say Rest In Peace.
In conclusion, I'll be reading these stories just to pique my interest, but I would rather these 2 giants in the comic industry try a little imagination every once in a while and let the dead rest.

Regrets, I've Had a Few

How many times did you see something in a store and really want it, but for some unknown reason you decided not to buy it?
Then when you decided ok I will get it; it was gone.
Bought by someone else with that same desire.
I still remember wanting a Spider-Man watch as a kid. It wasn't a fancy watch but it was special to me and it was a limited edition.
I saw it and was totally taken aback by its charms. (not actual charms like a charm bracelet, just charms as in charming and pleasant to the eye.)
I asked my mom if she could buy it for me.
She had started a small bank account for me and I had a few dollars in it so she said I could use the money in it to buy the watch.
I said ok until they told me the price. Being a limited edition it was a bit more than usual.
I thought about the amount in my bank account against the amount of the watch and for some ungodly reason decided it was too much.
We went about our day, but my mind kept going back to the watch.
By the end of the night I was having hot flashes and visions of nightmarish horror.
I couldn't believe I said no to my sweet charming Spidey watch.
Well dam the price and dam the bank account.
I ran to my mom and told her I changed my mind and I wanted the watch. She asked me if I was sure and sure I was.
So the next day we went to the store to get my beautiful timepiece only to have my world come crashing down!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My watch was sold (probably right after I turned my back on it... dam fate!) and since it was limited they were not getting anymore.
Well I was frantic. I told my mom to please take me to another store. I had to have that dang-blasted watch if it was the last thing I did.
Then she said something that is still with me today.
She said "You snooze, you lose."
So if you see something you want, don't wait till tomorrow what you can get today.
Don't let fate decide if you should have something or not.
To copy a saying by the company Nike "Just Do It"
So if your wondering if I ever got my Spidey watch...
Well I'll tell you this much.
Fossil makes some beautiful and very charming watches of all my fav characters like Batman Superman and yes Spider-Man. ;)

Revenge of the Shopper

Forget the Sith and the Jedi; the Dark side or the power of the Force Luke....
Nothing will stand up to the power of the Shopper.
With actions figures, cards, ships, deluxe action figures, foil etched cards and starships and bases, it just keeps getting bigger and BIGGER!!!!!
I was just running around in a rainstorm complete with lighting and all looking for Star Wars movie card packs.
After many miles put on my car and many gallons of gas exhausted, Target came thru for me.
I found 3 boxes with 6 packs each and 7 cards per pack...(you do the math).
So suffice to say, I should be sitting pretty with at least one full set and most of the "randomly selected" cards in my possession.
Oh and let me add I also bought 5 of the 6 tins with 3 packs each.
Well I didn't even make one full set and I'm missing plenty of the special cards.....AHHGGG!!!!!
Am I mad?
What do you think!
I wonder if George is sitting on his mountain fortress and asking himself if all his fans are happy with all their purchases.
The many many millions of dollars flooding the bank account of Mr. Lucas must be staggering.
Well is he to blame... Who can say.
He can't possibly control all the merchants out there trying to make a few bucks off this white elephant...This monstrosity.
And will I ever be able to complete this ridiculous card set...
I'll have to get back to you on that...

Right or Wrong: the Crisis of Conscience

This new JLA storyline "Crisis of Conscience" sounds very good.
On one hand, you have the Good Guys trying to save themselves from the Bad Guys by wiping their minds clean of all info about them and their personal life.
Then you have the Bad Guys mad as hell because they were violated.
This is gonna be a very compelling and often times confusing story to read.
Who is right and who is wrong.
I'll tell you this much, if I was a hero and they knew about my life, I would find it very difficult to forgive myself if anyone got hurt.
And lets think about my boy Spidey for a moment.
He had Norman Osborn kill his girlfriend Gwen Stacy because "He Knew" Spidey was Peter Parker.
Don't you think if he could have wiped Norman's mind of this info he would.
Especially if he knew the outcome.
But he didn't know the outcome and neither did all those Heroes that agreed with the violation.
You can't just say "OK guys these criminals know our personal info, lets erase all memories from their minds so we can live happy carefree days."
This is so compelling and it reminds me why Anakin was lured into the Dark Side by Sidious, because the Good Guys are just as corruptible as the Bad Guys.
Even more so because they pretend to be good while at least the bad ones let you know to your face.
So you tell me what you think is right or wrong about this particular Crisis.

Randomly Inserted

I love buying card packs with those randomly inserted special cards.
It dates back to when I was a kid and would buy a box of cracker jack only to get that silly little toy surprise.
It didn't matter that the toy was completely useless and that it was tossed moments after it was discovered.
It was all in the hunt.
Thats exactly why these card packs are so addictive.
I feel like I must find that hologram card, or foil insert, or embossed special one of a kind signed yada yada yada.
Am I out of my mind? Can't I just say no to this madness? Will I ever escape the constant need for the hunt?
Well considering I just bought both unopened boxes of Spider-Man movie cards and 5 of the 6 tins of the Star Wars ROTS cards with the 6th in my sights.
Well I guess that tells you the answer to that.
Its just a matter of time and patience.
And the thrill of the hunt.....

Rounding Off to the Nearest 100th

The new trend today is to take the numbers of the comics and make them #1's again.
You see it everywhere.
Companys want their product to seem brand new so they pop brand new numbers on them.
Well this was great for the new comers who were just deciding to join, but for the old timers this really was terrible.
Why you ask, because say you were collecting since #100 and you had issue 456 for instance.
Now Marvel decides to make #456 into issue #1.
Well all your issues from 100 to 456 are now null and void and seem like they are out dated.
Cause who wants a # 457 when they can have the elusive #2.
So what do the old timers do now?
Do they start all over again?
Also you have problem of making all these issues seem like they are useless.
It was just a bad idea, and now they are stuck trying to fix it.
How you ask...
Well simply by putting both numbers on the cover.
The whole thing is ridiculous and should be put down in the history books as the worst idea in comics. Period.
OK I've said my piece now it's your turn.

Red Rover Red Rover Send Wolverine On Over

Is it just me or has the House of Ideas ran out of characters.
Everywhere I turn these days there's Wolverine in all his gruffy best.
With leads in Astonishing X-Men and the New Avengers he's really making the rounds.
And what was that little scratch he gave my boy Spidey in the latest issue of Spider-Man.
Hello is Captain America Scared of Logan or something.
Everyone is just standing there while Peter is bleeding to death.
It isn't until he passes out that anyone even bothers to scold Logan.
Am I just jealous because he's stealing some spot-light time from Spidey, maybe.
But I have to admit I loved how they made him this little troll against the giant Peter Parker.
Very Funny and Cute!!!!
Well Logan better get with the game if he's gonna be helping out all these different teams.
Scott and Emma thought they had there hands full, well now Steve and Tony are next.
Will Logan be able to calm himself down long enough to work with both teams....
Only if Hell is selling Sno-Kones now.

Amazing Action Awesome Adventure Absolutely Addicting

What's your fav type of movie?
Is it horror, or comedy, or maybe drama is more your speed, or romance possibly?
Well of all the different types, and believe me I didn't name them all, I love action/adventure the most.
I have always loved movies no matter what type, and I have many different types in my personal collection.
But the one that always stands out for me is that sit on the edge of your seat, rock 'em-sock 'em type.
If you ask me why I really can't say.
I do know that most comic related movie fall under this category and you just know I love all comic related movies.
So that has to be it. Case Closed!
Or is it?
Do I just let myself be sucked into anything that looks like action?
Do I run over to the nearest AMC Theatre to check out the new adventure of so and so?
Well one things for sure... when Fantastic Four comes out in about a week or 2, I'll be there in line waiting to get that perfect seat.
The one where you can rest your foot on the handrail and be totally uninterrupted by heads and such.
Wow I can't wait.
I think I'll go buy my ticket now on-line.
See you at the movies...........

As I Remember.....

There's a serious catch 22 in the collecting world.
As a child growing up, the toys we play with are ingrained into our psyche.
We cherish them and adore these little golden gems.
Whether it be comics or action figures, cars or trains; we have their image firmly planted into our pleasure center.
Now the catch comes when we buy something and keep it mint inside its original container.
This keeps us from playing with said item and therefore it doesn't become a part of our lives.
But do we dare open that rare, one of a kind, hard to find treasure and if we do does it really take away from the value.
I mean it's still a rare, one of a kind, hard to find treasure, the only difference is it's not pristine inside its original container.
Now I sell many items on eBay, and I know for me, I want to be the first one to open that impossible gadget that I searched so hard to find in the first place.
And that's whatever little something I'm looking for at the time.
But the item I'm looking for is something I had as a child that I since have lost or was thrown away by my parents.
Now you can see the catch coming together.
It's a real bummer right.
Here you have this item that you wanted so badly, but you can't seem to bring yourself to open it and play with it.
Well I'm here to tell you it's ok, go ahead open it up and play with it.
Be a kid again if only for a moments time.
Now if only I can practice what I preach and open that rare, one of a kind, extremely hard to find Spider-Man # 1 I searched high and low for.....
Well maybe one day I'll break down. Who knows.

And The Award Goes To....

George Lucas for not only being one of the most innovated filmmakers of our time but putting his family ahead of the Hollywood game.
I just finished watching the AFI Lifetime achievement Award and it was truly a touching and wonderful program based on the life of a truly inspiring individual.
The program started off with a bang as William Shatner came on stage for a Star Trek convention that went into a very funny "Star Trek vs. Star Wars" theme.
That William Shatner is really a funny guy.
But the best part of the night was Carrie Fisher and her one-liners that had me with tears in my eyes and snot running down my nose from laughter.
Her take on Princess Leia and the pains she went through were out in out some of the best stuff I've seen on t.v. for quite sometime.
For example she starts off by saying "hi I'm Mrs. Han Solo and I'm an alcoholic" so straight faced that she had the entire audience in an uproar.
She says that she hates George for owning her image because everytime she looks in a mirror she feels as if she has to send him a few bucks.
Or when she says that she hopes she slept with him to get the job because then who was that guy she slept with.
Everybody was very charming especially Harrison Ford who had to come up twice for Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Of which he complained that both times George wanted someone else to star in the roles but settled for him.
Very charming and cute the whole segment was.
I'm sure that George will be up for an Oscar this year and maybe he might just win one.
Then I can really say,
And the award goes to............

Another One Bites the Dust

Here I sit ready to write my next exciting chapter in what has become a national craze...Blogs!!!
I hear 40% of on-line users read blogs and I'm sure that will rise even higher.
But I digress.
Father's Day is hear once more and although my father passed away years ago, I would still like to thank all the guys out there doing their best to provide and enrich their families the best they can.
I don't have any children myself but several of my friends do...So keep up the goodwork.
Today was fun as I visited a gay pride festival and was pleasantly surprised to find lots of comic book references included in their parade.
I myself won a unbelievably awesome Fantastic Four teaser poster that goes very nicely with my other Marvel posters. ( To date I have both Spider-Man posters from the original which are the "Twin Towers" version and the regular version, all 4 of the Spider-Man 2 posters, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil as well as other comic related like all 4 of the Star Wars Trilogy)
We will talk more about my posters and stuff in future blogs where I will tell you some stories about my movie theatre days.
But back to the parade. I saw there a totally funny spoof on the whole Batman and Robin as more than partners thing that I took as being real clean and cute. Not that I should say it, but I did laugh.
My fav part was when this guy dressed like Thor went running through the crowd flexing his fake muscles and acting all "God-Like". Again very clean and cute.
The last reference was this mini-poster of Darth Vader with the catch-phrase "Whose Your Daddy!" which was perfect for Father's Day.
I wanted to add that there were lots of families there having a great time, and that's how it should be. Because we are all on this crazy planet together and it's nice to see tolerance in play. I feel very strongly we all need to get along and teach the children this.
But as I stated in the beginning another Father's Day has come and gone and I miss my father, but for totally different reasons than you might think.
You see we never really got along and I didn't get a chance to ask him a couple of questions I would have liked answers to.
But sometimes the people in our lives that we think are our heroes really are just regular guys living regular lives.
So as I leave you for another day let me explain the title "Another One Bites the Dust".
This is in reference to all the years gone by without a father and how lucky you are if you still have yours around.
Because just like the singer of Queen Freddy Mercury, who sang the title song, they are gone way too soon.
So go over and give dad a kiss, tell him you love him and then at some point in your lives together ask him those burning questions that you might not be able to ask later on.

Astonishing X-Buffy Man Joss Whedon

Let me say first that even though I am an Artist Fan, I can be a Story Fan as well...But only sometimes.
In this case I am.
Joss Whedon is by far one totally...um... well astonishing writer.
But before we get into his X-Men run lets start off with his true claim to fame.
I didn't know Joss from beans but I did like a certain show he wrote.
It was about a Slayer of Vampires and other-worldly creatures.
It starred some chick from All My Children and basically told the story of this Slayer in a humorous but frightening way.
I must admit I missed the first couple of seasons but was drawn to all the rave reviews about "the show from hell".
Now I remember years before seeing this really cool movie about the same Slayer just different cast. I liked the movie enough to finally give the t.v. show a shot.
Well Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned out to be one of my fav shows and its off-spring Angel the same.
Years later we flash forward to Firefly, another show by this same guy but this one didn't fare to well.
Who knows why. No one really knows.
Now this same show is turning into a motion picture but changing its name to "Serenity".
Joss is also doing another major motion picture about another strong-willed woman who is so wonderful that we actually call her "Wonder Woman".
Now aside from all that, Joss is writing one hell of a story in the new X-Men title "Astonishing X-Men" with art by John Cassaday.
This comic is so freaking good that if you're not reading it then you need to do so pronto.
And my fav character from this new batch is the sweet and sassy Kitty Pryde, although the bitchy White Queen does come close.
The rest of the cast are Cyclops (Scott Summers), Wolverine (Logan-James Howlett), Beast (Hank McCoy), Colossus (Peter Rasputin) with Professor Charles Xavier making cameos and of course our two beautiful and strong women.
What is it about strong women that Joss can make them so lovable. It's some kind of gift, a talent that I for one am very proud to be able to experience.
Thank you Joss for letting me into your world and seeing things as you see them.

Avengers Assemble The New Team

It's about time the House of Ideas put together a real team.
Just like in DC, we finally get all the BIG players under one roof.
The New Avengers are as follows: Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ironman, Luke Cage B/K/A Powerman Hero for Hire, Spider-Woman and the mysterious Sentry.
Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch have crafted quite the "League" here.
You know, I also collect the Ultimates and for the first time in Years I am reading and enjoying Marvel's "team books".
With a "anything goes" attitude, you really don't have a clue as to what they're do next.
And speaking of next......
The House of M is gonna rock this Universe and I can't wait.
When Scarlet Witch went nuts and started killing off everyone, that was like DAM GIRL!!!
Very powerful stuff going on and yes I have to admit its all Bendis.
Nice story line with just enough to make you wanna come back for more.
If you haven't picked up a copy yet, it's not too late to start. Avengers is only at #5 and the back issues should be easy to find.
So don't shy away from a good thing, jump on board and have the ride of your life.

Alex Ross Has Some Justice For Us

Everyone should know by now that I consider myself an "Artist Fan".
There will be many artists I would like to talk about in my future blogs, but for now there is one who's work has "Upped the Ante" and has brought mainstream America to the comic stores.
His work has been shown on T.V. Guide covers and on the poster for "the Oscars".
He has a magical touch that screams for attention, and attention to detail is what his magic is all about.
For anyone who has seen his work in "Marvels" or "Kingdom Come" or the whole X trilogy of Earth X, Universe X and Paradise X just to name a few, knows that when Alex Ross announces his intentions to produce another piece of art...People Take Notice!!!!
I first saw Alex's work in the Kingdom Come graphic novels.
His sense of style and painted work just simply took my breath away.
Was I seeing the real life Clark Kent and not some imaginary character.
Was Bruce Wayne a real person forever immortalized on canvas by this man; who seemed to know all my fav heroes personally and wasn't afraid to show the world.
Well I wanted to call him and ask for Princess Diana's phone number to ask her out on a date.
In my mind he knew them all and somehow convinced them to let him paint them and show the world who they really were.
But lo and behold, it was just the talented hands of a genius who created such life like images that made us normal folk believe.
So now Alex will come out with a new 12 issue bimonthly entitled "Justice" and debuting August 17th at a comic shop near you.
AND can you believe that he will pit the Justice League against the Legion of "freaking" Doom!!!
What have we done to deserve this that he has decided to treat us to this totally mind blowing project?
Well I ain't asking no questions.
I'm just gonna go down buy me a copy and enjoy it to my hearts content.
I hope to see you there too.
Save me a copy just in case mine gets lost in the shuffle...

Scary Batman Hits the Theatres!!!!!

I just got back from the brand new, totally awesome, crowd pleasing BATMAN movie!
For me it was the best.
All the elements you need for a great movie were there.
These elements include: great director, great cast, believable special effects, cool gadgets, lots of things blowing up and yes a love story.
Lets go down the list shall we.
Great director starts us off with Christopher Nolan. His work includes Following, Insomnia and my fav Momento. Can't wait to see "The Exec".
His direction was spot on.
He gave us thrills and surprises and tons of things blowing up. There were cool gadgets in his totally believable arsenal of batarangs, tiny bombs, grapplers and the super pimped up Tumbler that becomes the first of many Batmobiles.
The cast can begin with Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. Its nice to see Bruce play the major role while his alter-ego plays the smaller role.
Morgan Freeman is so cool and slick to watch on-screen. I just love watching him perform and perfect his craft. He plays Lucius Fox head of Wayne Enterprises, but here he's just another flunkie. Who knows maybe he'll get a raise.
Liam Neeson is magical as Ducard the assistant of Ra's Al Ghul and the man who ultimately trains Bruce to be Batman. Its very nice to see Liam in a movie for more then 5 minutes. Seems like he's always getting himself killed right off the bat.
No pun intended.
Gary Oldman looks lost and confused as Jim Gordon but comes into his own as only Gary can.
Katie Holmes is fine as the "love interest" here but Christian looks too much like Tom Cruise that I couldn't feel their connection.
And Michael Caine as Alfred was a dream casting like I haven't seen in quite awhile. Simply wonderful to watch a pro like Caine do his thing.
The rest did a fine job with Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow doing a fine impression.
I loved how they set up all of Batman's gadgets and explained how they came to be, very solid story line there.
And the Tumbler was cool to watch in action. As the first Batmobile it was quite a thrill ride indeed.
There were many cool one-liners in the movie like the popular "does it come in black" but my fav line was "didn't you get the memo". Let me know what your fav line was.
All in all I went with 2 friends and one of them loved it while the other one didn't.
So I guess you can say 2 out of 3 people liked the new Batman movie.
After you see it let me know what you think.

Summertime Summertime

We are in the mist of a heat wave here in my hometown and it brings to mind one thing...
all the wonderful entertainment about to come my way.
On the tube, we will see season 2 of the best sci-fi has to offer( you should know this but I ain't to proud to drop in another hint) which is Battlestar Galactica.
Can't wait to see what they plan to do with Adama after what Cylon sleeperagent Boomer did last season.
All these really freaky cool shows are heading our way to, with Fathom being made and Nightstalker too.
But Summer isn't Summer without those wonderful Summer Blockbusters.
And although Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Episode 3 led the way, now is when we will get the real brunt of it.
Starting tomorrow we will see Bruce Wayne come alive once again in Batman Begins.
Real nice cast and the director of one of my fav movies "Momento" seems to bring this installment above and beyond the previous ones.
We will talk more about this when I see the movie.
Other movies on the way include: Bewitched, Land of the Dead, Dark Water, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bad News Bears, The Island, Dukes of Hazzard, Pink Panther with War of the Worlds and The Fantastic Four.
Wow!!!!
Nice line up and those are only the ones that caught my eye.
Sorry if I missed one or two but you get the drift.
So get out your sunblock, your beach towel, your sunglasses, your fav shorts and t shirt and get ready for some awesome ultimate astonishing and fantastic times ahead.
Surfs up dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Are the villains becoming more popular than the heroes?
I ask this cause I see bumper stickers that say "Join the Dark Side!"
And it occurs to me that even I Love Darth Vader as well as many of the other villains.
I saw the trailer for the new Batman movie and the Scarecrow looks awesome.
I can't wait to see what terrible things he will come up with to torture our hero.
And this isn't just with Batman, it's every hero out there.
Am I just a nut who likes to see good guys get a little knocked around?
I was reading the new issue of Spider-man (the Marvel Knights one) and Wolvie stabs Petey in the gut.
I was like "wow that's so cool, Logan just snikked my fav hero of all time!"
I believe we all need to see our heroes in dire straits only to have them come out shining like a light.
This makes them more human and it gives us something to root for.
Are you with me then?
Can I count on you to join the Dark Side with me and we can rule the known Universe.
Well maybe after lunch, I'll see if my mom let's me out...

Story fan or Artist fan

As I've stated in my previous blog, I am more of an Artist Fan then a Story Fan.
What do I mean you ask?
OK It's quite simple, you either buy comics for the story or you buy comics for the art.
Many debates have arose from this topic and I would like to know your thoughts.
I love a good story.
It brings me back for more.
Who is the mysterious figure in the shadows?
Who is the mastermind behind all our hero's woes?
How will our hero survive?
Yes the story is very important, this much I will give you.
But if first impressions are what most people live by, (and lets face it we take about 3 seconds to figure out if we like something whether it be a comic or our next mate or anything in our lives) then you have to agree that the art is just a wee bit more important.
How many comics did you pick up because the front cover was totally mind-blowing.
It grabbed you because of it's beauty.
It sucked you in with its charms.
You were caught off guard by its perfection.
Well that my friends is due to the amazing art work that was oh so pleasing to the eye.
Am I right or do you have a better answer.
And don't tell me it's the story that makes them come back for more, cause without them first picking up that comic, they would never get the chance to come back in the first place.
So please tell me I'm wrong.
Tell me you have a perfectly logical explanation as to why story is better than art.
I'm waiting.........

Station Identification

Anyone watch Cartoon Network?
Anyone watch Toonami?
Anyone watch the Teen Titans, followed by the Batman then the Justice League Unlimited?
Well that's what I just watched and had a blast watching it.
Teen Titans are so much fun, with the music and the expressions blown way out of order and the high flying adventure.
The Batman was my least favorite.
Sorry Bats but your old show "The Batman Adventures" was way better then this show.
But its nice to see Mark back at the helm of the Joker.
His force is way strong with that one.
The Justice League is great to see.
I mean when you have Elongated Man along with Metamorpho fighting Parasite with Batman asking for help....What more could you ask for.
Tonight's ep was called "Clash" where "Shazam" fights with his all time fav hero Superman.
Who of course lets him down thanks to Lex Luthor.
OK OK OK I know what your thinking, we know all this.
Well I wanted to set up the image just in case cause I love the line up and Saturdays are fun again thanks to Cartoon Network.
Now all we need is that "Conjuction Function" guy rolling down his track.
Yeah baby that would be de bomb...hehehehehehehehe.
Sorry Mark didn't mean to steal your LINE.

Spiderman 2 vs. X-men 2

Now as I've stated in my previous blogs, Spidey is my and always will be my fav character.
So lets put that aside for a moment and discuss the 2 sequels that came out.
On one hand you have a particularly flawless rendition of Peter Parker and his continuing struggle to fit Spider-Man into his everyday life.
The scenes I love most are the ones where he's being pushed in all directions and doesn't know where to turn to or even how to get there.
JJJ is terrific as the boss from hell; shooting off one liners like a pro.
The rest of the cast fit there molds perfectly with James Franco really standing out as the future bad guy.
And now that I mention it, I love the hints at the Lizard and Man-Wolf... Very cool.
But lets talk about the main baddie... "Doc ock" Dr. Otto Octavious.
Alfred did the man justice like no tomorrow.
Such a beautiful portrayal of innocence gone astray.
How perfect was the fight scene at the diner with the car flying thru the window or the scene with Franco where they discuss there trade off over a glass of whiskey.
But no scene was more awe-inspiring then that amazing, spectacular and utterly jaw-dropping train scene.
I actually had tears in my eyes when the passengers assured Peter that his secret was safe.
But lets go from Mr. Parker's world to the Professor's school for gifted students.
Here you have the making of a perfect movie.
I swear every single character had their moment to shine.
Not an easy task when your dealing with a ton of characters like you had in X-men 2.
From the beginning with Nightcrawler popping in and out to Wolverine going berserk, this movie truly had you on the edge of your seat from start to death defying end.
Such care was taken that it over-shadowed the original by miles.
Not an easy task again considering the first was as close to perfection as possible.
It pains me to think that Bryan Singer won't be full-filling his trilogy by re-visiting the mutant world and reviving Jean as only Bryan can.
And didn't you get chills when Colossus turns to steel and offers his support to Wolverine.
Well each movie had their own moments of glory and sparkling surprises, so to pick one as my favorite is nearly impossible.
Having said that, the one movie I have replayed more than the other is Spider-Man 2.
So with that in mind, I'll stick with my boy Peter and I hope that Sam Raimi doesn't follow Bryan's footsteps.
Now that would be the real shocker, wouldn't it?

Superman, the king of them all?

Its safe to say that my favorite hero is Spider-Man.
He's such a unique character with an array of unbelievable villains that tops even Batman.
But when it comes to all out legendary heroes no one can top Kal-el.
With a movie in the works (looks like garbage but I will hold my opinion for later) a story line from Jim lee just finished in his DC staple and a television series from when he was a wee bit of a lad in Smallville, Supes will always be the man.
Lets talk about one of the freshest shows on t.v. first.
Tom Welling is fan-freaking-tastic as Clark Kent and that show truly is just plain and simply one of the best shows on t.v.
It always entertains and has plenty of surprises.
You never know who will pop in and how their character will be tweaked to format the show.
This doesn't bother me only because it's done with style.
And the Big Blue deserves to be shown in style.
His comics are still entertaining enough, although I must admit I won't be collecting them now that Jim lee is gone.
It's not that I'm an "artist" fan, cause I do like my stories, it's just that with the price of comics the way they are... I am too broke to buy all the titles I want.
Now for those who are asking yourselves what's an "artist" fan... You will have to wait till we talk about that in a future blog.
I want to state that Supes, for all his glory and power, really never had what Spider-Man had or Batman for that matter...A great line-up of villains.
Although Lex Luthor is one of the best villains in any company, one villain does not make a super man.
It always disturbed me that Batman had the kick-ass villains and Superman had Mr. mxpkytxwhatever.
They have tried with characters like Bizarro and Doomsday, but more often then not we're stuck with guys like Parasite or General Zod.
Sorry Jim.
Anyway I can't end this without saying something about the amazing and ever-so-talented Christopher Reeve.
His portrayal of Kal-el will always be un-touchable.
You truly believed he was Clark Kent and he will always be remembered as a gentleman and fighter...Exactly what Superman stands for.
You will be missed but not forgotten.
Along with George Reeves, they were the Supermen of the 20th century.
I wonder if Dean Kain, Tom Welling and Brandon Routh know whose shadows they follow?

Missing my Hobbit Friends

It's safe to say that Lord of the Rings was one of the best movies ever.....Yes ever.
I ask you how something can get any better than this trilogy.
This adaption truly opened my eyes to this wonderful story.
And it brought back my fondness of all things magical.
I remember wanting to be a powerful wizard when I was smaller and how I thought fairies were so cute.
I would dare anyone to come up with anything wrong with the movies and I can tell you its few and far between.
I mean dam even the hairstyles were smokin' and I still can't get over how wonderfully beautiful all the jewelry was.
The costumes were perfection.
The scenery breath taking and the weapons "to die for".
The script was done with care and attention and the delivery of said script was executed with exact precision from each and every actor on screen.
Thanks to the whole cast for putting forth the best that anyone could ask for.
Truly an Oscar worthy performance all around.
I guess the academy couldn't give Oscars to every single actor, so I guess I can understand them not being nominated.
But as I sit here writing this , I am taken aback at how utterly amazing that trilogy really was.
I have seen the best that can be, will anyone be able to top it.
I am positive George Lucas will give it the old college try.
And yes although Revenge of the Sith was by far a superior installment over the others, it just about tied with Lord of the Rings.
With Rings winning out of course.
and that saying a lot......
Speaking of saying a lot, I gotta fly.
Thanks for opening your mind and heart and please come back for more of this that and the other........

Master Jedi or Sith Lord

Decisions Decisions......
What would you do if faced with prancing along with the Jedi Order or commanding unspeakable power.
What would you do.
The Dark Side really isn't that much different than the "Light" Side so.......
It all depends who you think is the cooler person to hang with.
Although the Emperor is wicked cool, no one , I mean .... No one beats Yoda.
Much more cool ..He is.
OK enough of Yoda talk.
Anyway only Mr. Oz can really do Yoda.
Did anyone else think Mace Windu should have just wacked Palpatine instead of talking to Anakin.
Anyway the dear sweet chancellor was far from helpless.
That little crying fit he had begging Anakin for help...Please give it a rest.
But i digress ...
So I guess when it comes down to it, I would be a jedi if only to hang with my homie Yoda.
The Force is strong in this one, yes

Making of a Classic Sci-Fi Show

Today we will discuss what I feel is the best sci-fi out there on cable.
Battlestar Galactica in my humble opinion is so far superior then anything else on the tube.
Let me tell you why....
First off you have your visuals.
They are breath-taking. Such cool camera angles as well.
The way the scene shifts back and forth is mind-boggling.
I remember thinking this is so fantastic I want more.
So more is what I got.
Every Friday night at 10 to 11 pm on the Sci-Fi channel the adventure continues.
And yes for all those purists out there who are pissed cause Starbuck and Boomer are women instead of men, get over it. I did...
Yes I was one of you.
I loved the original and was very disturbed by the fact they wanted to change it.
Why couldn't I have my old Battlestar with the cool Cylons attacking the last best hope for human-kind.
Well that was before I broke down and watched a show.
Guess what I thought of it.
Well your wrong... I thought it sucked.
I thought it was a piece of dung and that was that.
CASE CLOSED.
I went my merry way thinking yeah baby that's right.
The original still kicks it high style.
la la la skipping along....
Wasn't until sometime later a real good friend of mine actually forced me to watch.
That's when I watched with my eyes open this time.
My mind open to new things, new concepts and the such.
And what I saw was a superbly written show.
Very smart and very entertaining, just like the original.
Well now I have another friend of mine totally into it.
I tape it and he can't wait till I give him the show.
Says its one of the best things he has ever had the opportunity to see.
And yes he thanks me for opening his eyes.
I hope I have opened yours as well...

My Favorite Hero

on my 38th 004
Originally uploaded by peter parker fan.

today I turn 38 so I thought I'd say a bit about the one character that brings it on for me...
my boy Spidey.
He's helped me thru some wild times when I didn't have much to fall back on.
When I was all alone in this crazy world, he would make me laugh and teach me a lesson or two.
And most important, I knew there were other people out there like me...I wasn't alone.
The picture you see is the newest issue of Amazing.
I haven't read it yet only cause I like to hold all the storyline issues until I have them all, then read the whole story.
Up until now, I would read most everything from spidey. But with the prices of comics soaring, I've noticed that I am much more selective.
That's also because I read spawn, Ultimates, New Avengers, Jim Lee Superman( which just ended...I liked Hush better with Batman) and the latest major story from Marvel and DC...The House of M and Infinite Crisis.
I celebrated my b-day with friends and it was nice.
In fact we are in the middle of a poker game right now...So I'm gonna cut this short.
Thanks for spending some time with me on the day of my creation....See ya tomorrow.

Merchandising Addiction or Business?

Here I sit on the last day of my 37th year waiting to be entertained.
I'm thinking of what crazy plans my friends have come up with to bring on my 38th year when it occurs to me....
I am planning on buying something tomorrow as a gift to myself.
Along with all my other treasures, I'm seeking to establish yet another collection.
Now I know we all have our own treasures out there, whether it be comics or busts or stamps or coins...But do we need this?
I have an addiction and I admit it.
Should I stand up and say my name first... I'm not sure how this works.
I know I have to make a list of all the things in my life that hurt me and throw these things away, but like hell if I'm going to get rid of my babies.
My comics and my action figures, my statues and my busts and my pewter and my watches and my dress shirts and ties and my suits and shoes and my DVD's and CD's and PS2 and games my camera and my lamps, my plates, my cups, my saucers, my silverware and my gold.......What more can I buy myself for another year of my life.
Is it that we need to pamper ourselves.
Is it that I didn't get that toy as a kid and dam if I'm gonna miss out this time around.
What drives us to clutter our lives with "valuables" to the point that we need extra storage space each month.
Can it be that we are looking to fulfill some need or maybe it's to make a profit.
I like to sell my stuff as well and I like to find things that are rare or hard to find and sell it to all the needful people who, like me, must have that last piece to complete said collection.
And why not... Don't we deserve it?
Well I don't know but I already bought myself this awesome sapphire crystal watch from Skagen and tomorrow I will find a few more treats to help fill out that tiny crevice; empty waiting to be filled.

Marvel's Secret Society

Well tell me what you think of this line up.
Professor X, Tony Stark, Namor, Reed Richards, Stephen Strange and Black Bolt.
Does that sound like the powerhouses that make or break the Marvel Universe.
That's what Bendis thinks.
I must admit it does have me thinking.
I mean these guys really do compose quite an unstoppable force.
On brains alone, you have Industrial Ironman Tony Stark and think outside the box scientist Reed Richards.
Then you have the Kings Submariner and Black Bolt with the Professor holding down the rest of universe.
That leaves one of the most powerful in my books left.
The doctor with the MAGIC touch.
I mean magic will take them all down, so the Doc's got my vote.
Anyway what do you think.
Anyone they forgot.
Bruce Banner is strong and smart but uncontrollable.
Steve Rogers is a good choice.
You need someone street smart who can come up with fighting skills, but I really don't think he can make the hard choices or rather shrewd choices.
And although Spidey is my guy (I am a total Spider-Man nut) he doesn't fit into the "society". Sorry Peter no hard feelings.
Well my society friends, tell me what you feel....
And no hard feelings for you either.

Michael Turner's Soul

What an amazing story.
I wonder if there is a "livestrong" band out there for him cause I for one will wear it till its falls off.
And yes I still wear my yellow Armstrong band proudly.
Anyway I digress....
Here's a man who is battling cancer while putting out a kick-ass comic in Soulfire as well as Ekos and Fathom.
Along with his studio work in Aspen Comics, he's doing stuff for DC as well.
Add tutoring 3 , yes that's 3, proteges and well I will have to buy that dam band if I find it.
Micah Gunnell, Koi Turnbull, and Marcus To the aforementioned proteges have their work cut out for them.
They have to try and make Michael's work look good.
Not as easy as it sounds.
Michael's work is very impressive and these 3 guys are in for quite a battle themselves... Pleasing the fans.
Will Michael have the time and patience to teach these guys a thing or two... Only time will tell.
In the meantime, check out their stuff on Michael's website www.aspencomics.com
You won't regret it.
Well this is the first story on my very first blog.
Let me know what you think.
Did I miss anything or did I say too much.
In the words of the immortal Stan "the man" Lee mixed in with Jedi Master Yoda "said nuff"