Marvel announced today that Natalie Portman has been cast as Jane Foster in the big-screen adaptation of Thor.
I couldn’t be more excited. Natalie Portman is probably one of the finest actresses ever to grace the silver screen. Having her in this film adds much more depth to the production. Not to mention that I’m a hell of a lot more excited about it.
You can read all about the Thor production as well as a little bit of Portman’s resume. According to the article, she will be appearing with Chris Hemsworth, who will star as Thor, and Tom Hiddleston, who will play the Trickster God, Loki.
Now that the major roles have been cast, I’m interested in learning a little more about the film. I can’t wait to see the costume designs as they continually leak to the internet, as well as hearing snippets of plot details. I was never a big Thor fan, but recent comic book events, as well as other appearances in some of Marvel’s animated films, have piqued my interest in the character.
I’m also looking forward to see how this film relates to Marvel’s final endgame, when all of their film’s characters culminate into a huge Avengers film. Finally, Marvel is able to do the film thing right. DC always had the option of doing big character crossover movies because they are owned by Warner Brothers. Yet they opted out of having film continuity. Marvel, on the other hand, isn’t afraid to make five or six films to introduce their characters before they make the team-oriented movie. Once again, you have to see how, throughout all of their troubles in the past, Marvel has been able to succeed in the industry.
Thor is set to be released on May 20, 2011.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Google's Plan For A New OS
An article in the New York Post the other day talked a little about Google’s plan to create an operating system for PCs. Most of the article dealt with the hardships the search company will face in implementing such a major undertaking.
The operating system will be based on their Chrome web browser, which I admit I am ignorant of its functionality. The problem, according to the NYPost, is that computer manufacturers, such as Hewlett Packard and Dell, may be hesitant to use the software on its products. I can certainly see the logic in this. Windows has been the standard on PCs for years. Why change what is working? My feeling, however, is that giving people a choice makes them more comfortable in their decision to purchase.
Most people don’t know their ass from their elbows when it comes to computers. They have been using Windows for as long as they have had a computer, so they most likely won’t see any reason to switch. However, the number of people that want something new may be enough to warrant using the Google Chrome OS. Why? Because they realize that Microsoft has problems. I for example, refuse to upgrade to Vista, mostly because of the aesthetics. I hate the way it looks.
The only other choice out there is Apple, and the price of their computers is what keeps me away, as I am sure it does most other people. Why pay $1200 for a computer when I can get one with similar specs for half that? But I would like to have a choice in an OS.
Personally, I hate both Microsoft and Google. In my opinion, I think that Google is trying to bite off more than they can chew in the past couple of years. But, if what they are trying to achieve can give Microsoft a run for their money, then I’m all for it. Microsoft does what they want because there is no competition. Show of hands of people who are completely satisfied with Vista. Not many, I can assure you. Will Microsoft make any changes based on customer feedback? Probably not, and why should they? They did away with sales of XP so all that’s left is Vista, until Windows 7 is released in a few months. And I’m even more scared of that.
I don’t feel Google’s biggest hurdle is the hardware. I feel it’s the software. Computer programs have to be compatible with an operating system; we have all seen the Windows Version/ Mac Version. Will software companies be willing to develop programs for Chrome? Is there a market fr it? That is the real issue.
Look at one of the biggest selling computer programs out there; the Microsoft Office package. Will Microsoft develop an Office Suite that is compatible with Chrome? Not likely. Why would they want to feed their competition. But Microsoft is whores. They did eventually create an Office Suite to run on a Macintosh, who is their only competitor at the moment. They saw that there was a big enough market to warrant the production, and they are making money on the decision. So, if Google Chrome’s following is large enough, then they will. And other software manufacturers will follow suit, if they do not lead the way.
The whole situation is a Catch-22. I can see computer companies offering the new OS. There is no reason Dell can’t allow their customers the choice, being that many of their computers are custom built. But until the OS takes off somewhat substantially, then there won’t be much to do on the computers that run it. What good is a computer with no software? And until the software issue is resolved, many people will stay away from Chrome.
I’m happy for the plan Google has. I want a choice. I’m tired of being a slave to Microsoft. A little competition never hurt anyone, and it’s about time someone stepped up to challenge the giant that is Microsoft.
The operating system will be based on their Chrome web browser, which I admit I am ignorant of its functionality. The problem, according to the NYPost, is that computer manufacturers, such as Hewlett Packard and Dell, may be hesitant to use the software on its products. I can certainly see the logic in this. Windows has been the standard on PCs for years. Why change what is working? My feeling, however, is that giving people a choice makes them more comfortable in their decision to purchase.
Most people don’t know their ass from their elbows when it comes to computers. They have been using Windows for as long as they have had a computer, so they most likely won’t see any reason to switch. However, the number of people that want something new may be enough to warrant using the Google Chrome OS. Why? Because they realize that Microsoft has problems. I for example, refuse to upgrade to Vista, mostly because of the aesthetics. I hate the way it looks.
The only other choice out there is Apple, and the price of their computers is what keeps me away, as I am sure it does most other people. Why pay $1200 for a computer when I can get one with similar specs for half that? But I would like to have a choice in an OS.
Personally, I hate both Microsoft and Google. In my opinion, I think that Google is trying to bite off more than they can chew in the past couple of years. But, if what they are trying to achieve can give Microsoft a run for their money, then I’m all for it. Microsoft does what they want because there is no competition. Show of hands of people who are completely satisfied with Vista. Not many, I can assure you. Will Microsoft make any changes based on customer feedback? Probably not, and why should they? They did away with sales of XP so all that’s left is Vista, until Windows 7 is released in a few months. And I’m even more scared of that.
I don’t feel Google’s biggest hurdle is the hardware. I feel it’s the software. Computer programs have to be compatible with an operating system; we have all seen the Windows Version/ Mac Version. Will software companies be willing to develop programs for Chrome? Is there a market fr it? That is the real issue.
Look at one of the biggest selling computer programs out there; the Microsoft Office package. Will Microsoft develop an Office Suite that is compatible with Chrome? Not likely. Why would they want to feed their competition. But Microsoft is whores. They did eventually create an Office Suite to run on a Macintosh, who is their only competitor at the moment. They saw that there was a big enough market to warrant the production, and they are making money on the decision. So, if Google Chrome’s following is large enough, then they will. And other software manufacturers will follow suit, if they do not lead the way.
The whole situation is a Catch-22. I can see computer companies offering the new OS. There is no reason Dell can’t allow their customers the choice, being that many of their computers are custom built. But until the OS takes off somewhat substantially, then there won’t be much to do on the computers that run it. What good is a computer with no software? And until the software issue is resolved, many people will stay away from Chrome.
I’m happy for the plan Google has. I want a choice. I’m tired of being a slave to Microsoft. A little competition never hurt anyone, and it’s about time someone stepped up to challenge the giant that is Microsoft.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
X-Men and Philosophy
The other day I purchased X-Men and Philosophy, another outstanding addition to the popular book series that finds philosophical meaning in many of the pop culture items that surround us, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sopranos, and Batman. Having read a few of these, one of which being the Super Heroes and Philosophy, I decided that a book like this concentrating on my favorite group of heroes would be a good way to pass the time.
For the most part, the essays in the book are really good. One of them concerns the character of Wolverine and the idea of personal Identity. Another involves Jean Grey and the morality of suicide. The majority of the essays is well-written and thought provoking. However, there is one that made me cringe.
The essay is called X-Women and X-istence and it was written by Rebecca Housel. In it, she discusses the existentialism in a few of the female mutants. The essay starts off in a logical sense, discussing the existence of Jean Grey as it relates to her essence, much of the way Jean Paul Sartre described. Housel goes on the talk about Rachel Summers and Wanda Maximoff and everything seems to go smoothly, though I am beginning to see some flaws in her arguments. It wasn’t until she began to dissect Mystique that her credibility really plummeted. Housel’s rationale of who Mystique really is concerning her character is so riddled with clichés that it becomes almost unreadable. Besides the fact that none of her arguments are accompanied by defining examples, her writing turns really sloppy. Yes, Mystique can “slither out of bad situations” and “live to fight another day,” but what in her past has shown that? I can name many examples, but I am also a comic book fanatic. This book should not have been written for people like me, but for people who know very little about the characters, and thus educate them on the X-Men. I can, and have, have conversations just like this one with others who share my knowledge, so to write to someone like me is senseless. By not providing proof to her claims, Housel comes off as a two-bit writer who doesn’t know her subject well enough.
She describes Mystique as a ‘person’ who makes “bad faith” decisions. The idea of a “bad faith” decision comes from Sartre, and it implies that a person will deceive themselves when it comes to the truth. That person knows the truth, but ignores it. What Housel doesn’t realize about Mystique is that she believes what she knows, so there is no self-deception involved. Mystique firmly believes that her actions are justified, despite what others tell her. The X-Men are wrong for fighting for the weaker humans, not Mystique for fighting for herself. She doesn’t do the things she does to benefit mutants; she does them to benefit herself. A better philosophical analogy for Mystique would be to compare her to Ayn Rand and her justification of selfishness. The hero of Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged, John Galt, exemplifies the idea of selfishness, and that the idea of self-sacrifice is illogical. There is no “bad faith” in Mystique, but there is plenty of self-serving goals.
As I kept reading the essay, I got more annoyed when Housel came to Rogue and Shadowcat. These are two of my favorite X-Women, so her two-dimensional descriptions of these two characters damn near infuriated me. Rogue, in the writers mind, is comparable to Sisyphus, the mythological hero who must roll a boulder up a hill everyday, only to have it roll back down, and repeat the process for eternity. I had to scratch my head at this analogy. Yes, I agree that Rogue’s power is a curse and not a blessing. She cannot enjoy the touch of another human being. But I hardly would compare her suffering to Sisyphus. I wouldn’t look at Rogue in terms of existentialism; the wisest philosophers in the past could not have considered a creature such as Rogue, so likely nothing has been spoken about her condition. Rogue can be described in terms of Karl Jung’s archetypes. I would think Rogue fits more along the lines of The Wanderer. This webpage gives a list of archetypes used for characters, and it describes the wanderer as “an invisible barrier stands between the mind of Man and the Mind of God.” If we consider Rogue’s power as the invisible barrier and human contact as being the ‘Mind of God’ this would be an accurate description. Granted I understand that Jung’s theory of archetypes is psychological, not philosophical, but my comparison still holds.
Shadowcat is also given a half-assed philosophical treatment. Housel concentrates on the Days Of Future Past storyline, in which a future Kate Pryde sends her consciousness into the mind of a young Kitty Pryde, in order to stop an event that causes the downfall of mutant kind. She describes Kitty in a way that Jose Ortega y Gasset calls a ‘substantial emigrant on a pilgrimage of being.” As Housel explains, this idea is that people have no set nature at birth. It is through the events of life that we come to be the people we are. While this could be said of the older Kate Pryde, who had lived a full life and seen much destruction in her time, this is inaccurate of Kitty. True, the young girl is still in flux and her sense of self is still being shaped. But the author seems to focus on the older Kate when she makes her distinction, which is wrong. Kate Pryde sacrificed herself and her future by going to the past to change things. She did not want to see the events that made the hellish world she lived in come to pass, and by changing the past, she would alter her own perceptions and the events that shaped her. She would not have had to live through the imprisonment or destruction of her friends and colleagues. She would have had the chance to find a husband and start a family in peace. While Ortega’s ideal may hold true for Kitty and Kate Pryde, it becomes inaccurate to take the personality of Kate Pryde that we know, and apply it to Kitty.
While I greatly enjoy the idea behind the book of X-Men and Philosophy, I feel this essay is a major fault with the book. It will not keep me from reading on, nor will it keep me from purchasing other books in the same vein as this one in the future. But I think the writers and editors should have done a better job of conveying their opinions, as well as staying true to the ideas of the characters they write about. Of the eight or nine characters talked about in the book so far, these were the most off base. Thankfully, most of the philosophers understand their subjects. It is just a shame that Ms. Housel failed to follow the lead of her peers.
For the most part, the essays in the book are really good. One of them concerns the character of Wolverine and the idea of personal Identity. Another involves Jean Grey and the morality of suicide. The majority of the essays is well-written and thought provoking. However, there is one that made me cringe.
The essay is called X-Women and X-istence and it was written by Rebecca Housel. In it, she discusses the existentialism in a few of the female mutants. The essay starts off in a logical sense, discussing the existence of Jean Grey as it relates to her essence, much of the way Jean Paul Sartre described. Housel goes on the talk about Rachel Summers and Wanda Maximoff and everything seems to go smoothly, though I am beginning to see some flaws in her arguments. It wasn’t until she began to dissect Mystique that her credibility really plummeted. Housel’s rationale of who Mystique really is concerning her character is so riddled with clichés that it becomes almost unreadable. Besides the fact that none of her arguments are accompanied by defining examples, her writing turns really sloppy. Yes, Mystique can “slither out of bad situations” and “live to fight another day,” but what in her past has shown that? I can name many examples, but I am also a comic book fanatic. This book should not have been written for people like me, but for people who know very little about the characters, and thus educate them on the X-Men. I can, and have, have conversations just like this one with others who share my knowledge, so to write to someone like me is senseless. By not providing proof to her claims, Housel comes off as a two-bit writer who doesn’t know her subject well enough.
She describes Mystique as a ‘person’ who makes “bad faith” decisions. The idea of a “bad faith” decision comes from Sartre, and it implies that a person will deceive themselves when it comes to the truth. That person knows the truth, but ignores it. What Housel doesn’t realize about Mystique is that she believes what she knows, so there is no self-deception involved. Mystique firmly believes that her actions are justified, despite what others tell her. The X-Men are wrong for fighting for the weaker humans, not Mystique for fighting for herself. She doesn’t do the things she does to benefit mutants; she does them to benefit herself. A better philosophical analogy for Mystique would be to compare her to Ayn Rand and her justification of selfishness. The hero of Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged, John Galt, exemplifies the idea of selfishness, and that the idea of self-sacrifice is illogical. There is no “bad faith” in Mystique, but there is plenty of self-serving goals.
As I kept reading the essay, I got more annoyed when Housel came to Rogue and Shadowcat. These are two of my favorite X-Women, so her two-dimensional descriptions of these two characters damn near infuriated me. Rogue, in the writers mind, is comparable to Sisyphus, the mythological hero who must roll a boulder up a hill everyday, only to have it roll back down, and repeat the process for eternity. I had to scratch my head at this analogy. Yes, I agree that Rogue’s power is a curse and not a blessing. She cannot enjoy the touch of another human being. But I hardly would compare her suffering to Sisyphus. I wouldn’t look at Rogue in terms of existentialism; the wisest philosophers in the past could not have considered a creature such as Rogue, so likely nothing has been spoken about her condition. Rogue can be described in terms of Karl Jung’s archetypes. I would think Rogue fits more along the lines of The Wanderer. This webpage gives a list of archetypes used for characters, and it describes the wanderer as “an invisible barrier stands between the mind of Man and the Mind of God.” If we consider Rogue’s power as the invisible barrier and human contact as being the ‘Mind of God’ this would be an accurate description. Granted I understand that Jung’s theory of archetypes is psychological, not philosophical, but my comparison still holds.
Shadowcat is also given a half-assed philosophical treatment. Housel concentrates on the Days Of Future Past storyline, in which a future Kate Pryde sends her consciousness into the mind of a young Kitty Pryde, in order to stop an event that causes the downfall of mutant kind. She describes Kitty in a way that Jose Ortega y Gasset calls a ‘substantial emigrant on a pilgrimage of being.” As Housel explains, this idea is that people have no set nature at birth. It is through the events of life that we come to be the people we are. While this could be said of the older Kate Pryde, who had lived a full life and seen much destruction in her time, this is inaccurate of Kitty. True, the young girl is still in flux and her sense of self is still being shaped. But the author seems to focus on the older Kate when she makes her distinction, which is wrong. Kate Pryde sacrificed herself and her future by going to the past to change things. She did not want to see the events that made the hellish world she lived in come to pass, and by changing the past, she would alter her own perceptions and the events that shaped her. She would not have had to live through the imprisonment or destruction of her friends and colleagues. She would have had the chance to find a husband and start a family in peace. While Ortega’s ideal may hold true for Kitty and Kate Pryde, it becomes inaccurate to take the personality of Kate Pryde that we know, and apply it to Kitty.
While I greatly enjoy the idea behind the book of X-Men and Philosophy, I feel this essay is a major fault with the book. It will not keep me from reading on, nor will it keep me from purchasing other books in the same vein as this one in the future. But I think the writers and editors should have done a better job of conveying their opinions, as well as staying true to the ideas of the characters they write about. Of the eight or nine characters talked about in the book so far, these were the most off base. Thankfully, most of the philosophers understand their subjects. It is just a shame that Ms. Housel failed to follow the lead of her peers.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
American Son
Though I read comic books, I rarely get the chance to purchase them. I’m on a pull list at my local comic shop, but I only pick them up about once a month. That’s why, when I went this past Sunday, I was greeted with one hell of a surprise in the form of everyone’s favorite wall-crawler.
Tucked within my bag I found four issues of the Amazing Spider-Man, comprising the first four chapters of the ‘American Son’ storyline. Since the Spider-Man relaunch in ‘Brand New Day’ I have been very wary of the direction the character has taken. Marvel took a lot of liberties with Spider-Man, bringing him back to “his roots,” as they referred to it. But, to be honest, I wasn’t feeling it. I enjoyed the relationship that Peter Parker had with his wife, Mary Jane. I liked that Peter had become a teacher for a short time, and that he actually had to deal with a sense of personal responsibility for once. I felt that the ‘One New Day/Brand New Day’ sequence of events was a cop out for changing the things that Joe Quesada didn’t like about the character. And it showed in the resulting storylines. None of Spidey’s classic villains made an appearance, with the exception of a couple. Instead, Spider-Man faced off against some new bad guys, like Freak, Paper Doll, and Menace. While some of them were exciting, most of them were just dull. Even the storylines were unexciting, like Eddie Brock’s transformation into Anti-Venom. What the hell was that?
I was really beginning to lose my patience with the entire Spider-Office over at Marvel. Right up until I read Amazing Spider-Man # 595. The issue opened with an interaction between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. Not since Harry returned at the beginning of “Brand New Day” have these two characters had such an intimate conversation, one that really belies the true friendship that they hold. And from there, the story gets better.
Later in the issue, Spider-Man has a heart-to-heart with Wolverine, in which he laments his decision to not kill Norman Osborn, despite the fact that he has had many chances over the years. This confession adds so much more intensity to Spider-Man than all of the stories over the last two years. Since the 1960s, Spider-Man has been one of those heroes that will not kill. He has seen a lot of death, and many of these deaths were caused by his inaction. Spider-Man has been given many chances and many reasons, but in the end, he chooses humanity over finality. So when Spider-Man confessed this regret to Wolverine, it really brought a lot out of him.
Not only this, but through the storyline, we see how far Spider-Man will go to expose Norman Osborn, who has become the most powerful man in the Marvel Universe, for the criminal that he is. (There will be spoilers coming up, so you may want to turn away if you haven’t read the story yet.)
Peter Parker is giving the idea to go into the depths of Osborn’s plan by going undercover. So he asks Reed and Susan Richards to create a suit that will mimic the powers of Venom, who is currently posing as Spider-Man on Osborn’s team of Avengers. After taking out Venom, Spider-Man slips into Avengers tower and Osborn’s plan starts to unravel itself. Until the Avengers realize that Venom is not really Venom.
Spider-Man is caught, and Norman reveals his plan to him, moments before he is set to kill him. However, Harry Osborn rushes in to save Spider-Man despite the hatred he feels for the hero. What’s spectacular about the rescue is that by doing so, Harry fulfills Norman’s plan by donning a suit of Iron Man-type armor made especially for him.
This story takes place in five chapters, and I have already read four of them. I cannot wait for the final part to be released, to see how this story ends. There have been a great many awesome writers and artist work on Amazing Spider-Man since Brand New Day, but never once have I been this enthralled by a storyline. I have to thank Joe Kelly for an excellent story that creates deepens the nature of a character that has been around for almost 50 years. This is a tough thing to do, but Mr. Kelly manages to make it happen. I also need to thank Phil Jiminez for the beautiful art throughout the series. Many artists have a tendency to draw things so dynamically that the action becomes difficult to follow. But Mr. Jiminez keeps everything straight forward, and still manages to keep the story exciting. It just shows that you do not need a hundred different angles within one page of story. And if you do, they you better know what the hell you are doing so you can pull it off correctly without making your audience puke.
I’ve never been one for trade paperbacks. I realize that they serve their purpose in that they collect a number of issues for people to catch up on a storyline. I’ve bought a few in the past to read stories that I missed. It also greatly annoys me that publishers have their writers write for trades. One single storyline that wraps up neatly after issue six will sell well as a trade paperback. I am a collector. When I buy an issue, I see no purpose in purchasing the trade. However, I might neglect that policy once the ‘American Son’ trade hits the stand. This is something that I would like on my bookshelf, instead of being buried within my collection. I will likely pull this story out every couple of months, and re-read the fantastic story put forth my Joe Kelly and Phil Jiminez.
For a while, I wondered how Marvel would bring Spider-Man into the folds of the Dark Reign. Sure, one of his oldest enemies is running the show, but the entire idea just seems beyond Spidey’s scope. Now, I see how the braintrust in the Marvel Offices works, and they managed to pull one big, beautiful, white rabbit from the hat once again.
Tucked within my bag I found four issues of the Amazing Spider-Man, comprising the first four chapters of the ‘American Son’ storyline. Since the Spider-Man relaunch in ‘Brand New Day’ I have been very wary of the direction the character has taken. Marvel took a lot of liberties with Spider-Man, bringing him back to “his roots,” as they referred to it. But, to be honest, I wasn’t feeling it. I enjoyed the relationship that Peter Parker had with his wife, Mary Jane. I liked that Peter had become a teacher for a short time, and that he actually had to deal with a sense of personal responsibility for once. I felt that the ‘One New Day/Brand New Day’ sequence of events was a cop out for changing the things that Joe Quesada didn’t like about the character. And it showed in the resulting storylines. None of Spidey’s classic villains made an appearance, with the exception of a couple. Instead, Spider-Man faced off against some new bad guys, like Freak, Paper Doll, and Menace. While some of them were exciting, most of them were just dull. Even the storylines were unexciting, like Eddie Brock’s transformation into Anti-Venom. What the hell was that?
I was really beginning to lose my patience with the entire Spider-Office over at Marvel. Right up until I read Amazing Spider-Man # 595. The issue opened with an interaction between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. Not since Harry returned at the beginning of “Brand New Day” have these two characters had such an intimate conversation, one that really belies the true friendship that they hold. And from there, the story gets better.
Later in the issue, Spider-Man has a heart-to-heart with Wolverine, in which he laments his decision to not kill Norman Osborn, despite the fact that he has had many chances over the years. This confession adds so much more intensity to Spider-Man than all of the stories over the last two years. Since the 1960s, Spider-Man has been one of those heroes that will not kill. He has seen a lot of death, and many of these deaths were caused by his inaction. Spider-Man has been given many chances and many reasons, but in the end, he chooses humanity over finality. So when Spider-Man confessed this regret to Wolverine, it really brought a lot out of him.
Not only this, but through the storyline, we see how far Spider-Man will go to expose Norman Osborn, who has become the most powerful man in the Marvel Universe, for the criminal that he is. (There will be spoilers coming up, so you may want to turn away if you haven’t read the story yet.)
Peter Parker is giving the idea to go into the depths of Osborn’s plan by going undercover. So he asks Reed and Susan Richards to create a suit that will mimic the powers of Venom, who is currently posing as Spider-Man on Osborn’s team of Avengers. After taking out Venom, Spider-Man slips into Avengers tower and Osborn’s plan starts to unravel itself. Until the Avengers realize that Venom is not really Venom.
Spider-Man is caught, and Norman reveals his plan to him, moments before he is set to kill him. However, Harry Osborn rushes in to save Spider-Man despite the hatred he feels for the hero. What’s spectacular about the rescue is that by doing so, Harry fulfills Norman’s plan by donning a suit of Iron Man-type armor made especially for him.
This story takes place in five chapters, and I have already read four of them. I cannot wait for the final part to be released, to see how this story ends. There have been a great many awesome writers and artist work on Amazing Spider-Man since Brand New Day, but never once have I been this enthralled by a storyline. I have to thank Joe Kelly for an excellent story that creates deepens the nature of a character that has been around for almost 50 years. This is a tough thing to do, but Mr. Kelly manages to make it happen. I also need to thank Phil Jiminez for the beautiful art throughout the series. Many artists have a tendency to draw things so dynamically that the action becomes difficult to follow. But Mr. Jiminez keeps everything straight forward, and still manages to keep the story exciting. It just shows that you do not need a hundred different angles within one page of story. And if you do, they you better know what the hell you are doing so you can pull it off correctly without making your audience puke.
I’ve never been one for trade paperbacks. I realize that they serve their purpose in that they collect a number of issues for people to catch up on a storyline. I’ve bought a few in the past to read stories that I missed. It also greatly annoys me that publishers have their writers write for trades. One single storyline that wraps up neatly after issue six will sell well as a trade paperback. I am a collector. When I buy an issue, I see no purpose in purchasing the trade. However, I might neglect that policy once the ‘American Son’ trade hits the stand. This is something that I would like on my bookshelf, instead of being buried within my collection. I will likely pull this story out every couple of months, and re-read the fantastic story put forth my Joe Kelly and Phil Jiminez.
For a while, I wondered how Marvel would bring Spider-Man into the folds of the Dark Reign. Sure, one of his oldest enemies is running the show, but the entire idea just seems beyond Spidey’s scope. Now, I see how the braintrust in the Marvel Offices works, and they managed to pull one big, beautiful, white rabbit from the hat once again.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Paramore and No Doubt at PNC
The PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey has a penchant for booking quality shows at it's arena. Each year, hundreds of thousands of New Jersians look forward to the announcement of their Summer line-up. I enjoy going to a few of these shows, when I can afford to anyway.
Last night I was treated to a great show by No Doubt and Paramore. Though this is the fourth time seeing No Doubt live, this will be the one I remember most. Not for the music, mind you (although they did put on a hell of a show), but for the torrential downpour we incurred while waiting on line to get into the arena. Having to find out seats and endure the next four hours soaking wet was a feat I hope to never have to repeat in my life. Being extremely uncomfortable, I had better have been in store for an awesome show.
Having never seen Paramore live before, I was looking forward to their opening. One of the things that stands out with Paramore is their lead singer, Hayley Williams. From the minute she hit the stage, it was evident that she really loves her rock and roll lifestyle. Dressed in skinny jeans with a red dye job in her hair, she looks more like that quiet kid in high school with a backpack covered in patches and band names written in magic marker. But when she started singing, she belted out tunes as if her life depended on it. But she rocked out to the music of her band, banging her head in time to the beat.
Though they have only hit the big time recently, Paramore has a bunch of albums under their belt, so they had a wide range of songs to perform. Admittedly, many of them I didn't know, having only heard their most recent release, Riot!. They included 'Misery Business,' 'Crushcrushcrush,' and 'That's What You Get' in their set list, all of which were enjoyable to hear live for the first time. But noting compared to the reaction from the crowd when they played the first couple of bars of 'Decode,' their radio hit from he movie Twilight. Being that the crowd consisted mostly of females, the place exploded in adoration.
At around 9:15, No Doubt came on stage with the grandeur that one would expect from No Doubt. Silhouettes on a large, white sheet filled the stage, one by one, as each of the band members walked out. As the sheet dropped, the band played 'Spiderwebs,' and it was all over from there.
They rocked Holmdel in true No Doubt fashion, playing all their hits from Tragic Kingdom, Return of Saturn, and Rocksteady. One of the coolest parts of the show was the giant screen behind the stage, which showed pre-recorded video during a few of there songs, like 'Underneath It All' and 'X-Girlfriend,' and showed computer generated imagery, like the outer-spaced scene during 'Different People.' My favorite use of the screen was a video-diary of the band pre-fame, being given the soundtrack of 'Running.' It was very classy and quite sentimental.As I stated earlier, the crowd was mostly female, and this was never more evident than during 'Just A Girl' and 'Hey Baby.' The screaming, clapping, and jumping around was almost unbearable, but you have to admit, No Doubt definitely knows how to suck the energy from their fans.
In a true show of class, Gwen Stefani signed autographs for her fans lucky enough to be near the stage. She also obliged one fan in particular who had a birthday wish to hear 'Tragic Kingdom,' a song that they rarely play live. The band even invited one guy up on stage, who said that he had seen No Doubt live over 30 times, and allowed him to introduce the band. How's that for giving back to the fans?Unfortunately, there were a couple of negatives to the show, one personal and one musical. The band's first encore included the song 'Rocksteady' which, to me, is one of their weakest songs. Wanting to hear something else, I felt that this detracted from their set list, which was quite rocking up until then. It kind of bothers me that the band ignores a few of their earlier albums, like The Beacon Street Collection, which features one of my favorite songs, 'Open The Gate.' I would have preferred to hear this over 'Rocksteady,' but judging by the crowds reaction, I suppose they made a good choice. My second complaint was 'It's My Life,' No Doubts cover of the eighties hit by Talk-Talk. While I do enjoy the album cut, their live rendition seemed a little flat. Compared to the spot-on versions they played of the rest of their songs, 'It's My Life' just sounded out of place.
The show ended with two songs. The first being a new cut, 'Stand And Deliver' (an Adam Ant cover apparently), an idea which they certainly lived up to. Each band member banged on a separate drum in a well choreographed routine, then brought out Paramore and the unbilled first performer, Janelle Monáe, to lend their talents to the song. Seeing thirteen people dance around the stage and banging on drums was certainly a sight to behold. Lastly, 'Sunday Morning.' Most likely one of Gwen's favorite songs to perform, she killed with this. Her vocals were perfect and along with the cooperation of the band, this was probably one of the best live renditions I have heard of this song.
I also have to add that Tom Dumont is a lot more talented than I have recognized in the past. Though the entire band played extremely well, Tom seemed to stand out to me. I have seen No Doubt three times previously, but last night, his solos just blew all others out of the water. If I were to build my own super-band, Mr. Dumont would be my lead guitarist for sure.
Despite the clothes-drenching we received before the show, I definitely had a good time. The music was fantastic, and both bands did a superb job of getting the crowd pumped. Though I was a little annoyed by the venue itself (I realized last night that I dislike seats; they get in the way if your just going to stand through the show anyway), but that isn't something that would detract from the concert. All in all, my recommendation is, if you have the opportunity to check out this tour, do it.
The show ended with two songs. The first being a new cut, 'Stand And Deliver' (an Adam Ant cover apparently), an idea which they certainly lived up to. Each band member banged on a separate drum in a well choreographed routine, then brought out Paramore and the unbilled first performer, Janelle Monáe, to lend their talents to the song. Seeing thirteen people dance around the stage and banging on drums was certainly a sight to behold. Lastly, 'Sunday Morning.' Most likely one of Gwen's favorite songs to perform, she killed with this. Her vocals were perfect and along with the cooperation of the band, this was probably one of the best live renditions I have heard of this song.
I also have to add that Tom Dumont is a lot more talented than I have recognized in the past. Though the entire band played extremely well, Tom seemed to stand out to me. I have seen No Doubt three times previously, but last night, his solos just blew all others out of the water. If I were to build my own super-band, Mr. Dumont would be my lead guitarist for sure.Despite the clothes-drenching we received before the show, I definitely had a good time. The music was fantastic, and both bands did a superb job of getting the crowd pumped. Though I was a little annoyed by the venue itself (I realized last night that I dislike seats; they get in the way if your just going to stand through the show anyway), but that isn't something that would detract from the concert. All in all, my recommendation is, if you have the opportunity to check out this tour, do it.
Friday, June 26, 2009
The History of the Marvel Legends
Way back in 2002, Toy Biz created Marvel Legends, a series of action figures based on characters appearing in Marvel Comics. The very first series consisted of Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Toad. They were packaged in a clam-shell style box, and shipped with a reprinting of a classic comic book. The detailed sculpting and multiple points of articulation quickly catapulted these figures to the top of fans "Must Buy" lists, and went down in history as some of the finest action figures to come from Toy Biz.
Over time, Toy Biz began taking risks with a few of the characters they chose. While in the beginning they stuck with highly recognizable characters such as The Human Torch, Wolverine, and Daredevil, they eventually began to create figures based on lesser known heroes, like Man-Thing, Deathlok, and Vengeance. Overtime, they added extra frills to the figures, like the Legendary Riders line, which packaged each figure with a vehicle most fitting their personality. But the capper of the Marvel Legends, and the most popular feature, was the Build-A-Figure. Each figure was packaged with a piece of a larger figure. Collect 'em all, and you got yourself another toy to play with. For the first time, this opened up collector's dioramas to more realistic fight scenes. Finally, Giant-Man would actually be a Giant-Man, and Galactus would tower over the others.
Then, in 2007, the rights to Marvel characters changed hands, finding it's way to the creative minds at Hasbro. Hasbro has some of the most recognizable toys under their belt, one example of such being the Transformers. So, should anyone have any doubt that they could handle the Marvel Legends line?
The first couple of series' of Marvel Legends produced by Hasbro yielded some quality figures. Ultimate Iron Man. Thor. Xorn. These figures had decent sculpts, but lacked some of the articulation of the Toy Biz generation. Subsequent figures, however, saw a decline in quality. Poor paint jobs, sub-par sculpts, and even less articulation sullied the name of Marvel Legends. In 20008, the final Marvel Legends series hit the stores, and pretty much stayed there until they moved to the clearance section. In place of them came the 3 3/4 inch Marvel Universe line.
When I first heard about the 3 3/4 inch figures, I was excited about a new line of figures coming out. Then I discovered that all of Hasbro's Marvel based figures had gone to that size. This agitated me. I didn't want to buy only small figures. I wanted the larger sizes as well. I wondered why Hasbro would do such a thing?
Then it occurred to me that the decision to change the sizes of the figures was a monetary one. Oil prices had been rising steadily in 2008, as most people will recall the severe increase in gas prices. And since plastic is derived from oil, the price of plastic had increased as well. Hasbro scaled down the sizes of their toys to save money. Unfortunately, only the figures were scaled down and not the prices. The 3 3/4 inch figures were priced around $9 each, which was only about $1 less than the larger Marvel Legends line. Why was I paying 10% less for an action figure that was half as big? This boggled my mind. To this day I have yet to purchase a figure in the 3 3/4 inch line.
Thankfully, change is on the horizon. Topless Robot has reported Hasbro will be unveiling 16 to 18 new Marvel Legends figures at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con. Though no word has come on whether or not these figures will see store shelves for sure, the fact that the R&D team at Hasbro is working on them is promising enough.
I will certainly be keeping an eye open for which characters will get the plastic treatment. Hopefully, they will work on the quality of the figures, making them a toy line to be proud of as they once were.
Over time, Toy Biz began taking risks with a few of the characters they chose. While in the beginning they stuck with highly recognizable characters such as The Human Torch, Wolverine, and Daredevil, they eventually began to create figures based on lesser known heroes, like Man-Thing, Deathlok, and Vengeance. Overtime, they added extra frills to the figures, like the Legendary Riders line, which packaged each figure with a vehicle most fitting their personality. But the capper of the Marvel Legends, and the most popular feature, was the Build-A-Figure. Each figure was packaged with a piece of a larger figure. Collect 'em all, and you got yourself another toy to play with. For the first time, this opened up collector's dioramas to more realistic fight scenes. Finally, Giant-Man would actually be a Giant-Man, and Galactus would tower over the others.
Then, in 2007, the rights to Marvel characters changed hands, finding it's way to the creative minds at Hasbro. Hasbro has some of the most recognizable toys under their belt, one example of such being the Transformers. So, should anyone have any doubt that they could handle the Marvel Legends line?
The first couple of series' of Marvel Legends produced by Hasbro yielded some quality figures. Ultimate Iron Man. Thor. Xorn. These figures had decent sculpts, but lacked some of the articulation of the Toy Biz generation. Subsequent figures, however, saw a decline in quality. Poor paint jobs, sub-par sculpts, and even less articulation sullied the name of Marvel Legends. In 20008, the final Marvel Legends series hit the stores, and pretty much stayed there until they moved to the clearance section. In place of them came the 3 3/4 inch Marvel Universe line.
When I first heard about the 3 3/4 inch figures, I was excited about a new line of figures coming out. Then I discovered that all of Hasbro's Marvel based figures had gone to that size. This agitated me. I didn't want to buy only small figures. I wanted the larger sizes as well. I wondered why Hasbro would do such a thing?
Then it occurred to me that the decision to change the sizes of the figures was a monetary one. Oil prices had been rising steadily in 2008, as most people will recall the severe increase in gas prices. And since plastic is derived from oil, the price of plastic had increased as well. Hasbro scaled down the sizes of their toys to save money. Unfortunately, only the figures were scaled down and not the prices. The 3 3/4 inch figures were priced around $9 each, which was only about $1 less than the larger Marvel Legends line. Why was I paying 10% less for an action figure that was half as big? This boggled my mind. To this day I have yet to purchase a figure in the 3 3/4 inch line.
Thankfully, change is on the horizon. Topless Robot has reported Hasbro will be unveiling 16 to 18 new Marvel Legends figures at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con. Though no word has come on whether or not these figures will see store shelves for sure, the fact that the R&D team at Hasbro is working on them is promising enough.
I will certainly be keeping an eye open for which characters will get the plastic treatment. Hopefully, they will work on the quality of the figures, making them a toy line to be proud of as they once were.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sigourney Weaver not in Ghostbusters 3?
Well, this sucks.
In an interview with SciFi Squad, Weaver lets loose the news that her character, Dana Barrett, will most likely not be in Ghostbusters 3. Although she does mention an idea that I would love to see used in the three-quel; Oscar as a Ghostbuster.
Remember Oscar? Dana's son who took center stage in Ghostbusters 2? Well, if the time line is the same, and Oscar was about a year old in 1989, that would make him 21 or 22 by the time Ghostbusters 3 takes place. That's a pretty decent age to strap on a proton pack. The only problem is, how do the writers make it work without Dana Barrett? Dana is Oscar's link to the Ghostbusters. Without her, it would seem strange that Oscar is hanging around Venkman and the others.
The only thing I could see working in the absence of Sigourney Weaver is a broken marriage between Peter and Dana. That would make Peter Oscar's step-father, sort of. It would have put Peter in Oscar's life long enough for the child to grow an affection for the man, and take an interest in his career. Then, after finishing college, where he studied paranormal psychology, he moves to New York and asks the Ghostbusters for a job, stating his qualifications for "Paranormal Investigations and Eliminations." There could be some sort of contact with his mother who is living in England, playing in, say, the London Philharmonic, though all contact would be off-screen or understood through dialogue in a telephone conversation. This all fits in well with the writers intentions of bringing in a new generation of Ghostbusters and allowing the old team to pass the torch.
I'm really excited about Ghostbusters 3 and I hope that the lack of Sigourney Weaver does not stifle it's production. She certainly is not an integral character, though her appearance would keep the fans happy. Personally, I don't care if she is or isn't in the film, as long as the film is made.
In an interview with SciFi Squad, Weaver lets loose the news that her character, Dana Barrett, will most likely not be in Ghostbusters 3. Although she does mention an idea that I would love to see used in the three-quel; Oscar as a Ghostbuster.
Remember Oscar? Dana's son who took center stage in Ghostbusters 2? Well, if the time line is the same, and Oscar was about a year old in 1989, that would make him 21 or 22 by the time Ghostbusters 3 takes place. That's a pretty decent age to strap on a proton pack. The only problem is, how do the writers make it work without Dana Barrett? Dana is Oscar's link to the Ghostbusters. Without her, it would seem strange that Oscar is hanging around Venkman and the others.
The only thing I could see working in the absence of Sigourney Weaver is a broken marriage between Peter and Dana. That would make Peter Oscar's step-father, sort of. It would have put Peter in Oscar's life long enough for the child to grow an affection for the man, and take an interest in his career. Then, after finishing college, where he studied paranormal psychology, he moves to New York and asks the Ghostbusters for a job, stating his qualifications for "Paranormal Investigations and Eliminations." There could be some sort of contact with his mother who is living in England, playing in, say, the London Philharmonic, though all contact would be off-screen or understood through dialogue in a telephone conversation. This all fits in well with the writers intentions of bringing in a new generation of Ghostbusters and allowing the old team to pass the torch.
I'm really excited about Ghostbusters 3 and I hope that the lack of Sigourney Weaver does not stifle it's production. She certainly is not an integral character, though her appearance would keep the fans happy. Personally, I don't care if she is or isn't in the film, as long as the film is made.
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