Hal and Sinestro vs Abin Sur! John vs Xanshi! Atrocitus vs the rest of the Inversions! St. Walker vs the Orange Constructs! Larfleeze vs Everybody!
There's a lot going on in this issue, and artwise, Doug Mahnke just knocks it out of the park. The dead Inversions were always pretty revolting to begin with, as Black Lanterns, they are truly terrifying. They also have a little heart-to-heart talk with Atrocitus, which ends with them ripping HIS heart out. Too bad it doesn't really do much, since apparently, their rings function as hearts for the Red Lanterns. Hmmmm....this may come in handy later on!
Back on Korugar, Abin and his sister are having a fine old time taunting Hal and Sinestro, while Indigo I and Carol do their best to hold them off. Abin has a particularly cutting remark to Hal about how Hal DID surpass him...in Mayhem!
Oh Snap!
Hal has finally had all he can take about his past, and he's fighting back, and simply LOADED with Willpower. Go Hal. Sinestro on the other hand, is having some problems in dealing with his former sweetheart, but he sucks it up and deals with it. Then all four of them pour on the light. Abin is quite surprised to see Indigo, but doesn't have too much time to be surprised about it, as the two of them are...dealt with. The four different Corps members do finally realize that they have to work together, at least for a bit, and as usual, Hal takes charge. Surprisingly, Sinestro is letting him do so, but I'm sure he'll be right there, making snide remarks the whole way.
On Xanshi, John has been following a disembodied voice and a green glow and discovers a power battery. Too bad that something horrible is sneaking up on him.
Meanwhile, on Odym, the Greed Constructs continue to batter the Hope Corps. True to his nature, St. Walker is NOT giving up, although Ganthet and Sayd are getting just a tad on the worried side. Then, all of a sudden, the battery is working again, and things are looking up, as a bubble of light dispenses our four doughty heroes, and Hal makes short work of the rest of the Orange creations. St. Walker wonders where they all went to.
Well, back on Okaara, poor old Larfleeze is being chased by the Black Lanterns of all those beings that he destroyed, and he's not too happy about it. I have to admit to a certain affection for Larfleeze. He's about to get creamed, when he's suddenly saved, and by the least likely person to do so.
Atrocitus shows up, and he wants the Orange Battery.
Now.
Every month, I say that I can't wait until the next issue, and every month the tension is racked higher. I REALLY can't wait until the next issue!
Blackest Night # 4
Oh my. OH MY!!
Let me first state, that the artwork by Ivan Reis, is simply gorgeous. And then let me state, that Geoff Johns is really getting into his stride with the story.
Things are just about as bad as they can be. The beleaguered heroes have learned that they can defeat the Black Lanterns, with the aid of a Green Lantern. Hard on the heels of this discovery however, Hal is whisked away by the Indigo Corps, much to the indignation of the poor good guys on Earth.
In the absence of anyone else, Barry, Mera and Ray Palmer have stepped up and taken charge. There is an unholy horde of reanimated villains, not to mention heroes opposing them, and there's not a whole lot that they can do to hold them off. It IS nice to see poor Jason actually assuming control of Ronnie/Firestorm, at least momentarily. And the Atom utilizes a rather...unique method of escape, through the 911 telephone line.
I love the part where Black Lantern Azrael shows up and tries to scare the Scarecrow, but it doesn't work. Nothing but Batman can frighten the Scarecrow anymore apparently. I wonder if this is something that will come into use later on? Geoff Johns is very very good at seeding clues throughout his stories. There is also the nice little bit with the Calculator calling Lex Luthor, and letting drop the fact that the original Doctor Polaris just ripped out the heart of the new obnoxious Doctor Polaris. As Diamondrock pointed out in his blog...it's as though Geoff Johns was writing it just for him! Lex seems a little concerned, which is probably considering the number of people that he's killed over the years.
Heh.
Meanwhile, Barry gives one hell of a peptalk to a perturbed Ray and Mera. They want to find Superman and Wonder Woman, but Barry tells them that right now, THEY are Superman and Wonder Woman, and they have a nice little moment. I'm loving the heck out of Mera, that's for sure, and I really REALLY hope that she sticks around when this is all over and done with. Barry even throws in a little bit about how they need to act more like Hal, which ordinarily would be TERRIBLE advice, but in this particular case, I suppose it is ok.
So Barry takes off again, and Mera asks Ray that if she is Wonder Woman, and Ray is Superman, who does that make Barry? And Ray replies..."The Flash". SO cool.
They may not have Hal, John, Guy or Kyle, but they make do with the next best thing and go find Alan Scott, who is fighting Black Lanterns along with the rest of the Justice Society, the League and the Titans. Alan may not be in the Corps, but bless his heart, he's still got Willpower and Light, and he pours it on.
There is also an impromptu meeting of all the atoms, from Ray, to Al Pratt, who is now a Black Lantern, and Damage. No New atom though. Oh, and Jean Loring shows up to rain on Ray's parade. Jean is one of the few people who were probably scarier when they were alive.
Meanwhile, in Coast City, Black Hand is having a fine old time, as he summons the being behind all of this...no less than Nekron. Barry can feel something amiss, possibly because of his recent dealings with being the Black Racer and dead himself, so he takes off for Coast City too. He's just in time to see Nekron demand that the dead of Coast City...Rise.
Well crappity crap crap!
There is so much to see, in all of the panels, who are all the Black Lanterns, and how it all ties together. I Am Loving This Book.
Let me first state, that the artwork by Ivan Reis, is simply gorgeous. And then let me state, that Geoff Johns is really getting into his stride with the story.
Things are just about as bad as they can be. The beleaguered heroes have learned that they can defeat the Black Lanterns, with the aid of a Green Lantern. Hard on the heels of this discovery however, Hal is whisked away by the Indigo Corps, much to the indignation of the poor good guys on Earth.
In the absence of anyone else, Barry, Mera and Ray Palmer have stepped up and taken charge. There is an unholy horde of reanimated villains, not to mention heroes opposing them, and there's not a whole lot that they can do to hold them off. It IS nice to see poor Jason actually assuming control of Ronnie/Firestorm, at least momentarily. And the Atom utilizes a rather...unique method of escape, through the 911 telephone line.
I love the part where Black Lantern Azrael shows up and tries to scare the Scarecrow, but it doesn't work. Nothing but Batman can frighten the Scarecrow anymore apparently. I wonder if this is something that will come into use later on? Geoff Johns is very very good at seeding clues throughout his stories. There is also the nice little bit with the Calculator calling Lex Luthor, and letting drop the fact that the original Doctor Polaris just ripped out the heart of the new obnoxious Doctor Polaris. As Diamondrock pointed out in his blog...it's as though Geoff Johns was writing it just for him! Lex seems a little concerned, which is probably considering the number of people that he's killed over the years.
Heh.
Meanwhile, Barry gives one hell of a peptalk to a perturbed Ray and Mera. They want to find Superman and Wonder Woman, but Barry tells them that right now, THEY are Superman and Wonder Woman, and they have a nice little moment. I'm loving the heck out of Mera, that's for sure, and I really REALLY hope that she sticks around when this is all over and done with. Barry even throws in a little bit about how they need to act more like Hal, which ordinarily would be TERRIBLE advice, but in this particular case, I suppose it is ok.
So Barry takes off again, and Mera asks Ray that if she is Wonder Woman, and Ray is Superman, who does that make Barry? And Ray replies..."The Flash". SO cool.
They may not have Hal, John, Guy or Kyle, but they make do with the next best thing and go find Alan Scott, who is fighting Black Lanterns along with the rest of the Justice Society, the League and the Titans. Alan may not be in the Corps, but bless his heart, he's still got Willpower and Light, and he pours it on.
There is also an impromptu meeting of all the atoms, from Ray, to Al Pratt, who is now a Black Lantern, and Damage. No New atom though. Oh, and Jean Loring shows up to rain on Ray's parade. Jean is one of the few people who were probably scarier when they were alive.
Meanwhile, in Coast City, Black Hand is having a fine old time, as he summons the being behind all of this...no less than Nekron. Barry can feel something amiss, possibly because of his recent dealings with being the Black Racer and dead himself, so he takes off for Coast City too. He's just in time to see Nekron demand that the dead of Coast City...Rise.
Well crappity crap crap!
There is so much to see, in all of the panels, who are all the Black Lanterns, and how it all ties together. I Am Loving This Book.
Reviews!
Gadzooks, but this was a magnificent Wednesday...bookwise! So...many...books!
Ambush Bug: Year None, #7 of 6.
FINALLY! I was really looking forward to that hilarious Darwyn Cooke cover, but the new one is amusing as well. The rumors were that the sixth issue zinged Dan Dideo a bit too much. Considering how much THIS issue mocks the Editor-in-Chief, I can't even imagine how much the sixth one must have, in order to have been pulled. It's all ridiculous of course, but what the heck, I really do enjoy some mindless humor occasionally. Not all of the jokes worked, but enough of them did, to make me giggle uncontrollably for a while, and that's all I ask of a comic book.
Blackest Night #4.
Oh God, this was orgasmic.
Batwoman in Detective Comics.
Beautifully drawn as usual, and an unnusual twist to Kate's story. I won't say what, so as not to spoil it, but it's a nice comic bookish touch.
Gotham City Sirens #5.
I'm enjoying this in a mild way. The girls decide that enough is enough, and decide to take the battle to the Joker. There is a little surprise, that I honestly did not see coming, but it makes perfect sense.
Green Lantern #47.
This was just as orgasmic as Blackest Night. Well actually...maybe even more so. If you aren't reading this, you really really should be.
Incredible Hercules #137
Amadeus Cho continues his quest, and takes care of his foe rather neatly. TThere are no purple nurples, nor kicks to the groin, but it is still a lot of fun. And apparently, Aunt May is doing volunteer work in a soup kitchen with none other than Hebe, Hercules' estranged wife, and has SHE got a date for the girl!
Jack of Fables #39
Young Jack Frost continues his quest to be a hero, and is actually doing a pretty decent job of it. Better certainly than his no-good father, who is having his own problems, which include growing wings and a tail and green scales. Babe the little blue ox, just shines of course.
Justice Society of America #32
The plot continues to thicken. The bad guys attack the Brownstone, and I guess that John Stewart will be getting another commission to rebuild or redesign it soon. *sigh* Alan is keeping Mr. Terrific in stasis, just in case he decides to come back from the dead, Power Girl is having a conniption, and Mangog is being as obnoxious as usual.
Really, does ANYone like Mangog? I find him to be rude, overbearing and just a tad full of himself. And while I may enjoy that sort of behavior when Guy Gardner does it, when Mangog does it, I just want to slap him. Or have Peej slap him for me.
Superman: Secret Origin #2
I'm enjoying the heck out of this. I don't care if I already know this stuff, it is still loads of fun. The artwork is awfully pretty too. I DO love Gary Franks. The Legion shows up, and take Clark on a little trip to the future, and Lightning Lad shows unexpected adroitness in manipulating Brainiac, which I find appealing. Oh, and young Lex Luthor is Up To No Good.
Wonder Woman #37
Well, things are going to hell in a handbasket on Themyscira. Alkyone has apparently tied the know with Achilles, and she's taking over as Queen, which has to piss off the rest of the Amazons. Zeus really is a pill, isn't he? Ares shows up in a dream of Diana's and is suitably threatening. Diana and Donna fight, and Diana does something incredibly noble and unexpected. Good stuff.
I hope you all enjoyed the hell out of your books!
Ambush Bug: Year None, #7 of 6.
FINALLY! I was really looking forward to that hilarious Darwyn Cooke cover, but the new one is amusing as well. The rumors were that the sixth issue zinged Dan Dideo a bit too much. Considering how much THIS issue mocks the Editor-in-Chief, I can't even imagine how much the sixth one must have, in order to have been pulled. It's all ridiculous of course, but what the heck, I really do enjoy some mindless humor occasionally. Not all of the jokes worked, but enough of them did, to make me giggle uncontrollably for a while, and that's all I ask of a comic book.
Blackest Night #4.
Oh God, this was orgasmic.
Batwoman in Detective Comics.
Beautifully drawn as usual, and an unnusual twist to Kate's story. I won't say what, so as not to spoil it, but it's a nice comic bookish touch.
Gotham City Sirens #5.
I'm enjoying this in a mild way. The girls decide that enough is enough, and decide to take the battle to the Joker. There is a little surprise, that I honestly did not see coming, but it makes perfect sense.
Green Lantern #47.
This was just as orgasmic as Blackest Night. Well actually...maybe even more so. If you aren't reading this, you really really should be.
Incredible Hercules #137
Amadeus Cho continues his quest, and takes care of his foe rather neatly. TThere are no purple nurples, nor kicks to the groin, but it is still a lot of fun. And apparently, Aunt May is doing volunteer work in a soup kitchen with none other than Hebe, Hercules' estranged wife, and has SHE got a date for the girl!
Jack of Fables #39
Young Jack Frost continues his quest to be a hero, and is actually doing a pretty decent job of it. Better certainly than his no-good father, who is having his own problems, which include growing wings and a tail and green scales. Babe the little blue ox, just shines of course.
Justice Society of America #32
The plot continues to thicken. The bad guys attack the Brownstone, and I guess that John Stewart will be getting another commission to rebuild or redesign it soon. *sigh* Alan is keeping Mr. Terrific in stasis, just in case he decides to come back from the dead, Power Girl is having a conniption, and Mangog is being as obnoxious as usual.
Really, does ANYone like Mangog? I find him to be rude, overbearing and just a tad full of himself. And while I may enjoy that sort of behavior when Guy Gardner does it, when Mangog does it, I just want to slap him. Or have Peej slap him for me.
Superman: Secret Origin #2
I'm enjoying the heck out of this. I don't care if I already know this stuff, it is still loads of fun. The artwork is awfully pretty too. I DO love Gary Franks. The Legion shows up, and take Clark on a little trip to the future, and Lightning Lad shows unexpected adroitness in manipulating Brainiac, which I find appealing. Oh, and young Lex Luthor is Up To No Good.
Wonder Woman #37
Well, things are going to hell in a handbasket on Themyscira. Alkyone has apparently tied the know with Achilles, and she's taking over as Queen, which has to piss off the rest of the Amazons. Zeus really is a pill, isn't he? Ares shows up in a dream of Diana's and is suitably threatening. Diana and Donna fight, and Diana does something incredibly noble and unexpected. Good stuff.
I hope you all enjoyed the hell out of your books!
Sweet Sweet Wednesday
Ahhh...my favorite day of the week. Well, actually Saturday and Sunday are nice, and Friday is pretty good too...but Wednesday is DEFINITELY better than Monday, Tuesday OR Thursday. Although Thursday isn't terrible.
But anyway, I'm going to be quite the fashion plate when I show up at the comic book store. My son last night came in and plopped a bag on my lap as I was sitting on the couch, and lo and behold, it held a lovely soft, warm, hooded sweatshirt...in Red, with the Rage Lantern symbol on the front! Woohoo! He got the last one in the store, and gave it to his dear old mummy.
Then he and my youngest got into an argument over which one was the favorite child, and how important it was to buy my love. Meanhwhile, my Sweet Baboo was sitting in his chair, and sighing loudly, because nobody was trying to buy HIS love. We did eventually give him some pie, which made him happy.
But man, I just love my kids. Especially when they give me presents.
Oh, and Ambush Bug is coming out! Woohoooooo!
But anyway, I'm going to be quite the fashion plate when I show up at the comic book store. My son last night came in and plopped a bag on my lap as I was sitting on the couch, and lo and behold, it held a lovely soft, warm, hooded sweatshirt...in Red, with the Rage Lantern symbol on the front! Woohoo! He got the last one in the store, and gave it to his dear old mummy.
Then he and my youngest got into an argument over which one was the favorite child, and how important it was to buy my love. Meanhwhile, my Sweet Baboo was sitting in his chair, and sighing loudly, because nobody was trying to buy HIS love. We did eventually give him some pie, which made him happy.
But man, I just love my kids. Especially when they give me presents.
Oh, and Ambush Bug is coming out! Woohoooooo!
Feeling Rather Contented
I...had a pretty good day. I hope that you all had a good day too! Went to the bank, and convinced them NOT to charge me $100 in overdraft fees, since I actually HAD made a deposit well before those cheques came in. Came home feeling vindicated, and discovered that the fruit of my loins had raked up leaves in the yard...WITHOUT BEING ASKED! Had pizza for dinner, and so did not have to cook. House wasn't on television, but you can't have everything.
And tomorrow, the new books come out, including Blackest Night AND Green Lantern, not to mention a whole passel of other good books. Life...is good. Comics are also good. So are apple cider donuts, and if you have never tasted them, I suggest that you try some.
Here is a picture of Beetle, Booster and Black Canary, for no other reason, than their names all start with the letter "B", and because it makes me smile. We can all use a good Bwhahahahaha once in a while.
And tomorrow, the new books come out, including Blackest Night AND Green Lantern, not to mention a whole passel of other good books. Life...is good. Comics are also good. So are apple cider donuts, and if you have never tasted them, I suggest that you try some.
Here is a picture of Beetle, Booster and Black Canary, for no other reason, than their names all start with the letter "B", and because it makes me smile. We can all use a good Bwhahahahaha once in a while.
Semi-Demented Ramblings
Oh Monday afternoon, how terrifying you can be, as I stare at my blank screen, with an equally blank mind. So, I think I'm just going to go with this whole stream of conciousness thingie, even though I absolutely HATED reading "the Sound & the Fury". Because Consistancy is the Hobgoblin of little minds...or so I'm told.
Did everyone read Booster Gold? And more importantly, did everyone read the backup feature, with Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle? I'm embarrassed to say that the one thing that really stuck out in my mind, was that they went and bought a Booster Gold action figure for Milagro, and that she had it kissing her (Ted Kord) Blue Beetle action figure. In light of all the fanfic floating around out there, for some reason, this just cracked me up. I am also quite proud that Milagro also has an action figure of her brother AND one of Guy Gardner. I do want to get her an action figure of Hal Jordan, so that her Guy Gardner figure can do horrible horrible things to it.
Fictional or not, Milagro Reyes, is my kind of kid.
I wonder if Roy buys Lian action figure? Does she have the ones of all the Arrow family, not to mention Dinah in her fishnets? These two kids ought to get together, they'd have a fine old time.
Gail Simone had Wonder Woman and Black Canary checking out the Japanese toys in some of her latest issues, which makes me wonder...if they have action figures of the heroes in the DC Universe, do the heroes themselve get a percentage of the profits? Royalties? Wally could certainly use the money, and I'm sure that nobody else would turn it down either. Oracle is smart, maybe she's got the corner on the market or something. Or are they fair game, because they are in the public domain?
I actually worry about things like this.
When do the Blackest Night rings come out? Is it next month? Because October is just about finished. Which means, that we may get Green Lantern this week, or Blackest Night, or both! Woohoo!
I'm just going to go and play with my own action figures. Guy, Fire and Tora are going to have a threesome.
Did everyone read Booster Gold? And more importantly, did everyone read the backup feature, with Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle? I'm embarrassed to say that the one thing that really stuck out in my mind, was that they went and bought a Booster Gold action figure for Milagro, and that she had it kissing her (Ted Kord) Blue Beetle action figure. In light of all the fanfic floating around out there, for some reason, this just cracked me up. I am also quite proud that Milagro also has an action figure of her brother AND one of Guy Gardner. I do want to get her an action figure of Hal Jordan, so that her Guy Gardner figure can do horrible horrible things to it.
Fictional or not, Milagro Reyes, is my kind of kid.
I wonder if Roy buys Lian action figure? Does she have the ones of all the Arrow family, not to mention Dinah in her fishnets? These two kids ought to get together, they'd have a fine old time.
Gail Simone had Wonder Woman and Black Canary checking out the Japanese toys in some of her latest issues, which makes me wonder...if they have action figures of the heroes in the DC Universe, do the heroes themselve get a percentage of the profits? Royalties? Wally could certainly use the money, and I'm sure that nobody else would turn it down either. Oracle is smart, maybe she's got the corner on the market or something. Or are they fair game, because they are in the public domain?
I actually worry about things like this.
When do the Blackest Night rings come out? Is it next month? Because October is just about finished. Which means, that we may get Green Lantern this week, or Blackest Night, or both! Woohoo!
I'm just going to go and play with my own action figures. Guy, Fire and Tora are going to have a threesome.
Getting Back to the Important Things in Life
And those important things are COMICS, by God! I have established a tenuous internet access, and I am running with it for now.
So...did anyone read the Guy Gardner story in the Halloween Special 09 book that came out last Wednesday? I LOVE Holiday short stories for some odd reason, and I never fail to pick up the Christmas one, but I don't really remember any for Halloween, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Some of them were silly, some of them were...ok, and some of them were actually a little scary. I have to admit that the race between the Flash and Superman was one of my favorites.
But my absolute favorite was of course...Halloween...the Guy Way. It had Mark Bagley on the art, which was a treat. He gave Guy his regular hair, NOT the old bowl cut, which is a trap that unfamiliar artists usually fall in to. The writer was Adam Schlagman, with whom I am not familiar, and he did a pretty decent job. Tora of course was WILDLY out of character, but I found I didn't even care, at least initially...because it all read mostly like a fun fan-fic, and what the hell.
Of COURSE, Guy would try and have a Halloween party on Oa. I thought he did a good job with Salaak's reaction, Hal's and John's in particular. They misspelled Fire's name (it's Beatriz, not Beatrice) but I can overlook that. Tora was fun, if a bit...forward. I think she was channeling her inner Bea there for a bit, but at least she and Guy ended up having an interesting evening. I also found it interesting that ALL of the Lanterns saw nothing wrong with mocking the Guardians. This is what comes of making stupid rules!
So...did anyone read the Guy Gardner story in the Halloween Special 09 book that came out last Wednesday? I LOVE Holiday short stories for some odd reason, and I never fail to pick up the Christmas one, but I don't really remember any for Halloween, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Some of them were silly, some of them were...ok, and some of them were actually a little scary. I have to admit that the race between the Flash and Superman was one of my favorites.
But my absolute favorite was of course...Halloween...the Guy Way. It had Mark Bagley on the art, which was a treat. He gave Guy his regular hair, NOT the old bowl cut, which is a trap that unfamiliar artists usually fall in to. The writer was Adam Schlagman, with whom I am not familiar, and he did a pretty decent job. Tora of course was WILDLY out of character, but I found I didn't even care, at least initially...because it all read mostly like a fun fan-fic, and what the hell.
Of COURSE, Guy would try and have a Halloween party on Oa. I thought he did a good job with Salaak's reaction, Hal's and John's in particular. They misspelled Fire's name (it's Beatriz, not Beatrice) but I can overlook that. Tora was fun, if a bit...forward. I think she was channeling her inner Bea there for a bit, but at least she and Guy ended up having an interesting evening. I also found it interesting that ALL of the Lanterns saw nothing wrong with mocking the Guardians. This is what comes of making stupid rules!
Green Lantern Corps #41
Well, I tried posting a nice detailed review, and lost it, so here is the short version.
Tomasi and Gleason are doing a simply fabulous job,with the whole Blackest Night story. It's creepy and scary, and funny and mind-boggling all at the same time.
Soranik and Iolande are trying to get the remaining wounded to Mogo, where they hopefully will be safe. A dead Ke'haan is taunting Guy, who blows him up, and then is smart enough to highttail it out of there. Arisia is fighting her family. Vath and Isamot are fighting a bunch of Black Lanterns, including some dead children, who may just be Kryb's longlost kidnapped babies. Kilowog is fighting a dead Lantern Ermey, who is extremely nasty. Soranik also stops by to help Kyle fight Jade. Jade will probably regret pissing off the daughter of Sinestro.
Oh, and one of the Indigo Corps shows up.
This is wonderful wonderful stuff.
Tomasi and Gleason are doing a simply fabulous job,with the whole Blackest Night story. It's creepy and scary, and funny and mind-boggling all at the same time.
Soranik and Iolande are trying to get the remaining wounded to Mogo, where they hopefully will be safe. A dead Ke'haan is taunting Guy, who blows him up, and then is smart enough to highttail it out of there. Arisia is fighting her family. Vath and Isamot are fighting a bunch of Black Lanterns, including some dead children, who may just be Kryb's longlost kidnapped babies. Kilowog is fighting a dead Lantern Ermey, who is extremely nasty. Soranik also stops by to help Kyle fight Jade. Jade will probably regret pissing off the daughter of Sinestro.
Oh, and one of the Indigo Corps shows up.
This is wonderful wonderful stuff.
Inglourious Basterds [2009]
Director: Quentin TarantinoCast: Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent
Genre: Action/War drama
Rating: Adult (language, graphic violence, brief sexuality)
Comment: "Unmistakably Tarantino, although not a masterpiece it sought to be..."
Any movie with Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino attached to it, you know you're in for a testosterone-fuelled thrill ride. While this movie deserves credit and entertaining in it's own right, it also suffers from overexposure and perhaps also over-hyped to the extent audiences might feel cheated upon leaving the cinema.
The movie revolves around fictional events taking place in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. A group of Jewish-Americans, known as 'The Basterds" led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). Their mission? To brutally kill and scalp Nazis.
Needless to say this movie has no basis in reality whatsoever, and solely for entertainment. But while it may be greater in scale (and budget), Basterds struggled to even barely surpass Tarantino's other classics such as Reservoir Dogs [1992] and is not even remotely as entertaining as his best work to date, Pulp Fiction [1994]. Now you might say that it is unfair to compare one movie to another, and it's true. But for argument's sake, this movie was touted even by Tarantino himself to be his masterpiece. FPBM! for one, would like to disagree.
What this movie lack is really the "engagement factor". Now, it may look like a war epic, but it is not. You can find more shooting and explosions in a single episode of Band of Brothers than in this entire movie. But that is not really the issue. If you are familiar with the works of Tarantino, you cannot help but not only watch the movie, but become part of it as well. For some strange reason, you will be able to appreciate the aesthetics of the movie in true Tarantino fashion, but you will also feel excluded from the ongoings.
What can be surmised here is that, Tarantino possibly fell in love a bit too much with Basterds, and lost a little bit of his touch. Perhaps he sought to impress the audience more than he would like to impress himself.
Better luck next time, Tarantino. While Basterds is a great piece of work and enjoyable in it's own right, it is hardly a masterpiece.
Points Calculation
The Good [+100]
- Machismo
- Fast paced
- Cinematography
The Bad [-30]
- Unengaging
100 - 30 = 70 points
The movie revolves around fictional events taking place in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. A group of Jewish-Americans, known as 'The Basterds" led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). Their mission? To brutally kill and scalp Nazis.
Needless to say this movie has no basis in reality whatsoever, and solely for entertainment. But while it may be greater in scale (and budget), Basterds struggled to even barely surpass Tarantino's other classics such as Reservoir Dogs [1992] and is not even remotely as entertaining as his best work to date, Pulp Fiction [1994]. Now you might say that it is unfair to compare one movie to another, and it's true. But for argument's sake, this movie was touted even by Tarantino himself to be his masterpiece. FPBM! for one, would like to disagree.
What this movie lack is really the "engagement factor". Now, it may look like a war epic, but it is not. You can find more shooting and explosions in a single episode of Band of Brothers than in this entire movie. But that is not really the issue. If you are familiar with the works of Tarantino, you cannot help but not only watch the movie, but become part of it as well. For some strange reason, you will be able to appreciate the aesthetics of the movie in true Tarantino fashion, but you will also feel excluded from the ongoings.
What can be surmised here is that, Tarantino possibly fell in love a bit too much with Basterds, and lost a little bit of his touch. Perhaps he sought to impress the audience more than he would like to impress himself.
Better luck next time, Tarantino. While Basterds is a great piece of work and enjoyable in it's own right, it is hardly a masterpiece.
Points Calculation
The Good [+100]
- Machismo
- Fast paced
- Cinematography
The Bad [-30]
- Unengaging
100 - 30 = 70 points
Reviews!
I'm still working on my little computer problem, but I'm at my Sweet Baboo's lair, stealing his computer. Woohoo! Internet Access At Last!
It was a hell of a week.
First off, Blackest Night: Batman #3. Since it was written by Peter Tomasi it is right in line with the rest of the Blackest Night continuity. It was quite good, with both Tim and Dick getting sucked into the emotional machinations of their respective parents. However, the REAL payoff, was the way that the two of them managed to outwit the Black Lanterns at the end...a method that I feel may have some ramifications down the line. Involving Tora perhaps?
Cool.
Booster Gold #25 was fun as usual, with an unexpected touch of sweetness I thought, in Booster's relationship with Dick at the end. I'm glad that he came clean about his own place in the Universe, and how he related to Batman. Damian was splendidly obnoxious as usual.
The backup feature with Blue Beetle was also excellent, continuing the story of the Black Beetle, and his shenanigans. He CLAIMS that he's actually Jaime from the future, but I'm not buying it, and neither was Jaime.
There was a moment, back with Booster that also seemed to hint at a possible identity for the Black Beetle, when Rip was fighting him off, and he was being scanned by Skeets. Man, I really hope that the Black Beetle isn't secretly an evil future Ted or something. That would really rain on my parade.
Fables continues to entertain me. Frau Totenkinder is doing interesting things, much to the possible dismay of Ozma. Fabletown is in bad shape, and I'm sure that a confrontation is coming soon. I really really want Bufkin to defeat Baba Yaga as neatly as he conned the Djinn.
Final Crisis: Escape #6. And so we come to the end. I liked this, even if I didn't understand half of it, although it does finally seem to make a certain amount of sense. I guess it's a good thing that Nemesis dumped poor Wonder Woman, considering the last page.
Green Lantern Corps #41. Oh. Oh MY!
The Incredible Hercules #136. This has to be one of the best comic book battles EVER!!!! I do know that I was in serious hysteria, particularly when Hercules used the dreaded purple nurple ploy on Thor. The atomic wedgie move was also quite enjoyable. This is about the only book that I am currently getting from Marvel, but it is simply magnificent. If the rest of their books were half as good as this, I'd still be spending money over there.
JSA vs Kobra #5. Wheels within wheels, and all sorts of things are going on. I am enjoying this more than the regular book at the moment, since they are all fighting and cooperating together, instead of fighting, and Mangog's presence, is quite minimal, to my relief. Good stuff.
Secret Six #14. Woohoo! Finally our boys and girls get their heads together, and do the right thing. Nicola Scott's artwork simply makes me swoon. Scandal goes all crazy on Grendel's ass, and Bane issues a few new rules. And Deadshot dishes out a most welcome comeuppance.
I love weeks like this!
It was a hell of a week.
First off, Blackest Night: Batman #3. Since it was written by Peter Tomasi it is right in line with the rest of the Blackest Night continuity. It was quite good, with both Tim and Dick getting sucked into the emotional machinations of their respective parents. However, the REAL payoff, was the way that the two of them managed to outwit the Black Lanterns at the end...a method that I feel may have some ramifications down the line. Involving Tora perhaps?
Cool.
Booster Gold #25 was fun as usual, with an unexpected touch of sweetness I thought, in Booster's relationship with Dick at the end. I'm glad that he came clean about his own place in the Universe, and how he related to Batman. Damian was splendidly obnoxious as usual.
The backup feature with Blue Beetle was also excellent, continuing the story of the Black Beetle, and his shenanigans. He CLAIMS that he's actually Jaime from the future, but I'm not buying it, and neither was Jaime.
There was a moment, back with Booster that also seemed to hint at a possible identity for the Black Beetle, when Rip was fighting him off, and he was being scanned by Skeets. Man, I really hope that the Black Beetle isn't secretly an evil future Ted or something. That would really rain on my parade.
Fables continues to entertain me. Frau Totenkinder is doing interesting things, much to the possible dismay of Ozma. Fabletown is in bad shape, and I'm sure that a confrontation is coming soon. I really really want Bufkin to defeat Baba Yaga as neatly as he conned the Djinn.
Final Crisis: Escape #6. And so we come to the end. I liked this, even if I didn't understand half of it, although it does finally seem to make a certain amount of sense. I guess it's a good thing that Nemesis dumped poor Wonder Woman, considering the last page.
Green Lantern Corps #41. Oh. Oh MY!
The Incredible Hercules #136. This has to be one of the best comic book battles EVER!!!! I do know that I was in serious hysteria, particularly when Hercules used the dreaded purple nurple ploy on Thor. The atomic wedgie move was also quite enjoyable. This is about the only book that I am currently getting from Marvel, but it is simply magnificent. If the rest of their books were half as good as this, I'd still be spending money over there.
JSA vs Kobra #5. Wheels within wheels, and all sorts of things are going on. I am enjoying this more than the regular book at the moment, since they are all fighting and cooperating together, instead of fighting, and Mangog's presence, is quite minimal, to my relief. Good stuff.
Secret Six #14. Woohoo! Finally our boys and girls get their heads together, and do the right thing. Nicola Scott's artwork simply makes me swoon. Scandal goes all crazy on Grendel's ass, and Bane issues a few new rules. And Deadshot dishes out a most welcome comeuppance.
I love weeks like this!
My Kingdom for a Computer Tech
Ok, my computer will work for a few minutes, and then abruptly shut off completely, going all black. It won't restart until it cools down. Do I need a new fan perhaps? Or just need some compressed air to blow out the dust? Or a witchdoctor?
Anyhoo, the comics were all and more that I expected. I'm typing in a frantic hurry, to get this on, before it implodes again, so hopefully reviews tomorrow!
Anyhoo, the comics were all and more that I expected. I'm typing in a frantic hurry, to get this on, before it implodes again, so hopefully reviews tomorrow!
!@@##$$%%!!!
Well...I may have crowed too soon. I did get my old modem to work, but it only works for about twenty minutes, so I have to type fast! Then it will freeze. Still...it's better than the other one.
Why do things have to be so damned complicated?
Nevertheless, it is Wednesday, and therefore I rejoice. New books, including Green Lantern Corps and Booster Gold AND Secret Six. It's almost too much awesomeness to absorb all at once.
Why do things have to be so damned complicated?
Nevertheless, it is Wednesday, and therefore I rejoice. New books, including Green Lantern Corps and Booster Gold AND Secret Six. It's almost too much awesomeness to absorb all at once.
It...It's a Miracle!
As seems to be par for the course, I've been having some computer problems lately. My GOOD computer apparently died some months ago, which broke my heart, so we ended up with one that a friend donated, that worked in fits and starts. It would be fine for a week or so, and then start freezing and throwing me off.
Yesturday, I came home to find that the kids had somehow managed to download one of those bogus "security" thingies, that is actually a virus, and I've been tearing my hair out trying to fix it or work around it. Finally, in desperation, I went and found my old modem, and hooked it all back up...and HALLELUJAH!!!!
Apparently...it works! It works beautifully! For the moment at least. It may still explode in five minutes or something...but at least I managed to get on and type these deathless words.
So hey. How about those Green Lanterns anyway?
Yesturday, I came home to find that the kids had somehow managed to download one of those bogus "security" thingies, that is actually a virus, and I've been tearing my hair out trying to fix it or work around it. Finally, in desperation, I went and found my old modem, and hooked it all back up...and HALLELUJAH!!!!
Apparently...it works! It works beautifully! For the moment at least. It may still explode in five minutes or something...but at least I managed to get on and type these deathless words.
So hey. How about those Green Lanterns anyway?
Most Definitely A Foe
I'm continuing with the theme of showcasing Guy Gardner's various friends and foes. Interestinly enough a heck of a lot of his friends started out in the foe category, before learning to love the inner Guy. Our subject for today however, is a foe. Most definitely a foe.
This is Dementor. Disgusting, isn't he? He was created by Beau Smith back when he was writing Guy's own book, and he was once spectacularly revolting villain. He was an experiment, a bit of Vuldarian cross-breeding gone horribly awry, and basically stood as the evil mirror image of Guy once Guy had discovered his own inner Vuldarian.
For a while...it's complicated...he was sort of living in Guy's head, and bedeviling him on his frequent trips to "Comaland". He brashly claims that he was the one responsible for all of Guy's manic mood swings and behavior quirks back when he was brain-damaged. How much of this is really true, and how much of it is just Dementor messing with Guy's head, is moot.
Dementor spent a lot of time tormenting Guy and his friends, and since he had a particularly perverted sense of humor, it usually got a little weird. For example, it was Dementor who was responsible for turning Guy into a woman. I believe that there ARE pictures, but Buck Wargo and Zinda have them under lock and key, no matter HOW much Hal wants to bribe them.
So anyhoo. Dementor was ugly, revolting, and ridiculous...and usually hilarious in a creepy sort of way. He was finally killed by Guy, but I suppose that it would be fairly simple for some writer to resurrect him, if the need should arise. That probably won't happen for a long time however, since Guy's Vuldarian period seems to have been swept under the rug.
Still...Dementor was fun in a lot of ways.
This is Dementor. Disgusting, isn't he? He was created by Beau Smith back when he was writing Guy's own book, and he was once spectacularly revolting villain. He was an experiment, a bit of Vuldarian cross-breeding gone horribly awry, and basically stood as the evil mirror image of Guy once Guy had discovered his own inner Vuldarian.
For a while...it's complicated...he was sort of living in Guy's head, and bedeviling him on his frequent trips to "Comaland". He brashly claims that he was the one responsible for all of Guy's manic mood swings and behavior quirks back when he was brain-damaged. How much of this is really true, and how much of it is just Dementor messing with Guy's head, is moot.
Dementor spent a lot of time tormenting Guy and his friends, and since he had a particularly perverted sense of humor, it usually got a little weird. For example, it was Dementor who was responsible for turning Guy into a woman. I believe that there ARE pictures, but Buck Wargo and Zinda have them under lock and key, no matter HOW much Hal wants to bribe them.
So anyhoo. Dementor was ugly, revolting, and ridiculous...and usually hilarious in a creepy sort of way. He was finally killed by Guy, but I suppose that it would be fairly simple for some writer to resurrect him, if the need should arise. That probably won't happen for a long time however, since Guy's Vuldarian period seems to have been swept under the rug.
Still...Dementor was fun in a lot of ways.
A Guy's Best Friend
No, I'm not referring to G'nort...although I am sure that he'd LIKE to be known as Guy's bestest buddy. Instead, I am talking about Kilowog.
Sure, Guy has a mancrush on Hal, but then really...who doesn't? And he's partners with Kyle, and he seems to get along just fine with John, and any number of other people. But I think that when push comes to shove, Kilowog is his Best Friend Forever.
Aren't they adorable?
After the USUAL explosive beginnings, where they didn't get along at ALL...Kilowog thought that Guy was a lunatic,and Guy thought that Kilowog was a Commie...they rather surprisingly became much closer. To be frank, NOBODY liked Guy initially, but Kilowog was the first one to come around. It might have had something to do with the fact that Guy decided to invade the Soviet Union, in order to rescue him, along with John and Katma. He also managed to bring the world to the brink of another war, and beat up vast numbers of soldiers, but for Guy, that was just another Tuesday.
I don't know what exactly it was, that made Kilowog look at Guy differently. Maybe he'd had all he could take of Hal's posturing. Maybe he was a little upset that Hal and Arisia were making out like bunnies, when he had a bit of a crush on Arisia as well. Maybe it was Guy's pranks. Or maybe, it was because after most of them lost their rings, and were stranded powerless on an alien planet, Guy (and Arisia) was the ONLY one to come and visit him and write him letters, and roughhouse, and just be there for him.
Keep in mind that this was when Guy was in brain-dead mode as well. He still managed to be a pretty decent human being. He's the one who brought Kilowog into the Justice League, which turned out to be rather a brilliant move. Kilowog's know-how managed to upgrade all of their security and equipment, it made him feel useful and needed again, and he provided a handy outlet for Guy's shenanigans. They helped each other...and that's what friends do.
Kilowog was also just about the only person other than Tora, who stuck up for Guy after Hal took his ring away. Guy's possesion of Sinestro's yellow ring made a LOT Of people very very nervous, principal of these being the Guardians. I think that Guy showed a lot of initiative in going after the ring, but that's just me.
Awwww...just look at that face. It's pretty obvious that Guy had Kilowog wrapped around his little finger. However, it is to Guy's credit that he actually felt bad about bamboozling his friend. Kilowog must have known to some degree that Guy was trying to con him, but to HIS credit, he let it go.
I hope...I REALLY hope that it isn't going to be Kilowog's death that sets Guy on the path to becoming a Red Lantern in the upcoming Blackest Night issue of GLC. It was bad enough when he died the first time. If he DOES take a dirt nap, then he had better be resurrected. QUICKLY!
Sure, Guy has a mancrush on Hal, but then really...who doesn't? And he's partners with Kyle, and he seems to get along just fine with John, and any number of other people. But I think that when push comes to shove, Kilowog is his Best Friend Forever.
Aren't they adorable?
After the USUAL explosive beginnings, where they didn't get along at ALL...Kilowog thought that Guy was a lunatic,and Guy thought that Kilowog was a Commie...they rather surprisingly became much closer. To be frank, NOBODY liked Guy initially, but Kilowog was the first one to come around. It might have had something to do with the fact that Guy decided to invade the Soviet Union, in order to rescue him, along with John and Katma. He also managed to bring the world to the brink of another war, and beat up vast numbers of soldiers, but for Guy, that was just another Tuesday.
I don't know what exactly it was, that made Kilowog look at Guy differently. Maybe he'd had all he could take of Hal's posturing. Maybe he was a little upset that Hal and Arisia were making out like bunnies, when he had a bit of a crush on Arisia as well. Maybe it was Guy's pranks. Or maybe, it was because after most of them lost their rings, and were stranded powerless on an alien planet, Guy (and Arisia) was the ONLY one to come and visit him and write him letters, and roughhouse, and just be there for him.
Keep in mind that this was when Guy was in brain-dead mode as well. He still managed to be a pretty decent human being. He's the one who brought Kilowog into the Justice League, which turned out to be rather a brilliant move. Kilowog's know-how managed to upgrade all of their security and equipment, it made him feel useful and needed again, and he provided a handy outlet for Guy's shenanigans. They helped each other...and that's what friends do.
Kilowog was also just about the only person other than Tora, who stuck up for Guy after Hal took his ring away. Guy's possesion of Sinestro's yellow ring made a LOT Of people very very nervous, principal of these being the Guardians. I think that Guy showed a lot of initiative in going after the ring, but that's just me.
Awwww...just look at that face. It's pretty obvious that Guy had Kilowog wrapped around his little finger. However, it is to Guy's credit that he actually felt bad about bamboozling his friend. Kilowog must have known to some degree that Guy was trying to con him, but to HIS credit, he let it go.
I hope...I REALLY hope that it isn't going to be Kilowog's death that sets Guy on the path to becoming a Red Lantern in the upcoming Blackest Night issue of GLC. It was bad enough when he died the first time. If he DOES take a dirt nap, then he had better be resurrected. QUICKLY!
A Major Bad Guy
Of all of Guy's enemies, I think that one of my favorites has to be Major Force. He's such a tool! And he has this strange obsession with kitchen appliances, that you must admit is a bit out of the ordinary.
He stuffed poor Alex into a refridgerator, and made Kyle sad...not to mention giving all of us such a wonderful way to refer to the abysmal treatment of women characters in comics. He fridged Guy's Mother's neighbor, and not content with that, he stuffed his Mom's cat into the freezer. Knowing Peggy Louise Gardner, I'm sure that it was the latter that made her more upset. He ripped Guy's heart right out of his chest! Fortunately for Guy, he had a spare.
He's had his head pinched off, been booted into space and various other indignities suffered upon his person, and yet, like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps coming back for more. I haven't seen Major Force in quite a while, so I'm not sure if he IS alive, but I assume that he is. He'd make one hell of a Black Lantern, that's for sure.
He stuffed poor Alex into a refridgerator, and made Kyle sad...not to mention giving all of us such a wonderful way to refer to the abysmal treatment of women characters in comics. He fridged Guy's Mother's neighbor, and not content with that, he stuffed his Mom's cat into the freezer. Knowing Peggy Louise Gardner, I'm sure that it was the latter that made her more upset. He ripped Guy's heart right out of his chest! Fortunately for Guy, he had a spare.
He's had his head pinched off, been booted into space and various other indignities suffered upon his person, and yet, like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps coming back for more. I haven't seen Major Force in quite a while, so I'm not sure if he IS alive, but I assume that he is. He'd make one hell of a Black Lantern, that's for sure.
New Books Came In Yesturday
And most of them were quite nice.
This is the second time that I'm trying to post this, as my wretched computer keeps kicking me off in the middle of things. Gah!
Firstly, there was Grant Morrison and Philip Tan's Batman & Robin. Excellent as usual. It IS Jason under that shiny red hood after all. We also learn something rather startling about Jason's hair, and expose a slightly kinky side to Bruce, although I suppose it all makes sense in context.
Anyway, Jason's brutal methods of dealing with criminal is about to bring some unforeseen consequences down on his and Dick and Damien's heads.
Doom Patrol was ok. I don't really know that much about them, I'm REALLy just getting it for Maguire's Metal Men in the back-up feature. And what a feature it is! Hilarious!
Final Crisis: Run! is the final issue of the 6-parter, and of all the epilogues to Final Crisis, this series was my favorite. We followed former schlub and loser, Mike, the Human Flame, as he struggles to achieve his personal goal of Ultimate Power! And he DOES! However, being Mike, it all falls apart in a rather...interesting way. Definitely worth your time.
Jonah Hex continues with 6-Gun War. Turnbull's assassins show up and do their assassiny things. A traitor gets his. Tallulah and Jonah continue to show their unique brand of affection. Bat is getting cold feet. This is really really good.
Justice League: Cry for Justice. Finally, FINALLY, Ollie gets his conscience back, Freddie is probably the smartest one amongst them, Supergirl decides to flirt with Freddie instead of Hal, Hal actually has a moment of clarity, and Ray remains quite pissy, all things considered. Oh, and Mikaal and Congorilla have some more bonding.
I have to admit to enjoying this in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. Yes, it's pretty bad, but the art is pretty, and I keep cracking up at some of the ridiculous dialogue. Oh, and the Shade shows up, which is automatically good. Gosh, I just love the Shade.
And the final page is the clincher. You have a whole bunch of the rest of the Justice League, all standing around posing prettily. Too bad that somebody stole Zatanna's REAL outfit, and she had to make do with a Halloween Hooker costume. But when the Flash says "...You've got some EXPLAINING to do", all I can do is hear it in Ricky Ricardo's voice, and imagine Lucy somewhere in the background. Yes, I realize that I'm dating myself.
Finally, I got Strange Tales from Marvel, which is a bunch of utterly ridiculous short tales by various other writers and artists, and I have to admit that it is a hoot. A hoot and a HALF!
I hope that you all enjoyed YOUR books!
This is the second time that I'm trying to post this, as my wretched computer keeps kicking me off in the middle of things. Gah!
Firstly, there was Grant Morrison and Philip Tan's Batman & Robin. Excellent as usual. It IS Jason under that shiny red hood after all. We also learn something rather startling about Jason's hair, and expose a slightly kinky side to Bruce, although I suppose it all makes sense in context.
Anyway, Jason's brutal methods of dealing with criminal is about to bring some unforeseen consequences down on his and Dick and Damien's heads.
Doom Patrol was ok. I don't really know that much about them, I'm REALLy just getting it for Maguire's Metal Men in the back-up feature. And what a feature it is! Hilarious!
Final Crisis: Run! is the final issue of the 6-parter, and of all the epilogues to Final Crisis, this series was my favorite. We followed former schlub and loser, Mike, the Human Flame, as he struggles to achieve his personal goal of Ultimate Power! And he DOES! However, being Mike, it all falls apart in a rather...interesting way. Definitely worth your time.
Jonah Hex continues with 6-Gun War. Turnbull's assassins show up and do their assassiny things. A traitor gets his. Tallulah and Jonah continue to show their unique brand of affection. Bat is getting cold feet. This is really really good.
Justice League: Cry for Justice. Finally, FINALLY, Ollie gets his conscience back, Freddie is probably the smartest one amongst them, Supergirl decides to flirt with Freddie instead of Hal, Hal actually has a moment of clarity, and Ray remains quite pissy, all things considered. Oh, and Mikaal and Congorilla have some more bonding.
I have to admit to enjoying this in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. Yes, it's pretty bad, but the art is pretty, and I keep cracking up at some of the ridiculous dialogue. Oh, and the Shade shows up, which is automatically good. Gosh, I just love the Shade.
And the final page is the clincher. You have a whole bunch of the rest of the Justice League, all standing around posing prettily. Too bad that somebody stole Zatanna's REAL outfit, and she had to make do with a Halloween Hooker costume. But when the Flash says "...You've got some EXPLAINING to do", all I can do is hear it in Ricky Ricardo's voice, and imagine Lucy somewhere in the background. Yes, I realize that I'm dating myself.
Finally, I got Strange Tales from Marvel, which is a bunch of utterly ridiculous short tales by various other writers and artists, and I have to admit that it is a hoot. A hoot and a HALF!
I hope that you all enjoyed YOUR books!
Star Trek [2009]
Director: J. J. AbramsCast: Chris Pine, Zachary Pinto, Eric Bana
Genre: Sci-fi/Action
Rating: Teen (violence, horrific images)
Comment: "A sci-fi fan's wet dream..."
The Star Trek series had always been one of those love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing, so expect don't expect the reimagining of it to be any different. FPBM! however, is a proud geek-slash-nerd hence why this movie shall receive favourable reviews.
Thumbs up to the production team for considering that we are already in the year 2009, forty-three years since the debut of the TV-series this movie was based on. Some liberties and changes were made, possibly to free itself from any continuity constraints already established in the franchise. Basically it is the same thing albeit with characterisations of it's own.
The story can be dubbed as "The Rise of Captain James T. Kirk" because that is what it was basically about. So there is no need to familiarise yourself with the entire Star Trek lore, even if this is the first time you've heard of it. Sure, there might be some Easter eggs for long time fans (such as the Redshirt's gruesome death), but this movie did more to reintroduce than to revive - akin to what Batman Begins [2005] did for the Batman franchise.
Good news for those who like it, there are two more Star Trek movies coming.
Points Calculation
The Good [+100]
- Pure sci-fi
- Fast-paced
- Intriguing storyline
The Bad [-0]
- (None)
100 - 0 = 100 points
Thumbs up to the production team for considering that we are already in the year 2009, forty-three years since the debut of the TV-series this movie was based on. Some liberties and changes were made, possibly to free itself from any continuity constraints already established in the franchise. Basically it is the same thing albeit with characterisations of it's own.
The story can be dubbed as "The Rise of Captain James T. Kirk" because that is what it was basically about. So there is no need to familiarise yourself with the entire Star Trek lore, even if this is the first time you've heard of it. Sure, there might be some Easter eggs for long time fans (such as the Redshirt's gruesome death), but this movie did more to reintroduce than to revive - akin to what Batman Begins [2005] did for the Batman franchise.
Good news for those who like it, there are two more Star Trek movies coming.
Points Calculation
The Good [+100]
- Pure sci-fi
- Fast-paced
- Intriguing storyline
The Bad [-0]
- (None)
100 - 0 = 100 points
Maybe I'll make a Theme out of It
How about friends and foes of Guy? We just saw his infamous clone Joe. And Joe is definitely a foe. Handsome no doubt, but still a foe.
Lady Blackhawk on the other hand, falls into the friend category.
Frankly, I love Zinda. She's my favorite Bird of Prey, hands down. I'm not sure what she's up to now that Oracle shut down the whole operation, but I'm sure that somehow she's managed to land on her feet. Personally, I think that once the whole Blackest Night Kerfuffle is over, Guy should bring her to Oa to help run the bar. She could hang out with Arisia again!
But anyway. Zinda is a neat character. She managed to wangle her way
onto the Blackhawks team back during World War II, at a time when women
were NOT allowed into combat situations. She somehow acquired an education and a heck of a set of fighting skills too. Then, when she gets lost in time, and lands in the future, she's smart enough to figure out how to cope with a very confusing situation. She also ends up at Warriors, hanging out with Buck Wargo and his buddies, Arisia and Guy. Then she ends up with Oracle, Black Canary and Huntress.
And she did it all while wearing a very short skirt, and without losing a
jot of her dignity.
Lady Blackhawk on the other hand, falls into the friend category.
Frankly, I love Zinda. She's my favorite Bird of Prey, hands down. I'm not sure what she's up to now that Oracle shut down the whole operation, but I'm sure that somehow she's managed to land on her feet. Personally, I think that once the whole Blackest Night Kerfuffle is over, Guy should bring her to Oa to help run the bar. She could hang out with Arisia again!
But anyway. Zinda is a neat character. She managed to wangle her way
onto the Blackhawks team back during World War II, at a time when women
were NOT allowed into combat situations. She somehow acquired an education and a heck of a set of fighting skills too. Then, when she gets lost in time, and lands in the future, she's smart enough to figure out how to cope with a very confusing situation. She also ends up at Warriors, hanging out with Buck Wargo and his buddies, Arisia and Guy. Then she ends up with Oracle, Black Canary and Huntress.
And she did it all while wearing a very short skirt, and without losing a
jot of her dignity.
Joe is a regular Guy
You know who I never talk about? Guy's evil clone, Joe Gardner. I have to admit to having a tiny little bit of a soft spot for old Joe. He's so unremittingly evil most of the time, but really, he's gotten the short end of the stick. It's no fun being a clone really.
This is from my favorite Joe story, when he teamed up with Black Canary, way back when Chuck Dixon was writing Birds of Prey. Greg Land did the art, and he did an amazingly beautiful job, all things considered. This was when he actually knew how to draw, instead of just trace. He made an awful purty Joe anyway. And as bad as Joe was, or is, he wasn't completely terrible in this story.
He's dropped out of sight lately, which is a bit of a shame. But as far as I know, he's still wearing his hair in the old bowl cut. Joe doesn't like change apparently.
This is from my favorite Joe story, when he teamed up with Black Canary, way back when Chuck Dixon was writing Birds of Prey. Greg Land did the art, and he did an amazingly beautiful job, all things considered. This was when he actually knew how to draw, instead of just trace. He made an awful purty Joe anyway. And as bad as Joe was, or is, he wasn't completely terrible in this story.
He's dropped out of sight lately, which is a bit of a shame. But as far as I know, he's still wearing his hair in the old bowl cut. Joe doesn't like change apparently.
A Little Guy Love
I admit it, I have been neglecting Guy lately. I've been neglecting ALL the boys a bit, with the possible exception of Hal. For some reason, Hal always manages to get the most attention, and I'm not even sure HOW he does it, but he does. Love him or hate, him, he does get your eye.
Nevertheless, it's time for a Guy picture.
Oh Guy. Yes you do bite. As quite a number of Black Lanterns are about to discover to their horror.
Nevertheless, it's time for a Guy picture.
Oh Guy. Yes you do bite. As quite a number of Black Lanterns are about to discover to their horror.
Yellow
We finally...FINALLY picked up my Sweet Baboo's new truck today. He just switched jobs, and since he's always had a company vehicle, he needed to go out and buy a new one. His new company will pay for it, which is nice, but still...we haven't had to do this in a while, and the current supply of trucks is pretty low, due to the economy.
But anyway, it's a 2009 Dodge Ram pickup, and it is the brightest, shiniest shade of yellow that I have seen. The kids are trying to think of nicknames for it, because we're weird that way. Nothing felt quite right, until it occured to me.
Yellow
The Sinestromobile! It will induce fear in all who see it! One thing is for sure, nobody will be able to say that they didn't see it coming. On the other hand, unless you are a comic fan, or even more specifically a Green Lantern Fan, you may not have the slightest idea who or what a Sinestro IS!
But that's part of its charm.
He's out stroking it as we speak.
But anyway, it's a 2009 Dodge Ram pickup, and it is the brightest, shiniest shade of yellow that I have seen. The kids are trying to think of nicknames for it, because we're weird that way. Nothing felt quite right, until it occured to me.
Yellow
The Sinestromobile! It will induce fear in all who see it! One thing is for sure, nobody will be able to say that they didn't see it coming. On the other hand, unless you are a comic fan, or even more specifically a Green Lantern Fan, you may not have the slightest idea who or what a Sinestro IS!
But that's part of its charm.
He's out stroking it as we speak.
More Goodies
I was so thrilled by Green Lantern, that I almost completely forgot about two of my more exciting purchases.
And
I'm so happy I could plotz. Fire will go so nicely with my Ice figure, and I already have a Booster Gold figure, and Guy with the bowl haircut. I'm slowly...ever so slowly reassembling the old Justice League International. I still need J'onn and Black Canary, and it would be very nice to find Scott and Barda. What I REALLY want is a Max Lord and Oberon! Or L-Ron. They should come as a two-pack!
Now excuse me, I have to go and play with my toys.
And
I'm so happy I could plotz. Fire will go so nicely with my Ice figure, and I already have a Booster Gold figure, and Guy with the bowl haircut. I'm slowly...ever so slowly reassembling the old Justice League International. I still need J'onn and Black Canary, and it would be very nice to find Scott and Barda. What I REALLY want is a Max Lord and Oberon! Or L-Ron. They should come as a two-pack!
Now excuse me, I have to go and play with my toys.
Green Lantern #46
The title of this months issue is "Uneasy Alliance", which pretty much sums it all up in a neat little package.
The Zamaron homeworld is beseiged by Black Yellow Lanterns. That sounds peculiar, but that's basicaly it. The Star Sapphires are doing their best, but their powers don't really have much, if any effect on the Black Lanterns. Sinestro isn't inclined to help, he just wants to bust out his Corps members, who are encased in the Star Sapphire's crystals. There is one incredibly cool moment however, when Slushh, the Sinestro Corps member who was basically a bag of goo, that swallowed up his victims, swallows Amon Sur. It works too...until the Black Rings reanimate ALL the dead bodies that are floating around in the big greenish amoeba, and they all come bursting out. Disgusting...but cool.
Then, just as things are looking particularly bleak...who should show up but Hal. Oh, and the Indigo lady. This is all being narrated to some degree by none other than Sinestro, and quite frankly, his comments are quite both sarcastic and amusing.
Hal is still miffed that Indigo has brought him to Zamaron, thus leaving his friends in a lurch. Indigo assures him, that this is a bigger battle, and hey, you gotta break some eggs to make an omelet, or words to that effect. Hal IS a bit startled to see Carol as a Star Sapphire, but once she assures him that she neither wants to marry him or beat him up, he calms down. He does tell her that she looks good in purple.
Oh Hal. You are simply incorrigible.
He does fill Carol and Sinestro in on how to fight the Black Lanterns, which is a good thing. Sinestro isn't necessarily buying it, and he's quite rude to Indigo. Then of course, the two entombed bodies that have been encased in the crystal over the eons, are given Black Rings, and all Hell breaks loose on Zamaron. The appearance of Indigo has also not gone unnoticed by Scar, in what has to be the scariest picture by Doug Mahnke that I've ever seen. I may have nightmares from this.
Meanwhile, John is contemplating the Black Planet Xanshi, and talking to a disembodied voice. I can't wait to find out who THAT is.
Hal, Carol, Sinestro and Indigo all beat feet, and end up on Korugar. Sinestro is starting to get a bit pissy with Indigo, and really, who can blame him? She's brought him home in order to confront Mongul, who has made quite a mess out of poor Korugar. Hal and Carol offer to help out, but of course Sinestro decides that this is HIS fight, and our two Titans begin to Tussle. At first, it seems as though Mongul has the upper hand. But don't count Sinestro out, it turns out that in his usual highly efficient fashion, he retains the ability to command ALL of the yellow rings, and after that...well, Mongul is pretty much toast.
So the remaining Sinestro Corps members are all happy, Arkillo in particular. The poor citizens of Korugar are terrified and relieved at the same time that Sinestro has shown up to save them in their darkest hour.
And then of course, two Black Lanterns show up that have particular meaning for both Sinestro and Hal, and...oh heck, you'll just have to read the book!
Fabulous.
The Zamaron homeworld is beseiged by Black Yellow Lanterns. That sounds peculiar, but that's basicaly it. The Star Sapphires are doing their best, but their powers don't really have much, if any effect on the Black Lanterns. Sinestro isn't inclined to help, he just wants to bust out his Corps members, who are encased in the Star Sapphire's crystals. There is one incredibly cool moment however, when Slushh, the Sinestro Corps member who was basically a bag of goo, that swallowed up his victims, swallows Amon Sur. It works too...until the Black Rings reanimate ALL the dead bodies that are floating around in the big greenish amoeba, and they all come bursting out. Disgusting...but cool.
Then, just as things are looking particularly bleak...who should show up but Hal. Oh, and the Indigo lady. This is all being narrated to some degree by none other than Sinestro, and quite frankly, his comments are quite both sarcastic and amusing.
Hal is still miffed that Indigo has brought him to Zamaron, thus leaving his friends in a lurch. Indigo assures him, that this is a bigger battle, and hey, you gotta break some eggs to make an omelet, or words to that effect. Hal IS a bit startled to see Carol as a Star Sapphire, but once she assures him that she neither wants to marry him or beat him up, he calms down. He does tell her that she looks good in purple.
Oh Hal. You are simply incorrigible.
He does fill Carol and Sinestro in on how to fight the Black Lanterns, which is a good thing. Sinestro isn't necessarily buying it, and he's quite rude to Indigo. Then of course, the two entombed bodies that have been encased in the crystal over the eons, are given Black Rings, and all Hell breaks loose on Zamaron. The appearance of Indigo has also not gone unnoticed by Scar, in what has to be the scariest picture by Doug Mahnke that I've ever seen. I may have nightmares from this.
Meanwhile, John is contemplating the Black Planet Xanshi, and talking to a disembodied voice. I can't wait to find out who THAT is.
Hal, Carol, Sinestro and Indigo all beat feet, and end up on Korugar. Sinestro is starting to get a bit pissy with Indigo, and really, who can blame him? She's brought him home in order to confront Mongul, who has made quite a mess out of poor Korugar. Hal and Carol offer to help out, but of course Sinestro decides that this is HIS fight, and our two Titans begin to Tussle. At first, it seems as though Mongul has the upper hand. But don't count Sinestro out, it turns out that in his usual highly efficient fashion, he retains the ability to command ALL of the yellow rings, and after that...well, Mongul is pretty much toast.
So the remaining Sinestro Corps members are all happy, Arkillo in particular. The poor citizens of Korugar are terrified and relieved at the same time that Sinestro has shown up to save them in their darkest hour.
And then of course, two Black Lanterns show up that have particular meaning for both Sinestro and Hal, and...oh heck, you'll just have to read the book!
Fabulous.
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