Weekends Don't Suck Reborn #3

[Ronald Bryan]

Last Issue (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=67800)









Introduction



I took a week off last week to catch up and get onto a better schedule. Now, hopefully, I won’t be going insane writing something for three people. Now, who are those three people? I’m sure two of them might know who they are. The other one, it’s you. Yes, YOU.




The Comic Review



"Its a book even an indie snob will like." – Brandon Hanvey



Why wasn’t I notified that the Runaways hardcover was out? This is the perfect collection for any comic fan or non-fan. Featuring the entire eighteen issue run of the first volume of Runaways, the story has everything. There is intrigue, mystery, action, and teenage troubles. The characters are fun. The story is epic. This is what good comics are made of.



Have you ever felt like the whole world is against you, that your parents are evil? What if they really were evil? This is the dilemma faced by the children of the Pride, a villainous organization which secretly is running the world and has plans which would include the destruction of said planet. When the kids find out, they run away, becoming the runaways of the title. The comic then follows their adventures as they try to keep away from their parents as well as attempt to make some restitution for their parents’ evil.



Brian K. Vaughan, the writer of the great Y the Last Man, Ex Machina, and Ultimate X-Men, is at the top of his game as writer of Runaways. He writes each character differently, with their separate personalities and reasons for doing what they are doing. Vaughan shines as the top notch writer he is.



The art is pretty good throughout the series. With each character having a distict look, they are instantly recognizable in each issue. It might be “too manga” for some people. But give it a try anyway.



Runaways. A great comic available for fairly cheap in the hardcover collection. Pick it up now!




The DVD Review



Can you keep under control?



Sin City was released last Tuesday. But there is a special director’s cut coming out later this year. Can you hold out long enough to get it? Should you?



If you believe director Robert Rodriguez (and he has never led anyone astray before), he will be releasing a director’s cut of Sin City, featuring the three stories separated into individual movies, with all lines and scenes from the books fully restored. Plus, the usual Rodriguez goodies like the film school, cooking school, and commentary. So, can you wait?



If you want to see Sin City now, why wait? Find a friend to give the regular copy to when you get the director’s cut. Or use this one to see how it was edited. Or just wait. Personally, I say wait. The new version should be out in just a few months. You can wait those few months for a great version of a great film. But, there is one reason I can see for buying this film. If you own a PSP.



The PSP plays UMD video disks, which Sin City was released on. Then, you can get the best of both worlds. Watch Sin City on your PSP while on the road or at school. The, watch the full director’s cut on DVD later in the year. The PSP has a beautiful image resolution, wonderful sound, and allows you to take it anywhere. So, wait for the better DVD. And maybe if you have a PSP, pick up the current release.



Weekend Waster



Watch the entire Kevin Smith library.



Kevin Smith, regardless of his laziness when it comes to writing, still has written and directed many great movies. From Clerks to Jersey Girl, they all are interesting to watch, and the commentaries are beautiful. And with all of the movies, commentaries, and behind the scenes footage, you can fill a full weekend with Kevin Smith. Finish it off with An Evening With Kevin Smith and you have a full package of Kevin Smith.



One thing that Smith does wonderfully is tell stories. In his commentaries and his interview DVD, Smith tells funny, interesting stories of life working in the motion picture industry. Hearing his Superman stories from An Evening With Kevin Smith are worth it alone.



Smith also makes good movies. Even Mallrats and Jersey Girl are good (with Jersey Girl suffering from people wanting an R rated curse fest). Chasing Amy is probably still his strongest movie, with Clerks being wonderful as a movie. If you can put up with the cursing and rude humor, you just might enjoy yourself.




Just the Facts



Joe Mad and Kevin Smith sign onto Ultimates Volume 3. First issue due 2015.





In a shocking piece of news, Kevin Smith and Joe Mad have agreed to work together on The Ultimates after Millar and Hitch finish up their historic run. Unlike like how the beginning of Ultimates 2 was delayed for the comic to be caught up, Volume three is supposed to be released as soon as the first issue has been finished. The projected date, with Marvel already soliciting it, is April 16, 2015.



Mad and Smith are said to be excited about this chance to work together. They want to get started as soon as possible on the comic.



DC announces multiple Countdown to Post-Infinite Crisis miniseries.



In a shocking turn of events, DC has announced twelve separate miniseries which will take place during the Infinite Crisis comic that will lead into the post-Infinite Crisis DC universe. The comics will be released three per week, and will run twelve issues each. Word is that seven of the series will be written by Geoff Johns, and five by Judd Winick.



Early word is that DC is also planning a series code named 356, which will be a series which takes place in a year, released one issue a day. Winick and Johns are said to be splitting scripting duties on the new series, which will retail for $3.99 an issue.

[Ronald Bryan]

You Can Buy THAT For a Dollar



Abraxas



The Body! Jesse Ventura stars as Abraxas, the “guardian of the universe” which is a fancy title meaning SPACE COP. At around 10,000 years old, the forty year old Ventura must stop Secundus (Sven Ole Thorsen), his ex-partner. And of course, guess where Secundus is hiding? That’s right, Earth! Quickly, the movie turns to a mother and a boy. Don’t ask why. This is quickly followed by The Terminator. Well, except they get to keep their clothes and transport into water. Killer hunts for boy, other guy tries to stop him. Except it’s done really horribly. And the ending is way too sappy.



Widescreen? Ha! I laugh at you and your wanting movies to be viewed in the proper format. This is made for the regular stupid consumer, pal. Actually, who knows if they even bothered to film this movie in widescreen.



Dubbed? Oh, wait. This is an American movie. Forget that one.



Almost bald: Ventura has some hair around his head, almost going for the Hulk Hogan look. He looks much better bald.



What the hell is that? There’s a dude, in the woods, talking on a phone! I didn’t think that was possible. And there are no phone lines or anything! Everyone knows phones can’t be taken outside.



Dual Narrators: Both Ventura and Thorsen get narration. Sven gets talking about Abraxas for two instances in the movie. Ventura gets a bit more, although the middle of the movie drops the narration.



“Are you a birthing member of the human race?” Yes, the whole movie is actually the consequences of Sven being horny. But then, let’s see what would be on your mind after living thousands of years sworn to not having sex. Although, apparently, Sven can have sex using his hand.



“Follow me and she dies”: Sven says. At which point they follow him, and she doesn’t die.



Quick pregnancy: From pregnancy to birth takes maybe three minutes storytime.



Quick movie: Abraxas captures Secundus twelve minutes into the movie. Why couldn’t it have just ended there?



Since when were those department issue? One of the cops in the movie pulls out an uzi to try to stop Secundus.



Film Facts: Wow, you want to know who directed and starred in the movie without watching it? How about the length or year of filming? There are also facts about Jesse Ventura, told in the first person! Woohoo! The only downside is you can’t see where the curser is on this awesome special feature. Do you need anything else to make this a must buy?



“Me too.” Big spoiler there.



Should I buy it? Well, you know how I say “It’s only a dollar?” Well, a dollar may not be worth this movie. However, HOWEVER, the movie is now available in a two movie/one disk pack for a dollar… Still not worth it. It’s bad and there’s no action. With no action the dialogue has to make up for it and that is painfully bad.






Snark on the Water



“(“mainstream” at the time meaning a rather stagnant collection of companies specializing only in superhero comics perversely enough)” –Scott McCloud (The Afterward to Flight)



Why thank you, Mr. McCloud, for your brilliant take on Marvel and DC. I know how much you love playing the little man, and how horrible the big guys are, which I hope would make you leave out Image from your “mainstream” definition, since your comic was published by Image! But forgetting all of that, and just focusing on Marvel and DC, let’s look at these stagnant superhero comics. Beginning with DC, and their subsidiary companies.



Forgetting regular DC, let’s look at Wildstorm and Vertigo, are they mainstream? They are published by one of the biggest companies in the world? What? You don’t think Vertigo should count? OK, Vertigo doesn’t have to be “mainstream”. But what about Wildstorm? One of the big imprints from the early days of Image, it had comics that sold very well. Wilstorm also publishes Ex Machina, a comic about a superhero. But in the comic he didn’t last long as a hero, instead retiring and becoming mayor of New York. That sounds stagnant. “But I don’t think Wildstorm counts as mainstream” you say. OK, what about DC proper?



Does Gotham Central count? It is published by DC. And it does not follow the typical superhero formula. In fact, it tends to rarely feature heroes at all. And when it does, the hero is a quick page of Batman. But wait, since it’s not a superhero comic, it’s not mainstream, right? That does seem kind of odd. If you only define mainstream comics as superhero comics, then of course all superhero comics are mainstream comics. So, let’s try a superhero comic.



Now, let us look at “stagnant” Marvel. Surely, all superhero comics look and read just like Daredevil, right? Daredevil is definitely like all other comics, right? Oh, wait, it’s not! It’s about a superhero who has been outed. Daredevil rarely appears, as Matt Murdock instead must deal with his personal issues. The whole last arc was about people in a church basement talking about how they have been affected by Daredevil. Definitely not a “stagnant” comic. Then, there Runaways. Some of the kids may have powers, but this is not a superhero comic.



So, why do we feel the need to constantly talk down about “mainstream comics” and “superhero comics”? Maybe, partly, because some feel that they should be more well known, and that there work is better. Sounds a lot like how the outside world views comics. And instead of embracing all comics and trying to prove that they are not all low brow entertainment, they will instead embrace this view and try to distance themselves from the rest of comics. And we wonder why the industry is in trouble.



And one last shot to Mr. McCloud. When talking about “stagnant” superhero comics, one needs look no farther than Superman: Strength. The comic is not really that interesting. The story is a basic Superman story, and it is nothing new. If people think superhero comics are busy dominating a stagnant market, maybe they should not write such stagnant comics.






Pol’s SDCC Adventure!



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v444/ronaldbryan/PolV.jpg



The Wrap Up



Head on over to Cronin’s blog Snark Free Waters, in his signature, or Shades0077’s, or at http://snarkfree.blogspot.com Last week Cronin had a Top Five week, and you can still see it in the archives. Cronin is always updating it, and the other people are occasionally updating it as well. That’s all for me this time. I will return.

[Shades0077]

Snark on the Water is a brilliant title for the editorial.

Now that I know there will be a Sin City director's cut, I plan on waiting. So thanks for that bit of info.

Pol for Vendetta!

[Dan Apodaca]

Snark on the Water



“(“mainstream” at the time meaning a rather stagnant collection of companies specializing only in superhero comics perversely enough)” –Scott McCloud (The Afterward to Flight)

Why thank you, Mr. McCloud, for your brilliant take on Marvel and DC. I know how much you love playing the little man, and how horrible the big guys are, which I hope would make you leave out Image from your “mainstream” definition, since your comic was published by Image! But forgetting all of that, and just focusing on Marvel and DC, let’s look at these stagnant superhero comics. Beginning with DC, and their subsidiary companies.

Forgetting regular DC, let’s look at Wildstorm and Vertigo, are they mainstream? They are published by one of the biggest companies in the world? What? You don’t think Vertigo should count? OK, Vertigo doesn’t have to be “mainstream”. But what about Wildstorm? One of the big imprints from the early days of Image, it had comics that sold very well. Wilstorm also publishes Ex Machina, a comic about a superhero. But in the comic he didn’t last long as a hero, instead retiring and becoming mayor of New York. That sounds stagnant. “But I don’t think Wildstorm counts as mainstream” you say. OK, what about DC proper?

Does Gotham Central count? It is published by DC. And it does not follow the typical superhero formula. In fact, it tends to rarely feature heroes at all. And when it does, the hero is a quick page of Batman. But wait, since it’s not a superhero comic, it’s not mainstream, right? That does seem kind of odd. If you only define mainstream comics as superhero comics, then of course all superhero comics are mainstream comics. So, let’s try a superhero comic.

Now, let us look at “stagnant” Marvel. Surely, all superhero comics look and read just like Daredevil, right? Daredevil is definitely like all other comics, right? Oh, wait, it’s not! It’s about a superhero who has been outed. Daredevil rarely appears, as Matt Murdock instead must deal with his personal issues. The whole last arc was about people in a church basement talking about how they have been affected by Daredevil. Definitely not a “stagnant” comic. Then, there Runaways. Some of the kids may have powers, but this is not a superhero comic.

So, why do we feel the need to constantly talk down about “mainstream comics” and “superhero comics”? Maybe, partly, because some feel that they should be more well known, and that there work is better. Sounds a lot like how the outside world views comics. And instead of embracing all comics and trying to prove that they are not all low brow entertainment, they will instead embrace this view and try to distance themselves from the rest of comics. And we wonder why the industry is in trouble.

I don't think anybody's wondering why. Everybody's got their own ideas. Some people don't even think that the industry's in any trouble.

Look at how many good Marvel and DC comics you named. Now look at how many those companies release each year.

Four good books doesn't really make a case.

When we "embrace all comics" and try to "prove" something about them, all it does is forgive the bad books and make us look like uncritical morons. Most of the books that Marvel and DC put out still suck. We deserve better.

Or do we? As long as we keep buying titles for completist purposes and gobble up the cheap stint crossovers, they're gonna keep on giving us that crap.

We are the worst audience mass. If someone tells you a movie is bad, you'll probably think "Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't spend my money on it." If someone tells you a comic is bad, the likely response is "Well, that's just your opinion, so I'm gonna buy it."

[Ronald Bryan]

Snark on the Water is a brilliant title for the editorial.

Now that I know there will be a Sin City director's cut, I plan on waiting. So thanks for that bit of info.

Pol for Vendetta!
I have to give Sean credit for the title "Snark on the Water". It was his idea for a title of a blog that could be the opposite of Cronin's "Snark Free Waters".

[Shades0077]

I have to give Sean credit for the title "Snark on the Water". It was his idea for a title of a blog that could be the opposite of Cronin's "Snark Free Waters".
The subtitle was going to be "Ire in the Sky."

[Ronald Bryan]

The subtitle was going to be "Ire in the Sky."
Or was it "Cronin in disguise"?

[Shades0077]

Or was it "Cronin in disguise"?
It was a toss up. I was in the process of testing the key demographics, seeing what worked best.

[Ronald Bryan]

It was a toss up. I was in the process of testing the key demographics, seeing what worked best.
You totally stole that line from page 25, which you haven't even read yet.

[Shades0077]

You totally stole that line from page 25, which you haven't even read yet.
Actually, I have. I totally haxx0red your computer, yo.

[DonC]

You know, I just started reading Runaways and, as much as it pains me to admit it, you're right, it is a good book.