Friday, November 28, 2008

This Week's Haul: We hardly knew ye, Batman

Would you believe I am still sick? This is the worst cold ever.

BUT I am done my classes and I only have a few things to finish up before I am done school forever! I am going to celebrate by playing video games all day and partying all night.

Here are some comics I read this week.


Batman #681

The end of "Batman R.I.P." and what a long, crazy trip it's been. I've seen the "Batman BRB" jokes floating around that internet. That's pretty funny. Or, maybe, "Batman WTF?" I actually found this particular issue to be surprisingly fluid, for the most part. I don't think this storyline needed all the mass media attention it received. And it completely failed as a cross-over, as far as I'm concerned. Neither Detective, Nightwing nor Robin seemed to tie into Batman in any notable way.

I liked the Batman R.I.P. storyline, though. I don't know if I understood it, but I liked it. I just think people who don't regularly read comics who are picking up this issue because it made the news are going to be very dissapointed and confused.

Captain America #44

Do you know why Bucky is awesome? Because he is two super heroes! When he's got a job to do that's too dirty for Captain America, he switch to Winter Soldier. This issue shows that off nicely.






Daredevil #113

I am loving this Lady Bullseye storyline. I'm glad that we finally get some Matt Murdock reaction to the revelation that Elektra is a Skrull. And I am glad that we get some characters like Danny Rand and Master Ito kicking around for levity. Plus Dakota is still awesome. And not dead yet...will she shake the "sleeping with Matt Murdock" curse? I hope so.




Superman #682

I think this was James Robinson's best issue of Superman so far. The voices seemed a lot better, whereas before it just sounded like a bunch of James Robinsons conversing with each other. I always like Renato Guedes art, too, especially when he's drawing Supergirl.





Wonder Woman #26

I'm really glad that DC not only has the perfect person writing Wonder Woman (Gail Simone), but they also have the perfect person drawing this title (Aaron Lopresti). This issue launches a new storyline that looks like it's going to be fantastic.

Monday, November 24, 2008

This Week's Haul: So very sick

Welcome to Living Between Wednesdays...where we like our coffee black and our comic reviews late.

I have been awful sick lately, but fortunately there were a lot of good comics to read. I have been very slowly writing these mini-reviews over the past few days, taking frequent nap breaks.

Super Friends #9

J.Bone not only did the cover for this issue, he did the interiors! Yay!

It's Superman's birthday and everything is adorable, from Lex Luthor being cranky about not being invited to the party, to Batman explaining pinatas to the readers.





Amazing Spider-Man #578

Mark Waid teams up with Marcos Martin to bring us one of the most delightful comics I have ever read. This was seriously great stuff, the latest in a long series of great Spider-Man comics.







Terra #2

If you like hot naked ladies, then you will probably enjoy this. And even if you are more into well-written, nicely-drawn ladies, like I am, then you will also enjoy this.







Uncanny X-Men #504

And speaking of hot ladies, Terry and Rachel Dodson provide the art for this month's issue of Uncanny, and that made me very happy. Especially since this issue gives us a tour of Cyclops' horny psychosis, which is full of beautiful women made even more beautiful by Team Dodson's art.

I'm glad I am reading X-Men comics again. It makes me feel like I'm 15.




Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom #2

I just wanted to remind everyone that this series is great and the art is beautiful. Look at that cover! She's tying her hair up! Just like girls do when they are exercising!







Supergirl #35

I am loving this New Krypton cross-over story so far. Not only because there are so many talented people working on it, but because it is non-stop and has been coming out on time. Every week we get a new piece of the story via Superman, Action Comics, Supergirl, or a number of fantastic one-shot specials. It's fluid, it's interesting, and it's fun. And Sterling Gates is doing a great job writing Supergirl.




The Age of the Sentry #3

I can't even tell you how much I am loving this series. And a good thing is made even better this month because there is a very long back-up story drawn by Colleen Coover! And it features Milly the Model!

Seriously, Jeff Parker. You are killing me.





Ghost Rider #29

My love of Jason Aaron's run on Ghost Rider runs deep. This issue gave us what he has been building to since he started: a big ol' battle between Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch! Sweet Ghost Rider on Ghost Rider action!







Ambush Bug #4

It's a good time to be an Ambush Bug fan. Not only has this series been a lot of fun (and badly needed because there is so much DC craziness to make fun of right now), but it looks like we're finally going to get the long-rumoured Showcase Presents Ambush Bug collection in February! Yay!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Batman + Catwoman 4eva


Last week was a big week for Batman/Catwoman fans as we finally got to hear Bruce Wayne confess his undying love for Selina Kyle in Detective Comics #850. And all it took was for Hush to literally tear her heart out in what is easily the most heavy-handed metaphor of the year.

Here's our money scene:

Shriiiiiieeeeeek!!!!

This made me pretty happy. Bruce and Selina are my favourite couple of all time. And I am including myself and my husband.

I didn't really get the impression that this was going to change anything in the Batman world, especially since he's supposed to be dead soon, or whatever. It was a very nice moment, though, and I thank DC for it. It doesn't make up for canceling Catwoman AT ALL, but it's not bad.

Oh, Batman and Catwoman. You've come such a long way.

Shut up, Robin.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Welcome to the Jungle

Sorry, sorry. I totally disappeared again. But you guys must be getting used to that by now.

I am in my final two weeks of grad school, so I expect to have more free time soon. Although, I will also be starting my new full time job on Dec 1 at a local publishing company. So no down time for me! I do have some posts I am working on, though. They will be up very soon. I've sort of had this extra problem where my computer is kinda busted and I have to run it in safe mode until I have time to fix it, so I can't scan anything. It's slowing me down.

Sadly, I'll also no longer be working at Strange Adventures comic shop after next week. It's been a wonderful two years! Like when Homer got that job at the bowling alley.

Now for some good news!

Check this out! My band, The Stolen Minks, was chosen as a featured artist on MySpace this week!!! Right next to Guns N' Roses! Look!!!

Adding to this excitement is the fact that our new album, High Kicks, was #2 on the Canadian independent radio charts for the month of October.

It's all very exciting. But I didn't have to do any of the hard work. My bandmates just got back from a 10 week tour of North America. You can read all about it on their hilarious tour blog.

Monday, November 10, 2008

If you have an extra $9 you could do worse than picking these up.

This is a little late, but there were three comics that came out last week that I'd like to bring everyone's attention to because they were good and probably overlooked.


Superman/Supergirl Maelstrom #1

If you have been enjoying recent Supergirl comics as much as I have, then you should definitely check this out. If I had to say when it takes place in continuity, I would say sometime in the last year, before the Death of the New Gods and certainly before New Krypton or a lot of recent Superman events. Supergirl is still heavy into her self-doubt phase, and Superman has decided to help her out with that.

The main premise is that a Apokaliptikan babe named Maelstrom is in love with Darkseid and is hoping to impress him by killing Superman. She goes to Earth, destroys a chunk of Metropolis, and makes Supergirl sad. It's all very well-written (Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray) and beautifully drawn (Phil Noto). It's one of those mini-series that you can easily ignore, but if you are a fan of Supergirl at all, this looks like it's going to be a really high-quality mini-series starring her, and that alone is something to celebrate.

Terra #1

It's been a Palmiotti/Gray-heavy week for me. For the record, Jonah Hex was also awesome this week.

I stopped reading Teen Titans months ago. And I REALLY don't care about the Terror Titans or whatever. I definitely would not have picked this up if it weren't drawn by Amanda Conner, who is fantastic and doesn't draw nearly enough books. So if I have to read a comic about a charcter I don't care about to see her art, I will do it.

But this actually was really enjoyable. The Justice Society, and, in particular, Power Girl played a big role in it, so that was good. Everyone looked really hot, especially Terra. And I love the fun stuff that happens in the background of Conners' art, and her facial expressions.

X-Men/Spider-Man #1

This comic was BEAUTIFUL. Mario Alberti throws down some gorgeous art for this story which is set in the sixties. The comic tells a story of one of the first meetings between the original X-Men and Spider-Man. Christos Gage provides fun dialog and lots of humour. AND...Kraven the Hunter is the main villain!

My understanding is that this 4-part series will move out of the sixties and tell a story that spans the last several decades. I think this is going to be a great mini-series.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Thanks Everyone!

I just want to thank everyone who voted for Living Between Wednesdays as the Best Local Blog in this year's Best of Halifax readers survey in The Coast! I got my plaque the other night at the party and it was exciting. This is a big win for nerds everywhere!

Um...I don't have a picture or anything for this post...

Here's a good one of Bruce Wayne suffering through a kiss from a beautiful woman:

From Batman #290...a gold mine for hilarious panels.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

The Man Loves His Work

There's nothing quite like the satisfaction someone feels after a job well done.

Sometimes even Batman is thrilled by how awesome he is.

(Panel from Batman #290 by David V. Reed and Mike Grell).

Thursday, November 06, 2008

I can't say I wholeheartedly recommend Ultimatum.


And the award for most homoerotic panel in Ultimatum #1 goes to...

Man, what a terrible comic. Seriously. I know Jeph Loeb sucks at writing comics, but man...it's like, I have read menus with more compelling stories. And they had better-constructed characters.

I did enjoy Dr. Doom's musical number, though:

I loved this promise at the end:

Oh, Jeph. It couldn't possibly.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Rachelle VS a letter from over 30 years ago

Here is a letter that was printed in Lois Lane #115 (1975):

Bitch, calm down. First of all, she's a fictional character so any answer to the question "What happened?" is going to sound crazy. And secondly, let's have a look at this allegedly "bulky" and "sometimes even fat" heroine (from Lois Lane #111).

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Thorn is so fat, she has to iron her clothes in the driveway! When she jumps she gets stuck!

This art was drawn by Gray Morrow and it is BEAUTIFUL. Are you kidding me? She looks totally foxy. She just looks real.

For the record, this is what Thorn usually looked like:

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Well, that makes it easier.

AN ACTUAL EXCERPT FROM AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION I HAD WITH CHRIS SIMS YESTERDAY:

Me: I think I am going to roll back my pull list a bit. I'm looking at you, Nightwing, Robin and possibly Birds of Prey...

Well, alright then. Decision made.

Monday, November 03, 2008

NBC: "Shut up, Jeph Loeb!"

NBC has told Jeph Loeb what we've all been thinking.


I'm still not going to watch Heroes again, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Also, I'm glad I have a reason to use that graphic again.

Rating the Super Hunks #21: Winter Soldier

I'm in the mood for super hunks, and it's long past due that I rate the sexiest one-armed octogenarian around:

James "Bucky" Barnes aka Winter Soldier aka Captain America

Costume/Appearance: Oh, Bucky. Where Do I begin?

Even as Captain America's teenage sidekick in WWII, you were a snappy dresser. And having your arm blown off, being frozen, and then being captured and reprogrammed by the Russian military only made you hotter.

As Winter Soldier, Bucky had this really fantastic outfit. Dark blue jacket with the front bib, tight pants, domino mask, bionic arm...really great. Plus, clean-shaven but with long, dark, sexy hair.

Even after his haircut he still looks hot.

Now, I'm not crazy about the new Captain America outfit, but you'll recall that I wasn't crazy about the old one either. I mean, I loved the old one as a super hero costume, it just wasn't particularly sexy. The new costume is not really any sexier, and it is less cool as a costume design. So it just loses. However, the man filling the suit continues to be very sexy, so that helps. And I do like that the new costume points directly at his crotch (oh, Alex Ross).

9/10

Personality: I am in love with Winter Solider and yet I would not want to have to hang out with him at all. Dude is depressing. So the best strategy is to keep talking to a minimum with this guy. When in his presence, you should either be fighting or smooching. I prefer the latter, but I don't mind watching the former.

But it's not like Bucky is an asshole. He's a good guy. He wouldn't be wearing the Captain America uniform if he wasn't. He's brave and selfless and all that sexy stuff.

He's just very serious and broody and maybe needs a little more time coping with the fact that he's been belived to be dead for the past 60 years, but has actually been a Soviet human weapon. And before that he was frozen. And the only guy who can really relate to any of that was his old WWII partner, Captain America, who died pretty much as soon as they reunited. It's all very sad. And sexy.

8/10

Day-Job: When he's not being James Barnes, highly-skilled fighter and lover of Black Widow, he's being Captain America. Not bad, Bucky. Not bad.

10/10

Sexiness of Powers: Oh, Bucky doesn't have Steve Rogers' precious Super Soldier Serum in his veins. He's awesome all by himself.

Um...and with the help of some guns...which he uses to shoot bad guys. Now I know that shooting people isn't really what super heroes are supposed to do, but Bucky looks so good doing it that I can't complain.

9/10

Cons: I don't want to use the word 'crazy' here to describe Bucky. A lot of perfectly sane people have a lot of faith in him. Sane people like, um...Tony Stark...

Bucky isn't crazy. But he might be. I feel that, like many Marvel heroes, he could just snap at any minute. But considering everything he's been through, I'd say he handles himself very well.

-1

Final Score: 35/40

The sexy student surpasses his reasonably sexy teacher.

Yes, yes, Bucky. A thousand times, yes.