Looking To The Stars

Closing Time.

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:04:55 GMT

Like the DC Comics Universe, my blog has been revamped.

For a full archive of the last 12 years worth of writing as well as the latest in comic reviews, Doctor Who discussions and even more to come, please visit http://www.mygeekygeekyways.com

Good news is I have a Disqus account set up on the new site, so you can keep using your LJ ids to log in and make comments.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

See you all soon!

Conan Movie - Fast Thoughts.

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 22:54:24 GMT

Based on a quick glance at several reviews, I seem to be alone on this... but I liked this movie.

It's not fine art but if you're going into it expecting that, you're going to be disappointed.

That being said, this movie is not as good as the Ah-nold flick from the 80s. It is far, FAR better.

Seriously. There's more references to the original Robert E. Howard stories in the first minute of the new Conan Movie than in all of the Ah-nold films.

Some purists may complain that Hoeard never said that Conan's mom died in childbirth or that his village was destroyed by outsiders. I say, "Well, he never said they didn't either." If I recall correctly, Howard said precious little about Cimmeria, its' people or Conan's family, save in one letter to a fan where he said he guessed Conan was inspired to leave Cimmeria by his grandfather's stories.

But leaving aside all issues of canon and continuity, the Conan Movie is a ripping yarn and fits the spirit of of Robert E. Howard's writing.

And for those of you who care little about how well the legacy of Robert E. Howard is upheld, there's a lot of cool action scenes where lots of blood is spilled and lots of topless slavegirls! There's plenty of eye-candy for the ladies and gay men, with Jason Monoma showing off everything except the Savage Sword of Conan... so to speak.

Long story short, it is epic, awesome and over-the-top in all the ways that matter in a good action movie. A must see for all gamers and fans of the sword and sorcery genre.

First Picture of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:55:16 GMT

A Noteworthy Quote, Somewhat Related To The Subject of Geek Girls

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:08:13 GMT

"They don't want to be spectators. They're courageous and imaginative and adventurous. That's why you like them. They fit into the world you've chosen for yourselves. If you'd wanted a pair of silly, primping maidens who are good for nothing but gossip and needle-point, there are plenty of those around. But I doubt they'd interest you."

--- Senior Ranger Halt, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan

Okay, he isn't talking about Geek Girls in the scene above. But the sentiment fits, I think.

Ranger's Apprentice is a great series for Young Adults of all ages, by the way. I highly recommend it.

DC Comics News From SDCC: Day Two

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:40:23 GMT

High Res Art From Supergirl, Superboy, Action Comics, and Superman Revealed!

New Supergirl costume to end complaints about up-skirt shots by eliminating skirt completely!

High Res Art From First 8 Pages of Johns/Lee Justice League of America Released!

Looks suspiciously like eight pages from unreleased All-Star Batman and Robin issues.

Grant Morrison on the new Superman costume: A 17 year old wouldn’t want to wear a suit his mother knitted

Morrison then notes new costume is better than original design, which featured ripped jeans and $30 T-shirt from American Apparel.

JMS says Superman: Earth One sequel will reveal that Clark Kent cannot have sex.

Much like your average Babylon 5 fanboy.

Mike Johnson says Supergirl is largely about the character figuring out her own origin.

Because the previous stories where she had no idea who she was or what she was doing on Earth were SO well-received...

Grant Morrison: "You can’t pierce Superman’s skin, but you can pierce his heart."

Later adds, Okay, you COULD pierce his nipples with a Kryptonite needle. But that costume was rejected too."

DC Comics News From SDCC: Day One

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:10:48 GMT

'Flashpoint' Panel Confirms Event Will Result in DC's Relaunch Continuity.

50,000 DC Comics fans say "Well, duh..."

Sterling Gates adding a "brand new thing" to the Speed Force that he's very proud of.

SPOILER: It's a caramel center.

Wally West to show up in Kid Flash Lost #3 in an unexpected way.

SPOILER: Drunk. And naked.

Gail Simone reassured a fan that Stephanie Brown would not disappear.

SPOILER: Because technically, if you never existed, you can't have ever disappeared.

Regarding Catwoman - Judd Winick stated that in his first interview he said "sexy" about forty-five times, and it wasn't enough -- and that it was a "dirty, dirty book." Winick described her as sexy, dangerous, prone to stealing things and very, very smart.

Starman has stated that Catwoman was doomed to early cancellation about forty-five-hundred times since it was announced Judd Winick would be writing it, and it wasn't enough -- and that Winick's remarks were "very, very repetitive. Repetitive."

Lobdell said he "doesn't do dark," so this is going to be a "fun" book about a bunch of damaged characters, starring Jason Todd, Starfire and Arsenal.

Noted how incredibly easy it is to do a comparatively fun book with these characters, after what was done with them in Countdown, Titans and Cry For Justice.

On Starfire: Lobdell stated that he wants to shift Starfire away from being fully integrated into human society, and show her more alien side.

Reworked costume will help to show off EVERY side of Starfire.

Wonder Woman's costume to now feature 'retractable pants'.

At least until fan outcry suggests they aren't popular, in which case DC Comics will retract the retractable pants.

The Marvel family is on hiatus for the time being, though they will play a role in Grant Morrison's upcoming Multiversity story, in a book with art by Cameron Stewart titled 'Shazam's Thunder'.

Captain Marvel fans rejoice, for this means Judd Winick is not writing Power of Shazam again.

Because they want to return characters to younger incarnations, Arsenal is now too young to have had children, so Lian Harper no longer exists. He will also have two arms and likely won't be known for abusing heroin.

Roy Harper fans confused. Happy that Rise Of Arsenal is no longer in continuity but sad that all the good stories with Roy Harper are gone too.

Mystery woman on Justice League International cover identified as Lady Godiva.

Disappointed Donna Troy and Gypsy fans mourn. Everyone else asks, "Who the @#$% is Lady Godiva?"

Oliver Queen's new company, Q-Corps, will be “Apple-esque”, says writer J.T. Krul

We hope they mean Apple-esque in that they sell lots of cutting-edge technology to the masses and not because they make substantial financial contributions to anti-gay hate groups.

Dan Didio Says No Big Events For DC in 2012.

Joe Quesada expected to announce No Big Events for Marvel in 2012 by weekend's end.

The (not so) Amazing Spider-Man Trailer and Why This Movie Will Suck.

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:38:32 GMT

Is it just me, or does this movie look really depressing?

Now, I know what you're thinking - isn't Peter Parker sort of a depressing character, defined by tragedy? After all, let's consider his past. His parents were killed, leaving him to be raised by his elderly aunt and uncle. He's directly responsible, through inaction, for the death of his beloved Uncle Ben. He's indirectly responsible, through association, for the deaths and injuries of at least a dozen loved ones because his vigilante lifestyle has put so many people in danger.

The answer is yes - Peter Parker is defined by tragedy. But - and this is the important thing - he should not be consumed by it. Because at his core, Peter is someone who refuses to let the bad things beat him down or make him stop trying to make things better.

I don't see any sign of that in this trailer. All I see is lots of angst and emo behavior on the part of Peter. There's none of the sense of fun that Spider-Man should convey, particularly in the lifeless CGI swinging scenes.

So yeah... despite my love of Spider-Man and Emma Stone being far easier on my eyes than Kirsten Dunst, I don't think I'll be lifting my ban on all things Marvel to see this one.

Why Question Geek Girl Cred?

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 05:48:42 GMT

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following was left in our mailbox, written on a mole-skin notebook wrapped in plain brown paper. There were no stamps on the package, nor was an address written anywhere on it. It is published without comment, though an examination of the supplemental materials has led us to conclude that if this is a forgery, it is a damn good one.

*****

Journal. Final Entry. 6.23.11

I write this knowing full well that it may be the last thing I ever write. And yet, the truth must come out. Questions have been asked. Answers have been sought. And still the truth must come out.

It all began months ago, but the battle is as old as humanity itself. It all began when a kerfuffle arose over the idea that certain kinds of women cannot be proper geeks. Or that no woman at all may lay claim to the title of geek This train of thought went on to state that any attractive, well-spoken woman who claimed to be a geek was “faking it” for some commercial purpose.

The truth, as always, is far more sinister. Like the true purpose of aglets.

I began seeking answers earlier in the week after the oldest battle began again. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth regarding how the newly crowned Miss USA referred to herself as a history geek and spoke of her alleged love of studying history and the Game Of Thrones book series. Unlikely? Most would say yes. Conventional wisdom dictates that beauty pageants and modern fantasy literature go together like bikini models and doctoral studies. Yet the world of geeks is hardly conventional or wise...

Days passed. Trail continued as I read the response to the scandal. One of the geek-girls - the so-called Nerdy Bird Jill Pantozzi – asked several questions of her own...

“Why not take a person at face value until you have serious reason to think otherwise? Why does being a beauty pageant contestant mean you can't also like Star Wars (which Campanella also mentioned at another point in the competition)? What is at the base of this denial of identity?”

Ultimately all these questions came down to one question: who profits? How does a woman ultimately profit from pretending to be a geek?

I studied the Hot Women Pandering To Nerds video for hours yet gleaned few answers. Surely geek males are a minority, not worth pandering to? How does it profit Rosario Dawson to speak a few sentences of Klingon? How does it benefit Megan Fox to pretend that she reads comics and likes drawing? Will pretending to like Star Wars help Jamie Alexander to find acting work?

The most frequent answer when one questions the existence of geek girls is that most of them are ugly and desperate. So great is their desire for the affections of a man that they will weather any indignity - commit any act – all to win the smallest smidgeon of male approval. And while many of these “hot” geek girls may be filled to the brim with daddy issues… still one wonders how it benefits them to pursue the approval of those who are – traditionally – the least desirable companions.

And yet, are geek males really that undesirable to a calculating female mind? Today geek males rule much of the world. A small cabal of computer geeks control our technology. Many of the nerds who played games of power in the Student Council grew to become political leaders. And many of the creative powers in Hollywood are geeks. Such men, while physically diminutive, could be stable providers and would likely be happy for any female attention. Still, powerful though they are, their numbers are small.

Additionally, the rich and powerful would easily have the means to make their secret shames accepted - place comic books on the racks of every news stand in the nation and finance Dungeons and Dragons tournaments in place of football in every high school. So subtle seduction with silky slatterns cloaked and costumed as that most mythical of maidens - the gorgeous geek girl? Improbable. Too much work for too little gain.

After much serious study, it would prove to be a joke that led me to the answer. Ironic.

It was a comment repeated by many a geek girl over the last day – apparently a mocking reference to an early story which likened geek girls to unicorns in that they did not exist. Several opined that there were other, more powerful mythical creatures that they would rather be.

Geek Girls as creatures of myth? Thesis. The pieces were beginning to come together.

The final piece came with a fiery editorial by one Devin Faraci, whose mocking words not only called into question the geek credentials of Miss USA but the very validity of the geek girl blogsophere! Within hours, that very same blogosphere was torn between those who wishes to see him raked over the coals and those who thought that he had a point, tactless though he was in presenting it.

It was then that the pattern hit me.

Every time it looked like the geek girl community was making progress in stopping the pointless sniping over what constitutes a geek and who is or isn’t a shill for a corporate master, some mainstream media blogger would emerge to raise the scandal anew or urge the geek girls into a frothing blood lust against one another. Like clockwork. As if a whole society of men were watching over the geek girl population... as if waiting for something…

After several days of investigation, I had found the truth in a book belonging to a group known only as The Codicil. The geek girls ARE creatures of myth. But they are not unicorns. Or dragons. Or nymphs. They are Immortals. Immortals born at random, blessed with the gift of long life and magical skill and yet cursed at the same time. For The Codicil’s text – which I was able to glance through for just a few moments before being discovered – talks of a time of turmoil which is fast approaching.

Indeed, I fear it has already begun.

Consider once more the conventional wisdom – that no attractive woman would ever be considered a geek or identify herself as such. Yet in the past five years the number of attractive geek girls in the public eye has risen sharply. The Codicil text notes this and explains that while each geek girl is blessed with long life, she may still die if another of her kind severs her head from her neck. And for each of her kind that she vanquishes, the victor geek girl absorbs the knowledge, youth and beauty of her fallen sister. Thus each geek girl is forced to fight eternally against her own kind - conflict after conflict - until only one of them is left.

Such is the way it has always been and such, so The Codicil believe, must it always be.

What we saw when Miss USA outed herself as a geek was a calling out to others of her kind. A subconscious signal - for most geek girls are ignorant of the truth or the power they wield and The Codicil prefer to keep it that way - that the final battle... the time of The Gathering... is about to begin.

The Codicil text is conflicted upon when and where The Gathering will take place. Some say it will happen in San Diego. Others say it will happen in Atlanta at the place of The Great Dragon. Regardless, all agree that The Gathering shall be a great and bloody display and that many innocents will die along with the Immortals.

Of course these battles have been going on in the shadows for years. It is a matter of record that Gail Simone claimed the head of Devin Grayson several years ago, thus cementing her position as Queen of DC Comics. And even now rumors have spoken of heated battles between Olivia Munn and Blair Butler on the rooftops of Los Angeles…

I post this now, knowing that The Codicil – who desire secrecy above all else – will likely kill me for having exposed them and their plans to continue to reduce the numbers of geek girls by encouraging them to turn against one another.

Know this – if I die, I die content, secure in the hope that this knowledge might encourage peace between the geek girls that still remain.

I hope to prevent a dark future where Action Chick Katrina Hill and Jessica Mills die on one another’s blades in the aisles at ComicCon. I hope that Felicia Day and Kristen Bell can throw aside their weapons and exchange hugs, not deathblows. But above all else, I hope for a world where the most outrageous nonsense regarding this issue is written by comic book parodists and not serious journalists.

Sincerely,
The Answer

More Thoughts On Green Lantern: The Movie

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:19:17 GMT

This one has some fairly heavy duty SPOILERS, so skip it if you haven't seen the movie yet.

One thing I totally forgot in trying to articulate just how random Hal's personality changes in during the movie is how Sinestro suffers just as badly.

For the brief amount of screen-time he has, Mark Strong is picture-perfect as Sinestro. The problem is that the script fails him completely when it comes time for Hal to prove himself and save the Earth from Parallax. At this point, The Guardians are so desperate for a means to fight Parallax that they have forged a ring powered by the power of Fear and are about to hand it to Sinestro when Hal shows up, says they can't give in to fear or use an evil power against itself. Hal then asks for a chance to prove himself and fight Parallax.

Suddenly, the arrogant but skillful leader, who has been expressing his doubts about Hal's ability from Day One suddenly is all "whatever" about the untested, incompetent rookie facing down a monster that killed most of The Corps best.

At this point in his life, there is no way Sinestro would stand idly by while innocents were in danger. Even if they were stupid, smelly Earthlings. Sinestro could have insisted that he stand with Hal in the fight to come, if only to honor his old friend Abin Sur. He could even have grabbed the yellow ring and flown off, decrying the Guardians' unwillingness to do what must be done.

But he doesn't. He only shows up once the battle is over, along with Tomar Re and Killowog, to save Hal after he nearly gets killed luring Parallax into Earth's sun. And at the end he says he was wrong about Hal and that they were fortunate the ring found someone so much like his old friend.

Which makes the bit after the credits where Sinestro takes the yellow ring from where The Guardians left it COMPLETELY nonsensical! Seriously. The only reason Sinestro was going to take the ring in the first place was because there was no other way to defeat Parallax - or so he thought at the time. Of course this begs the question of why The Guardians didn't get rid of the damn thing in the first place...

Getting back to Hal and the origin-story angle...

One of the biggest complaints I've seen in the reviews of this movie is that most of the movie is a standard origin story with nothing we haven't seen before in every other superhero movie. On the one hand, The Hero's Journey is a standard archetype for a reason, as anyone who has read some Joseph Campbell can tell you. On the other hand, it's a fair complaint... because Hal Jordan is probably the last hero who should get a standard Hero's Journey film.

Hal should already be a bad-ass man with a variety of heroic qualities when the movie opens. In fact, he is. It's only after being given access to power that he begins to doubt himself. Why? Because the Hero's Journey says he should doubt himself at the mid-point of his quest.

And I think that is part of what killed this movie for a lot of the fans - Hal is not a good fit for that story. Kyle Rayner would be. Guy Gardner, who had a lot of issues with his family that inspired him to heroism would be. And depending on which of his backgrounds you used, John Stewart could fit the bill too. But Hal? If you have to have a crisis for Hal, it should have been the same one as Tony Stark - the man-child learns responsibility.

Maybe that's why Hal was written so different in the middle part of the movie? Maybe the writer was trying to avoid accusations of "Oh, well this is just like Iron Man with the jerk learning to be less selfish." Just a thought...

And yet, the great irony was that in trying to make this movie more generic to the masses, I think it mitigated everything that would have made the movie stand out. Indeed, the biggest problem with the movie is I don't think it went far enough with the central concept: a group of alien space cops. The scenes on Oa are far too brief and the alien Lanterns far too underutilized.

Maybe this will be improved in the sequel... when there is one.

Green Lantern The Movie: A Review

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:24:41 GMT

To sum the movie up in one word, disappointing.

With all of the talent involved this should have been a home-run. Instead they took one of the most basic superhero origin stories there is and managed to make it more complicated even while dumbing it down.

Suffice it to say, if you're a Green Lantern purist, you'll likely be pissed off by the liberties taken. Even more liberal fanboys like me, who understand that sometimes these changes have to be made, will wonder exactly WHY certain changes were made when the changes don't make much more sense than what was in the original books.

Still, the movie has much to recommend it. The biggest problem is that the excellent cast is poorly utilized with nobody getting much in the way of screen time or development, except for Hal who is earnestly played by Ryan Reynolds, though the script - penned by four actors - leaves Hal Jordan seeming more schizophrenic than conflicted.

And yet - despite all this - I liked it. I didn't love it. And it's nowhere near as good as I'd hoped. But I'd say it's worth seeing on the big screen because the effects ARE amazing. The movie isn't anywhere as bad as it's being made out to be by some critics but I can't really say it's that great. It's a popcorn movie. Nothing more.

For massive spoilers, read behind the cut.

I know several Green Lantern purists will be offended by some key elements of the mythos that have been changed. In this version, for instance, Parallax is a rogue Guardian consumed by the power of Fear. In this version, rather than being wary of any emotional energy but Will, The Guardians refined the power of Fear but decided against using it after what happened to Parallax. And the idea that any single Green Lantern like Abin Sur could contain a rogue Guardian... preposterous!

Really, these changes are inconsequential. It matters not just how Parallax came into being so long as he is a monster made of pure fear, who feeds on the fears of others. It matters not just how the Yellow Energy gets created, so long as it is there for Sinestro to claim one day after his fall from grace. Do you really think we can easily explain way the Anti-Matter Universe, The Planet Qward and the Weaponeers without becoming as bogged down in continuity as the David Lynch version of Dune?

What matters, as always, is character. Sadly, Green Lantern is lacking in that regard.

The biggest problem with Green Lantern: The Movie is that it is the very definition of a plot driven story, where characters motivations and actions will change on the spin of a dime because that's what the story says happens.

Hal Jordan is portrayed as being a brave - if foolish and reckless - young man... right up until the point the plot requires him to have a crisis of faith in his own abilities.

Sinestro is portrayed as a cold but courageous leader who insists on handling everything personally... right up until the point the script requires him to start doubting The Guardians and their power and for him to refuse to help a rookie Lantern whose ability he doubts.

Carol Ferris is a confident, all-business professional... right up until the script calls for her to start cooing like a schoolgirl. Well, I think that was the intent. With Blake Lively, it's kind of hard to tell as she spends most of the movie looking like a school girl playing at being a tough business woman.

Apart from her, the cast is excellent - though wasted. Michael Clarke Duncan is perfectly cast as the Green Lantern drill sergeant Killowog... for all of the two minutes he is on screen. Ditto Tomar-Re and Mark Strong as Sinestro. Perhaps strangest of all is Angela Bassett as Amanda Waller - a name which has a lot of significance to long-time DC Comics fans... though you'd never know the importance of the name from the way her character is treated here.

Ryan Reynolds is a great Hal Jordan, with his portrayal being reminiscent of Mark Waid's take on the character in Justice League Of America: Year One - a confident hotshot who romances, drives and flies without fear. He is Maverick from Top Gun on speed. At least for the first 20 minutes of the movie...

As I said, the script leaves a lot of the characters in a very schizophrenic state. Hal is a man-child who never grew up, has one night stands, drives recklessly and endangers his livelihood and his life at work. He seems completely fearless... until the point when he is supposed to have a crisis of faith and have long talks with his semi-girlfriend about how he can overcome his fears.

The script tries to throw fanboys various bones, with scenes where we see Hal's troubled family life, his close relationship with a nephew who worships him and a flashback where we see Hal's greatest defining moment - the death of his father in a plane crash. But as nice as these touches are and as good as they are at humanizing Hal past being a typical cocky jerk protagonist, nothing is done with these characters or these concepts save to show that Hal is a decent guy under all his attitude.

Another weakness of the script is how very little of it makes sense. In the opening scenes, Ferris Aircraft is trying to sell drone planes to the US Military, claiming that they can do anything a human pilot can do and do it better. Given that, why are they pitting their own pilots against the drones? Wouldn't the USAF insist on putting their own pilots against the drones, if for no other reason than - oh, I don't know - the pilots working for the company selling the drones might not be objective in the field?

And honestly - there is no good reason for Hector Hammond to be in this movie. None whatsoever. He's not an A-List Green Lantern villain, even if Geoff Johns DID include in him the latest retelling of Secret Origin. The make-up for the character looked ridiculous and inspired laughter in the crowd of teenagers I saw the movie with, who were otherwise silent for the rest of the film, shockingly enough. And really, his acting as a beacon for Parallax adds nothing to the movie. You could have just as easily had Parallax key in on the ring that imprisoned him - i.e. The one Hal is wearing now - and have him decide to attack Earth that way.

And if I may allow myself one fanboy nitpick? The idea that he somehow develops telepathy and telekinesis from touching a bit of Parallax that was in Abin Sur's body is far more ridiculous than his origin in the comics, where he developed superpowers after being exposed to the radioactive core of an alien spaceship.

That beind said, is there anything about the movie I did like? Well, yes...

Ryan Reynolds does a good job with Hal, despite the weaknesses in the script and he totally sells the funny parts as well as the sheer joy as he learns the powers of the ring. The bit where he first flies under his own power is magical.

Most of the cast is good, for what little time they are on screen.

The effects are top-notch and raise the bar for CGI in superhero movies.

And I've had a few people text me already asking which Green Lantern stories I'd recommend since - after seeing the movie - they want to read some of the books. Any comic adaptation that encourages people to seek out the source material can't be that bad.

Grand Re-Opening - For A While, Anyway

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:44:33 GMT

I completely forgot how busy I get during the summer months.

Work on the new website has slowed due to things being rather busy with the day job. So since quite a bit has happened since I wrote a formal update, I've elected to reopen the blog here, if for no other reason than to review those three Doctor Who episodes I've been neglecting.

There's also the little matter of a movie I just came back from seeing.

So yes... here I am. Rock you like a hurricane.

The Penultimate Post - And Why Not To Panic About The News From DC Comics Today.

Tue, 31 May 2011 22:57:25 GMT

I had been hoping to avoid posting here for a while longer. But current events demand comment.

SOURCE:DC UNIVERSE Reboots in September, Same Day Digital Linewide

DC Comics Rebooting their universe again? That's hardly news. Given recent events in the comics, most figured it was inevitable. Still, as a fan I'm excited about the prospect of a Geoff Johns written/Jim Lee drawn Justice League book. And I'm cautiously optimistic about what this could mean given that what we've seen so far is suggesting the "back to basics" approach to the characters that the fans have been demanding for several years now. Just don't put Judd Winick on Green Arrow or Birds of Prey...

DC moving toward Same-Day Digital downloads of new comics? It's about bloody time someone started trying to make some progress on this issue. The market has been demanding digital comic distribution for a while now and with the increasing sales of Nooks and other full-color e-reader devices, it just makes sense. I doubt this is going to effect the FLCS too much - they're already catering to a niche market and most of the people who patronize local comic shops prefer the feel of a book in their hands anyway. Besides, I think most of those businesses make their money off the sales of older comics - not newer ones.

In short, the sky is not falling. We have to hope that this will be a change for the better. Given the state of DC Comics as a whole in the last few years, it could hardly be worse and many of the titles (I'm thinking Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman) could benefit by being taken back to basics.

Thank you.

Now, as for why I'd been avoiding posting here lately...

It occurred to me recently that this blog has changed a bit over the last few years. It used to be entirely about comics but - as time has passed - it's become a little more about all of my geeky interests. Cosplaying. Gaming. Shadowcasting. All of this has come up at one time or another, with only a nebulous link to the original intent of this blog.

So I am closing this blog down. Looking To The Stars is going back into the aether from which it was spawned... so that I may bring you an entirely new blog about everything I am interested in and hope you are, in part if not in full, interested in too.

Will there be comic reviews? Yes, but I'd like to try and do more reviews of Trade Paperbacks and full storylines rather than single issues. It was tactfully pointed out to me that I'm at my best when I'm discussing whole stories rather than parts of that whole.

Will the Doctor Who reviews keep going? Yes, I will continue to review the current series of Doctor Who. I might even be persuaded to go back and review some of the episodes from the classic series.

What else can we expect? Reviews of movies I liked. Discussions of bad movies I made fun of. All of the same snark and sarcasm you've come to expect from me here.

You can also expect a complete archive of darn near everything I've ever written for every comics magazine I've ever worked for.

I'll come back here and post the link once everything is ready.

Until then, good night, stay frosty and call your mother! She's worried about you!

Doctor Who, Series 6 - Episode 4- The Doctor's Wife

Sun, 15 May 2011 07:31:57 GMT

SPOILERS BEHIND THE CUTS!

THE PLOT

While in mid-flight, there is a knocking from outside The TARDIS. This confuses The Doctor as there shouldn't be any way that anything should be able to come in contact with The TARDIS while it is traveling... except for another TARDIS or something created by a Time Lord.

Cue the entrance of a strange little cube, exactly like the one that The Doctor once used to send an emergency message to the Time Lords (As seen in the 2nd Doctor story The War Games!) It turns out the message is from The Corsair - a Time Lord and old friend of The Doctor's - and that it was sent from a pocket universe outside the normal flow of space and time. Excited by the prospect of another Time Lord being alive, The Doctor charges forth, jettisoning spare rooms from the TARDIS to get the extra push needed to dimension jump.

Upon landing, The TARDIS console suddenly powers down completely. Further investigation reveals this pocket dimension to be a giant scrap yard, populated only by two strange humanoids called Uncle and Aunt and an Ood Servant they call Nephew. There's also a madwoman named Idris, who kisses and assaults The Doctor, saying many confusing things. And the whole place is ruled over by a sentient force called House. All of which is fascinating to The Doctor but not nearly as pressing as the issue as where The Corsair is... or the dozens of other Time Lords he swears he can hear the voices of in the air around him.

It is only when The Doctor finds a chest full of message cubes that the answer becomes clear... and only then that he notices that the scrap around him is made primarily of TARDIS parts. House takes possession of the now-empty TARDIS, while Amy and Rory are still inside it, and makes a break for the other universe... leaving The Doctor trapped on the quickly cooling asteroid with the woman Idris, who is now housing the soul of The TARDIS!

THE GOOD PARTS

1. All The Questions We Get Answered!

It's amazing how many long-debated questions Neil Gaiman answers so matter-of-factly in this episode. For instance, Wholigans have long debated whether or not it is possible for a Time Lord to become a Time Lady or vice versa - that is to say if regeneration can cross gender lines and if there is a chance that - someday - we might have a female Doctor. With an off-hand remark about The Corsair being a nice man - and a nice lady a few times - The Doctor confirmed that there's a chance he could become a she. Someday.

There's also been a suggestion among the The Fandom that The TARDIS - which we've known to be independently intelligent to some degree since the third First Doctor story Edge of Destruction - was taking The Doctor who where he needed to go to help people, thus explaining away why The Doctor always seems to find trouble no matter where he goes.

2. All The Questions We DON'T Get Answered!

The idea of The TARDIS (or indeed, all TARDISes) having souls has been a part of the show mythology for sometime - and for all that this episode does to explore the concept, we get surprisingly little explanation for just... how? How does a machine develop a soul? Are Time Lords themselves placed into the machinery? Answers are not forthcoming... nor should they be. Doctor Who works best when there are still mysteries to explore and The Doctor (and his technology) should be a part of that mystery as well.

3. Running Up And Down The Same Corridor Over And Over

The bits with Amy and Rory trapped inside the TARDIS halls are very effective - both for the horror involved - and as a neat twist on the cliche that all Doctor Who stories that do not feature a bunch of people running around a rock quarry consist of endless scenes of people running up and down the same corridor over and over.

4. No Annoying Amy/Rory "Do They Really Love Me?" Sub-Plot

Well, okay... there is a bit where Amy stumbles across the body of an apparently dead Rory, who took the time as he was going mad from loneliness to scrawl several thousand variants of "I HATE AMY! DIE POND!" over and over on the walls of a hallway in his own blood. But that doesn't count and it's a neat way to illustrate how much Amy is in love with Rory... that the fear of being hated by him is such a crippling thing to her.

5. The Doctor and His "Wife"

Really, the whole conceit of The Doctor and The TARDIS finally getting a chance to talk... really talk... is a brilliant one. And the Interplay between Matt Smith and Suranne Jones is perfectly executed.

THE PROBLEMS

1. Why So Surprised, Doctor?

Granting that the exact circumstances are different, The Doctor probably shouldn't be as surprised as he is by The TARDIS being depowered after leaving The Universe. After all, the same thing happened in the Second Series episode Rise Of The Cybermen.

2. Not To Be That Guy, But...

... as original and wonderful as the idea of The Doctor and The TARDIS being able to communicate directly is, I'm afraid it's been done before and done recently. And irony of ironies, it was in the Doctor Who comics.

Doctor Who: The Forgotten has an Amnesiac Doctor being guided out of a trap by the soul of The TARDIS, who manifests itself as various ex-companions of The Doctor as needed. The two are able to communicate for quite a while, with The TARDIS calling itself The Doctor's first and oldest companion and - in one touching scene - manifesting it's soul as Susan, The Doctor's Granddaughter, so that he could - in some fashion - say goodbye to her.

I don't think Neil Gaiman read the comic in question before hand and I'm not accusing him of plagiarism. I just had to note this before all the other Wholigans start singing about how original the conceit of this episode was and give a shout out to one of the best Doctor Who comics in recent memory.

The Final Verdict: Hopes were high going into this Neil Gaiman penned episode and he did not disappoint. The mythology of the show is referenced and enhanced, but we're left with more questions than we are given answers. And that is all too right. A well-paced script is backed by some excellent performances, leaving us with the best episode of the Series thus far.

Wonder Woman Pilot Not Picked Up : Fans Receive News With Mixture Of Relief And Disappointment

Fri, 13 May 2011 02:24:58 GMT

SOURCE: It’s Official: NBC Has Passed On Wonder Woman

My hopes weren't high but it is sad to know the show won't even be given a chance after all the publicity it received. The worst part is that we'll have to endure another round of taunts about how this is proof that nobody cares about Wonder Woman and/or female superheroes in general.

Doctor Who Series 6 - One More Mystery: Who Is The Eye-Patch Lady?

Thu, 12 May 2011 13:07:23 GMT

What's up with the lady in the eye-patch who keeps peeking in on Amy?

She first showed up in Day of The Moon, when Amy was exploring the orphanage. She appeared through a hatch in the door, which later disappeared. Amy was startled by the woman and asked who she was, but the woman ignored her and said "No, I think she's just dreaming" to someone else inside the room. When Amy opened the door, there was nobody there...

She showed up again in Curse of The Black Spot, as Amy was waking up. This time she seemed to make eye-contact with Amy and said "It's fine. You're doing fine. Just stay calm.".

Thoughts? Theories? Let's discuss it below.

Doctor Who, Series 6 - Episodes 3 - The Curse Of The Black Spot

Wed, 11 May 2011 14:19:55 GMT

SPOILERS BEHIND THE CUTS!

THE PLOT

The Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves aboard a becalmed pirate vessel. After a misunderstanding involving the proper treatment of guests on a pirate ship and a demonstration as to why real pirates kept their weapons locked up when they weren't at hand (vis a vis Amy being thrown into the hold where the weapons are kept in an unlocked chest) our heroes find that the pirates are deathly afraid of even minor injuries.

Why? Because of a mysterious black spot that appears on the hand of any man who is injured and a green-glowing Siren, whose song draws the cursed men to her, only for them to disappear at the touch of her hand. With the TARDIS becalmed as well and the Captain's sickly son on-deck, it will be up to The Doctor to unravel the mystery of the Siren and save the day.

THE PROBLEMS

1. The New Introduction. Specifically, What Is Missing From It.

Go ahead and watch this intro again. See if you notice something important that Pond forgets to mention in her summation of who she is and how she came to be with The Doctor.

By 'we' you are including Rory, right? The man you didn't mention in all of the flowery talk about your imaginary friend who came back for you and took you away to have adventures all around time and space? The man you are, presumably sharing a bed with as husband and wife in one of the spare rooms on the TARDIS?

Just checking.

2. How The Heck Did The Captain's Son Go So Long Without Getting Nabbed By The Siren Or Spotted By The Crew?

He had The Black Spot on his hand because of his illness and he quickly became a target for the Siren once he was discovered. Thing is, he really should have been claimed much earlier. Think about it - even if the Powder Room where he hid was dark and dry with no reflective surfaces at all, he'd still have to come out for water sooner or later. And the minute he got near a reflective surface... WHAM!

3. The Siren Being A Computerized Medic Just Doesn't Make Sense!

Okay - the idea of a holographic doctor that can instantly teleport its' patients to the hospital with a touch is a novel ideal. Very useful that. Could be a wonder in search and rescue missions were it not for one small problem. Namely, that The Siren is totally dependent upon its' patients being able to reach out and touch it.

It never moves to the injured men! It always gets in close, sings a soothing song and then draws them out to touch it. While that's not bad for a man with a cut finger, I can't imagine it doing much to help the men with a broken leg or somebody pinned under a ton of rubble.

For that matter, what if someone gets trapped under something and there's no light to create a reflection nearby?

4. Where Did The First Mate Go?

He just disappears halfway through the episode! Maybe there was a cut scene where the Siren got him that wasn't in the American broadcast?

5. Deja Vu - The Sensation That You Are Doing Something You Have Done Before.

There's a lot of ideas here that may seem repetitive - not just to long-time Doctor Who fans, but to fans of the more recent series as well.

6. Deja Vu - The Sensation That You Are Doing Something You Have Done Before.

There's a lot of ideas here that may seem repetitive - not just to long-time Doctor Who fans, but to fans of the more recent series as well.

(Yes, I know that is a terrible, awful, cliche joke. And yet, I'm still making it because an episode this uninspired and repetitive doesn't deserve original material. XP )

In all seriousness, this episode doesn't have much that hasn't been done in other Doctor Who stories and been done better. The Doctor Dances explored the idea of a mechanical alien doctor that proves unable to treat humans properly much more effectively with a mystery that didn't feel so anti-climactic. And the idea of a computer-based intelligence manipulating more primitive beings due to a programming error is such a Doctor Who cliche I shouldn't even have to mention it having already been used last season in The Lodger. To say nothing of the numerous classic Doctor Who episodes like Stones of Blood and The Face of Evil that are based around the same premise. Even the idea of a story where The Doctor gets menaced by pirates isn't original (i.e. The Smugglers)

7. The Doctor Doesn't Know CPR?

This one is kind of nit-picky. And I know that it would take away from the scene where Rory has to tell Amy how to save his life and the romance as she literally has to breathe the life back into him. But it did bother me that The Doctor didn't take a hand in things.

And yes long-time Wholigans, I'm well aware that The Doctor's medical knowledge as depicted across the whole of the series has been erratic at best and that any medical training he has with humans is probably outdated and incorrect. Even allowing that some knowledge may be lost in the regeneration process, I still can't believe that we can go from Ten reverse engineering a cure for Dalek genetic modifications to being completely unable to do CPR.

If nothing else, you'd think it's something he would have learned "just in case" what with the large number of humans he travels with and the amount of danger he gets into.

THE GOOD PARTS

1. This Episode Had Pirates. Cause Pirates Are Cool!

Really! It had Pirates! And Karen Gillian dressed as a pirate... sort of!

2. At Least ONE Writer Is Trying To Keep Amy Pond From Being A Total Mary Sue

She does get her awesome moment with the pirate outfit and the sword and the swinging around... but proves to be somewhat rubbish at it. You can tell she's just barely managing to protect herself when she fights with the sword and she winds up injuring people as she's swinging on the rope as much by accident as on purpose. And as much as I hate the continual Rory/Amy "Do They Really Love Me?" Subplot that should have been resolved forever last Series, it was novel to see Amy being the one worrying about a stray comment and her husband's feelings for her.

3. Matt Smith's Great Performance?

Much as I disliked this episode, one of the few things I did like was Matt Smith's turn as The Doctor this time around. It isn't unusual for The Doctor to not have all the answers but it's very rare for him to jump to the wrong conclusions. And while Matt Smith is never going to he my favorite Doctor, I do think he did a great job with The Doctor here and that he perfectly captured the emotions conveyed by a very intelligent man who hates being proven wrong nearly as much as he hates seeing people being vaporized by a monster he can't explain.

The Final Verdict: Not the worst episode of New Who by a long-shot but still possibly the worst episode of the Matt Smith era. The whole affair feels very rushed, cobbled together out of several reliable stock plot concepts that were utilized to better effect in other stories.

Weekly Comic Reviews On Hold... For Now.

Wed, 11 May 2011 06:12:07 GMT

Due to a sudden unexpected car problem and my comic book store of choice closing down, I'm going to stop doing the regular "Good Thing/Bad Thing" reviews for the foreseeable future.

Doctor Who reviews and reports on the latest comic news will continue, as warranted.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Red Sonja #56

Wed, 11 May 2011 06:08:41 GMT

GOOD THING: The front page gives us a wonderful summary of the series so far, making this a good issue for new readers to jump in on.

BAD THING: The blocking in the artwork is somewhat cartoonish and better suited towards a Xena story than to the more gritty tone demanded of a story set in Hyboria.

The Final Verdict: A good issue for new readers to jump in on, with a wonderful summary of the story so far on the very first page! Sadly, the art is not representative of your typical Red Sonja story, with physics straight out of Looney Tunes.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Secret Six #33

Wed, 11 May 2011 05:49:08 GMT

GOOD THING: It's hard to narrow down to just one thing, what with the picture-perfect images of personal hells that Simone creates for most of the Six. But I'd have to say my favorite part is the ironic hell that Catman's dad is trapped in... and Etrigan's rhyme regarding the thin line between Heaven and Hell.

BAD THING: It's looking more and more like Liana is going the way of a thousand other comic book girlfriends. It's a credit to Simone that such a minor character can inspire such emotion. Still doesn't make me feel any better about it... even if the odds are equally good that Scandal might choose to save her over Knockout.

The Final Verdict: Secret Six is not the best villain book on the market today - it's the best villain book ever!

A Real Cry For Justice: Help The Cheerleader Who Refused To Cheer For Her Rapist

Wed, 11 May 2011 04:41:53 GMT

SOURCE: Help the Cheerleader Who Refused To Cheer Her Rapist!

This girl was raped at the age of 16 by the star player for her high school basketball team. She reported him to the authorities. He plead guilty to a lesser misdemeanor assault charge and was let go with a suspended sentence. The school made their support clear, refusing to even consider booting the athlete from the team while the matter was under investigation.

She had to deal with constant harassment from her fellow students and the community after. The administration’s way of coping with this treatment was to suggest she avoid the cafeteria and not go to Homecoming. Her rape counselor encouraged her to continue all the activities she did before the rape... to refused to act like she had done something wrong.

So she stayed on the cheerleading squad - an activity she loved. She went to the games and cheered for the entire team, but when it came time to cheer her rapist’s name individually as he shot a free throw, she simply crossed her arms and stayed silent. She was summarily, and publicly, kicked off the squad.

The girl and her parents sued school officials and the district, arguing that she was being punished for exercising her right to free expression. But the Federal Appeals court that ruled against her did not see it that way, and in a cruel twist ordered that she and her parents reimburse the district for more than $45,000 in legal fees for what they called a frivolous suit. And the Supreme Court refused to even hear the appeal of that ruling.

I don't usually get political on here or plug specific causes. But I don't want to live in a world where a convicted rapist is allowed to stay in a normal public school, having the time of his life and probably getting more money than most of us will ever see in a lifetime to go play ball for some college while the girl he raped is stuck footing the legal bills for the district that just wanted her to keep her mouth shut unless she was shouting "Go Team!"

So please... click the above link. Give a dollar. Give more if you can.

We can't change what happened but we can keep this girl and her parents for having to pay blood money for standing up for justice.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel #3

Wed, 11 May 2011 04:23:46 GMT

GOOD THING: This issue is truly faithful to the original Robert E. Howard text.

BAD THING: That being said, this issue is being painfully faithful to the slowest part of the original story. It all goes downhill from Conan freeing the wizard, with the rest of the issue being an info dump of just how bad things have gotten in Conan's absence.

The Final Verdict: It's a faithful adaptation of the slowest part of the story it is based on. The art is good but that doesn't disguise or excuse the fact that there's not a lot of action to be had. Still, the Howard purists will be happy and it is a wonderful set-up for the big finale next time.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Conan: The Road Of Kings #4

Wed, 11 May 2011 03:57:10 GMT

BAD THING: As before, the art is the weakest link in this book. There is little consistency from panel to panel and the female characters frequently look... odd.

GOOD THING: The writing is, as before, top notch, with Roy Thomas managing to deliver the goods, even as he retreads familiar territory. Honestly, if i had a dollar for every comic I've read where Conan is taken before a corrupt ruler in chains... I could probably afford all the Savage Sword of Conan TPs I don't already own.

The Final Verdict: As with the previous issues, there's a classic-style Conan story which is ill-served by inconsistent artwork. For Roy Thomas fans and Conan purists only. Art snobs probably won't enjoy it.

New Green Lantern Trailer! Looking even better.

Thu, 05 May 2011 04:02:14 GMT

I think this coming out three days before my birthday may be the best birthday present I get this year.

New Conan Trailer Released! By Crom, August cannot come soon enough!

Thu, 05 May 2011 03:53:13 GMT

SOURCE: Conan 2011 Movie Trailer

All You Need To Know About The Neil Gaiman Speaking Fee Controversy

Thu, 05 May 2011 03:28:30 GMT

1. Last year, Neil Gaiman was asked to speak at the Stillwater Public Library in Stillwater, Minnesota. The library had received several thousand dollars through a grant from The Legacy Fund - a Minnesota state program designed to, among other things, encourage the arts. The grant money was intended to bring several big-name authors to speak at their library. As is typical with this kind of grant, the money could not be spent on anything else and they were desperate to find another author who could speak within a certain point of time, lest the money disappear into the ether and the library face criticism for not spending all of their allocated funds.

2. Mr. Gaiman, ever a champion of public libraries, agreed to appear for $40,000. The actual amount he got after taxes was $33,600. Gaiman donated all of this money to two separate charities - one doing social work, the other library/book based.

3. This is, it should be noted, much lower than Mr. Gaiman's standard speaking fee. He does not do many public speaking events and what few he does are usually done for free at library conferences, charity fundraisers and other public libraries.

4. Mr. Gaiman became a target for the editorial board of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, who wrote an article citing Mr. Gaiman's speaking fee as the height of government waste perpetuated by The Legacy Fund - all while demanding to know why this sort of money wasn't being spent on a much more sensible $800 million dollar football stadium.

5. Today, Mr. Gaiman once again became the target of conservative forces in Minnesota - specifically Minnesota House Majority Leader Matt Dean, who said that Gaiman, "who I hate," was a "pencil-necked little weasel who stole $45,000 from the state of Minnesota."

6. No one is sure just where the $45,000 number came from since the original price Gaiman was quoted was $40,000.

7. Apparently called out on his language by his own mother, Rep. Dean apologized later for calling Gaiman a "pencil-necked little weasel" but said that his comments on his being a thief still stood. He further commented that "I'm sure he has a lot of fans but also a lot of those fans would agree that he's extremely financially successful," Dean said. "He could probably donate a few hours of his time for some kids who follow him and like his books."

8. With this, Rep. Dean made it blatantly clear that he did not know the first thing about Neil Gaiman as a writer or a person.

9. As has been noted before, Mr. Gaiman worked below his usual rate in order to help out a library that was in a jam. He then donated his speaking fee in order to do further good.

10. As has also been noted before, Mr. Gaiman is unusually generous with his time as a public speaker and is famed for his kindness in doing what he can with his celebrity to help First Amendment causes and public libraries... free of charge.

11. Despite the clear implication that Mr. Gaiman - as an author beloved by children - is somehow unworthy of being paid a fair rate for his time, Rep. Dean once again shows his ignorance. While Gaiman is perhaps best known to the public as a Newbery Award winner, this is but ONE of the many honors that he has earned in his time as a writer. Mr. Gaiman is a polyglot among authors, unlimited by form and genre. He writes picture books, fairy tales, storybooks, young adult literature, science-fiction, urban fantasy and graphic novels with equal ease and to equal acclaim. Among his other honors are The Hugo Award, The Eisner Award and The World Fantasy Award.

12. Rep. Dean has made himself at least one enemy today. I don't mean Neil Gaiman, who I don't believe to have a mean-spirited bone in his body. I mean every single librarian, graphic novel fan and lover of good literature who Rep. Matt Dean just insulted by suggesting that our favorite author wasn't worth $45,000... let alone the $33,600 he actually received. And I predict that come election time, whoever chooses to take to the political field of battle against Rep. Dean will find their war chest bolstered by several million contributions.