New Comics 1.27.2010

Whoo boy!

Man, I got off easy the last couple of weeks, because the financial hammer dropped today...11 titles of interest, totaling almost $40 bucks.

**SIGH**

I really need to assess if these are all worth getting. I really can't see spending that much in one week. I'll mark in red the titles on the chopping block.

Atom & Hawkman #46

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ryan Sook

A Blackest Night tie-in. Basically, with this event being, essentially, a big zombie story, the dead rise, and so forth...the powers that be thought it would be fun to have some canceled series rise from the dead, too. The Draw here is that it's written by Geoff Johns, the architect of this whole deal...and one of my favorite writers. I, however, seriously question if I need this issue...

Batman and Robin #7

Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Cameron Stewart
Cover by Frank Quitely
Variant cover by Cameron Stewart

This series is way to good to pass up. It's just plain fun. I'm also quite taken with Cameron's art, and look forward to really digging into it with this arc.

Detective Comics #861

Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Jock
co-feature Art by Cully Hamner
Cover by JH Williams III

Yay! Batman's back in Detective, even as a guest star...but I've been waiting for Batwoman to encounter the Dick Grayson Batman for a while now...the series is just great, any way you slice it.

Gotham City Sirens #8

Written by Paul Dini
Art and Cover by Guillem March

OK, I cry uncle...This series has been uninspired from the get-go. Paul, I gave you eight months to pull me in, and you couldn't do it. Bye-bye, Sirens...

Green Lantern #50

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
Variant cover by Jim Lee
Sketch Variant cover by Doug Mahnke

Blackest Night continues to roll along. This series has been consistently good, and I cannot fault Geoff Johns, but...I am a little weary. I am ready for things to start wrapping up.

Justice League of America #41

Written by James Robinson
Art and covers by Mark Bagley and Rob Hunter

Ahh, Mark Bagley...I could never, will never, let you go. I just hope things start to pick up in this series.

Justice League: Cry For Justice #6 (of 7)

Written by James Robinson
Art and Cover by Mauro Cascioli

More like "cry for it to end." This would be a definite drop if we weren't so close to the end....

Superman: Secret Origin #4 (of 6)

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal
Covers by Gary Frank

This series has turned out really well, and I have to admit, I have a warm nostalgic feeling for the art. Mainly because Gary Frank just flat out draws Superman as Chris Reeve. Johns' writing has hit a nice sweet spot, too.

Captain America: Reborn #6 (of 6)

Written by ED BRUBAKER
Penciled by BRYAN HITCH
Cover by BRYAN HITCH

Hey, Marvel! You managed to reveal the end of this series in about a dozen places, just because you couldn't keek your schedules straight. Way to go. Top it off...Cap isn't REALLY back...

Kick-Ass #8

Story by Mark Millar
Art by John Romita Jr., Tom Palmer

Yay! For Mark Millar! He finally finished the series, and the movie comes out in like TWO MONTHS!! What synergy!! I keep reading this book, and I always finish thinking "that was ok," but I never really care about what's happening. Go figure.

Ultimate Comics Enemy #1

Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Rafa Sandoval

I've been so burned by the Ultimate line, but I really like Bendis' writing...I'm also not excited that this is the first of three mini-series. I'm kinda tired of this stuff taking years to get anywhere.

Yeah, I'm swiping...

But this is classic.

From The Comics Curmudgeon



"Having gone behind Ted’s back to loan family money to her deadbeat sister, Sally knows that she has only one chance to deflect her husband’s anger: to finally cater to his fantasy of having sex with Han Solo. Will Han shoot first in this scenario?"

Conflict of Interest

I had written a blog on this, decided it got too far off the subject, and too deeply into my own, esoteric views about what reviews are supposed to accomplish, rather than the subject at hand. So I deleted it, figuring I'd start over later.

So, first; read this Performink article.

OK. I know both Terry McCabe and Kevin Heckman personally. I like, admire, and most importantly, trust both these men. I think Terry is asking a very valid question, and using Kevin purely as an example. I also doubt Kevin would intentionally write a review for a show in which he felt a vested interest one way or another.

However, I feel that Carrie Kaufman's (who I don't know) response is a little on the silly side. Especially in the "where's the competition" comments. It speaks of looking at the theatre community as a club, rather than a group of businesses. That distinction is one that every company in town struggles with, and the successful ones are those who approach things in a businesslike manner.

For the amount of theatres attempting to operate in Chicago, the audience is painfully small. Sadly, a huge part of that audience is members of our own community. The people showing up clutching a headshot to get that industry night discount. The very people who might read a review in a publication "geared toward the theatre community" and be swayed for or against it.

Yes, we are a tight knit community. It's part of what I love about Chicago. I love the people, I treasure most of the work I've done, and I respect the vast majority of the professionals I've been exposed to. However, I've never met a member of our community who didn't know EXACTLY who he or she liked, who they disliked, and, most importantly, who has "done them wrong."

At the heart, Terry's comment is correct. You can't look at this as anything but a conflict of interest. I find myself knowing someone involved, either on or backstage, in most of the shows I see advertised. The danger is not just that my opinion is poisoned against the show by somebody involved, but also in the fact I might be kinder to it for the same reason. I may write something on this blog, but these are my personal musings, and not subject to journalistic requirements.

I guess, at the end of the day, I question the point of reviews in Performink. A "review round-up" makes sense, a condensed selection of critical responses from other sources, but why add anything? Ms. Kaufman says the goal of the Performink reviews is thus:

"...what we settled on was a review structure that analyzes the show like a theatre person would in breaking it down to direct it or act it."

I understand that, but it seems to be that same goal would be more effectively accomplished by perhaps not a "review" but a one-on-one interview between the director and an outside director, or an actor and one from the audience. Let them discuss concepts and techniques, and what worked and what didn't, in an environment that might spark a real conversation, and not give the impression of judgement.

It really tied the room together...

THE KNAVE: Let me not to the marriage of false impressions deny impediments. I am not Master Lebowski; thou art Master Lebowski. I am the Knave, called the Knave. Or His Knaveness, or mayhap Knaver, or mayhap El Knaverino, in the manner of the Spaniard, if brevity be not in thy soul nor wit. A Knave by any other name would abide just as well.

Oh, hell...Just go here.

I like this quote...

"I’m not an actor who will sit there and say “My character wouldn’t do that.” “Okay, we’ll get somebody else.” My character does whatever helps tell the story, and if I can’t make it real, then I’ll figure out why I can’t make it real. But usually there’s a way to figure out how to make it real."
-Harrison Ford

I have such trouble with Harrison right now, but I want to believe. This quote stuck out to me, because it sounded like the Ford of the old days, the craftsman who just made things work, without muss or fuss. He came and played the role professionally and with a minimum of actor-bullshit.

Sometimes I have such problems with what I do. I see people make it so much harder than it needs to be. Who put up walls between themselves and the performance...in essence, they make it harder on themselves.

Amen

Rat so appeals to my misanthropic side.

"American Buffalo" at Steppenwolf

Let's be up front about this;

David Mamet's American Buffalo is my favorite play, ever. I first saw it in 1991, at the Remains Theatre on a trip to Chicago.

Larry Brandenburg and Kevin Hurley with Gary Cole in American Buffalo

The play, literally, blew me away. In a very real sense, seeing that production sent me back to my undergrad work with a real desire to be an actor. (That trip also represented the end of my journey toward filmmaking, but that's a whole different story.)

In an interesting personal connection, and graphic example of how small the theatre world is, I was in a production of Dashiell Hamlet at City Lit Theatre in 2008, and the cast was discussing shows that really influenced their choices...I started to wax nostalgic about this production.

Well, the director of Dashiell Hamlet was Mike Nussbaum, who also happened to direct that production at Remains, and originated the role of Teach at the Goodman in 1975.

J.J. Johnson, Mike Nussbaum and William H. Macy in the Goodman Theatre's 1975 production

Boy, I felt like an ass.

All this is preface to the fact that I love this play. I have a deep, burning desire to play Teach. I, thankfully, think I still have about 10 years to get that done. I try to see every production I can, even when it becomes painful watching someone else make choices that I wouldn't. I've seen it done several times, and even made the intensely ill-considered move of trying to direct a cutting for a class in undergrad.

(Never, ever try to direct someone in a role you really just want to play...No one gets out happy.)

So. I am, as you might say...highly critical of productions of this play, and the performances therein.

With that in mind...I've never seen a finer mounting of this script than the one on display at The Steppenwolf right now.

Francis Guinan, Patrick Andrews, and Tracy Letts in the 2010 Steppenwolf production

Amy Morton has taken these three fine actors and allowed something that I feel like too many Mamet productions lose, the humor, to pour forth. Too many times, I find actors in these roles resort to shouting and macho posturing, without understanding the desperation and ridiculousness of that facade.

Tracy Letts....Look, I am REALLY hard on actors that play Teach, because, damn it, I KNOW how to play it. (Nobody's allowed me to prove myself wrong, yet...LOL) I have to say, I've never imagined Teach like this, but it feels so absolutely right. It's almost Jeff Bridges crossed with Foghorn Leghorn, and it's absolute genius. He nudges along the edge of ridiculousness, and in doing so, allows us to see a Teach that most people absolutely miss. The Teach that feels left out, alone and uncertain. It's amazing.

Patrick Andrews scared the hell out of me as the play first started. He makes a distinctive vocal choice that could've been an absolute disaster, but keeps it grounded and real. His Bobby was by far the most, well, stunted that I have ever seen, but I was amazed at how well this choice played out in the final moments.

Francis Guinan is absolutely grounded as Don, the junk shop owner, and really the center of this story. It wasn't until years after I first saw this play, after reading an interview with Mamet where he called the play a tragedy about Don, that I realized that Don is the protagonist. Don has to carry the show, to be the character that changes and confronts his own choices. Guinan has, by far, the least showy role, but he brethes full life into Don.

These three performances illumate Mamet's work in a way that I've never seen before. Each actor, in their own way has honed in on the elements of each one of these characters that plays to the show's thesis. I utterly reject comments that these characters aren't "real," or that the play has nothing to say.

I also reject those that, in response to Mamet's work, in general, say "nobody talks that way." These characters most certainly do. That, however, is a rant for another time.

For you see, the question that American Buffalo asks us is a very simple one; what is friendship?

Teach rails and blusters about what friendship is, while Bob simply acts out of love for Donny, his surrogate father. Don is the one who, in the end has to confront his own turn away from those who gave him the most loyalty. The joy of this production is that, by embracing the humor, they make the dark turn at the end that much more palpable and powerful. Guinan's strong and steady work grounds us for the final moments when we realize that even among these men, the dregs of society, there is love, respect and friendship.

If you can see it, you must.

Monday Randomness

Didn't watch the Golden Globes last night. I tend to view the Globes as a scam. Awards that seem to go to whatever studio gives the Hollywood Foreign Press the best party, but you can't deny that they influence the Oscars, for good or ill.

So, so happy that Jeff Bridges won. The film, as I've said, is nothing new, but the performances is vintage Jeff Bridges, and, frankly, he should've been showered with awards years ago.

So, so disappointed that Robert Downey Jr. beat Matt Damon in the Musical/Comedy category. It's the award version of star fucking...Downey is "hotter" than Damon, and his move made more bank. Never mind that Damon just killed in The Informant!

And Avatar took it home over The Hurt Locker. Netflix shipped us The Hurt Locker over the weekend, so I expect to be watching it very soon (finally), so I can't really compare, but, that said, I don't think this is a horrible choice. Avatar did provide a visual experience the likes of which I've rarely experienced, and lest we forget...film is a visual medium. I read a snarky tweet that said, "Avatar can be watched on mute to the same effect."

Well, so what?

I'd lay money, based on Kathryn Bigelow's past films, you could say the same about The Hurt Locker, or many of Martin Scorsese's films, or Steven Speilberg's. The fact you could tell a story using mainly visual information is a really illogical way to criticize a movie, or it's maker.

Avatar isn't the greatest movie ever, or even of this year, in my opinion, but it's top-flight ginormo-scale Hollywood filmmaking, and it actually has a compelling message. It will trigger a huge change in, at the very least, how films are presented. This is why I don't entirely balk at it winning awards, and certainly don't think Cameron is undeserving of beating out his ex-wife Bigelow for a Best Director win. Avatar is a director's film, just like The Hurt Locker, the kind that takes every skill a director has to pull off.

I think it's really great that two genre, "action" directors are apparently the frontrunners going into the Oscars. Look at Bigelow's filmography, she and Cameron are from the same school. It's just easy to be snobbish, and think that, because Bigelow made a film about Iraq, and not blue aliens, hers is "more important."

Anyway, I fell down yesterday morning. I am stiff, sore, and my right elbow is tender to the touch. I thank those who've showed concern, but also want to reassure everyone...If I REALLY hurt myself, the LAST thing I'm going to do is run to the phone to tweet about it. Lots of asprin, taking it easy, and I'll be fine.

But it did make me think of something, along with some complaints leveled at me by a friend on Saturday night....

I post a lot of crap via twitter/facebook. I tend to use these status updates as a stream-of-conciousness way to document my own, frankly, worthless musings. Likewise, I use this blog to pontificate on various topics that interest me, and get out various emotional states. I ALWAYS strive to be honest in my blogs or status updates, I am an artist, a performer, and I am my material. There's no point to this blog if I hide my emotional state! Facts, details, names, these are details that made be changed/hidden to protect the innocent, but what I write here is true, and comes from as honest a place as possible.

However....

I am rarely as depressed as I appear, or as excited. Things bother me, things make me happy, and I post them. I consider life changes, and I make mention of them. It's part of my process and sharing myself with the world. If I didn't want to share myself, then, frankly folks, acting is just about the LAST thing I ought to be doing.

What I find interesting is how much importance seems to be attached to a lot of what I say. I mean, half of my status messages are stupid jokes, a good portion quoting lyrics (which may, or may not, be tired to my emotional state...sometimes I just have a song stuck in my head), and the rest is...snippets of me. True, yes, but hardly anything to get upset about.

"I read it on the internet." How often I hear that. Where? Who said Obama wasn't a US Citizen? Who said Jeff Goldblum fell off a cliff in New Zealand? Or that Jackie Earl Haley is playing Sinestro? I mean, these are all false. Obama's birth certificate plainly says he was born in Hawaii, Jeff Goldblum is alive and well, and, according to the Director of Green Lantern, Haley's never even been mentioned. How does this start? Somebody makes a joke, or says "wouldn't this be cool..." and somebody reads it, and adds in their own interpretaion. And it bulids and builds...

Most of what I post is, like most of the internet, far from the full story. Jumping to conclutions is, apparently, now part and parcel of surfing the web.

I fear for us. I really do.

You Better, You Bet (Remix)

My Life As Told By My music
1. Put your iTunes, IPod or Windows Music Player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your next answer.
3. You must write that song name down no matter how outrageous it sounds!
4. Tag 25 friends who might enjoy doing the game as well as the person you got the note from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS, “IS THIS OKAY?” YOU SAY
Mary, Mary - Velvet Revolver

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Misery Pills - Kill For Thrills

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
When I Come Around - Green Day

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Resist - Rush

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
The Door - Corrosion of Conformity

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Jazz Oddyssey III - Spinal Tap

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?
Judgment Day (Live) - Van Halen

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
For A Brother - Velvet Revolver

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Low Man's Lyric (Live Acoustic) - Metallica

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
I Feel Fine - The Beatles

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Whiplash - Metallica

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Rag Mama Rag - The Band

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Firth of Fifth - Genesis

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Sad But True (Live) - Metallica

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Seven Seas of Rhye - Queen

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
If I Wanted To - Melissa Etheridge

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Fences - Paramore

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Bye Bye, Love - Ray Charles

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Slit Skirts - Pete Townshend

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Whatshername - Green Day

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Outta Love Again - Van Halen

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Freedom - Jimi Hendrix

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Don't Cry (Original Version) - Guns 'N Roses

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Squeeze Box - The Who

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Spanish Fly - Van Halen

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Restless Nights - Bruce Springsteen

27. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
You Better, You Bet (Remix) - The Hitmaker/The Who

All I can say is...I'm surprised more Springsteen didn't turn up, I only have, like, 70 hours of him on the player.

But seriously, folks....

I share because it's utterly, utterly brilliant.



Facebook can't see the video? Visit the Blog.

Trying to get the engine turned over.

Welcome to Monday, which is pretty much the same as it's always been. Slow, and just a little annoying. My weekend was really busy, and, seriously, I'd just like a moment to breathe.

So, before I even feel a bit of last week off my shoulders, I'm back for another.

This is pretty annoying.

As I walk into the new week, my thought turn to the events of this upcoming year. Trips to be taken, and things to see. Another trip to San Diego and Comic-Con International is already booked, and "the boys" and I are putting ducks in a row. (tickets are bought, a hotel is booked [and has been since August], and the airfare is just waiting for me to get around to it.)

Also need to figure out when to head up to Cleveland for a weekend, before the From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen exhibit closes at the Hall of Fame. That's just a weekend trip, I think. Maybe even by the end of the month.

CByrd and I are talking about maybe heading to Seattle, as well, and, of course, down to Arizona at some point to see the folks. Taking trips is always a tightrope to walk, Cbyrd gets MUCH more paid time off than I do, and I also like to have some days off I can just use for the hell of it, y'know? For opening of a show, or just because I'm tired.

So, it becomes a balancing act. give a little, take a little, and hopefully everything ends up working out.

2009 Round up....

Every year I write a blog like this. I enjoy it, even if I understand implicitly that my opinion is hardly one with an critical weight behind it. I like what I like, and I don't always see everything I want to...The Hurt Locker, would be the glaring omission this year, I think. However, this list has always pretty much been the best of what I saw/read/played/whatever.

So, here we go:

Movies - The Best

1: Anvil!: the Story of Anvil
Once again, a documentary tops my list. I was just blown away by this film, and the obvious love that went into it's making. What it has to say about perseverance and creative desire is something a lot of "artistic" types might do well to think about.

2: Up
Pixar, it seems can do no wrong. I thought last year's Wal-E would be high point, but then they go and blow me away again. The first 10 minutes of this movie might be the most beautiful dramatic interpretation of a long-term relationship ever put on screen. Beautiful.

3: An Education
A beautiful little movie about a teenage girl that never seems stupid, or cloying. The performances are exquisite (ahh, Alfred Molina), the script by Nick Hornby is smart enough, but not too smart, to always seem real. Not to mention Carey Mulligan's star-making turn.

4: Star Trek
Making a film for pure entertainment that is this good ought to be celebrated. JJ Abrams really pulled it all together from casting to the energy of the whole affair. Yes, (arguably) it didn't quite get the "big ideas" of the original series, but it pretty much nailed everything else.

5: The Informant!
Criminally forgotten, it seems. A film with something to say about corporate culture, that had me laughing more than almost every comedy I saw this year. A performance from Matt Damon that really is astounding in it's execution and conviction.

6: Adventureland
I liked it a lot when I saw it, but the more it lived in my mind, I remembered how accurately it captured the feel of being a teen in the late 80's. (I can quibble on the details, but what's the point?) The comparisons to American Graffitti are earned.

7: Up in the Air
Another peek into the America we live in right now. At turns amusing and hilarious, and anchored by yet another utterly perfect George Clooney "movie-star" performance.

8: District 9
The low-budget wonder. Allegory with kick-ass action, the same formula that gave us Avatar, but, frankly, Neill Blomkamp did it better with a tenth the budget. (Not that Avatar was bad...more later.)

9: Where The wild Things Are
How do you adapt a 10-page children's picture book into a 2 hour movie? By remembering how it FELT to read that book, aimed more at adults, and I really don't care if your kids were bored.

10: I Love You, Man
My favorite pure comedy this year. Why? Because it took the time to really understand the reasons behind a "bromance," and why it's important in a guy's life. I'll take that over a simple collection of fart and dick jokes, any day.

Movies - The Worst

A note here...I rarely see a movie if I have any feeling at all that it will be awful, so I only pick one film. This year was a doozy.

Crossing Over
Not only the worst film of this year, probably the worst movie I've seen since 2000. Why would I see it? Harrison Ford. I'm a fan from way back, and I can honestly say I usually can find entertainment in any movie he makes...but this is just an endurance test. A didactic, booring, illogical, pretentious endurance test. I could watch Crash after this and think it "wasn't bad."

...And I DETEST Crash.

Movies - Best Actor

(Tie)
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
Matt Damon in The Informant!
Two beautiful performances, for very different reasons. It's the "inside out" versus "outside in" clash again.

Crazy Heart is nothing overly special as a film, you've seen it a dozen times, but Bridges brings his magic to bear. What magic? That special quality that Jeff Bridges has, wherein you never catch him "acting." He just IS whoever he plays, and I hope to God the Academy finally recognizes how utterly brilliant this man is.

Damon has no chance of a nomination at this point, but the performance is sort of the brilliant polar opposite of Bridges, he's acting all over the place. He's changed his look, his voice, his walk, and it's utterly entertaining and utterly committed, and therefore believeable.

Movies - Best Actress

Carey Mulligan in An Education
It's a very tricky thing to play a character that seems worldly and innocent at the same time, and Mulligan pulls it off with charm to spare. She manages to convince not only as a regular teenager, but also as she fits comfortably into a more adult world. The bottom line? I fell in love with her.

Movies - It really did change cinema award

Avatar
It's not hype. This is a movie you MUST see in a theatre, and MUST see in 3-D. The story is simple allegory, emphasizing emotion and spectacle over narrative completixty. Some people want to tear it down for that, but frankly, Star Wars or Dances With Wolves are just as simple, and we regard them as compelling filmmaking. Top that off with visuals that, while not "f*cking my eyeballs," played as the amazing event they were meant to be.

Movies - Flash in the pan award

Watchmen
I enjoyed it, I can't say I didn't, but the whole time I knew that was mainly because I knew the story and the characters backwards and forward. Without that, it's really just an empty experience, and I've had a LOT of people who don't know the book, but know I do, contact me after seeing the film and the gist is "what's the big deal?"

It just kind of slightly pisses me off how much this illuminates the lack of critical thinking on the part of so many comic book/sci fi fans (a group I most definately am in)...Far too many people just have this idea that fidelity to imagery, design and plot minutia=quality, and it's just not the case.

Music - Best Albums

1- Them Crooked Vultures by Them Crooked Vultures
A "supergroup" that lived up to the name. Feels like a modern Cream, to me.

2- Crack the Skye by Mastodon
Prog Metal reached a mass audience? Color my mind blown, and it's actually good!

3- Black Gives Way to Blue by Alice in Chains
Layne, RIP. However AIC and Jerry Cantrell show us they are very much alive.

4- The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again by John Fogerty
A good-fun, well-made, fun covers album. Songs that are made for Fogerty's voice.

5- 11:11 by Rodrigo y Gabriela
I have grown a bit bored with instrumental music, until I discovered R&G. Beautiful, powerful guitar work.

Video Games - Best

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Literally, the best superhero game ever made. Take all the elements that make Batman work as a character, and Rocksteady and Eidos have figured a way to put them all in this game. Not only that, but the elements feel unified, and work well together. The graphics also find just the right tone for the story beiong told, invoking the grime and dark shadows of Batman's world, and the voice work, by veterans of Batman: The Animated Series (Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin) is sheer perfection. That term also applies to the package as a whole. The game that Batman fans, and comic book fans, in general, have been waiting for.

Books - Best

1: Manhood for Amateurs:
The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son
by Michael Chabon
I love Chabon with every fiber of my being , and this collection of essays did not disappoint.

2: Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales
by Clarence Clemmons and Do Reo
A wonderfully fun book about what it's like to be "the Big Man," in truth, and in lies.

3: Parker: The Hunter
by Richard Stark, adapted by Darwyn Cooke
Cooke is a genius, and in Stark's "Parker" novel, he found a property ripe for his highly stylized, neo-noir artwork.

4: A View From the Bridge:
Memories of Star Trek and an Life in Hollywood
by Nicholas Meyer
Nick Myer is a wonderful writer, and this book is like spending a pleasant few days with him.

5: Eating the Dinosaur
by Chuck Klosterman
Klosterman is one of our finest pop culture critics, and this collection of essays tackles subjects from ABBA to the Unabomber in ways you never quite expect.

Yeah, I'm stalling for time....

I had a couple of more films I wanted to get through before I did my "best of" list.

But y'know...screw it.

As soon as I get the time to pound out a blog entry to cover it, I'll just do it.

Happy New Year!

What goes around....

Just woke up from an interesting dream, based on the feelings/thoughts of the recent days.

In the dream, I was apparently in Grad School, and studying under Jeff Green, again. I had broken into his apartment...

(It was, of course, the Jeff I remember from undergrad...no dream ever reflexcts "real life." I also acknowledge that criminal activity is a pretty interesting starting point, here.)

...and he'd caught me. The conversation basically turned to my attendance record for his classses. He was giving me deserved shit on this matter, and I said something along the line of that I was only getting my Masters to teach, because it was clear I was never going to make a living otherwise.

What followed was one of those conversations I used to have with Jeff, wherein he let me know, vividly, what kind of an idiot I was being. Then we headed off to class, and met up with Mel Brooks along the way.

...Don't look at me that way. I have no idea why Mel Brooks showed up. He was also, apparently, 100 years older than he actually is. Go figure.

It just struck me as an interesting dream to have, right now.