Saturday, May 30, 2009

Meanwhile at the Movies... Land of the Lost

There are just too many movies coming out this month... I know there are a lot all summer, but it sure seems the studios are squeezing way too many into May and early June.
I saw Star Trek, and Wolverine, but probably won't make it to Terminator, and who knows about Up (or Drag Me to Hell), but one movie I'll damn sure catch on the big screen??
Land of the Lost!!!
Now, I was really jazzed about this one, with fond yet vague early childhood memories of dino's, Sleestak's, a raft, and lots of jungle action... with extra cheese. But the movie version also happens to feature Will Ferrell and Danny McBride, so BONUS!
However, once the trailers hit, and aside from some great looking effects, the humor was pretty flat, and killing my drive to see it... that was until Sci-Fi ran a Memorial Day marathon of the original series!!!

It was the first time I'd seen the shows in over 30 years, and man, that was some messed up and inspired children's entertainment only the 70's could bring!!
Turns out, while pretty uneven and definitely for kids, there was some serious sci-fi at play, and plenty of tripped out imagination! So, I can't wait to see the movie, regardless...
The creatures, characters, cast, and effects, even if a bad movie, will be worth the price of admission. Here's hoping the movie is actually good, or fun, too!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

SUPER REAL NOTES: read the series online!

As you know, we've got our double-sized finale special coming soon (July - via comic shops and Haven distribution, or direct from SRG), and the entire series collected as a graphic novel (August - via comic shops and Diamond distribution).

I've started to post the entire series online, for free, and right now it's available in my DeviantArt gallery HERE
I'll probably create an official page for the updates, but for the time being I'm updating a scene each weekday there. So, you can check out the book, or just get caught up in time for the new releases!!

Tell a friend!
And be sure to pick up your copy of the print editions later this summer!
Both of which can be preordered now:

SUPER REAL: CAST CHANGE SPECIAL

48 pages
Black & White
$6.99

HAVEN ORDER CODE:
SUPRSUP101

SUPER REAL GRAPHIC NOVEL

220 pages
Full Color
$18.99

DIAMOND ORDER CODE:
MAY09 1018

Friday, May 15, 2009

I SAW IT ON TV: Lost season 5 finale

So just got through the big season 5 finale of Lost last night...

What did everyone think?

I thought it was really good, and while some of it was a bit obvious, there were still cool moments, and of course headscratchers!
SPOILER
Locke's dead in the cliffhanger, again?!?
So who is the living Locke?
The final scene in the foot with Jacob they reference the loophole, from the opening scene, where Jacob's on the island with another man, who apparently wants to kill him, if only he could find said loophole.
So who was that man? (and what did I recognize him from, it's driving me batty... and I'm too lazy to IMDB it...)
What is this loophole?
What is Jacob?
And how is this man Locke, or vice versa.
I mean, we know it's all something to do with Egyptian gods, or some such, but I'm no student of anything outside comics and pop culture.
So is Jacob an Egyptian god of life/death (I know this was speculated, as to what Egyptian stuff was in play for weeks)?

It was kind of neat how Jacob was there giving a "little push" at the moment of crisis for all of our cast...
How?
And to what end?

Who are these self proclaimed "good guys" with their shadow of the statue talk?

And, are we really going to see the cast back on flight 815 and landing safe at LAX next season?
Or is that a red herring?
Seems to me, if they do put the cast back together, on the other side of flight 815... it's ripe for that proposed movie there's been talk of in the past.
Then the cast could have some reason to find the island or some such.

But if that's where we are at the start of the final season, where do we go from there?
If that's not where we are, what does Juliette's detonation bring?

2010

Good stuff.

Thoughts??

I posted this over on my DeviantArt journal last nigte, so check over there for some discussion... HERE

Also, you can check out the always stunning breakdowns by Doc Jensen on EW.com HERE
And The Beat does a recap with lively discussion each ep HERE

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Meanwhile at the Movies... Wolverine VS Star Trek

Two weeks.
Two HUGE genre movies!

One meh, grade C, mildly entertaining waste of a perfect character.
One awesome, grade A, wildly entertaing celebration of great characters!

Guess which is which ;)
First off, the claw poppin mutant origin story.
Or, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Or, we're Fox, we have no fucking idea how to make good comic book movies...
Remember X-Men 1 and 2, yeah, we fucked that up with this awesomely bad bastardizing of the Dark Phoenix saga, with a lame ass nod to Days of Future Past for good measure.
Fantastic Four, greatest comic magazine ever?
Here, fight a galactic cloud in an orange rubber suit!
Need I say more?
Wolverine sucked.
Sword popping, concusive blasting, Deadpool raping bad.
But, if you want my full review from last week, go HERE

NOT RECOMMENDED

Then there's Star Trek.

So yeah, it's good.


It's really good.

Mostly, it's JJ's focus on the cast, and the characters that make it work.
I had every confidence in the cast they assembled, and they mostly pull it off, without missing a beat.
Sure, there's only one Shatner, but as has been said, Pine does his own thing, while still being visually similar, and every bit as charming as the original.
Quinto just looks so good as Spock, but he also does nicely in the Vulcan shoes.
Urban, well, he does well, and I'm not sure if it's me, as Bones was always my fave, but I had the hardest time buying his performance. His seemed the most copy cat.
Everyone else brings their own thing to the roles.

The story?

Well, its very good too.

SPOILERS
I especially enjoyed the beginning, the opening chapter with the birth of Kirk. We really hit the ground running, both in terms of action, and emotionally. Actually, I think that turn of events, culminating in ol' James T's birth, is hard to top.

Then of course, the young Kirk stuff was gold.
Beastie Boys in a Star Trek movie?!?
But it was great!

The bar scene, the academy stuff.
Pine really shines in the role.

I also thought the original Spock's role worked very well, handing off to the next gen premise, and also building a cool alternate reality universe.
SPOILERS OFF

The effects are great.

And yes, more cool, and more action oriented, like Star Wars.
More truly alien aliens.
All the things as a kid, watching the movies, post Star Wars, you wished they'd push.
I mean, the TV show had simpler effects and aliens for a reason... it never felt right to stay so subdued on the big screen budget.

Oh yes, there's plenty to love.

My only qualms would be that the climax could've used more punch, and so could the sound.
I know I harp on sound a lot, but it often seems so lacking.
Here, it's pretty good, but they tossed out most the trademark stuff, and went different directions... which I get, but still think would've been better served keeping.
When stuff's that iconic, it's probably for a reason, and I don't think because it was cheesy...
SPOILER
We only get the theme at the end... which would've worked better had we not just seen that with the Battlestar finale...
SPOILER OFF

So yeah.
It's sexy, fun, thrilling, cool, and just like in the movie, there's more warp factors yet to come!!

Can't wait for the next voyage!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

SUPER REAL NOTES: Graphic Novel PREVIEW

Here's a sneak peek at 6 pages from our upcoming July/August release, the SUPER REAL GRAPHIC NOVEL, which collects the entire 200 page series:


issue 1, and issue 2

issue 3, and newly colored Jim Mahfood pages from our VS The Comic Book Industry special

Josh Howard page from the VS The Movie Industry special, and the previously unreleased series climax featuring new participant "O"


SUPER REAL – graphic novel
By Jason Martin, with guest artwork from Jim Mahfood, Josh Howard, and various
220 pages, digest sized (6x9), Full Color, mature readers, $18.99
DIAMOND ORDER CODE MAY09 1018
ISBN:0-9802498-2-1


Remember to place your orders with comic book shops now, via the Previews catalog and Diamond order code MAY09 1018
(Please use the comic book shop locator on the sidebar to find the shop nearest you)