MEANWHILE AT THE MOVIES... Romero Lives!

The folks over at AICN.com are reporting that George Romero, godfather of modern horror and king of zombies, has been green-lit for a new DEAD film, likely to pick up where LAND OF THE DEAD left off.
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Read more about it HERE, and link to their source...

It would make sense for the next film to pick up where LAND left off, as that really felt to me like part of a serialized story. Though, I'm not a big fan of the Mad Max-style zombie-mobile, The Dead Reckoning, from the film that would likely be featured again if that were the case. Though perhaps if the film is based on the road, I'd get to like the zombie-mobile concept...

LOOK, IT'S ON THE WEB! - Ichiban-ban Ichiban-ban Ichibannnnn

I recently came across a great new blog called ICHIBAN COMICS that features reviews for number one issues, and lets you know if you should pick up the rest of the featured book. Not only is this a fresh idea, but the approach and content provided for each review is unique and thorough.

Ichiban was also kind enough to review Super Real, so you can check that out HERE
It's a great review in that, well they're very kind about the book, but more specifically, they really seem to get some elements about the book that others haven't mentioned in their reviews. So that's nice...

Give ol' Ichi a twirl and tell 'em TSL sent ya!

IN CASE U MISSED IT: Another great column on CBR

I'm doing a little catch up here, it's been a busy week, holiday, book coming out, new job, and in the meantime there's been some good stuff floatin around the net.

Joe Casey (scribe of the fabulous new Image series GODLAND) and Matt Fraction (killer scribe of some recent indy gems) host a weekly throwdown on comics topics at CBR. Last week they went on about the big two's current cycle of stunt/marketing driven publishing, or rather, touching on that and how it relates to the current health of the market. Basically, although the sales of comic books continue to edge slightly up period after period, the majority of titles actually cycle down continuously. A trend I find more than alarming (not to mention the current big event publishing crap).

You can see their perspective in full HERE

IN CASE U MISSED IT: Larsen ponders our IQ

Eric Larsen's column over on CBR is a good read. Last week he mused about the current state of comic book technique, that is, the use or lack of use, of comic book techniques unique to the medium, like thought baloons and captions etc.

I think his summary is spot on, one should make use of all the tools out there, appropriate to tell the story in question, and not adhere to current trends just because. Pretty sensible position, and one I share. It's a fine line I think, between function, art, and camp. So really, it does all boil down to the story you're telling, it's tone, and how the tools fit it.

You can see his whole spot on it HERE

Week in and week out he's not really dropping any crazy knowledge, but rather engaging in frank and meaningfull discourse about the medium. Something we could use more of in the comics internet, as opposed to the onslaught of previews and reviews.

IN CASE U MISSED IT: Sentinels anyone?

Newsarama ran a feature on the OGN series SENTINELS the other day, and I still want to check this one out.

You can see their feature HERE

Anyone out there read this?
The volume 3 preview pages look and read really well (it's been featured around a bit lately). Sounds like a cool super hero-ish epic in the making...

COMICS REVIEW: 11/23 books

GIRLS #7

I'm really liking the crazy turns this story takes, it's a lot of fun.
My major gripe would be the large cast, basically a small town, it's hard to follow who most people are from scene to scene or issue to issue, and the art doesn't help that much, as most of the characters look pretty similar.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

GODLAND #5
Great series, that I highly recommend overall, but this issue seemed a little off...
Good stuff, just not as good as the rest has been so far.
RECOMMENDED

RED SONJA #3

Thought I'd canceled this one, but it's still not off my pull list. I've been underwhelmed so far. The story may be a solid sword yarn, but Rubi's pencils are a bit too straightforward to weave any magic out of it. They also seem progressively less detailed as we go along, relying on the heavy coloring to finish them.
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

ULTIMATE X-MEN #65

A solid finish to a good arc, nice little twist at the end. This could have been a great arc, if this issue was a little stronger throughout...
RECOMMENDED

UNCANNY X-MEN #466

I love Chris Bachalo, and Chris Bachalo on the X-Men is even cooler, I love it so much, I'll even put up with the Claremont writing.
Their first few issues together were a mostly confusing House of M tie-in. Now that that's over things get a little easier to follow. There's actually even some good stuff going on here. I really like the idea of the X-Men being surrounded by Sentinels, feeding on the whole "Days of Future Past" vibe, and Chris writes a really funny, and sexy, scene with Psylocke.
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

WITCHBLADE #92

I don't normally read Witchblade. I'd tried way back when and found it very lacking... but this special anniversary issue had tons of good artists lined up, so what the heck. The story, or lack there of, was just a montage of Witchblade's through the course of time (yes, really), tracing back to the start. Ehhh... Guess I'll tune back out now...
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

YOUNG AVENGERS #9

After an okay, and brief, 2 issue arc with fill-in artwork that was a bit lacking, the great regular penciler, Jim Cheung returns. This issue is pretty downbeat, with a Marvel U rogue popping up and into the YA's path out of nowhere, just like the last arc. There are some fun twists and reveals, as usual though, saving some otherwise boring developments. I'm not sure this one's too long for my pull list. Hopefully Heinberg's got some more aces up his sleeve...
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

COMICS IN STORES TODAY

Here it is, the return of the weekly comics pull list!

It's a big week for Super Real, but there's also some other nifty publications out there, so let's take a look. Here are the highlights for the week:

PREVIEWS VOL XV #12 - The comic lover's bible, this one features a half page ad and solicit for Super Real #2
PERHAPANAUTS #1 (OF 4) - Awesome book, been waiting for it for two years since the first ash can. Check this one out!!
SEVEN SOLDIERS FRANKENSTEIN #1 (OF 4) - I'm down with this whole line, but I'm way behind on reading... This one feature the awesome arwork of Doug Mahnke!!
GIRLS #7 (MR) - This has been a fun read so far. Unique and well done. Like a cool indy sci-fi/horror gem...
GODLAND #5 (RES) - Awesome. Casey and Scioli bring the comics funk here! A must have!!
INVINCIBLE #27 - Another must read. Pure comic goodness...
NICK FURY HOWLING COMMANDOS #2 - The first issue all but wiped out any hope for this cool concept, hopefully #2 picks it up, if not I'm gone...
ULTIMATE X-MEN #65 - I think this is the last in what's been the best arc from Vaughn. Good stuff.
DEAD AT 17 ROUGH CUT VOL 3 TP (MR) - This one includes a pin-up from some dood named Jason Martin...
EL ARSENAL #3 (OF 3) (MR) - Not only does this series feature great art, it's got a Super Real ad!!
PARADOX #1 (OF 4) - I hear tell this book also features a Super Real ad...

And here it is, the coup de grace...
SUPER REAL #1 (MR) - 'nuff said!

Dead@17 Rough Cut - PIN-UP

Hey,

Just confirmed today, that Dead@17 Rough Cut #3 is due out tomorrow.

Why is this important you ask?
Well, Dead@17 is a groovy little book, it's got zombies, cute chicks, cute chicks with blunt objects bludgeoning zombies... etc.
but this issue also features a pin up from me!!
Yay for me!

See that.
My first book comes out tomorrow,
my first pin-up ALSO comes out tomorrow...
that's synergy!

Here's a small peek at the artwork

(the book is however, in black and white, so this will be grayscale)

Super Real #1 ships tomorrow!

Now, simply go down to your local comic shop and DEMAND your copy!
You've got two swanky covers to choose from...

If that fails, you can always pick up your copies from the website store, HERE

And remember, you can find plenty of info on the book, like cast bios, previews, and links to reviews, HERE

I SAW IT ON TV: TV roundup

LOST
So far, this season has been very hit or miss for me, with some great episodes and clever new wrinkles/developments in the plot, but there's also been a few downright worthless episodes.
Mostly, I really think they need to ditch the flashbacks, I was worried they wouldn't going into the new season, but I guess that's why we got a whole new batch of characters, to feed the flashback formula...

Last week we learned a little bit about the others, with the infiltrator turning out to be Goodwin, who originally claimed to be from the Peace Core, and supposedly revealing that they take "the good people".

SURVIVOR

This has been one of the better seasons, with some good twists (as usual) and a decent cast. With perhaps the best twist being the hidden individual immunity, that was found and used by Gary. I'm pulling for Gary, the former NFL quarterback, (I think it's cool how he's pulling off his big cover up) so I'm glad he keeps escaping the torch snuff...

ROME

The first season of Rome just concluded, and it was solid throughout, but it took until the last few episodes to really get into it. Some great casting, writing, and production, as usual for HBO.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

The fifth season is in full gear, and after a somewhat slow start, Larry David is up to his usual zannieness. Last episode we were treated to the small penis vs. large vagina debate...

TALES FROM NETFLIX

Big list this time, I must be watching too many movies...

BEWITCHED

I'd put off giving in to this one. I like Will Farrell, so I went ahead.
It wasn't bad. They did some good stuff with it, but overall, well, it's just okay...
Put this one at the BOTTOM of your QUEUE

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

This starts off well enough, and is one of Burton's better recent films, but it got a little too simple and cute along the way for my tastes. Certainly good family fare I suppose...
Put CHARLIE at the BOTTOM of your QUEUE

THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (UNRATED)

If you've seen my recent post here, you already know this one kicks ass. This was a great follow up to the surprising directorial debut from musician Rob Zombie, House of a Thousand Corpses. More slasher, serial killer than horror, it's a solid story, sort of, but where this shines is the characters, situations, and attention to detail. Very disturbing, I guess, but that's where all the fun lies here. Good stuff man! More please Mr. Zombie...
Put DEVILS REJECTS at the TOP of your QUEUE

DOG SOLDIERS

Can't remember how I wound up realizing this starred Kevin McKidd who plays the central character, Vorenus, in HBO's cool new series ROME, but since I really liked his work in that series, I had to check this out. From 2002, DOG SOLDIERS follows the often good approach at horror from the military perspective and starts out really well. Showcasing strong acting, dialogue, and camera work, but ultimately bogs down under it's own weight. The ending gets drawn out and needlesly contrived. Which is too bad, it could've been really great. Almost...
Put this one in the MIDDLE of your QUEUE

HERBIE FULLY LOADED

Yes, I saw this too (what's wrong with me?).
Don't ask me why.
It wasn't all that bad really, it was watchable.
Silly, but with just enough charm.
Matt Dillon and what's her name (Lindsay Lohan) do a good job.
Put HERBIE at the BOTTOM of your QUEUE

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3

My zombie kick continues.
This series, if you haven't heard me tell (or don't know), falls into the send-up category of zombie flicks. It's not meant to be a serious take, but a lighter one, well ya know relatively speaking. And this '93 turn in the series is a departure from the first two. Instead of recycling the original's plot, it builds on it with a new story. It's better than 2, but inferior to 1. A decent watch, with some real problems getting from setup to finish...
Put ROTLD3 in the MIDDLE of your QUEUE if you're a zombie/horror fan, otherwise, downgrade accordingly.

STEALTH

Holy shit this movie sucks!
You know, this isn't your run of the mill over-done Hollywood suck fest, no sir. They go all out on this one. By the end of the movie I was howling in laughter with disgust. What a giant robo-brained turd!
This movie's so bad, Jamie Foxx's character dies half way through just so he can get the hell off the set I'm sure...
Wow!!
The only stealth here, is disguising this piece of shit as a movie!!
Don't even think about putting this in your QUEUE!!

UNDEAD

This is one of those straight to DVD/B movies that you'd otherwise skip over at the video store, but I'd read a good review, and it's a zombie flick. So, I was anxious to give it a shot. I'm glad I did. Turns out it's by a pair of rather creative Australian writer/directer brothers, and they've come up with a fun and original addition to the zombie catalog. UNDEAD is filled with quirky characters and plot twists, humor, action, and the requisite semi-gore. It's also big on ideas and genuine movie time fun.
Put UNDEAD at the TOP of your QUEUE and tell a friend!

COMICS REVIEW: 11/16 books

I'm going to try something new, and put up a batch of reviews for each week's new books. Assuming I get around to reading books each week. We'll see...
Here's a good batch from this week:

BLACK HARVEST #1

You may know I'm a fan of Josh, as he did the fabulous variant cover for our first issue. Regardless, Black Harvest #1 is a great read. Josh's trademark style is in full affect, and the story is on point. It really cruises through the set up, with style and charm along the way.
And the ending is great.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

LOCAL #1

Another new number one, from a favorite creator of mine, this time it's writer Brian Wood. Brian just had DMZ #1 come out last week, and it was great, but with Local I wasn't sure quite what to expect. Sure, it's by Brian so I expected something great, but I was a little in the dark on the high concept for this one, other than it was glossy b&w monthly self-contained stories in a large finite arc, just like the fabulous Demo from last year.
I can honestly tell you, Local was a real treat. I love the setup of the first issue, and the device he uses to build the story. It's very unique for a comic book, and really makes one think of clever indy films that bring something new to the craft.
Add to that the fact that we're due for 11 more stories based around this issues main character as she travels the country, aging a year per issue, and you have the groundwork for something both intriguing, and creatively unique. Quite an accomplishment!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #1

Announced a year ago, this take on Superman was a long time coming. Especially if you consider that super-star writer Grant Morrison was due to write Superman almost a decade ago, and that fell through.
Now we've got him teamed with frequent collaborator, super-star artist Frank Quitely.
But how's the book?
Well, of course it's brilliant!
Gorgeous to look at, expertly staged, and full of trademark Morrison madness!
Great stuff!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

X-MEN: DEADLY GENESIS

Brubaker's a great writer, but frankly, his stuff's really dry for my taste. However, either the story's a bit grander, or just having the X-cast in it, made this one connect for me a bit more. Not to mention the incredible Hairsine artwork...
Good start to a larger story, but weak on it's own.
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

MEANWHILE AT THE MOVIES... The DEVILS REJECTS

This movie kicks ass...
literally.
And stabs, and bludgeons, and shoots, and mows down, and pummels the living shit out of you.
Whereas HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES made you feel dread, and fear at what may become of our teenage protagonists, REJECTS flips the script and puts you in the shoes of the fucked up villains, and makes you squirm at just how far they'll go.
It's great.
But only if you can dig on some really fucked up shit.
It definitely goes for broke on the unrated edition!
Did I mention there's some really fucked up shit going on here?

HEY DJ! - Gorillaz perform live

Being that the Gorillaz are a virtual/cartoon band, live performances are a bit tricky.
Well, they did play live recently at the MTV Euro awards, and rather convincingly...

Here's a LINK

A pretty cool blend of Hewlitt's art and cg effects for a rather cool show!

COMICS REVIEW: DC rundown

DANGER GIRL BACK IN BLACK #1

This was mildly entertaining.
It's pretty off-point for a Danger Girl book, but Bradshaw's art is great (though likely better with different inks).
I'm along for the ride though.
Mildly Recommended

DMZ #1

Been looking forward to this, huge Brian Wood fan, and Burchielli's art is amazing.
The first issue doesn't disappoint, the story is gripping, intriguing, and clips along.
Recommended!

INFINITE CRISIS #2

Okay, I'm done with Infinite-continuity super-gang-bang crossover deluxe.
Done.
If two issues of the big event book DC's been building up to for years is this boring, ugh.
I'm not a DC superhero die-hard, and that's what this is all about, and nothing more.
And although Jimenez is super-talented, and uber-detailed, his stuff's never excited me...
Not Recommended

WILDSIDERZ #2

I continue to be let down by the story/concept here, it's fun, and entertaining, but mainly thanks to J Scott's superstar abilities with the line work. That said, even with the story being off, his fun vibe, and incredible character work is still magic, and things do pick up a bit.
Looking forward to more...
Recommended

COMICS REVIEW: Marvel rundown

NICK FURY'S HOWLING COMMANDOS #1

I was really looking forward to this one, the concept sounded like lots of fun, and I thought it could fill the void of that other secret ops team mini-series, Livewires...
Well, the first issue (after finally snagging a copy) was a real disappointment, no, make that frustration! Everything about the book is confusing. First off, in an effort to hit the ground running, we're thrown into the middle of a conflict with characters we know nothing about. Add to that, the dialogue doesn't contribute much besides quips and zingers from the central characters, the artwork of Edu Francisco, while impressive, is very cluttered and unclear, with the coloring a palette of dark to darker muted tones washing everything out! In otherwords, it's one big cluster fuck! I have no idea who I'm looking at on a panel, if it's a dog, wolf, or dog-wolf, or how many versions of similar things there are, or if it's just one character, and I don't get any reason to care.
Sorry. I'll stick around an issue more and see if the fog lifts on this one...
Not Recommended

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #81-85

Ultimate Spider-Man is one of my favorite books. I've never been a huge Spidey fan, but I think Bendis' Ultimate interpretation if full of only the best spidey-lore elements, and coupled with his storytelling style and Bagley's solid art, it's a real fun ride. I've been reading them in arcs for a while, with the latest arc WARRIORS just finishing, it was time to dig back in.
I did find this time, it had been too long since I'd read the title, and I'd completely forgotten the previous Hobgoblin arc, so perhaps I'll switch back to reading them as they come out.
Any way, I really enjoyed this story, and how Bendis was able to weave so many characters in and out of it. It really feels like he's building on everything that's come before, and using those elements to move things forward, something that gets lost in today's world of perpetually changing creative teams. Peter's web of romantic woes and crazy foes is just fun to watch. This is still one of my favorite books, along with The Ultimates, a superhero comic done right!
Highly Recommended

YOUNG AVENGERS #8

I'm not really digging this arc near as much as the first. Mostly because we have back up art, I think that makes this downbeat character-driven story feel even more pedestrian, and gives it that after-school-special vibe...
I think Heinberg's TV tendencies need more oompf in the art department to sing on the comic page.
Mildly Recommended

TALES FROM NETFLIX

Tales From Netflix are DVD reviews, where I tell you where you should put a disc in your Netflix rental queue - placing it at the top, burying it at the bottom, or not even bothering in the first place.

11:14

This is an ensemble cast indy film that weaves several plotlines around each other, all of them keying on 11:14 of the same evening. Similar I guess to CRASH, but instead of racially charged emotional tales that collide, we have some slapstick shenanigans all coming together to weave a truly twisted tale (to say the least).
Put 11:14 at the TOP of your QUEUE

HOUSE OF WAX

This one starts off well enough, taking a setup we've all seen a million times, and making it interesting (the kids in the woods, yadda yadda). However by the final act things wear so thin, and get so over the top cheesy-bad for the climax, it virtually cashes in any stock it built at the beginning.
Put this one at the BOTTOM of your QUEUE

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

I liked this movie, and wanted to like it more, but in the end, it's just well done, but otherwise forgettable. It does have it's moments, but that's about all.
Put KOH in the MIDDLE of your QUEUE

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 2

I caught the first RETURN on cable a few months back, and it was great. A cool, funny, fast paced, and rewarding send-up of the zombie genre. The 1988 sequel shares the same plot, but none of the charm of the original. It's okay at best (perhaps better, if you haven't seen the original)...
I'd put ROTLD2 at the BOTTOM of QUEUE if you're a zombie fan, or looking for some 80's style camp.

THE SALTON SEA

Val Kilmer stars as a methed-out informant for the man, in a twisted little tale full of crazy characters, and a fun cast. It's not flawless, it does rely on some lame plot points to get from point A to B, but it is one of the better Kilmer films in recent years, and has some great performances from Peter Sarsgaard and Vincent D'Onofrio as the wild and noseless "Pooh-Bear"!
Put THE SALTON SEA at the TOP of your QUEUE

UNLEASHED

Hey look, it's Jet Li doing his best E.T. performance.
This movie is only cool, or unique, when it's wallowing in the world of the dog fighter enforcer/gladiator. The rest of the time it's a crazy cliched "kid keeps a stray" story, that sees Jet Li reprise Steven Speilberg's telescoping-necked-alien role, and a twenty-something actress play an 18 year old that acts like a 10 year old. It's odd.
Put UNLEASHED at the BOTTOM of your QUEUE

IN CASE U MISSED IT: Manga Newspapers!

Over on ThePulse, they link to a feature on TokyoPop manga making it's way into the Sunday comics section of some national newspapers...
citing that newspaper editors are looking for ways to grab younger readers.

You can link to it HERE

I didn't see this one coming, but it makes a bit of sense.
And you know, I'm all for any means necessary for getting comic book content to a wider audience!

HEY DJ! - Bloc Party VS Ladytron

I'd heard the tail end of a new Ladytron track on the radio, odd because first, I'd never heard Ladytron on the radio before (commercials maybe), and second, because I didn't realize they had a new CD out.

The new disc, THE WITCHING HOUR, is a decided departure for Ladytron, who heralded in the electro movement with their 2001 debut 404, a brilliant disc (that gives the Gorillaz a toss up for my best disc of that year). However, with their 2002 follow-up, LIGHT & MAGIC, their formula had worn a bit thin, especially with the meandering length of that disc, and so this departure is welcome. Now, the Ladytron sound is more dense, with more guitar, and far less electro-synth. At any rate, the first couple tours through the tracks were solid, but unimpressive, cept a couple standouts - such as the first couple tracks, but after going through it a few times, I can confidently say it's great.

Highly recommended, especially for those that like groups like Lush, or Garbage, where female vocals are mixed with big noise.

The other disc I need to mention is BLOC PARTY - SILENT ALARM REMIXED.

Now, SILENT ALARM is already destined to be my favorite discs of the year, it's just so alive, inventive, and kick ass, but the remix disc is icing on the cake. Each track from their stellar debut is remixed by a different production outfit, or altogether reworked, and while they perhaps go in directions I wouldn't hope, or expect, it's still incredible. Generally when you think remix, you think dance, but this is a bit more imaginative than that. The bonus disc, with a couple new tracks, and acoustic tracks, is a nice bonus too.

Check out SILENT ALARM if you haven't, I can't recommend it enough. And if you like SILENT ALARM, you must get the remix disc!

IN CASE U MISSED IT: New Marvel!

Now, I'd read a bit about the upcoming Amazing Fantasy #15 from Marvel, and how they were going to break some new concepts in that issue, to honor the original version #15's successful launch of the blue and red arachnid, but I hadn't heard much since...

Over on IGN.com, who have a comics section, they've got a feature that outlines the six, count em six, new concepts debuting in this issue, as well as a breakdown of the talent involved. Not only are there six brand new character/concepts offered in this issue, turns out they're from some of the biggest rising talent in the marvel bullpen!

Looks interesting. Especially for all of you out there that moan Marvel (or DC for that matter) never take a chance on any new concepts/ideas/properties. Time to put your money where your mouth is, and check these out!

See the whole IGN rundown HERE

IN CASE U MISSED IT: Caught by the Perhapanauts

BronkenFrontier.com runs a feature called "The Eyecatcher", where they showcase upcoming books that stand out from the crowd. The current pick? The upcoming book from Dark Horse, PERHAPANAUTS.

I just wanted to join in on the lovefest for this book, because after reading about it a couple years back, I bought the then Ash-Can version of the book from it's website. Perhapanauts is a fun little title that is expertly written, and most of all brought to life, by creators Todd Dezago and Craig Rousseau. Rousseau works in an appealing and impressive clean line style, and the tales of this paranormal resistance outfit, employeed with a cool cast of the bizarre, is the perfect blend of comic book cool.

Check it out if you haven't, the DH mini should be a ton of fun.
You can go to BF's Eyecatcher feature HERE
or the Perhapanaut's site HERE