This is the final update about the new donut shaped pendants I am making.

I found the perfect sterling silver bails. They are minimalist and modern without any decorations or Schnickschnack (German for ‘knickknack’). They mirror the silver inclusions in color without overwhelming anything about the glass design, I think.
Yet, at the same time, they are sturdy and I don’t have to worry about not being able to use larger diameter cords or chains.

Now Christmas is coming up and I did need something for my mom. I’m not going to see her this year for the holidays as I usually do, so I needed something I could send her in the mail to Germany.
She is very religious and always wanted something with a cross but she isn’t into bright popping colors and a lot of Schnickschnack (there it is again). She has a couple of stone donuts already, so I knew she likes the shape. I tried to stay on the muted color side with the design I came up with. I’m going to send her both because I really don’t know about the colors and now I can only hope she likes them.

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato & Greg Horn (art), Rain Beredo (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: As the Avengers find themselves subjected to the whims of Molecule Man, Victoria Hand scrambles.

What’s Good: As Hand takes center-stage this month, we finally get a three-dimensional character out of her.  It’s very interesting to see how her motivations largely stem out of an uncompromising sense of integrity mixed with a desire to do as much as good as possible.  Hopefully this is a seed that will come back to bite Norman.  Either way, it’s always great to get to know a character as an individual, let alone one who’d been little more than scenery up until this point.  Having Hand become more developed will undoubtedly add more to the series.

Meanwhile, in the present, Hand is thrust into a central leadership position, and we see just how awkward, uncomfortable, and perhaps even unprepared and flustered she is in such a role.  Victoria Hand finally feels and looks human and almost likable.

Molecule Man is the other central figure this month and he’s definitely creepy, particularly thanks to Bendis’ godlike portrayal of his ill-defined Silver Age power set.  I also really liked how Bendis wrote his voice.  While not openly bonkers, there’s just something off about his dialogue.  Bendis is clearly trying to convey the character’s complete social ineptitude, isolation, and consequent difficulty conversing with others.  It’s very subtle, but that makes it all the more skillfully executed.

Greg Horn also does a fantastic job illustrating the “dream sequences” this month, with his hazy, softer, painted feel contrasting beautifully and suddenly with the usual heavy, dark, muscled fare that Deodato brings.

What’s Not So Good: Nothing really wowed me about this issue.  I think that that’s largely due to the book spending an incredible amount of time with Molecule Man as the main character weaving the text together.  Probably not a good call when we’re unattached to the character.  Also, while his voice is good, his “I want to be left alone” rhetoric does repeat.  This would normally be just fine, but when he’s holding together the entire issue, it gets a little dry.

Also, outside of Hand’s scenes, the structure of this month’s issue is so apparent that it creaks.  Every member of the team gets one scene where they feel the power of Molecule Man.  It’s a really uninventive way of getting a new villain’s power across and it also makes the latter half of the issue feel more like a series of skits or vignettes than a single coherent book.  As each Avenger is visited, I can almost feel Bendis ticking off boxes.  Of course, page-count concerns also reduce the length of each scene, sometimes to a single page, so it’s not like any of them particularly resonate either.

Furthermore, was it really necessary to see Sentry get pulverized again?  It’s getting ridiculous how the most uber-powerful character in the Avengers-line has been turned into a complete bitch throughout Dark Reign thanks to the writer’s inability to figure out what to do with him.  It’s not like anyone would take anything resembling a death for the character seriously at this point anyway.

As a final note, I mentioned this last month, but Deodato really does love to draw scantily clad women.  For the second month in a row, the needless skimpiness annoys.  As does seeing page after page of naked bodybuilder Norman Osborn.

Conclusion: It’s cool getting to know Victoria, but outside of some neat work by Horn, the rest of the book is a bit of a wash.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

My first experimental donuts just came out of the kiln and I am quiet happy the way it worked out.

Since Christmas is not very far away, I thought I should share the x-mas donut with the mistletoe fine silver inlay with you. The whole time I’m writing this, I’m whistling “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow… lalala” but I’m thinking that my tires on my car are frightful, so please don’t =)

Just for now I put on a leather cord but I am planing on either getting or making a silver bail for the donuts. The glass looks really nice but there simply is nothing better looking than a nice quality silver bail with art glass.

I will update you on the other ones as soon as things have moved along a little further.

Dark Avengers #3

A continuación, comenzamos con una serie de resúmenes de lo que hasta ahora ha sucedido con Dark Reign, la forma es sencilla, como es una saga que abarca varios títulos Marvel, iremos dando resúmenes generales de  varios de esos títulos, comenzando en este caso con Dark Avengers, a disfrutarlo:

Después del final de Secret Invasión, donde Norman Osborn se ve convertido en el nuevo héroe americano,  ha quedado a cargo de la nueva fuerza policial de la tierra, solo que ahora ya no será llamada SHIELD, sino HAMMER, para ello, contacta a Victoria Hand para que sea su asesora, además, Osborn se lanza en la búsqueda de los que serán los nuevos miembros de los Avengers, siendo  su primera opción nada menos que Bullseye, la siguiente opción es Carol Danvers, quien decide no seguir en un grupo que estará bajo las órdenes de Norman, ahí, Danvers se entera de que tanto Ares como Sentry han decidido unirse con Norman, Danvers se vá de la Avengers Tower mientras Norman dice: “Hay más Miss Marvel de donde vino esa”, dirigiéndose entonces a Moonstone, ofreciéndole el puesto y el nombre de Miss Marvel, obviamente Moonstone acepta.

El siguiente es Venom, quien como sabemos ahora está unido a Mac Gargan, el antiguo Scorpion, justo después de haberse comido a uno de los Skrulls capturados en la gran batalla final de la Secret Invasión, Norman le da una fórmula a Venom que lo hace ver mucho mas humano, mas presentable, si es que cabe el término, aquí si cabe el término, Mike Deodato, hace gala de  su ingenio y la pose en donde Venom adquiere su forma “presentable” es la misma  que aquella en donde Peter Parker se unía con el alien de Venom en el clásico Secret Wars, el siguiente miembro de los Dark Avengers es Daken Akihiro, el hijo de Wolverine, quien tiene prácticamente los mismos poderes que Logan, el último en integrar el equipo es Noh-varr quien tomará el lugar de Captain Marvel, una vez reunidos todos en la Avengers Tower, Osborn se da cuenta de que hace falta algo en el equipo, Ares le dice a Norman que lo que le hace falta al equipo es un símbolo, ya que tanto el Captain America o Iron Man representaban mas que simples hombres, son símbolos,  entonces es cuando Norman con ayuda del ser conocido como Ghost abren una de las puertas secretas de Stark, en donde están guardados varios diseños de armaduras de Iron Man, Osborn se convierte en Iron Patriot y hace su presentación pública de sus Avengers, cuya alineación queda como sigue: Ares, Sentry, Miss Marvel ( Moonstone), Wolverine (Daken Akihiro), Hawkeye (Bullseye), Captain Marvel (Noh-varr), Spider-Man (Venom) y Iron Patriot;  justo en eso, Doom que había sido llevado de regreso a Latveria como un gesto de buena voluntad de Norman después de su reunión con otros grandes villanazos de la tierra, se ve atacado por Morgan Le Fay, quien busca venganza por que según dice ella, Doom la ha utilizado para hacerse de conocimientos sobre magia y ocultismo.

Mientras Norman Osborn les presenta a sus Avengers a Victoria Hand, quien será la segunda al mando, Doctor Doom es atacado por Morgan Le Fay y una horda de seres demoníacos, Doom intenta oponer resistencia pero sucumbe ante el poder de la hechicera, y cuando ésta está a  punto de acabar con el, aparecen los Dark Avengers para salvar a Doom, y en un acto de suprema violencia, Sentry, por órden de Norman asesina a Morgan Le Fay, arrancándole literalmente la cabeza del cuerpo, y cuando los Dark Avengers creen que el peligro ha pasado, Sentry repentinamente explota, mostrándose Morgan de regreso, diciendo que ha utilizado sus poderes de viajar en el tiempo para volver justo exactamente después de morir, pero de un tiempo un poco mas atrás, Morgan usa sus poderes para convertir a Venom en un mostruo mas irracional del que ya es, atacando éste a Ares, tratando literalmente de tragárselo.

Resulta que Morgan Le Fay ha usado sus conocimientos de viajes en el tiempo,  para ir conociendo los poderes de sus enemigos, y asi poder derrotarlos es por eso que cuando llega de regreso a la pelea con los Dark Avengers, sabe cuales son sus puntos débiles, y justo después de escapar del intento de ser tragado por un irracional Venom, Ares es convertido en piedra, mientras el resto del equipo sigue enfrentándose a las hordas demoniacas de Morgan, en eso, el nuevo Hawkeye, le mete una andanada de flechas que  acaban con Morgan Le Fay, otra vez, pero ella de nuevo regresa, lanzando un ataque aún mas fuerte, Iron Patriot se lleva Doom quien ha recuperado la conciencia, pero no la movilidad tratando de encontrar una respuesta para vencer a Morgan Le Fay,  Doom al principio se niega a darle acceso a Osborn sobre control del tiempo mediante un cubo temporal, pero al final accede, el plan es viajar en el tiempo para derrotar a Morgan antes de que ella viaje al presente a enfrentarlos, asi lo hacen, viajan en el tiempo para enfrentar a Morgan, Doom ya recuperado usa sus conocimientos en magia para mandar a Morgan Le Fay a la época de los Dinosaurios, ya que si la mataba, alteraría su propia línea de tiempo, mientras los Dark Avengers que realmente la pasaban mal,  quedan libres después de que Doom vence  Morgan, los demonios han desaparecido, así cuando los Dark Avengers vuelven a la Avengers Tower ven en tv que Clint Barton, ha aparecido en los medios acusando a Norman de ser un psicótico asesino, y diciendo que  tarde o temprano, la gente se dará cuenta de que poner a Osborn al mando es un error, ya que está usando a criminales haciéndose pasar como héroes y que necesita ser detenido, en esas están cuando  al llegar a la torre se encuentran con que ahí esta Sentry, quien supuestamente había muerto en la pelea con Morgan Le Fay

Ya en la torre Avenger,  los miembros del equipo han decidido tomarse un descanso, Ares regresa a su casa en la ciudad, concretamente en el Bronx, mientras Osborn trata de limpiar su  nombre y justificar sus acciones en una entrevista en televisión, Miss Marvel (Moonstone) tiene un encuentro sexual con Noh-varr y  la ciudad de Los Angeles se ve atacada por un ejercito de seres de debajo del mar, la entrevista con Norman es interrumpida, los Avengers deben hacerse cargo de la situación de inmediato…

Namor es mandado llamar para una reunión con The Cabal, asi se hace llamar la reunión secreta de villanos,  Norman le ordena literalmente a Namor que se haga cargo de la situación, ya que los atacantes de Los Angeles han sido identificados como Atlantes, Namor se niega rotundamente, mientras tanto, Noh-Varr ha desaparecido después de su encuentro con Miss Marvel,  lo que causa que el resto del equipo crea que Miss Marvel ha manipulado al nuevo Captain Marvel de alguna manera.

Entonces, Norman ordena a Sentry que se haga cargo de la situación en L.A., asi lo hace, atacando una base atlante en el fondo del mar, pero llevando a un prisionero con él, que termina siendo la merienda de Venom, quien al tragarse al ser, solo dice: “Sabe a Sushi”,  Norman entra al  lugar en donde están las armaduras de Iron man, cuando se desploma y  comienza  a decir: “No… yo estoy a cargo…Yo, no tú….. Yo…. Yo estoy a cargo…” y una voz  que curiosamente está enmarcada por globos de texto verdes le dice: “Oh Norman… Norman, Norman…. Deja de engañarte… Estoy aquí….Siempre estoy aquí”

Aquí es donde se cruza el cómic de Dark Avengers con  Uncanny X-Men, en el crossover Utopia, en donde Norman trata de apoderarse de los recursos y manipular a los mutantes que ahora viven en San Francisco, tiene lugar la  creación de unos Dark X-Men, que incluyen a Namor, White Queen, Mimic, Cloak, Dagger, Wolverine (Daken)  y Weapon Omega quienes enfrentan a unos rebeldes en San Francisco, esos rebeldes incluyen a Hellion, Avalanche, Lorelei, Sunspot, Adam X, Meld, los Dark X-men sofocan la revuelta rápidamente, al mismo tiempo, Cyclops se reúne con Norman Osborn en Alcatraz, Osborn trata de manipular a Cyclops, pero éste solo le dice a Norman que se rinda, Osborn se sorprende de las agallas de Cyclops, mientras  los capturados en la batalla son llevados ante Osborn, quien ha desarrollado una maquina llamada Omega Machine, en complicidad con  Dark Beast,  los Dark Avengers están algo celosos del equipo de Dark X-Men, lo que provoca ciertas fricciones entre ellos, en el complejo donde tienen detenidos a varios prisioneros, entre ellos Beast y Charles Xavier, quien contacta telepáticamente a Emma para pedir su ayuda, desafortunadamente, Emma tiene que seguir con el engaño con Osborn para no comprometerse….

Siguiendo con el cruce en Utopia, los Dark X-men se encargan de Simon Trask y su banda de Bio Sentinels, cada dia de la semana van limpiando el desorden en San Francisco, pero entonces, cuando Dark Beast se propone drenar las energías  mutantes de Henry Mccoy para darle mas poder al Weapon Omega, mediante la Omega Machine aparece X-Force,  (Wolverine, Domino, Warpath, X-23, Arcángel) acompañados por Magik, quien ha sacado a todos los prisioneros de ahí, y se preparan para darle una paliza al Dark Beast, quien clama por la ayuda de Weapon Omega, en eso los Dark Avengers que se preparaban para salir hacia la costa este de los USA, son avisados del ataque, pero Norman ordena que sean los Dark X-Men quienes se hagan cargo de X-Force, cuando el enfrentamiento esta a punto de darse,  Emma Frost se encarga de Daken y Namor se encarga de Mimic, lo que deja claro que Emma y Namor siempre estuvieron del lado de Cyclops y no del lado de Norman,  Cloak y Dagger quienes ya tenian dudas de seguir con los Dark X-Men se unen a  X-Factor en la huída, en eso, Cyclops, quien está aliado con Nick Fury pone en Marcha el plan secreto,  emerge del Mar el complejo llamado Utopia, justo en la bahía de San Francisco,  como ha sucedido en las últimas semanas, Cyclops utiliza los medios, para informar que ya no serán perseguidos ni cazados y que el resto de la humanidad no debe temerles, pero ya no tolerarán mas abusos, Norman pierda la cordura y Ordena  que le lleven la cabeza de Namor, el corazón de Frost y que Cyclops sea testigo de todo eso….

Ares regresa a su casa en el Bronx y encuentra a su hijo Alexander, quien tambien es un dios, concretamente el Dios Phobos, sabemos que la relación entre ellos no es la ideal entre padre e hijo, Alexander dice que ha visto a Ares en la TV  y le pregunta si “el asunto de los mutantes” ha sido lo correcto” y Ares le dice que trabajar con Norman Osborn es lo correcto, Ares se va y en eso, llega al departamento EarthQuake, quien es parte de los Secret Warriors de Nick Fury, Alexander se va con ella, pero en eso, se descubre que Ares los está siguiendo a través de la ciudad, cuando llegan a la base “secreta” de los SW, Ares comienza a destrozar el lugar, Nick Fury le hace frente, tratando de hacerlo entrar en razón. Ares decide que si Alexander ha decidido unirse a Fury es por decisión propia, asi que lo deja  a cargo de Fury y se aleja del lugar. En la Torre Avenger, Lindy la esposa de Sentry  le dispara con un arma especial que al parecer le hace bastante daño.

Después de eso, los Dark Avengers se hacen cargo de Man-Thing, mientras dos chicas desaparecen literalmente en un pueblito llamado Dinosaur, en Colorado, una de ellas es hija del Secretario de estado, asi que los Dark Avengers deben hacerse cargo, para eso, mandan a Sentry de avanzada, pero al llegar, algo comienza a atacarlo, sus manos comienzan a incendiarse, mientras un tipo de sombrero lo contempla divertido, Sentry explota y los Dark Avengers llegan a ayudarle, cuando llegan al pueblo, las comunicaciones se pierden y Norman tiene un lapsus, cierra sus ojos y al abrirlos se lee una voz que le dice: “Y aquí esta….Norman Osborn…. Rey del mundo… me parece chistoso… por que no me parece que estés a cargo de nada…” la persona que habla es nada menos que Molecule Man, quien esta sentado en una especie de trono, pero no solo eso, está acompañado de Mephisto, Zarathos, Enchantress y el Beyonder…

Qui a Latveria, come pure di la a dISPENSER, ci piace interessarci non solo di quelli che sono dei fighi senza se e senza ma, come Galactus o che ne so, Nick Fury. Non siamo così limitati e prevedibili! Cosa credi? Infatti, in barba a quello che credevi tu, ci piace anche porgere la nostra attenzione verso quei personaggi considerati da qualcuno marginali, che però a noi ragazzi ci hanno trasmesso tante gioie, dolori, emoziòni… Che alla fine le emoziòni sono importanti. Mica solo il pim! pum! pam! Per cui per questa volta abbiamo chiesto al nostro lector d’eccezione, Costantino della Gherardesca, di dare vita con la sua profonda voce al fragile animo di…

KAREN PAGE

Cliccare per ascoltare in streaming…

Avete presente il luogo comune dell’uomo che si porta a letto la sua segretaria? Ecco, la storia d’amore tra Matt Murdock e Karen Page inizia proprio così. Lui è un avvocato non vedente. Lei invece una ragazza bella, bionda e fresca di laurea. I due, inevitabilmente, si innamorano. Le cose vanno talmente bene che Murdock decide addirittura di fare uno strappo alle regola numero uno del mondo dei fumetti e rivela alla bellissima ragazza la sua seconda identità. Di notte, si mette una tutina rossa aderente e – grazie ai suoi sensi superpotenziati – si impegna nella lotta contro il crimine. È infatti Devil: L’uomo Senza Paura. La loro storia d’amore andrà avanti anni, fino a quando Karen non lascierà New York alla volta di Holywood per tantare di diventare una stella del Cinema. Ce la farà, ma nei film di Scorsese o Spielberg, ma in squallide vhs pornografiche. Già che c’è, la ragazza decide di darsi anche all’eroina. Devastata da anni di abusi, Karen Page durante una violenta crisi d’astinenza “vende”, in cambio di una dose, la vera identità di Devil a uno spacciatore. Il suo gesto ha delle terribili conseguenze: Matt Murdock viene radiato dall’albo degli avvocati, perde la casa e vede morire molti dei suoi amici. Presa dal rimorso, Karen torna a New York per tentare di salvare Matt, che ovviamente la perdona. I due tornano insieme: lei si disinitossica, organizza campagne per i diritti delle donne e comincia a fare la speaker per un programma radiofonico. La sua carriera decolla e, ancora una volta, lascia Matt per insguire il successo. Ma anche se adesso è una brillante donna in tailleur, gli anni di vizi si pagano: Karen scoper di avere l’AIDS. Poco importa però: poco dopo, per evitare che il suo amore di una vita venga colpito da un micidiale colpo sferrato del cattivone Bullseye, morirà facendogli scudo.

Ah, pare che dopo questa performance Costantino sia stato chiamato a leggere degli audio libri di un certo spessore.
BONUS! Per non farci mancare nulla – soprattutto le foto delle donne nude – in omaggio per Voi una foto simpatica di Ellen Pompeo, ovvero colei che avrebbe dovuto portare su grande schermo Karen Page nel terribile Daredevil. Il film fortunatamente ha poi subito dei tagli e – PUF – Ellen Pompeo nel film non si vede. Un bene? Un male? Chissenefrega?

En la sección de cómics voy a empezar una nueva sub-sección, llamada “Antagonistas”. Esta sub-sección hablará básicamente de algo que me encanta, el antagonismo, siempre me han gustado más los personajes antagonistas que los mismos héroes machaca culos. No significa que no me gusten los protagonistas, simplemente es un aprecio especial a sus adversarios, un cariño antropológico, incluso mitológico, puesto que sin ellos los propios héroes no serian nada, de hecho, “los malos” siempre hacen “al bueno”, me basaré en algo esencial, Superman no sería nadie sin su Lex Luthor, haciéndole muchas veces plantearse su vida contra el crimen.

Mi cariño hacía los antagonistas también puede ser derivado de algún tipo de  trauma infantil, es posible, pero me da igual…

Bien, pues empezaré a hablar de Bullseye, el enigmático enemigo de Daredevil con una grandiosa puntería y la capacidad de matar con cualquier objeto, absolutamente cualquier objeto.

Bullseye, de nombre Lester y de apellidos desconocidos creció con una familia bastante desestructurada, su padre alcohólico y su madre prostituta, dependiendo lo que leas del personaje tendrá un hermano, como en “Grandes éxitos de bullseye” escrito por Daniel Way. Aunque no se aclara demasiado el origen de Bullseye puesto que al personaje le encanta mentir para jugar con la psicología de las personas. Lo que si está mas o menos claro es que Bullseye mató a su padre, no está claro como, si quemando su casa con el dentro o asesinándolo mientras dormía dibujándole en la frente una diana que luego tomaría de símbolo.

Lester creció y empezó a enfocar su vida al béisbol aprovechándose de sus habilidades,  a los dieciséis años ya era profesional pero descubrió que no era lo suyo, el béisbol era demasiado pacífico para la perversa y perturbada mente criminal de Lester. En su último partido, Lester mató a un bateador con un lanzamiento por simple aburrimiento, llevándole este acto a un correccional militar por ser menor.

Cuando salió del correccional se alistó al ejército. Allí, se convirtió en uno de los mejores soldados, condecorado y alabado por todo el mundo, hasta que en una misión en las selvas de Nicaragua logró hacerse con un cargamento de droga perteneciente a narcotraficantes Nicaragüenses para venderlo a EE.UU., esto llegó a los oídos de Punisher, que intentó evitarlo, tras una pelea en la que el castigador casi acaba muerto, Bullseye decidió convertirse en el mejor asesino de la historia.

Bullseye fue contratado por Kingpin para asesinar al abogado Matt Murdock (Daredevil), que estaba puteando cosa mala al señor Wilson Fisk (Kingpin). Cuando Bullseye iba a realizar el trabajo, nada problemático, matar a un abogado ciego estaba realmente chupado para Bullseye, el hombre sin miedo se lo impidió y Lester, el mejor asesino de la historia fue derrotado por un tipejo armado con bastones.

Este hecho hirió el ego de Lester hasta casi llegar a la demencia. Se obsesiono tantísimo con Daredevil que entrenó, se castigó y le persiguió hasta la locura, literalmente, un tumor cerebral cambio su percepción de la realidad e hizo que viera a cualquier persona como Daredevil. El hombre sin miedo salvó la vida a Bullseye llevándole a un hospital para que le operasen el tumor (¿no resulta extraño que te cagas? Pero bueno, eso al fin y al cabo es la famosa doble moral de los superhéroes)

Después de librarse del molesto tumor,  Bullseye acabó en la cárcel y bastante cabreado por el hecho de que Daredevil le hubiese salvado la vida y encima sin poder agradecérselo con una puñalada en su corazón. Así que se escapó de la prisión para montarse en el autobús de la venganza, primera parada, Elektra.

Elektra ahora trabajaba para Kingpin sustituyendo a Bullseye en su labor y también como mejor asesino del mundo. Bullseye no podía consentir que Elektra Natchios, la chica griega experta en artes marciales, le sustituyera como mejor asesino, quizás podía hacer la vista gorda respecto a que Kingpin no le quisiera contratar, pero aún debería ser el mejor asesino del mundo. Por lo tanto, acabo con la vida de Elektra atravesándola con uno de sus sais. Daba la puta casualidad que Elektra era la chica de Matt Murdock, ósea que Daredevil se cabreo un huevo.

Bullseye y Daredevil se odian con verdadera cólera, en realidad tienen sus razones, Bullseye no para de putearle, pero el hombre de rojo siempre le revienta el culo y por circunstancias morales o externas nunca consigue matar a su acérrimo enemigo, aunque, en realidad es reciproco. La verdad es que debe ser bastante frustrante.

Como toque final a esta gilipollez: Cada novia que se ha echado Matt Murdock o Daredevil ha sido asesinada por Bullseye, tremenda putada.

¿Ahora entendéis a lo que me refería que “el malo” siempre hace “al bueno”? Daredevil se plantea cientos de veces su vida por culpa de Bullseye, dos almas, dos humanos, con diferentes percepciones del mal y del bien. Un hombre que intenta hacer el bien, pero sus acciones solo desembocan en terribles consecuencias. El mítico y catalogado por mi como “El síndrome del superhéroe” (algún día hablaré de esto en profundidad) que también sufrimos las personas  de carne y hueso en momentos de nuestras “vidorras”.

For me, the past couple of months have been taken up with elaborate schemes of three-dimensional effects of silver in glass and my brain was/is filled with ideas and possible effects in PMC.

I have been moving away more and more from the simple, minimalistic but clear and colorful style I started with.

It’s good to evolve. It’s good to develop and learn new things but once you get the feeling that complexity and effect start to get in the way of aesthetics, it’s time to stop and maybe take a step back.

So, I have gone back to the basics and I realized that sometimes simple may be as good or even better.

Marvel Universe figure Lot MOC featuring :

• Daredevil
• Bullseye
• Punisher
• Hand Ninja

It is time now to introduce you to another one of my Precious Metal Clay creations.

I just finished this pendant and I have to say, it very much developed while I was working on it. There were no sketches and no drawings. I did no planing at all this time. It was just the clay and me and the notion of:  Do what you will. And this is what happened.

So the only question now is, should I market it to the Vampire kids or the Goth kids?

So what do you think?

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato (art), Rain Beredo (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: The Avengers go to a small town in Colorado to investigate a string of mysterious disappearances.

What’s Good: Apparently Dark Avengers is a horror comic this month.  It’s surprising, but nonetheless very effective.  Using an abandoned small town with a very bizarre fixation on dinosaurs of all things, Bendis crafts an issue loaded with a heavy atmosphere that is all creepiness.  There are some genuinely unsettling moments, all the moreso due to how we’re kept totally in the dark.

I also found this month’s book to be really strong as far as characterization and team dynamic are concerned.  It was one of those issues where every member clearly has his or her social role on the team, several them having very defined moments.  Hawkeye has become weirdly likable as the guy whose intelligence clashes with his dumb impulses, Daken is the frustrated rabble-rouser, Moonstone is utterly untrustworthy, and the newly medicated Venom is pure comedy.  Honestly, Venom made me laugh in a way I didn’t think possible in Dark Avengers.

Going along with the horror theme, the team dynamic also generates its own mystery.  Something’s obviously funny with Osborn and Moonstone clearly has her own agenda.  Both are certainly intriguing

Mike Deodato’s art is meanwhile nothing short of perfect.  Everything is shadowy without any sacrifice of detail.  In fact, everything is about as close to photo-realistic and detailed as a comic can get without out of control lightboxing.  The last double-page spread in particular is amazing. and Deodato’s depictions of the Sentry never fail to wow.  Also, Deodato’s drawings of Venom’s facial expressions while masked only added to the hilarity of the character

What’s Not So Good: Overall, this is a very good issue, but there are always the little things.  For starters, I’m pretty tired of seeing the Sentry get his ass kicked.  The Sentry is so powerful that in order for any narrative or conflict to transpire, he needs to be taken off the board.  This has become glaringly obvious and increasingly irritating.

I also did find myself wondering why the two girls at the beginning of the issue had to be so scantily clad.  They’re hot, we get it, but aren’t they also just supposed to be average girls?  It’s a little over the top, but I guess it’s also sadly typical of the modern comic.  There’s also an early lettering error regarding the two characters that sees their line’s switched up.

Finally, I suspect the issue’s ending was supposed to pass for a cliffhanger of impressive proportions.  Unfortunately, it’ll probably garner nothing more than a “huh?” from most readers.

Conclusion: Despite my minor quibbles, it’s actually a very strong issue of Dark Avengers.  It’s not quite as good as last month, but it’s pretty much all you can hope for out of a Dark Avengers comic.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

New Daily Bulletin readers may not know that our AccurateShooter.com website offers an entire set of FREE TARGETS. There are over 50 free targets, including: Sight-in targets, Load Development targets, Benchrest targets, NRA Highpower targets, Scope Testing targets, Fun Targets, Rimfire BR targets, 3D Bullseye targets, and even a special set of Rimfire Tactical targets.

Most of the targets come bundled in .zip archives, so you can easily download multiple targets with one click. The targets are saved in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat), so they are easy to print and the scale is correct no matter what your screen resolution.

In the photo above, Forum member FireMedic shows some fine shootin’ with our basic Accuracy Target. With small, red diamonds and extended black lines, this target allows very precise aiming at 100 and 200 yards. The gray dot on top provides a reference point for a 200-yard zero. FireMedic reports: “My 30″, 12 twist, 3 groove does pretty good for an old Savage chambered in .308 Win.” With an average group size of 0.208 inches we’d have to agree. Great Shootin’ FireMedic!

Above are two fun targets you might enjoy. The Atomic Target was originally created as a contest for our readers. The design is by Michael Forester of Auckland, New Zealand. Hit the bigger green and red neutrons, then try your luck with the smaller electrons. In the center, go for true “bug-holes” with our Fly Shoot Target. Watch out for the bio-hazard rings!

Celebrities with Lower Back Tattoo Pictures

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Tramp Stamp Tattoo Video

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Huge Beer Belly at Beer Belly Nation

By Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Ed McGuiness (Pencils), Tom Palmer (Inks), and Chris Sotomayor (Colors).

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m utterly confused by Marvel’s decision to release Dark Reign: The List – Secret Warriors before the Secret Warriors issue it’s supposed to take place after. I guess I can understand why Marvel would want to release one List book a week, but if there’s another in the pipeline for next week, why not just release that and hold off on the Secret Warriors one-shot until the monthly series is in synch with it? The mind…it boggles.

The Story: Nick Fury and Norman Osborn must put aside their differences for the greater good in order to bring down a federal employee that could cause trouble for them both…and the country.

What’s Good: The best thing about Dark Reign: The List – Secret Warriors is that it delivers all the excellent espionage action and awesome character work you’ve come to expect from the Jonathan Hickman series. Simply put, Hickman doesn’t skimp at all. From the introduction of the Leviathan organization and the dialogue between Osborn and Fury to the brutal interrogation of Seth Waters (the shady federal employee) and the use of Ares, Hickman’s script is top-notch. It successfully drives the Secret Warriors plot forward while functioning as an effective one-shot story at the same time. Now it doesn’t necessarily read like a true one and done (it definitely helps to have some familiarity with the Secret Warriors series), but it tells a satisfying Nick Fury story regardless. And, as you should know by now, nobody writes Nick Fury, or his stories, better than Jonathan Hickman at this point in time.

What’s Not So Good: Dark Reign: The List – Secret Warriors has two major problems that it never manages to completely overcome. The first problem is that the story, while entertaining and easy enough to follow, gets off on the wrong foot right from the start because it’s supposed to be telling about events that happen after a comic that has yet to come out. While reading the one-shot, the lingering feeling that I missed something never quite went away. Now I realize that I didn’t actually miss anything, but it’s frustrating to feel as though you missed a crucial event that set up whatever it is that you’re reading about.

The second problem is more of an issue than the first. I’m an Ed McGuiness fan, but the second problem with The List – Secret Warriors is that McGuiness’ art style just doesn’t fit the tone of the story Hickman tells. While Tom Palmer’s inks and Chris Sotomayor’s colors are moody enough, McGuiness’ exaggerated, slightly cartoony style just doesn’t feel right at any point. From the goofy, bug-eyed expressions of shock to the ‘roided up characters, the artwork just doesn’t work like it should. With all that said however, if you ignore the style, the artwork does a fine job of telling the story and executing the action of the script. So it’s not all bad.

Conclusion: Art and release schedule issues aside, Dark Reign: The List – Secret Warriors is worth checking out. Hickman’s script is very cool and the seeds planted for the future will be worth keeping an eye on.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

For the past week or so I have been fine tuning and accessorizing my new online store at Artfire.com.
Artfire has come a long way since I looked at it for the first time in the beginning of the year. I don’t mean to insult anybody but back then it had a kind of second-hand look to it. It was visually not very pleasing in my opinion and it was hard to find anybody that wanted to buy rather than sell anything.
I probably should have stuck with Artfire and given it a chance to develop at that time because now, visually and feature wise, I think it might be the most promising out of the three venues (Etsy, 1000 Markets, Artfire) I am a part of.
Well, I will stay with all three, at least for a while. So I guess I will find out whether or not I’m correct.
So, here is a picture of the online store front, but if you have a little time, you should probably check it out in person because there is a whole lot more to see.

The Anti-Heroics End in Dark Avengers #12

Dark Avengers #12

It looks like Mike Deodato’s and Brian Michael Bendis’ wild ride through anti-heroics is over with Dark Avengers #12. From the beginning I was a champion of this title. Not only did it focus on villains and anti-heroes being forced to be public superheroes it also gave a new character like Daken a chance to be developed beyond Wolverine Jr. It also gave me my monthly Ares fix. The only problem I had with the title was the treatment of Noh Varr (Captain Marvel). Bendis made him do nothing. He shots a few magic creatures, had sex with Moonstone/Ms Marvel, and ran away. Hopefully having the spotlight shone on him in Dark Avengers Annual #1 will spark more interest in him and Marvel will finally do something with him besides continuing to be Captain Marvel Jr.

Here’s the blurb from Marvel:

The explosive smash hit series from Brian Bendis and Mike Deodato continues!! The Dark Avengers are pitted against a foe they cannot defeat: A man with the power over every molecule in the world! Norman can’t talk his way out of this one as the world gets turned upside down and no joke…someone dies. For reelz!!

I guess this means goodbye darkies – I think I will miss you most of all Ares.

Thor + Ares = OTP

If only Marvel Comics would realize that there not only needs to be a classic Avengers title with Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man drawn by Oliver Coipel as well as West Coast Avengers title with Winter Soldier, War Machine, and Ares drawn by Jim Cheung.  Holy crap, both of those titles would sellout every month.

Radio Shack’s Kiosk Operations division launched their BullsEye Mobile Solutions inside of Target stores.

Roll out begins in California with 104 stores. Nationwide roll-out total locations inside of Target is expected to be 1100 to 1500 locations by end of 2010, with eventually leading to a total of 1800 retail locations, including locations inside of Sam’s club.

The Target locations will consist of three carriers which are Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. In addition, Radio Shack is already inside of Sam’s club locations but with one diffference; an additional carrier, Sprint are carried at the Sam’s club locations.

Pricing will be extremely competitive with Best Buy and other retail locations.

So, you remember one of the previous posts about some new unfinished fused glass pendants. A couple of them are now all done and I even have a few photos.

Here are the samples:

Like a one-man curtain-twitching squad, I return to bring you the best posts from October 2008.  Actually, it’s all of them.

12. Post From The Past – October 2007 – A look back at a packed month, which included: some poems, slagging off Bullseye, something about Mr Burley, Mr Quiff and much, much more. Check it out now, puncho rudder.

11. Search Me – A look at some of the search terms that brought people to Sherby57.  These include ‘emmerdale hardcore anal’ and ‘green bear+the nuzzler’.  Utterly baffling.

10. My Art – More IPhone People – Some portraits done on an iPhone.  One day, the true identities of these people will be revealed.

9. Toast Of The Town – A look back at the whole Toastergate scandal, one of the most harrowing episodes in recent Warrington history.

8. Join Cozzy’s Club! – It seems that I was the only person who could remember the old TV show, Cozzy’s Club.  That’s why I publicised its new web-site.  Sadly, although the web-site still exists, it hasn’t been updated for quite some time.

7. MC Lizzy Duke – A link to the lyrics of MC Lizzy Duke’s hit rap track, Straight outta Swansea.  A seminal classic.

6. A Hazard of Parsnips – An Experiment – A post which heralded the arrival of one of the most-loved and cutting edge works of fiction of the twenty-first century.

5. Waugh On Corruption – Disturbing news about an attempt to rig a poll about one of my jokes.

4. A Hilarious A-Team Joke – An exceptionally funny joke about one of the members of The A-Team, even if I do say o myself.  You even have the opportunity to vote on how good you think it is.  Currently the voting is: Hilarious, 37%; Funny, 16%; Rubbish, 47%.  Please see item 5 on why the ‘Rubbish’ category is doing so well.  If you want to aid justice, go vote.

3. Me Weak – My exploits with my friend, Bontempi, stranded in an igloo, bombarded by orbs.

2. Richie Cunningham’s Hair – An otherworldly adventure prompted by my ponderment of Richie Cunningham’s barnet.

1. A Hazard of Parsnips – Chapters 1 & 2 – The first two chapters of the classic novel. You read them, you loved them, you want to read them again.  When will the next chapter arrive? I’m afraid you’ll have to ask Dr Angel.

By Brian Reed (Writer), Chris Bachalo w/ Rob Disalvo (Pencils), Townsend, Disalvo, Sibal, Irwin, Wang, & Mendoza (Inks), and Bachalo w/Fabela & Mossa (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The storyline is a bit basic and the way the artwork is divided up tends to be annoying, but those issues haven’t stopped me from enjoying the hell out of the Sinister Spider-Man mini-series.

The Story: Mayor Jameson’s Big Apple Festival is in big trouble. The Redeemer’s there, the two rivals gangs are there, and, worst of all, Bullseye and Wolverine’s kid are there as well. Does that mean Spider-Man is in trouble as well? You better believe it.

What’s Good: Now that’s more like it! Sinister Spider-Man #4 manages to recapture everything that made the first issue of the mini-series so great. It’s funny as hell, the manic artwork kicks ass, and the story finishes in a way that’s so crazy it actually winds up being quite satisfying.

Brian Reed’s hilarious script elevates a fairly generic bad guy acting like a good guy story into something more. What makes it work so well is that Reed writes Mac Gargan (A.K.A. Sinister Spider-Man) as an asshole through and through. A funny, likeable asshole, but an asshole nonetheless. By doing so, Reed’s able to make you root for Gargan while loving every bit of chaos that erupts as a result of what he’s done throughout the mini-series. It must be said, however, that Reed’s script wouldn’t work nearly as well if the artist handling the craziest parts of it didn’t completely embrace the writers vision. Thankfully, Chris Bachalo does.

Right from the opening “What the **** is this **** all about?” splash page (that features, among other things, flying panties, gangsters, a poodle, and corn dogs), Bachalo establishes that the Sinister Spider-Man series is going to finish on one heck of a high note. Now I’m well aware that Bachalo’s kinetic style isn’t for everyone, but it’s hard to argue how fitting it is for the story being told and the action that takes place. I never thought I’d see both corn dogs and a “yap dog” being used as projectile weapons, yet there they are. The few pages Rob Disalvo contributes are solid as expected, though I can’t help but wonder why Marvel didn’t just give Bachalo another week or two to finish the book. It’s not like the whole Dark Reign thing is ending next week.

What’s Not So Good: The only real big negative about Sinister Spider-Man #4 is that occasionally Chris Bachalo’s artwork is too hectic. There’s a lot of stuff going on and sometimes it doesn’t come together all that well on the page. And that’s either due to small panel size or the amount of action being crammed into a scene.

Conclusion: Sinister Spider-Man #4 rocks pretty hard. Be sure to pick up the inevitable trade if you haven’t been following the Dark Reign mini-series.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

I just finished a pendant I have been working on for a while now. It’s made of Precious Metal Clay and therefore is 99.9% silver after firing. The cabochon is made from different shades of blue Bullseye art glass.

It has soft forms and a very organic feel to it. It reminds me of roots and forest and of the antlers of a stag or maybe a spider.

It’s got something of a fantasy realm. Pan’s Labyrinth comes to mind. I’m not really sure why.

I still have to practice the finishing touches some more. Some areas are not as smooth as they could be. But all in all I am very pleased with it and I feel that I am improving with PMC and becoming comfortable with some techniques that enable me to create pieces that reflect my style.

Inspire & Inform – UK Lecture Tour #2 – 2009 The artists tour in pairs, grouped by complementary working methods. In each six-hour day lecture programme, the artists discuss their individual art works, backgrounds, inspirations, and tecniques. This second tour for 2009 features Catharine Newell and April Surgent, US based artists who are recognised for figurative work in kilnformed glass. Newell ‘paints’ with glass frits and powders, and Surgent cameo-engraves fused glass layers. http://bullseyeglass.co.uk/ STUDENT TICKET – SWANSEA – 30th October 2009 – £20

Inspire & Inform 2009

They will tour in pairs, grouped by complementary working methods, with each pair appearing at each of the venues. The series starts at the end of January / early February 2009 and concludes in early October 2009.

“These tours are going to be a terrific way for students, practicing artists, and glass aficionados anywhere in the UK to hear distinguished artists speak about their work and working methods,” said Karen Davies, Manager of Bullseye Glass Ltd., based in Caithness, Scotland.

Entry to the lectures will be by ticket only, and audience size will be limited to a maximum of 150 per venue. Pre-booking is essential, and early booking is recommended to ensure that you don’t miss this fantastic opportunity.

After the success of their first tour, by Richard Whiteley, Head of the prestigious Glass Workshop at the School of Art, Australian National University, and Heike Brachlow, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art who is presently conducting PhD research into colour in glass, we are now getting ready for our second tour of the year.

Catharine Newell and April Surgent will be following up with our second tour series, which will be held at eight separate venues across the UK, spanning the country from Edinburgh to Falmouth – this should help most of you to be able to reach one of our lectures, within no more than a couple of hours travel from most points.

Smith & Wesson  Bullseye Search and Rescue 10.5″ Fixed Blade Powder Coat
@ P2,050

The Smith and Wesson Model CKSUR1 Search and Rescue Fixed Blade Knife features a 5.88″ modified clip point blade made of 440 stainless steel. The blade has a blood groove, a non reflective black coat, and the Smith & Wesson Search and Rescue logo. The rubberized aluminum handle has grooves for secure grip, forward bending metal cross guard and butt cap. The heavy duty nylon sheath is constructed with a hard synthetic liner and metal reinforcements. The sheath also includes a D ring, lashing slots, and a front mounted nylon storage pouch with Velcro closure.

• 440C Powder Coated blade
• Rubber over aluminum handle
• 10.5″ overall length
• Includes sheath and sharpener