Christmas is here! This means a surprising number of comics out this week (although Blackest Night #6 is being held until next week … unless you’re a cheater). Maybe people seek solace from their families within these illustrated pages? Let’s see what’s in the stocking …

Hellboy: The Bride of Hell one-shot ($3.50 pull) – After the Mignolaverse worldchanger that was Hellboy: The Wild Hunt, this one-shot takes us back to 1985 for what appears to be a mostly standalone monster puncher. After all Hellboy has been through, though, is it legit to chuck him into a standard beat-em-up right now? Fortunately, Mignola’s got more sense than that, and the big reveal here isn’t the Big Reveal of a story that turns out to be almost meditative on the relationship of good and evil to Good and Evil. But yeah, purists, a monster gets punched real good, too.

Invincible #69 ($2.99 pull) – Instead of the sequid battle royale last issue suggested, this was kind of a Monster of the Week story. Universa the space Amazon comes to Earth to steal our energy with her magic staff (which surely won’t be important later), and Mark and Eve head off to fight her while the rest of the planet’s heroes take on the mind-controlling spiders from Mars (more on that in a a minute). Considering Invincible just beat up a Tyrannosaurus man last time, I’m not sure why there was a need for this, unless Kirkman is filling some kind of T&A quota this issue.

Seriously, I don’t want to come off as a prude, but in addition to our boobalicious villain, Universa (have a look here), the images of Atom Eve this issue come off a little … groping? While it’s not the most estrogen-heavy universe (as this month’s letters also note), Invincible’s female characters are usually handled pretty well. Eve at her best is one of the most interesting of the ensemble, having been Mark’s friend well before she was his love interest, so the uptick in cheesecake can feel a little weird. Regardless, looks like next issue we make with the hittin’ little pink aliens.

Chew #7 ($2.99 shelf grab) – And speaking of boobs … this issue spends a lot of time introducing us to the powerful, dynamic and apparently DDD-cupped USDA agent Lin Sae Woo (that’s her in the front of the stack in the image atop this writeup). Woo butts up against Tony Chu in the South Pacific island where he’s seeking out the mystery tentacle pineapples that taste like chicken. I love that the FDA isn’t the only U.S. agency that’s apparently now a cabal of hardcores and psychos, but the way Woo gets used seems a little wasted (although not totally).

Willow one-shot ($3.50 shelf grab) – Another Dark Horse one-shot, this takes place between Buffy season 7 (the TV show) and season 8 (the comic). Willow needs to figure out how she’s going to develop as a witch, so she takes a spirit journey. I’m only up through season 6 of Buffy (I’m debating whether to avoid 7), and haven’t read the comic, so I’m a bit at sea here, but Willow’s characterization seems pretty accurate, so at the least it didn’t feel disconnected from what I know.

The Marvelous Land of Oz #2 of 8 ($3.99 shelf grab) – Just a gorgeous book, and one I don’t mind paying the extra buck for because of it. There’s some funny exchanges, too, mostly taken directly from the original book. The characters have great visual energy, so even in long dialogue sections there’s a forward momentum to this solidly whimsical story.

Blackest Night Green Lantern #49 ($2.99 shelf grab) – It’s the John Stewart show! Stewart’s on Xanshi, a planet now full of Black Lanterns, and conjures up some seriously cool ring effects to help him out: Full soldier gear and a platoon of constructs to battle the onslaught. Not only that, we see him far more capable of dealing with the BL’s emotional assault than almost anyone else we’ve seen. John’s a soldier, and he knows the difference between killing others and failing to save them. Pity it’s over so quickly – the remainder of the book is a Tales of the Black Lantern Corps explainer that mostly serves to set up Blackest Night #6.

Unfortunately, the Blackest Night tie-ins are starting to revert to form: People fight loved ones that died and are emotionally impacted by doing so. I suppose they want to run everyone’s characters through the Black Lantern mill, but with the main story moving forward, these are getting a little tedious. Here’s some quickie reviews:

Blackest Night – JSA #1 of 3 ($2.99 shelf grab) – Black Lanterns tear stuff up en masse while the JSA works to find a solution. Power Girl (in probably the best part of this story) grapples with getting a good long look at the body of her Black Lanternized uncle Superman.

Blackest Night – Justice League of America #40 ($3.99 shelf grab) – The worst offender of that same story, different characters approach. It’s a crime that Plastic Man has been completely separated from the events of this story (other than as … well, you’ll see). Otherwise, people who care about this sort of thing will be the only ones who care about this sort of thing.

Blackest Night – Teen Titans #78 ($3.99 shelf grab) – In the best of this week’s spin-off stories, the Deathstroke family comes to grips with their history and discovers a fairly innovative solution to the Black Lanterns (but one that’ll probably never be used again in this series).

Jack of Fables #41 ($2.99 pull) – Okay, I think I’m done with this. I’ve griped for the last few issues about the lack of anything approaching coherence from this book, but I wanted to have a look at the first issue of this new arc. It only solidifies my desire to drop this book. Jack Jr. is riding around on a millipede with a sword and a laser, killing monsters and being generally noble. By the end of the book, he’s lost the millipede and laser and is on a quest at the behest some green lady. I know it may sound awesome, in the Mad Libs collage aesthetic of our times, but the thing reads like a fever dream, and I just don’t care anymore.

Let me be clear about something. I get the kind of character Jack is – he’s the eternal protagonist, all about what he’s doing, not why he’s doing it. Where Jack Sr. was a scoundrel, Jack Frost seems virtuous, but that’s the only difference. To give some credit, I suspect the book may be setting us up to see how the original Jack became such a bastard – even now, you can see the endless parade of events starting to wear on Jack Jr.’s naive optimism – but after more than 40 issues, my patient goodwill is expended. At the climax of this issue, we see another big fight is on the way. I won’t be there for it.

Well, ladies and germs, it’s almost Christmas time, so I suppose it’s time for me to review an uplifting film for a change. I am not keen on watching too many actual Christmas movies, considering that most of them leave a taste in my mouth I could only liken to that of a candy cane found in a dead man’s chest cavity, so I’ll instead opt to just write a review on a movie that is not about murder or bizarre sexual practices. Disney’s Invincible is one of those feel-good movies, a movie that makes you believe that you can do anything if you try hard enough, even if it just isn’t possible in any realistic sensibility. It also tries to remind us that second chances ARE possible, despite our high-minded cynicism. It’s an unreasonably bland affair, other than the message of hope, with not that much to bolster its 90 minute run time besides a plot so hardwired to the tracks that changing the course with original thoughts might just be structurally impossible. But, in this instance, that isn’t such a bad thing.

The plot is based on the true story of the 1976 Philadelphia Football Team With Some Mascot I Can’t Think Of At The Moment. Their team sucks big time, embarrassing the city and all the owners. So, in a desperate bid for success, they try something SO CRAZY THAT IT JUST MIGHT WORK; they actually start open tryouts for people to play on their NFL team. The one guy they cull from the droves of idiots and not-quites is Vince Papale, a 30 year old Philly native who has the drive to win and a burning desire to prove himself. His life has hit the skids since his wife left him, his teaching job fell through, and he was reduced to bartending at a local pub recently to keep himself afloat. He is a long shot, being a little old to start out as a rookie, but that won’t stop him, and maybe nothing will. But desperate coach Dick Vermeil will ride this guy’s ass until he’s ready to quit; can these two take each other to the Playoffs in 1976? Or is Vince too old to start a new career as a guy who gets beat to shit for a living?

There goes my cynicism again! And I JUST finished watching this movie! In spite of my misgivings, it actually is a very inspiring movie. Much like the Disney movies of old, I was moved to go out and do something with myself after I got done with it. The “based on a true story” aspect of it is really the neat part. Someone with a dream and a lot of initiative actually made it into the NFL, beating out all other prospective hopefuls and joining the ranks of legendary football players like (and these are just off the top of my head) Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, um, Babe Ruth, Pelé, and Winston Churchill, I think. It makes you feel like any day could be the day you turn your life around. I think the world needs a little more of that, even if it’s from a predictable football movie.

The movie is really sold by Mark Wahlberg. His Vince Papale is as earnest as can be, and a real charmer to boot. The first part of the film, watching Papale’s life fall apart, wasn’t pretty to watch, and he made us feel it personally with his body language and an impressive failure in his eyes. It is a role that seems to define his later career, that of the put-upon man looking for some sort of redemption. But here he certainly gets it and then some as an actor. Greg Kinnear shines as similarly put-upon coach of the Philadelphia Platypi (is that it?), but he doesn’t fare as well. The problem is that his hard-ass coach role has been filed by so many more impressive performances over the years, like Gene Hackman or Denzel Washington, that this seems sort of an afterthought to have him here. I would have much rather seen Robert Patrick as the hard-ass coach than nonthreatening Greg Kinnear. I could kill Greg Kinnear with my left thigh alone, so watching him coach fully grown large men without a larger-than-life attitude to back it up is a little weak. And Elizabeth Banks shows up as a love interest for Vince to look really pretty. She can’t even really look too HOT, since this is a Disney movie, so her contributions are scanty at best.

Invincible isn’t really a movie to dwell on too much. It’s a sports movie where a guy gets everything he wanted after living a life of poverty and loneliness. We get it, nobody will be surprised at the ideas being put forth, and this will end up as a movie sold at Wal Mart around 3:28 in the morning. But Invincible has a spirit that a lot of movies today have lost in their pessimism. It gently reminds us of a most valuable lesson, that it’s never too late to take your life in your hands and go for it; there are no rules in our hearts, just the limits we build around it. I enjoyed that immensely, even though I thought most everything else was trending towards the mediocre, including the soundtrack, most of the acting, and the incredibly boring direction. All in all, though, Invincible still gets 6 1/2 Philadelphia Platypi out of 10!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, so I will be very curious as to what I watch! Hopefully it’s something positive and uplifting! Until then!!

I:

Like the torch

In a moonless night,

You break the darkness, And

Guide me to the bright site.

Like the air

In the atmosphere,

You keep my dreams alive, by

Showing your support everywhere!

Like the rain

In early spring,

You give life’s meanings

To every living being!

II:

You are the reason

The bells jingle;

You are the reason

All stars twinkle;

You are the reason

The birds whistle;

You are the reason

All children giggle!

III:

Your words always ring true,

Your style is absolutely cool!

Your judgment is incredible,

You are invincible!

PS: Christmas is in the air, I can smell the candy canes and freshly baked apply pies.

I know you care about your children, your parents, your spouse, your friends, and your life. You have been working hard to show the world that you do care, and you can make a difference in other people’s life. Thus, Believe it, You Are Invincible!

the good & the bad news is that Invincible is prolly the ONLY FEMALE MC I’m checkin for these days.   But whoowee, she got me on that mix of a Bahamadia, Talib Kweli & Kiwi vibe, heard?

I’m seriously hopin for an Invincible performance at the June USSF 2010 in Detroit!  Realness, she’s a skilled lyricist with ill flow & reps the progressive, social justice,  grassroots movement revolutionary vibe.  (oh, hold up fam — whatchu know about USSF? School ya soul & awaken: http://www.ussf2010.org/)

via YouTube - SXSW 2009 Music Video: Invincible – Sledgehammer.

Dopeness, right?

as described by SXSW:   ”Invincible’s spitfire wordplay has gotten her acclaim from Hip Hop fans all across the world, while her active involvement in progressive social change has taken her music beyond entertainment, and towards actualizing the change she wishes to see. Repping Detroit, MI, many are already familiar with her work with Waajeed and the Platinum Pied Pipers, Finale, the all-female *ANOMOLIES crew, Black Star, and many others. Dubbed by XXL Magazine as ‘every A and R’s worst nightmare’ for rejecting major label deals and general”

(* btw, that should say “A No Mo Lies” crew)

Ropes ft Tiombe Lockheart (I <3 Tiombe!)
and props for Invincible’s RealTalk about the real issue & backstory in the intro.

One of my personal favorites, here’s a ive version of “No Easy Answers” ~ love her reppin the line from the Slum Village track: “Love got somethin to do with — uh— being a WOMAN & handlin yo biz.   what love got to do widdit? ask SV it’s all bullshit! you know what love is.. say it wid me one time… you know what love is! “

(click here for the album cut)

“One of the most talented emcees I’ve ever heard black or white, male or female…” -Talib Kweli

“Invincible is one part emcee, three parts revolutionary, but the recipe is all Hip Hop.” -Shook Magazine

Here she speaks so eloquently & passionately about her politicization via Chuck D & Public Enemy:

Light blue sky turned gray
In the early morning rain
Nothing can hurt me

This is a new movie that has just came out recently. It reminded me of Invincible, in fact it was pretty much the same thing just a shift of focus. Instead of the main character being the coach, it was a player. The player is a black guy and he gets thrown onto a football team. The movie has some points about racism and good parenting (especially on the mom’s part). Although, once again, its a Christian focused film just like Invincible, the Christian aspects aren’t as prominent, they are more veiled and only mentioned at times.Overall, it was a pretty good movie that I would recommend people to watch in good quality (as in in Theater or HDTV, not downloaded or regular small TV).

*for spoilers go to the imdb link.

Second chapters are important. First chapters are usually home to a lot of expostion and introduction, and, if you’re lucky, maybe the initiation of some kind of conflict. But Chapter Two is where things go down.

To that end, this week is (mostly) all about part two of several stories. Some are the second chapter of a new book; some are conclusions (of a story or a section); some are the second part of an interlude in a larger story; and one is The Goon (whoops, that’s for later). I’ll leave it to you to decide which is which.

The Stuff of Legend – Vol. I: The Dark, Book II ($4.99 shelf grab): Stuff of Legend is kind of like Lord of the Rings played by the cast of Toy Story. In brief: Against the backdrop of World War II, a boy gets stolen by the Boogeyman in his closet, and his favorite toys head into “The Dark” to get him back. It’s darker than it sounds. I read the first book of this series before I had started blogging, and liked it pretty well.

In this edition, the crew (now without their leader, The Colonel), finds themselves in the village of Hopscotch. Everyone in Hopscotch plays The Game, the rules of which only the Mayor seems to know. In short order, Jester (the hatchet-wielding jack-in-the-box) gets himself and a local sent to prison, Percy (the piggy bank) gets a second offer to join the dark side, and Maxwell (the teddy bear/surly grizzly) is condemned to die at dawn.

There have been a number of fantasy books on the shelves in the last year – maybe the trend is partly an outcome of our fantasizing about Obama – but TSoL is a good read with interesting characters and some lavish art. Too bad the next issue doesn’t show up until Spring 2010.

Invincible presents Atom Eve & Rex Splode #2 of 3 ($2.99 shelf grab): We continue Eve and Rex’s meet-violent from last issue directly into … another fight. That dealt with, the majority of the story here is Rex figuring out just what his superpowered life is going to be. The story continues to be well-told, and writer Benito Cereno shows he’s not afraid to step back from words (and explosions) and let the visuals tell the story. Plus, this issue once again serves as a reminder why Invincible is the book of choice for lavishly rendered exploding heads.

Beautiful Creatures #2 of 2 ($4.95 shelf grab): After discovering their spirit-granted powers last issue, the girls set to taking down the Big Bad. We (and they) learn via flashbacks that he’s been beating the piss out of their inhabiting spirits every thousand years in order to steal their power, so this time the spirits are trying out human hosts (our four heroines). Last stands are mounted, evil appears triumphant, and subterfuge is engaged in, after which everyone has a beer and the story offers up a tag for future installments; as with last issue, all of this is done with repeated and awkward moments of fanservice.

I like the ideas behind much of Red 5 Comics’ work. Its flagship is Brian Clevinger’s always-excellent Atomic Robo, which gives me some additional goodwill toward the company but also is kind of a tough act to follow. The stories spawned by these great ideas seem too often to need better stitching together, similar to the lack of connective tissue I’ve been complaining about in Jack of Fables. I’ll always pick up a neat-looking idea when I see it, and I think Red 5 is trying some cool stuff. I’d just like to see a little more attention to the pacing and structure that make books like Robo work.

I know these are limited runs, but so much gets jammed in that the characters and stories don’t get much chance to develop. I wound up giving up on another Red 5 title, We Kill Monsters, in spite of generally liking what was going on, because there was so little to hang on to from breathless moment to breathless moment. Beautiful Creatures kinda lost me for a similar reason: There’s a lot of “Wouldn’t it be neat if …” to the story, but with too much telling and not enough showing why I should care. Also, the repeated, lovingly crafted angles of sexy women’s asses got just a little creepy after a while, but your mileage may vary on that one.

Transformers #2 ($3.99 shelf grab). Last issue, Optimus Prime walked out of Autobot central and gave himself up to the humans. This issue, the Autobots need to figure out who, if anyone, is in charge; what’s more, they and the Decepticons are faced with the question of whether to keep fighting now that their war seems to be over. The choice they make will either surprise the hell out of you or won’t surprise you at all (spoiler: it’s not Cliffjumper, who I really enjoy as the Human Torch of this book).

I missed writing up issue #1 of this (Transformers is now an ongoing series), but maybe it’s for the best. Still not sure whether to add it to my pull list, but the story got me interested for at least one more issue. What I like is how the writers have fairly effectively taken out not only the all-defining war but the characters of Prime and Megatron – I used to love seeing these guys fight, but it’s lost some resonance after happening most every story arc. In the face of these losses, the question of whether to keep fighting is a good one, and it makes me want to find out what happens next.

Here’s what I don’t like: The art. I’m not referring to the quality – Don Figueroa’s clearly a talent – but rather the decision to hybridize the design with the nuts-and-bolts collages of the movies. I am full aware this is the gripe of most every fanboy out there, but that’s not what I’m saying – while I don’t like Optimus Prime having lips, visual tradition isn’t a sticking point for me here, and in fact, the new design is fairly faithful in this respect

What I AM concerned with is the readability of a character. The Michael Bay design of wires and rivets and cables does not make for a face you can easily make out. As Scott McCloud argues in Understanding Comics, part of the appeal of comics is characters we can see ourselves in, or at least recognize as subjects of empathy. I don’t get that with the new art, mainly because I have to spend so much time figuring out how a single face fits together that I can’t read who that character is.

I hope the creative team comes around on this. I can understand this style in the movies, where the intention was seemingly to have the audience empathize with the humans, not the robots. Here, however, the robots are the characters. I know they’re aliens, but that doesn’t mean they have to feel so alien that I don’t care about them.

Most folks should know of Invincible if they consider themselves  fans of true hip-hop. She was initially raised in Israel before moving to Ann Arbor, MI at the age of seven. She crafted her sound growing up with A2 hip-hop artists like Athletic Mic League, DJ Haircut (now known as Meyer Hawthorne), and others before heading out to New York at the age of 17 to be a writer for the short lived television show, Lyricists Lounge. After awhile, she eventually settled in Detroit during the earlier part of this decade and has called the D home ever since.

She’s by no means the only female MC in Detroit worth paying attention to (check out Miz Korona when you get a sec) but Invincible is generating the most buzz. Check out the video below for her song “Sledgehammer.” And if you like it, try to buy her incredibly diverse album as well. It’s called Shapeshifters and it’s a journey through Detroit, New York, Palestine, and is all about showcasing talent through struggle. She’s constantly trekking around the globe doing shows, so if she’s in a town near you soon, definitely show her some love.

AND THAT’S SEVEN FUCKING WINS IN A ROW!

AMEOBI BACK FROM THE DEAD!

TOOOOOOOOOON ARMY!!

ams banging another one in

“Me and DJ Green Lantern decided to get together and make a project, which is sorta like an album and a mixtape in one.”

Initially rumored to hit the streets in November, there was not too much depth in regards to the joint venture between rapper Styles P and DJ Green Lantern. 

Although November has clearly come and go, business is still in the process as the duo are in works of finishing about their collaborative effort, The Green Ghost Project.

The history books show the background between Green Lantern and the L.O.X as he has worked with the group extensively on the mixtape circuit as well as producing the track “2 Guns Up. 

While shooting the video for the track “Kite Runner”, the Ghost was able to speak with Trace TV about the meaning behind the song.

“The song is basically about what dudes are saying in jail to their other dudes and about you not really needing much but a letter and a little bit of love.  Not money, not nothing but a little love to send a letter.  If somebody’s in jail, just send a letter, let em know you love them.”

As a prisoner of the cell himself, no one but Styles would have the ability to echo the sentiments of inmates doing a bid. 

Green Lantern was also able to give some background on the project and how things came together.

“The Green Ghost Project is just DJ Green Lantern and Styles P, the Ghost, coming together.  We got in the laboratory and made a monster and that monster is called the Green Ghost Project.  Basically, I put a gang of music together/ got with a couple of producers I know personally and me and Styles just sat back and put a format together of a bunch of songs and a flow of the material on the project and the sh*t came out crazy.”

P added that along with the project’s release, he is still on the grind and pushing to bring even more material to the fans from music to books to movies.

“You can expect the Green Ghost Project to drop around February; first, second week of February.  Career side, we’re also working on a L.O.X. album with my two partners Sheek and Jadakiss.  I’m also working on a fiction novel, Invincible, which should be out in April through Random House and Nikki Turner Presents.  I’m tryna work on some films too, tryna actually shoot of the book that’s going to come out.” 

During the beef between 50 and the L.O.X, Kiss ended the relationship between Lantern and Shady/ G-Unit as Eminem’s official DJ, along with losing his Sirius Satellite show, due to a recorded conversation with one another.  The separating has since then dissolved as Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks appeared on his Sirius Show on Hip Hop Nation.

After repairing the fallout between the two, Jadakiss and Lantern were able to bring together his most recent mixtape sequel The Champ is Here 2: Kiss My Ass.

I read 19 comics in November, and these were the best.

5. Astonishing X-Men #32

Yeah, that’s a badass sentinel, a badass, brood-shooting-from-fingertips sentinel, the bastardization of Beast’s theoretical research. It’s Ellis being Ellis, writing pitch-perfect X-Men. Each issue is episodic, building a plot as it goes. This chapter involves the aforementioned sentinel, with lines like, “We don’t need weapons. We have science!” It’s glorious fun.

4. Fantastic Four #573

Hickman’s Fantastic Four is even better than his Secret Warriors? How’d that happen? But it’s true, even when Dale Eaglesham takes a break, and we’re left with a “filler” issue. Neil Edwards fills Dale’s shoes, and it’s a fine fit, with Edwards’ post-Bryan Hitch style and Paul Mounts’ colors, you’ll hardly notice the difference. But Hickman’s distinguished voice is the star here, penning a done-in-one adventure that could’ve easily sustained a four-issue arc. Hickman plays with, and adds to, Millar’s toys, exploring a black hole-ravaged Nu-World. This is a dense, grand adventure, and the new letters page, hosted by Franklin and Val? Absolutely adorable.

3. Invincible #68

The regular art team is back with a vengeance, allowed the opportunity to create Kirkman’s zany, new Dinosaur villain. This is about as playful and unique as villain dialogue gets. Kirkman then continues to show off his dialogue skills when he gives Atom Eve’s father the scariest monologue Mark could ever imagine, concluding with one hell of a funny sight gag. The issue concludes with a few classic Kirkman twists. All in all, this is one hell of an Invincible issue.

2. Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #8

Another Hellboy chapter concludes, and Alice sums it up best, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.” Mignola embraces Hellboy’s entire mythology here, Alice herself being the baby from the beloved “Hellboy: The Corpse.” What occurs within these pages has been a long time coming, and it unfolds unpredictably, yet resolves with the doomed conclusion we all knew was coming. Every major Hellboy player progresses, even poor Gruagach, who’s almost as tragic a character as “Big Red” himself. A stunning effort from Mignola and Fegredo.

1. Detective Comics #859

Since Rucka & Williams’ run began, almost every issue of Detective Comics has made my “Best of the Month” list. This issue is the best of the run, so it’s only natural that Detective finally tops my list. We’re still taking a trip down Kate’s memory lane, this issue containing another episode of her life. We learn of Kate’s rise and fall at West Point, her utter loss of purpose, how that leads to trouble with the love of her life, and what finally makes Kate’s life whole again. And there, making it all epic poetry, is Williams and Stewart. And as you can see in the above scan, when Kate’s Mazzucchelli-styled life clashes with Batman’s rich, painted aura, it’s beautiful and profound. 

For more comic goodness, go here.

Writing is a solitary business. And if you’re like most writers, one day you feel invincible and the next you feel a two-ton devil named Doubt sitting on your shoulder.

I wrote 12,000 words this weekend. I was flying. FLYING. Today I woke up and Doubt was right there, telling me my project sucks, the idea is stupid, and I’m a hack.

Then an old friend wrote an encouraging note on my Facebook wall. He said, “Keep putting your pen to paper. God has something to say through you.”

Perfect timing.

I’ve got to get back to work now, but had to post this to tell other writers out there. Keep putting your pen to paper. God has something to say through you.

Invincible, oder auch Unbezwingbar soll es heißen und droppt bei Arthas persönlich:

Quelle: MMO-Champion

-Fenrol

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it… always.

(Mahatma Gandhi)

Now, I’m not all that crazy about mounts, but this one rocks! I mean I was all excited and stuff when I got Attumen’s Horse in Kara (I looked super cool on it in shadowform at the time), but this is a horse that is a gabillion times better than the Headless Horseman’s mount. “The darn thing has wings!” (Some older female players might remember that line from a commercial )

I swear, when his wings went up in this video the first time I saw it, my heart stopped just a little bit.
/shiver

The Pug and The Butt Scootin’ Boogie
This on made me laugh because my shih tzu does the same thing. Also from MMO Champion:

“I already posted a video of Perky Pug a few weeks ago but one of the latest PTR build added an … interesting animation to this pet. I suggest that you watch the whole video before you decide if he’s still cute. “

All the fun starts at :39.

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Ryan Ottley (pencils), Cliff Rathburn (inks), FCO Plascencia (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Dinosaurus attacks, Mark meets Eve’s parents, and several old foes of Invincible’s consolidate for their next big attack.

What’s Good: Well, you certainly can’t get on this issue for lack of plot progression.  This is a very brisk read literally jam-packed with action, humor, and happenings.  After last month’s dry affair, it’s also a breath of fresh air.

The issue’s generally strong because it hinges on the chemistry between Mark and Eve, which has been one of the bedrocks of the series for some time now.  Their affection, compatibility, and mutual understanding have always been well done, and this month is no different.  The two fit together as well as ever and their conversations are always a smooth, comfortable read.

Kirkman expands that dynamic outward this month, as Mark meets Eve’s parents.  What ensues is well-executed comedy that’ll definitely bring a smile to your face.  This comes largely thanks to Kirkman’s portrayal of Eve’s father.  The guy’s just the right combination of antiquated patriarchy and unnerving masculine perversion.  Kirkman essentially takes the “man’s home is his castle” complex to its most appalling heights, and it’s hard not to laugh, particularly when it comes to Ottley’s illustration of Mark’s reaction.

Of course, like any of Kirkman’s more dense issues, this book plants a number of very large seeds that impact the comic as a whole.  Mark hints at his more murderous Viltrumite side in a way that’ll have you wondering “what if” and the issue ends with a MASSIVE bombshell that’ll change the landscape of this series for the foreseeable future, if not forever.  Meanwhile, the plots with Conquest and those damned sequids also see substantial developments.

Ryan Ottley delivers the exact same quality we’ve come to expect out of Invincible.  That said, what takes this book over his average affair is the battle with Dinosaurus.  While Plascencia’s colors are clearly a boon, the giant red dino just looks absolutely awesome.  Having a fight with a giant dinosaur always rates high on the awesome scale, and Ottley makes the most of it.

What’s Not So Good: With so much stuff packed into 22 pages, the pacing of this issue was just all over the map.  The last portion of the issue was simply a string of unrelated major developments with absolutely no real attempt to segue between them.  It was more or less a series of completely isolated and detached two page scenes.

The mood of the book also suffers due to this hectic structuring.  With most of the issue being written in a light, comic tone, Kirkman’s failing to segue to his major developments makes the experience feel fairly jarring and off-putting.  For instance, the massive shocker at the end of the book is of a massively different tone from the pages before it, and it’s hard not to feel like you’ve been pitched a ball from left field.

Also, while I liked Oliver’s new costume this month, what the hell happened to him?  While it’s good to see Oliver finally grow older, I feel like we’ve experienced a sudden five-year leap between issues.  I’m sure Kirkman will use Oliver’s heritage as an out, but that doesn’t stop this from feeling lazy and off-putting.

Conclusion: The book’s pacing is a bit of a mess, but the strength of its characters and the sheer number of developments in its pages more than makes up for that.

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

29 de agosto de 1958. Nacimiento

Michael Joseph Jackson nació el 29 de agosto de 1958 en el pequeño pueblo de  Gary en  Indiana, un estado al noroeste de EE.UU.

Para saber más…

1963 Formación del grupo Jackson Five

El grupo Jackson Five  estaba integrado por : Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon y Michael jackson. Michael y Jermanine  eran los vocalistas.

1976 Adios Motown

El grupo decide abondonar su casa de discos Motown por una serie de desacuerdos económicos. El grupo cambia su nombre ahora se llaman The Jackson.

1979 Publicación de Off The Wall

El disco Off The Wall fue publicado en julio del año 1979. Aunque Michael continua grabando y haciendo conciertos con sus hermanos es a partir de este disco cuando comienza a centrarse en su carrera en solitario. Contiene 10 canciones Don´t Stop ´Till You Get Enough, Rock With You, She´s Out Of My Life, entre otras.

 1982 El fenómeno Thriller

El 1 de diciembre sale a la calle el LP Thriller, se trata de una obra de arte en la que colaboran músicos excenlentes. Thriller se convierte en el álbum más vendido de todos los tiempos. Contiene 11 canciones, de las cuales 3 tuvieron videos promocionales: Beat It, Thriller y Billie Jean. Empezó también a protagonizar spots junto a sus hermanos con la marca de refrescos Pepsi.

1984  Arrasa en  Los Premios Grammys

Michael gana ocho Grammys en diez categorías: “Mejor Álbum Del Año” por Thriller; “Mejor Intérprete Pop Masculino”; “Disco del Año” por Thriller;” Mejor Intérprete de Rock” por Beat It; “Mejor Intérprete de R&B” por Billie Jean; “Mejor Canción del Año” por Billie Jean; “Mejor Productor” que recibió junto a Quincy Jones; “Mejor Disco Infantil” por ET- El Extraterrestre. Nadie antes había conseguido un número tan alto de galardones en una misma gala de Grammys.

1985 USA For Africa

Michael y 44 artistas más se reúnen en secreto en los estudios A&M Recording Studios en Los Ángeles, para grabar We Are The World compuesta por Michael Jackson y Lionel Richie. Con esta grabación nace USA For Africa para luchar contra el hambre y las epidemisas en Africa.

1987 Who´s Bad?

El 31 de agosto se edita en el mundo entero Bad, el disco fue muy esperado y consagro definitivamente a Michael. Vino acompañado de una gira multitudinaria. El LP incluía 10 temas como Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Just Good Friends a duo con Stevie Wonder entre otras. Despúes de lanzar Bad se grabó el film Moonwalker que enlazaba todos los videos y escenas de la gira Bad Tour.

1991 Etapa Dangerous

En noviembre de 1991 se estreno el LP Dangerous que se convirtió en el superventas más rápido de la historia. Emitieron en estreno el corto de Black Or White el 14 de noviembre que consiguió sobre 15 millones de espectadores.El disco contiene 14 canciones como Jam, Give  In To Me, In The Closet, Remember The Time, Will You Be There que forma parte de la banda sonora de la película Liberad a Willy entre otras canciones. En 1993 actua en el Estadio Rose Bowl en Pasadena con motivo del show especial de la Superbowl. Comienza su gira Dangerous Tour.

1995 History: Past, Presente And Future

El 15 de junio el álbum de Michael, History se lanza en todo el mundo. El doble álbum contiene 15 grandes éxitos de su carrera y 15 nuevas canciones como: Scream a duo con su hermana Janet, Come Together una versión del viejo tema de The Beatles, Earth Song entre otras. Michael comienza una nueva gira History Tour.

1997 History In the Mix

El 14 de mayo salió a la venta el disco Blood On The Dance Floor. El álbum contiene 13 canciones con 5 nuevas y 8 temas inéditos del disco History. Algunas de las canciones son Morphine, Ghost, Is It Scary.

2001 El regreso

 Invincible es el último disco de su carrera donde todas sus canciones son temas nuevos, un total de 16, entre ellas You Rock My World, Cry, Heaven Can Wait. Ese mismo año realizó dos conciertos en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York con motivo del 30 aniversario de su carrera, en dichos conciertos participaron los propios hermanos de Michael, Britney Spears, Usher, Destiny Child…

25 de junio 2009 For you always in my heart

Día trágico para la historia de la música Michael Jackson fallecía en su mansión de Neverland de Los Ángeles. Días después se celebró un emotivo funeral, al cual asistieron su familia, amigos y algunos afortunados fans.  Pero no lo olvides nunca Mike I´ll Be There. 

R.P.I MJJ

Nothing scares me but seeing a loved one hurt or getting hurt.

I do not have any fears for myself. The gods have made me stronger as my destiny.

My Creator is invincible beyond all these fears and horrors.

Nothing scares me.

Da concept of da vid is live! and da quality of dat camera is a PISS TAKE!

New products from my favorite brand, Original Fake has been released for November. The drop full of  lots of simple goodies, include the Kaws Big X Zip Up (in six colorways), five colors of a mixed-media Grey Area t-shirt, and three different chino pants with fluro teeth detailing on the back pocket. Pick yours up at Invincible. More pics here.

While  The Legend of Billie Jean hasn’t yet made the transition from obscure VHS to DVD, it looks as though it’s a possibility, thanks to fervent nostalgics that transformed the ballyhooed 1985 teen movie into a cult classic. (Yeardly Smith did record DVD commentary for Sony, who was supposed to have released it by now). Surprisingly, those with a Netflix account, can endure the technological limbo, and add the movie to their Instant Queue.

This film is an odd product for its day, given the kind of movies that once typified the teen genre. Amidst numerous, cheaply produced T & A comedies (Private School, Spring Break, Porky’s, etc.), which indulged the exploits of mindlessly horny adolescents, John Hughes would soon become an 80s icon with sincere portrayals of American youth, both in drama and comedy. Elsewhere, a sub-genre of C-grade films that, seemingly inspired by 1950s pulp fiction, raised paranoia about the urban teenage timebomb (i.e. Class of 1984, Savage Streets, 3:15). Well, somewhere in the middle of all this is The Legend of Billie Jean. The B-grade action-drama (which includes a tasty foot chase!) isn’t set in the halls of the All-American high school, the comfort of Middle-class America, or even the grimy streets of the inner city, but more unusually, was filmed in and around the coastal Texas city of Corpus Christi.

At the forefront of The Legend of Billie Jean is the vigilante teen hero — or in this case, a heroine. This much had been done before, most notably, in Jonathan Kaplan’s 1979 film, Over the Edge. Based on true events, it tells the story of a burgeoning, fictional Colorado suburb brought to its knees in a violent revolt by its  bored and restless young residents who were ignored in its development. The decade’s punk cinema, too, steeped in a naive devotion to anarchy, was rife with temporary youth revolt (changing the status quo is hard work). Smithereens and Times Square, for example, featured angsty heroines who energized young, alienated audiences with their songs about mass delusion. Pump Up the Volume, which shares its star Christian Slater with The Legend of Billie Jean, was released in 1990. A sort of precursor to the free culture principals, it centered on an introverted teenager who, by  night, becomes a popular pirate radio DJ that urges the town’s disaffected teenagers to challenge arbitrary authority.

But, unlike these films, and contrary to the kind of war cry lyrics in Pat Benatar’s theme song, Invincible (“We can’t afford to be innocent/stand up and face the enemy…”), Billie Jean doesn’t exactly scream hardened leader. Helen Slater’s asthmatic 17 year-old centerfold-esque Billie Jean is confident, selfless, and innocent.

…In other words, she’s unrealistically wholesome.

Even her eventual MTV-styled makeover into a sexy feminist-guerrilla hybrid (add revealing wetsuit, buzz cut, carefully applied makeup and combat boots), it is an uncomfortable, shallow (“Billie Jean, you look… famous”), and temporary metamorphosis. Confident and selfless as she may be, her background — living with her brother and widowed mother in a sleepy trailer park — seem to only offer minimal impetus for her ethics, and no fodder at all for the crisis that erupts, setting the scene, of course, for that that beloved logic-suspending 80’s movie cheesiness.

The film begins, quite simply, with Billie Jean’s brother, Binx (Christian Slater in his film debut; no relation to co-star Helen Slater) humiliating a couple of assholes that won’t leave he and his sister alone. In retaliation, they steal Binx’s prized motor scooter while he and his sister are out on the lake. (Yes, the premise already sounds corny, but it is an update of The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas and horses just don’t mean the same to the average American teenager). Billie Jean assures her brother that they’ll  return the bike, and when they don’t, Binx decides to get it back himself. Hoping to avoid making matters worse, Billie Jean grabs her friends and heads to the police station, but the cop she speaks to (Peter Coyote) is, somewhat understandably, no help in the matter.

Binx eventually comes home a bloody mess; the bike is destroyed. Fruitlessly trying to be diplomatic Billie Jean presents  Hubie Pyatt (Barry Tubb), one of the conspirators, with an estimate from the body shop at his father’s beachfront souvenir store, asking him to compensate them for the damages. When he refuses, she takes up the issue with his father, who turns out to be an even bigger sleazebag, attempting to bargain for sexual favors.  Wondering what is taking so long, her brother and friends wander into the now-empty store (Pyatt makes his grotesque advances upstairs). Binx opens the cash drawer and finds a gun and, when Billie Jean frantically climbs down the stairs urging that they all leave, Binx threatens Pyatt with the gun, sheepishly telling him to leave his sister alone and give them the money. That simple. But, when Hubie walks in on the middle of this, his father quickly concocts a plausible explanation: the kids came to rob him. When Hubie doesn’t want to leave them to get the police because Binx is pointing a gun at his dad, Mr. Pyatt scoffs that he wouldn’t actually keep a loaded gun in the drawer. Binx, distraught, confusedly examines the gun when he accidentally shoots Mr. Pyatt. When Hubie runs for help, Billie Jean, Binx, and their friends get the hell out of their, now a couple of teenage fugitives.

Ridiculous as the movie soon becomes — in one scene, Billie Jean and the gang intervene in the abuse of an anonymous kid, and later, they devise a fake kidnapping of the Mayor’s nerdy son (actor-turned-director Kieth Gordon) to gain some leverage — this emphasizes the film’s commentary on the public’s thirst for celebrity and sensationalism. Immediately, Billie Jean attempts to make amends by contacting the police officer she previously spoke with (he is the only evidence that what transpired may have been an accident) to arrange their surrender, with the added caveat that Pyatt pay what is owed. When, the story is picked up in the local media, they become local antiheroes, celebrated by the young and criticized by the old. “Fair is fair” becomes their moniker and Billie Jean, the most morally-conscious and level-headed, becomes the spokeswoman for the fugitive group. On the one hand,she’s viewed by her peers as a (misunderstood) symbol of victorious teenage rebellion. Young girls in particular begin to emulate her clothes and hairstyle, and more importantly, form underground support networks that Billie Jean accidentally becomes aware of later on. Elsewhere, local news reporters, radio DJs, and merchandisers eat up the story. Even the Pyatts profit, selling posters of in their shop. So intensely sensationalized, trivialized, and exploited, it’s hard for Billie Jean, her brother, and friends not to get swept up in the inevitably disillusioning frenzy. The moment where Billie Jean, distraught, pulls down a poster and looks at the illustration of herself in front of a target perfectly captures this idea.

Pat Benatar is said to really berate this movie before performing “Invincible” at concerts, though this might indicate an underlying, unwanted contractual obligation to work on the film (or some other manner of being professionally wrong with regards to this movie). It can hardly be called the worst movie ever made (Fatal Rescue instead deserves that title). It’s heavy-handed, exaggerated adventure, and entertaining enough all the same.

Forgot about this tentative feature last week. I may stick with this being more of an occasonal/whenever-I-feel-like-it piece rather than a definite weekly thing. This week looks to be another rather large week, mostly for the addition of a couple Blackest Night tie-ins in titles I don’t normally buy, as well as two one-shots. Without further ado…

DR HORRIBLE ONE SHOT
This one should be cool, simply because it’s Dr. Horrible. And of course, that it’s got creative talent from the actual Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog…I fully expect it to be accurate and faithful to the show. Offhand, I believe this is a prologue of sorts, which should be all the more interesting and offer a bit of insight into the characters.

ADVENTURE COMICS #4
Well…it’s Blackest Night, and it’ll come with a ring. Almost ashamed to say I don’t much care beyond that. I recall the last issue had something indicating its story would continue after the Blackest Night tie-in, so there’s some story interruption. This is a title I’ve been buying anyway, so like Booster Gold…I was getting it whether it tied in or not.

FLASH REBIRTH #5 (OF 6)
Gotta love how both of this year’s Rebirth/Reborn series started out at 5 issues and were expanded to 6… Still, I’m on-board to see how it turns out, and hoping that the story’ll get better.

OUTSIDERS #24
No idea, honestly, what to expect from this one. Like Doom Patrol, I have absolutely no idea where things stand with the characters and their status quo. But it’s Blackest Night, so…yeah.

SUPERMAN BATMAN #66
Ditto. I think Solomon Grundy’s involved. I suppose I’ll find out on reading. Blackest Night…I can’t remember if this one comes with a ring or not…Blackest Night…

DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #5
Deadpool. ‘Nuff said.

TMNT #1 FULL COLOR ONE SHOT
This should be cool. I’ve got the old FIRST graphic novel/TPBs that put color to the early TMNT issues, but this–as a single issue–should be quite interesting coming in color. Also will–I think–be the first issue to come out from Mirage since the TMNT were sold, so kinda fitting, in a way.

Due to personal finances and this being (for me) a huge week, these other three will probably wait til the weekend or next week to get picked up:

SUPERGIRL #47
Because this is part of the ongoing Superman family story, keepin’ with it for now, though really, really hoping the story gets better/more interesting/more engaging. Also hoping we don’t have yet ANOTHER apparent character death.

INVINCIBLE #68
Not expecting much of this one…overall enjoying the title the last half year or so, and figure I’ll keep with it.

MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS #297
Can’t remember if this is the first or second issue coming out from Boom…nor whether or not I picked up the previous issue if this is the second. It’s great that the Disney titles are getting such a quick return to the shelves…but I can’t afford to keep with ‘em all. Honestly, the variant covers for this will likely decide it for me…if I like a cover, get it. If only one’s available and there are 2 or more covers, I’ll pass.