By Jason McClain (@JTorreyMcClain)

It’s like a film noir for super folk.  Just saying that, without even opening the book to one of the well-drawn pages, you can see them in your mind’s eye, pulling on a cigarette and blowing out the smoke or casually cutting into a bloody rare T-bone and thoughtfully chewing between each sentence detailing how they got to where they are.  In addition to dames and money, it adds something more mysterious, something more powerful and every bit as tragic.

I recommend Sleeper: Season 1.  Pick it up.  Read it.  It holds up seven years later and it holds up to a second read.  Probably a third one as well.  Don’t believe me?  Eh, go to hell.

You’re still with me?  Good.  You can get all of what I said in the pages of the trade paperback as you sit in your comfy chair, immune to the ills of the world since you got a roof over your head and money to spend on comic books.  It sure as hell can’t make you any softer boyo.  The story’s all there, maybe the second most famous Holden serving as a double agent and trying to figure out the madness of his underworld boss.  Pretty simple stuff.  The twist?

Every instance of pain inflicted on Holden, no matter how deadly, can be transmitted in the same magnitude to whomever he touches.

Don’t tell me that power is not one for a bad guy.  He doesn’t feel his own pain.  He makes you do it for him.  You’ll die so that he can live.

That’s about as anti-Christ as they come.

As you read, the other villains in the upper echelons of this criminal organization slowly start to reveal their powers.  I won’t spoil them for you, but let’s just say they would only work for bad guys as well.  What polite society would consider bad at least, but I guess it depends on the society you keep.  For you, enjoying your iced tea and slab of pizza as you watch another episode of Spongebob, yeah, it’s bad.

So, it got me to thinking.  Do the powers that you have automatically make you good or evil?  Nah, that’s too simple.  We know the world has a lot more shades of grey than that don’t we boyo?  Still, would it be better to have any random power as a hero or villain?  Let me take you on a quick ride to the country and we can talk about it as we drive.

Invulnerability

If the villains can’t hurt you, a hero can use less force to bring them to justice.  Kill or be killed isn’t the equation since one side is an impossibility.  On the other side, invulnerability means that the good guys can’t hurt you so that you can take more risks.  Jump into an active volcano.  Plunge off a 100-story building.  Hide on the bottom of the sea.

So, on one side, a bunch of villains can have fun, the hero can let them feel they’re doing well while they wail on his invulnerable self and he or she just waits until they tucker themselves out and he takes them off to jail for a nice nap.  It’s like being Dad to a world of super-powered three-year-olds.

On the other side, maybe a villain robs all the rich folks camping up on the side of Mount Everest, climbs to the top and sleds to the bottom, creating the single steepest, greatest thrill ride of all time.  Our villain dusts herself off, walks down to the sea and figures she’ll use her ill-gotten gains for Cuba Libres and helicopter lessons.

Advantage: Villain.

Shrinking/Invisibility

With the omnipresence of porn on the Internet, being a villain and sneaking into locker rooms just doesn’t hold the cachet it used to.  Riding an ant into battle?  If horses are smelly, ill-tempered beasts, I can’t say that riding an ant would be much better.  Stop, miscreant, or you’ll step on me doesn’t even put the fear of Tom Hanks into a person.  I guess these heroes and villains will always have reconnaissance and espionage.  Then again, that’s Archer’s realm, so they’ll have to take a distant second.

Advantage: People without Internet that live near a gym.

Marksmanship

You might immediately think this one would go to the villains, but you’d be wrong.  What does a villain have to think about?  Head or heart.  Head or heart.  That’s it.  A hero on the other hand, gets to aim at wooden cross beams at their weakest points, causing them to collapse on the stack of water-filled vats, spilling a tidal wave of water toward the inflated inner tubes, pushing them up into the sharp bowl of knives that cut a rope, releasing a crate of guitars that gently nudge the villain into a pit of extremely viscous pudding.  The hero becomes the star of their own OK Go video every time they fight crime.

Advantage: Hero.

Gadgets

The hero/villain becomes an entrepreneur/inventor.  If you wanted to be Ron Popeil all your life and created super juicers and vacuum cleaners that get the hard to reach dirt, well then, this is the super power for you.

Dolls that come to life?  Combination night vision goggles and underwater breathing apparatus?  A hot plate that can be thrown like a Frisbee?  What great Christmas gifts for only $19.99 plus shipping and handling.

Advantage: The ghost of Billy Mays.

So, that’s that, and lookee here.  I’ve driven to a nice deserted field.  Well, what’s this in my trunk but a shovel.  Didn’t you say you liked to dig?  You didn’t?  You better learn quick boyo.  Think of yourself as The Shoveler.

You shovel well.  You shovel very well, because I ain’t got all night.  While you dig, I’ll ponder to myself other superhero powers like power beams, adamantium claws and talking to the fishes in a non-concrete galoshes kind of way.  But in an hour we’ll both be done.  I need my beauty sleep.

But as for TV

Entourage was alright. I still think the show needed to be an hour long

Boardwalk Empire premiere was awesome and set up a great storyline for the season.

Series premiere of Terra Nova was good. It wasn’t the greatest (part 1 of 2) but it definitely has some promise and the dinos beast peeps.

Sons of Anarchy is great so far and it looks like the proverbial shit might pop off soon.

Rule!

What’s grand with this room is simple, and whats simple with this room  is made grand. Before I start sounding like The Sphinx in “Mystery Men’” may I say though that this place featured, does not have much ado with ornate furniture or accents because the enormity of this structure is all it needs.

This kitchen is really enviable!

It’s a thick stack of books this week with DC still releasing their number one books.  What’s worth it?  What should be skipped?  Find out below!

Alpha Flight #4 – The team is on the run from the government who has been taken over through an overly complex plan.  There’s a lot I like about the series, but also so much that just seems blah.  Overall it’s getting much better, but there’s definitely some things strange things that don’t jive.  The brutality of one particular character just doesn’t fit in with the relative niceness of Alpha Flight.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #4 – It’s the second to last issue of this series that  delves into the myths of the vampires.  It adds a bit to the world and the story is really entertaining, but as usual you have to question why the bad guys just don’t kill the good guys right away.  That’s about the only flaw I find, for what’s turned out to be a hell of a limited series.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Batman and Robin #1 – The good here is Damian’s depiction.  The mysterious bad guy also has me intrigued.  The bad is the story itself which just seems silly to me.  Also, how old is Batman supposed to be in the DC revamp/reboot/relaunch?  If Damian is still around, he obviously can’t be younger than he was in the previous world.  I’m a bit confused about that part.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Batwoman #1 – A beautiful comic book, the art alone is enough to get me to come back for more.  The story on the other hand is a bit week, but still intriguing enough to get me to overlook it.  What is very strong, like the art is the characterization.  The various characters in the comic are well written and there’s some great female leads.  It’s been a long wait for this first issue, and while I can’t say it blew me away, I’ll definitely be back for the second issue.

Story: 7.75 Art: 9 Overall: 8

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #523 – Out of all of the Fear Itself tie-ins this one is the best, though it’s competition isn’t that great.  As a whole though, I really like the American Panther storyline.  There was a solid ending to it, and a great mystery left at the end that seems like it’ll lead to something more interesting going forward.  With the next issue, it’ll get a new subtitle, the series is quality and a definite recommendation to make a monthly read.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #4 – Wow, that was one hell of an ending.  This is a crime story of the best caliber.  Brubaker’s story telling seems to get better and better and this one’s ending is just amazing.  Another fantastic volume in the best noir on the market.  I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Daken: Dark Wolverine #14 – What the hell did I read.  The heat part is great as usual, but the art seems to have taken a dip and it won’t be until next issue that’ll I’ll truly understand what’s going on.  This is one part of a bigger story and by itself the issue doesn’t make too much sense or keep my interest.  Hopefully the next issue will do it some justice as the “set up” issue.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Daredevil #3 – Some great pulp fun as Daredevil fights Klaw and helps a man in court.  The entertaining ending is a nice end cap for the first story arc and this issue sets up a bigger bad guy that’s only hinted at.  The action is good and there’s some great writing in the issue.  Mark Waid has returned Daredevil to his roots and it’s fantastic so far.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Deadpool #43 – Deadpool is on the loose as he’s escaped from the mental institution, though how he’s done that isn’t really explained very well.  There’s also some other plot points that seem to have been dropped.  The issue is entertaining enough, but falls into the campy end of things way too much.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Deathstroke #1 – Wow, that was a hell of a start.  The issue feels more A-Team than anything else, but then that ending throws you for a spin.  Pretty impressive as it gives you a good idea as to who Deathstroke is and does it all in a self-contained issue.  Really solid beginning.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Demon Knights #1 – I appreciate what DC is doing here, taking some of their characters and throwing them into a world similar to one you’d find in a D&D campaign.  The story is ok, but I’m not really one for straight up fantasy.  My concern that it stars Etrigan and his speaking habit was not founded as that seems to have gone away, which is odd, since that was something that made the character very unique.  It’s not a bad comic, but can’t say I really look forward to the second issue.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.25

Fear Itself #6 – There’s lots of dramatic moments and some big speeches in the second to last issue of Marvel’s disappointing summer event.  There’s some great moments and a lot of characters manning up, but overall this feels like that “big moment” that’s a few issues too late for me to really care or save this event from smelling like a stinker.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #1 – Not quite sure what the point of this limited series is as it doesn’t add a whole lot so far to the overall event.  Also, isn’t the Hulk fighting in a few other places and against a few other heroes?  Fear Itself has been a mess of an event, and this is another example of that.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Fear Itself: The Monkey King – A decent enough issue, but again, it doesn’t add anything to the Fear Itself storyline.  I’d of much rather seen a three issue limited series come out of this than this one-shot that’s not really needed.  But, even though it doesn’t add anything to Fear Itself, it’s still a good comic and hopefully we see more of this character than this one-shot.

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 – A Hellboy wannabe I figured this was what to expect of the series after seeing it’s Flashpoint tie-in.  It’s not the story is is bad, I think Hellboy is better in every sense, so there’s nothing new or interesting to keep me coming back for more.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Green Lantern #1 – Sinestro has a green ring again and Hal Jordan must go back to a normal life.  Just when you think there isn’t anything more creative Geoff Johns can do with Green Lantern, this comes along.  A great new start that’s fresh and interesting.  The series has had some issues of late, but this first issue breathes new life into the series and again has me excited.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Grifter #1 – Huh!?  Where’s the Grifter I came to know and love from Wildcats?  What is this crap?!

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

John Carter: A Princess of Mars #1 – With Roger Langridge’s name on the comic I had to pick it up knowing nothing about this beloved story.  Can’t say I’ll be coming back for the second issue.  It’s not Langridge’s fault, the story just doesn’t interest me at all.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Legion Lost #1 – Hmm, a lot is interesting here, but the story is too much tied up in mystery and the action too choppy to get me to want to come back for more.  I was never a Legion fan before, and can’t say this series has done anything to get me to change my mind.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75

Mister Terrific #1 – The beginning of the comic was interesting enough, but that ending made me not at all interested in the second issue.  It was too abrupt and comes out of nowhere.  There’s also the very blatant playing off that Mr. Terrific is a black hero and there’s event a rather stereotypical issue of his interest in a white woman.  I’m sure the series will find it’s pace and feet after a bit, but I don’t think I’m sticking around for it.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Mystery Men #5 – A ho-hum ending to the series that attempts to mix real life events with a comic book and doesn’t pull it off too well.  The series was ok, and probably will read better as a trade paperback, but the finale isn’t anything special.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

The New Avengers #16 – We get to see what Daredevil was up to during Fear Itself and the issue is actually really solid.  I like the interview aspect of the issues and the story in this one is really good too.  It’s Daredevil’s acceptance into the crew and it’ll be interesting to see how that goes considering his recent past.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Red Lanterns #1 – In short, this is DC’s version of Ghost Rider.  It has potential, and I’ll stick around to see what that is, but the characters kind of started off as a one note gimmick and adding a bit to them will be a tough task.  We’ll see how it all goes though, but so far it’s pretty decent.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Resurrection Man #1 – A lot I really liked here.  I can’t say I know a lot about the character and this first issue gives you a hint about him.  There’s enough here that will get me to come back.  The issue though is it seems like I’ve seen this all before in a movie or television show.  Heaven and hell after one man’s soul, it seems too familiar.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Suicide Squad #1 – So much I like and at the same time it makes me miss Secret Six.  There’s so many costume changes that are so unnecessary too.  Still, there’s more than enough to get me to come back for the next few issues and see where it goes from here.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Superboy #1 – More than enough here to get me to come back for the second issue.  The story is interesting and unique enough to stand out from Superman and there’s enough mystery here with numerous characters to keep me intrigued.  This might be the first “Supes” comic I get into.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

Supreme Power #4 – Just one piece of a bigger puzzle.  By itself the actions of folks makes me scratch my head, but this seems to be the end of the middle chapter of a three act play.  Interesting, but it doesn’t blow me away as much as that first issue did.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 – An origin story that’d normally have taken an issue to get through looks like it’ll be spread out a bit.  But there’s a lot here that makes Mile Morales stand out from Peter Parker.  Bendis has made some interesting choices here and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes.  I’ve never been an Ultimate Comics fan, but this relaunch of the line has gotten me very interested.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Uncanny X-Force #15 – The team is trying their best to take on Archangel and his new horsemen before they transform the world.  Deathlok has also lost his shit in the process.  The trio of Deadpool, Fantomex and Deathlok is a team I want more of.  So wrong yet so right.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

The Unwritten #29 – The story of Wilson the the Tinker grows deeper and that ending kind of came out of nowhere.  The story is s bit easier to understand but no less interesting.  This is one of those sleeper series more people should be reading.  It challenges you in every way.  Solid as usual.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

X-Men: Legacy #255 – Magneto attempts to bring a peace between the two warring armies while Rogue takes over command of a familiar bunch.  The story is really just a way to get Havok, Polaris and Rachel back into the fold, the stroy I could do without.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Just need to finish this week’s books and I’m totally caught up reviewing purchased books, and you get to see those reviews later today.

American Vampire #18 – Pearl and Skinner duke it out as time ticks down until the island goes boom.  There’s some nice action and great art with a very solid ending to this story arc.  Here’s hoping the next one is just as solid.  Snyder has been continuously improving as the series has gone one.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Astonishing X-Men #41 – The story switches back to Mentallo.  The ending is ok, but overall, I can’t say I cared about the story or it’s conclusion.  The art was also a bit inconsistent at times.  The arc was forgettable to me, but it was nice to see Roxxon play a bigger role.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

The Bionic Man #1 – Kevin Smith blows the dust off another classic series and gives it a bit of a modern spin.  All the basics are there and this issue is full of set up for what we know is coming.  It’s more than enough to get me to come back for a second issue and here’s hoping he does for this as to what he did for The Green Hornet.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #3 – What a cop out crap ending.  Absolutely nothing is resolved and the ending just feels so convoluted and a waste.  I’m absolutely baffled as to the point of this three issue limited series other than bringing Constantine into the DC universe.  There’s so much wrong with this last issue, I don’t even know where to begin.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75

Captain America & Bucky #621 – The early adventures of Captain America and Bucky don’t feel wedged in like they should and the focus on the beginning of their partnership, void of over the top villains, is a great change of pace from the bigger stories that have been occurring lately in their other and past series.  It’s a nice “retro” comic whose focus is on character.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Chew #20 – The series continue it’s mystery as to what the strange writing in the sky is.  I really have no idea what to expect, but the humor is great as usual, I love the art and I always walk away being entertained with a smile on my face.  This is consistently one of the best comics out there.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Daken: Dark Wolverine #13 – The idea that Daken is “The Claw Killer” is thrown into question in this issue and now I don’t know the answer myself.  The series continues to show it deserves a lot more respect than it gets and has improved throughout it’s run.  A solid comic that keeps you on your toes.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #4 – Gravity and Hardball fight it out over Hardball’s actions in the last issue, while everyone else reacts to it, but none really do anything.  There’s some things I really like, but the fact so many stand around and just talk about their fighting, as opposed to reacting to it, the overall issue is a bit silly.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25

FF #8 – Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?  It’s pretty damn unclear at this point, cause it’s pretty obvious there’s a lot more going on than we’re aware of and the story we’re being given isn’t all of it.  Jonathan Hickman continues his guiding of Marvel’s first family and while single issues might falter here or there, the overall vision is solid.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #3 – Am I supposed to have mixed feelings about the Hal Jordan of this world?  In one way he’s a hero, but in other ways he’s a complete coward and shit head.  Not the best of endings, but it’s a piece in the bigger puzzle of the story.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #3 – I liked the final chapter more than the first two and wish the first two had Kid Flash doing more of what he’s doing here.  There’s also a nice homage to the White Lanterns.  Another piece of the Flashpoint puzzle that’s kind of cool and feels like an end chapter to the convoluted story that is The Flash.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #3 – Released a week later than it should have been, this issue has a key part of the Flashpoint storyline and it makes it a good one to read for that.  Overall though, it’s not so much a story as a series of events that all tie into Flashpoint and it can’t really be enjoyed without that.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Flashpoint: Project Superman #3 – I’m a bit mixed on this one.  There’s a lot more potential in this than three issues and a Superman created out of torture and grief instead of love and ideals is an interesting idea.  Too bad the story was so short and often not as focused as it should of been.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13 – Guy Gardner and Batman team up to solve a murder.  I can’t say this was the best way to end the series.  A lot to be desired, but at least it’s a self-contained story.  It’s just one that didn’t need to be told.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 6.75

Incorruptible #21 – Max Damage is building something, no one knows what and someone has shown up from Plutonian’s past that’s scaring the crap out of all of the loose villains.  It’s an interesting story that’s starting to focus more on Damage atoning for everything he’s done and out of everyone, he’s stuck to the straight and narrow.

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

Kick-Ass 2 #3 – Long delays have taken the shine off of this series.  The super villains make their move though, and there’s the over the top violence you’d expect.  This feels like Tarantino doing a super hero movie, except the violence is just for violence sake.  Not quite sure what I think, but it just doesn’t feel as much fun or interesting as it used to.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25

Mystery Men #4 – There was a fun pulp feel to the comic, but it just feels really slow paced now and a bit boring.  The story is ok, but I can’t say I’m blown away by it at this point.  It’s not what I was hoping for, but it’s not really bad in any way.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7.25

New Mutants #30 – Yawn.  Another Fear Itself tie-in that derails the progress a series was making.  The team is in Hell while Dani is trying to help Hela in Hel.  And even with all of that, it’s still boring.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

The Punisher #2 – Greg Rucka mixes a noir crime drama with a traditional super hero comic which is pretty cool.  The focus of the comic is more on two detectives figuring out a wedding massacre, instead of the Punisher dispensing justice, and it works really well.  A great comic that welcomes back a much missed character.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 – It’s great to see the Turtles back in action, and the comic has a great feel towards the grittier version of the comics.  There’s some nice digs at the slapstick version of them, but it looks like the series is the welcome return I’ve been waiting for.  There’s enough there that makes the comic feel like it’s classic version, but also a lot hinted at that gives me a reason to come back for more.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

The Ultimates #1 – Are the past volumes like this?  The first issue of this relaunch packs a punch right from the start as global crisis light up and Nick Fury and his team must respond.  It’s enough to get me to come back for more.  One hell of a start.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Uncanny X-Force #13 – The team scrambles to save Warren and lots of sacrificing happens.  It’s all action this issue that doesn’t really stand out by itself, but it’s a solid addition to the great story that’s being told.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Wolverine #14 – While the lead up hasn’t impressed me at all, that ending was one hell of a twist I didn’t even think about.  This story arc and the one that preceded it haven’t impressed me at all, but this issue finally puts the pieces together and lifts up what’s come before a bit.  It’s not the best Wolverine, but, in the end it packed a punch.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

X-Men #16 – The FF and the X-Men have to team up to save a friend.  The story is ok so far, but the interaction between everyone is great.  Some pretty good stuff so far, but not great.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

X-Men Legacy #254 – The team is trying to figure out what the hell is going on as they attempt to rescue Havok, Rachel and Polaris.  The story is ok and there’s a nice build up of mystery and also a tie-in to a past story arc.  Overall decent, but not quite the exciting return I was hoping for with these characters.  But thankfully they’re back.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

I love superhero movies.  Everyone loves a great super hero movie.  The classic good vs. evil story line that include great fight sequences with inspiring stories about a character rising up against conflict and succeeding.  They’re almost inspiring enough to make the regular audience think, ‘I could do that, I could fight evil, and protect the citizens.  Why not me?’  Or maybe that’s just me.  I’ve always believed being a superhero couldn’t be that hard.  Dressing up, having an arch enemy, and overcoming evil.  Now I’ve never actually tried to be a superhero[except maybe once when I tried to make my own superhero movie when I was 15, but that's a story for another time], but Hollywood has a couple of interpretations of what would happen if regular folk tried to become superheroes.  Hit the jump for when Hollywood took a crack at when regular people become Super Heroes.  Spoilers Beware.

Super

I recently watched this movie and I have to give it credit as to what inspired this post.  This movie is the horrifically comedically dark tale of a psychologically damaged man named Frank who goes on a vigilante rampage after a drug dealer steals his wife from him.  The Crimson Bolt (Rainn Wilson), uses his wrench of justice to beat up everyone from local drug dealers and people who bump cutsies in line.  With the help of comic-book crazed sidekick, Boltie (Ellen Paige), they work together to try and bring down Jock (Kevin Bacon) who stole his wife (Liv Tyler).  The dark tone and narratives Wilson provides adds an an overall ominous and comedically black atmosphere that’ll make you shake your head in shock or disgust.  But in the good way.

Mystery Men

If I had to chose a favorite movie on this list, this one would be it.  This is the tale of a B-Team of super hero posers who are called into action when the city’s main and successful superhero is kidnapped by an evil mastermind.  This movie is star powered to the max including people from Ben Stiller to Eddie Lizard to Greg Kinear to Geoffrey Rush.  Their talent isn’t wasted either.  Great character development is portrayed through snappy dialogue and you can tell the cast has fun with each other as they shoot witty dialogue back and forth.  The range of superpowers these regular folks have are hilarious, ranging from being extremely mysterious to only being invisible when absolutely no one is watching all the way to being extremely gifted with a shovel.  The plot is as deliciously ludicrous as it’s colorful cast.  Please pick up a copy of this movie now and join the colt following.  NOW.

Watchmen

The only real serious movie on this list.  But in all honesty, these folks aren’t really all the regular or nonsuper.  They all have abnormal strength and one of them is even the product of some sort of nuclear reaction.  I included them on this list, because although they aren’t necessarily normal folks, they aren’t like superheroes like Batman or Superman, but more like realistic heroes who don’t have any powers.  Or maybe it’s the realistic alternative universe the movie is set in that makes me believe it’s not your regular super hero movie.  Anywho, trying to explain the plot would be pointless because it’s awfully complex, but I’d recommend the movie anyways for its colorful cast and interesting storyline.

Kick-Ass

A stylish flick by Matthew Vaughn stars Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass, a comic book geek who’s fed up with all the crime and dons a mask and a wet suit to fight evil.  After being stabbed and hit by a car on his first adventure as Kick-Ass, he gets a metallic bone structure that ironically allows him to get his ass kicked even more.  The film evolves past Kick-Ass himself when he gets involved with two real kick-ass superheroes  and the mob that’s out to kill him.  The story gets interestingly complex from there and displays horrifically violent and bloody scenes alongside its lightly dark and comedic tone that narrates the story.  This is probably the last worthwhile Nicholas Cage movie he’s released in a long time.  Or maybe even ever.  I’m not completely sure.

Defendor

This is a relatively unknown gem starring Woody Harrelson as Defendor.  Defendor’s alter ego is a psychologically damaged man who believes he was born to fight crime on the streets.  Using marbles, a WWII shovel blade, and a large truck as his main weapons, Defendor more than often gets beat up when against the crime of the street, but that doesn’t stop him from believing he’s invincible.  One of the more touching and moving films on this list, Defendor feels like the sympathy in a Forrest Gump type film.

Don’t forget to remind me where I’m ignorant.  Tell me if I missed any others.

Joaquin Phoenix does a reasonable job as the lead. His character isn’t really written with a good head on his shoulders. He tends to take the really stupid choice in any situation, but he is consistent. He made it  much harder on himself than it had to be, but I guess sometimes people do that.

The movie starts with Clay Bidwell shooting at bottles out on the plains (Montana maybe?) with a friend. The friend soon begins accusing Clay (Phoenix) of sleeping with his wife. Clay (hence the title) denies this, but his friend is determined to commit suicide and does. On top of that he planned several things to make it look like Clay is the one that pulled the trigger, going so far as to shoot himself in the leg with Clay’s gun before killing himself with it.

Clay panics and tries to cover it up. He does so and being a small town, noone expects good ol’ Clay to have murdered his friend. Unbeknownst to the rest of the town, Clay WAS sleeping with the man’s wife and in order to keep up appearances (and in reaction to the wife’s apathy for her husband’s death) Clay tries to break off their relationship.

Nicole Arlyn plays an important, if small role...

That doesn’t go very well and Clay soon finds himself in deeper, darker waters. By the time Vaughn’s psychopathic stranger enters the mix, Clay is in full downward spiral and lying to cover up lies.Saying any more than that would be giving away too much. I may have already done that.

Vince Vaughn has played a few weirdos in his career, this one being one of those. He uses a goofy laugh to signal that weirdness, though none of the film’s characters recognize it as that.

Phil Morris with Garofalo...

This was back wen Janine Garofalo had a little bit of  afilm career and wasn’t complaining about how she had to maintain a certain appearance to get roles. I know that’s unfair, but part of the business. David Strathaims is probably a better actor than Brad Pitt, but he’s probably never going to beat him out of any roles. It’s not just the women’s roles Janine. Anyway, she is decent in this as she was competant in a good many roles in this time frame like The Minus Man (where she also played  a law…person.) or The Bowler in the underrated Mystery Men.

Scott Wilson is understated in this, but I think is very important to the appeal of this film, at least for me. His character is written smartly and not just as the backwoods sheriff who always immediately takes the wrong side. He is an interesting counterpoint to Garofalo’s character, who acts more on evidence than on feeling.

Out of all of the actors, the one that surprised me the most in this was Georgina Cates as the unfaithful widow. She was completely unrecognizable in this. The last time I saw her was in a movie called An Awfully Big Adventure (which I didn’t like) that was made 3 years prior of this. It’s still hard to believe it’s the same person.

The resolution of the film is a little puzzling. I might have to watch it again to try and understand some of the final motivations of some of the characters. It still was a satisfactory ending, though. And I liked the Montana setting, too. Just placing the story there, gives it a little of a western flair. It’s a good movie that surprised me by having the Scott Free banner attached (Ridley Scott’s production company). Worth seeing.

4 of 5

-bp

[via LA Angels Insider]

When a book by Allan Moore ends up nr. 9 on your list, it means you’ve read a lot of great books!

Pee Wee Herman was huge in America during the 80′s. His show (which originated as an innuendo-heavy stage act) debuted as a HBO special in 1981. Then Pee Wee hit the big time, starring in, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985, where the character toned down the adult innuendo to get the kids onboard.

Another film, Big Top Pee-wee, followed in 1988 and a TV series, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, ran from 1986 to 1991 on CBS.

Then in 1991, the man behind Pee-Wee, Paul Reubens was arrested after being caught wanking in a public theatre. Oh dear (chuckle, fnar)!

Since then, Reubens’ career has been inevitably almost non-existant, popping up in semi-flop, dark horse comic adaptation, Mystery Men in 1999 and then in August 2006, reappearing on late night American cable screens with a re-airing of Pee-wee’s Playhouse on Adult Swim.

Anyway, rumour has it that known fan and current Hollywood comedy darling, Judd Apatow is set to produce a comeback movie for old Pee Wee with Universal.

Read all about it over at the Empire magazine site here.

Becoming one of my new favorites.

It’s a thick stack of books dominated Flashpoint tie-ins and the debut of some high profile series.  What’s worth the money and what can you skip?  Find out below!

Alpha Flight #2 – There’s definitely something appropriately “Canadian” about this series both in it’s topics and it’s voice.  We get a better sense as to exactly is going on and somewhat the Unity Party is up to.  The series hasn’t blown me out of the water yet, but it at least has a unique voice and feel.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2 – I said after reading the first issue whether we really needed a mini-series of the still very young and fresh American Vampire, but the answer is yes.  Both series are showing off a quality that justifies and any chance to speed up the story telling is much appreciated and wanted.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #521 – For all those that laughed and moaned when they say sketches for the American Panther, I guess they get to eat their words.  Sadly the story is tied in a bit with Fear Itself, but if it didn’t have to be, the story would be very solid dealing with hate and fear in America.  If anything, the story so far doesn’t go enough, but it’s still a great read.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

Booster Gold #46 – Booster continues to fight Doomsday and the story is ok, but really is one extended fight scene that doesn’t move the story along or give us a greater glimpse into the world of Flashpoint.  The art too seems to have slipped a little.  Not as good as the first two entries.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Captain America #1 – And a new Captain America series is launched almost jettisoning Brubaker’s previous run.  The first issue though is beyond solid with great action, interesting mystery and a great look.  This is everything I hoped for and more.  Very great read and a must buy.

Story: 9 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9

Daken: Dark Wolverine #11 – Daken has turned into a drug addict which is a bit of an interesting story line.  I like the art style switching between him being normal and being high and as always the twisted sexual games he plays is something you don’t see in too many other series.  This is one that’s flying under the radar and worth the read.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Deadpool #40 – This probably could also be called “When Deadpool Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.”  Deadpool gets sent to a psych ward, though it’s in England, which doesn’t really make sense, but oh well….

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Fear Itself: Spider-Man #3 – Probably the best of the Fear Itself tie-ins, the story sores because it focuses not on Spider-Man and his rather uphill battle, but instead of average people suffering from the madness of the world around them.  A solid three issue limited series that’s much better than the event series it’s tied into.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

FF #6 – So much that’s very cool, but if feels wrong for Black Bolt to return under anyone’s guidance other than DnA.  At the same time, I’m forced to say “huh?”

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #2 – The issues starts off strong enough with the Rogues out to take on Cold, but the end is a bit confusing as to what’s exactly going on at times with the action not being clear enough.  Overall, still entertaining.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Flashpoint: Deathstroke – And the Curse of the Ravager #2 – The fight between Aquaman and Deathstroke’s crew continues in another issue that’s mostly fight. Again, not much movement and showing the world that is Flashpoint.  For a great setting sail, the story seems to have lost it’s momentum.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2 – The origin of Emperor Aquaman and it’s a very good read.  We get a good sense of who he is and why he is the way he is due to this issue and…. it moves the overall story forward.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2 – Something was a bit uneven about this issue.  It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t particularly good either.  I guess overall, I feel like it just doesn’t fit into Flashpoint and doesn’t add anything to the overall universe.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Ghost Rider #1 – I wasn’t too impressed by the #0.1 issue and the first issue didn’t blow me away either.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 6.75

Green Lantern #67 – Now that was an ending, but we’re left with tons of questions as to what to expect in the relaunch of this series.  The War of the Green Lanterns was uneven at times, but the ending made up for it all.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Green Lantern Corps. #61 – A nice throwback issue that takes on a social issue and addresses it at a galactic level.  At the same time we’re introduced to all of the new Lanterns recruited during the war.  It’s a decent issue, but the series just seems to be killing time until DCnU kicks off.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.25

Journey Into Mystery #625 – While I will say the series is solid, it’s a bit too convoluted in it’s dealings and double dealings.  The story isn’t straightforward and you need a chart to keep track of all of the wheeling and double dealing.  The series is interesting though and this issue does give us a glimpse as to the origin of the Serpent.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Mystery Men #3 – We’re a little over the half way point and the series introduces some more “heroes” to the fold.  The story has a modern pulp feel to it that’s entertaining, but doesn’t quite meet the quality of The Twelve which it resembles.  It’s a good series, but might be best to read in trade form.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

The New Avengers #14 – I’m a bit mixed on the issue.  It focuses on Mockingbird and her new status as well as some issues Spider-Man is having and also what’s going on with Fear Itself.  There’s one scene in particular that’s very reminiscent of 9-11 that really caused a mixed stir of emotions that I’m still processing while I write this.  Is it over the top?  Maybe?  Is it one hell of a statement in one page?  Yes.  Is it beautifully drawn?  Absolutely.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

New Mutants #27 – Really a convoluted way to get Nate Grey back in the fold the story is so-so and the art actually sub-par for an “X” book.  Even with a reboot, the series isn’t what it should be.  It comes off as second class in many ways.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

The Red Wing #1 – Jonathan Hickman is a brilliant writer and this series is an interesting start.  I can’t say it’s quite up to snuff as his past indie series, but those are some of the best comics ever written.  An interesting start though.

Story: 8.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8

the Unwritten #27 – The series gets a bit more meta as the shift comes into how comic books have shaped the modern myth.  It’s definitely interesting to read and I wish I had someone to discuss it with.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Wolverine #12 – Folks still want revenge on Wolverine and this arc just doesn’t hold up either.  I like the idea of focusing on the folks that Wolverine has hurt through his actions, I’m just not sure this is the best way to go about it.

Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.25

X-Men: Schism #1 – And in one issue everything ramps up as the latest “X” event kicks off.  We’ve seen the prelude and we’ve gotten hints as to what expect, but now it’s game on.  Jason Aaron has had mixed results in my opinion of his handling of various “X” titles, but this limited series kicks off with a solid start.

Story: 9 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9

Frasier Irving's cover to DC's Xombie #4

The current volume of this DC series is the only one I have ever read. Beyond these four issues I have no inkling about this character. But I am loving the hell out of this. This fourth issue has a very striking cover with an image of a giant skull with a fortress on top of it, flying through the clouds. I thought the image was somehow symbolic for what happens in the issue, but as it turns out, the skull fortress is actually a mayor plot point. That’s one of the great things about this series, big and high concepts visualized through gorgeous art and told through near flawless storytelling. While the first three issues had many great action scenes and a high whacky-ideas-per-page-ratio, this one dials down the action to make place for exposition. While the number of big idea takes a drop, the size of them are still pretty fugging huge. Still, that’s one of the reasons this issue was slightly less good (yet still great) compared to the three issues before. The art however is so great I’d eat it up even if it was an issue long conversation between two characters in the same room…
Art: 9     Writing: 7            Overall: 8

3. Mystery Men #2
While I have never really been into the pulp heroes of the early twentieth century, this book  keeps me really enthralled. The story revolves around two masked heroes, the Operative and the Revenant that seem to be placed into Marvels history during the nineteen thirties. Both men are researching the murder of a Broadway actress, to at least one of them the investigation is very personal, for the victim was his lover and the culprit, as is revealed in this issue, has a personal connection too. I have not read any other works by writer David Liss but I would easily believe that this is not his first work in the pulp hero genre. The pulpy noir atmosphere complemented with rich historic details really gives this book a unique feel. The series artist Patrick Zircher adds to this with his moody art style that I can best describe as a blending of Gabriel Hardman and John Cassaday. This guy really has a knack for intense and dynamic action scenes, both though page layout as well as his spectacular panel compositions.
Art: 8.5  Writing: 7            Overall: 7.8

4. X-men Schism #1
At the core of my comic book reading habit I admittedly am a X-fan. After my first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics it was the X-men that got me hooked on comics. And while my tastes since then have more and more deviated to other heroes, other genres and even other publishers I will always be curious as to the status quo of the X-men. After having left the books for some time, I have been fully onboard again for some time now. And the idea of a good old fashioned brawl between different factions of the X-men has me giddy, just like the good old days! So at least to me, this mini-series provides a very interesting concept. While all the hype is focusing on Wolverine versus Cyclops, near the end of this issue it seems that the classic friction between Storm and Cyclops will be the catalyst for the upcoming schism. I had expected more of the art and liked Pacheco’s .1 issue from a couple of weeks ago much better. Though I can see that this version of his style is more compatible with his followers on this series Frank Cho and Daniel Acuna. The story? One mutant pisses of all of the world’s leaders and does so in the name of all mutants. In reaction anti mutant hostility rises to an all-time high, which is why Cyclops gets ready for war, while Storm argues for a more peaceful approach. It’s told quite effectively and really plays on the emotions on the various characters and their relationships to one another.
Art: 7.8 Writing: 7.8        Overall: 7.8

The weekend is so near and that just means last minute planning for those of us heading to San Diego Comic-Con 2011.  Have to say I’m very excited and hopefully we do you all proud as far as news.  Well, while you contemplate what you hope to see and hear, here’s the news you might have missed.

Around the Blogs:

Business Wirew – G4TV.com Teams with Graphicly to Give Fans Free Digital Comics – Be interesting to see how this goes.

Con Coverage:

Bleeding Cool – San Diego Debut: Octobriana

Bleeding Cool – San Diego Debut: Neil Gaiman In Hero Comics 2011

Kotaku – The Big Games and the Can’t Miss Events of Comic-Con 2011

CBR – Hero Initiative Announces Auctions for Comic-Con International in San Diego

Bleeding Cool – Trade In Your Copies Of Twilight For 30 Days Of Night At San Diego Comic Con

Bleeding Cool – San Diego Debut: Epoch #1 by Kevin McCarthy & Paolo Pantalena

Bleeding Cool – Marvel To Announce The Defenders At San Diego Comic Con

Bleeding Cool – San Diego Debut: Ties: A Chronicle Of Letters by Emily McGuiness

Culture Mob – Comic Con 2011 – 6 Days And Counting

MTV Geek – SDCC 2011: Animation Round-Up

Comics Alliance – The San Diego Comic-Con Exclusives Worth Standing In Line For

Bleeding Cool – San Diego Debut: Echoes HC by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rahsan Ekedal

The Mary Sue – Steven Spielberg to Descend on Comic Con to Promote Tintin

MTV Geek – Manga at San Diego Comic-Con

MTV Geek – See ‘Gantz’ and ‘Gantz II: Perfect Answer’ At SDCC

MTV Geek – Places You Don’t Want To Be At SDCC

Bleeding Cool – San Diego Debut: Stripperella #1 Actually Written By Stan Lee

Around the Tubes Reviews:

IGN – The Amazing Spider-Man #665

IGN – American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2

IGN – Batgirl #23

IGN – Batman: The Dark Knight #3

IGN – Detective Comics #879

Mouth London – The Dylan Dog Case Files

IGN – Fear Itself: Spider-Man #3

IGN – FF #6

IGN – Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #2

IGN – Flashpoint: Deathstroke – The Curse of the Ravager #2

IGN – Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2

IGN – Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2

IGN – Ghost Rider #1

IGN – Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors #3

CBR – Green Lantern #67

IGN – Green Lantern #67

IGN – Green Lantern Corps #61

IGN – The Incredible Hulks #632

IGN – Journey Into Mystery #625

IGN – Loose Ends #1

IGN – Mystery Men #3

IGN – The New Avengers #14

IGN – The Red Wing #1

IGN – Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns #2

IGN – Superman #713

IGN – Ultimate Comics: Avengers vs. New Ultimates #6

IGN – Ultimate Comics: Fallout #1

CBR – Ultimate Comics: Fallout #1

ICv2 – Uncouth Sleuth

IGN – Wolverine #12

IGN – Comic Book Reviews for 7/13/11

We are also now part of the Earwolf family over at Earwolf.com in the “YOURCASTS” section. So go over to the Earwolf website and check out all the hilarious podcasts they also have to offer.

Remember to Subscribe to us Via iTunes, its FREE!! And while your there leave us a review, it would really help us out!!

Also, follow us on Twitter @PoddyMouths and “like” us on facebook.

Download & Listen to Episode 02 – Was It Cheeseburgers HERE!!!!

This week the pick seems to be a no-brainer.  Marvel releases it’s pseudo Captain America reboot/relaunch with Ed Brubaker‘s Captain America #1.  His run with the character has been damn near flawless and is easily one of the best ever with the character.  This issue also sees Steve Rogers returning to the role of the living embodiment of the US and all it’s ideals.

1. Captain America #1 – see above
2. Flashpoint tie-ins – DC’s event has really invigorated the entire universe and in this other world setting there’s been very few issues that haven’t stood up.  Well worth the purchase.
3. X-Men: Schism #1 – The big “X” shake up is here and after many months of lead up, we finally get to see what it’s all about and if Marvel can win back the summer event with this.
   
4. Lady Mechanika #2 – It’s been too long since the first issue’s release, but I did love it alot.
   
5. Mystery Men #3 – The Twelve is no where in site, so I’ll take what I can get in this series that seems to evoke a similar feel to it.

A few thoughts on this year’s fest.

Doug Jones answers questions from the crowd. Photo by Angela Behm

1)  Doug Jones was the perfect guest for the Imaginarium.  We’ve never had a “celebrity” guest before, and I was even a bit skeptical of the idea.  But what a delight Doug Jones turned out to be!  He was animated and engaging – qualities that shouldn’t be surprising in a performer, I suppose – but also very generous with his time and attention.  I could see how much his famous “Doug hugs” meant to people, especially kids.  There’s actually a Facebook page devoted to them which describes a Doug Jones hug as “like being wrapped in kittens, rainbows and the love of god all at once.”  I stood in line to get signed photos of him as Abe Sapien (for Mr. Right), one of the Gentlemen from Hush (for me) and Pan from Pan’s Labyrinth (for….shhh!  it’s a suprise!).

At the opening of his presentation, Doug showed some career highlights and I discovered that he had a tiny part in Mystery Men, a very silly comedy that I dearly love.  So that was the cherry on the sundae for me.  He did “Buffy”, and he did “Mystery Men”:  I’m a fan.

That's Cheesy on the right, and Aaron in the kilt, outside the Imaginarium. Photo by Angela Behm

2)  The volunteer staff at Cornerstone amazed me again.  In particular, I’d like to send a shout out to Curtis and Aaron.  Curtis is a tall, gangly recent college grad who ran the sound board at the Imaginarium.  I stood directly behind him in the line to meet Doug Jones and had the opportunity to chat with him at length (it was a long line).  None of that ironic detachment that the young folks are so fond of:  Curtis is friendly and full of enthusiasms.  Bless him.  We experienced significant technical difficulties at the fest this week – power going on and off in the middle of seminars – but Curtis cheerfully stayed on top of the sound issues as well as anyone could have.

Aaron supervised children at the Imaginarium.  Visually, Aaron was playing against type.  He’s a sweet faced young man with long blonde dreadlocks and a beard who spent the entire festival dressed in leather.  But not just any leather ensemble, mind you.  Aaron made his, and it included a leather vest, leather kilt, leather framed goggles, a pouch, and handmade jewelry.  All worn with heavy boots.  So he was perhaps not typical of the children’s church workers in my neck of the woods, but he was a complete sweetheart and the children loved him.  I never saw him without a smile, even when Cheesy was beating him over the head with a hula hoop.  He also gave a smashing on-the-spot performance of  Crazy Hair by Neil Gaimen.  I wish I’d gotten a photo of the kids sitting around him, in rapt attention, listening to that poem.

Love to you both, Curtis and Aaron.  People like you are part of the miracle that is Cornerstone.  I wish I’d gotten to know you both better.  Perhaps next year?

The Cornerstone look, deep in conversation with fest friends, 2010. Photo by J. Robert Parks

3)  It was a very hot, sweaty festival – the hottest in several years.  This made the transition to the “Cornerstone look” even faster than usual.  Every year I comment on this, but let me say it again.  There is something incredibly freeing about looking your worst and being loved anyway.  I get that freedom and acceptance every year at Cornerstone.  My hair does what it will.  I wear no makeup.  I burn.  My wrinkles deepen.  I sweat through my clothes.  No one cares.  I even smell and no one cares (much)!  I am part of  this little community at Cornerstone in which there’s no need to be self-conscious.  We love each other for reasons that are unchanged by sweat and grime and wrinkles.

I always wish I could hold on to that confidence in “real world”, but it does fade over time.  Still, I think it’s fair to say that Cornerstone has helped me become more comfortable with myself.  It’s a gift I didn’t see coming when I started attending the festival, but given my issues with appearance and aging, it’s most definitely a gift.

4)  On the last day of the festival I took the kids down to the lake for one last swim.  There we had the good fortune to witness the baptism of a young woman named Sarah.  Surrounded by a crowd of friends, including the aforementioned Aaron, Sarah was prayed over and then baptized into the household of God.  All the rest of us who happened to be there shared in the clapping and cheering, and it was a lovely experience.  The unexpected moments like that are often my favorite memories from Cornerstone.

Shel, image courtesy shelmusic.com

5)  Oh, yes, there is music at Cornerstone, too!  Admittedly I prioritize movies and seminars over concerts, but it’s always a happy surprise to “discover” a new band or artist at Cornerstone.  This year, on the last night of the festival, I heard a group called Shel.  Four sisters with great musicianship and dangerously, delightfully close harmonies.  It was a cool evening – finally! – children were chasing bubbles outside the tent where Shel was playing, we were all weary from the week, but content.  It was a perfect end to the festival.

6)  About next year….I don’t think I’m revealing a huge secret in saying that the Cornerstone Festival is struggling financially.   Attendance has fallen sharply in recent years, for reasons I can’t explain.  I don’t know what the future holds for the fest, but I hope we’re still going to Cornerstone years and years from now.  I have a semi-official invite to speak at the Imaginarium next year and that, friends, is a dream come true.    I”ll be preparing a seminar on all things Whedon, but especially “Firefly” (thanks for the idea, Drew).

You all should come.

It’s a thick stack of books dominated by some that made headlines.  Flashpoint and Fear Itself continue their march on our wallets.  What’s worth it, and what should you skip?  Find out below.

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #520 – It’s the Black Panther and Storm versus Kraven the Hunter.  The story was ok and there’s a decent resolution but overall the story left me wanting more, especially due to the fact Kraven has had some classic stories in the past.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.25

Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #1 – I know of the character John Constantine a bit and not really familiar with Swamp Thing at all, but this follow up to Brightest Day seems to fit the role of properly inducting the both of them into the DC universe.  The first issue is fun and interesting enough to make me want to check out the second issue.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Captain America #619 – The story of Bucky’s incarceration continues as his friends work on getting him out and figure out exactly what’s going on.  We find out what the Russians have been looking for and the transition of Steve Rogers becoming Cap again continues.  It hasn’t been the smoothing transition back with Fear Itself in full swing, but it at least makes sense in moving the story forward.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Dark Horse Presents #2 – Dark Horse’s second issue continues the quality we saw in the first with a mix of styles both in stories and art and though not everything carries over from that first issue, it’s still high quality.  Some things work better than others, but it’s well worth the purchase.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Deadpool #39 – To me the series has dropped a bit in quality falling way too much in the slapstick side of things.  I prefer the X-Force Deadpool versus this one that just comes off like a goofball.  I think this is it for me.  I really haven’t enjoyed the series in a while.

Story: 6 Art: 7 Overall: 6.25

DMZ #66 – A self contained story focused on Zee who has played the role of second fiddle for most of the series.  Instead we get inside of her head as to why she saved Matty on that day and her thoughts on her role in the DMZ.  It’s a powerful story that just shows the amazing narrative of this series.  Sadly, it also means we’re heading into the final story arc of the series.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9

Fables #106 – It’s the end of the story involving Mister Dark which comes not with a bang, but much of a whimper.  A lot of the issue is left for reflection more than anything and while it’s solid, it also feels like something was missing.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #1 – Whatever happened to Kid Flash?  I’m pretty sure this is the future of the Flashpoint world and it’s pretty cool as the series sets up even further mysteries surrounding this new world.  The art is nice and gets you right into the action slowly revealing what’s going on.  As usual, a solid Flashpoint tie-in.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #1 – We get a better sense of what’s going on with the Amazon’s new world as Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen get caught behind enemy lines.  The story is a little forced at times and there’s some potential here that’s hinted upon, but unfortunately can’t be followed up on.  Not the best of the Flashpoint tie-ins, but still better than a lot of what else is out there.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Flashpoint: Reverse Flash #1 – Wow and holy crap.  We get a real good sense as to what the Reverse Flash has been up to and this first issue just knocks it out of the park.  So evil, and so messed up, we get motivation, action and chills throughout.  Such a solid issue and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this three issue limited series has up it’s sleeve.

Story: 9 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9

Flashpoint: The Outsider #1 – While set in the world of Flashpoint, this first issue doesn’t initially seem to have a major impact in the overall story like other series.  Even so, it’s a great comic with a hard edge and a main character I’m hoping to see more of post DC relaunch/reboot.  Just a badass first issue.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

G.I. Joe: Cobra #2 – I’ve become a huge fan of all three G.I. Joe series as the action and consequences have kicked up from what I remembered.  All three series takes different looks at the leadership void in Cobra and the scrambling to fill it.  It’s a solid story and plot that seems rather relevant in today’s world.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.25

Iron Man 2.0 #6 – The Immortal Weapons and War Machine are called in to take on two of the hammer wielders.  As expected the issue is a bit of a let down, but there’s  twist at the end that I’m interested in seeing where it leads.  A so-so issue that’s killing the momentum the series had by forcing it to tie into Fear Itself.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75

Mystery Men #2 – The second issue of the series is entertaining and fun and overall I think this five issue limited series will be a fun read, but there’s one moment in this issue that just comes out of the blue and seems really forced and a bit too convenient.  I think in the end this will be a good pulp read, but don’t think it’ll be Earth shattering.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Namor: The First Mutant #11 – And that’s a wrap for the series.  I can’t say it ever really lived up to it’s potential, but the finale has a decent ending to it.  There’s a lot of open threads and a lot is left on the table, but it’s good to see this series put out of it’s misery.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

New Mutants #26 – There’s a bunch that works here and also so much that doesn’t.  Overall this new direction isn’t feeling so much as new, as it’s what we’ve seen before.  The art is off and dialogue a bit unimpressive.  Here’s hoping the series gets a major shake up post “X” event.

Story: 7 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.75

Secret Avengers #14 – A Fear Itself tie-in that focuses on Valkyrie and how she got that role.  The story is predictable and doesn’t have the emotional oomph it should, a forgettable issue overall.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Thunderbolts #159 – Three stories and all are actually pretty good.  They involve different aspects of the escape from the Raft and all three are entertaining, which is not expected since they’re Fear Itself tie-ins.  A good read even on it’s own.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160 – There was a lot of media coverage and hype of this issue and I can say I was underwhelmed.  There was a way more emotional impact that could have been done but instead we get the vast majority of the issue being a so-so fight and then just a few panels dealing with Peter’s “death” and the reaction to it.  Maybe those more vested in the series would have enjoyed it.

Story: 7 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.25

Wolverine #11 – This particularly back story as to why this person wants revenge on Wolverine is good, but overall the plot is pretty blah.  Add in some really odd art that looks like ink thumbprint smudges all over.  This Wolverine series hasn’t quite lived up to it’s past glory.

Story: 7.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 7.25

X-Men: Legacy #251 – The team takes on two more of Legion’s personalities and there’s some cool moments here.  Overall, the series is showing a lot of improvement with it’s new direction.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25