Works in Progress and Random Thoughts

“After a half century of devastating super powered conflicts ravaged the Earth causing a wake of severe collateral damage, the super powers establish a truce effectively ending the hostilities. The truce marked the beginning of a super powered cold war. That was the summer of 1986.More than two decades later the cold war is about to heat up, when a rebellious young group of super-villains inadvertently spark a disastrous chain of events forcing them to ultimately face a destiny they always hoped to evade, and possibly destroy a legacy.”

The above highlights the premise for a graphic novel, titled LEGACY, I am currently in the process of writing.

Aside from the above mentioned graphic novel I am working on, I have also revamped a script for the first issue of my most ambitious writing project yet. The first issue is to an epic sci-fi adventure titled TOMORROW NOW. The first arc of TOMORROW NOW is slated to run six issues but could be extended beyond that point as there are some exciting directions I can take the ensemble cast.

Two other titles, IN DER NACHT, and DEADLY UNION are

also in the works. Both are also planned to run six issues each. All three titles are radically different in that TOMORROW NOW is (as mentioned) a sci-fi epic, IN DER NACHT is straight up horror, and DEADLY UNION is a historical war story set during the Civil War. Despite being three separate titles they will all be tied together by a specific event (or series of events)

All three titles will work as stand alone stories, but of course can be read together in any order.

Some Quick Hits:

If you want someone to come to your wedding be sure you send them an invite. Otherwise don’t be surprised when they are not there.

Disney to Buy Marvel Comics: Maybe now

we can get that comic where the Punisher hunts down the cast of Mickey Mouse’s Club House.

Young Liars: Last issue hits stands today. Up is down, black is white, and you don’t know what or who to believe in this delightfully twisted tale driven by amazingly complex characters and a killer soundtrack.

Moon Knight will be back on September 16th with a vengeance, and I can’t wait! I must get that Finch variant cover!

People looking to make good Motion Comics should check out the MAXX series featured on MTV’s Oddities. Over a decade old and still better than a lot of the newer stuff I have seen.

I joined my first Fantasy football league with some of the good folks over at Standardattrition.com. My team name is Sunday Best…you’ll get the irony when I finish dead last. Special thanks to Luke Wigand for the guidance.

Am I the only one that still thinks Ben Reilly’s costume is cool?

Cup of Kryptonite is helping me fill in the gaps on some of my collections with their new “warehouse” feature. Maybe they c

an help you to, so check it out.

Men that are not excited for Football season are not actually men, they are women with penises. I can say the same about men that do not like wings or beer.

comics and Stuff

It’s been a while since I had a chance to post anything, which has been mostly due to the arrival of my son born back on June 10^th. There seems to be quite a lot going on in the comic book world these days, and wanted to share a couple of quick thoughts.

600 issues of the Amazing Spider-Man: With story and art by a who’s who of Marvel Superstar talent, the 600^th issue of Amazing Spider-Man proves to be a great read. This comic comes with a five dollar price tag, but I fell you definitely get your monies worth. The achievement of a comic book reaching its 600^th issue is not something that should be taken lightly, and Marvel celebrates this milestone with both style and substance. All of that being said; I feel that several other titles renumbered at the 600 mark before this one steal a little bit of its thunder. Thor, Captain America and Dare Devil have all already been renumbered, which appeared more as marketing gimmicks than anything else. Let me note that as someone currently working in Marketing, I do not necessarily take issue with what Marvel had done, and as a fan the change in numbering doesn’t really bother me. Unlike those aforementioned titles, this actually feels like a special milestone. I hope that it receives the attention it deserves.

Punisher Reloaded: It was announced last week that Marvel will be re-launching its Punisher Max series with a new number one and critically acclaimed writer Jason Aaron. Joining Jason will be Fan favorite artist Steve Dillon, who helped Garth Ennis bring the titular vigilante back into the spotlight under the Marvel Knights imprint.

Garth Ennis, another favorite writer of mine, had a 60 issue run on a Punisher series under Marvels adult oriented MAX imprint. The series established Frank Castle in the real world without the absurdity of costumed crime fighters, and super heroes. The series remains one of my favorites about one of my favorite characters. After Ennis left the series it was retiled Frank Castle: Punisher and the creative chores were passed back and forth between various creative teams.

Now it seems that title is being cancelled and reloaded by Aaron and Dillon. Once again called Punisher Max, Jason Aaron doesn’t just set his sights on the Punisher, but on two of his biggest foes as well. The first story arc will pit the Punisher against the Kingpin and Bullseye. This introduction of established Marvel characters is new to the Punisher Max Universe with but a few exceptions.

I’m totally stoked for this series, but have to admit the announcement did not come as much of a surprise to me. In fact; I not only guessed that Jason Aaron would be taking over Punisher Max after Ennis’ run, but also stated publically that I’d love to see Aaron have the Punisher face off against a villain like the Kingpin. Either I’m psychic, or dreams really do come true.

As an aside, the Punisher has always been one of my favorite characters, and I have even plotted out some MAX stories of my own that I would one day love to tell. The stories have been outlined, and I was working on the pitches, which can be a chore. I’ll keep the details close to my chest at this time, but keep your eyes open in the future for a stint on a Punisher Max series written by yours truly!

Captain Britain: The End: I came into this series late. In fact I didn’t read any of it until after its cancellation had been announced. Matt, my friend and neighbor who owns Cup of Kryptonite loaned the first dozen issues to me to read. As a comic fan, I feel I have perpetrated a great injustice because this series was really good, and unfortunately its sales were not reflective of how good it was.

There are those that feel super hero books have become nothing more than story boards for future Hollywood movies, and that was not the case here. For example, this latest story arc pits our heroes against Dracula and his invasion of Britain by space vampires…Classic!

This was the type of superhero book I would want to write, and is the type of superhero book I should have been reading. The diverse cast of heroes may not be as well known as your Avengers, or X-men, but writer Paul Cornell has done a superb job getting the reader to know and care about them. This is primarily done through their relationships with one another and their personalities more so than their super powers.

In retrospect this run has been a solidly entertaining ride, and I am regretful I hadn’t gotten on board with this book sooner. I can’t wait for Marvel to release this title as an omnibus, or at least in a couple of trade paperbacks. Maybe the sales of the collected editions will lead to the chance for another ongoing. If that becomes the case I will be sure not to make the same mistake twice.

Epic Sci-Fi: I like Sci-Fi, and I like Super heroes, but it hasn’t been until the last few years that I have enjoyed those cosmic based, sci-fi superhero comics. DC has been hitting homeruns with its Green Lantern series, which is a character I used to detest until discovering his potential under Geoff Johns direction. Green Lantern has become one of my favorite characters, and last summers Sinestro Corps War was a true blockbuster event.

We are now kicking off this summer blockbuster event, Blackest Night. And while the premise behind the color spectrum of the rings, and the various factions involved in a “war of light” may seem silly to the uninitiated, the execution has been wonderfully exciting, and new pitch perfect.

The same can be said over at Marvels House of Ideas starting with its Annihilation event from a few years ago. Annihilation introduced me to a whole new Marvel world that I never knew existed filled with exciting characters I had never heard of or completely forgotten about like Star Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and of course Nova.

I first read Nova in the pages of Spider-Man, or possibly New Warriors, but he was a character I never had much affinity for. Then the Annihilation wave changed all of that, it changed him, it changed me.

Now Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy is a couple of my favorite Marvel series. I hope the creative teams can do with Dark Hawk what they had done with Nova, and in Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s (affectionately referred to online as DnA) capable hands I am more than confident. Nova is one of those series that more people should be buying, and I fear it may soon share the same fate as the aforementioned Captain Britain series, if its sales do not pick up soon.

Novas #27 is in stores today and I recommend you all go buy a copy and become just as hooked as I am.

Speaking of Sci-Fi: It was announced last week that Moon Knight writer Charlie Huston has written a seven issue Deathlok mini series under the Marvel Knights imprint; I’ve always had an affinity with Deathlok and enjoy Huston’s comic work and prose so far. I am totally stoked for this, though I wish it were an ongoing instead of a mini-series. Hopefully the sales will demand a Deathlok ongoing, but it’s too early to tell.

New New Warriors?: After reading the latest issue of Avengers: The Initiative (#26), I have come to the conclusion that Chris Gage needs to write a new New Warriors ongoing. The ragtag team of outlaws he has put together is great including Justice (Former New Warrior Marvel Boy), Slapstick, Gauntlet, and Night Thrasher.

I don’t know how much life The Initiative has left in it since it was an offshoot of the Civil War, which seemed like ages ago. Regardless the rest of the run will be fun under Gage’s expert abilities, and I would love to see him take this book to it’s next logical step of evolution, which is a new New Warriors ongoing.

San Diego: This last week Comic Con International was held in sunny San Diego. I have never been, so I do not know what I’m missing. I know several people who were going, and wish I were able to join them in the festivities. I am hopefully going to be able to attend next year, but may do so as a guest as opposed to a vendor/artist alley inhabitant. I have heard that a show of that size and caliber would swallow my miniscule publishing venture anyway, and no-one would even realize I was there. I find that we fare better financially at smaller shows like KC’s Planet ComicCon, and MN’s Fallcon.

Hopefully next year it will be more fiscally viable to attend in the capacity as a retailer/artist, and maybe someday we could compete with the bog dogs, or maybe even attend in the capacity of working for the big dogs. Either way, I look forward to checking it out someday, and in the meantime will follow the news sites, and message boards for all the gory details.

A "non-review" of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Since I feel I lack the objectivity of being able to review this movie, this is less of a review of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie and more of some random thoughts on what I like and didn't like.

Some Spoilers Below, so consider yourself warned!!

Anyone who goes into Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen expecting it to be the next Citizen Kane is going to be sorely disappointed. However, if you are looking for big alien robots and even bigger action I’ve got your ticket right here. Despite scathing critical reviews the film has gone on to gross $201.2 million dollars in a mere five days, which should definitely ensure a sequel. I usually don’t agree with the up-tight, pretentious film critics anyway, and based on those stunning box office figures it appears the majority of film goers agree. Transformers: ROTF is the epitome of summer popcorn flick filled with two and half hours of in-your-face action, provocative eye-candy, and mind blowing special effects. I loved almost every minute…almost!

You may recall last time I posted a note that I was anxiously anticipating the films released and may have overhyped the film in my head, fearing it would not live up to my expectations. Well I am glad to inform you that it did in fact live up to those expectations, and in some ways exceeded them as well. There are just a few facets of the film I want to mention that are worthy of criticism.

The first is the inclusion of some superfluous scenes and characters. I hold the same criticism of the first film regarding Anthony Anderson’s character and the hot Australian chick whose name is not important. Those characters and their scenes seemed entirely unnecessary, and should have been left on the editing room floor. The same could be said in this installment of Sam’s (played by Shia Laboufe) college roommate. The character was totally unnecessary and though he may have been intended to serve as some type of comic relief he was nothing more than an annoyance. Ever since his introduction I was holding my breath for a Decepticon to step on his head.

I enjoyed the addition of Jet Fire who has always been one of my favorite characters. The take on him in this film is not what I expected, or would have preferred, but in the end he served his purpose. There was one expository filled scene however involving Jet Fire that could have easily been cut in half. A little time would have been saved, and the same points could have been made. The scene did serve as a break in the action, but actually pulled me out of the film a little bit.

People not intimately familiar with Transformers continuity may assume that the Fallen refers to Megatron (which it sort of does), as opposed to an actual character known as the Fallen. I would have much rather seen Megatron as the main villain this time around to; though the film does a good job building on Megatron and Starscream as individual characters as well as their relationship it could have gone further, and I hope to see that continue in the third installment. That being said it does not mean that the Fallen does not work as a villain because he certainly does. He also helps expand the legacy of the Transformers by building its history.

A welcome addition to the Decepticon Ranks was another of my childhood favorites, Soundwave. I am looking forward to seeing this character again in the next installment, and hopefully he will take on a more prominent role. We were also treated to an awesome Ravage, and Devastator who totally lives up to his name.

The Decepticon’s were not the only ones with some great additions to their ranks. The Autobots were joined by Sideswipe, and Arcee; both of whom I hope to see more of in the future.

Other than some unnecessary scenes, my one other criticism isn’t of the movie itself but rather in its marketing, which is no fault of the Director, or the cast, but of the studio. The movie is rated PG-13, and it earns its rating with intense action, over the top sexuality, coarse humor and foul language. All of these items are the typical ingredients in a movie I would love, but are not appropriate for a child still watching Sponge Bob Square Pants. This movie has been promoted heavily on channels like Nickelodeon, but it’s not a kid’s movie. Many will argue that it should be a kid’s movie because it’s based on a kid’s toy, but Transformers are not necessarily kid’s toys. I can prove this by giving any child a transformer toy and watching them dismember it while attempting to transform it. I did not feel that advertising it every commercial break on Nickelodeon was not appropriate, and in poor taste by the ad guys at the studio.

All in all I loved this movie for exactly what it was, and that it embraced what it was as opposed to masquerading as something it wasn't (does that sentence make sense?), and will definitely be seeing it again before it leaves theaters. It is long in some parts, and not appropriate for younger audiences, but it has none-the-less lived up to my own hype!

Transformers Hype

I’ve been anxiously anticipating the release of the Transformers sequel since the end credits rolled at the first one.  I became even more excited when the initial trailer aired during this year’s Super Bowl, and then again when additional trailers surfaced.  I almost couldn’t contain myself when the first wave of toys hit shelves and purchased nearly all of them in the first week.  Well, the six months of excitement have built to this moment as the movie hits theatres on Wednesday (June 24^th).  That afternoon, I will be there with my bucket of popcorn in one hand, a large ice cold Coke in the other, and a massive erection in my shorts. 

But alas, I now fear that I’ve mentally overhyped this film and my expectations may fall short.  Will I leave the theater disappointed?   If I recall correctly, there are very few times I have been this excited for a major motion picture.  Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Iron Man, X-Men and X-Men 2, the first Transformers film and the most recent Stark Trek are a few that immediately come to mind.  And none of those movies were a disappointment, all living up to my expectations, or at least within a reasonable proximity. 

Now I am not expecting much in ways of plot; after all the plot of the first film was practically non-existent, or at least completely transparent.  What I am looking forward to is giant robot on robot action (not that kind of action, perverts), and according to interviews I’ve read and trailers I’ve seen the movie will dish that out in spades.  I am looking for intense action sequences and mind blowing special effects! 

Say what you will about Michael Bay movies – I know there are plenty of haters out there – but I enjoy his kinetic, in your face cinematography.  His style does a superb job of making you feel like you are in the movie, as opposed to a panoramic view of the action that leaves you feeling like a spectator.  The first Transformers is awesome, The Rock is a rollicking good time, Armageddon is watchable, and Bad Boys 2 is one of my favorite action movies of all time, so Bay has a proven track record that instills my confidence.  I have faith in Michael Bay to provide me with two hours of solid entertainment; I just hope the movie can live up to its hype as it has played out in my head over and over again.

So this Wednesday I will have a bucket of popcorn in one hand, a large ice cold Coke in the other, a massive erection in my shorts, and my fingers crossed.  That’s what you call multitasking!

A brief review of the film will be posted next week.

First Look: the Princess and the Ladybugs

Well I have certainly been slacking in the “Updating my blog on a regular basis” department.  Well, I had some time this week to pound out some thoughts on the keyboard and post here for your reading pleasure.  

A unique children’s book written by an actual child!

Several months ago while sitting at my keyboard spewing senseless drivel onto the page until it started to make some sort of logical sense I was interrupted by my beautiful, inquisitive daughter.  She asked what I was doing and I explained to her that I was attempting to tell a story.  Her eyes lit up, “I want to tell a story!”  I pulled her up onto my lap and told her that she could tell me the story and I would type it up for her.  Immediately she spoke of a magical world where a beautiful young princess spent her days watching movies, and frolicking in the garden.  One day the beautiful princess wanted to ride a rollercoaster, and began walking toward the amusement park.  Along the way she met a group of ladybugs that also wanted to ride the rollercoaster with the princess, so they joined her on her walk.  When they reached the rollercoaster they found that it could only seat two at a time, and each of the ladybugs wanted to sit next to the princess…Well, I would hate to spoil the Climax and I know everyone is itching to read it.  

The book is 100% dictated by my four year old daughter; I simply typed the words up, and removed some redundancies such as, “She wore a beautiful dress that sparkled and it was beautiful.”  I also helped her sort out the beginning middle and end by asking questions such as, “What happens next?”

As with any great children’s story there is a lesson to be learned by the last page, and it was a lesson my daughter had in fact learned on her trip to the amusement park last summer.  In fact I bet if we were to ask her the name of the princess in the story it would be Zoe!  The book also ends on a sort of cliffhanger, which leaves room for possible sequels!

As of now the pages are in the hands of Jessica Scott, a lovely and talented local artist that was so kind as to offer her time and skills in illustrating the story.  Once the story has been illustrated we will shop it around for a publisher or simply publish the book ourselves.  Ninety percent of the proceeds will go towards Zoe’s college fund, and the remaining ten percent will be donated to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.  There will be more details as they become available.

As we get further into the convention season I will share some highlights on past conventions and expectations for this years conventions.  To begin I want to look at my top three Fanboy Arguments:  The following are actual arguments I have engaged in with passionate Fanboy’s.  Though there are many, these are among my favorites.

Superman vs. Dr. Doom:  One Fanboy asked a nearby artist for sketch of Dr. Doom and Superman sitting at a table playing chess, and Dr. Doom would be losing.  I could not help but pipe up informing him that Dr. Doom would certainly not lose a game of chess to Superman.  I spent the following five minutes  elucidating the awkward young man that it had nothing to do with Dr. Doom being smarter than Superman, but rather Dr. Doom always planned several steps ahead, and was not afraid to sacrifice his pawns; two key elements in winning a game of chess.  I crushed the young mans dreams with the realization that good does not always win.

Vampire Hunter D (D as in done it before):  A wide eyed young lady stopped by our table pitching her dream story to anyone that would listen.  In her story a half-human, half-vampire woman has dedicated her life to hunting evil vampires.  Her story seemed oddly familiar, and I mentioned that to her.  She valiantly defended her coveted creation, even referring to it as Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Watchmen – What!?!  This was obviously a lose-lose argument for both parties involved, and I did not need a Fanboy (Fangirl in this case) suicide on my conscience, so I politely (as politely as my snarky-ass knows how to anyway) backed away, and wished her good luck.

Chaykin’s biggest fan:  Ant and I had the pleasure of meeting Howard Cahykin’s biggest fan at MN’s Fall Con one year.  This young man stood in front of our table for a good forty-five minutes reminiscing about his favorite Howard Chaykin stories, and how Howard Chaykin has inspired him artistically.  Ant, as usual, has no idea who Howard Chaykin is and simply nodded his head and smiled as if he was following the young man’s train of thought.  I did agree with many of the young man’s points especially since I like much of Howard’s early writing, but our harmony turned bitter when I mentioned that I did not care for Howard’s art, even citing it as my reason for dropping Marvel’s Blade, and Punisher War Journal series.  The man shot me a look as if I had just eaten his baby; his demeanor shifted from flamboyantly giddy to judgmental, but still flamboyant.  The man defended Chaykin’s art as if it was his own, and I had clearly insulted him.  In my own style of concession I implied that art is always an issue of individual preference.  He left the table with victory in one hand and signed copy of Bloods Own in the other!

Free Comic Book Day 2009

FCBD IN RETROSPECT

Free Comic Book Day was this past weekend, and I want to thank everyone that stopped out at Jay’s CD and Hobby to visit with us, and pick up some cool free shit.  I also want to condemn those that did not.  I was trying to decide whether or not FCBD was a success, and by success I mean for the industry as a whole.  It was certainly successful for Jay who had one of his best sales days ever.  It was a success for us as a comic book company because we sold a few books (not as many as I would have liked, but Oh well), and sold some t-shirts as well.   I have been scrounging around the internet trying to pool as much information as possible regarding carious retailers and creators FCBD experience in gauging whether or not the concept behind FCBD was a success, which is to introduce the medium to new readers as well as reintroduce it to old ones.  Besides it gives me great joy in the fact that we geeks have at least one day a year to share our passion with the world. 

My own personal experience that day along with the general consensus across the World Wide Web has been yes; it was a success.  Since I do not want to speak for anyone else here, I will highlight my own personal experiences.  

Our table was in a room of the store next to the free comics, which allowed for some great traffic.  We also had some copies of bloods Own #1 on hand, which we were giving away for free.  There was quite a bit of down time that allowed me to browse the large selection of trade paperbacks all of which were discounted by 40%.  I met a young man who was searching for something any trade paperbacks featuring his new favorite character Dead Pool, and helped him find some books.  While scanning the rows of books we chatted about comics, I asked what type of books he enjoyed reading, and what some of his other favorite characters are.  He was not an avid comic book reader, and enjoyed less mainstream titles, so I directed him towards a number of great independent books such as Proof, Scalped, DMZ, Lock and Key, and Walking Dead (though that may be considered mainstream by now).  I also pointed out some great Marvel titles such as Ghost Rider, and Invincible Iron Man.  He seemed interested in the Black Panther, so I recommended Christopher Priest’s Black Panther run under the Marvel Knights imprint.  He bought a couple of books, and expressed a sincere interest in returning again to check out the other books I recommended.  

I know this seems like a very small gesture, and that you may think it’s only one person, but that one person can certainly has friends and family, and hopefully they can pay the experience forward.  Plus, if every fan, retailer, creator were to share a similar experience with just one person the number of comic book readers would certainly double.  So as small a gesture as it may be it has the potential to speak volumes.  

A second experience comes from the enjoyment I receive when I see the face of a young avid comic fans face light up.  That face happened to be Austin, my brother’s fiancés son (still following me?).  Austin reminds me quite a bit of myself when I was his age; he loves video games, transformers, and comic books.  He was not able to make it out to FCBD, so I brought the free comics to him.  It’s not stealing if they’re free, right? 

Anyway, my wife, daughter and I headed out to my brothers house after FCBD to celebrate the birthday of another of his girlfriend’s children.  I brought a sack of free comics and upon entering the door he instinctively seemed to know that I had something for him.  This isn’t the first time I had given him a stack of comics or toys, so maybe it was wishful thinking on his part.  As soon as I handed him the sack his eyes immediately lit up, and a huge smile crossed his face.  “WOW, comics!” he exclaimed.  He quickly tore the sack apart pulling out each one and commenting how cool they were.  Austin has not yet perfected the “reading” part, but is working on it, and I think that the comics will certainly help.  He at least has the will to read, which a great start is.  

I am grateful to be able to share my passion with someone as great as Austin, and am really looking forward to sharing that passion with my own son in the future.  

Another thing worth mentioning and something I learned at FCBD is to never leave your camera left unattended.  When I left Jay’s Saturday afternoon I mistakenly left my camera behind.  When it was returned to me the following day it was chock full of photos of various movie and album covers, crotch shots of toys and comic art, and even crotch shots of my respective artist/partner.  Let me just warn those responsible, that payback is a btich. 

Countdown to FCBD

The countdown has begun.  Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday May 2^nd, which is fast approaching, and I am totally stoked for it!  Why am I so excited you may ask?  Well, first it’s on a Saturday, which is the best day of the week.  And secondly; it is a day devoted to comics.  Everyone else has their holidays; the Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Taoists, and now the Geeks!

FCBD began as a marketing ploy to try and attract new readers to a dwindling market, and that is something I wholeheartedly support due to my own selfish agenda of trying to sell comics.  It provides antidote comics with an opportunity for exposure, which is very important to a small press publisher such as Antidote.  The more people I can get in front of means the more books we have the potential to sell, which means the more books we can create in the near future.  

It’s not just about monetary gain, however:  I love the medium of comics I love sharing them with everyone I know.  Just ask my wife who puts up with my incessant babbling over the newest issue of Nova, or Proof trade paperback I picked up at this year’s Planet Comicon.  Or you can ask my neighbor Matt who owns a comic shop, and can’t seem to get any gardening done without me pestering him about Marvel’s releasing Wolverine’s title out of numerical order, or Peter Parker revealing his identity as Spider-Man in not one, but two books this last month.  I wish more of my family and friends read comics, and I suppose they do if you count mine, but I digress.  

FCBD has not been around too terribly long, and I aim to help it grow and flourish.  I will be doing that this year by hanging out at Jay’s CD and Hobby on SE 14^th Street in Des Moines IA behind Culvers, and across the street from Menards.  We will have a table and will be selling books and T-shirts from noon to about five or six.  Bring the whole family for comics, games, movies, CD’s and toys.  There will be folks in costumes allowing great photo opportunities for the kids, and food and drink as well.  

I hope to see you out there!  

What else is going on?

X-men Origins: Wolverine is released in theatres this Friday.  I plan on checking it out despite the unfinished copy leaked to the internet several weeks ago and the poor response it seemed to receive from those the viewed it.  

In anticipation of the films release Marvel has been mass-marketing Wolverine comics for the month of May.  This includes a little switcheroo in the numbering sequence of the ongoing monthly titles.  Issue #73 will be released on May 13^th, while issue #72 will hit the stands on May 20^th.  Wolverine #73 will be written by Jason Aaron and Daniel Way, and their story wraps up in Issue #74, which is due to his shelves on May 27^th.  Is everyone following me so far?  Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s “Old Man Logan” arc which has currently been running through the title will be wrapped up in a spin off Giant Size Old Man Logan.  The out of synch release of the titles does not bother me really especially since I am confident that the stories will be good.  

I am a little bothered with the “Old Man Logan” story arc being concluded in a one shot title.  One of my biggest gripes with Marvel these days is the sheer number of mini-series and one-shots.  Mostly because of my very limited funds I am in the process of weeding out some titles as it is, so when I have to purchase Dead Pool and the Dead Pool mini-series it stretches my funds even thinner.  I wish that more story arcs would be worked into the main title, but I also understand that Marvel makes money off of suckers like me when they do release the one-shots and mini-series!  

I should also note that Wolverine changes its name to Dark Wolverine with issue #75 where Wolverine’s son, Daken appears to take the lead.  The name change along with shift in focus from Wolverine to his son means that I will save an extra $4.00 a month since I plan on dropping it from that point on.  I hate the idea of having to drop a book that I follow and have enjoyed, but up to this point I have not enjoyed the portrayal of wolverine’s son.  I have nothing against the idea of Wolverine having a son; it’s just the way he has been written to this point seems redundant.  The money saved will gladly be allocated to Jason Aaron’s new Wolverine: Weapon X series that I touted last time.  

And speaking of movies, I saw 17 Again on Saturday.  I was only going because I was forced to by my wife; we also took our daughter and my sister.  The movie was surprisingly better than I expected, and very funny!  How can you not love a character that is fluent in Elvish, sleeps in a Land Speeder bed, and seeks answers to life’s problems in an extensive collection of comics, and sci-fi literature?  Much of the humor was fairly adult oriented as well; during the movie my curious daughter asked me what a douche and bastard were.  All in all I thought it was very funny, and even very touching!

That’s enough rambling for this week.  Before I go I do want to mention that you can follow me via Facebook, and  twitter as well.  I am much better at updating Facebook than I am at twittering, but both are good tools to keep in touch!