The Future

So. Figure I might as well continue this thing. I mean, I know that the professor of the GN class was the only one who read it and the class is over, but you know what? I don't go back to school for a few months and I don't know how the radio show will be working when that comes. With that said, I want to keep talking about comics here. The basic idea here is just that I share whatever thoughts I have with the interblag, so why not keep going? At least I talk about something specific; I'm not chronicling my boring-ass life like so many others that blog, and at least I'm not political on this thing.
So. Figure I'll try to keep this up with once-a-week content at least, and I'll be keeping it pretty on-topic for comics (been thinking that the radio show might branch out to non-comics animation). Also, I've had some practice with blogging at another site, so I'll be doing more fancy crap like pictures and videos like recent posts. If there is such a thing as a reader for this thing, I'd like to thank you for your patience. It's only going to get better from here.

Might as Well Talk About Iron Man

You know, I sort of wish I hadn't liked Iron Man so much. Then I'd be able to say something different from what I see everywhere on the net and hear in conversation. But you see, it's all true. Everything good you've heard about this movie is 100% right on. The acting is great, the effects are well done and still special effects (not overdone), and the plot reduces the character to his most essential elements and works from there.
A big reason many of us die-hard comics fans were so (rightfully) excited is because Jon Favreau, the director is... well, one of us. He's been looking to do a Marvel movie for around ten years now if you believe the rumors, and he finally got his shot and quite a bit of budget to do it with. It's actually a joke among my friends and I that scripts for movies more in line with the Spider-Man and X-Men (read: Wolverine) films, but Favreau rejected them on the grounds that they'd have made crappy comics.
And really, that's why Iron Man rocked so hard. It really felt like a good adaptation of a comic, even without being one. And the Iron Monger suit was like watching a steel-plated Hulk; bulky yet graceful... nice.

Webcomic Highlight: Dresden Codak

Dresden Codak does not work like other comics, or even other webcomics. It's in it's own little universe filled with theoretical science, high minded philosophy, and silly slapstick humor. In a big way, it's impossible to summarize, since before the current storyline, there was no emphasis on storylines, only concepts. So this Highlight is a quick hit because I don't know if I can do it justice. The writing is charming and intelligent, the art is attractive and expressive, the science is fun, and you really feel like you have a budding writer evolving as you read.
Another good reason to go read it now is the fact that the archives are short. It's been around for a while, but Codak himself is a student, and so there are often delays between comics; sometimes updates are a month apart. So keep it bookmarked, and check it every so often. It's a reading experience you won't regret.

http://dresdencodak.com/

Movie Trailer Madness: The Incredible Hulk

Is it bad that I can tell more or less the entire story from this trailer? Banner on the run, hating the Hulk inside him, society hating Hulk even more, Blonsky becomes the Abomination, people see how much worse Hulk could be, then Hulk saves them, and enjoys some popularity, and Banner accepts that the Hulk can be a force for good, and runs off at the end to continue to try to control it. They even got the license for the piano music from the T.V. show.
This isn't a criticism, though. The plotting of a Hulk story isn't where the depth comes from; it's the psychology and build-up, while the story mostly ends with Hulk hitting things and Banner running away. Also, they're obviously pulling some cool moments from all over Hulk continuity, like the Banner-into-Hulk air drop from The Ultimates. So I'm looking forward to it (it comes out the day before my birthday, and I always loved the Hulk), but I don't expect to be surprised.

Movie Trailer Madness: The Spirit

Frank Miller's Will Eisner's The Spirit. Damn it movie, what do you want from me? Yes I enjoyed Sin City, but that's because that's a faithful adaptation. No I don't want The Spirit to be Sin City 2, I can wait for that. Yes I like the casting you've got. No, I don't want them to all either be "badasses" or "whores" (Frank, you really need to work on this one). Yes I like the fact that The Spirit is having a resurgence, but a big part of that is Darwyn Cooke's version, which is true to Eisner's original vision. Oh, and it has colors. No, really. You can do that in a crime-based movie.
Now, I understand that Sin City was a gold mine, and 2 is in development hell due to actor disputes and schedule problems, but that's no excuse to take something that is an artistic work in its own right and make it into a "holdover" for something else by betraying the heart of the work. Now, I'll admit that this is a fairly abstract trailer, and the finished product might be something completely different. But I wouldn't put money on it. Not when I saw that all black "movie version" Spirit figure at NYCC.
Regardless, here's the trailer. Make your own decision.

Movie Trailer Madness: The Dark Knight

Now, it should be no surprise that I'm excited about the next Batman movie. While this time around Nolan doesn't have a comic to pull from (Begins was basically Year One: the backstory heavy edition), he is making some parallels to other films (he's referenced Heat as an inspiration in interviews). The fact that he said that brings up what I feel is an interesting point. Is it that different to make a superhero movie compared to any other kind? Now of course, with Batman, you can address the logical problems of superheroism by explaining his gadgets, but what about someone with powers, specifically ones that would not work in the real world? Could you base a Flash movie on some other film with no fantastic qualities? I'm not sure. Then again, I suppose it depends on the skill of the director and the quality of the script, not the conventions of the genre. What people expect is less important than delivering them a quality story.
Alright; I promised a trailer, so here it is. It's actually a brand new one, from some viral marketing event. The quality is iffy (I suspect camera phone), but the stuff's all there, and it's good.

The Best Part

So. Con again. Want to know the best part? I got to meet two writers who are among my all-time favorites; personal heroes of mine for the last few years and probably a good few more. Hell, I even liked them on a social level. I'll tell the stories in chronological order.
I met Darwyn Cooke on Saturday, early afternoon. I had tried in the morning, but the line to meet and get a signature was constantly changing direction, and I have a fervent distaste for strangers touching me, so I left, dejected. When I returned, he was coming back from a lunch break, and I made sure that the newly-forming line was going my way. I jumped through hoops for the right to meet the author/artist of New Frontier, damn it, and I was going to tell him how much I enjoyed his work. When I got to him, some random person (who hadn't been in any line) jumped in ahead of me and began accosting Mr. Cooke about something some other artist had said about commissions. When I (and by the look on his face, Mr. Cooke) had had enough, I politely elbowed the man out of my way, and got one of the things I had literally gone to New York to get.
Meeting Grant Morrison was less annoying, but took longer. I'd attended his Spotlight panel, and waited in various lines for almost two hours, but I got to him. The guy who helped change my perception of comics. He can write a story that explores Hell from the perspective of a Golden Age character gone wrong, or he can do Batman in a self-reflective style that uses things that had been retconned out. He made a joke about Britney Spears. I got a picture of him with me and my girlfriend. And his signature is across my copy of Kid Eternity's cover. And for that, all of the hassles were worth it. Everything else at con was just a bonus.