Comic-Con 2012
For the two people who might have forgotten, Comic-Con San Diego is this weekend. For those who are going, prepare to enjoy the long lines and bumping into people in costumes carrying huge bags. For those watching stuff from home, prepare to watch the “exclusive” trailers you didn’t have to wait in line three hours to see five minutes after it was broadcasted on a hard to see screen in a crowded hall.
I’m sorry if I sound like a hater, but once you go DragonCon you don’t go back. I’m sure Comic-Con is tons of fun, but there is too much emphasis on celebrities who stay at the Con for two minutes to pimp their next flick and then you never see them again. I would love to go to San Diego one day, but it’s a thirty-five hour drive compared to the three hour drive to Atlanta’s DragonCon. For all those who are going, have fun and post that autograph on your butt of Stan Lee.
Hit-Girl #1
If someone asked me how I felt about Mark Millar’s new comic “Hit-Girl”, I wouldn’t give a verbal answer. I would lift my hand, spread my fingers in a horizontal position, and wave my hand back and forth to imply a mediocre response. It’s all I came away with after I finished reading this first issue. The comic is well written and the art is excellent, but so much of it feels like an afterthought. It takes place between the two “Kick-Ass” books but was published after “Kick-Ass 2”. What was summed up in a single panel during “Kick-Ass 2” is now being fully explored in a full length comic series.
As the name implies, it takes the perspective of Hit-Girl. It’s an idea that looks great on paper, but doesn’t play out as well as a fan would hope. It still feels like a Kick-Ass comic and doesn’t seem to offer up any fresh perspective. There is even a scene taken from Kick-Ass’s perspective entirely as a homeless man tries to use the logic that all superheroes are millionaires to get a handout. This might have been different if we didn’t know the character so well, but Hit-girl rolls off the pages like a classic car with a fresh wax job. Also, taking the point of view out of Kick-Ass eyes hurts the story somewhat. No one really cares about the character Kick-Ass, he is mostly an everyman character that the reader can relate to and transfer roles. Trying to tell this story through the eyes of Hit-Girl hurts this aspect somewhat.
I did like the comic, and will continue to read it. But the world of Kick-Ass is starting to feel played out. It was the little book that came out of nowhere and knocked us to the ground. Now it’s gotten so popular that stories are being created to enhance the sales rather than the book. It’s too early to say if this comic is a hit or miss. But at least with Mark Millar, his misses are better than most people’s hits.
Read more about comics, including Previews!
Previews
Every month Diamond Comic Distributors puts out a fat book detailing just about everything comic book related that is coming out a few months from now. It’s like a crystal ball made out of paper. Granted the publishers have been known to make last minute delays in many things previewed in this book, but it is still a helpful guide to keep updated on the ever changing comic book world. Here are some key printings that I noticed and wanted to share with my fellow Basement nerds.
Death of the Family
Not one to take a break, Batman jumps from fighting Owls back to the Joker. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Mr. J and I’m sure whatever he has planned won’t be nice. With Scott Snyder still behind the wheel, this story is bound to be tense and epic making. The story title alone sends a tingle up my spine and hope nothing bad happens to Batman’s family. But this is the Joker we’re talking about. Someone is NOT going to be leaving this comic laughing, if they leave at all.
Amazing Spider-man #693
Never letting Spider-man have a break is the status quo for the comic. With issue #693 comes a new character named Alpha (using the traditional Greek symbol). The info is very ominous, as usual, and no idea if this person is even friend or foe. Ten bucks says foe.
Nemesis 2 #1
Mark Millar is bringing us his reverse Batman story again. Knowing Millar, there will be even more improbable stunts and human destruction.
#0 issues
DC is doing an entire month of just #0 issues. A few will be of new comics, like “Talon”. The rest will try to do a better job of explaining what happened during the reboot. Because they didn’t seem to get it right the first time.
Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Vol. 1 HC
The book that has been made into a movie twice over is now getting a graphic novel adaptation. That seems to be the only news here.
Happy! #1 (of 4)
Grant Morrison is doing something too extreme for DC and is moving over to Image Comics for this story. Something about a drunken cop, but it’s probably going to be one of those comics you’ll have to read to understand. The couple of previews pages I saw had lots of black marks to edit out naughty words. Apparently this comic is only for potty mouths. Good.
Also, in a shameless plug to myself, check out Bruce Osborne on Facebook. I post/link all my stuff there, including chapters on a book I’m working on. Feel free to hit the ‘Like’ button as if you’re an addict.
I also write publish works of fiction on my Bruce Osborne Blog. Feel free to read, follow, or even hate my stuff. I don’t care if people like it, only that they read it.
There are too many movies for me to review in full, so I created a twitter account to give brief opinions on the many movies I view. If you wish to read my smart ass remarks, follow M.O.V.I.E. Reviewer @MutantOpossum.
 Hit Girl Costume, C… $80.00
|
 Hit Girl Kick Ass b… $1.99
|
 Kick-Ass Hit Girl U… $5.00
|
 Kick-Ass Large Comi… $10.00
|
 Crochet Joker Doll $22.50
|
 Wooden Peg Doll Cus… $60.00
|
 Wonder Womans Evil … $349.00
|
 Girl with the drago… $24.00
|
