Batman Turns 80

The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. The Batman.

One of the greatest masked crime fighters in all of comics turns 80 this month, and his masters at DC Comics have published a ninety-six page comic to commemorate the occasion. Detective Comics #1000 is now for sale at your local comic book shop, and if you're a fan of the character and his world then you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy.

I first met Batman through Tim Burton's 1989 film adaptation, which my father purchased on VHS from a grocery store when I was a very little boy. The dark, stylistic setting and the operatic characters of the movie were astounding to me. I eagerly watched from a hunched position in front of the television, memorizing scenes and occasionally trying out my version of the, "Batman voice." Movie tie-in toys followed as holiday and birthday gifts, and I was able to create my own Batman scenarios upon the floor of my bedroom.

I next officially encountered the character, shortly after, on the shelves of the comic book shops to which my Uncle Jeff and grandmother would take me. The comics were magical and immediately felt sacred. There was a power in the images of those books and the stories they told. As far as I'm concerned, Batman began in that four colored world, and he will always be at his best there, no matter how banal and idiotic the ideas and decisions of the writers at his publisher have been or currently seem to be.

After experiencing the comics I would occasionally see the Adam West Batman rerun on cable. The wackiness of the old Bill Dozier series felt off to me from the start, but it was nice to see any version of the character I had come to admire. I couldn't get over the quality issues and the camp, though. I mean, Batman once bested King Tut's brainwashing by drinking copious amounts of buttermilk, if I remember correctly. Even to a kid, the natural reaction was, "What the?!"

Next to the comics, the most powerful interaction I had with the character was through Batman the Animated Series. Bruce Timm, Paul, Dini, Alan Burnett, and so many others expertly crafted a show which was deep, rich, and spellbinding. The city and character designs, the atmosphere, and the average story quality were above anything else on television at the time. To this day, the influence and success of this series drives superhero animation at Warner Brothers, but things have fallen off in terms of quality and direction, it seems. It's too bad they lost sight of where they were so right not that many years ago.

At 80 years old, Batman is still with us, and he's still changing the lives of his fans through various forms of media. The character might not always feel like he's in the best hands, and many mistakes have been made with his handling over the years, but I feel that the core of who and what the character is will always see him through.

Here's to another 80 years of Batman!

Akira Toriyama's Jaco the Galactic Patrolman

Akira Toriyama has been providing me and thousands of others with entertaining material for decades. He is definitely amongst the elite in my opinion, which is why he's safely within my "Top five" favorite mangaka. After creating many amazing and beloved works - such as the Dragonball series, Dr. Slump, Sandland, and others - he's returned to offer up another charming title, which I feel will soon find as dedicated a fanbase as his other creations (even one apart from the Dragonball/Z fanbase, **SPOILER** to which this title should technically be tied).

Jaco the Galactic Patrolman (or 銀河パトロール ジャコ Ginga Patorōru Jako) is a single volume manga which consists of 247 pages of what I think is some of Toriyama-sama's best work. It details the Earth-bound adventures of an egotistical, clumsy, "Elite" Galactic Patrolman, named Jaco, a member of a galactic police agency which serves the Galactic King. After bumping into the moon on his way to Earth, Jaco makes a less-than-graceful landing in the ocean just a few feet from the docks of an unnamed island upon which only an old man resides. After bringing his damaged craft ashore the relationship between this quirky alien cop and old man Omori, the narrator of the tale and a scientist/engineer living amongst the ruins of his failed time travel experiment, begins to awkwardly grow. Through the events which follow their meeting a bizarre friendship is formed, one which I would gladly continue to read if Toriyama ever decides to revisit these characters.

In terms of characters, this manga has some interesting folks to offer. Omori is a quiet, aged, misanthropic man who keeps a simple home, overlooking the destruction caused by his attempts to meddle with time - meddling which cost him his wife's life. He remains in a sort of hermitage away from the rest of the world and even harbors a strong resentment toward other humans. Jaco, somewhat annoying yet fascinating to Omori, is a braggart who fails to grasp the gravity of his consistently clumsy nature. He is on Earth, though stuck here because of the damage caused by his moon collision, in advance of the arrival of a potential world-destroying alien being who is supposed to land on Earth sometime in the days following his arrival. He is to eliminate the alien threat or, if he proves unable to do so, he must use an "Extinction Bomb," which would wipe out all human life on Earth. It would also be of tremendous interest to him to be able to acquire some "Sky Gold" in order to power his ship so that he can return home, though he and Omori realize that this would require something like seventy-six million yen to pull off. So, not easily attainable, to say the least.

Eventually the two head toward the mainland for supplies (Jaco craves milk and cheese, the closest approximations to items from his regular diet) and encounter the first of several other characters, a girl named Tights (I'm sure some of you might note that this is yet another Toriyama character named after clothing, hmm...wonder what the connection could be?). Jaco meets her as he goes to her aid while she is being harassed by a gang of anachronistic street toughs, which Jaco pummels along with two policemen which he mistakes as being part of the gang. To show her gratitude she helps the two escape the attention of the police and get back to the island. Other characters show up as the story progresses, most of them are tie bear-collecting government agents trying to take the island from Omori or capture the "Mask Man," the name applied by the media to Jaco, much to his supreme dislike. Eventually we learn who Tights is and how she connects to an annoying (annoying to Omori) background element of a pop idol who is soon to be soaring into space aboard a rocket as a publicity stunt, according to the television media. That's not the only or most interesting connection Tights has within this world, though, but I'll let you read the manga to find out the rest.

Regarding the style and feel of this manga, as I've already state, I feel that this is one of Toriyama's best works. I found myself constantly studying his simple, beautiful line work. The dynamic posing and simple character design of Jaco is something I feel only an experienced artist, such as Toiryama, can attain. With any character created by someone who has been doing such work for years, Jaco is minimal in detail and yet so very expressive. He might be my favorite manga character in terms of design alone. Also, I was often lost in the detail of Omori's face, and speaking of Omori's design, the scars marking his body tell his back story better than any flashback sequence. You only need to read that he was present for a technical accident and see him to know that some rough stuff occurred in his past. 

The world has some wonderful design as well. Occasionally you'll see crabs, cats, some dinosaurs, or the random ant-eater on the island or in the city on the mainland. This is typical if you've read Dragonball, but it's such a nice touch which does so much to place you in this unfamiliar yet Earth-like world. In terms of landscape design, I think that Omori's island is one of my favorite sets from any graphic story. I badly want to live on that island, so much so that I've been dreaming about it since I started reading this manga!

Now, the ending chapters of this title are what will matter most to long-time fans of Toriyama, especially those who are dedicated to the Dragonball universe. That being said, this manga is a perfect stand-alone which offers a complete story and incredible characters, so don't be turned off by the end tie-in to Dragonball if you're not interested in that series. What you get at the end is a look at the Saiyan people and Goku's origin, which is advertised on the cover of the manga so this isn't really a spoiler. Turns out, and this is a spoiler, the world-destroying alien Jaco was sent to destroy is a sort of refugee from planet Vegeta. If I tell you that a certain Son Gohan discovers this child alien and adopts him I would have done enough to tell you just who was meant to be in Jaco's sights, but since Jaco is Jaco, and you'll understand this better when you've read the manga, he misses his opportunity. Would you believe me if I told you it's because he was explaining how his species pees to Tights? This is surprisingly the most immature moment of this manga, one obviously meant for the shonen audience.

So, there you have it. My review of one of the best new manga I've read in a while. I first learned of it through an email advert from Viz, and after looking over the preview chapter (available for reading through the Viz Media app on Android or iOS) I decided to rush out and buy a physical copy (because paper is always going to be better to me!). I'm happy with that choice, and if you do the same I'm certain you will be, too. Here's hoping we see more of Jaco in the future, but if we don't I'm happy with what we have. What we have, by the way, is a fun and endearing manga. 

Thank you for reading.

Batman: The Cult

Four prestige formatted books, bound together in a Mylar bag rested upon a glass-encased shelf at one of West Michigan's greatest comic book stores. In spite of the sizable bundle of single issues I had already selected from the numerous back issue boxes which crowded the center of the store, and the fact that I was in the process of exceeding my self-imposed ten dollar budget for comics, I scoffed at the $12.95 price tag and asked the clerk to pull the set for purchase. It never hurts to have too many comics to read, I thought, and besides, I had been anxious to read Batman: The Cult since I first heard Kevin Smith discussing it during an episode of his Batman-centric podcast, Fatman on Batman. 

I won't extensively delve into my history with the character of Batman here, but I have been a dedicated fan since I was a very small child and my father thrust me in front of the television while Tim Burton's film played. My father had just purchased a VHS of the movie from the local grocer Winn Dixie (we resided in Florida at the time), and the hype he raised for it completely sold me on the character before the tape even left its box. So, I've known of and loved the character since then and have only become more familiar with and dedicated to him since. 

Returning to the present and my tale, I eventually made my way home after a Saturday afternoon spent observing the holiest of days in the week of any fan of anything either cartoon, comic, or in any way related to either cartoons or comics. After bagging and boarding something like thirty single issues, all great stories published within the last twenty to thirty years, I pulled out The Cult and proceeded to dive in.

One of the first things a reader will notice about The Cult, and one of things for which I was most excited, is the exceptional and atmospheric artistic style of Berni Wrightson. Having co-created Swamp Thing with Len Wein, Berni Wrightson has been a brilliant force in the medium since the late 1960s, working with characters like Batman and various others from both DC and Marvel Comics. I first discovered his work through a House of Secrets reprint, which bore a cover depicting a stunning Swamp Thing being assaulted by a posse of random townsfolk; a reprint which Mr. Wrightson was kind enough to sign for me at a comic convention a few years back. 

Few other artists can capture anatomy in as powerful and as effective a way as Wrightson, whose Cult renderings of Bruce Wayne in particular display a weight and dimension as well as a sturdiness seldom seen in other depictions of the character. In moments throughout the mini-series he composed several memorable panels which conveyed Batman's suffering, the grim nature of Gotham after the main events of the story, and the gradual restoration of Batman's psyche as he struggled to free his mind from the hallucinogenic effects of the antagonist's tools of manipulation. Also, his skill with what is often labeled a "Horror Style" is evident in sequences throughout the series in which Batman is exposed to macabre piles of corpses and the many hanging bodies of Gothamites on display in order to discourage rebellion. In my opinion Wrightson's work was most definitely the best part of the series.

In regard to the story itself I found that I was both impressed at the scale of the events which transpired and disappointed at how the writer, Jim Starlin, used the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman throughout the series. Firstly, for those who are unaware of this fact or have not yet read this series, The Cult was one of the greatest influences upon the story of Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer's The Dark Knight Rises. From the secret society of driven individuals operating out of the "Underworld" of Gotham to that society's charismatic, extremist leader to the shift in power in Gotham into the hands of the band of extremists, so much about The Cult is familiar after having viewed Nolan's film. In terms of scale, what occurred in Gotham City through the four issues of this series was incredibly epic and dramatically altered the landscape of this familiar comic book setting. 

To provide some background before proceeding into my opinions of the story, The Cult follows Batman through both maddening internal struggles and his physical journey through a crumbling society which slacks permissively before the forces of chaos which aim to surge forth from the sewer tunnels of Gotham City. His adversary this time is a character named Deacon Blackfire, a shaman with a mystically enhanced vitality and a desire to bring Gotham under his control by utilizing the down-trodden and unstable members of society. Through religion and chemical manipulation Blackfire manages to convince a sizable portion of Gotham's homeless to aid him in combating the criminal elements of the dark metropolis, and any non-criminal obstructionists, so that he might seize control of the city.

Batman falls into the hands of Blackfire after making an unfortunate mistake while dealing with street toughs attempting to rob a food vendor one evening. Having suffered a wound from a gunshot, Batman hangs chained in captivity from the beginning of the series. From there he's drugged by Blackfire and indoctrinated into "The Cult" as the Deacon discusses his warped philosophies. We follow him then through torture, mental anguish, drug withdrawal, and the crumbling and eventual rebuilding of his personality and crusade against crime. 

Starlin wrote a version of Batman in The Cult which, in my opinion, proved to be both fascinating and incredibly disappointing. I found his Bruce/Batman to be interesting because he was a version of the character which seemed more human than in most other story lines. This Batman actually seemed to feel fear, he explored that fear, and often expressed serious doubts which almost completely shattered his mind. I consider this to be a brave approach to a character who is often written to be a near-deific archetype. 

What I found to be disappointing about the character of Batman in The Cult was the way in which he seemed so unprepared for what occurred while in Blackfire's custody. This wasn't a version of the character which seemed to have trained himself to combat various types of mental manipulation and physical torture. He collapsed quite easily, and was almost willing to completely abandon his philosophies and mission simply because he had been starved, abused, and chemically manipulated. Now, I understand that Batman is a human - though, he is an idealized one - and that my complaints might suggest that I expect him to be handled as the archetype and immutable hero he's become, but he is also a character who exists in a world detached from reality and has conditioned himself in such a way that it's understandable to expect him to be damn near impervious. Also, he has been driven his entire life by a mission which has caused him to go beyond, establishing hard set principles from which he could not possibly stray, for such behavior would betray the very fabric of his being. 

I don't believe, having read and watched various incarnations of Batman/Bruce Wayne for most of my life, that being starved, drugged, beaten, and pursued through the corpse-ridden bowels of Gotham would cause Bruce to take up a gun or cower from combat or allow the citizens of his city to be victimized. These things occurred throughout The Cult as Batman wrestled with horrific nightmares, fled from the bloodthirsty members of Deacon Blackfire's fold, crawled about in a drug-tinged stupor, allowed Robin to take a beating while leading him out of the tunnels, and sat by as an innocent woman of Gotham was dragged into an alleyway to be brutalized and slowly murdered. These things, in spite of the events through which he travailed, are not things that Batman - the man who has trained himself for every possibility and holds firmly to strong beliefs - would allow. But this is my opinion of the nature of the character and my response to how he behaved throughout this particular story. 

Despite my complaints, Batman: The Cult is a compelling read for any fan of the character because it's sure to, at the very least, incite a genuine emotional response, whether positive or negative. It's aided by the masterful renderings and compositions of Berni Wrightson through which any reader can be transported to the Stygian bowels of Gotham where madness, chaos, and suffering dwell. It features a different approach to Bruce Wayne/Batman, a glimpse into the inspiration for plot of Dark Knight Rises, and one of my favorite depictions of The Joker (again, Wrightson nailed it!). It's an experience few comic books offer. 

The Wolverine

Allow me to begin by alleviating any fanboy fears. This year's The Wolverine is ten times the film that 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was, at least in my opinion. Not to say that I completely hated Origins, but this year's Wolvie movie had a superior story, wonderful cinematography, and it arranged things in such a way that the idea of a strong, ongoing X-Men film series is not only possible but so very likely (X-Men: Days of Future Past is shooting now, by the way!). Also, in writing about the movie I might give a bit more away than some are comfortable with. You've been warned!

The Wolverine brings the viewing audience up to speed on the state of the X-Men Universe after the events of X-Men 3: The Last Stand. In fact, I found this installment to be Fox's declaration that they have worked to develop the continuity of their X-Men Filmverse and they're sticking to it. This is a fantastic stand, because in doing so they are acknowledging the one thing that the fan community has yet to open itself to and that's the idea of a film continuity apart from the comic source material. It's a movie series based on a comic book series. By nature it's different, so comparisons are not only unnecessary, they're almost completely meaningless.

The story follows Logan from a flashback to the grim days of World War II when Nagasaki was brutalized by The Bomb. Then we're sent forward in the timeline to a wintry setting in the years after the death of Jean Grey and Logan's departure from the X-Men. He's hold up in a cave, drinking away his sorrows, dreaming of the woman he loved and killed. From there he runs into some troublesome hunters who made the mistake of unjustly killing a bear for which he had a respect and an understanding, catches the eye of a certain Japanese woman who has been sent to retrieve him, and is jetted off to meet with a dying acquaintance of sorts.

All of the events in the film, as we progress from the bestial Logan living amongst the animals in the wild to the warrior with a renewed sense of purpose and an acceptance of the tragedies of the past, we see a growth of character in Wolverine and a typical hero's journey. He begins the movie a hero during wartime. We then witness the wreck he has become, an animal living in the woods, subsisting, respecting and being respected by his fellow beasts. As he's pulled from his surrender to his animalistic nature he's given opportunities to process his feelings for the late Jean Grey. Logan is then given purpose when he becomes entangled in the chaos surrounding the Yashida family of Japan. Overall, without giving anything else away, we're able to witness the reforging of the warrior Wolverine and his sense of self. As must occur many times throughout his tragic life, Logan is forced to deal and, in so doing, grow.

There are many great nods to moments from Wolverine's comic heritage, not to compare the film to the events or continuity of any comic storylines. His quiet, predator-to-predator respect for the bear who in turn shows him the respect of distance harkens back to those moments in the X-Men and Wolverine comics when Logan would be out amongst nature, another animal in the animal kingdom. We are also given the classic Japanese storyline from Logan's past, though this time it's set in his post-X-Men years and, in the case of the movie universe, perfectly so. Then there's the quality and nature of the action which was definitely another comic-like aspect of this film. We got to see Wolvie being the best he is at what he does and doing it in a manner which is anything but nice. Add to this the comic book look of the costume of a certain villainess and the design scheme of one of the film's most imposing antagonists who, in a powerful way, redefines the look and function of Wolverine going forward, and you have a movie that was more comic book-y than most comic book-based films.

I do have some issues with the movie, though. There was a continuity error in one sequence when the villainess went to remove her left glove. Due to poor editing she ended up removing it twice. Ouch! Also, I found the end battle to feel a bit hammy. Sure, it's a comic book-like battle, and I read comic books, but the way in which Wolverine fights the main antagonist and what happens to him in the process seemed a bit off from the feel of the rest of the film. There were several moments, some featuring combat, in which the character-developing quality of the movie's story was abandoned so that claws and guns could go up against each other with many gratuitous "Snikts" and "Bangs" to appease the action audience. This kind of weakened the film at times. These were the only serious issues I had with the film. 

Regardless of a few minor complaints, I was highly entertained throughout the film, and I am thankful that I was able to find an open viewing time at 10pm last night, Thursday. This is the kind of movie I love to see as soon as it hits, if not sooner. If you're a fan of superhero comics, The X-Men, Wolverine as a character, and exciting action movies, then you owe it to yourself to see this filmic hero's journey in theaters as soon as you possibly can. Also, sit through the credits. DO NOT make the mistake of walking out as soon as the screen goes dark. Trust me on this.

The X-Files Season 10 - Issue #2

Another Wednesday has come and along with it another issue of IDW's The X-Files Season 10. In my opinion, issue two is the chief release of all the offerings this New Comic Book Day, a weekly holiday for the special nerds in the know - the "Funny book" folk.

The subscription cover (pictured above, with art by Cerebus creator Dave Sim) offers a pretty big hint at what lies in store between the pages of this second part in the "Believers" storyline. I won't spoil anything, but there's a possibility that the conclusion of the Season 9 episode "Jump the Shark" wasn't as airtight (there's a silly joke in the use of that adjective, but you'd have to be familiar with the episode to understand it) as we were led to believe.

Events from last issue continue, though Scully's whereabouts remain mysterious. We're given a look at an occult-like, possible human hybrid related conspiracy which reaches across great distances to focus upon any existing connections to baby William, Scully's child which was given up for adoption last season. Mulder is left to figure things out along with a seemingly impotent Skinner who can only offer a few details about an oil pipeline in Wyoming and Agent John Doggett's assignment to the site to investigate a possible terrorist threat. From there Mulder goes to work assembling the pieces of this mystery as Scully encounters a member of the group which abducted her. Add to all of this the appearance of some old friends and a nemesis (no telling, read the issue) and you have yet another great X-Files comic from the folks at IDW who are one of the only publishers doing anything interesting these days, as far as I'm concerned.

I anxiously await next issue. I'm certain we'll have an interesting explanation for the last page of issue two. At least I hope so.

Go out and buy your copy as soon as you can!

Also, my thanks to the X-Files Universe message board folks for sharing my podcast review of the first issue. Check it out here: The Nerd Closet - Review of The X-Files Season 10 #1

The X-Files - Season 10 Issue 1 - New Comic Book Day

 

I was confident that I would walk into my local comic book shop this afternoon and grab a hold bag labeled "Sample," in which would be the first issue of The X-Files Season 10. When I finally arrived at the shop I went straight for the hold box. Thumbing through bag after alphabetically ordered bag, anxiously searching for my last name, I found that I didn't have a hold after all. For some reason I was left out, though I'm not surprised considering my past experiences with that particular store. 

Regardless of the neglect I was able to purchase a copy after all. Fortunately there were two copies left, one with the standard cover and one sporting the artwork of artist Dave Johnson. I bought the Johnson cover and ran for home.

After reading through the issue, studying every page including the front and back covers, I find that the long wait has been worth it. This is a fantastic first issue for both a new comic series and a continuing story. Thanks to the writing abilities of Joe Harris it is a perfect jumping on point for folks new to The X-Files and fans who have been waiting for fresh material since the end of I Want to Believe. Accompanying Harris' script, overseen by Executive Producer and X-Files Creator Chris Carter, is the attractive artwork of Michael Walsh, who manages to service the script wonderfully.

Mulder, Scully, and even Skinner make appearances in this quick read of a first issue. The thirty-two pages of this book bring us up to date on the status of the main characters and introduce us to a shadowy new element. According to Deputy Director Skinner, who appears early on in the issue, the FBI has been hacked and the X-Files might have been targeted. Now Mr. and Mrs. Blake (Mulder and Scully's new shared surname under the Witness Protection Program) must question why someone would go to the trouble of seeking out the X-Files and concern themselves with whether or not they're in danger. 

This comic offers conflict, mystery, a nod or two to mysteries left over from the television series, and the beginning of another sinister plot. Will the agents survive for long? Will we have old questions answered? Will the new questions be answered sooner rather than later? Is this the beginning of a beautiful and long-running comic phenomenon? I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

Now the wait begins for the next issue. I just have to find a comic book shop that will actually hold a copy for me. That or I'll have to wait at the store before they open to guarantee that I can easily acquire one.

Man of Steel - Superman Epically Returns to the Cinema

Credits rolled around 3am at the five-screen theater in Lowell, MI - a location my wife and I prefer for our big screen movie watching because of its low prices and small crowds. Not more than a minute into the scroll of cast and crew did incensed nerds begin to loudly bitch and complain. Apparently Man of Steel didn't uniformly impress that particular audience, but it certainly made an impression on me. 

The character of Superman has suffered through many poor treatments over the years on both television and in the movies. In my opinion, up until Man of Steel, the only decent Superman film in existence was the first Christopher Reeve movie.  Since then, and even before, fans have had to pick and choose moments which "Worked" for them while discarding a considerable remainder. Zack Snyder, Christopher Nolan, and David S. Goyer have finally given us a Superman film which can stand alone, as boldly as the Donner film of the late 1970s.

As I think back on the screening, which began a few hours ago at 12:01am, I find that the film was an enjoyable journey through the development and growth of a character who constantly found himself in-between worlds. Focusing on the perspective of this, the titular character is the key to appreciating the journey of the film, I feel. It's a story of a dying people's hope surviving in a boy who comes to terms with his identity over time while becoming the hope for and a part of a new people. It's a movie about making life-altering decisions, finding one's place in a world, and understanding what it means to be a hero. 

The design of Krypton and the look of the film, the actors and their portrayals, the strong rooting of the origin in science-fiction as was originally intended by the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and the methods employed in telling the tale of this film all came together beautifully in the end. As with any Zack Snyder film, the visuals seem to enhance the world in which the characters exist and aid in the progression of their stories.  The design scheme for Krypton was amazing, and it is thus far the best depiction of Kal-El's home world in any medium, as far as I'm concerned. The general casting was exceptional, especially in the case of Henry Cavill who not only handled the part well, he made viewer believe that he was Superman. Russel Crowe's Jor-El surpassed Brando, in my opinion, and Amy Adams' Lois Lane was both ideal and natural. Also, Kevin Costner's Jonathan Kent was as terrific as he was endearing, and (minor spoiler) I challenge anyone who cares about the characters of this universe not to feel as heartbroken as Clark at Pa Kent's inevitable passing. The story terrifically managed to offer viewers a brief and concise origin while giving them an exciting epic which left open the potential for several other films. Though, the possible ties to a future Justice League film are pretty much nonexistent and would have to be established in a later or different DC/Warner Brothers' film.

While I enjoyed various aspects of the movie, especially the way in which the film wonderfully presented the origin of the character, sent the viewer along with him on his journey toward self-discovery, and reinforced his growth with appropriate flashbacks to times during which he was lovingly educated by his constant and caring Earth father, I did have a gripe or two. The items which troubled me were minor, but I found that they made it difficult to continue to focus on the heart of the story. My biggest problem was with the length and scale of the action sequences. While those of us who read comic books are used to Superman thrashing around with villains, while watching a film I imagine many of us have difficulty viewing more than several minutes of continuous building destruction, slugging, and tackling. It all seemed gratuitous and repetitive toward the end. Another difficulty I had concerned the plans of Jor-El, the conflicting plans of Zod, and how Kal-El decided, in a way, to say, "Tough," to both of his senior Kryptonians. When and if you view the movie you might be able to understand what I'm getting at. Maybe you'll find it less conflicting than I did. In the end, sure, I had some issues, but I still understand the importance of suspending disbelief when viewing a film, especially one about a superhero.

For the seventy-fifth anniversary of this beloved hero, the world has been given a fantastic film about a legend, created by two dreaming kids from Ohio, who began the increasingly popular genre of superhero stories. Here's hoping that wherever Siegel and Shuster are now they're proud of the work and love which went into creating this, one of the best screen versions of their immortal character.

As for the nerds in Lowell who seemed to mostly hate the film, they were bitching about everything else there is to bitch about before the movie began, including their feelings on the next generation of video game systems. I think the definition of "Nerd" might read something like this: whiners who occasionally manage to have good ideas but often waste their energy complaining about creative works with which they have no creative association and upon which they have no significant influence (a somewhat general description based on years of evidence). Oh, well. You can't please everyone, right?

The X-Files - Season 10 - Coming Soon

Rumors reached me a couple of months ago of the possibility of a new X-Files comic series. Ever since then I've frequently scoured the internet, searching for details, dates, and any other news related to any other new X-Files developments. What I've learned of the upcoming series has me feeling more than a little giddy, and the event to which I'm most looking forward, the release date of the new comic, is just less than two weeks away from the time of this writing. This is something for which I and my fellow X-Files fans have been waiting for quite a long time.

IDW, one of the best current publishers in comics (publishers of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Transformers, Doctor Who, and many other titles), along with Fox and series creator and executive producer Chris Carter, will be releasing not only a new X-Files comic series but the official Season 10 of The X-Files! Chris Carter will be overseeing the production of the new comic (in a way similar to Kevin Eastman with the Turtles and Joss Whedon with Buffy and Angel, I imagine), which is said to be continuing the canon of the television show and is set in a time after the last film, I Want to Believe. The release date for the first issue of The X-Files Season 10 (god, it feels good to type that!) will be on Wednesday, June 19.

So, in less than two weeks I'll be visiting my local comic book shop right when the doors open so that I can grab a long-awaited copy of the comic which will satisfy my craving for material covering the further adventures of Mulder, Scully, and their continuing quest to seek the Truth. I look forward to collecting this new book, and I hope that it leads to a bright and ongoing future for The X-Files Universe.

In regard to my writing on The X-Files and all things related to it, I will be returning to my "The X-Files - I Believe" blog series (sounds so official) soon. I'll also be posting a special X-Files Season 10 podcast through my "Nerd Closet Podcast" show on YouTube on Wednesday, June 19, after I read my copy of the first issue.

For my previous blogs on The X-Files you can click on the links below, and if you're curious about further details related to the upcoming comic, I've included a couple links for you to peruse.

The X-Files - I Believe - Part 1
The X-Files - I Believe - Part 2

Wired article about Season 10
IDW Press Release/Website Announcement

Yet Another Fat Man Makes An Attempt At #dinidream

Here's a little something inspired by Paul Dini and Kevin Smith. From episode eighteen of "Fatman on Batman."

Written in something close to script format, it's obviously shorter than an actual issue, but it's more of a beginning or a snippet than a whole story. Hopefully it makes sense and fits with the original concept.

Enjoy, readers and Bat-fans. If either Mr. Kevin Smith or Mr. Paul Dini ever get a chance to read this, then I hope that they'll know that it was written by a fellow fan who loves the Bat as much as them.

"Dependents"

PAGE 1

Panel 1: A trisection with each portion depicting one of three figures. The first is a shadowy man standing shirtless atop a cliff in the shadows of what is obviously the interior of a cave. The second is a portly, balding man in a towel lathering his face in front of a mirror in a tiny bathroom. The third shows a pair of wide bloodshot eyes lit by a slit of daylight which trespasses through window blinds.

     Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- Every day the routine recycles. He reaches deep within and finds the drive to continue his mission.

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- Every morning he's up before the alarm. His dedication to work and his routines adds a comforting monotony to life. 

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- Every morning I try to do something special for sweetums. No matter what, he lets me know that he's noticed. This morning it was a door in the face.

Panel 2: A trisection with each portion depicting one of three figures. The first is a fastidiously dressed man stealthily peering around a corner of a natural rock wall.  The second is a housewife draped in a bathrobe, visible through an open doorway, her hair in curlers, pouring coffee into a mug. The third is a young woman in a tattered jester's outfit slumped against a wall, holding her swollen face in her hands.

     Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- I long for the day when he will fail to dredge up that drive.

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- If only he was as dedicated to me.

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- And if I don't find those joybuzzers he'll probably do worse. 

Panel 3: Trisection again. The first depicts the shirtless man opening a vault in which there stands the silhouette of a bat-like figure. The fastidiously dressed man stands by his side. The second depicts the portly man adjusting a tie as the housewife waits behind him, holding out a pair of pants. The third depicts a pale man with a monstrous grin peeking through the opening of a door, looking down on the young woman who beams up at him, though tears stream down her powdered cheeks.

     Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- This is not that day.

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- This is good enough, though. Really it is. I love him and I don't know what I'd do without him.

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- Aw. Puddin's got that look in his eye. That look he gets after a good cry. For me, maybe? Nah. But now I might have a chance to find them buzzers after all.

PAGE 2

Panel 1: Trisection. The first displays gloved hands pulling a cape to above a large bat symbol on a chest. The second displays hands working a foot into a dress shoe, a pair of slippered feet stand in the background. The third depicts stained, gloved hands rummaging through a chest of drawers, pulling out playing cards, rubber ducks, rubber noses, and various other novelty items.

     Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- I promised him my ongoing support, and though he drives on in his dangerous crusade I must maintain my place at his side.

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- I'll just be the good wife, waiting and serving. He appreciates it. I know he must.

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- Uh-oh. Here it comes. 

Panel 2: Trisection. First portion displays fastidious man holding out a lined tray with various gadgets (such as pellets, bat-shaped shiruken, and a grappling gun) for the other man, dressed in an atramentous cape and cowl, who picks various items from the tray. Second portion displays the portly man as he places his wallet in his back pocket while taking his hat from the robed woman whom he meekly kisses on the cheek. The third displays the stained gloved hands as they adjust a colorful boutonniere.

     Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- How long shall I stand at the ready, though? How long shall I bear witness to the weathering of my charge? When and how might I truly defend him from the greatest dangers?

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- If he doesn't, after all this time...well, I don't know what I'd do.

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- He just wanted his flower. Ha! So it's going to be that kind of day. And here I was, kinda scared for a moment.

Panel 3: Trisection. First portion shows caped man leaping into a nearby vehicle as the fastidious man looks on. The second shows the woman in the bathrobe watching the portly man through a window as he enters his car. The third shows the grinning man's back as he exits through a door, flinging, over his shoulder, a Joker card covered in scribbled script, which is for a moment visible to the reader. It reads "Sorry. With love. -J"

     Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- I must first face an important truth which cruel twists of fate and the passing of years have crafted for us. Then, perhaps I'll be able to say what must be said. For I am his support. His only security. His surrogate father.

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- Thinking about the worst is easy. Especially when love is just the occasional peck on the cheek. But that's just his way. I can't doubt him because I expect too much.

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- What's a door in the face when he goes and does something like that, huh? Sometimes I think he's had it with me. He gets that look and says those horrible things. This is the real him, though. I know it.

PAGE3

Full Page: The grinning man's grotesque smile takes up the center of the page as he leans over, his hands clutching at the lapel of the portly man from the previous page, both are clearly on a rooftop. The man's face hangs backwards, upside down, a mask of despair with streaks of sweat running down. In the background, gliding down menacingly from atop a water tower, is the shape of a bat.

     Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- It is that fact which holds me here as he goes forth. Gliding through the darkness, passionately executing his chief duty, he battles on so that in some far future time the night might lose its bite.

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- He's out there working to take care of us. He must deal with such stress so that we're secure. Thinking about that makes me sorry that I doubted him even for a second.

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- He's not crazy!

PAGE 4

Full Page: Trisection. First section: Fastidious man stands by a window, a bat symbol is projected onto a cloud bank beyond. Second section: The portly man fiercely embraces his wife. His face is one of fear and hers is one of relief. Two GCPD officers stand in the door behind them. Third Section: Blonde woman with running makeup stands in the rain before a wrought-iron gate with a sign over the entry which reads "Arkham Asylum." She's bundled in a trench coat. A chainsaw blade dangles slightly below the bottom of the coat.

      Narrator 1 (portion 1-grey text box)- In that moment, as soon as it may come, I will still be here. I will still be a loving father for a tragic son.

     Narrator 2 (portion 2-blue text box)- I know he loves me.

     Narrator 3 (portion 3-red text box)- And that's why I love him. That's why we play these games, over and over again. Because we both know.
         Harley Quinn: Time to go home, Mistah J. 

Like a Small Child Full of Sugar, or Me During Free Comic Book Day 2013

Every year for the last several I've spent this day, the first Saturday in May, Free Comic Book Day, running about the greater Grand Rapids area and some of Muskegon, MI buying up comics, grabbing free comics, chatting with folks in all types of costumes, and enjoying the heck out of being a comic book geek. It feels like a day when everyone else notices my hobby and nods a "Right on!" in my direction. It's like a full moon to a werewolf or a low tide for sea phantoms or maybe something perfect-like for things a little less creepy. Basically, it's the perfect day for GEEKING OUT!

This year I was unable to accept an opportunity to present my comic work and do sketches at Lange's Sports Connection in Muskegon, MI due to my wife's recent trip to the hospital and her ongoing need for care. So instead I wandered about town, staying as close to home as possible (except just once), so that I could find me some free comics and support my favorite local stores. I greatly miss visiting Lange's, never mind that it would have been cool to get the exposure and meet folks who might want to read my work (to Todd Lange, the owner, I am extremely grateful for the invitation), but at least I was able to take part in the funsplosion that is FCBD in some way.

After visiting local Grand Rapids, MI shops like Apparitions Comics, Argos Books, Tardy's Collector's Corner, and going a little ways away from town to Lowell, MI for Rookies Comics, I was able to find all the books I wanted and a few extra to try on for size. David Petersen's Mouse Guard was one of my priority books along with the 2000AD offering, but it seems that us 2000AD fans are unlucky in the town of GR because unfortunately no one ordered the title (BOO!). The rest of the books, especially the Kaboom issue (ADVENTURE TIME!!!), were terrific, though. Honestly, my feeling is that this year and last were the best FCBDs so far, and hopefully this day and the publishers involved will just keep getting bigger and bigger and adding more and more quality material for all the goodly four-color fans around the globe.

Here's to a future where Free Comic Book Day is a more widely recognized and strictly honored worldwide holiday (I'm talking calendar recognition). Free comics for all and to all good times!

For more information on Free Comic Book Day, please visit this link: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/992

Also, May the 4th Be With You, to all of my fellow Star Wars fans. Now I'm off to watch Empire Strikes Back and plan my WEG Star Wars RPG adventure.

A Nerdy Saturday Morning at the Grand Rapids Toy and Comic Expo

Usually March 30 is a day which passes without any more recognition or notice than any other day, at least for me. This particular 3/30, though, was one for which I had been waiting and hoping and fostering a rising excitement. It was the day of the Grand Rapids Toy and Comic Expo, an event which has been operating for many, many years, and an event at which I premiered my first self-published comic book. So, the thirtieth day of the March of the year 2013 became something kind of special for this wordy nerdy fellow.

I started the day early, far earlier than usual. Running about in the morning, I prepared to attend the expo and to spend this Saturday reveling in the joy and majesty of comic book fandom and childhood remembrance. My "Issues Needed" list was prepped, my drawing bag was ready just in case, and my mind was furiously guessing throughout the AM rituals at what I might encounter this time around.

The Grand Rapids Toy and Comic Expo, formerly just the Grand Rapids Toy Expo, is a show which has been in existence since long before I moved to Grand Rapids (and I've been here easily over fifteen years!). Back in the late 90s my uncle took my cousins and me to the event where we geeked out over all the Star Wars toys, comic character figures, and items of the childhoods of others long past. It was great, and it even ended in me getting a free toy collector magazine. What a time!

For some reason we never made it a regular trip, even though it continued annually. I forgot about the expo and went on with growing up and doing whatever it was I was doing. Then, in my adulthood I was reminded of the show when I spotted a flyer for it at one of my local comic peddling haunts. I went, naturally, and had a great time finding deals and acquiring new and fascinating collector's items of special importance to me and my specific interests. I made a point of going back afterward, returning to the event whenever it was scheduled until it officially became the Grand Rapids Toy and Comic Expo.

The addition of comics to the event stood out for me in a loud, wild way, as I'm sure it did for many other local fans of the medium. It meant that we were perhaps one step closer to having a comic con for our town. I'd been toying with the notion of organizing one myself before, something I'm sure many have also turned over in their hyper-hopeful fan-person (how P.C.!) minds. I had been attending smaller pseudo-comic conventions throughout town in the years prior, each diminishing in awesomeness and increasing in disappointment, and so my hopes were high for this event which possessed an apparent longevity and an established following.

In my excitement for the addition of comics to the event I set my sights on self-publishing specifically for release at the expo. I figured, why not commemorate an important personal effort by introducing it to the public at a show which had historically meant something, especially when that show was finally honoring my favorite medium? So, I set in on my comic work, paid for my space at the show, published my book on my home printer, and rushed to take up my place, late and literally last minute, amongst the other vendors and artists of Grand Rapids and its surrounding areas.

It was a hectic experience, mostly because of my inability to adequately prepare, but there were some aspects of the show, its operation, and how I was treated (more accurately, ignored) which left a bad taste in my mouth. I left that December day in 2011 feeling like I never wanted to go back. I did, though, in March of 2012, and I found that the folks and issues which had disappointed me were still present and weighing down the once light and bright spirit of the expo. I didn't bother with the December show in 2012, even though I would have previously been ecstatic over the idea of two such shows in a year's time.

Today, though, this March 30, I chose to forget about the negatives and make my way there as a nerdly consumer, hoping to find neat finds and have a great day. I chose to think back on the positive memories and to hope to make new ones in spite of any possible dimness. I arrived at the 9am opening, paid to enter the event, and began marching the aisles, surveying the wares. The poorer elements behind the show's operation were apparently gone, something for which I was greatly relieved, and it immediately began to feel like the expo I encountered years before. There was a healthy flow of fan-types wandering about, and the merchants seemed to have more and better offerings this time around. I was excited, even though there was to be a moment of conflict during an interaction with a certain peddler of geekery.

One fellow, let's refer to him as the "U-Haul Comic Box Guy," seemed like he didn't want to be present, event though he'd apparently lugged quite a store of comic books to the show. I approached his booth after spotting a flimsy poster, with familiar inkjet imagery and word processor-generated signage, which boasted, "Comics!" He was accompanied by his wife - a kind, though not too personable woman who was the only positive in his nebula of negative - who greeted me as I approached. She asked if she could be of any assistance, and I responded with a request for anything which might feature the work of the artist Moebius. Her husband, whose common name hung limply in large lettering from the cheap signage littering the tables upon which his poorly kept collection rested, turned to me with a squinting glare, hand clutching a can of some beverage in a foam rubber cozy. "Moebius WHAT?!" he grunted.

I locked eyes with the man - a mistake of the short-tempered novice who should always, instead, remain detached during interactions with the simple minded, or so I hear - and clearly restated that I hoped to find some books which featured the artwork of Moebius. I even added a brief explanation of who Moebius was since I was getting the impression that neither he nor his wife knew of whom I was referring. He responded by treating me like I was an idiot who believed him to organize his poorly arranged books by artist. I told him that I understood that that wouldn't be the case, but I assumed that he had a familiarity with his stock. This worsened his attitude. His response essentially told me that he didn't care about the specifics of his stock since he had an impressive collection of a whole 4,500 books. Knowing comic shop owners who had many times more in their stock and a close to intimate knowledge of their books, I just said never mind and thank you. He wouldn't let me escape without a final rudeness, though. As I walked away he shouted at me, "Well, we have other artists here which are just as good, you know!" I continued walking.

After that crude encounter I'm happy to report that the rest of the event went well. I met up with some familiar local dealers who were happy to see me. The gentleman in charge of one booth (one I was anxiously hoping to encounter at the event) even offered me a chance to bring my comic work to his store for the upcoming 2013 Free Comic Book Day. As a way of displaying my gratitude toward his unexpected kindness, and because I had an "Issues Needed" list which required some attention, I bought up a bunch of Captain America and The Falcon books from his stock along with a few issues from my standby title, The Amazing Spider-Man.

I also had the opportunity to have a great discussion with the show's guest artist, Uko Smith. We talked about the portfolio review process for comic artists, the current trends in the visual style of comics, and what it takes to make it into the industry. Top that off with a couple of surprise comic book finds from various merchants soon after and I'd call the entire venture a success.

The show I knew and enjoyed was back! So what if a few people were less than decent? Overall, looking back on the day now, I'm glad that I chose to attend.

To smooth over any minor lumps left by the less than decent attitudes of a few disgruntled comic book hustlers, my wife and I finished the afternoon with a drive out toward the lake, a visit to a beloved comic book store (one owned by the great fellow who offered me the FCBD opportunity, in fact), and lunch at the region's best Chinese restaurant (no exaggerating).

Saturdays, even the golden ones which stand out clearly whenever I gaze back with my mind's eye on my youth, don't get much better than today. Comics, good people, comics, time with my wife, delicious Chinese food, and more comics make for an incredible time. It's not the filling of the ever-present consumer void, a grim aspect of being a nerd/geek of any kind, which makes it for me. It's the connections made unintentionally with the younger me as I do things and interact with items from times long past which seem now like the best times of my life. Being a nerd and celebrating it with the events of a day like today are the closest I have to a religious-like rite to appropriately honor and appease the specter of my eternal inner-child. I hope he's as happy about today as I am.

Justice League: Doom - A Review

Imagine that we inhabit a world where two types of people exist. There are the mighty, the "Supers," which some might say are "Godlike." Then there exists the average person, you and me. In such a reality there is much which demands concern, for the weak are subject to the strong unless a balance can be maintained. In that world, maintaining that balance, defending us from those of the powerful who might take advantage of their superiority over the common individual, we know our protectors, our heroes to be an organization named "Justice League." That elite group of the best of the finest of the most powerful, in mind, body, and in drive, safeguard us from the destructive, shadowy elements who seethe in their egoistic delusions of personal greatness and complete superiority.

A natural question arises, though, as to who might check these potent checkers of the rest of the world's Übermenschen. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes, or who watches the watchmen? In this world, standing amongst the glorious titans is one who takes upon himself such a task, unbeknownst to his heroic associates. The Batman of Gotham City has cataloged the abilities of his peers so that he might be prepared for anything, even a potential corruption of the sacred, altruistic League. It is this clandestine preparation which proves to be the Justice League's undoing in the 2011 Warner Brothers' animated feature "Justice League: Doom."

A sinister plot sends the Man of Steel plummeting.

Adapted for the screen by the late, great Dwayne McDuffie (creator of Static Shock), "Justice League: Doom" is one of the best DC animated films I've seen. The high quality of animation stood out immediately, along with the excellent character design and attention-grabbing action. Above all, though, I found the story to be the most attractive attribute. It's an exceptional dissection of a group of incredible individuals who, when grouped together, often appear too mighty for conventional, entertaining storytelling. Though this might seem to be a considerable hurdle, the story behind "Doom" managed to incredibly utilize the characters and their rogues galleries to tremendous effect.

Vandal Savage, the mastermind and would-be ruler of a
blighted world.

In this piece, the viewer is able to witness the League members as they are assaulted at their respective cores by the clever and lethal exploitation of the intimate knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. While Vandal Savage, the film's main villain, and his "League of Doom" (consisting of Bane, Cheetah, Metallo, Star Sapphire, Mirror Master, and Ma'alefa'ak) are the force behind the daggers plunged into the vitals of the heroes, it is actually a series of notes on the strengths and weaknesses of individual League members, collected as a failsafe by Bruce Wayne/Batman and stolen from him by the Mirror Master, which truly damn the League members. This turn serves to enrich the tale as an ally's secret knowledge becomes, to emphasize the aptness of the film's title, the Justice League's doom.

I recommend a viewing for any and all fans of comics and exceptional hero-based animation. Out of five I give "Justice League: Doom" a five.

The Justice League, minus Cyborg - (right to left) The Flash,
Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Batman, and Superman.

The Quest for Moebius

For years now I've possessed the ability to study, interpret, and understand works of art without issue. I first became aware of it through various high school art classes. This is not an exceptional ability, nor is it something by which I define myself. I just find that I am able to look at a piece of visual art and expeditiously develop an understanding of it. This ability seemed to be at its most effective when I first beheld a piece of illustration created by the great Jean "Moebius" Giraud. My understanding of and feelings towards his work along with the years since I first glimpsed any of his illustrations have made me a disciple of the man and an avid fanatic for his work.

Since his passing in October of 2012 I've been desperately trying to seek out and acquire pieces of his graphic storytelling from the many years of his wonderful creative life. I feel that I owe it to myself and that it would best honor the great artist if I directed my drives towards the in-depth study of his complete works, if and when I find them all. As of this day I only own a tiny fraction of his art, but as time goes on I find more and more and make every effort I can to acquire what I find.

The first Moebius piece I viewed was in a pin-up collection for Mike Allred's Madman. The simple look of Moebius' version of Allred's character along with the curiosity his moniker inspired drove me to research. I discovered and pored over various illustrations from his career. I watched all the videos and documentaries I could find of the man as he worked and as he explained his work. Ever since I started down this path my mind has in some way maintained some sort of connection to the powerfully inspiring art and style of Giraud.

I've been attempting to draw or at least cartoon for most of my life (feel free to browse some of my attempts at Jonathan Sample Comics). From early on I would fill notebooks and sketchpads with my scribbles and expressions. As I would review my own work, with no small tinge of revulsion, I would then flee to my inspirations, artists whose work drove me to better my own. When I discovered Moebius I felt something fall into place and I went forth a better artist, if I can dare refer to myself as such. Jean Giraud saved me from a great depression in which my hope for improving my art languished. I feel more confident about my attempts now, and I feel as if, in some little way, I understand the creation of art and the treasure of personal style better now than I ever had before.

So, I'll continue to hunt down inspirational pieces from the oeuvre of Jean Giraud, and I'll keep making attempts to become a better illustrator. Maybe some day I'll have the opportunity to make my work widely available and inspire some future artists. I can only hope.

My greatest, deepest thanks go to Jean "Moebius" Giraud. The world was made tremendously better because of his existence. I hope that his afterlife is exactly as he would have it. Maybe he's inspiring other beings of other planes in other ways even at this very moment. Reposer en paix, Gir.

*For more information on Moebius check out these links:
Moebius Bio
Site Officiel de Jean Giraud Moebius
Wikipedia - Jean Giraud

The Tick - A Wonderful, Often Abused Character



Growing up watching the once-exceptional programming available through Fox Kids, I was gifted with the immense pleasure of viewing an animated adaptation of Ben Edlund's "The Tick." I found it to be an intensely hilarious cartoon, one which kept me coming back every time it was scheduled to air. Then suddenly one day, like so many animated beauties of my youth, it disappeared from my little cartoon-loving world, removed from the lineup by the big heads of the Fox Network.

Driven by fanboy grief at the loss and anxious to once again view the attention-capturing series, I began to actively seek out anything I could find tied to "The Tick." Though my search was often hindered by a child's lack of income and indifferent parents, I was eventually able to locate and purchase a two episode VHS from the series. That find eased my eager mind for a while as I found myself watching and rewatching it as often as I could.

As I grew, my appreciation for the character continued to live on until I eventually, luckily, chanced upon copies of the original comic book series (the native medium of "The Tick," for those who don't know). Those marvelous black and white stories of The City's brown-then-blue hero introduced me to a different side of the character and his world, entertaining me just as much if not more than the animated series. I bought up what I could when I could, but the seed that was planted when I first viewed the animated series as a child still drove me to cry for more.

Eventually an incredible and unforeseen event occurred which proved to be as wonderful to my Tick-craving nerd brain as the discovery of the comic series. Fox proved that they were not quite finished with the character, and in 2001 the studio made the move to spring a warmly welcomed live action series on The Tick's fanbase, starring the perfectly cast Patrick Warburton as "Big Blue." Unfortunately, after a mere nine spectacular episodes they took that away from us, as well. Considering this tragedy and other noteable cancellations, it began to seem like the executives at Fox had it out for my beloved interests.

They say that good things come to those who wait, though, and when Buena Vista Home Entertainment deigned to gift Tick fans with their beloved cartoon on DVD I found great validity in that saying. Naturally I rushed out to buy the first season when it hit store shelves. Taking it home I dove into the episodes as soon as I could, but a horrible discovery served to cheapen the blessing of my sudden access to a whole lot of animated Tick. An asterisk on the DVD's episode listing, which marked an omitted episode, began an irritation which was exacerbated by a similar notation in the episode listing of the soon-after released Season Two DVD. For some unknown reason Buena Vista released the first two seasons of the show with each collection sporting the scar of an omitted episode.

To this day I have not found a sufficient explanation for this omission. I've searched message boards and comment sections on various websites. I've read statements from individuals responsible for the production of the animated series. No one who has written of this terrible slight seems to know why the fans were cheated. To make matters worse the distributor does not currently have plans to release any episodes from the third season on DVD. Till the time of this writing the wait continues. Buena Vista or anyone with the power to affect the production of a complete series DVD release of The Tick, if you're reading this, please, please release a complete series collection, unedited if possible. Please?!

Regardless, it's been a wonderful ride these many years. I've been fortunate to discover such an inspiring and hilarious world with its plethora of bizarre characters during a time when my creative mind was fertile and needed exposure to such things. Ben Edlund's work on The Tick has been something I've happily followed, and I'll continue to follow it for the rest of my life. Here's hoping we get some new Tick soon!

Dredd - Comic Film's Greatest Judge, Jury, and Executioner

Being the type of person who tends to enjoy grey characters, non-typical storytelling, and older printed material it's no surprise that I frequent the back corner boxes of my local comic book shops, and have for years. In those boxes I often find the books that the fans of Marvel and DC take for granted. Through those boxes I've found bits of colorful material from Slave Labor Graphics, old Darkhorse titles, Hernandez Brothers' work, stuff from Daniel Clowes, various other independent comic treasures, and the occasional copy of the British comic anthology 2000AD. It is in the latter that I find not just simple stories about this character or that series of events but a group of stories about varied characters each living in their own brilliant little world.

When I first encountered 2000AD the character who obviously jumped to the forefront was a fellow named Judge Dredd. Dredd is a dealer of supreme justice and a proficient badass, to put it plainly. In reading his stories I recognize that he is a character who, like many of the popular American comic book heroes, stands firm in his beliefs which clearly define him, and in so doing he becomes the paragon for those like him in his world, though his humanity inevitably stirs up questions and doubt at appropriate times to round him out in an exceptional way.

Judge Dredd mostly focuses on a specific duality in human nature which is the focus of the law of his land, good and bad, innocent and criminal. He operates in Mega City One, a metropolis of such tremendous breadth and population that no other name could possibly suffice. In that mega city Dredd patrols the streets with his peers, the Judges of the Hall of Justice, and locates crime so that he might deal judgment upon it. So, we have a mightily vast future city spanning the Washington DC area to New York, filled with hundreds of millions of people, and a law system functioning at a most extreme level. What a terrific setting for a dystopian tale of humanity in a future where society is barely holding itself together.

The character Dredd has been around for many years in the pages of 2000AD and the occasional crossover book. Hollywood produced a film adaptation in the mid-90s starring Sylvester Stallone as the Judge along with some doofy comic relief played by Rob Schneider. It was a tremendous flop, and to this day it remains happily forgotten by most self-respecting comic and movie fans. Then this year Lionsgate boldly released a new film adaptation of the old and beloved tough guy titled Dredd, which features Karl Urban in the titular role. A better product has rarely been made in the adaptation process from page to screen.

Dredd, available in 3D and certainly worthy of that format (more on that later), is a film set in a Mega City One which is very much like the metropolis found in the source material. The story of the film follows Judge Dredd on a seemingly regular day in the life of a Judge. During this particular day he is requested to run a nearly failed Judge-potential, named Anderson and played by the stunning Olivia Thirlby, through a test to determine if she is capable of taking up the position. What occurs during a routine crime check makes for a series of events beyond anything merely routine.

We're introduced to the world of this film version of Dredd in such a succinct way from the beginning that there is no question of where the events are taking place geographically and chronologically nor of the state of humanity. Basically the audience is given fair glimpses of character and world content as the story progresses without a mass of spell-it-all-out exposition cluttering up the beginning of the movie. One of the greatest strengths of this film is its story, mainly in how its structured and executed. Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later, was brought on to pen this fine adaptation. Throughout the film Garland wrote the events and characters in such a way that the action flows without any staggering and the audience is given brief views into the potential depth of the issues addressed and the characters at the helm of the thrill ride that is the plot. No one character is completely spelled out from the beginning, but they are instead unravelled as they act and react to the events with which they must contend.

The portrayals of the characters in this film were a joy to watch as they fell within a range from fairly basic, for most of the extras and background characters, to stunning, as were the leads. Karl Urban's portrayal of Dredd was spot on. He masterfully handled both the serious and grim sides of the character along with his merciful and sometimes humorous facets. Olivia Thirlby acted wonderfully as the mutant, possible Judge-to-be. As Anderson she played out the character's sensitive center whilst confidently handling her business side. Lena Headey thespianed the hell out of one of the most villainous ladies to feature in a film of any kind. Her Ma Ma was a cold, driven bitch, commanding in her savageness with a sort of disconnect from reality trailing throughout her. To say that the film was well cast is to make a ridiculous understatement.

Visually this film is sure to set precidents or at least be noted as inspirational to folks in the industry. Having seen several 3D films over the last year and a half I must say that thus far Dredd has most deserved the format and employed it to a magically awe-inspiring level. The violence of the film, which is heavy and graphic, is taken to an almost gorgeous height through the cinematography and use of the 3D effect. Nowhere else does the 3D element most shine than in the scenes where characters are subjecting themselves to the film's despised drug "Slo-Mo." Watching a character hit a vial and dive down 200 stories seems almost enviable when seen through the movie's dazzling 3D. Overall I feel that the look of the movie definitely pays homage to the dynamic wonder of the comic page.

If you're a fan, like me, of 2000AD and are looking for a film which honors your title of interest this is definitely it. If you're just a comic book fan looking for an adaptation which justifies this whole business of constant page-to-screen adapting then this is a film for you. It's many terrific elements assembled into a package of wondrous big screen joy.

Out of five I happily give this film five. Thank you for reading!