The Boys Are Back (for the first time)

Hello Chums,

After going to a con (Wizard World Texas), there is always something that I have picked up that I can't wait to dive into. Here are three trades and a finite series that I have just finished reading.

First up is Bite Club. Bite Club (B.C.) was released in single issues as B.C. 1-6 and B.C. Vampire Crime Unit 1-5. Now I'm not one to normally pick up a horror comic. So was it Howard Chaykin's writing or David Hahn's art (who has a very good batman animated style) that lead me to this book? No, it was the very nice Frank Quitely covers (he did the first 8 of 11 issues, Chaykin did the last three). Even though Quitely didn't do the interior work, the art is fine but not vampire scary, which is adequate for this tale.

B.C. is the story of the Del Toro family of Miami. The father, Eduardo Del Toro, is killed in the opening scene. We find out he's the head of a mafia style family and (oh yeah) a 265 year old vampire. His three children (all vampires of course) then struggle for control of the family. Let the back stabbing and dirty dealings begin! If you like mafia or vampire stories check it out. Rating: B-

Next up is Battle Hymn Farewell To The First Golden Age. As the name implies this story is set at the dawn of superheroes. We see a little back story, then we are introduced to the team. The team is lead by The Proud American (Captain America), who has been working close with the U.S. military during WW2. The roster includes The Artificial Man (The Vision), Johnny Zip (Quicksilver), Quinn Rey (The Submariner), Mid-Nite Hour (Batman? but with a gun) and Betty Jones (the femme fatale).


Band together as The Watchguard, they go on one unsuccessful mission. Of course the mission was set up just to test the limits of the team. Disappointed by some results and scared by others, the government then decides to pull the plug. Let the wet work begin!


The art by Jeremy Haun and color by Dave Bryant really make this feel like a period piece. While the writing by B.Clay Moore is good, this story moved too quickly. At just five issues, I would have preferred the story to be fleshed out more at seven or eight issues. Rating: B+


Next is The Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The concept of The Boys is simple. Who watches the watchmen? Somebody needs to keep all the super powered people in check. If not, who do they answer to? Bring in The Boys, a group of four guys and a gal who are just as powerful as the tight wears they watch.

In the first arc we meet Wee Hughie, a smallish man who is newly in love with the perfect gal. Things are going great for the couple until two super beings forever alter their lives. Wee Hughie is then invited to join The Boys. But what can he do? He doesn't have super powers.

I've always enjoyed Garth Ennis' writing, but this isn't Preacher or The Punisher. However, it is entertaining. Hopefully the best is yet to come. Darick Robertson's art work is perfect for this type of story (Gritty!). Rating A-


Finishing up this quartet of comics, we have The Inhumans. The Inhumans have been hanging around the Marvel universe since the 60's. Stan and Jack featured them in early Fantastic Four stories. But these guys have been used so sporadically since then, they are "c" leaguers at best.

This tale is a good example of why these characters are hardly used. While the artwork is typical scratchy Jae Lee, I expected a lot more from Paul Jenkins in the writing department. However you can only do so much with a lead character (Black Bolt), that can't talk. If he does talk, watch out.

This story has The Inhumans at home doing what Inhumans do (just hanging out) in their city of Attilan. Meanwhile, humans are inching ever closer with their construction equipment. And one of their enemies is working from the inside. A very forgettable story. Rating: D-

K.R.C. (keep reading comics)

D.L.

The Rage Lives On! (or 28 Week Later)

Hello Chums,

As I have written before, I'm kind of new to the zombie craze. But I am catching up fast. Now I know that the creatures in 28 Weeks Later aren't technically zombies, but what else would you call them? Fast moving zombies (FMZ) that have a hankering for any type of living meat, even brains. I don't know. Maybe it doesn't matter.

If a movie is even remotely successful, the makers will churn out a sequel (you can take that to the bank). They are usually not as good as the original, right? Although sometimes, on that really rare occasion, they are as good or better. That wasn't the case here unfortunately.

28 Weeks Later starts off right at the end of the original. They give you a kind of time line that leads up to now (28 weeks later). The story focus' on a house with people in it that are hiding out from the Rage infected. Which is pretty cool but it goes to crap quickly.

The Rage infected (ragers) follow a kid to the house and break in easily. Too easily. It was so easy, how are we to believe they've been hiding there the whole time. They had no defenses. Maybe they should have watched The Omega Man to learn how to fortify their house.

Of course one guy survives and we follow his story. (It's not nearly as interesting as the people in the first movie). He makes a few (major) bad decisions. These decisions come back to bite him and everyone else in the ass later on. You can't root for this guy.

There are some other unbelievable parts also. Like how they let people start living in areas of London that has been rid of the infected, separated only by bridges or fences. You know that this can't end well. They would never do that in real life. What if some kids snuck over to the other side? Why not fire bomb the city instead? Get rid of the ragers once and for all.

As much as I liked the first movie, I'm more than a little disappointed by this sequel. Oh well, trilogy anyone?

Rating: C+

Happy Viewing.

D.L.

Wizard World Texas '07

Hello Chums,



As I have written before, I love comic book conventions. So going to Wizard World Texas is always a priority. This year it was held Nov. 16th - 18th. Unfortunately fellow convention attender Scott couldn't attend that weekend. After much debate, I decided to attend for one day only. Hearing of my one day plan, Buck (owner of New World Comics) decided he could go too.

We left OKC at approximately 0830. Driving down to the "Texas Metroplex", we talked comics, action figures and the finer points of running a comic book store. We arrived at the Arlington Convention Center at about 1130. Of course, we then had to stand in line for 30 or more minutes. And then the doors opened.



At first I couldn't believe my eyes. Where were all the "cool" booths? Gone were the three 1/2 price trade booths (NOOOO!!! SAY IT ISN'T SO!!). No Dark Horse Booth. No Aspen booth. No Whiz Kids booth (who cares). No Spike TV booth (yes! that booth is always annoying). No IFL (independent fighting league) booth (another yes!, why were they ever there to begin with?). You get the idea. Of course no Marvel or D.C. booths either, but they were not expected.



Basically, what makes that show a decent show (for me) was gone. What happened and why this year? Who knows? The programming has always been VERY light. In the past, a lot of quality guests have been grossly under utilized. But that's never affected attendance. That never caused retailers not to show. Did they raise the table rate? I don't know. Something kept them away though.



Now for the programming. I took four items to get signed. All drawn by Darrick Robertson. Of course he didn't make it. The excuse I got was he missed his flight. But if he's suppose to be there for the whole weekend, couldn't he catch the very next one? Are you telling me there is only one flight from NYC to Dallas for the whole weekend? And that flight is in the wee hours of Friday morning? Totally ridicules.



But the show was not a complete loss. There was plenty of cool comics, toys, prints, graphic novels and trades to see and buy. I talked to a few artists in artist alley, including cover artist Joe Jusko. Uncanny X-Men artist Billy Tan was there. But where was the Ed Brubakers, David Finchs or the Michael Turners? Who Knows? And did I go to any programming? No. There was none worth going to.



At about 1400, We took a break from the show and had lunch at Steak and Shake. Good food and better than spending $10 or more on crappy con food. Then we were back to the con for any final purchases.

We meandered around the con until about 1730. Then it was off to Half Price Books (my favorite book store). If you like books at all, check out a Half Price Bookstore sometime. Their selection is incredible. After picking up a couple of books there, it was time for dinner.

1900: Dinner at my favorite Texas restaurant, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. If you like Cajun food, this place is a must. I had the "mixed seafood grill", delicious!

2030-0015: We drive back to OKC talking about the con and the events of the day.

So it sounds like the trip might have been a bust, right? Wrong. I can't speak for Buck, but I had a fun time. Sure the trip would have been way too long if I had went for the entire weekend. There just wasn't enough to do. But this size show was great for one day.

What more could you want from a one day trip?

See you at the cons.

D.L.

More Zombie Love and a monkey.

Hello Chums,

I thought I'd talk a little bit about what I've been reading recently. A stand alone comic book trade (Trinity), two graphic novels (Superman: True Brit and Marvel Zombies Army of Darkness) and the first trade of a continuing story Y- The Last Man vol. 1.

First up is Trinity, a DC comics story by Matt Wagner. This story features the first meeting of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. All three heroes band together to stop eco-terrorist Ra's al Ghul and his allies, Bizarro and Artemis. Although the ending is rather anti-climatic, the story is enjoyable and the artwork is terrific. Not to be missed by fans of the big three. Rating: A

Secondly, we have Superman: True Brit. This story is basically what if Superman (Kal-El) landed in England instead of Kansas. This type of Superman story has been done before and done much better. The writers Kim Howard and John Cleese try to make this story light and funny but they fail miserably. The "funny" parts where young Colin (Clark) play sports and deal with family and friends are more painful than funny. While being drawn by John Byrne is a plus, this story is terrible. Ratings: story D- art B

Next up is Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness. Another Zombie book! This book features Ash from A.O.D. getting dropped into the Marvel Zombie universe. Ash has to battle his way through Zombified versions of Marvel heroes and villains. While this book is okay, it would have benefited greatly from Kirkman's writing and Phillip's art. It does have Suydam covers though. Rating: B

Lastly is Y-The Last Man. This is the story of Yorick Brown and his monkey. They are the last surviving males on the planet. The last two Y chromosomes in existence. This first arc takes place mainly around Washington, D.C. Yorick and his friend go in disguise to stay safe from Republicans (wives of the dead congressmen) and Amazons (roaming packs of lesbians). All Yorick wants to do after seeing his mom is go to his fiancee (in Australia). Doesn't that sound interesting? It is. It kind of reminds me of "A Boy and his dog" (in reverse). Rating: A

KRC (keep reading comics)

D.L.

My TV update 10 weeks in.

Hello Chums,

Have you enjoyed the fall TV season this year? I have. I don't watch everything of course, but the shows I watch I've enjoyed. I haven"t had to drop one yet!

Let's get right into it, Journey Man is my sleeper hit. I knew Kevin McKidd was awesome in Rome. So I tried out his new show. Who knew it would be so good? Not me.

McKidd playing time traveler Dan Vassar, goes back in time righting some wrongs, fixing some problems. All the while, there is a good twisting story that involves him, his ex-girl friend (who is dead in present day)(or maybe not), his wife, his brother (the nosy cop) and a rogue FBI agent.

If you haven't watched this show give it a try. Getting caught up in the underlying story might be difficult though. That's what DVDs are for. Rating: A+

How about Heroes? This show started off with a whimper. It has really (steadily) improved to be my favorite show this season. But remember Lost hasn't started yet.

Now that Hiro's side trip from feudal Japan has finished up, the overall continuing story is really coming together. Now we know about all the people pictured on the photo and what they created. And we have not one, but two nasty bad guys killing off characters. How cool is that? If these guys got together, would they kill each other or team up? Lets hope team up! Rating: A+

You have to love Monday's TV line up. First of all at 7PM on CBS, you have two good comedies. Okay I didn't say great. They're not Seinfeld or Friends, but How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory are pretty good. Then at 8PM you switch over to NBC and you get Heroes and Journey Man. What's not to love?

My other favorites include:

Tuesday's Boston Legal. Shatner + Spader = TV Greatness. Rating: B+

Wednesday's Bionic Woman. Rating: B

Thursday's Survivor. Rating: B

Friday and Saturday? Nothing.

Sunday's The Amazing Race. Rating: A and Desperate Housewives. Rating: C+

If your into Heroes as much as I am, pick up the Heroes Vol. 1 hardcover. It features all the online comics that came out each week during the first season. Check out the sweet Alex Ross cover. I got mine recently at Wizard World Texas. Good Stuff. Rating: A+

Happy Viewing.

D.L.

This land is your.....No. This land is GODLAND!

Hello Chums,

I thought I'd talk about 3 more trades and a graphic novel I just finished reading.


First up is Daredevil Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. This trade collects Daredevil issues 227-233. These issues tell a story of betrayal.

Matt Murdock's world slowly gets yanked out from under him. First, all of his money is frozen by the IRS, he then looses his license to practise law and his house is blown up. That's just the start of all his problems. How much more can one man take?

What set all this in motion? How about a strung out ex-girlfriend who sold his secret identity for a fix. Of course he realizes who the mastermind behind all of this and confronts them as Daredevil-The Man Without Fear. rating: A-

What if Jack "King" Kirby was alive and well. He'd be doing comics of course. If we were lucky he'd be doing a comic like Godland. Joe Casey and Tom Scioli are the next best thing to "The King". Mr. Casey's script is chock full of cosmic goodness. Mr. Scioli's art has that Kirby blocky style with crackle! Lastly the coloring by Bill Crabtree seems to leap off the page.

The story features Adam Archer, an astronaut who (four years ago) gains cosmic powers while on a mission to Mars. Now the government has set him (and his three sisters) up in a base in NYC to deal with "cosmic" threats. In this arc Archer befriends an alien "dog". Oh yeah, there's also a host of villains to deal with. Give Godland vol.1 Hello Cosmic a try. rating: A+


Next is the original graphic novel (ogn) The Incredible Change-Bots by Jeffrey Brown. As you may know already, Jeffrey Brown is the writer/artist responsible for Unlikely, Clumsy, AEIOU, and Big Head just to name a few. Although his art style appears simple, it is pleasing to the eye. With the Incredible Change-Bots, he has done something he hasn't done before. A full-colored book.

The Incredible Change-Bots are pretty much what they sound like. Large robots that turn into household items, cars, etc. They're made up of two groups. The Awesome Bots are the good guys. While the Fantasticons make up the bad guys. These two factions go at it for years until their planet is in total ruin. They then form an uneasy alliance and come to earth to start battling some more. Is this Jeffrey Brown's best book? No. Did I enjoy it more than the Transformers movie? Yes. rating: B+

Finally is The Black Coat: A Call To Arms. Ape Entertainments' Lichius, Cogan and Francavilla have knocked this one out of the park. While the story is good, the illustration is top notch and really feels right for this type of story.

In 1775, the British Crown has a strong hold over the colonies and is based out of New York City. The Continental Congress has a masked spy working for them to combat the British injustices - The Black Coat. Working with his secret group, the Black Coat uses his equipment and his fighting skills (ala Batman or James Bond) in an attempt to stop the unseen enemy directing the British troops. rating: A
Happy Reading.
D.L.

The Tick turns 20.

Hello Chums,

Although con season is officially over, comic books are always on my mind. As I've said before, I can't get enough of them. So I thought I'd talk a little bit about a few things I've read recently.

First up is The Tick 20th Anniversary Special Edition #1. Now I've been a fan of The Tick since it was a cartoon. I've collected the awesome (and sometimes hard to find) toys and even read a few of the comics.

Being a fan of The Tick hasn't been easy. The comics come out very infrequently, have had odd numbering and multiple creators. Having said all that, I was very pleased to get a copy of the 20th anniversary issue. This 56 page issue is stuffed with plenty of Tick goodness.

First of all, check out the great Arthur Suydam zombie Tick cover. Did I tell you I LIKE ZOMBIES? Inside is multiple stories from tons of creators in full color goodness. The book also has creator bios, the history of how The Tick came to be, a nice fold out section from Ben Edlund (creator of The Tick), words from the publisher and printer and a Tick San Diego Comic-Con 2006 report. That my friends, is a lot of Tick goodness. rating: A+

Next up is The Fantastic Four Unstable Molecules. On the surface, I should really like this book. I mean it's the Fantastic Four (FF) and it's drawn by one of my favorites-Guy Davis. And I did like the book. However, I didn't really care for the concept. You see, if it was just a story it would be okay. But the whole premise is that the FF are all based on real people. Scientist Reed Richards as Reed Richards, Sue and Johnny Sturm as the Storms and boxer Ben Grimm as Ben Grimm. It even has Johnny Strum's friend Rich as the basis of the Moleman and a Reed Richard rival as the basis of Dr. Doom.

These "four" all have various issues (with each other) which culminate at a party at the Sturm's house. That party is attended by none other than Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They, of course, go on to use these characters in their comic book. If only the "real" FF were as likable as there comic book cousins. rating: Story C+ Art A

I really enjoy Alex Ross art. For me, Marvels is his high mark. Nothing since has been as good. The Terminator The Burning Earth was done before Marvels. Is it as good? NO. The artwork isn't as sharp and its too dark.

Is the story enjoyable? Yes. It's your basic human trying to stop the oncoming monster (terminator hoard) type of story. The story works well and fits into the Terminator series just fine. rating: B-

Lastly is Powers Roleplay. Powers by superstars Brain Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming is the story of Det. Christian Walker and Det. Denna Pilgrim. The detectives work in a city with super heroes and super villains. The crimes they investigate involve superpowers.

Roleplay is the story of what goes wrong when non-powered kids "roleplay" as super heroes with super villains in town. This trade collects issues 8-11. If you like "cop" TV shows and super heroes, this is the book for you. I liked it much better than vol.1 Who Killed Retro Girl? rating: B

Happy Reading.

D.L.

My early TV report card

Hello Chums,

I thought I'd talk about the new Fall TV season. Although it's only a couple of weeks in, I thought I'd give an early report card. If you check out my Top 5 Favorite lists, you can see some of what I've been watching. However, there are (a few) more promising shows.

Lets dive right in with Heroes. As good as this show was last year, (second only to Lost) it hasn't captivated me this year. The first 2 episodes were boring. Where is the excitement this show generated last year? It has a long w-a-y to go to be as good as last year. Hopefully this show will pick up soon. Rating: B-

Now lets talk Survivor. What can I say? How about: Always Good. I know it's a reality show, but it's always good. Each group of new competitors bring something new to the show. So far the events this season have been a combination of really tough and exciting. And it's in China this season. What's not to like? Rating: A-

Next is Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is always entertaining. However, I'm not sure where the story is going with the displaced family. I hope this story line is finished fast. It's not that funny. Rating: C-

One of my favorite "new" actors is Kevin McKidd from the HBO show Rome. He is now the star of NBC's Journey Man. In Rome McKidd played a bad ass Roman. In Journey Man he plays a newspaper reporter/husband/father. Oh yeah, He also travels back through time to help people. Although the show has been okay, I feel like I've seen this before. It was called Quantum Leap. I hope this show is able to break away from that type of show. Rating: B

Boston Legal rounds out my top five. First of all Shatner and Spader are awesome. Their scenes together are always great. I'm just disappointed that they got rid of Paul Lewiston (Rene Auberjonis), Denise Bauer (Julie Bowen) and Brad Chase (Mark Valley). Why didn't they get rid of Clarence Bell (Gary Anthony Williams)? His story has already played out. The new addition of Jerry Espenson (Christian Clemenson) as a permanent cast member is great. I just wish they would bring back Tara Wilson (Rhona Mitra). She added a lot to the cast. Rating: B

Two more shows to watch: Desperate Housewives and The Bionic Woman. While the "housewives" are pretty much same ole thing as before, The Bionic Woman has been good so far. Ratings: Wives C+, Woman B+

Happy viewing.

D.L.

I'm Wanted (dead or alive)

Hello Chums,

I just finished reading Wanted by Mark Millar and JG Jones.

Mark Millar (probably best known for his work on The Ultimates) has crafted a tale that is reminiscent of a Garth Ennis story. It's a very twisted story with an assortment of oddball characters. With so many new characters though, (they're not the Justice League or the Avengers) I would have preferred more character development. We find out almost nothing about several of the big players in the story. A little more back story (through flashbacks or dialogue) could have added some much needed depth. As it is, the series is packed into 6 issues, but with so much story to tell, I wish it was 8-10.

JG Jones photo referenced art style works well with this story. Several characters bear striking resemblances to known celebrities: Marshall Mathers (M&M)? as Wesley Gibson, Halle Berry? as the Fox and Tommy Lee Jones? as The Killer. All nicely done.

All in all, I think there is enough here to make a decent movie. When was the last time there was great character development in an action movie anyway? As a comic reader, we just expect a little more.

If you want to read the story before seeing the movie, pick up the trade (trade paperback). It has a nice section of character bios and art from many of today's top artists.

But what's the story about? It features your basic loser (Wesley Gibson) down on his luck in life. Terrible job, no-good girl friend and father that left soon after he was born. Then things start to change for him. He meets a woman named Fox who tells him his runaway father is dead. And oh yeah, he was the most deadly supervillian the world has ever known, The Killer.

It seems in 1986, all the world's super bad guys banded together to kill all the super heroes. They then divided the Earth into 5 areas, each ran by a family, Mafia style. Fast forward to today. With the Killer dead and gone, his "family" train young Wes to be the next Killer. Does Wes embrace the life of a criminal? What do you think?

I picked the trade up while in Chicago at the con. Mr. Millar was at the con all weekend. So I decided I would have him sign it. I was headed into the con one morning when I saw him get into a taxi. Since I knew his signing was scheduled in about an hour, I didn't think he would make it. Sure enough, it was announced that his signing was changed to later in the day. Of course I didn't make that one. Oh well. His excuse? He was off to have lunch downtown with Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Timur Bermambetov (the director of Wanted). Hey, you've got to have your priorities straight.

The casting of Wanted (the movie) is suspect. I mean I known the producers want to cast actors that will carry a movie (to the bank.) But come on, in the book Fox is a black woman that looks like Halle Berry. Angelina Jolie: white. This reminds me of two recent comic book movie casting blunders. #1 In Catwoman, Selina Kyle is played by Halle Berry. #2 In Daredevil, the Kingpin is played by Michael Clark Duncan. Two really bad choices (along with the scripts.) Bad casting can really kill a movie for this fanboy.

I just hope The (original) Killer looks like Tommy Lee Jones.

D.L.

I need a PSP bad.

Hello Chums,

I saw this ad in the NOV 07 issue of PSM (playstation magazine). The new game is Final Fantasy Tactics - The War Of The Lions. Made for the PSP (playstation portable), it's a port of sorts of my favorite video game Final Fantasy Tactics.

For the uninitiated, the original game is a incredibly huge turn based role playing video game. What does that mean? Two things. #1 A video game where you use characters already created with characters you meet and create during the game. The characters gain skill points and grow more powerful. #2 During a battle, the characters are placed a large map with a grid on it. The characters (good and bad) take turns (actions) based on speed. The faster character moves first and so on.

The original game has many different classes of characters, weapons, spells and monsters. Along with the main quest, there were tons of side missions and dungeons. All with a compelling story. I spent more than 200 hours on the first game.

The great news is the new port will be a full remake of the original with new CG cinematics, new jobs and missions and new characters. Where the original game had some language translation issues, the problematic translation from Japanese to English has even been fixed! All this in a hand held package.

Now I finally have a reason to buy a PSP. I hope my wife agrees.

D.L.

A Zombie here... A Zombie there... Zombies are frigin' everywhere.

Hello Chums,

I thought I'd talk a little bit about zombies. What? Why zombies? What is the big deal with zombies these days? It is a craze. The genre seems more popular than ever. But why?

I've never been a big fan of horror. Sure, I used to read every new Stephen King novel when it came out, but that was almost 15 years ago. I've watch a few Horror movies over the years, but the genre isn't my favorite. Zombies have never been all that interesting to me. They've always been pretty low on my monster scale.

However that feeling has started to change. It probably started when I watched 28 Days Later on HBO a few years ago. This movie surprised me by being Very Good. The victims were infected with something called "The Rage." A very nasty zombie type disease. Good Stuff!

Earlier this year, I read my copy of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend." It is quite a bit different than the Charlton Heston movie "The Omega Man." It's a much darker story and Neville's situation seems more hopeless. Okay, so the monsters are technically vampires, but the way they move around and they're lack of usual vampire abilities remind me of zombies. I hope that the "I Am Legend" movie coming out later this year closely follows the book. With Will Smith in it though, it's already off to a bad start.

I keep hearing the term "Marvel Zombie". This refers to rabid Marvel fans (fan boys), who are crazy about Marvel comics. Does this mean they are brain dead automatons programmed to buy Marvel Comics? Maybe, but isn't it more likely that a DC (Didio Controlled) comics fan would continue to pick up their crap no-matter how bad it is? DC zombies anyone?

My next encounter with zombies was the book "Marvel Zombies" by Kirkman,Phillips and Suydam. I kept hearing how good it was, so I had to see for myself. It's a nice (graphic) little tale that features some of the top Marvel characters zombified. Hey, I liked it! After reading it, I tracked down the Marvel Zombies Dead Days one shot and the 3 issue Black Panther story arc. All very good. Zombie fever rising.

This all leads up to the comic book that made zombies popular. The Walking Dead. This book has done more to fuel the zombie craze than any other. I didn't buy this book when it first debuted. However, I have smelled the rotting flesh. I picked up the first trade while at a con in Kansas City. I devoured it like a zombie with a fresh piece of meat on a Saturday night. Tasty! The next day at the con I had Tony Moore (the artist) sign it. Who's it written by? Robert Kirkman. He knows a thing or two about zombies. I have now read trades 2-6 (in one day). Good stuff indeed. Zombie fever set to high.

Now for a zombie story or two. I was playing the board game Risk at Scott's house a while back. Fellow con attender Wayne and some other guys were there. Wayne was talking about all the zombie movies he had seen and there various story lines. One of the guys says that if zombies are so slow, they would never be able catch anyone to eat their brain. Wayne says that would be true, but the problem is the regular people tend to dance around and go na-na -na-na to the zombies. Then they trip, fall down and the zombies pounce on them. The funny thing was Wayne doing his own dance, the mocking thing and trip while trying to explain it.

My other zombie story involves my son Z.D. (Snake) Nelson. Years ago, I used to play the Play Station survival horror game Resident Evil 2. The problem is young Z.D. (not yet Snake) was in Kindergarten and he would watch me play all the time. It never seemed to bother him at all. Well that was until the teacher had her class draw what scared them. It didn't take long to get the call from school with the teacher asking: "Why is Zachary scared of zombies?" That was pretty much the end of my Resident Evil days.

Final Thought: MUST EAT BRAINS!!!

D.L.

DON'T GET CHUMPATIZED

Hello Chums,

I saw a great movie the other night. The King Of Kong.

This documentary tells the story of one man's quest to be the best in the world at what he does: Play the video game Donkey Kong.

Steve Wiebe was an out of work husband and father of two. He hears about the highest score ever recorded on Donkey Kong and decides he would beat it. So he does what anyone would do: Get a Donkey Kong arcade console, put it in his garage and play all the time. He plays so much he figures out tricky patterns that the game throws at him.

When he beats the high score does the movie end there? Not Hardly! Enter Billy Mitchell. Gamer of the Century. Billy is the gamer that has held the record for over 20 years. Will he let his record fall? No Way!

What ensues is some of the best documentary film making I have ever seen.

Don't Get Chumpatized see this movie.

D.L.

Secret Agent Man

Hello Chums,

I've been reading comics a long time. I can't get enough of them. I would consider myself more of a Marvel guy than a DC guy. I also like James Bond movies. So Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. should be a slam dunk right? No, not really.

I never really knew much about Nick Fury. Sure I saw him here or there in the Marvel universe but I never paid much attention to him. I mean, he didn't even have super powers. What's to like?

Awhile back I started reading a lot of Garth Ennis books (The Preacher,The Punisher), which lead me his other works which included a couple of Nick Fury limited series. I really enjoyed those so I decided to investigate Colonel Fury a bit further. I picked up the Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. trade at W.W. Chicago this year. I've had my eye on it awhile and decided at 40% off it was time to buy.

Flipping through the book I realized that the art was very good for something produced in the 60's. The coloring is amazing (though not original.) Altogether a nice package with high production values.

And the story? A very good 60's secret agent story. Fury goes up against A.I.M., Hydra, Baron Strucker and the Yellow Claw while saving the world. Just like all the great Bond movies, Fury has plenty of gadgets, a fancy car and a couple of babes. And an agent that makes a cameo appearance bares a striking resemblance to Sean Connery's Bond. Good stuff.

Highly Recommended.

D.L.

Bring Back Barry

Hello Chums,

When someone from Oklahoma writes a blog called Bring Back Barry, You might guess it would be about Barry Switzer. Although I'm a Sooner fan, this post is about comic books.

You see, I've been collecting comic books for about 35 years. Recently, I lucked into finding and buying the first comic book I ever owned. Fantastic Four #24. It had been a little tough to figure out what book it was because I couldn't remember the cover image and only some of the interior panels. I had my copy when I was 4 or 5 years old. That was quite a few years ago. Yes my new copy is very rough, but after flipping through my original copy countless times it was very rough too. Why spend a lot of money, when I can buy a copy that's comparable to the one I owned? This copy even has mustaches drawn on the characters like I would have done. The funny thing is I bought it at my Local Comic book Store (LCS), New World Comics.

I've been shopping at New World Comics since 1981. When I found out a comic book store was opening 3 blocks from my house, I couldn't believe it. I went by everyday after school and looked in their windows. I couldn't wait for opening day. On that fateful day, I ran to the store after school. I rushed inside. I couldn't wait to check out the merchandise. The store owners told me that I was their second customer (the first guy was just asking for directions.)

Since 1981, I have spent a lot of time and money at New World Comics. Why do I continue to shop there? I don't live down the block anymore. As an adult I can spend my money anywhere. If it's not because of their location, is it the stock? No. It's because of the people.

You see, going to New World was kind of like Norm going into the bar on the TV show "Cheers." You know, "where everyone knows your name." I'd walk in and I'd get: Hey Dave, how's it going? There would always be great talk about comics, movies or whatever. Usually some serious nerd talk. It was great stuff for my formative years.

Early on, New World management hired their first New World kid to sweep up and take out the trash. His name was Barry. Now Barry was a couple years older than me. He was well read (not just in comics), knew a lot about movies and a lot of other things. Over the years, Barry moved up the ladder to store manager. During this time, we had great conversations about all kinds of things. But it wasn't just me, I'd walk in and Barry would be in deep conversation with other customers. Barry became so popular customers would always ask for him. I began to wonder: Did Barry bring in customers? Or was it the comics? Was he bigger than the store? Could he open his own store and take all of New World's customers? Unfortunately my questions would ultimately be answered.

After an almost 15 year run, the New World owner let Barry go. He said he couldn't afford him any more (it was after the comic market bust). I personally took this news very hard. Barry and I were buddies. I wasn't going to let this happen. I had to do something. My friend Scott and I decided to try something. We made up fliers that said "Bring Back Barry" and placed his picture on it. We then hung fliers around the area of the shop. Nothing happened with the fliers except Barry asked us to take them down. He was ready to try something knew (and not even open his own store.) A very sad time in New World history.

There have been other New World kids or employees. But not another Barry. You can't replace a "fixture" so easily. And all those customers I used to see in the store talking to Barry? They're all gone now of course. But so is the original owner. He sold the shop to one of the newer New World kids. I've been shopping at the store longer than the new owner has been alive.

I've checked out all the other LCS' around town, none of them feel right. Even though the conversations don't seem as interesting, I'll continue to shop at New World. Maybe out of habit. Maybe I'm just getting old. Hey, It's hard to make a change after 26 years and I am their second customer!

So for the last time: Bring Back Barry!

D.L.

Best of SCI-FI

Hello Chums,

I thought I'd talk some SCI-FI on this post. Everyone who likes SCI-FI has their own favorite movie or TV series, but what's the best? Do we rate them on the best action, adventure, locations, special effects or even the actors involved? Sure, lets take it all into account.

Now there is quite a few franchises that I really like. But you have to start somewhere so I thought I would eliminate a few TV franchises because of the cheesy factor. The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Battlestar Galactica, DR.WHO, Buck Rogers and even Quantum Leap were okay at the time, but do they belong in the top spot? No-way. Yes, some of the stories were compelling, but the special effects were generally bad at the time. And how about the locations? You can only do so much in an abandoned factory or out in the woods. Don't get me started on the bad acting on Buck Rogers or Battlestar Galactica. Maybe it was just the best they could do with their lousy scripts. What about the new Battlestar Galactica or Dr. Who? I haven't even watched them. I'm not even interested. I feel like all of my questions have already been answered. But I may give the new Bionic Woman a try.

Now lets talk movie franchises. You have Terminator, Alien, Predator and the Matrix. All good franchises but best of all? Hardly. The Terminator, Alien and Predator are glorified monster movies. And before you say, What about the Matrix? Yeah, the first movie was awesome, but did you see parts 2 and 3? Total let downs. Nice action but the story was lame. They should have stopped while they were ahead.

So what do we have left? Star Wars, Star Trek and the X-Files. You may say the X-Files? What? But don't forget the continuing alien plot line. But the X-Files was mostly supernatural. So that leaves us with Star Wars and Star Trek. Easily my favorites.

When you consider the number of Star Wars and Star Trek themed conventions and their attendance that they have each year, it's easy to say that they are a lot of people's favorites. But which is best?

Both have had many movies (Trek 10 and Wars 6) and a cartoon series each. Trek has had 5 TV series against Wars old lame TV special (best to be left forgotten). Both franchises have had great locals, special effects and action with top notch actors. And before you ask, no I'm not putting the original Star Trek series on the cheesy list. Kirk and company are far to cool for that.

But what is the message? Can't we just boil Star Wars down to good vs evil? With a little magic (the force) thrown in? In a galaxy far, far away, I think that same theme will go on forever and forever.

Doesn't Star Trek offer more? It has the promise to "explore strange new worlds" and to "seek out new life and new civilizations." To boldly go where no man has gone before. Star Trek gives you the possibility of experiencing something new with each new outing.

To me Star Trek has the feeling of what could be possible in our future. Star Wars not so much. It has an unbelievable quality to it. I mean did you ever wonder where they could get enough steel to make a battle station the size of a planet?

Best of SCI- FI? No question Star Trek.

D.L.

HIGH ROLLER or low roller?

Hello Chums,

I thought on my opening post I'd talk about one of my favorite things. Going to comic book conventions (cons).
When I was a kid, I'd be lucky to go to one con a year. Of course this was the local con here in OKC. I would go with my friend Darin. My mom would usually take us and his would pick us up. Now this would not happen now days of course with all of the weirdos out there. But it was okay back then. We would spend the whole day at the show.

At the show, we would have the complete con experience. After paying our $5.00 to get in, We would spend our usual $20.00 on "awesome stuff" (comics or whatever). We would have lunch at the con hotel restaurant (a hamburger) because we were not aloud to leave the hotel. After looking at all the cool stuff in the dealers room, we would watch a movie in the movie room or play a role playing game. Yes the complete con experience.
Things have changed now that I'm an adult. The admission price of to the con is a lot more, $25.00 a day. Food prices at conventions are outrageous. Hotdog $5.00, Sandwich $8.00, Slice of pizza $5.00. Want to park your car at the hotel your staying at? $15.00 a day. You get the idea.

This begs the question. Am I a HIGH ROLLER or a low roller?
On the one hand, I feel okay spending money on air fare, nice hotels and the things I buy at cons (comic books, graphic novels, action figures, toys, prints, etc.) But $5.00 for a hot dog, that sucks.

I went to Wizard World Chicago for the first time this year. W.W.C. is in a HUGE convention center. At a huge con like Chicago or San Diego, there is an incredible amount of walking to be done each day. But don't forget your carrying your bag All Day Long. Now this bag has everything you need in it for the whole day. A few necessary items in it would be: sketch book,pens,camera,snack,water bottle, something to get signed and the con schedule. Then you start adding to it what you have bought and the free swag. This bag gets heavy fast. A lot of walking and a heavy bag will wear you out by the end of the day if not sooner. So in the evening when the show is over, your tired and hungry. It's time to get a good dinner.

After walking at the con all day, now it's time to walk back to the hotel (some years it's been 8-10 blocks away) to drop off our stuff and use the facilities, then walk to a restaurant, wait 30-45 minutes to be seated, eat and walk all the way back to our hotel. At Chicago the restaurants were almost a mile away. That's a lot of walking in one day. Now times that by 4 or 5 days.

I pointed out to my friend Scott that a HIGH ROLLER wouldn't do all the extra walking, he would take a cab when possible. But at the rate we were going we would need a cab 2-3 times a day, were we willing to shell out for a cab 10-12 times a con? Not likely yet. Hey we're barely in our 40's, still in good shape. We'll walk for now. Save some dough.

Does this make us low rollers? I don't think so. A low roller wouldn't be able to go to 3-4 cons a year. Maybe we are mid rollers.

D.L.

Welcome

Welcome to Better Than Fiction.
Here I'll talk comic books, movies, TV, video games or whatever.
So check back soon.


D.L.