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.