Ralph Nader: Voice of the People, or Self-Serving Demogauge?

Ralph Nader

According to CNN.com, Ralph Nader has put together an exploratory committee to investigate the possibility of him running for President this year. That sound you hear is most of America groaning.

Why is he thinking of running? This is what he has to say about that:

"John Edwards, the banner of Democratic Party populism, is dropping out, and Dennis Kucinich dropped out earlier, so in terms of voters who are at least interested in having major areas of injustice, deprivations, and solutions discussed in a presidential campaign, they might be interested in my exploratory effort."

So, since Edwards and Kucinch two candidates with zero primary wins thus far and only 29 delegates between them, are out you decide to fill their shoes because voters want to hear what they had to say and its up to you to keep the fire burning? Right?

If people were really all that interested in what these two men had to say, they'd still be running, wouldn't they? Don't get me wrong, Edwards was my horse in this race, but the voters hath spoken. And Ralph, you are not going to do any better.

I mean, seriously? Has anybody been clamoring for Nader to get in the race? Anybody saying "I wish Ralph Nader was running"? Al Gore, yes. Mike Bloomberg, yes. Nader? No.

Why do we only hear from Nader during election time? Where is he during the other 3 years? Where is his message then? One of the reasons Al Gore is a popular choice for a candidate is because he is out there trying to stop global warming. Love him or hate him, agree with him or not, he is out there getting his message across. Where's Nader?

And if the message is so important, why did he wait for Edwards and Kucinich to drop out? Why didn't he throw his hat in the ring back when all the other candidates did? And does he really need to run for President to get his message across? Al Gore over the last few years showed he didn't. 

Or why doesn't Nader run for Senate to try to work in the system? Could it be that there is not enough media attention doing it that way?

Don't call him a spoiler. Even though he is best known recently from costing Gore the election in 2000 (Yes, there is no way to be sure that Nader cost Gore the election. But Nader got 97,000+ votes in Florida in 2000. Gore lost the state by 537. It seems almost like a lead pipe cinch that at least 538 of Nader's voters would have voted for Gore if Nader wasn't in the race. Not all of those 97,000 were people who only showed up at the polls because Nader was running.), he has this to say he's trying to do the same thing now:

"Political bigotry will be the label on anybody who uses the word 'spoiler.' Because ‘spoiler’ means minor candidates are second class citizens. Either we have an equal right to run for election, or we are spoilers for each other trying to get each other's votes.”

Ooh! I'm a political bigot! Yes you have the right to run, Ralph. But you have no chance of winning. None. Zilch. Zero. I know it. America knows it. And you should be smart enough to know it. The only thing you will do is take votes away from the Democrats. And if the race is close that could very well spoil the election for the Democrats. If you were a candidate from the get go, or if you added your name to the Democratic ticket from the very beginning, I would have more respect for you. Your stance would be more believable. Call me a bigot, but coming in when more than half the field for either side has already dropped out, it looks like you want to play the part of the spoiler.

If you are truly concerned with helping America, Ralph, you wouldn't run for President. If 2000 taught you anything, not only won't you win, but whoever wins will pay absolutely no attention to your platform. And you could cause the country to be in even worse shape than if it would have been if you never ran. That's what happened in 2000.  

If the message is so important, and running for President is such a great platform for get yours across, and you are not actively trying to spoil the election for the Democrats, why didn't you drop out of the race before November in 2000? You had already made your point. Tell your supporters to vote for whoever, just not you.

It is one thing to join the race to use it as a platform to get your opinions heard, It's quite another to run just to hear the sound of your own voice. With Nader, I think its more of the latter than the former.

New Guiding Lines column up

There is a new Guiding Lines column up over at Broken Frontier. This week, I cover Captain America #34, Spider-Man: With Great Power #1, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #25, Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #1, Black Adam: The Dark Age #6, New Avengers Annual #2, and Salem #0. Check it out!

I rant about Joe Quesada's response to questions about One More Day.

Just when you thought you were done with One More Day, it pulls you back in!

Over at Comic Book Resources, they took questions from the fans aimed at Joe Quesada. and pertaining to One More Day. I was going to let it slide, because, well, aren't we all sick of complaining about OMD? But I got to the second question and I couldn't take it. I had to rant about it.

I'll try to go through it point by point.

1. In response to a question about if fans should really believe that this change will be permanent, Joe Q comes out with this bon mot:

"So, the simple answer is that we don’t do things like this willy-nilly, so I as a fan, I wouldn’t expect things like this to be a reoccurrence or even commonplace. "

Yeah, not doing things willy-nilly. To that, I counter this interview with J. Michael Stracynski at Newsarama:

"To explain, here's the conversation I had with Marvel, in sum:

"So what does Mephisto do?" I ask.

"He makes everybody forget Peter's Spider-Man."

"Uh, huh. So Aunt May's still in the hospital --"

"No, he saves Aunt May."

"But if all he does is save her life and make everybody forget he's Spidey, she still has a scar on her midsection."

"No, he makes that go away too."

"Okay...:

"Then he wakes up in her house."

"The house that was burned down?"

"Right."

"But how --"

"Mephisto undoes that as well."

"Okay. And the guys who shot at Peter and May and were killed, they're alive too? Mephisto can bring guys back from the dead?"

"It's all part of the spell."

"And Doc Strange can't tell?"

"No,"

"And the newspaper articles? News footage?"

"Joe, it's been forgotten."

"I'm just asking is that stuff there or not there?"

"Not there. And Peter's web shooters are back."

"Is this the same spell or a different spell?"

"Same spell."

"How does making people forget he's Spidey bring back his web shooters?"

"It's magic, okay?"

"I see. And Harry's back."

"Right."

"And Mephisto does this too."

"Yep."

"So is Harry back from the dead, or has he been alive? If they ask him, hey Harry, what did you do last summer, will he remember? And the year before? And the year before? If he says they all went on a picnic two years ago, will they remember it?"

"It's --"

"Because if he now has a life he remembers, if he's not back from the dead, then you've changed the continuity you said you didn't want to change. Those are your only options: he was brought back from the dead, and there's a grave, and people remember him dying --"

"Mephisto changes THEIR memories too."

"-- or he's effectively been alive as far as our characters know, so he's been alive all along, so either way as far as our characters are concerned, continuity's been violated going back to 1971.

How do you explain that?"

"It's magic, we don't have to explain it."

And that's the part I had a real problem with, maybe the single biggest problem. There's this notion that magic fixes everything. It doesn't. "It's magic, we don't have to explain it." Well, actually, yes, you do. Magic has to have rules. And this is clearly not just a case of one spell making everybody forget he's Spidey...suddenly you're bringing back the dead, undoing wounds, erasing records, reinstating web shooters, on and on and on.

What I wanted to do was to make one small change to history, a tiny thing, whose ripples we could control to only touch what editorial wanted to touch, making changes we could explain logically. I worked for weeks to come up with a timeline that would leave every other bit of continuity in place. It was rigorous, and as logical as I could make it. In the end of OMD as published, Harry is alive and he's always been alive as far as the characters know...so how is that different than he was alive the whole time?

It made no sense to me."

Sounds like someone came into this thing willy nilly.

2. A group of fans asked how making a deal with the devil was better than Peter and Mary Jane getting divorced and how to explain it to their kids about the deal with the devil. Joe Q brought out his usual explanation:

"Now, there are those that say, “but he made a deal with the Mephisto, how is that better?” I would at least see something in that statement if it was Peter who conjured up Mephisto. If Peter had no options and then proceeded to perform some ritual in order to invoke Mephisto, or in essence reached out to him as a last ditch effort, then yes, I would agree because now you’re validating and saying it’s okay to seek out the Mephisto guy to fix a problem. But, that’s not what happened. It was Mephisto in this case, as he is prone to do, who comes to Peter at his weakest moment and uses this to his advantage. Why? Because he’s a villain. This is a very important distinction, Peter is used by the bad guy, taken advantage of, and let me add it’s not the first time a villain has taken advantage of him. "

I think Merriam-Webster is trying to get in touch with Joe. They want to use this explanation as an example of "splitting hairs". So, since Mephisto, Marvel's version of the Devil, came to Peter and Peter didn't go to him, that makes the deal-making okay? So, if Peter robs a bank, that would be bad, if he just picks up a bag the Brinks guy absent-mindedly leaves behind, that's okay.

Making a deal with the devil is making a deal with the devil. Joe, you had you most marketable character make a Faustian deal with Satan. I only regret that you have as of yet not been called on it by the mainstream press.

3. In response to someone asking if what Mephisto said about Peter and MJ still having a bond, yet not knowing why, Joe Q said this:

"Hey, Tom and Aaron, keep in mind, Mephisto also says that they will remember nothing of the event. So much in the way that he does things, Mephisto is full of contradictions, mysteries and mischief. Keep reading and see how it al plays out.

Also, I wonder what MJ whispered in his ear?"

Gotta hand it to Joe, he the ultimate huckster. Here he is, answering the questions of irate fans in a way that certainly will irritate them further, and puts that last sentence in. It's like he saying, "Hey, suckers! Remember! You're supposed to be excited about this! That whisper will pay off big time (and if you don't think it is big, that will be your fault.)"

4. In respone to a heart-felt explanation from a fan that the married Spider-man was all he knew, and that worked for him, Joe Q kinda insults him:

"That said, did you enjoy the Spider-man movies? I only ask because that was your dad’s Spider-Man on the screen, soap opera and all."

A) He can't answer you, Joe, and B) What if he didn't? Yes, The Spider-Man movies were a global sensation, but not every comic fan loved them. I really wish that this phantom dialogue Joe had with this guy would have had the chance to continue.

Add to that numerous invocations of variations on "Be Patient, all will be revealed" (Which I think he means, "Give us time to think up a reason for all these changes that really don't make sense"), it turns out to be a headache of an interview.

And, hopefully, this will be the last I am going to speak about One More Day.  

 

 

Star Trek teaser trailer

I am a rare bird in many ways, but one is because I have just about an equal love for Star Wars and Star Trek. Usually, it's one or the other. I like both.

So, in case anybody out there hasn't seen it yet, here is the teaser trailer. As it is a teaser, you won't see much along the lines of plot or actors. But it is enough to give the hardcore fan goosebumps.

Thanks to The Beat for pointing me in the right direction.

I rant about the Wonder Woman Playboy cover.

Playboy-February-2008

It took me a while to get around to this But the issue is still on the stands so I guess this rant is still timely. Here are some points I have about it.

• At least it gave the fanboys a controversy to take their minds off of One More Day.
• As for the risque-ness of the cover, I think the Demi Moore bodypaint cover from Vanity Fair back in 1992 is far racier. Yes, the paint is all over her body, but she is facing the reader. It's much dirtier. In my opinion anyway.
• As for the will DC sue argument, well, the painted on costume is not exactly the Wonder Woman costume. But they do say that the model is supposed to be Wonder Woman. I'd think if they were going to sue, the process would have been started already.
• If there is any feminist who reads comics that is up in arms about this, they are starting at the wrong place. Perhaps if WW didn't wear hot pants in the first place, Playboy wouldn't put her on the cover. There is plenty of sexism in comics themselves. Clean that up before you start tackling this.
• I think Valerie makes a pretty good point.  
• When it comes down to it, which is more damaging to the character, its readers and female comic fans in general: this cover, or the recent "Holy Hot Flash, Batman" Newsweek article? I vote for the latter. Playboy has never been a bastion of political correctness. Certainly you don't expect them to go out of their way caring about what women think. Newsweek is a national news magazine. It is supposed to be serious, intelligent and open to all readers. Again, I agree with Valerie that the article was more detrimental than helpful to the cause of women in comics. From the article title to the emphasizing the sexyness of the character to not acknowledging that female comic creators are not just a recent thing, the article diminishes the role of women in comics.  

Pittsburgh Photo Blogging: Part Two

This series of photos is actually chronologically before the ones in Part One, for those of you scoring at home. You might see some duplication, but it will be at night. So it will still be different. And cooler.

 

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This is the view from our hotel room

 

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And, if you leaned against the window, you could see PNC Park from our hotel. I'm sure that if you are a math genius, you can calculate which room we stayed in from the geographic location of these landmarks. But it would be weird if you did that.

 

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This is the Byham Theater. I like the way they made the marquee modern looking and old-fashioned at the same time.

 

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Here is PNC Park from across the river at night. Notice how the sign looks all lit up.

 

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Another view of PNC Park.

 

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The statue of Roberto Clemente and the Roberto Clemente Bridge at night.

 

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The statue of Willie Stargell.

 

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The statue of Honus Wagner. You can see the carvings of a couple kids on the side. I wonder if this was originally at Three Rivers Stadium and/or Forbes Field and moved here. If so, that would be impressive.

 

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Jen and I enjoying a celebratory drink and enormous plate of nachos at Jerome Bettis' Grille 36. I didn't realize it at the time, but a gust of wind must have blown a Terrible Towel in from the other room right as the picture was being taken, obscuring Jen's face. Darn those gusty restaurants!

 

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 This is part of a big mural that is on one of the walls of the restaurant. If I ever own a restaurant, I'm going to recreate this for it with me replacing Jerome.

QotD: Offering Up My Best

What do you think is your best physical attribute? 
Submitted by Nacwolin.

My hair. I got a lot of complements from women who have run their fingers through it on how silky soft it was.

Yes, that is embarrassing to admit, but even more so when I actually lose it and have nothing.

 

Pittsburgh Photo Blogging: Part One

 

Did you say to yourself, "Gosh, Bill's blogging from Pittsburgh was entertaining, but I wish there were pictures?" Well you're in luck. Today, I am going to post some pictures from my trip. Maybe the rest later.

 

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Here is historic Heinz Hall. Pittsburgh has the Heinz name written all over it.

 

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Here is PNC Park from across the river. At night the letters light up.

 

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Here you can barely see Heinz Field in the background. The two stadiums are close to one another. Must be hell when they are both playing at the same time.

 

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Another view of PNC Park

 

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This is the statue of Pirate great Roberto Clemente in front of the bridge that was renamed in his honor.

 

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The PNC Park was open. You couldn't get to the field, but I was able to take a picture of it.

 

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This is the statue of Willie Stargell in front of the staium.

 

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The cross street PNC Park is on is named after Bill Mazeroski.

 

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Heinz Field, from a distance.

 

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Heinz Field is located on Art Rooney Ave.

 

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I took this picture just to prove that I was there.

 

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The entrance to the Great Hall at the field. Unfortunately, it was closed.

 

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But this is what the inside looked like.

 

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This is what downtown Pittsburgh looks like from Heinz Field.

 

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Me with the statue of Art Rooney, which is in front of the front gate (Not actual size)

 

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The front of the stadium was infested with geese. And where there is geese, there is...

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Geese guano. Seriously, it was like negotiating a mine field walking through the sidewalk.

 

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Me in front of the front gate.

 

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Yeah. I hugged the stadium. I am not proud.

The stadium still hasn't returned my calls.

 

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The front gate, with signage.

 

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Heinz Field is also used by the University of Pittsburgh (as Fred Taylor famously complained about). Here is the staute of the Pitt Panther from out front.

 

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Oh, if only I could buy tickets that day!

 

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Here is the statue of Honus Wagner from the other side of PNC Park.

 

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Here is a view of the interior concourse of PNC Park. There are more statues in there. I wish Heinz Field employed more statuary.

 

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This is the hallway outside our hotel room. The hotel was, as you can see, undergoing renovations.

 

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Market Square in Pittsburgh, where Christmas lasts into January.

 

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The legendary Primanti Brothers Bar and Grill, home of the sandwiches with fries and cole slaw place inside the sandwich. The only way to appreciate this is to see it.

 

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Here you go. The Baloney and cheese sandwich. It actually tasted good.

I know what you are thinking. "Geez, Bill. That was a lot of pictures." Well, I have news for you. This was only one day. And I weeded the number down to a managable number. More might be coming in the next few days.

I Mock the April DC and Marvel Solicitations

Yet another round of solicitation mockery. Let's start with DC:

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #4-1
Story by Paul Dini
Story consulting by Keith Giffen
4 script by Adam Beechen; art by Carlos Magno & Rodney Ramos
3 script by Sean McKeever; art by Ron Lim & Mark McKenna
2 script by Sean McKeever; art by Jesus Saiz & Jimmy Palmiotti
1 script by Paul Dini; art by Scott Kolins
Covers by Adam Kubert
The Great Disaster has occurred, and all hell breaks loose as all the storylines in COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS come to a climax, threatening Darkseid and Jimmy Olsen and Mary Marvel and the future of their Earth!
COUNTDOWN 4 on sale April 2
COUNTDOWN 3 on sale April 9
COUNTDOWN 2 on sale April 16
COUNTDOWN 1 on sale April 23
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• The long national nightmare is finally over.

TITANS #1
Written by Judd Winick
Art and cover by Ian Churchill & Norm Rapmund
Variant cover by Ethan Van Sciver
A new team of Titans is born in the extra-sized first issue of a new ongoing monthly by Judd Winick (GREEN LANTERN, GREEN ARROW, OUTSIDERS), Ian Churchill & Norm Rapmund (SUPERGIRL, TEEN TITANS EAST SPECIAL)! Someone or something is continuing its attack on anyone who's ever been a Titan, including Nightwing, Starfire, Donna Troy, Beast Boy and Raven.
You won't want to miss this new startling chapter in Titans history that may forge a new team from the ashes of old, dead friends.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ian Churchill & Norm Rapmund), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale April 9 o 40 pg, FC, $3.50 US

• I love the Titans. Hate Judd Winick's writing. The latter wins in this case.

BATMAN #676
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and variant cover by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea
Cover by Alex Ross
Are you ready for "Batman R.I.P."?
Beginning the epic story that will change the legend of the Dark Knight forever! Everything in Grant Morrison's groundbreaking run on Batman has been leading to this story, and nothing will ever be the same again.
Who will live? Who will die? Who will be Batman? The answers are sure to shock you in "Batman R.I.P.," featuring artwork by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea and covers by Alex Ross.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Alex Ross), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale April 23 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Hey. DC. DON'T KILL BATMAN. It's not a good idea. On soooomany levels.

DETECTIVE COMICS #843
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs
Cover by Nguyen
A member of Gotham's underground threatens the livelihood of the DCU's resident magician, Zatanna! That is, until Batman decides to lend Zatanna a hand. Plus, an appearance by Scarface and the origin of the new Ventriloquist!
On sale April 2 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• You know, if Zatanna were real, Paul Dini would be arrested for stalking her and have a briefcase full of PFA's and restraining orders taken out on him. I'm just saying.

ROBIN #173
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Chris Batista & Cam Smith
Cover by Freddie Williams II
Girl trouble doesn't even begin to describe Robin's situation when he finds himself caught between Violet and Spoiler! Meanwhile, the Peguin's net is getting tighter, and all three of them might find themselves sleeping with the fishes…if another supermafioso on the scene doesn't get to them first!
On sale April 16 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Wait a minute! I thought Violet WAS the Spoiler? And does this mean that the Spoiler is really coming back?

ACTION COMICS #864
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank & Jonathan Sibal
Cover by Kevin Maguire
General Zod! Bizarro World! The Legion of Super-Heroes! What's next for the Man of Steel? Superman attempts to get back to his life as Clark Kent, but when you're the world's greatest hero there's trouble around every corner, behind every planet and within every dimension.
On sale April 30 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Ladies and gentlemen, winner for vaguest solicitation ever. "Hey, a lot of great stories happend this year! This story will be great too! Only we can't tell you anything about it!"

BLUE BEETLE #26
Written by Jai Nitz
Art by Mike Norton & Trevor Scott
Cover by Zach Howard
A special extra-sized Spanish-language issue, with the English script as bonus material! Blue Beetle takes Traci 13 to his family reunion, and having your girlfriend meet your family can be tough, especially when she's the only guest who doesn't speak Spanish! To make matters worse, two people have uncovered Jaime's secret identity - and one of them is the Parasite!
On sale April 30 o 40 pg, FC, $3.50 US

• Yeah, the "Spanish language" thing is a stunt, but this book needs stunts. It's good so anything that brings new readers in is a good thing.  

JSA CLASSIFIED #37
Written by B. Clay Moore
Art by Ramon Perez
Cover by Sean Chen & Sandu Florea
"Forward Through the Past" part 3 of 3! Wildcat finds himself attempting to live up to the past as he reclaims his place in the present. Catwoman guest-stars as the two battle a gang of criminals-in-training and set Wildcat on a new course for the future.
On sale April 30 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US o Final Issue

• Aw, last issue? My wallet can use having one less book to buy, but I like the anthologies.

ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER VOL. 1 HC
Written by Frank Miller
Art and cover by Jim Lee & Scott Williams
One of the most talked-about Batman stories ever - conceived by modern master Frank Miller (BATMAN: YEAR ONE, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS) and artists extraordinaire Jim Lee & Scott Williams (BATMAN, SUPERMAN) - is collected in hardcover for the first time! Lee & Miller join forces to tell a new version of Dick Grayson's origin in a high-octane tale that unfolds with guest appearances by Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, and more! This volume collects issues #1-9 of the acclaimed series.

"As its title implies, the new monthly ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER is a dream teaming: writer Frank Miller…and artist Jim Lee, whose elegantly muscular work on the recent Bat-tale "Hush" was a fan fave." - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"Two superstar creators combine to retell the origin of Dick Grayson, the original Robin." - USA TODAY

"Lee's razor-sharp renderings energize Miller's moody tale of Gotham… [and] deliver an all-new take on the creation of the Dynamic Duo." - WASHINGTON POST

Advance-solicited; on sale June 18 o 240 pg, FC, $24.99 US

• Yeah, this pile of suck deserves a hardcover. Notice that of the three, mainstream market blurbs, only one counts as a review? The first one talks more about Hush that ASBARTBW, and the second is more descriptive than anything. And the third isn't exactly gushing praise. I guess DC is hoping the uninitated just notice the periodicals the blurbs are from and not that they say absolutely nothing about how good or bad the book is.

AMERICAN SPLENDOR SEASON TWO #1
Written by Harvey Pekar
Art by David Lapham, Chris Weston, Dean Haspiel, Hilary Barta, John Lucas, Zachary Baldus and Ed Piskor
Cover by Philip Bond
In 2006, comics legend Harvey Pekar brought his unflinching tales of ordinary life to Vertigo with an all-new run of AMERICAN SPLENDOR, the comic that, 30 years earlier, rose "from the streets of Cleveland" and changed how we look at comics. Often imitated but never duplicated, Pekar proved that he still has the power to "make mundane reality seem like the highest drama" (Entertainment Weekly) in his critically acclaimed Vertigo series.
Now, Harvey Pekar is back with an all-new series of AMERICAN SPLENDOR, featuring his funniest, most poignant, somber and uplifting stories from the complex life of an ordinary man.
Once again, the Vertigo AMERICAN SPLENDOR pairs Harvey with some of the most exciting, innovative artists currently in comics, including in this special premiere issue, David Lapham (YOUNG LIARS, Stray Bullets), Chris Weston (THE FILTH, Fantastic Four), Dean Haspiel (THE QUITTER, Brawl), Mike Hawthorne (THE UN-MEN, Queen and Country), John Lucas (THE EXTERMINATORS) and other luminaries from both the mainstream and indie worlds.
In this issue, they join Harvey to chronicle his battles with stubborn sofas, short sighted magazine writers, treacherous front doorsteps and many more obstacles for Harvey to overcome in his pursuit of a fulfilling and meaningful existence.
"Pekar's ability to find the exceptional in the everyday has matured and blossomed over time." - Publisher's Weekly
On sale April 2 o 1 of 4 o 32 pg, B&W, $2.99 US MATURE READERS

• Yes! New American Splendor! Yes!

Criminal 2 #3
Written by Ed Brubaker
Pencils and Cover bu Sean Phillips
It’s the final of three interlinking standalone stories, in CRIMINAL’s new expanded format!
“*Female of the Species*” is the final piece to the noir puzzle of these three stories of crime and murder in the early 1970s. Told from the sympathetic POV of a Femme Fatale on her path to one final score and the revenge she’s been waiting years to get. A heartbreaking look into the other side of a noir tradition.

And on top of this longer-than-usual length main story, CRIMINAL now features an *expanded* back-pages section, as well – with articles by Brubaker and other top crime writers, from novelists to screenwriters to comic writers. These noir articles have become a popular piece of the CRIMINAL package, and are something that can only be found in the comics, not in any collections. So don’t miss out on this *standalone* issue of the most acclaimed crime comic on the stands!

Mature Content/No Ads... $3.50

• Criminal getting the lead spot of the solicitations? Excellent!

ULTIMATE X-MEN #93
Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Pencils & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
It’s Robert Kirkman’s final issue of ULTIMATE X-MEN – and he’s going out with a bang! Has the worst happened? Has Apocalypse
triumphed? If so, there is only one force in the universe with the power to end his iron fisted reign. But it is a power of such
magnitude that its slightest misuse could bring about the end of all things!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• Kirkman's last issue? Does this mean Bryan Singer's arc is set to begin?

IRON MAN: LEGACY OF DOOM #1 (of 4)
Written by DAVID MICHELINIE
Art & Cover by RON LIM & bob layton
"A Knight in Hell" Dr. Doom returns to menace Iron Man in the chilling and long-awaited conclusion of The Camelot Trilogy! Mephisto has apparently found a way to bring about The End Of Days and Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom must form an uneasy alliance to try and stop him. But all may not be as it seems. And it takes a journey to Hell itself before the shocking truth is revealed! Iron Man legends David Michelinie and Bob Layton are joined by penciler supreme Ron Lim to bring you the first part of an epic literally decades in the making!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• Michelinie+Layton+Iron Man=Greatness!

SECRET INVASION #1 (of 8)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
Variant cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
SECRET INVASION IS HERE!! Years in the making, months in the teasing...and it all STARTS HERE!!
The shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls has secretly infiltrated every super-powered organization on Earth with one goal...full-scale invasion! In this DOUBLE-SIZED first issue, page after page unveils reveal after reveal and shocking moment after shocking moment! Brian Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu leap off the pages of mega-hit New Avengers and deliver a story that will change the Marvel Universe forever.
THE MARVEL UNIVERSE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!!
48 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Blank Cover CONVENTION Variant also available!

• I might be crazy, but I think this series might change the Marvel Universe. I don't know where I get that idea, but that's what I think will happened.

X-MEN DIVIDED WE STAND BOOK 1 (of 2)
Written by MIKE CAREY, MATT FRACTION, CRAIG KYLE,
CHRISTOPHER YOST and SKOTTIE YOUNG
Pencils by BRANDON PETERSON, JAMIE MCKELVIE, SANA TAKEDA and SKOTTIE YOUNG
Cover by BRANDON PETERSON
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
48 PGS./Rated T+…$3.99

UNCANNY X-MEN #497
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by MICHAEL CHOI
“DIVIDED WE STAND”
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

X-MEN: LEGACY #210
Written by MIKE CAREY
Penciled by SCOT EATON
Cover by DAVID FINCH
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

X-FACTOR #30
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by GLENN FABRY
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

YOUNG X-MEN #1
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Pencils by YANICK PAQUETTE
Cover by (TOP SECRET – TO BE REVEALED)
Variant Cover by MARC SILVESTRI
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

X-FORCE #3
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Pencils & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

CABLE #2
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Pencils & Cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI
Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• So, instead of delaying sending out the advance solicitations a couple of days, they put this out? Weird.

WOLVERINE #64
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Cover by RON GARNEY
*Solicit classified until 1/24/2008*
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

• Here's another one.

 

Shocking News:R.I.P. Heath Ledger

Empirejoker

A slight buzzkill in relation to my last post is that as I was leaving Purchase they came on the radio announcing that Heath Ledger was found dead in his Soho apartment. He was 28. Police found pills by his bed, so the talk turns to death being caused by an overdose.

I don't know if that's true because no toxicology reports have been done. But if it is, it's shocking. The tabloids haven't been reporting that he was indulging in a Britney-like downward spiral or a Lindsay Lohan-like excess. He was a young family man with a two-year old daughter who is now fatherless.

My mind is making the comparison to Kurt Cobain only because I was in the car driving home when I heard he died. I wasn't as big a fan of Mr. Ledger as much as I was of Nirvana, but I can see that there was a lot of wasted potential in both cases. There was a lot of good years and good performances ahead of them, all taken from them by themselves. Tragic.

My heart goes out to his young daughter. She may be too young to remember he father. But at least she will be too young to understand the maelstrom of gossip and rumor that will spring up from his death. But I wish, for her at least, that it could have been different.

 

I am officially a college student!

Purchase_logo_sm

I have officially registered for my first class at Purchase College. It is "History of Modern Theater". I am so happy. I am finally going to be a college student!

I rant about the Oscar nominations.

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning. This is one of my favorite days of the year. Of course, this year there might not even be an Oscar telecast with the writer's strike. That's okay because it seems like the top five categories are already pretty much decided anyway.

Here are the nominations, with some pithy comments by me included.

Best Picture
"Atonement"
"Juno"
"Michael Clayton"
"No Country for Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"

(I am surprised by Michael Clayton's nomination. I know it got good reviews, but I didn't think that they were that good. Surprised it got the nod over American Gangster and Sweeney Todd. I am happy that Juno got nominated)

Actor
George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"
Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"
Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Tommy Lee Jones, "In the Valley of Elah"
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises"

(This category seems to be Day-Lewis' to lose. Surprise nod for Tommy Lee Jones, who wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe. I am happy that Viggo Mortensen got nominated. Of course, those two meant that Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks were left out. SOmetimes I really wish they had more than five nominees)

Actress
Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Julie Christie, "Away From Her"
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"
Laura Linney, "The Savages"
Ellen Page, "Juno"

(Laura Linney is a surprise. Thought that her spot would have gone to Amy Adams or Keira Knightly. Again, this seems to be a lock for Julie Christie)

Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton"

(If Javier Bardem doesn't win, there is something wrong. Love that Casey was the first Affleck to get an Oscar nomination for acting.)

Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster"
Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement"
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton"

(A rarity: Blanchett is nominated twice in Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. That doesn't happen too often. Ruby Dee seems to me to be a "lifetime achievment" nomination. Her part wasn't that big in American Gangster and her performance was a bit showy for my taste. But she has been great in other roles through he long career, and therefore may be the underdog in this race, stealing the award from Amy Ryan)

Director
Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Jason Reitman, "Juno"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"

(Every year, the Academy seem to make it a point to make sure the Best Director nominees don't match up with the Best Picture nominees. I'm not a fan of that. If Schnabel did such a good job, why wasn't Diving Bell nominated? And if no leads or director from Atonement were nominated, what made it such a good film? Also, I wonder if Fiona Apple will be once again be stroking Paul Thomas Anderson's arm as he fumes after losing in either of the two categories he's nominated.)

Foreign Film
"Beaufort," Israel
"The Counterfeiters," Austria
"Katyn," Poland
"Mongol," Kazakhstan
"12," Russia

Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Hampton, "Atonement"
Sarah Polley, "Away from Her"
Ronald Harwood, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"

Original Screenplay
Diablo Cody, "Juno"
Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"
Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco, "Ratatouille"
Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages."

Animated Feature Film
"Persepolis"
"Ratatouille"
"Surf's Up"

(I pity Surf's Up. Because the award is either going to one of the other two. I think it's a bit unfair to judge between Persepolis and Ratatouille. Yes, they are both animated, but with two entirely different tones and subject matter.)

Art Direction
"American Gangster"
"Atonement"
"The Golden Compass"
"Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
"There Will Be Blood"

Cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
"Atonement"
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
"No Country for Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"

Sound Mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Ratatouille"
"3:10 to Yuma"
"Transformers"

Sound Editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Ratatouille"
"There Will Be Blood"
"Transformers"

Original Score
"Atonement," Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner," Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton," James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille," Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma," Marco Beltrami

Original Song
"Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush," Nominees to be determined
"So Close" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz

(I am a little sad that none of the songs from Walk Hard got a nod. They were perfect parodies of that musical era, which isn't easy to do. Not that I'm against the nods for the Enchanted songs. They were charming. And what's the deal with "Nominees to be determined" for the August Rush song? How can authorship of a song be in doubt?)

Costume
"Across the Universe"
"Atonement"
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
"La Vie en Rose"
"Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Documentary Feature
"No End in Sight"
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience"
"Sicko"
"Taxi to the Dark Side"
"War/Dance"

Documentary (short subject)
"Freeheld"
"La Corona (The Crown)"
"Salim Baba"
"Sari's Mother"

Film Editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
"Into the Wild"
"No Country for Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"

Makeup
"La Vie en Rose"
"Norbit"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

Animated Short Film
"I Met the Walrus"
"Madame Tutli-Putli"
"Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)"
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)"
"Peter & the Wolf"

Live Action Short Film
"At Night"
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)"
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)"
"Tanghi Argentini"
"The Tonto Woman"

Visual Effects
"The Golden Compass"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
"Transformers"

New Guiding Lines column up.

There is a new Guiding Line column up over at Broken Frontier. This week, I cover World War Hulk Aftersmash: Damage Control #1, Young Avengers Presents #1, Jack Staff Special #1, Iron and the Maiden: Brutes, Bims and the City #1, and New World Order #1. Check it out!

Pittsburgh Blogging Day Five and Six

One thing I forgot about day four was that the wife and I went up the Inclines. This is the historic cabins that go up Mt. Washington. Once up top, you get an awesome view of Pittsburgh. It is kind of a scary ride, a little rickety. And not reecommended if you are afraid of heights.

Yesterday, Jen and I went to Southside Works. It was an upscale shopping district near the Steelers practice facility. We ate at a place called McCormicks and Smick's. It is a chain but I never ate at it before. It was good food and relatively cheap.

We then walked around a bookstore called Joseph and Beth's. They were having a half price sale and I picked up a couple good comic trade paperbacks there.

The original plan was to walk down East Carson Street and look at the shops their but it was far to cold. We then decided to see a movie at the theater there but we got to the box office all the movies had just started. We decided go back to the hotel and watch a movie. We saw Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I wanted to see it when it was in the theaters, but it was just okay.

Today we head back, so this will be the end of the Pittsburgh Blogging. No, no, don't cry. We all knew it had to end. Be brave. We'll always have the previous posts. The archive is just a click away. 

Pittsburgh Blogging: Day Four

Heinz museum

The wife and I went to the John Heinz Western History Museum. In most cases, we came to Pittsbugh at the wrong time. But in this case, we came at the right time because the museum was having an exhibit about the 75th anniversary of the Steelers. It was great.

They had a bunch of stuff on loan from the Football Hall of Fame in Canton. A whole bunch of jerseys and equipment. I was in my glory.

The whole museum was interesting. I wish I had more time to go through it all.

We had lunch a block away at the Sports Rock Cafe. It was a local sports bar/restaurant. We got there at the shift of wait staff. We had to wait awhile to get served, and we were served by waitress who apparently was yelling at someone else to wait on us because she wasn't on yet. Since no one would wait on us, she came on early.

If you are in downtown Pittsburgh, and really want to ogle the waitress at Hooters but don't want to go across the river to Station Square, go here. The waitresses are dressed in hot pants and skin tight t-shirts. Only they clothing is black instead of orange and white.

For dinner, we went over to the aforementioned Station Square. There was a Sushi restaurant out there by the name of Kiku we wanted to check out. It was good. We walked around the mall over there. Finally, I was able to find a bunch of the Steelers stuff I was looking for. I finally have a Steelers scarf and gloves! I can be warm and happy! 

Sad News: R.I.P. Ernie Holmes

Ernieholmes-8x10-thumb

It's a sad coincidence that I am in Pittsburgh when one of the fabled Steel Curtain of the 1970's passed away.

Defensive lineman Ernie Holmes died last night in an auto accident.

In my travels in the city today, he was a constant presence. He might be gone, but he's reached a certain amount of immortality in this city, which counts for something.

Book: Soon I Will Be Invincible

Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel

Austin Grossman

One of the books I brought on the trip with me was this one. I have been reading this, like I do with a lot of books, for several months. Not that it was bad, but just because I have a tenancy to jump from book to book.

This book was very good. But of course, I am a comic book fan, so I may be prejudiced.

It tells the story of two people--Fatale, a female cyborg who has just joined a JLA-like team called "The Champions (I wonder if they got the same letter from a lawyer that Marvel did) and a Dr. Doom/Lex Luthor-like Doctor Impossible.

To me, the book seemed like Grossman took a classic Marvel comic from the 1970's, and built his book around what might have happened behind the scenes.

There are a lot of good characters in the book. Both leads have a bundle of insecurities which endear them to readers. You will secretly root for bad guy Impossible. And you will get payoff for your rooting.

This is a novel that will build on what comic fans love about the medium but stands as a pretty good read all on its own.  

Pittsburgh Blogging: Day Three

Heinzfield

Today was the day I visited my Mecca. Today was the day I visited Heinz Field.

Jen had to do a little bit of work this morning but when we were finished, we went to get a new memory card for my camera. There was a Radio Shack near our hotel. So we went there.

I love their salemanship. He pointed out the card we needed, but tried to sell us an "adaptor" we really didn't need, and adaptor which came with a 4 G card. Cost: $99. All we needed was the 1G, which was on sale for $19.00. We took the smaller one. I'll wait until I get home to upload my pictures (Expect a photo blog sometime next week).

After that, we got a bite to eat, and walked over to where the stadiums were. PNC Park, where the Pirates play, is right next to Heinz Field. Nice of Pittsburgh to make it convenient for the visiting sports fan.

I took a lot of pictures of the field. One of the gates on PNC Park was open and I was able to get a lot of good shots of the field.

Heinz Field was about a 15 minute walk from our hotel. Unfortunately, nothing was open. Online, it said that they had a Steelers store that was open all year. Not so. There was also a Great Hall. That was closed too.

But it was still a great experience for me. I was a fan of the Steelers since I was a kid, and this might be the only time I'm going to be here. So I decided to take advantage of my time in the city.

I have the best wife ever. She followed me over to field, and walked around the entire thing in a drizzling rain. She rocks.

Interesting thing, there are geese on the grounds of the stadium. The sidewalk in front of the main gate is pretty much covered in goose guano. It was like walking through a mine field. And, also, we were afraid of being attacked by the geese. Luckily we made it through alive.

Tonight, we went to another Pittsburgh landmark to eat-Primanti Brothers. This is a sandwich shop known for putting french fries and cole slaw on all of their sandwiches. The sandwiches look huge, but they went down easy.

New Guiding Lines column up!

There is a new Guiding Lines coulmn up at Broken Frontier. This week, I cover Catwoman #75, New Exiles #1, The Flash #236, Cemetary Blues #1, The Stranded #1, Robin #170, and Wolverine: Origins #21 Check it out!

CNN.com, the timeliest news website ever!

CNN.com has just posted a story about Peter and Mary Jane's marriage disolution, a topic even the comic fan blogosphere stopped talking about a week ago. Way to go, CNN! What's next? Coverage of the Lincoln/Douglas debates?

QotD: Happy Birthday To Me

How do you feel about your birthday?  Do you look forward to it and remind all your friends, or do you dread it and try to keep it a secret?

My birthday is an event. It lasts at least a week and I celebrate it in my current hometown and my old hometown.

My attitude is that life is tough and every year you get through it should be a cause for celebration. That's the way I roll.

Pittsburgh Blogging Day Two

This might be the last day of the live blogging from Pittsburgh. Maybe.

You see, my laptop broke down. I am writing this from my wife's laptop. She usually needs it for work so I probably won't have access to it. Mine just won't boot up. Yay!

Besides. Tomorrow we will be beginning our tour of the city. We are deciding what places to hit and where to go. If by some miracle my computer fixes itself, I'll blog about it. But if I don't, don't think I died and have been buried at Heinz Field.

American Idol Live Blogging/Rant

So, I just got done watching American Idol, because, well, why not. And I love they way they ended this episode. They interviewed the Star Wars chick (She had Leia hair and a Star Wars belt buckle. COOL!) who was the second to last to audition. She was hurt because she didn't make it through and she was in full vent mode. She was complaining that they don't pick anyone unusual and don't support diversity and during her rant they showed a montage of all the winners from that city, I guess as proof of their "diversity". But the most diverse person was a African-American man with a faux-hawk. Maybe one or two people who were a little over weight. But, for the most part, the montage proved the girl's point.

What's more, the show made fun of all the weird people in the audition class. These early shows are all built around making fun of the weirdoes who come out to audition. Granted, these people do give them plenty of ammunition by being, well, weird. And bad singers. But the way the show goes, the thousands of people are weeded out and never get ANY screen time. But the weird ones they can make fun of get through. This is the main argument sites like "Vote For The Worst" makes. It would be more fair if some more quality singers got in instead of the people the show could mock.

So, even though the montage showed some overweight people and people of various skin colors who made it through, they really like to make fun of diversity. Granted, these diverse people are not necessarily talented. But I'd be interested to see what they would do if someone who could really sing came in with a Boba Fett outfit. Odds are, they wouldn't make it through.  

Pittsburgh blogging Day One.

Grille36_logo_3C_77200

So, as I am writing this, I am looking out the window of my hotel room at lovely Downtown Pittsburgh. Okay, at some office buildings. But still.

I will try to blog as much as I can from here. I feel that way you can experience the joy of being in Pittsburgh. (Although, you'd probably have to be as big a Steelers fan as I am to experience joy).

The wife and I got in last night and made it to our hotel. Jen is working here for a couple of days, most of the time, I am on my own. So we decided to go out to eat at someplace kind of fancy.

Jerome "The Bus" Bettis has a restaurant in the shadow of Heinz Field called, as you can see, Grille 36. It is almost directly across the river from the hotel, so we decided to walk. Unfortunately, there is a lot of construction in the city, and even though there is a bridge that leads almost directly to the restaurant, the pedestrian walkway was closed for repairs. So we had to walk about two blocks down to the next bridge. In the cold. With the wind. We look like we have been in the sun all day because of the wind burn we both got.

It took a while to get there and find the place. But we got to walk past PNC Park, where the Pirates play. It looked very cool.

The food at Grille 36 was good, but be warned--the portions are big. Huge. Grand.

I took pictures along the way. I would have shown them to you, but my laptop swallowed my memory card. It has a slot for SanDisk memory cards, but it was too deep for the one from my camera and now I can't get it out. Yes, I am incredibly stupid sometimes. 

Today, Jen had a little work today, but we had a couple of hours to spend together. We decided to do what is has become a tradition when we go a new town--go to a comic shop. We went to a place called Eide's Entertainment. I had doubts about the store, because it also had "music and DVD's". Newbury Comics up in Boston has comics in their name but it is mainly a record store. I feared the same here.

I was wrong to fear. The building was three levels and had one whole level devoted to comics. I picked up a lot of books I needed.

That's all for tonight. I'll blog more tomorrow.