I can tell you exactly when my obsession with horror began. First came the zombies in "Thriller," shambling their way into my overactive imagination. Despite a nightlight, I couldn't help but keep the covers pulled tightly over my head...I couldn't wait to see the video again. After that, my brother would always make me watch Captain USA with him at noon every Saturday. Thanks to him and the Captain, I grew up on a healthy dose of black and white classics, Hammer films, and other assorted creature features.
As I grew older, I discovered Poe, Lovecraft, and Barker. But as far as comics were concerned, I never touched a horror title. The drugstore spinner rack (which I miss) was a superheroes-only affair, so no scares for me...
Only now, after reading volume one of Creepy Archives do I realize how excited I would have been as kid if this magazine had been on the shelves at the time.
What do you do when you're a best-selling rock band who just happens to be composed of a bunch of comic nerds? Well, if K.I.S.S. is any example, you get yourselves immortalized in comic form (after sleeping with tons of beautiful women, appearing in lord knows how many films, and terrifying conservative parents everywhere, of course). Fall Out Boy, deciding to follow suit, is joining forces with Dabel Brothers Productions -famous for their comic adaptations of Anita Blake and The Wheel of Time- to publish Infinity On High later this year:
The finished project will consist of many stories told over the course of two, perfect bound 56-64 page issues due to hit stores in the third of fourth quarter of this year. As for art, Young says that a collection of artists will be pitching in, most notably, Dan Fraga.
So, as near I can tell, this is going to be a rock & roll version of Flight which is going to feature some art by Dan Fraga. Sounds cool, but I'm wondering who's going to write the stories...
Seriously effed up. That's really all there is to say about Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. A creation of Jhonen Vasquez of Invader Zim fame, JTHM centers on the titular Johnny C. who is a serial killer and mass murder, but all around good guy. Through Johnny, Vasquez explores various elements of our urban-blighted, post-consumerist hell (I think he has just lived in LA too long) that we call the US. Major themes are evil, urban life, Heaven and Hell, tenuousness of personal relationships.
I was at my local book store when I came across the novelization for the mega DC event, 52. It was published last summer, so I may be rattling off info that you may already know, but my first thought when I saw this was a big...huh?
And then I realized that this was a very good, inexpensive way to catch up on your favorite comics that you may have missed. If you wanted to collect all of the 52 trades, that would cost you around $80 plus tax. This book runs around $15. That's relatively pretty darn cheap. Of course you communists can just go to the library, but I prefer a certain sense of ownership.
Now as for the quality, it seems to be above average, judging by its Amazon.com score. But this may be the first time I'd feel guilty for reading a book and taking the easy way out.
Has anyone checked this out? If so, what'd you think?
Horror movies, much like anything else associated with that genre at large, are a bit of an acquired taste. People tend to either like them or hate them, with very few standing in the middle ground. I myself have always enjoyed the genre, so long as what I'm viewing, reading, or listening to is... well, for lack of a better term, good. In order to keep me entertained, the book needs to be well-written, the movie needs to be stylishly made, and it doesn't hurt a comic to have some slick artwork to go along with a strong story and dialogue.
When 30 Days of Night was originally published as a graphic novel, it took me a while to warm up to it because Ben Templesmith's art style wasn't something I particularly appreciated until I'd had a little more exposure to it through his work on the Silent Hill comics. When I actually picked up his take on vampires in Alaska and took it home with me, I found myself falling in love with it fairly quickly.
Naturally, I was a little suspicious when a film version of the comic was announced, though my worries were lessened when I found out that David Slade was going to be directing it. While, yes, he was making a comic-based movie, his last film was the controversial Hard Candy -which proved he is a director able to make an incredibly mature movie without caring whether or not he pleases mainstream audiences- and I wondered how his directorial style would actually mesh with the artistic one of Templesmith's visuals.
The movie's story doesn't really deviate from that of the comic (vampires terrorize a small town in Alaska which is so far north that night lasts for a solid month), but the main challenge Slade faces is making the overall visual style something which the franchise's obsessive fans won't scream bloody murder over. Slade does this nicely, to be honest, largely through his command of color (oftentimes, it's his use of a lack of color, though, which makes the film look so damn good). Of course, the fact that he packed a stellar cast into the -admittedly, sometimes shallow- roles do a great job with their characters, too. My particular favorite was Danny Huston in the vampiric role of Marlow, though Ben Foster and the always entertaining Josh Hartnett are close behind with their performances, as well.
Overall, 30 Days of Night is an incredibly slick horror movie, one that manages to take the subject of vampires and do what 28 Days Later did for zombies. If you're a fan of the comic, or horror films in general, you'll most likely adore it. If, however, the supernatural/horrific genre isn't your cup of tea, then you'll probably want to give this one a pass.
Well, now, it just wouldn't be October if we didn't have a comic featuring a demonic invasion of the Earth, would it? Well, you're in luck! This week's Rough Trade Friday focuses on the sumptuous Strange Girl, brought to us by Rick Remender and Eric Nguyen.
Remender's writing tells the story of a world in which the Rapture occurs, after which God withdraws his protection from the world and leaves it ripe for a demonic invasion to occur. The invasion happens minutes after all the righteous humans are brought into Heaven, and Hell proceeds to reign over Earth for over a decade. As the comic begins, Bethany Black is working in a bar for a demon lord, kept out of the hard labor and slave trades reserved for most of humanity because she has the ability to cast magic (something which is practically unheard of amongst mankind). One day, she and her companion demon Bloato manage to piss off their patron and they decide to make a run for it in order to find a rumored gateway to Heaven. The journey takes them around the country, into the very maw of Hell, and -hopefully- to an eventual destination which involves a lot of white light and harps. Along the way, they encounter homicidal demons, homicidal hillbillies, homicidal soldiers, and a couple of other entertaining characters to keep them busy.
Remender's dialogue and plotlines manage to keep the comic moving along at a brisk pace, with sarcasm and wry humor managing to prevent the overall plot from feeling too dreary at any time. However, there are some genuinely horrifying moments throughout the series and readers are occasionally reminded that this world is a Very Bad Place indeed. Nguyen's artwork manages to serve as a near-perfect match for the comic, largely because his lines and colors are so dynamic and unique.
However, this is one of those series which needs to be started from the beginning, otherwise you'll have absolutely no clue as to what's going on if you pick up an issue halfway through the storyline. Fortunately, the first three segments are in convenient trade paperback formats, so it's an easy task to catch up on what's been going on throughout the series.
Zombies are sort of the red-headed stepchildren of the horror industry, probably because their character development caps out pretty quickly and because they aren't so much evil as they are simply brainless and hungry. There's only so much that most writers can do with that, apparently. I've often enjoyed zombie stories, if for no other reason than for the way in which they show us how ordinary people end up reacting to the extraordinary situation of their neighbors rising up from the grave and trying to eat their faces off. If that doesn't push someone past the breaking point, I don't know what will.
Image Comics' The Walking Dead is an example of a great zombie story, probably because it has yet to reach a definite endpoint. As a result, the main characters are forced to be more than a bunch of gun-wielding badasses making their way to a safe zone because, well, there are no safe zones for them to escape to. This fact forces the characters to stay cautious and smart because they know that they are never really safe from the force that destroyed their old lives and killed so many of their loved ones.
The protagonist of the series is Rick Grimes, a small town sheriff who awakens from a coma (a la 28 Days Later) to find his world has been washed away by the tide of the Zombie Apocalypse. Originally seeking out (and eventually finding) his wife and son, Rick ends up recruiting a large rotating cast of characters in a quest to survive in this strange new world. Many of the characters meet spectacularly gruesome ends along the way, only to be replaced by others; some of the replacements themselves pass on in equally unsubtle ways, and some are still around at the time I write this... but every character in the series is monumentally changed by the things they see and are forced to endure.
Robert Kirkman's sharp writing, combined with the black-and-white art of Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard makes this bleak series an addictive read. If you can find it, I would recommend picking up the hardcover edition because it contains so many issues in one go. However, even if you can't snag the oh-so-shiny hardcover version, the individual collections are much more readily available at most bookstores. So go, my little ghouls and goblins, and kick off this October zombie style!
M*****F***ing talentless hacks!! How can anyone ruin a concept as cool as Flash Gordon? The concept stinks to high heaven of camp. Of course I've been watching this travesty since the pilot. Now I'm the sort of old fashion fella that doesn't make snap viewing decisions based off pilots. Lots of things change, they're trying to show off the concept, costuming isn't set, yada yada yada...but people its been five episodes and I am itching to tell you how bad this piece of shite really it (with one notable exception--the absolutely gorgeous hawkman from last week).
This is a re-imagining of the classic comic strip, it purposely distances itself from the 1980 movie with the most excellent soundtrack ever (God, I love Queen/queens, whatever...). It is also decidedly low-budget. Flash is an athlete still living at home, who father he believed died in a fire thirteen years ago. In the pilot he discovers that his father actually discovered "rift" technology (I so see a lawsuit coming from Jerry O'Connell) and stepped through, never to heard from again. Much like I wish for this show. Flash's motivation is to find his father. Family duty from the Mamma's boy, how shocking. The one thing I do think the get right is to capture the tribal nature of Mongo from the early comic strips, but that is obliterated by absolutely the worst casting of Ming ever. That man is no more intimidating or evil than Halo Kitty.
Look, normally I recommend something to watch for the weekend , but all I can say is RUN RUN RUN! Do your self a favour and go out and get plastered instead. You'll have less of a headache in the morning that way.
And now for something completely different...television. Today I recommend you snuggle up with your special someone (no, not your hand) and watch Season 1 of Heroes on DVD.
I must be one of the few people that feel this way, but I am utterly torn on whether I like Heroes or not. It does seem custom made for me to like it: funky conspiracy plots, random mutant superpowers, hot cast, Sulu, so, what's not to like? Well, it all feels so engineered to me and like an X-Men rip off to me. Don't get me wrong, this is quality television, and occupies a coveted TiVo season pass nirvana at casa del Blunder, but I still have this lingering doubt about it. I almost feel like I should be insulted somehow.
For those of you that somehow missed the overall plot (Save the cheerleader, use a condom! er, that wasn't it...). Genetic freaks with funky powers start appearing in the world, whilst a super-maniacal super-powered super-serial killer kills them off and steals their powers. A hot Indian doctor tries to warn them, and Malcom McDowell continues to amaze me with being able to get work. (Save the cheerleader, ride a cowboy? crap, that's not it either) Of course, the seemingly separate arcs start to merge and fairly complex mythology starts to emerge by the end of the season (Save the cheerleader, use a sheep?) well worth your time investment (You hear me JJ Abrams? I'm calling you out! Freaking waste of three years...).
Heroes season two is due to start any time now, so pick up/torrent/itunes Heroes S1 and get up to speed.
Every now and then, we like to shake things up around here and do something just a little bit different. So, for today's Rough Trade Friday, the recommended reading will not be a graphic novel. Instead, I submit -for your approval, of course- the science-fiction anthology Superheroes, edited by none other than sci-fi legend John Varley.
Superheroes is not a book containing stories about established characters like Batman, Captain America, or the Savage Dragon. Instead, it is a collection of completely original stories about completely original characters. One of my favorites was Laurell K. Hamilton's "A Clean Sweep", which features the formerly-glorious Captain Housework finally snapping after he's loaned out one-too-many times to clean up for a house party (the ending is pure Hamilton, as well as simultaneously hysterical and disturbing). Michael A. Stackpole's "Peer Review", which features a Batman-like character going up against the equivalent of the Justice League, is also brilliant and funny, with a healthy dose of comic book action added in for extra kicks. Not all the stories are funny, though, some of them are rather serious, or sad, or disturbing... or sometimes a combination of all three. Some of them are just weird. But, that's what you get when you put together an anthology: not everything is always brilliant, but you hope that the majority of its content is worth reading.
For me, this book is an old favorite. I've had it since it was first published in 1995, and it's near-400 pages are still perused about once a year. Granted, some stories are more-read than others, but I've always had rather particular tastes when it comes to my writing style preferences. The main problem with this anthology, though, is that it's been out of print for a while... however, it's easy to find on both Amazon and eBay for next to nothing. If you can find a copy of the book, I highly recommend picking it up, as it's something that will appeal to just about every comic fan in existence and will most likely sit on their shelves for years to come.
Disney live-action movies are a gamble in terms of enjoyment, especially these days. When I first saw the trailer for Sky High in 2005, I thought it looked like it was a low-budget insult to moviegoers everywhere. However, a couple of weeks after it came out, a few of my friends told me that not only was it well-made, but it was also a lot of fun for anyone who's ever been a fan of superheroes. So, gathering up some comrades (I've always been a fan of the theory that misery loves company), we made our way to the theater, expecting to be underwhelmed and instead finding ourselves pleasantly surprised.
Sky High focuses on a high school, sporting the same name as the movie, which trains teenagers to be superheroes and sidekicks. Enter Will Stronghold, played by Michael Angarano, who is the son of prestigious superhero couple Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston). It turns out that despite Will's impressive lineage, he is totally without powers and gets put into sidekick class with the rest of his friends and eventually comes clean to his dad about his status (in a scene far more effective than when Bobby Drake revealed his mutation in X2, in my humble opinion). Eventually, Will does develop powers of his own and ends up going against some villains of his own age group, but the plot is kind of thin and forgettable.
What saves the movie is the fact that it genuinely has fun with the superhero genre and was written with a lot of really smart dialogue. Also, while the kids are clearly the stars of Sky High, there are a lot of cameos by some great comedic actors such as Bruce Campbell, Dave Foley, Linda Carter, Cloris Leachman, and Kevin McDonald; every one of these actors has way too much fun with their roles and their enthusiasm is easy to get caught up with. Also, the soundtrack is composed of a bunch of 80s cover songs by groups like Bowling For Soup, Click 5, and They Might Be Giants. Take that as you will.
Ultimately, this is a film that is meant for comic nerds, but mainstream audiences will probably miss a lot of the in-jokes and references. However, seeing as how you're reading this on the comics section of a gay-gaming website... well, I don't think I even need to finish that sentence, do I?
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that just doesn't fit well into single genre and, as a result, the marketing companies tend to have no idea how to sell the damn thing. The Princess Bride is a perfect example: because it wasn't marketed properly, it pretty much tanked in the theaters but became a hit when it was released on VHS and DVD. Stardust, it seems is destined for a similar fate, mainly because, while it's a great film, it's tough to sell in a 30-second TV spot.
It's hard to describe Stardust to someone who hasn't read the book: well, it's about this kid named Tristan and how he is on a quest to find a star for his True Love... well, he thinks she's his true love, but we hate her within about ten seconds of meeting her. But there's also a nasty witch trying to find the star. And some princes, too. Oh, and it takes place in this magical kingdom that's hidden from the mortal world by a giant wall in a rural English town. Did I mention that there are some sky pirates involved, too?
You can start to see the dilemma of trying to get someone hooked on this story in thirty seconds.
The movie is based on Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess's beautiful illustrated novel, but it isn't a straight-up translation from page to screen. The overall plot and characters are the same, but there were a number of things in the book which were left out of the movie simply because they wouldn't translate well to celluloid. For the most part, the two versions are pretty similar until the last thirty minutes or so, whereupon they go in completely different directions. However, the book's beautiful-but-bittersweet ending wouldn't ever really work for a movie audience, and the movie's ending doesn't feel like a cop-out in the least. Oh, and Robert DeNiro deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role as Captain Shakespeare. I won't say anything else about that, but I can guarantee that just about everyone who reads this site will agree with me once they see his performance.
About ten years from now, I suspect that Stardust will be considered this movie generation's version of The Princess Bride or The Wizard of Oz because it won't become a hit until it reaches the home viewing market. That's a shame that it won't be appreciated now, but I'm fairly certain that it will be loved by a lot of people in the future since it's got something for everyone: action, adventure, wonderful acting, a great soundtrack, and one of the most amazing swordfights you will ever witness (right at the end, just before Tristan confronts Lamia). Oh, and did I mention the love story? Because it's brilliant, and beautiful, and and heart-warming, just like every such story should be.
Moment Of The Week #8
Well last week Ruby Summers blasted the competition easily for Moment of the Week! Just like the old saying goes, never underestimate a girl made out of living gemstone with laser eyes. This week we take a look at some astounding moments from last weeks Spider-Man: Secret Invasion, Wolverine, New Avengers, Final Crisis: Rogue's Revenge, Ultimate X-Men and Thunderbolts. (Marvel heavy, last week) So join me after the jump, and be warned. Spoilers lie beyond. So if you still have to pick up any of these books, don't read ahead because it'll ruin the surprise!...
