If you have been following our podcast recently, you know that Nick and I have been a bit sour on Y The Last Man ever since they capped our favorite character, 355. The book started strong and kept going for the first two or three trades. After that, the book started to lose the edge but we kept reading. Eventually Brian K Vaughn announced that the book would run for 60 issues and ever since we've been speculating how it would all end. The final cover (pictured right) was cryptic. Was it all a crazy man's fantasy? A cautionary tale to a child? Our inquiring minds had to know, and the seemingly endless delays did not abate our thirst. But the wait is over! Y day is finally here. Read on for the quick and dirty.
Caution! Spoilers from here on out. Need some background or a recap? Check out the Wikipedia entry.
Continue reading 'Y The Last Man #60 - The Wait is Over'
I know, I know, I know. The last thing the world needs is more news about Amy Winehouse. I'll cut the shit and get right to it: Amy dropped a new B-Sides record stateside this week. Have you heard these tracks before? Probably. This is the bonus disc from the Back to Black UK Deluxe Edition.
The disc is comprised of generally poor tracks bookended by two decent ones. I think this disc proves that Mark Ronson's production and the Dap Kings work on Back to Black was phenomenonal, and that Amy Winehouse needs a strong production team to realize her potential.
The disc starts off with (yet another) version of Amy's cover of Valerie by the Zutons. I think the version on Mark Ronson's disc is better, but this one is closer to the original.
Amy rocks it reggae style on Cupid, and I do not dig it. This style does not suit her.
To Know Him Is To Love Him is slow, not bluesy, unexciting, and generally boring. Sorry Amy.
Monkey Man, Hey Little Rich Girl, and You're Wondering Now, sound like someone invited a shitty ska band to a circus. I did not enjoy these tracks at all.
The downtempo mix of Some Unholy War is like a well polished turd. The original track was a weak and it doesen't get any better here.
Amy's original demo of Love is a Losing Game is a gem buried at the end of the disc. The track sounds homemade and impromptu. But even without the studio polish or her smoother crooning, you can feel her raw power and it hints at the great studio album to come. Amy Baby, thank you for this one.
We talk Hot Topic, Invader Zim, Carnegie Mellon University, CMU Carnival, Iron and Wine, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri, back in the day, Joker, comic book henchmen, mullets, Joss Whedon, purple, Dick Cheney, freestyle motocross, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Cloverfield, Serpico, Al Pacino, Danny DiVito, lack of Avatar, New Avengers Annual #2, Mighty Avengers #8, Fantastic Four #553, Avengers The Initiative #9, The Loop, and of course, more.
Not too much to say this week on the ComicShocker. I've been busy reviewing new comic books and getting the podcast ready for tomorrow. However, I will take the time to pass along two comic book Reads You Need:
Young Avengers Presents #1: Patriot - This solid gold comic book from last week comes from Ed Brubaker and Paco Medina. We follow Patriot, grandson of the first Captain America, Isaiah Walker. Eli is a young superhero that wears the American flag, but sometimes he can't reconcile the reality of the United States with his feelings about social justice. They often seem to stand in contrast to each other. A good talk with the Winter Solider (in his last appearance before becoming the new Captain America himself) helps Patriot find his own interpretation of patriotism.
New Avengers Annual #2 - This awesome read is set to hit racks this Wednesday. I got a sneak peak because I get paid to review comic books every week, and let me tell you: this issue changes everything for the New Avengers. The team loses an important member, they potentially gain an Initiative recruit, and the least likely ally runs to Tony Stark. Not to mention a huge fight scene where someone kicks the bucket (it is comic books after all, so the bucket is only kicked temporarily). With art by Carlo Pagulayan, Brian Michael Bendis writes another shocker that almost slips out under the radar.
The writer's strike has begun to affect more than just TV. I haven't seen a decent music video premier is over a month. Much like late night TV, I have resorted to re-runs of classic videos from my youth. Do you remember the days when the Real World didn't come on in 10 hour blocks and Busta Rhymes was making all those wild videos? No? Well, with the magic of YouTube I present: Neal's Video Throwback. I hope these decade old morsels are fresh enough to slake your thirst during this ridiculous drought.
10. Basketcase - Green Day - 6th grade was a crazy time full of self-loathing and the noxious whiff of puberty. Sound familiar?
9. No Diggity - Blackstreet -This may have been one my first experience with booty dancers. It looks like they jacked Boyz II Men's wardrobe for this video, but at least they weren't sporting shiny suits.
8. Du Hast - Rammstein - Years before assclowns like SlipKnot were getting airplay, there was Rammstein. Tell me this doesen't make you want to run into the street and slap a fat kid.
7. Glycerine - Bush - I feel like I could have put ANY Bush track from the first album here. The video might be 'simple' by today's standards, but this used to pass for a decent video 10 years ago.
6. Wonderwall - Oasis - Joke all you want, but I know you own this CD. I used to listen to this on gray rainy days. Seeing as how I grew up in Pittsburgh - you can imagine how often that was. This video went straight from MTV to VH1's Pop-up Video. If that isn't indicative of its massive popularity, I am not sure what is.
Continue reading 'Video Throwback - 10 of My Favorites'
We come in on a horse talking about Taco Bell, Liv Tyler, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Susan Sarandon, Cat Power, DOA Dead or Alive, Ducktales, Hannah Montana, The Toadies, goth, WWH Aftersmash Damage Control #1, Young Avengers Presents Patriot #1, Iron Man #25, She Hulk #25, The Kingdom, Sunshine, Oingo Boingo, and damn tons more.
How old is the superhero?
Inspired by Incredible Hercules #113
Many would simply answer: 1938. But I don’t think it’s that simple. I’ll agree that Superman is the first proper hero to be known by the exact term “superhero,” but the notion of a people’s champion with extraordinary abilities is a key component in global culture.
Hercules, for example. This son of Zeus has been the talk of action lovers for thousands of years. He’s still popular today. The Incredible Hulk comic book recently decided to shed its title character. The Green Goliath was replaced with history’s most famous hard-luck superhuman, Herc. It certainly helps that the Incredible Hercules is a damn good comic too.
And then there’s Anansi. He’s an African spider hero of unknown age that potentially dates back thousands of years as well. He tends to exist primarily as a powered spider as opposed to a spider-powered human. But that certainly doesn’t stop his trickster nature from being an obvious influence on Spider-Man.
Many religions feature deities that hold abilities extremely similar to the modern superhero. Hinduism is plentiful with powerful icons that more likely than not have influenced the development of many different comic book heroes. Next Wednesday’s She-Hulk #25 features the reintroduction Man-Elephant and writer Peter David takes special care to weave in a reference to Ganesha.
I wonder if there is an ancient story that influenced these classic heroes... perhaps a single superhero source. That would be awesome. My guess is that there is no single source of all superhuman stories, however. As long as there’s imagination, there’s a new superhero ready to be the best.
Our shortest show ever as we talk White Stripes, mac and cheese, making beats, The View, Fantastic Four, The Namesake, Fraggle Rock, I Am Legend, Murderous Intent, Mr Brooks, Oceans Thirteen, superhero movies of the past decade, Incredible Hercules #113, Amazing Spider Girl #16, Penance Relentless #4, New Exiles #1, Wolverine Origins #21 and of course much more.
What happens when we kill them all?
Inspired by X-Factor #27 and Hulk #1
S P O I L E R S
Another week, another superhero death. It seems like past creations are being culled and killed off in an endless cycle of sacrifice. Every creator wants to claim their story is important by taking a life.
In X-Factor #27, we are reminded of the recent loss of Caliban during the Messiah CompleX event. Now in this issue we lose Layla Miller and possibly Mr. Sinister. These deaths don't even count the many others littered throughout Messiah CompleX. I don't care if they're just going to come back (like Cable) in a few issues. Why show their death in the first place?
Shockingly, Hulk #1 debuts with a murder mystery fully intact. Someone slaughtered the Abomination. Really?! Before the 2008 summer movie featuring Emil Blonsky as the big baddie? Even if that means an impending resurrection, it's still story creation by character destruction.
Was there a time when people thought, "Why are so many characters being created? I wish someone would just kill them all!" I'm not calling for an excessive genesis of superhero personalities. But I do think there should be some creative recourse for all this death. New heroes with compelling histories should be created to fill some of these spots. Something needs to be born out of all this bloodletting.
Talkin bout Juno, Sweeny Todd, Catch and Release, hot fashion trends, Sam Raimi, Superchick, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Bun B, I Am Legend, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Mighty Avengers #7, Onslaught Reborn #5, Marvel Adventures Hulk #7, and too much more.
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