Monthly Archive for April, 2008Page 2 of 2

ComicShocker Week 15

Here’s an odd ComicShocker – I’m going to be talking about something old and something that hasn’t even come out yet. As for something that came out this past Wednesday, I’ll give the top prize to Last Defenders #2. The book was excellent. Here’s an interesting piece by co-writer Joe Casey on how the issue was put together (the creation process is rather unique).

As for the “something old,” I’m referring to Green Arrow / Black Canary #1 and #2. Yeah, yeah. I know this stuff came out a while back. IN fact, I think #7 just came out this past Wednesday. But thank Jeebus for the quarter bin (which, by the way, was sorely lacking an online definition so I took it upon myself to make a quarter bin page on Wikipedia). I picked up the first two issues of this series for $0.50 last Wednesday. I just finished them earlier today and the negative buzz I’ve heard about this series doesn’t seem to be true in my opinion. The issues had their highs and lows, but I have to say that I was genuinely surprised by the twists and turns the story took in only the first 44 pages of the series.

As for the “something that hasn’t even come out yet,” I’m referring to Avengers: The Initiative #11. It’s coming out this Wednesday (April 16, 2008) and it’s positively terrific. Much better than all the other issues of this Killed in Action story arc. Here’s my A:TI #11 review if you want to read more.

And that’s it! Catch you next week, super fans.

Usher - There Is No Love In This Club

Sorry ladies and gents, it has been a long month and I apologize for not posting anything recently. I have this “day job” and it would be unkind to blog while on the clock. But, I am back like cooked crack.

Usher just dropped a new video: Love In This Club, perhaps you have heard of it. By now, you should be familiar with our criteria: beat, video, content, and vocals.

The Beat: When I first heard this, I thought I was listening to the world’s worst house / trance / techno / whatever track. The piano doesn’t fit and either does the dance breakdown. While it screams “remix me a million times”, I can not get into it. Yeah may have been the last good beat that Usher had - and that was a Lil Jon production!

The Video: Usher really must dig Jacksons, because this is not his first mini-movie music video. The concept: Usher hallucinates some cute girl in an empty club, parties with an bunch of celebrity cameos, does a little dance, and then magically she’s gone along with the club and he’s standing in a pile of rubble. Yup, totally ridiculous. It’s kind of like the Usher Raymond version of Thriller - only the girl is in control, there aren’t any zombies, and there is no redeeming or comedic value to it.

The cameos were irrelevant and homeboy jocs Kanye’s style. The sunglasses, the black leather jacket and outfit - all stolen from the Good Life video. Of course, Kanye cosigns with his cameo, so maybe it isn’t a big deal. The video overuses lens-flares more than the new Danity Kane joint and has an orange cast to it. Also, what is with the chains that the girls keep giving out? I don’t think that is ever explained.

On the positive side, the video doesn’t rely on product placement or slow closeups of iced out watches. Although, there was a great opportunity to plug Louboutin heels that went unutilized.

The Content: I won’t spend time on the chorus because there is nothing to say, though I will take issue Jeezy’s mediocre verse.

‘Bout to hit the club make a movie yeah rated R… blah blah blah something about being a trap star.

Jeezy, you really couldn’t find something to rhyme with Rated X? I’ve been to weddings with more scandalous dance floors than your average R-rated movie.

Also - ‘on the floor’ of the club? Have you ever looked at the floor of a nightclub? It’s gross. I’m fairly sure if you stare at the floor long enough you’ll contract the clap.

The Vocals: Does anyone really dig Jeezy’s flow? I do not. Usher could have gotten a much slicker MC to do the verse. I vote for Young Joc. T-Pain’s Bartender may have the Vocoder Virus - but it was infinitely better than this.

The Bottom Line: Seriously Usher Raymond, what the hell? This is by far the worst track I have heard this year. Crappy beat, ridiculous chorus, bad verses, poorly lit and photographed video, etc etc etc. The list just keeps on going. I’m sorry to hate so much, but I can’t help it!

Have a different point of view? Tell me all about it below!

Podcast Episode 026

We schmeer on about recipes, Sriracha sauce, Walk Hard The Dewey Cox Story, Spy Kids, Clerks 2, Soul Plane, Leatherheads, Renee Zellweger, George Clooney, Mr. Brooks, Dane Cook, Dan in Real Life, Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee, Chris Farley, David Spade, Joe Dirt, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Southland Tales, Battlestar Galactica, Invader Zim, Ren and Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life, Beavis and Butthead, Devon the Dude, Unlicensed Attorneys at Law, Feist, celebrity crushes, Antonio Banderas, Run Fat Boy Run, Last Defenders 2, Nova 12, Pride of Baghdad, Y the Last Man, Batman Death in the City, Batman Unauthorized, and more.

 
 AudioShocker #26 [74:09m]: Play Now | Download

AudioShocker on MySpace - Let’s Be Friends

Hey, I tuned up our MySpace page last night. Let’s be friends. Check out the AudioShocker Podcast MySpace profile and send us an invite. We have a few snips of the show up - a greatest hits if you will. Let us know if you agree (and send any suggestions for future clips our way).

P.S. We have an AudioShocker Facebook group too.

ComicShocker Week 14 2008

I guess I expected Secret Invasion #1 to be a bit more shocking. Not that it wasn’t good - Lenil Yu’s pencils look strong with Mark Morales on inks and Laura Martin on colors; Brian Michael Bendis delivers a strong script. But the overall story felt much like your typical issue of New Avengers. That’s a good thing, of course. But not necessarily an event comic thing.

I certainly wasn’t out and out taken aback by any Skrull development that happened. Surprised a bit? Maybe here and there. But no “knock me on my ass” moments like the first issue of Civil War. I remember finishing Civil War #1 with my mouth agape, shocked at the words of Iron Man. It had attitude like the Bad Boys movies and hyper-real visuals. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, has a decidedly slow burn pace that feels more like a political thriller than a big action movie.

And I’m sure that’s the point. I imagine that Bendis wants this story to read a bit more mature and subtle than the past two Marvel Comics spring / summer events (the aforementioned Civil War and World War Hulk). To that end, he is successful. However, I didn’t drop my jaw anywhere. I didn’t even scream anything out loud, often a sign that I’m lost in the fictional illusion of the story to my delight.

But like I said, the book is good. I’m not going to be spoilerish, that is unless talking about the fulfillment of expectations counts as spoilers (which, this reader believes, can have way more spoiler potential than learning about the plot). It is excellent to see Luke Cage as a pivotal player in the Marvel Universe, even if Lenil Yu doesn’t know which way his tiara should be facing (ooo, watch out for spoilers!!!).

My favorite part of the issue? Three words: Reed Richards spaghetti. Mr. Fantastic needs to score a licensing deal with Ragu now. Visually, this moment is a close second only to Clor getting his robotic brains bashed out by Hercules. It’s creepy and fascinating at the same time.

Podcast Episode 025

We celebrate six months and an anniversary episode with an AudioShocker pizza party as we talk about Superhero Movie, Samuel L Jackson, Indiana Jones vs. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Edward Norton, Speed Racer, Chris Meloni, The Mist, and philosophical concepts of time and dreams and connectivity. Then, just when you think it’s over, we hit you with an original live musical performance of the Nutsack Supernova song I Came followed up by the world debut of the song Pilk!

 
 AudioShocker #25 [49:12m]: Play Now | Download