"Well," he said, "I'm back."

I've been through a very rough time in the past week, with its fair share of tragedy. I wrote about it here.

But moping will get me nowhere. It's time to get back in the saddle and start blogging again.

Cheers,
Filby

Blog Break

Due to a family crisis, I'm taking a break from blogging for a while, both here and on LiveJournal. I'll still be checking and commenting on other people's blogs, but I won't be posting here for a little while. (Which is kind of a bummer 'cause I really wanted to talk some more about foreign cartoons, but some things are more important than anime, sadly.)

Cheers,
Will

Booster Gold

I love this cover.



Seriously, it looks like they've just gotten up on stage and are about to bust out some fresh dance moves.

Blue and Gold are back, baby.

A Quick Casting Thought at 2 AM...

...that only one or two people reading this will get:

Brendan Fraser as Gerrard Capashen.

I'm just saying.

A Brief Status Update:

Currently Reading:
Booster Gold
Checkmate
Fullmetal Alchemist
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
Justice Society of America
Lord Havoc and the Extremists (and I'm still not sure why)

Currently Watching:
Strawberry Panic!
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Reviews Currently Planned:
AIR
Lovely Complex
Lucky☆Star
Murder Princess

Books Currently Considering Reading:
Blue Beetle
The Brave and the Bold

Shows Currently Considering Watching:
Clannad
Kanon
Kanon 2006
Maria-sama ga Miteru
Neon Genesis Evangelion (for the second time)
Witchblade ('cause Thom says it's so bad it's good)

"And we cannot fail that trust, and we cannot fail to try."

From the ending of the animated adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier (ignore the subtitles). All I can say is that they nailed it. I honestly can't watch this without getting a little misty, given the juxtaposition of these paragons of idealism against some of the most inspiring political rhetoric of the last century, not to mention the musical score.

I really want to get the special edition DVD but haven't been able to find it.

A Brief Observation on Superman

Superman is one of my favorite superheroes. I don't actively buy his series, but I enjoy reading about him when he shows up in the various ensemble books I get, I'm a fan of his Timm/Dini animated incarnation, and I just really like the concept of an extraordinarily empowered individual who does good not because of a tragedy in his past but because it's just the right thing to do.

Anyway.

It annoys me when people say that none of Superman's villains are worthwhile because none of them can hurt him. That's ignoring four things:

1) Many of them (Bizarro, Parasite, Metallo, power-suit Lex) can hurt him physically;

2) Many of those who can't (Lex, Brainiac, Mxyzptlk) can potentially defeat him mentally without having to touch him;

3) Those who are a match for him neither physically nor mentally (Toyman, Prankster) can still be effective villains by menacing the people he cares about, including the citizens of Metropolis; and

4) Kryptonite is everywhere.

I'm just saying.

Justice League: The New Frontier Special

I am working on that Lucky Star review. I've just been very busy lately and the show isn't as fresh in my mind as it was when I started writing, so it's gonna be a mite tough for me to finish it.

Anyway.

DC and Darwyn Cooke put out a one-shot special anthology comic to tie into the Justice League: The New Frontier animated movie, and I just finished reading it. I was a huge fan of the original graphic novel, so this comic was a real treat. A quick run-down for those who are interested:

The comic opens with one page of Rip "Time Master" Hunter basically telling us not to worry what Earth the story takes place on and just sit back and enjoy the story. Fair enough.

The first story, illustrated by Cooke himself, tells a "secret chapter" from the original New Frontier graphic novel in which President Eisenhower enlists Superman to arrest Batman in the early '50s and the fight that ensues between them. While both played significant roles in the comic, they were never really in the spotlight, and this story gives them just that. Definitely the highlight of the issue.

The second story isn't drawn by Cooke, but the penciler does such a convincing job emulating his style that you couldn't tell. Set after the novel's end, Robin the Boy Wonder and Kid Flash team up to take down a gang of hot-rod hoodlums and stop a terrorist plot. Nothing special, and the '50s-era slang is laid on a bit thick, but still fun.

The third story, illustrated by J. Bone in a very cartoonish style, is a humorous short that sees Wonder Woman taking on the gender barrier with Black Canary reluctantly tagging along. Diana is portrayed as an overbearing radical feminist, almost a caricature of herself. Still, the last panel had me laughing out loud.

Finally, the last few pages of the issue are given over to concept sketches and storyboards from the movie, with commentary by Cooke. Pretty interesting if you're into the process of animation and whatnot but it doesn't really add anything.

If you're really into New Frontier and looking for a brief diversion, it's totally worth a buy.

RIP Gary Gygax

I just read that Ernest Gary Gygax, the creator of Dungeons & Dragons, died today. He was 69.

Thanks for everything, Gary. You changed gaming forever. All those video-game RPGs like Final Fantasy wouldn't exist without your influence. Your ability to come up with fantasy names may have been a little limited ("Zagyg?" Really?), but you had a great sense of humor and humility. You were a great guy, Gary, and you made all our lives a little richer.

Rest in peace.