tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212872642011-04-21T16:31:10.924-07:00I could really use your omnipotence, DoctorXyphaPnoreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-43128259100169020862006-12-23T22:20:00.000-08:002006-12-23T22:23:20.267-08:00

Yea, I'm finished with this blog. My current endeavor, Convivial Parlays (almost as pretentious as it sounds) can be found here. I've posted something new almost daily (with one dealy so far, and another one soon) and hope that this other project becomes a much more lively affair than this blog was. It also has a much mroe pleasing color scheme.

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1166478891285688352006-12-18T13:50:00.000-08:002006-12-18T13:54:51.306-08:00

This blog has grown kinda stale for me. I've changed a lot since its inception (and even more earlier attempt), but I feel a new direction would be best at this point, one without any baggage. I wish I could say something powerful or somesuch, but the strongest emotion right now is apathy. I'll be sure to post a link after I get it up and running to the new blog, but not from.

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1159925337632083782006-10-03T18:25:00.000-07:002006-10-03T18:28:57.633-07:00

I've been missing myself lately, with so much on my plate, and I've just been getting into poker, on top of school and a job. Needless, to say, the What;s Goin on? posts cost a little too much time, and I'm not really reading many mainstream superhero comics outside of Essential and Showcase volumes, and the mainstream Superman titles (which are completely awesome! BTW), but I have been working

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1159925107509334292006-10-03T18:22:00.000-07:002006-10-03T18:25:07.526-07:00

Of Which There Are Many***Because this thought has been so essential to my recent self, I may be bestowing some autobiographical level of self-indulgence with the realization of the obvious, but I hope I'm not. Fair warning: this is going to be rambling, even after a couple edits, but I hope the *snicker* quality comes through.***-Thanks to Dan for inspiring this post and developing the thoughts.

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1156813714415981432006-08-28T18:05:00.000-07:002006-09-02T10:22:58.286-07:00

I'm probably the only one wondering this, but why isn't the Golden Age Dr. Fate archives in DC's November solicits?" They promised us (and by that, I mean me) a while back. I'm not even sure if I could afford the luxury of Golden Age Dr. Fate, but him, along with the Spectre, are some Golden Age DC stories I really want to get into. I'm fairly sure they aren't anywhere near good, but the appeal

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1156479230708022572006-08-24T21:10:00.000-07:002006-08-24T21:24:07.043-07:00

But first, some non sequiturs.***I’m a Jerk, Part the First:I wrote on Outkast without a copy of the liner notes (well, it was a bootlegged copy), and after purchasing the CD, I noticed that most of the tracks were not produced by Andre 3000, or at least only a little more than half. The Gospel track "Mutron Angel" was completely Big Boi's direction (but written and performed by a third party,

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1156214571626776002006-08-21T19:39:00.000-07:002006-09-02T10:23:13.813-07:00

I was probably putting my nose where it doesn't belong with my last post, me not being a retailer or a frequent commenter of Alan David Doane's blog, and I'm now fairly convinced the comment went in as anonymous. The screen said you are signed in as Peter Hensel, but after I posted it, there was a notice saying, "No anonymous comments allowed." So perhaps it's unfair to say that Doane

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1155963670702834072006-08-18T22:00:00.000-07:002006-08-19T11:01:52.413-07:00

Apparently, Alan David Doane has gotten it into his head that relying on Marvel, of all places, for your primary product in a comic retailer, Diamond even, is an incredibly bad thing. Honestly, what else is there for a major comic's retailer? Sure, the occasional specialty-of-a-specialty shop will do okay, if there's a big enough indy crowd, but honestly, you're selling comic books, and there's

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1155690700133218262006-08-15T18:11:00.000-07:002006-08-15T18:13:19.346-07:00

Hey, A pre-release one! I must not be planning on visiting a comic store this week, as well! Hmm. This weekly check-in thing doesn't work so well when I don't always have a comic to review. Hmm.***Check Out More Good News! Although I think I'll pass that up for this, but it's a close call. By the Way (I tried to say), an amazing amount of good music is coming out, with a new Roots album following

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1155603369227482932006-08-14T17:55:00.000-07:002006-08-14T17:56:09.250-07:00

Drawn and Quarterly Showcase vol. 4The first striking thing about the book is its presentation. The paper is thick, the colors vibrant, and the whole package just feels good. It even has the literate art comic smell that almost all of Fantagraphics and Top Shelf books have: it's clear this book serves a purpose higher than being a quarterly showcase for creators, but wishes success in its own

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1155373097569297272006-08-12T01:58:00.000-07:002006-08-12T02:16:07.413-07:00

But it wouldn't be the first time, would it?In a recent news feature, Metzler revealed that the new JLA #1 would feature the first chapter of his new novel, the hand of fate, but that isn't the conflicting part. Here's the quote, "between film, tv, comics and books--all genres overlap." Yes, that's right, the genre of books (obviously the only room in there is for political thrillers, well, at

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1155247116913130942006-08-10T14:56:00.000-07:002006-08-10T15:17:16.516-07:00

Check out the good news! And Son of Satan is getting a reprint in teh form of the Marvel Horror Essential! Great time to be a Gerber fan, with the next Defenders and Daredevil volumes reprinting his runs as well. I can't wait to see the justification for reprinting the Guardians of the Galaxy work now***And Marvel is apparently milking the Handbook of the Marvel Universe brand for all it's got.**

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1154925418439389462006-08-06T21:35:00.000-07:002006-08-06T21:36:58.473-07:00

I'm a long time fan of Philip K. Dick. He was the first author I followed, really the only author I read outside of required school reading for many years. The insane concepts and surprisingly well defined characters (at least for Sci-Fi) really struck a nerve with me. I went from A Maze of Death to Flow My Tears, to Ubik barely skipping a beat. Then, after a rather large sampling of his science

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1154676595408698652006-08-04T00:28:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:30:29.446-07:00

The biggest thing happening in the blogosphere is Marc Singer's post on the newest Astro City Special, and its apparent status as unintentional propaganda. Reading the issue, my third foray into Astro City after Confession was checked out from the library and the first Dark Age comic, the propaganda of the comic seems much more in question than Singer posits. Possibly because the story is told

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1154594595539607582006-08-03T01:42:00.000-07:002006-08-03T01:43:15.560-07:00

Gone are the numbers! I had no intention of maintaining a weekly schedule when I started doing this, and I also knew I could not limit myself to merely 52 CD's that influenced my tastes to where they are today. Gone with the form!***I've never understood the thought that playing an electric guitar, with the amp turned up, was a suitable catharsis for aggression. Sure, audibly it sounds angry, but

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1154404639554574702006-07-31T20:56:00.000-07:002006-07-31T20:57:19.570-07:00

Clever title tie-in, no? yeah, I didn't think so, either.***Full Metal Jacket:The problem, if you could call it that, with war movies is that its such a galvanizing topic, so horrific in consequence, that any director, writer, or artist attempting to tackle to subject can fall into plenty of clichéd pitfalls. Of course it’s a horrible disease of man, as evinced by David B., but any project that

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1154018678591907572006-07-27T09:44:00.000-07:002006-07-27T09:44:38.606-07:00

Batman #655***spoilers***Morrison starts his run with quite a literal bang. The Joker is shot point blank by a man in a Batman suit, and thus Batman is demobilized. No longer with any criminal element in the city to worry about, as he has apparently taken his crime fighting spree to a new level to forever stamp out crime in his beloved hometown, the sense of crazed antagonists is clearly left

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1153901558176412302006-07-26T01:09:00.000-07:002006-07-26T01:25:29.083-07:00

After an arduous three days of helping my brother move (well, not really three days of arduous work, but more like four or 5 hours spread across three days, but I am prone to exaggeration) I'm back at home, with some incredible loot. First American editions of Nabokov's Bend Sinister and King, Queen, Knave scored for a paltry $8 each, with, get this, cut pages! These are the first books I own

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1153497088720267362006-07-21T08:50:00.000-07:002006-07-21T08:59:45.450-07:00

But it wasn’t in San Diego. It sounds like I missed a lot . The newsarama panel is content to just say Morrison and Chopra talked of the mythic similarities of superheroes, when I am not. I understand my plea is futile and inaudible to the greater machinations of an abattoir like newsarama, as conglomerate as Halliburton and faceless as Exxon Mobile. They also misspelled Deepak’s first name in

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1153381477205700442006-07-20T00:44:00.000-07:002006-07-20T00:53:21.450-07:00

Adolf vol. 1: A Tale of the Twentieth CenturyBy Osamu TezukaIn arduous moment of remaining relatively on topic, I read through another Tezuka work, this time the first volume of Adolf. Perhaps fittingly, the book smacks you upside the head with its pretentiousness as soon as you read the introduction, BAM! You, the reader, obviously don't view manga as being as sophisticated as Frederik L. Schodt

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1153303747011100742006-07-19T02:36:00.000-07:002006-07-19T12:05:45.050-07:00

Using the immortal words of Marvin Gaye, I have decided to spit upon his work of political commentary and broadcast a rather pointless rambling on books coming out this week, as well as notes on news tidbits and links, because really, what good is a blog that doesn't link or feature the tangents and non sequiturs of its owner (speaking of non sequiturs, when I misspelled the word, erroneously

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1153278765446485302006-07-18T20:12:00.000-07:002006-07-18T20:42:25.076-07:00

I'm sure all my faithful readers have guessed, but I've just realized it. I may actually be purchasing higher end repoductions at a much faster rate of, say, one a year. WHat started with a 50% off Fantastic Four omnibus might now extend to this, this, this, this, and even this. And I'm not even counting the Dr. Fate, Thunder Agents, and Spirit Archives I want so. We're truly in a golden age of

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1153120837150971492006-07-17T00:20:00.000-07:002006-07-17T00:20:37.173-07:00

In a period of waiting at a friend's house, I picked up a copy of Chuck Palahniuk's Choke, and I was struck by how the book pandered. The first chapter launched a diatribe listing why the reader shouldn't even pick the book up. There are more entertaining television shows, movies, and even friends, right? Who cares if "real" truth is found in reading books, or at least books by writers like

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1152591236161540632006-07-10T20:56:00.000-07:002006-07-10T22:08:19.246-07:00

And I didn't even realize it becuase I was so caught up Saturday! My dream of daily blogging remains just that. a dream.***I think, by reading this post by Marc Singer, that I finally figured out why Darkseid doesn't bother me in Simonson's Orion. He's a softy for his son, even a softy for someone whose son was killed by Darkseid himself, but the run doesn't focus on working in the context of the

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1152487007340894752006-07-09T16:11:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:32:46.326-07:00

Almost at daily content. Wow, huh?#17-19: There is very little common thread linking these three comics to one another. One concludes the saga of Clockwerx, the other introduces the Green Lantern of Apokolips, and the third sets up Orion's new adventures, so I'll just jump in.To begin, I'll pick up the thread of unintentional redemption I spoke of last writing. Orion continues his battle with the

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1152312086301220392006-07-07T15:38:00.000-07:002006-07-07T15:41:26.316-07:00

The two collaborators on this album, Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse, both have had long and remarkably unsuccessful solo careers. Cee-Lo went from the other-Atlanta based-rap-group-besides-Outkast in Goodie Mob to an even worse, at least commercially, solo career with two fantastic albums under his belt, earning him the title the Soul Machine to the initiated. Danger Mouse has more of a profile,

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1152310758236286222006-07-07T15:19:00.000-07:002006-07-09T21:38:37.120-07:00

When reading Kirby's Eternals work* and Fantastic Four, striking differences between the two arise. The two are separated by, most of all, a sense of purpose. When talking of huge Celestials and the dawn of man, Kirby's work has so much more energy than his monthly pencil dumps in Fantastic Four. That's probably one of the reasons the book was largely unsuccessful during its initial run. There

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1152167084608631862006-07-05T23:23:00.000-07:002006-07-05T23:24:44.623-07:00

(well, one of 'em is a little bit longer than a bit)Maybe I should post these things at a better time of day? oh, well.***Superman Returns:I don't have anything new to say about the film that hasn't been said before, besides one thing. The film rescue is by far the best action sequence. The destruction of Superman is rather unsettling and awful, a counterpoint to the recent Superman comic's "Up,

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1152041558983551192006-07-04T12:31:00.001-07:002006-07-04T12:32:39.013-07:00

And an amazing band came on. After two singer/guitarists (FBNL and Eastern Sea), the presence of a bass and drums, even two guitars (!) was manna in a desert. Not to knock the two performers, good friends of mine, but they are both in a very transitional period with their music, having both left their respective bands, and while their music can be interesting, they aren't a complete show by

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1151742967528268442006-07-01T01:35:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:33:10.950-07:00

An ongoing but irregular feature highlighting runs of comics read as groups of single issues instead of in their entirety. vol. 1 can be found here, vol. 2 here, and vol. 3 here#16After the conclusion and revenge taken by Darkseid last issue, Orion is literally at rock bottom. Surrounded by nothingness in the Abysmal Plane, he realizes the horrors of his actions. Fortunately, Orion is a hero, and

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1151741101393054062006-07-01T00:50:00.000-07:002006-07-01T01:05:01.406-07:00

The article spurring this post and referred to is hereWhich one's better? DOes DC win with their concentrated effort at line wide revamping with Infinite Crisis, OYL, and 52? Or Does Marvel win with the unmasking of Spidey, Civil War, and a mega awesome cosmic crossover?I'd say neither. From a market standpoint, DC seems poised to take the lead. With plenty of high profile projects down the

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1151562890490825092006-06-28T23:29:00.000-07:002006-06-28T23:59:50.876-07:00

The second issue in David B's second major work, Babel, is beautifully designed, as all the Ignatz books are, and the addition of color makes the artwork a lot more attractive than the B&W predecessor. The actual meat of the story expands David's scope beyond just his brother's epilepsy, but also to war in the world as well as human emotion, kind of examining idiopathic (stemming from not one

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1151390140166809312006-06-26T23:33:00.000-07:002006-06-26T23:35:40.183-07:00

and there were a couple of local bands playing. A charming singer/guitar player prone to writing joke songs, including an album's worth of kid's songs featuring biological features of animals: did you know that iguanas take a ridiculously long time to mate, so sometimes a weaker iguana would be pushed off from his mate, which stimulated the smaller iguanas to streamline the insemination process

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1151189510745033762006-06-24T15:51:00.000-07:002006-06-24T15:59:19.553-07:00

Man, a traditional review. It's been a while since I've done on of those.***Like many others, I was completely mesmerized by Don Rosa's The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. The tapestry woven highlighting Uncle Scrooge's struggle for wealth was complex and rewarding. As Scrooge failed constantly in search of wealth, the once-reprehensible image of him swimming in his riches was suddenly

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1151018170736133182006-06-22T16:14:00.000-07:002006-06-22T16:19:08.663-07:00

I could've tacked this onto the last post, but no, my Dad deserves better than that. After a bunch of pestering, he finally decided to get a blog! So, Oh My God, Totally Check This Out! It's called the Big Blink, and it's Big and Blinking. He seems kinda depressed now. Hmm. Maybe I should talk to him.

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1151017928475732082006-06-22T16:07:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:33:35.060-07:00

Sorry this took a little time to post, but various forces conspired to restrict my free time eliminating the possibility of posting or writing anything! Or maybe I was a little lazy, who knows?***The Love BelowAndre's album is often the most praised, especially to those not well versed in hip hop, with good reason; almost the entirety of the album has nothing to do with hipping or hopping, but

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1150653527230873032006-06-18T10:41:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:33:53.386-07:00

Hello Barbelith! To all my regular readers, I've just entered the online community with that statement. Reading over the site in search of Seven Soldiers discussion, I was floored by the level of discussion. Now I'm even mroe impressed by their attention to teh details of entrants. Right now, becuase I lack a college or work address to garantuee my identity, I have to reference them on my blog to

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1150583772601602602006-06-17T15:27:00.000-07:002006-06-17T21:12:20.936-07:00

good cover, no? Also good news is interior work by Brian Bolland on the origin of Animal Man! That, unfortunately, isn't written by Grant Morrison. Seeing a 4th origin rewrite by him would be hilarious, but maybe that's just me.godawful cover, no? Aren't Justice league covers supposed to be full of the cast, instead of full of silhouettes, but that may be just me.***Speaking of good news, the US

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1150442742131510882006-06-16T00:16:00.000-07:002006-06-16T00:25:48.833-07:00

A little off topic:I just found out that one of my favorite musicians, Cee-Lo, collaborated with the always good Danger Mouse on an album, St. Elsewhere, under the moniker Gnarles Barkley. The single from the album, a smash success in the UK, charting 9 consecutive weeks, one week before the actual physical disc was released and it was only a digital download, is an amazing number with Cee-Lo

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1150187886448537292006-06-13T01:37:00.000-07:002006-06-13T01:38:06.463-07:00

No Introduction needed. A quick impression of Teen Titans #34-36Geoff Johns has certainly turned his Teen Titans up a notch hasn't he? He used to reference Captain Carrot and His Zoo Crew (which he will NEVER live down. EVER) and now his work features the hallmarks of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. The Machiavellian Chief is reinstated as a manipulative jerk, and all the unsettling implications of

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1150185179996647592006-06-13T00:39:00.000-07:002006-06-13T01:09:20.076-07:00

I've been hit with the recent wave of apathy hitting other bloggers. Without something like Seven Soldiers to continually motivate my writing and with a lack of distinct audience or purpose, I'm going to start doing things a little differently. I'm a big fan of music, and a musician myself, but I don't really review music that much, outside of my single Permanent Record. I also play video games a

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1149979152954028022006-06-10T15:38:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:34:24.343-07:00

An ongoing but irregular feature highlighting runs of comics read as groups of single issues instead of in their entirety. vol. 1 can be found here vol. 2 hereI promised this would be done, soon, didn't I?***Orion #10-15Simonson's first story imbues an unprecedented (in the text) human drama, and does it with the most un human character given dialogue yet. Sirius, captured by Desaad and forced

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1149634973827400522006-06-06T16:00:00.000-07:002006-06-06T16:02:53.856-07:00

How awkwardy phrased a title.***With a wealth of summer's free time on my hands (obviously shown by my copious writings), I turned to a game I bought but never really played, the Game Boy Advance title Final Fantasy Tactics, a much lauded sequel to one of the deepest final fantasy games, and the first Square title to be on a Nintendo system since their breakup over cartridges. When I first bought

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1149232785394989652006-06-02T00:09:00.000-07:002006-06-03T22:26:36.713-07:00

Or at least, I feel that way. A dearth of funds necessitates mail ordering comics, and by the time I've read and digested the month's comics, I'm at least a week past their expiration date, hence the constant reviews of a couple runs I'm running through currently. So, to segue to this post's topic, that is Marvel's Big Events, living in the past takes away some momentum and desire to read

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1149228759057824262006-06-01T23:10:00.000-07:002006-06-01T23:12:39.090-07:00

This may be too self indulgent, but what are blogs for, anyway? ***Well, besides the obvious differences in platforms, the two political parties are, and throughout American history, an actualization of two different approaches to problem solving. The Republicans have incredible initiative. They bend and break rules to accomplish their goals. Basically, if they see a tree in their way, they chop

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1149049690535107692006-05-30T21:24:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:34:49.413-07:00

An ongoing but irregular feature highlighting runs of comics read as groups of single issues instead of in their entirety.So, to kick off another mega series of posts that I doubt my ability to finish, I'm writing on Milligan and Bachalo's Shade run, just to be ambitious.***What an Odd Beginning:#1-3"Is That It? Is That All There Is?""I'm Sorry. I Never Said You'd Be Able to Make a Bestseller out

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1148783534014222742006-05-27T19:29:00.000-07:002006-05-27T19:33:42.560-07:00

So, it's been a minute, hasn't it? Between AP Tests, Finals, my complete fascination with the new DS Mario Game (It Rocks!!!), and Regionals + testing for Magic*, I've fallen a bit behind in my blogging duties, but no worries! What follows is a skeleton of my Planet Hulk Review, and my X-Factor review, , plus I will attempt to start another project I will probably never finish, which is becoming

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1147492118278477102006-05-12T20:48:00.000-07:002006-05-12T20:48:38.280-07:00

Complete Set-Up Moon Knight #1 and Wolverine: Origins #1The more personal of Marvel's summer events debuted last month. They both feature an incredible amount of material irrelevant to the main plot, or completely lack one. The point of Wolverine's debut appears to be to showcase Dillon's amazing art (His Wolverine looks AMAZING) and to just provide action packed intrigue. Wolverine becomes more

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1147406499641280052006-05-11T20:58:00.000-07:002006-05-11T21:02:55.430-07:00

or The Road From Civil War Part IVThis is taking much longer to write down my thoughts than I originally thought. Expect a couple of hastily written posts detailing my surprises and dissappointments with Mmon Knight, Wolverine: origins, X-Factor, Astonishing X-Men, and Planet Hulk soon after. I also relaxed in my writings on Orion. Hmm. Maybe I put a little too much on my plate for right now.

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1147321108669839172006-05-10T21:18:00.000-07:002006-05-12T21:09:47.356-07:00

Not More Hype! A Review of Night Fisher by R Kikuo JohnsonHailed as a "remarkably assured but astonishingly fresh" debut, Night Fisher stands out as a distinctive bildungsroman. Praised as a "mature look at immature lives," very little maturity shows from the novella's protagonist by the novel's end. That is perhaps my biggest problem with the beautifully illustrated autobiography. Loren, the

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1147202499527844722006-05-09T12:19:00.000-07:002006-05-09T12:21:39.556-07:00

Hmm. It may be pretentious to use roman numerals to number an admittedly fanboyish reaction to a Marvel event. Now onto the issue released first, but reviewed last.Illuminati Special: First off, I love Maleev's art when colored brightly like an old school comic, but modern storytelling techniques. Also, Maleev has grown as a sequential storyteller since his early Daredevil run, when he repeated

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1147052369827960062006-05-07T17:59:00.000-07:002006-05-08T00:03:38.646-07:00

Big Events-Fantastic Four #536-537Still on the road to Civil War, although only a brief mention of the Superhero Registration Act is uttered by a TV. Hmm. Marvel isn't being very coy about Thor's return, but as an internet reading comic book reader, I'm always aware of an event comic's events normally before they happen, and even without the cover the ending is pretty telegraphed. The problem I

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1146896162726129172006-05-05T23:15:00.000-07:002006-05-05T23:39:36.573-07:00

Big Events: Amazing Spiderman #529-531:Mr. Parker Goes to Washington!An Observation:Did anyone notice the quiet price increase of $2.50 to $3 from #530 to #531? What comics published by marvel are $2.50 anymore? There was a big press release and hoopla after Marvel announced that they raised prices from $2.25 to $2.50, but Joe Q seems to have not gotten complaints when there's no PR. Hmmm.Onto

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1146709877039414552006-05-03T19:29:00.000-07:002006-05-03T19:31:17.066-07:00

So, intrigued as I am by Civil War, reading a sundry of tie-ins (discounted from Mailordering, natch!) has given me a mixed response. On one hand, the idea can lead to a unique crossover, and for the most part already has. Unfortunately, the work done is so pedestrian and so mediocre, on average, that I'm in a quandary as to whether or not I should continue reading the imposter of a real

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1146532065042344002006-05-01T18:05:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:35:28.140-07:00

Because I'm a music geek and want to muse on music releases, I'm intrigued by Chris Tamarri's premise of Permanent records. Take an album that you listen to constantly, and dissect its strengths and weaknesses, listening to it as if its the first time. So, without further disclaimers, here's the premier of my permanent records feature.Saul Williams' Amethyst Rock StarSaul Williams is a

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1146334046992700462006-04-29T11:05:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:36:00.276-07:00

An ongoing but irregular feature highlighting runs of comics read as groups of single issues instead of in their entirety. vol. 1 can be found hereHoly Shit!:#5-9That cover about says it all. In a widescreen battle bursting with energy and enthusiasm(and successfully silent sequential storytelling) Simonson accomplishes a much better battle than even the famed Midguard Serpent battle in Thor #380

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1146100264506617982006-04-26T18:08:00.000-07:002006-05-02T11:21:23.130-07:00

So, a discussion on which works are author's masterpieces has sprung up at Comics Should Be Good. In the post, to clarify and control discussion, Greg cites a definition for masterpiece, interchangeable with magnum opus, but I feel masterpieces focus on skill and effect, and can be shorter and graphic novels. Magna opera are towering achievements of effort, skill, and effect, and most certainly

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1146015321213045132006-04-25T18:26:00.000-07:002006-04-25T18:51:30.180-07:00

Let Me Get This Straight (Previews of Dini's Batman and Verheiden's Superman/Batman),Mark Verheiden's bringing back Titano in Superman/Batman? And he's rendered in the glorious realism of Ethan Van Sciver (Look at that arm hair!)? And Superman/Batman is going to be a DCU team up book? Looks amazing, and like it'll finally be a fun comic, if not necessarily good.Also of note: JH William's splash

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1145931895939803612006-04-24T19:22:00.001-07:002006-08-04T00:36:33.266-07:00

An ongoing but irregular feature highlighting runs of comics read as groups of single issues instead of in their entirety.Dashed Expectations:#1-4So, because I was starting to lose faith in Simonson's writing ability (I've been sitting on a Hawkgirl post for awhile, but blogger seems unable to load images whenever I try it. Shame, or I'd link it), or possibly just wanting to revisit his classic

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1145587669412641912006-04-20T19:47:00.000-07:002006-04-20T19:47:49.426-07:00

Superman #650-651, Action Comics #837, Detective Comics #817-818, Batman #651As much as people lament the lack of plot in the Superman and Batman relaunches and as much as people bemoan the transparent status quo changes, I'm in love with them. Moreso than any other comic hitting the stands, these 6 comics represent the return of serial fiction to the superhero market. Devoid of any Infinite

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1144362978848942962006-04-06T15:32:00.000-07:002006-04-06T15:36:18.870-07:00

Another unexpectedly awesome surprise!Captain America 65th Anniversary SpecialBy Ed Brubaker, Javier Pulido, and Marcos MartinMarvel Comics $4As much as I liked Robinson's Batman and its cartoon styled adventure, I loved Brubaker's Captain America flashback adventure here. Pulido and Martin's art is perfect. Just look at the cover. The rest of the comic looks just like that, with brightly colored

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1144286691408074392006-04-05T18:13:00.000-07:002006-04-05T18:33:32.536-07:00

Batman #651By James Robinson, Don Kramer, and Keith ChampagneDC Comics $2.50Robinson is returning to familiar ground. I couldn't help but smile as I read the intro where random observer's lives and personalities fit into a couple captions, and where all the characters took their place. As much as Batman is returning to classic form, Robinson is doing here too, as well. In fact, the entire issue

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1143412478220082502006-03-26T14:33:00.000-08:002006-03-26T14:34:38.236-08:00

Daredevil #83Okay, I was too harsh on Brubaker's run. I criticized the clichéd setting, the repetition of Daredevil's refusal to be Daredevil, and, most unfairly, the art. I was disappointed with Lark's art over D'Armata's colors, making it incredibly similar to Epting and D'Armata's Captain America art. I still believe Epting and D'Armata do the brightly colored super hero stuff too well, that

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1143007488898633292006-03-21T22:02:00.000-08:002006-03-26T14:51:22.593-08:00

The often-described-as-autobiographical Mind Grabber Man in Bulleteer #3 deserves much more attention than previously given. Originally written off as merely a knee jerk reaction to any concept stale and old, Mind Grabber Man is an essential component of Seven Soldier's overarching theme of Self Transformation. To further cement the interpretation of Mind Grabber man as Morrison himself, Mind

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1142920625440465032006-03-20T21:55:00.000-08:002006-03-20T22:33:57.280-08:00

Obviously spoilers, Ahoy!Before I begin, there is a level headed response to V For Vendetta here. I probably like this post a lot because it's conservative, but not pro-Bush. Anyway, I'm not completely set in my liberal mindset, although this post does exaggerate a lot. I just think Dear ol' Debbie has a lot of poor argumentation, along with other right wing reviewers similar to her.Enough

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1142909264243245652006-03-20T18:45:00.000-08:002006-03-20T19:31:36.873-08:00

Reposted: The first post wasn't incredibly well written, so with a couple nuggets of knowledge from Mister Miracle #4, I rewrote the original Mister Miracle Christ allusion post.Disclaimer: While I'm not going to be intentionally callous, not having grown up Christian or Muslim may make some of these comments ignorant or insensitive to cultural practices. I apologize in advance.On the first read

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1140327445253568832006-02-18T21:04:00.000-08:002006-02-18T23:51:32.063-08:00

Captain America #14: And so an incredibly long story ends, and was it worth it? I would say so. The story is aroad of fight scene that leads to a resolution. IN this issue, the fight scene is amazingly cinematic, only showing banter when the opponents take a break from pounding on each other, and besides the deux ex machine of the cosmic cube, which was really the only satisfying resolution to

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1138932034590360132006-02-02T17:58:00.000-08:002006-02-02T18:00:34.603-08:00

ARTIST SETH FISHER DIES.One of my favorite artists just died, at the prime of his life in his 30s. Such a sad state of affairs. My condolences go out to his friends and family.

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1138763073137765142006-01-31T18:54:00.000-08:002006-01-31T19:04:33.146-08:00

From a horrendous start tying what could have been a classic return to character in Friendly neighborhood Spiderman with PAD at the helm tying into The Other, and now Spiderman, and likely all of his upcoming titles, will be lumped into the Civil War and its prelude, not to mention the horrible choice of costume, and the lack of any supporting cast, now the great character of Peter Parker is

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1138648618427032732006-01-30T11:11:00.000-08:002006-01-30T11:16:58.443-08:00

Iron Man: The Inevitable #1 shows an incredible fascination with handshakes. From Tony's shake with an illegal businessman to the host of a party to a business associate, every person he talks to is greeted with a handshake, and a panel showcasing the handshake. Iron Man is very superficially connected to everyone he meets, and the most intimate exchange is a handshake. The conversation between

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1138580120047363742006-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:002006-01-30T11:17:28.596-08:00

Does anybody know if the Essential Spectacular Spiderman volume coming out, reprinting #32-52 is any good. I really really liked Bill Mantlo's run on the title in vol. 1, but he's only doing about 6 or 7 issues in this one. Roger Stern takes over after a couple fillins and finishes the volume. So, is it any good?On another note, I'm almost doen with a piece on The Inevitable, Testament, Part 2 of

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1137831134471059142006-01-21T00:11:00.000-08:002006-01-21T00:12:14.483-08:00

This issue has so much more to discuss than #1. Instead of just a really good Superman story, it's a deconstruction of the Lois/Superman/Clark Kent relationship. Coincidently, in hindsight, I think this issue is better than #1 because even though it isn't as refreshing and well paced as #1, it IS analytical and insightful, while maintaining the fact that Superman can be cool.Lois starts out the

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21287264.post-1137824730704789722006-01-20T22:20:00.000-08:002006-01-20T22:25:30.716-08:00

So I started doing the blogging thing in April 2004 with this other blog, Sequential Critique Here, and I kinda lsot time to update posts, and I lsot interest in it, but after a couple moths break, I'm reinvigorated and ready to start writing about the greatest things in the world, comics and music, again. I'll have a big introductory paragraph later, but I'll use this blog for mostly longer

XyphaPnoreply@blogger.com0