Year: 2003

Mention has been bandied about (most lately, over in the Pulse on Comicon.con) over a notion involving the permanent return of Captain Mar-Vell. No hoax, no dream, no imaginary tale. The Guy, back from the dead.

The answer is, yeah, we considered it. We consider a lot of possibilities. In this case, I have a story line I’d been building towards involving a sort of massive cosmic intervention to deal with Marv’s current mental state (as some fans have quite correctly observed, there’s only so long Marv can go on doing this stuff before others start trying to rein him in). We discussed it, and ultimately decided we wouldn’t bring Mar-Vell back from the dead for it. This all happened weeks ago. So the matter was already settled well before word started leaking out. We’re still doing the storyline (over issues #15 to 18) but Mar-Vell will not be a part of it.

Beginning, middle, end of rumor.

PAD

(Sorry about the posting delay: We had lightning storms hereabouts last night, and I shut down the computer to avoid mishaps.)

Unusual episode: A series creating a pilot for itself as what would be, effectively, a new series. If “Angel” continues, possibilities galore. If it doesn’t, it’s not an unreasonable last episode (although the lost potential will sting.) Spoilers follow:

Continue Reading “ANGEL, THE FINALE” →

And once more into the fray…(spoilers below)…

Continue Reading “TONIGHT’S BUFFY (with spoilers added for extra flavor!)” →

Consider this a companion peace to the earlier “Rights.”

I’ve noticed a recurring theme in many political discussions in which I’ve engaged, and what it boils down to is this: “How dare you criticize Bush when your hero, Bill Clinton, has done the same or worse.”

Putting aside that I’ve never said Clinton was my hero…indeed, putting aside that I’ve openly stated he embarrassed the office of the presidency…

…that makes it okay…how?

See, that’s what I don’t comprehend. Bush supporters spouting high dudgeon that he’s criticized for his actions when, of course, conservative pundits never said ANYTHING harsh about Clinton in the entire eight years of his presidency. Not a word, not a syllable.

Is anyone suffocating on the double standard? Because I certainly am.

Continue Reading “WRONGS” →

And here is the cover for Fallen Angel #3. The first issue is currently being solicited. Let’s hope retailers actually order some.

I was convinced that when we cracked open our brand new set of “Futurama” DVDs, it would be filled with nothing but football games. Why not? “Futurama” had to be the most pre-empted TV show in the history of Fox, and possibly in the history of TV. It was just amazing. I have the feeling that, in any given season, it was pre-empted more often than it was aired. When I would tune in to see it, chances were one in three it would be on.

Well, interestingly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. The DVDs did not contain footbal. They continued “Futurama.”

Just not all of season one, as advertised.

Instead, our boxed set was missing disk three and instead had two copies of disk two.

What the HÊLL goes on with show?

PAD

Kath and I saw “X-Men II” today and, yes, it’s that rare animal: A sequel better than the original. It’s no longer the “Wolverine and a Buncha Guys” show. This time around, we get a real sense of the true emotional depth and breadth of the Marvel Mutantverse. From the pure “Cabaret”-esque showmanship of Nightcrawler to the ticking timebomb of Pyro, to the sure-to-provoke-cheers cameos of Colossus and Hank McCoy, this one’s got it all.

And more than anything, it has real-world resonance. There are some who have called being a Mutant a metaphor for being gay. Never seemed more convincing a take than when one teen mutant “comes out” to his family. And then, of course, there’s the concept of curtailing freedoms, midnight raids, a police state…all in the name of security. However much it was featured in the first film, it seemed more abstract; now it sends chills down your spine. Unless, of course, you’re one of those who cheers the loss of personal liberty in the name of “security.” Then…well, I’m not sure.

There’s many “little” moments, including a devil-may-care encounter between Mystique and some pursuing soldiers, and–oh yes–Cyclop’s part. Easily the X-Man least served by the script, he disappears…as they said in “Shakespeare in Love”–for the length of a bible. Storm, however, has a better wig and appears to have abandoned the arch delivery of the first film. The way she was talking this time out, she could have sold the “What happens to toads when they’re struck by lightning” line.

Film did have some pacing problems, plus I kept waiting to check in on a group of fugitive mutants led by Colossus. Odd to say that the film seemed long and yet they could have added at least half an hour to it with an entire additional storyline.

Great stuff.

Talk amongst yourselves.

PAD