Diamond’s numbers for December of 2002 have been released. The rankings in the U-Decide are, frankly, kind of embarrassing.
I may be off a rank number or two ’cause I don’t have them in front of me, but it was something like CAPTAIN MARVEL coming in at #58, ULTIMATE ADVENTURES at #78, and MARVILLE at…oy…#113. (Update, just double-checked: UA is at #71.)
PAD
As relieved as I obviously am that the Macy’s parade went unmolested (could you imagine shooting the Charlie Brown balloon? You can hear him muttering “rats” as he deflates) one has to be dismayed by the new attacks on Israeli interests which–by startling coincidence–coincide with the primary elections that will determine whether Israel continues with the hardline tactics of Sharon or toes a more moderate line.
There is a growing desire by Israeli citizens–weary of being blown up wherever they go–to come to some sort of accord with the Palestinians. Feeling that the hawkish Sharon isn’t the one to achieve it, they are seriously eyeing candidates who favor such concepts as clearing out of the Gaza strip.
The problem is that some Arab factions wouldn’t want that to happen, because they’re not interested in a Palestinian state. They’re interested in killing all the Jews. One is staggered at the difference in extremist philosophies. The extremiest Israeli philosophy is, “No compromise because it threatens Israeli security.” The extremist Arab philosophy is, “No compromise because we want all the Israelis dead.” The latter fuels the former, and around we go.
So if major strikes convince more moderate Israelis that peace is hopeless, Sharon stays put, which helps the Arab extremists who are benefited by the world seeing Israel as unwilling to bargain.
The question is, who’s trying to manipulate the election? Palestinians? I’m not sure, but…I’m thinking no. I’m thinking bin Laden’s people, passing themselves off as a never-before-heard-from Palestinian militant organization, out to keep destabilized a region that is essential to the United States both for obtaining oil and for allies required for the suddenly vital war against Saddam.
PAD
Nailed it.
Didn’t I say it? Back at the premiere? I said, “the First Evil,” and lo and behold. Who’s your daddy? Say it. Who’s your daddy? (Except my kids don’t have to say it because, y’know, they know that already.)
Show’s coming together. Seems to be more spark in the performances. Willow’s arch dressing down of Andrew followed by the “Okay?” was perfect. Spike seemed more dangerous than he has in two seasons. Xander’s useful explanation of what happens to sleeper agents (“Either they blow their heads off or they escape in a nuclear submarine”) was priceless. Was wildly pìššëd øff to see Tony Head’s name missing in the “guest starring,” so we figured (correctly) that we were going to be kept hanging until freakin’ January (God, for the days when they’d just run the shows through the season from beginning to end.)
And hey, let’s consider the following: A primal force of Biblical level evil uses catspaws to play ruthless and evil mindgames before opening a dimensional gate to unleash the first vampire. Last night’s episode? Apparently. But also SUPERGIRL issues #68-#74, except it was Lilith instead of the First and the Carnivore–the first vampire–as opposed to butt-ugly who crawled up from below. For that matter, the Carnivore also did the mind-messing stuff as far back as SUPERGIRL #48. I’ll be curious to see whether the fans who consistently claim that I rip off Joss Whedon will take note of the fact that I was first out of the box this go-around. Then again, they’re the same ones who claim that Buzz was a rip-off of Spike even though Buzz (and his romantic obsession for the blonde heroine) predated Spike.
By the way, SUPERGIRL #76 is also sold out from the publisher. Two in a row. I knew the demand would be there. Unfortunately, the retailers didn’t. Missed sales, missed opportunities. Kind of a Pyrrhic victory there.
PAD
Well, the saga of Gwen is apparently being eagerly followed over on “All the Rage,” and we wouldn’t want to leave them (or you) hanging. So here it is:
Gwen will be working Saturdays, 11 to 5, at the New England Comics Allston Store. She actually worked in one of the other stores yesterday. When one customer bought “Supergirl,” she gave him a big thumbs up and said, “You should always buy this comic.” He looked at her in utter bewilderment and said, “Yeaaah, it’s, uh, pretty good,” and then beat feet out of there hastily.
So swing on by Saturdays and say hi.
PAD
The next NEW FRONTIER novel will be finished within the week and shipped off to Pocket Books. Working title is “THE GOD CHILDREN.” Pub date isn’t set, although obviously it will be in 2003, and quite possibly before the next Harry Potter novel. This will be followed by another NEW FRONTIER hardcover, which will feature–among other things–a look back at Calhoun’s Academy days.
PAD
Just came back from rolling in the PBA Pro/Am tournament at the Syosset Lanes in Long Island. As one might surmise, I was an Am.
I’d been incredibly afraid to enter the tournament, especially because I’ve been in a real slump lately. Then again, being incredibly afraid of doing something is often a good reason to go and do it (provided you can’t get yourself killed in the process.) So short of someone beaning me with an Ebonite, I figured it was safe enough.
Extremely glad I did. I had a great time bowling alongside the pros, who were all really nice, and I actually did reasonably well. Granted, it was no-tap, meaning that taking down nine pins with the first ball counts as a strike, so there was that cushion. But I was converting my multi-pin spares, and had Kathleen and Ariel cheering me on besides. My scores were 183, 191 and 208, which wasn’t bad, especially since I’ve been struggling as of late, plus I was nervous. I doubt I’ll win any prize money (the Pro/Am runs through Wednesday), but my goal was to go out there and not suck, and I accomplished that much, at least.
Plus we had a brilliant back-up plan. If I was doing lousy, Kathleen would spill water on her lap, jump up and shout, “Honey! My water broke!” And I’d quickly apologize for having to depart, but hey, gotta get the wife to the hospital, and off we’d go. Fortunately we didn’t have to go that route.
We’ll be back at Syosset next Sunday when they broadcast the Pro/Am live at 1:00 PM
EST on ESPN. So if you tune in to ESPN then, you might see us. I’ll be the one wearing the SPIDER-MAN soccer shirt.
PAD
Due to Kathleen’s impending delivery date, we knew if we wanted to see the revival of “Man of La Mancha” on Broadway, we’d need to go sooner rather than later. So it was that we were there in the first performance of the first premiere.
Well, it’s certainly in a *lot* better shape than the other premiere we recently saw (“Dance of the Vampires.”) But hëll, look at the material. And this time out, they didn’t screw with it the way they did at the Goodspeed Opera House a year or two ago–cutting songs (“What Does He Want of Me?”, “The Gypsy Dance”), or deciding to have Quixote speaking in a Castillian accent (transforming “Dulcinea” into “Dulthinea,” giving it a distinctly Daffy Duck sound.)
Solid to excellent casting. Brian Stokes Mitchell as Quixote doesn’t quite capture the air of madness in the old man, and he motors through Cervante’s pivitol speech about having seen life without milking the world-weariness and pain Cervantes has experienced, but you can’t argue with the man’s pipes. His “Impossible Dream” becomes a showstopper. Ernie Sabella wrings every last laugh out of Sancho (although Ariel looked up at me loyally at the end of the show and said, “You were a better Sancho, daddy.”) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio has a far more comprehensive theatrical track record than I’d realized, and I think she has the potential to be one of the great Aldonzas. She not quite there yet, though. She conveys some nice sneering contempt every now and then, but the broken spirit and burning bitterness of the tavern šlûŧ isn’t fully in evidence. And you really need that to make her transformation at the end more striking. On the upside, she’s a lot better than Sheena Easton or (oy) Sophia Loren.
And hey, comics fans. The production was directed by Jonathan Kent.
PAD
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