The Last Year of Smallville in Six Posters

OK, little rushed with a post tonite, because I've some big stuff I'm planning for later to celebrate officially being back. That and a new side project means tonite will be a tad rushed. Don't worry, Things will improve very soon.

So, in the meantime, let me save you hours of pain and a few bucks of buying DVDs and quickly summarize all you need to know about the last year of Smallville:

The Good

The Bad

The WTF?

Enjoy

A Typical Week in the Life of...NAMOR THE SUBMARINER!

With of course, a few tangentially related Posters!

Monday: Invade Surface world, shouting “Imperius Rex!” at the top of my lungs

Tuesday: Change my mind about invading when convinced by a human female (most likely Susan Storm Richards). Betrayed by an unstable power-hungry warlord (Note to self; institute some quality controls in military command structure so I stop promoting these guys) and exiled to the surface world.

Wednesday: Join a superteam that isn’t pissed at me for invading the surface world. Flirt with Susan Richards. Attempt to Join the U.N.

Thursday: Get booted off team for being arrogant/flirting with Sue (No one wants a guy on their team who can get their ass handed to them by Reed Richards) and fail to join the U.N.

Friday: Return to Atlantis, find out that they are about to be enslaved/slaughtered by a warlord who betrayed me

Saturday: Defeat Warlord, reclaim throne

Sunday: Rest, Play with Dolphins, beat up sea monsters, get married to an Atlantean only to have her die for no good reason. Swear vengeance on the Surface world

Huh...ain't that funny? We're right back where we started! Go figure.

Your moment of funny

STATE OF THE INITIATIVE: MADE OF FAIL!

OK, first up on the improved MPM, we'll just do a quick gloss over of the Initiative, Mark Millar's Faboulous contribution to Marvel Comics.

Oh, let's look it over.

-Failure to prevent many female superbeings from being kidnapped for auctioning (Ms. Marvel)
-Failure to protect secret identities of members from a low-level Criminal for use in his scheme to control the superheroes (New Avengers)
-Using portals to the Negative Zone for transport, even knowing it weakens the barriers between universes, possibly threatening all of existence (The Initiative)
-Sentinel Squad O*N*E* aka the Keystone cops of the Marvel Universe Seriously, have they stopped even one threat? Or done a damn thing? (All X-Books to date)
-Failure to protect Captain America, subsequent total failure to investigate or incarcerate any and all individuals involved (Captain America)
- Total failure to prevent even a limited planetary invasion (World War Hulk)
- Total failure to prevent or be prepared for any serious alien Invasion (World War Hulk, upcoming Secret Invasion, and implied in Nova)
-Total Failure of SHIELD to prevent Ultron Attack (Mighty Avengers)
-Multiple Failures of leadership and security and safety at Camp Hammond (Avengers: The Initiative)
-Failure to prevent multiple non-registered beings from escaping to Canada (Alpha Flight)
-Failure to apprehend Daredevil, despite his ID being basically an open Secret (OK, yes, Tony might have some sympathy for Matt, but somehow I doubt that would stop say, Norman Osborne or someone from the gov't from saying "no exceptions, we can't have blind men in red devil outfits running around Hell's Kitchen beating muggers because you feel sorry for them. It's the law".
-Failure to apprehend any member of the outlaw "New Avengers"
-Failure to protect American against Atlantean terrorism, and subsequent failure of SHIELD to contain Atlantis. Failure to prevent Namor/Doom Alliance and Atlantean Sleeper cells from going global. (Sub-Mariner)
-Failure to apprehend Runaways, The New Warriors, and the Loners (who should be considered as in violation of Registration terms as I understand them, if they are even registered).
-Breakout at the Raft, AGAIN (New Avengers - SHIELD BUGGERED UP AGAIN)
-Failure to protect the identity and family of a registered Hero (Tigra, New Avengers)
-Failure to protect nuclear launch codes and government secrets and government properties from a rogue Initiative member (Penance)
-Failure to capture perpetrators of an Alaskan village from Purifiers and Marauders (X-Men: Messiah Complex), which subsequently lead to a cross-country mutant war and the deaths of Sentinel Squad O.N.E., among others. Hell, the fact that the Purifiers (High-tech anti-mutant terrorists) are able to openly recruit kind of high-lights the effectiveness of the Initiative, doesn't it?
-Total Failure at all levels of Camp Hammond, including a Skrull Infiltrator, a Hydra Infiltrator, and God only knows what else (Avengers, the Initiative)
-Failure to prevent Symbiote Bomb (Mighty Avengers)
-Corruption of Initiative and SHIELD resources and allowing Extremis technology to fall into the hands of the Mandarin (Iron man)
-Failure of SHIELD to prevent potential lethal attack on SHIELD director by a prisoner in the Helicarrier (Captain America)
-Failure to reform, capture, or prevent the re-empowerement of Tarantula (Daredevil)
-Failure to prevent Hell's Kitchen from going up in a mad blaze of insanity-causing chemical drug madness. Subsequent failure to detain the Enforcers, Razor Fist, or Mr. Fear (Daredevil).



Geez, makes you wonder how badly things would have gone if they hadn't even bothered, huh?

I HAVE RETURNED!

After a long time, and many other interesting things, I have returned to this blog (Also, took me FOREVER to find old account info).

That said, I'm going to be bringing something new in this iteration. In addition to keeping the old stuff, I'm hoping to update frequently, and provide more commentary on comics, politics, science and engineering.

Now first, words of thanks for all those who have encouraged me to return to this. Sanjay Singh, Patricia Cryan, Mario Di Giacomo, and many many others have been very helpful. My thanks to all.

Equal thanks goes out to those whom have inspired this return. Not the least of which is other great bloggers like MightygodKing, Chris Sims, Dave Campell, Dorian, Mike Sterling, Kevin Church, Johanna Draper Carlson, Dennis Perrin, Barry Crimmins, Tom Tomorrow, and way, way more (as you will see on the new sidebar once I get it up and running). I cannot hope to consider myself in such good company. However, I will try to be a diligent and intelligent member of the community. Oh, and lots of snarky posters.

Which will be the new regular feature. Over, the last few years, I've spent a lot of time on this site, constructing a lot of faux motivational posters (thanks not only to some of the material provided by the blogs above, but also Scans_Daily). You'll be seeing a lot of them over our journey together.

Let us begin

God, it's so funny because it's ironic....

I occasionally visit Rush Limbaugh's website. I do this because I find it morbidly fascinating how some Americans use "Liberal" as a swear word, and he seems to be the definition of that type. So, I'm reading, and I catch this little online quote....

"...you'd have to say this is a red county country, not a red state country..."

Why would I find this amusing? A couple reasons;

1) The idea of an Amercian proudly proclaiming his country to be a "Red Country" is funny for a kid who grew up in the waning days of the Cold War.
2) The fact that he's happy about that it's his political viewpoint that is so prevasive that he ignores the notion that a lack of diversity is a VERY BAD thing for a country to have.

Oh, well, on to less serious items....


WHAT IS....ACCESSIBLITY?

Looking at many comic reviews I keep seeing the word "Accessiblity" mentioned as a key issue for comics writing. And I keep wondering how to best quantify that, if it's even possible.

I come at this from a fairly unique viewpoint. One of my earliest comics was an issue of "Uncanny X-Men"; the second to last part of the huge "Inferno" crossover. It was full, and I mean FULL of continuity bits that I had no clue about, as it was my first real exposure to the X-Men beyond an old episode of "Spider-man and his Amazing Friends" in which they guest starred.

Was this confusing for 8 year old me? Yes
Did I buy a huge number of back issues or search the internet to find the backstory? No, because there was no internet, and because I didn't even know you could BUY Back issues.
Did I enjoy the story? HELL YES.

Thus, I wonder if the problem of Accessiblity is somewhat exaggerated. On one hand, I've tried exposing non comics readers to issues of New Invaders and Robbie Morrison's Authority (These people have promptly threatened me to never do it again). On the other hand, there is little problem doing this with Spider-Girl, or Captain America, or even Robin.

I think this is something that warrants further experimentation.
Thoughts and ideas for structure of an experiment are greatly appreciated.


Michael

FINALLY!

Application to Masters School: DONE
Scholarship Applicatons: DONE
Ebay Auctions: DONE
Second Comicbookgalaxy review: DONE

I can finally get back to the business of blogging for awhile without any further real-life distractions.

HOORAY!

Michael Paciocco

Huh....go Figure...

...apparently I'm a critic at Comicbook Galaxy, looking at this, anyway.

Kind of a surprise really; not much of a real background for this sort of thing other than some articles I wrote in my senior year of high school. But it's a nice surprise, none the less.

Working a few other things, announcements soonish....


Michael

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, Between my 25th birthday and some volunteer efforts, I have not been as regular as I should. Next week will see large chunks of blogmeat on comics, politics, technology and more.

In the meantime, check out my latest batch of comics for sale on eBay.

Thanks,

Michael

A lot of interesting Space news today.

The big story is that Spaceship One just barely got in the first of two qualifying flights for winning the X-Prize. I've got to hand it to Mike Melvill for pulling out of a generally creepy roll in the ascent. The Right Stuff indeed.

Another story that is getting a lot of coverage here in Canada is whether or not we want to sign on to the US missile Defense Sheild Project. Personally, I'm against it for the following reasons:

1) There are more viable ways to spend taxpayer money on defense than a systems that has not been shown to work effectively.
2) Missiles from current or future "rogue states" aren't the problem; it is terrorists who would smuggle WMDs into a North America via cargo transport
3) I find the science of the system to be nebulous, and that's not a good sign.
4) Very few countries can afford a ballistic missile program, and it's very resource intensive, requiring a lot of men, materials, and time. These things can be found more easily on the ground then trying to shoot them once in the air. The means of using WMDs mentioned in 2) above is a lot more likely, and far more scary.

Just my thoughts,

Michael

Well, this sucks....



Looks like Burt Rutan has all but sewn up the X-Prize (Go here for all the info). While I'm not that surprised, I'm a little sad. For a short while, it really looked like the Canadian team had a real shot at beating Rutan in a David Vs. Goliath manner. I mean, the DaVinci Project was an underfunded team, even when they got the big sponsorship from Golden Palace. I mean, Rutan has one of the MicroSoft founders as his patron for this. Despite how this might sound, I'm not complaining. Anything that gets people into space again, and can be proven to do so cheaply, is ultimately of benefit to the rest of us, no matter the country. And if you have to get beat, it might as well be to a guy like Rutan.

Still, it would have been nice to put Canada on the Aerospace History map again....

Michael

Better Late than Never

Something from the Comicbookgalaxy Blog that I just caught right now. A Challenge for bloggers to name their favorite "Brilliant but Cancelled" comic series. I'm going to do him one better; not only will I name my "brilliant but Cancelled" Series, I will also include "Brilliant but will be cancelled soon" series, and "Absolutely horrible and should be cancelled now" series (For the sake of not having this section go on too long, I'm sticking with series that which have not exceeded 12 issues at this time).

Let's begin

BRILLIANT BUT CANCELLED

The Establishment - OK, I know next to nothing about all the English pop-culture references scattered throughout this series, but even I know an astonishingly good comic when I see one.

Mr. Majestic - This one already got covered here, but I want to add on to what was said here. It is important to note that before Alan Moore got his hands on him (and later, Joe Casey), this character was an incredibly vain ripoff of Superman with no interesting features whatsover (Kind of like the current superman, only more so). While Moore started to bring some depth, it was Casey who decided to go to the distance (along with Ed McGuiness) and make some comics that you could look at today and see how much damage the concepts of "widescreen" and "decompressed storytelling" have done to take the joy out of superhero comics.

The "MC2" line - More good fun here to be had, courtesy of Tom DeFalco. First, let me say that I find it very weird to defend this guy, because of the fact that I HATED his run on Fantastic Four during the 90s. However, I can forgive him for churning out a whole lot of really readable comics that while a corny, would sell very well in trade. ANEXT in particular, is a fantastic take on a second-generation group of Avengers that clearly shows a love of the Roy Thomas and Roger Stern Eras of the title. You can find these issues real cheap if you take the time to look, and I highly recommend that you do.

Stormwatch: Team Achilles - Despite what you may think of Micah Wright (I know the controversy has caused some division, and I understand and can sympathise, especially with those who blindly defended Micah) his work here was very impressive for a first time comic writer. Had this been marketed correctly, it would have been called "G.I. Joe for grown ups" and might have sold very well indeed. Say what you will about his politics or his regretful lapse in judgement, the comics were good, and should be respected as such.

Alan Moore's Supreme (Honourable Mention) - while not technically "cancelled" (on infinite postponement, until Alan Moore dies and Rob Liefeld decides to capitalize on it by 'releasing these lost works', if I were to guess), it is certainly unfinished. If the current superman books were anywere near as interesting as this comic or Mr. Majestic, well, they'd be selling again, wouldn't they? Moore took (yet another) lackluster Superman riff and showed us what a 21st century superhero comic should look like. Very good reading, and I recommend you either get the issues on Ebay or try and get the recently-released trades from Checker Book Publishing.

BRILLIANT BUT SOON TO BE CANCELLED

Captain America and the Falcon - it is becoming clear to me that Christopher Priest must have angered all the wrong gods. He comes out with a vital and complex look at this 60 year old comic character that is unbelievably entertaining, but is then handicapped by his artist for the first storyline. To make matters worse, the "Main" Captain America title is about to be relaunched and will be getting a much bigger marketing push due to the fact that Ed Brubaker is at the helm. This one's doomed folks. But then, it's a Priest title, so you should have already known that already.

Runaways - Oh, I know there is supposed to be a new "Season" coming out soon. Excuse my pessimism here. Of all the titles on this list, this is the one I want to be wrong about the most. However, when you consider that Marvel isn't making the best push for this book while Vaughn is simultaneously being courted to take over a lot of the "big name" projects, you can see why I might think that it doesn't have a chance.

Fallen Angel - Peter David has pimped for this book like no comic he has ever done, which is saying quite a bit for a man with a 20-plus year career in this field. However, the fact is David's track record when he pushes this hard speaks for itself. This title will probably last the longest of the ones on this list, but I don't expect it to crack issue 30.

Birds of Prey - Gail Simone has gone out of her way to make this an accessible, fun, and entertaining read (This is currently just about the ONLY main DC title I pay any attention to, so that it is saying something). Again, DC won't push it, and it'll likely die out too damn soon. Shame for that.

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE AND SHOULD BE CANCELLED RIGHT AWAY

Invaders - Scroll down to see my review of the first issue, and why I think it qualifies as one of the worst comics of 2004. The premise and nature of this comic are so dead set against gaining new readership that if it makes it to 12 issues, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

Amazing Fantasy - Serves no conceivable purpose save to try and destroy the Spider-Girl comic, and by all industry reports, is failing to do even that.

Superman/Batman - Souless dreck that tries to appeal to your sense of nostalgia while beating you to death with sheer senselessness.

X-Force - Cannot possibly be worth the money you spend on it, and if you are buying it, then lord help you when you look back on yourself in about 5 years.

Michael C. Paciocco

Fair Warning: ANGRY RANT BELOW

I'm sick of it. Really.

Looking at the big events (and I mean looking, I don't buy event comics, but I check out the Newsrama previews and check in at a lot of fan forums to get all the spoilers) at Marvel (Avengers Disassembled) and DC (Identity Crisis and the Jim Lee drawn Superman) I have to admit, that well, who the hell wants to read this?

At the risk of sounding like an old man here, the comics I read as a kid involved superheroes (I won't say they were brightly coloured; I was a child of the late 80s/early 90s, when pretty damn near all superheroes wore black) actually, you know DOING THINGS about the various disasters happening all around them. Now, I look at these two examples which are being held up to the media and what do I see? A bunch of grown men (in tights and out) seeing disasters happening all around them and bitching about how helpless and ineffective they are. Who the hell wants to read comics like that? Actually, I take that back. I can see where there could be a dramatic need to tell that type of story, but this is way too much, and it's over the top.

Now, the prevailing logic is that the reason these stories are as somber as they are is because they reflect the feeling of powerlessness the world felt on that day which need not be mentioned (I'm sorry, but in an election year, politicians of all stripes have used and abused that day so much that it is begining to lose meaning, so I choose not to mention it by name). Well, you know what? That's entirely ass-backwards. On that day, and the many days since, we have seen many feats of heroism of a very human nature, and in some ways, a superhuman nature. Whether it was at the site of disaster, or a soldier on a battlefield (while I'm against some of the wars currently being waged, it is because I doubt the sincerity and reasoning of the leaders who lead to war, not the soldiers), or any decent act of charity (and that oh so brief feeling of global unity), THAT IS HEROISM. THAT DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED.

I don't want to look back at the comics made in the first decade of the 21st century and say it was the age of "Shock and Cynicism". We deserve better. All of us. Demand it.


Michael Paciocco

Toronto, Turbines, and Tomato Sauce

Got back from my week long trip in Toronto, in summary:

-Thank you John and Meagan for having me to your place and being so generous. God Bless.

-Thanks go out to my uncles and aunts and cousins who were so generous with their time and transportation, especially Uncle Nick

-Checked out the local Chapters, The Sci-Fi Superstore (the comic selection was a little on the light side, but still a decent place overall) and Planet X comic shop.

The bulk of my time was spent with my grandparents and great uncles and aunts preparing the Tomatoes to be made into pasta sauce. I honestly think my generation is woefully unprepared for the amount of WORK that will need to be done preserve their traditions into the next century when they finally leave us. Having spent a goodly number of hours with them, I am continuely amazed by my grandparent's energy entering their 80s that would astound those in their 40s.

Of course, the main reason for my excursion was to talk to professors at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS, see the link). Overall, I think it was a positive experience, as it really opened a lot of possibilities I had not considered. Going in, I would have told you that I wanted to do Computational fluid modelling for aerodynamic design, but looking at the research that these guys are doing, I find there is a lot more out there that I could do. Here's what happened:

DAY 1: The first professor I met told me that he wouldn't likely have funding for me until next year, but he deluged me with research papers and a lot of other info and suggestions. Good guy, despite the fact that as I skimmed those papers I realize that what he's doing isn't really for me. The second guy is doing some fascinating research that would take advantage of my ergonomics and systems modelling training, but again, no likely openings until september. Professor #3, however, is a different story. He entices me with every hook (Lots of industry interest in his research, that he's had experience with Systems Design grads and thinks the world of them, possiblity of a job waiting for me after I get my Masters, etc), but what really struck me was that his research had applications beyond those of aerospace, including a lot of fields that could use a broad based systems person like myself. What can I say, he buttered me up. I left there feeling really good....

DAY 2: ...until I met #4. #4 did something I never thought I would see a professor do: He basically spent 30 minutes telling me how little anyone thinks of his research, how no one cares, and how he is basically riding it out until he retires. NOT A GREAT SALES PITCH. #5 and I hit it off fairly well, not just on the research, but on the fact that we have the same general interests, and that we are both huge followers of the X-Prize and the new private space race. We are both believers in space flight...and that's when I realized something....

I am a bit of a living stereotype. I'm the small town boy influenced by his father's science fiction (one of my earliest memories is at 3 years old watching "The Doomsday Machine" episode of Star Trek the original series) and inspired by the hometown hero astronaut whom the hometown threw a tickertape parade and named streets and buildings after (This being of course, Dr. Roberta Bondar). Sadly, we both realized that with today's culture, I might truly be the last of my breed. I hope not, and I will spend my life fighting against that sadness to prevent that prediction.

So there you have it. Now, here's the sticky part: Do I choose the prof with the better research or the one that I like better as a person?


Michael Paciocco

Creepy thoughts...

In the Gym yesterday, and heard "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)" by Michael Jackson. I think we can all now look back on that song as a clear cry for help. I'm not advocating banning it or anything, but man, now I can't listen to that song without laughing at it.

Another really creepy song? "If I was invisible" by that Clay Aiken guy. Is it just me, or does it sound like a stalker's theme song? Seriously, listen to the words. And this guy is supposed to be the clean-cut all-American singer who got chosen by American Idol folks? Yeesh.

Michael Paciocco

Paying the Piper
I'm trying to raise a little extra cash to pay for public transit (and kick in some gas money to my relatives who will be helping me get about town) on my little Toronto trip next week, hence my EBAY auctions here

Thanks, it's appreciated....

News, Reviews, and other Sundry

Well, sorry about the increased delay...I'm still trying to get comments and the links list to work. If you can be of any help, please contact infinite_horizon@hotmail.com

Let's see, as for news:

-Heading down to Toronto at the beginning of September on a mostly business venture to try and get work and/or some support and information on doing a Master's degree at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies.

-Support Comic Book Galaxy: Apparently, they could use your support. Alan David Doane and company have been the first and last word on critical comic thinking, and deserve anything you can do to help them. And if you doubt the caliber of these people as serious comic thinkers, go read Alan's interview with ALAN MOORE.

Reviews: Trying to catch up on comics I've been reading....either in paper form or digital (via the free sites)

GEM OF THE WEEK:

Invaders #1 - Should be bought, preserved, and analysed as a text book example of how NOT to do a number 1 issue of a comic. This book is SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT. and if you doubt it, go read it yourself here. I checked it out because I liked C.P. Smith's artwork from Stormwatch: Team Achilles and figured that his sensiblities would be put to adequate use here. I was wrong.

For those of you whom lack the stomach to actually read through this pigeon dropping, let me give you the cliff notes as best I can:

- Do you have a lot of old World War Two comics? Did you catch the 'story' that introduced all these characters in Avengers? No? Then you and I have something in common, because I have no Fucking clue whom 90% of these characters are, although I do remember John Walker as the right wing psycho Captain America from Mark Gruewald's run. Looks like the dumbass still hasn't learned his lesson. Oh, and I know who Namor is too.

-I thought Jim Hammond was blond, or graying....but here he has brown hair. It could be the horrible colouring here...help needed.

-I really wish I knew who the man-sized robo-insects were, or why they were being fought, or how the action was being depicted, because it just isn't clear. Does Jim Hammond (The original Human Torch for those of you who never bought the Thunderbolts or doesn't have a 1984 Handbook to the Marvel Universe handy) have pyrokinesis now? Heat vision? Who cares?

-Again, who are these people and why are they a team? To defend Democracy? That falls apart when you have "King of the Seas" Namor on your team. Head hurting. At least the Union Jack character seems just as fucking confused as me. Even though he doesn't talk like any Englishman I have ever heard or seen on TV or met....

-Page 13: Funniest/Stupidest part of the issue here. Walker (Calling himself "US Agent" according to caption box, even though the duds look like a cross between the medeval Captain America costume from Busiek's first storyline and Ultimate Cap) rams his shield marked with the names "of American lives lost ...to Terrorist scum like you! Show Some Respect!" into a bug man bot. Okay, apparently in the Marvel Universe, Sept 11, 2001, the World Trade Center was attacked and brought down by ray-gun weilding insect bots. Nevermind that the trivialisation of a Real World tragedy in this comic is done in such a ridiculous manner (Seriously, someone at editorial should get FIRED for something this insensitive and stupid).

-Ok, now the fights over, and of course, instead of acting like a military and securing the area, the characters decide to start bitching at each other. Oh, and am I supposed to find it creepy or just ham-fisted the "What is this, equal rights for synthetics?" line coming from an American hero who's supposed to stand for...equality?

-The rest of this issue is talking heads that really explains...well...nothing, except that there is a lot of rampant sexism and possibly racism inherent in the characters. And the twist at the end leaves going "Who the fuck cares?"

And with that spleen venting accomplished, on to better things

Other Reviews:

Sleeper Season Two #1-2: Come on, you shouldn't need ME to recommend this to you. It's good. Really good. Very dark and disturbed, but good.

Invincible #13 - Not the best jumping on point...If I were you and new to this title, I'd go fish out the trades (or at the very least, issue #9) to start off. That being said, this is a good book, and it wraps things up fine while setting up a new status quo.

Fantastic Four #514-516 - Surprisingly, it looks like Waid's and Kesel's styles seem to clash in this one, which is odd given the similar approach the two of them have when dealing with superheroes. If you are familiar with the writers, you can probably tell whom contributed what, although I would also suspect that there was some editorial edicts that forced some of this plot. To be honest, I found this new Frightful Four arc to be a little darker than I would have liked, given that the Lee/Kirby era used these villains more for cheap laughs than anything else. However, a bad arc with this team is still a thousand times better than this book has been since the days of Walt Simonson.

Ex-Machina #2 - Hmm....I'm still not sure this is for me. While the premise is enticing, there is a not so subtle slam of superheroics being present throughout here, as it seems to me that Vaughn is implying that the character's career as a "superhero" was basically one long screw-up. The politics presented are bad, but they are entirely exciting. Great art by Harris, however.

Planetary #20 - The Real gem of the week, as not only are we dealing with the undiluted beauty of artwork provided by Cassaday, but we are actually given the impression that THE PLOT IS MOVING FORWARD. After two years and a handful of issues, this is very important. If you aren't reading this, well, you are missing out on the best comic since WATCHMEN.

That's all for now, later.


Michael Paciocco

Some Days....
 
..I should just stay in bed.
 
Well, I found out that I didn't get the job with the power company due to my lack of experience.  Now, I understand their position, but how in the name of God is anyone supposed to get experience when all the junior level positions are taken by the guys with experience?

Oh, right.  Catch-22.

Hopefully feeling better tomorrow.

Michael
 

Getting back on Track

It's been too long, I know, and for a while, I didn't think I would be coming back at all.

But here I am.

OK, well, today will be short and sweet as far as business goes.

1) My Status:  Still on the job hunt and considering some possible grad school options.  I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked due to various family concerns over the last 6 months.  Things are more stable now, thankfully.

2) Help Wanted:   I could use some help trying to figure out how to set up a buddy link list to all of the cool websites I like to visit and fellow good bloggers, any help is appreciated.

3) New comics for sale:  Here

NOTICE OF HIATUS

Sorry, but for the next little while, I'm focusing on searching for a research area for a possible Master's application and will be unable to post new blogs until then.

Take care,

Michael Paciocco

So here we are 2004....nothing new...just finished taking down the decorations...

Been doing some reading...I've got a pack of reviews I'll be putting up on Thursday, mostly comics from previous months and a few things I picked up online and from some friends of mine.

Anyway, onto a topic I've been meaning to get to;

A lot of commentators have said that the superhero comic is dead, and that we should stop spending time trying to revive it.

Well, are they right? Yes and no.

Yes, major corporate superhero comics (DC and Marvel) are dead dead dead, and have been for a long time. And simply put, that is just fine with the publishers, who are more interested in using the property in other media where they will be much more profitable and reach a broader audience. So, keeping that in mind, the corporate mentality is to keep the books consistent, stable, and pretty uninteresting. This is how Chuck Austen and Geoff Johns draw a paycheck, get over it.

However, whenever I hear that the superhero genre is dead, I have to smile ruefully. I point them to some really interesting indy superhero works such as The Forgotten or Sentinels, or even some of the more impressive genre work being done by Ed Brubaker or Micah Wright. The superhero genre is growing up, but it isn't dead. It is however, fighting for survival, and things do need to be changed drastically in order for the medium to survive.....

Here's what I think needs to be done.....

1) IMPLEMENT THE NICEZA RULE - Something I picked up from then-Marvel golden boy Fabian Niceza. If a comic doesn't hold your interest for two issues straight, DROP IT!
2) DON'T TAKE CRAP - You know that NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING Chuck Austen does interests you, drop it, let it go...
3) FUCK CONTINUITY - This is probably my biggest personal thing. When dealing with fictional realms, we shouldn't let some perceived notion of "the way things are" get in the way of telling a good story. Grant Morrison wants to tell two years worth of Superman stories, but he doesn't want to be tied down to things like the Lois/Clark marriage, then let him tell his story. Reboot continuity as often as you like to make the writers tell the best possible stories they can. This will allow for good storytelling.
4) SUPERHEROES FOR KIDS, NO REALLY - Stop trying to get both 8 year olds and 22 year olds to pick up Avengers. It's hard to appeal to all ages in any industry, but most of them know who their audience is, and they aim for it. you want kids to pick up comics? Take some lessons from Justice League Animated series, keep the stories and art simple, but not simplistic. If you want to do superheroes, do them right. Make it good, but make it cheap, disposable entertainment. If someone has to choose between $3 for a 22 page comic or $3 for a movie rental, comics will loose every time.
5) COMICS FOR ADULTS, THE POST-SUPERHERO (AKA THE NEO-PULP MOVEMENT) - Something like the Forgotten, or books like Sleeper and Stormwatch work because they are appealling to the same type of people who liked the old-sci-fi and mystery pulp magazines that predated comics. They were well written heroic sagas. It may be hard to realize, but remember that something like The Shadow was a major hit long before the advent of the modern superhero. It seems that by incorporating some of the elements of both superhero and old pulp genre, we arrive at a model that might bring back some of the larger audiences these formats once enjoyed.
6) FORMAT FORMAT FORMAT - Ok, let's face it, the current format HAS TO GO! TPBS and OGNS are a step, but we have to find a way of creating a format for comics that is ideal for large scale distribution again.....
7) DEATH TO THE DIRECT MARKET! - Kill it before it kills the industry.
8) THE SECOND GENERATION SUPERHERO? - This is more of an observation than any kind of suggestion, but I've noticed an increase in the second-generation superhero idea in recent years (JSA, Invincible, the aforementioned Sentinels, etc.). Now, while you'd have to look at the demographics here, I have a theory I'd like to suggest to you. The original superheroes were created in the 40s and 60s for the most part, ages of extreme turbulence, conflict, and rapid social and technological change, with each generation treating their times as being unique. Well, now it seems that we also live in such times, BUT, unlike previous generations, we have the advantage of looking back with a clearer perspective, and understanding that there are similarities to what has happened in the past and how to avoid some of the mistakes and failings of the past. If the superhero of 40's and 60's were a metaphor for how those generations came to terms with their times, perhaps, and just perhaps, the second-generation superhero is a metaphor for the generation of this age. Of course, I'm an engineer, not a sociologist, so I'm probably wrong on this one.

Later,

Michael

Good and Gunned for 2004

Let's get this party started with a rambling and pointless commentary before we get into my predictions and wishlist for 2004

Your ADD stalking moment: ADD doing All The Rage

The biggest news that he "broke":

Joss Whedon as the new writer of New X-Men

I haven't read X-Men comics since.....1997 or so....couldn't really be bothered for the most part in either case. I understand some of the excitement, as any comic fan could see parrallels between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Claremont-era X-Men comics, and Joss is a fairly good writer, so on the surface, this seems like a surefire hit....

....but then we make contact with the real world and it all falls apart. Ok, so some comics fans are happy about this. This is good for New X-Men. That's really about it. This is the same problem that occurs any time a "major" writer changes medium.....how the hell are the fans he gained in one medium to transfer? Hell, how are they even going to know about it in the first place. Great all of comics knows, and maybe if Marvel feels like making a big media push, they'll be able to get 2 minutes of coverage on CNN on some lazy Tuesday afternoon when there's no REAL news. Other than that, the vast majority of fans will NEVER KNOW, and for the most part, NEVER CARE. So Kevin Smith wrote some good Daredevil comics? What percentage of the people whom have seen his movies even know this, or for that matter, would be willing to go through the horror of comic shopping to get this? Is Joss going to book himself a slot on David Letterman to push this? This is the key problem: ADVERTISING TO COMICS FANS IS PREACHING TO THE GODDAMN CHOIR, what you need to do is go door to door and spread the word....and then prove that it will be worth the misery to spread the word.

The second problem here is one that I'm sure everyone who has spent any amount of time reading about corporate comics knows. No matter how big the name of the writer or artist, nothing really changes for the characters of the Big Two. While Joss definetly put superhero-comic tropes into his TV writing, we must understand that at the end of the day, he had a great deal more control about these characters than any writer has ever had on a Marvel/DC property. He made the important decision, and knew where he wanted to end up. These were/are his children, and he raised them very well. This is something he cannot do at Marvel, no matter what.

Onward and upward:

MICHAEL'S PREDICTIONS FOR 2004:

Comics Michael will be buying in the next year

-Planetary, no matter how delayed the schedule
-Fantastic Four, at least until the "Hereafter" storyline is resolved....likely to end after that
-Will beging buying Stormwatch: Team Achilles in the Trades
-Will buy whatever new version of "Sleeper" Brubaker will write
-Will continue buying Invinicible for the next year, although the novelty is beginning to wear off
-Will buy the Avengers/Thunderbolts mini-series, because it will finally end the cliffhanger set by Thunderbolts #75 and will feature Busiek's final tale of these characters. The 17-year old in me is looking forward to seeing what happens to Atlas, who remains to be one of the only Marvel characters I would want to write about (the other is Reed Richards, obviously).
-Will continue to buy Astro City, no matter what the format
-Will buy Orbiter when it comes out in paperback
-Will try to get Tom Strong, Top Ten, Promethea, Nevermen in trade formats

Michael's predictions for the comic industry

Bad News
-Geoff Johns, Jeph Loeb, and Chuck Austen will continue to write "mainstream" comics
-Marvel/DC superhero comics will continue to be considered "mainstream" comics by most retailers
-Most comic stores will continue to suck, and be the standard bearer of the "mainstream"
-Christopher Priest series will die premature deaths
-The comics fan base will continue to shrink as prices rise
-The Diamond distributing system will continue to kill off good alternative/independent/real mainstream comics in order to prop up the "mainstream"

Good news

-The Manga audience will continue to grow, especially in the chain bookstore market (Personally, I don't care for Manga as a matter of personal taste, but I respect it as the driving force of the REAL mainstream audience, and so should everyone else.)
-The comics stores that support "mainstream" (Marvel/Dc superhero) will continue to lose business and have to re-evaluate what they are doing in this business
-Creators will use their voices in other media and use it to attact people to their comic work, especially people like Micah Wright, Peter David, and Warren Ellis.
-The independent graphic novel medium will start becoming big business for bookstores, and allow an entire generation of new and brilliant comic creators to bring their creation to a larger audience than the direct market system could ever hope for.

Michael's predictions for Michael in 2004

-I will apply for a Master's degree and be accepted
-I will continue to strive for excellent and self improvement in my martial arts training, and through that, in all other fields of endeavor
-I will post more regularly in the new year than I have in the last three months
-I will continue to read the classic books, watch the classic movies, and learn better the mechanics of actually writing through practice
-I will volunteer during the upcoming Canadian election to ensure that the country does not fall into the hands of the right wing.
-I will continue to speak my mind, no matter the cost.

Best wishes, and have a happy new year.

Michael Paciocco

Ugh.....a few too many late nights....

....been reading the entire Miracleman run, in addition to the entire body of Alan Moore's Supreme.....and the collected Sherlock Holmes.....now I'm heading off to see Return of the King...


So, you want to know who Michael stalks online?

Here's the laundry list of sites I check out daily;


ADD - The man whom inspired me to start this blog - always thought provoking and entertaining, and usually with some good links to other good sites, (And his buddies Johnny Bacardi and Derek Martinez are usually pretty good too....Bacardi and Martinez.....eh, sounds like some kind of bar....)

Peter David - I check out his blog too. His New Frontier series is currently the only reason I haven't entirely turned against all of Trekdom, though the attacks by the right wing wackos who can't stand his politics goes a LONG LONG way to confirming that giving up on Star Trek was a very good thing.....

Micah Wright - Damn Funny, Damn Smart....I'm a regular lurker and massively infrequent poster on his Delphi Forum...I should get involved in more of his threads, but by the time I've found the thread, most of the other posters have delivered pretty much the same thing....and I hate the idea of being a groupie.

Michael Moore - runs a good website with a lot of media sources not commonly looked at in the U.S. (including the CBC, yay!)

That is all for now, more later,

Michael

QUIZ DAY

Not feeling too serious today, just the usual (Go to ADD's blog to see his year in review, good stuff).

So, I decided to take a few online quizes

First, I decided to look at which Batman villain I would be. Apparently I'm...


You are: R'AS AL GHUL!


Which Batman Villain Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


Then, a quick look at which Marvel Superhero I would be. No surprise there....


Next up...I was curious as to which Farscape character I was most like. The result was


What Farscape Character are you?

Damn, that's good.

That's all, more tomorrow

Michael

THE SON OF THE ROB LIEFELD TRANSLATION ALGORITHM

Special thanks to Alan David Doane, Silver Bullet Comics, and Markisan Naso

All The Rage, a comic rumour/commentary/news column featured some interesting commentary from "Youngblood creator" Rob Liefeld. Upon conferencing with my good friend Alan David Doane, I decided to run some of the highlights of his comments (Go to All the Rage and then follow the links for the full story. Unfortunately, the Algorithm kept crashing when I tried to run all of the commentary through, and it's more fun for you to try and translate his other comments on your own) through his Rob Liefeld Translation Algorithm (go get that and more fun stuff before we lose the Comic Book Galaxy archives altogether).

Anyway, here are the results:

ROB ON ALAN MOORE AND SUPREME

Regardless of that unfortunate run of events, no one single person benefited from Awesome as much as Alan Moore did. Supreme single handedly revived commercial and critical interest in his career that had hit a snag with his Image work, including but not limited to Wildcats, Spawn, Violator and Violator vs. Badrock.

(TRANSLATION: Alan Moore’s career hit a snag because he hadn’t worked with all of my fantastic, one-of-a kind all original characters! He needed a blast of Liefeld energy to get back on his A-game!)

Supreme got people talking and pros and fans buzzing. It literally set the stage for his ABC line, in fact much of the ABC line is made up of poorly masked Awesome characters and story outlines he prepared for us.

(TRANSLATION: I never understood why his Supreme worked and the one I created originally. I mean, would Alan Moore write about a being of godlike power that killed bad guys like Arnold Schwartzenger and committed acts of mass murder without a second thought? Would he have had the balls to throw the implied mental rape of one of the “lead” characters and to construct a storyline with more contradictions and unbelievable plot twists than 20 years worth of Claremont’s X-MEN run combined? And then would he have tried to actually spend an issue making up a set of weak justifications for the contradictions? I DON’T THINK SO!)

If I was as sue-happy and litigation driven as some suggest I be, I believe I could draw direct connections to many of the ABC characters and their origins coming from pages of Awesome work we commissioned from him.

(TRANSLATION: That is, if I could find the pages of Awesome work I commissioned from him but never paid him for, or if I thought I had a chance in hell of surviving a counter suit from the biggest media giant on Earth, or if I thought that attacking one of the best writers in comics wouldn’t turn the entire industry against me…then I’d make him our bitch!)

In short order, Tom Strong is Supreme mixed with his Prophet proposal. Promethea is Glory and the rest I honestly don't pay much attention to. Don't have the time or interest. Simply put, there is no ABC without Supreme and the Awesome re-launch.

(TRANSLATION: I just assumed that the rest of his ABC stuff was pirated from me without reading it. Like that chick with the spider thing and purple tights? I had a character made up for that, except she had bigger bazoombas and we were going to call her BAZOOMBA GIRL. I can’t believe Alan Moore would steal from me, after all I did for him! Oh, the humanity! And I mean, it’s not like I kept some of his stories for years before publishing them, or anything. And so what if Supreme is maybe kinda sorta like Superman and Glory is like Wonder Woman. I’m not hurting DC, but Alan stole FROM ME! THE ROBSTER! I DEMAND JUSTICE!)

As to his derisive comments about my Judgment Day work, all I can offer is that I followed the script implicitly and there was never an incident where his script had to be re-arranged to accommodate artwork that veered away from his script. He wrote full script and every page was followed to the letter.

(TRANSLATION: I mean, I can’t help it if it doesn’t explicitly state that I’m not supposed to draw Supreme with 86 teeth and no hips! I’m only human after all!)

ROB ON HIS EX-PARTNERS IN GENERAL:

Let's see, pretty much everyone with the exception of Silvestri who I was never friends with at any time, merely a partner in a comic business, each of the gentlemen you've mentioned are notoriously at odds with far more folks than me.

(TRANSLATION: Most folks don’t know who I am. The ones who do remember me as “that guy from the Levi commercial.”)

Moore at one time raged against the entire DC machine until he decided it was in his best interest to look the other way while they funded his ABC endeavor. Gimme a break.

(TRANSLATION: DC, I’ve never promised not to do business with you, and I’ve got a submission for a Hawk and Dove revival that Geoff Johns would love….)

Now it's just down to me and Marvel comics. Oh and he has a beef with Toddy Mac.

(TRANSLATION: I love calling people by pet names I made up for them but that they would never ever respond to.)

Todd and I are friendly, the past is in the past. We butted heads once and moved on.

(TRANSLATION: He moved on to a new house and didn’t leave me a forwarding address or phone number.)

Larsen. C'mon he's a classic player-hater. After Byrne maybe the biggest one on record. We're all just moving targets in his Uni.

(TRANSLATION: “Player-hater” is such a kick-ass phrase. Makes me sound like I from the streets. RE-PRU-SENT!)

Or maybe I'm just a big ole prick.

Yeah, upon closer inspection, it's just me.

(TRANSLATION: HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY)

Woke up and turned on the T.V. this morning...the first thing I said....

"Man, Dennis Miller really let himself go...."

Of course, then I put my glasses on.....

For those of you who have recently returned from Mars, Saddam Hussein has been caught. The implications of which....


.....are pretty close to insignificant.

OK, yes, he's a bad bad bad bad bad dude, and he's going to get what he deserves. But that's really it?

Will it lead to the WMDs? Not likely, as there either aren't any or he won't tell.

Will it change the violence and death in Iraq? Possibly, but then again most of the shooters are basically either poor and crazy terrorists (the ones who don't have the resources to actually uhhmmm....go to America and blow up innocents).

Will it give credibility to the U.S. administration? In terms of propaganda and public relations, maybe, but then again, that could be short lived, and it will take time to see how it can be spun and counter spun....

Does this help the people of Iraq? In a symbollic way yes, but there's still a long way to go...

Will this change the world view of the war in Iraq? Not really, there's still too much death, and the U.S. two-faced policy of "Help us pay/Do as we say" is still stepping on all the wrong toes.

Maybe I'm wrong, but while this a very good thing, it does nothing to change the tragedy and horror that is going on there right now, and that's what We as the human race have to face up to.

Michael

Mike's 2003 Year in Review


The Stuff that Matters

Low points of the year

-Slowly loosing contact with my university friends and classmates as our career paths scatter us to the four winds

-Not being able to attend a friend's wedding

-Getting laid off at work after five months

-My inability to find employment in my hometown.

The High points of the year

-Getting the BRUCE prototype to work, despite a great deal of doubt on the part of many of my peers.

-Aerodynamics class: At long last a taste of what I hope to be my future......and it was good.

-Finishing my last exam: The moment I left the building, I let out a primal scream of triumph that reverberated across the campus. It was a delirously happy time for me.

-Graduation Day: knowing that the last five years of effort had paid off, and that I could share in the moment with my friends and family. And of course, the after-grad parties were pretty nice too....

-Returning to my hometown, and spending time with my family, whom I had missed over the long months between my visits.

-Begining a serious training schedule designed to let me loose the flab, and actually starting to see signs of success. And being able to throw 9-12 hours a week just on martial arts? Fantastic.

ON THE WHOLE: IT WAS A DAMN GOOD YEAR. BRING IT ON 2004!

Sorry for the delay, I had to make the computer belch smoke at me before I could get online again (no, really).


Mike's 2003 Year in Review

Comics

The Best comics of the Year

SLEEPER - Is the comic you NEED TO BUY. Maddly innovative and thrilling, I found myself trapped in the sheer claustrophobic nightmare that is this book. The team that produces this book is beyond reproach and can do no wrong.

EMPIRE - Anyone who thinks that Mark Waid is the ultimate optimistic 60s style comic writer needs to be shown this book. The stuff he's been repressing for years is fucking frightening. Barry Kitson does the best work of his career here.

SUPERMAN: RED SON- Mark Millar goes beyond the shock-jock brand of writing he does at Marvel to produce the best Superman story since Alan Moore's "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?". Thought provoking and witty, it does take a few jabs at the character, but ultimately serves up a tribute worthy of respect.

Happy Returns

PLANETARY - After a too damn long absence, Ellis et al. finally resume one of the most interesting comic series published is back, and while you did have to go back to read what happened before, it was worth it.

ASTRO CITY - After dropping the bowel movement that passed for a comic (Power Company), Kurt Busied returns with some very very very good superhero stories in the latest installment of Astro City.

What the Hell?

THE FOLLOWING NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM COMICS NOW - Jeph Loeb, Chuck Austen, Geoff Johns, Joe Kelly, John Byrne, Chuck Dixon, Ben Raab

THE FOLLOWING NEED BETTER RECOGNITION - Gail Simone, Christopher Priest, Walt Simonson, Micah Wright, Adi Tantimedth.

THE FOLLOWING COMICS SHOULD NOT BE READ BY ANYONE OF ANY AGE: JSA, Anything Written by Chuck Austen, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Any of the core Superman Books.

Later, Michael

Mike's 2003 Year in Review

TV and Movies

TV's Best Moment of 2003
-Christopher Reeve on Smallvile. 'Nuff said

TV's worst moves of 2003
-the cancellation of Farscape and Futurama and the success of "Dr. Phil". This is why I pretty much stay away from network T.V. these days.

Most Shameless T.V. Stunt
-In a desparate and futile attempt to prove that the "Star Trek" franchise has some small spark of creative and commercial life, "Enterprise" pulls a rather bizzare Sept 11 tribute to attempt to add something remotely resembling drama into the series....and it still sucks. Face it folks, this franchise is so inbred that the Brittish Royal Family look normal.

Best Movie of 2003
Hmmm.....It'll probably be Return of the King, but if not, then I'm going to say Bulletproof Monk. A really good and fun film for my money.

Worst Movie of 2003
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Comic writer James Robinson decides to utterly destroy an Alan Moore work by "hollywoodizing" it and indulging in his Oscar Wilde mania for no good reason.

Thing that surprised me the most at the movies
- Damn, but the fight scenes in X2 were good. A lot better and more brutal than the ones in the first X-Men flick

Thing that disturbed me the most at the movies
-Ben Affleck as an engineer in "Paycheck": What kind of dumbass casting decision is that? OK, maybe I'm taking this personally, but the idea of Ben "Dumber than Dirt" Affleck as an Engineer deeply deeply annoys me. I do not need him destroying the good name of my profession. What next, Pam Anderson as a neurosurgeon?

Mike's 2003 Year in Review

Part 1: Politics

This year was certainly a mixed bag. Let's look below

Strangest Election

Without a doubt California. Proof that you can campaign with no real platform of your own, and win based on the power of your name.

Best News

The Liberal victories in Ontario and Quebec, after nearly a decade of mismanagment by radical idealogues on each end.

Worst news

The Conservative/Canadian alliance merger. If it works, it will likely bring them into power in the next federal election, and the ushering in of a political power that is far more likely to create U.S.-style foreign and domestic policies which would damage the country.

A PM we respected

Jean Chretien left politics this year after 40 years of service, and I wish him well on his retirement. I'm firmly of the belief that though Pierre Trudeau represented the ideals of what we as Canadians WANT to be, Chretien was more like what we ARE. He was arrogant, occassionally rude, and possibly more than a little bit of a selfish bastard. Despite this, I did like the guy. He spoke his mind without hesitation (and on occasion, without comprehension) and I think he did his level best to put Canada on the Global Stage, which in and of itself may be a greater accomplishment in the long run than most would give him credit for. He stood by his decisions, and he was a real fighter (no really, how many PMs would ever start a fight with protestors?). For all of his massive faults, Chretien was a Canadian, and I suspect that part of the reason we didn't like him was that we realized we were all a bit too eager to be like him.

More later,

Michael

P.S. Check out EBAY

New Ebay stuff. Come get it for the holidays.

I finally got arount to watching the eXtreme Martial Arts showcase that was aired on the Discovery Channel on Sunday. Overall I had to say it was a fairly entertaining two hours even for the non-martial artist/non-engineer type. For those of us who are both however, it was something else entirely.

First, a bit of background. Last year, a fellow student and I designed a martial arts force-plate training device known as BRUCE (Basic Real-time Universal Combat Environment) for our fourth year engineering project. Lord knows it took forever for my partner and I to get the thing to even begin to function, and it was never the most reliable system (The computer we used was woefully inadequate, and admittedly, I over engineered the structure of the prototype to the point of massive insensitivity), it none the less ends up having many of the same qualities as the sensor systems the scientists in the show ended up using.

The first similarity (and by far the most striking) was the use of a 1000Hz sampling rate. This surprised me because I felt that a higher sampling rate (two to three times) would have made for better analysis of reaction time and pressure monitoring. However, they probably made the same compromise we had to; they sacrificed sampling speed in order to reduce the raw processing the computer would have to achieve.

They used a pressure-based sensing system to determine pounds per square inch and then determing the force. This was part of our initial brainstorming on the project as well, but we never could figure out how we could find a sensor that could measure the forces we predicted would occur without breaking, or the proper vessel we would need to contain the sensor. While it seems they solved the problem with the vessel (and I for one would love to know how they did it), it looks like they didn't completely solve the durability problem, as they showed at least on of the sensors breaking.

We opted for a direct force measurement (as opposed to integrating the force from the pressure) and to use multiple sensors to triangulate the position of the point force. They used this same feature, but applied it to measure changes in the martial artist's BALANCE as he stood on force plates. An application that seems so blindingly obvious in hindsight that I'm kicking myself over not having thought of it myself.

They used motion capture technology to triangulate the various body mechanics and to determine speed and reaction time. An option that was way too expensive for a pair of engineering students, but one that would work very well. We had to do a much more indirect measurement of reaction time, but supplemented what we already knew of human ergonomics to try and make up for that shortcoming.

Kind of nice to know we could have achieved what they did if we had a team of specialists and several hundred thousand dollars more.

In terms of the show itself, it was a nice insight into the SCIENCES (Plural) that the martial arts take advantage of. Whether it is the old fashioned "drawing strength from the earth" or the pschological effect of horse-hair on a spear, there was a truly canny analysis of the tools of the martial artists.

Damn good watching,

Michael

Oh, last chance to pick up the first 4 issues of the Authority and a Powers TPB from ebay

Congratulations to Janna Hickson (formerly of XXXEDYS, my undergrad engineering class) on her engagement! Best wishes. Although, coming from someone with a terminal case of bachelorhood, this may or may not be the best of blessings.

Upon some consideration, I've decided that I won't discuss ACT 3 of Planetary until I receive issue 18, which I should be able to get sometime in the new year.


Later,

Michael

Another ordinary week in the life of the unemployed....

Oh, well, at least I'm starting to catch up on my blogging.


THE PLANETARY BLOG

PLANETARY ACT 2

includes Planetary issues #7-12 and Planetary/Batman crossover

I include the Planetary/Batman one-shot in here because it ties in thematically to this act, and in terms of continuity it would seem to occur somewhere within this span of the regular series.

Without a doubt, these are the strongest issues of the series to date if for no other reason then the strength of the plot work. There are two main themes in this act: Who is the Fourth Man/Who are the Four? As we find out, we must solve the latter to truly arrive at the former.

Already, we see some significant changes from the first act. As opposed to the "done in one" approach used in the first act, we see the plot tighten as we learn more about the Four, and their subtle (and not so-subtle) actions. Our knowledge stems for a series of first hand accounts of their atrocities, and some imaginative flashbacks (particularly issues 8-10, and the inference of City Zero in the Batman crossover book). Of course, what we see is the Four essentially strip-mining the inherent wonders of 50's sci-fi (issue 8), modern science fiction and philosophy (issue 9) and superheroic fiction (in the incredibly sad and moving issue 10). Even those with a passing knowledge of the concepts in this issues is made to see clearly the impact of such losses.

Secondly, in this act, we start to get some insight into Jakita Wagner, though it is still relatively sparse. Issues 7, 9 and 12 lead us a long way into getting a glimpse of the mindset of this character. Though she is still easily viewed as the "action junkie", we can also see in her interactions with some of the other minor characters that such a lifestyle has isolated her. An interesting and subtle point from Ellis: Is it power, or just the willingness to use it that truly creates isolation?

However, again the focus is on Elijah. To a man like him, having to view the grisly evidence of what the Four have accomplished is a torment that truly ignites him, and in that, we see a transformation slowly take place as he comes to terms with what has passed, climaxing in the absolutely mind-expanding issue 12. I really can't understate how cohesively it ties together at this point. Ellis creates a tapestry that spans 20th century popculture, and even touches on elements of earlier work.

Again, John Cassaday shows us why he is one of the modern masters. In this set of issues, his style is clearly put to it's best uses as he gets to create brief but dazzling views of the bizzare universe he and Warren created. Whether it is the grimmy streets of London or a magic alien landscape, Cassaday makes it convincing.

While issue 12 is the big reveal and the climax of this act, issue 10 is the centrepiece. It is in seeing the depths of the Four's depravity that ultimately leads us on Elijah's journey of self-re-discovery that results in the revelations of issue 12.

Later,

Michael Paciocco

Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch......two and a half hours of kicking, punching and unbelievably painful joint locks later......and I can barely feel my wrists....or anything below my knees......

For the record, I plan on putting together my best/worst of 2003, after I've finished the Planetary blog series and I've had a little more time to think about it. Of course, I can't claim to be as good as ADD or Derek Martinez, as I don't have nearly their experience (or their budget for comics). I actually have some further comments on one of Derek's final comments, but I want time to write out a fully reasoned response....it'll be part of my pet theory as to the future of comics, and in specific, the (limited) role of superhero comics therein. That will wait for another time....

Oh, and please check out my EBAY auctions. You are getting a great deal.

So, without further rambling...


The PLANETARY BLOG

PLANETARY ACT 1

includes Planetary issues #1-6, Planetary Preview and Planetary/Authority, ruling the world.

In terms of pure analysis, this is very little to consider here. Ellis, Cassaday et. al. structure the first act....like a first act. We get to know the basic personalities, and get a glimpse of what it is about, and at the end of which we are introduced to the central conflict of the piece.

This act is probably what gives the series it's "X-files" vibe. The formula of the first few issues is pretty much given away by a throway line in the second issue.

"So this is the job? Get jabbered by some half-tame lunatic, get stuffed in a chopper, go somewhere with mountains and do goddamn nothing?"

The single issues mysteries compounded by hints of larger conspiracies (i.e. the true agenda of the Planetary organization) would be enough enticement to buy the series, but it doesn't end there. Surprisingly, Ellis and Cassaday manage to evoke the wonder of some of the fogotten works of popculture and superhero fiction (The Spectre, Godzilla movies, Doc Savage, Shazam) through a synthesis of staying true to the high concept (Ellis) and beautiful artwork (Cassaday). The irony of the greatest detractor of superhero comics producing such amazing superhero tales is not lost on an attentive reader.

Even the characters themselves defy Ellis' traditional one-or two dimensional characters. Outside of possibly Spider Jerusalem, Warren Ellis has never been able to make me believe that his characters have lives "off-camera" so to speak. Yet he succeeded beyond all expectations to make me 'believe' in Elijah Snow. In this first act, we see Elijah as touching, ruthless, sardonic, bitter, self-pittying, and even whimsical, many of these emotions occuring at the same time. It is to John Cassaday's and Laura Depuy (whom will henceforth be referred to by her married name of Laura Martin) that they convey this in every thing from the character's line work (notice that the angrier Elijah gets, the heavier his outline and the linework that makes his suit. This is especially noticeable in issue #6) to his skin and eye complexion (That admittedly, is more my own personal observation, and is subject to some dispute, but it becomes more noticable as the series progresses, especially in the third act).

Jakita and The Drummer do not share in this level of development earlier on, though some of the more minor characters (Doc Brass and the Ghost Cop, specifically) are given a stronger development then their presence in the larger story might necessarily dictate.

My pet peeve is showing here, but Cassaday simply does not get the R-E-S-P-E-C-T he deserves. In my opinion, I think he is overshadowed by former Ellis co-worker Bryan Hitch. Not to say that Hitch isn't a good artist, but I think relative to Cassaday he is vastly overated. Cassady shows none of the influences or shortcuts that are noticable in Hitch's work (i.e. the Alan Davis influence or his frequent flirtation with photo-referencing), while at the same time managing to capture the moods and conventions of the genres explored in each issue of Planetary (especially the mind-blowing, insanely good-looking John-Woo style issue #3).

At any rate, the first act of Planetary rightfully ends with Elijah's "discovery" of the Four, thus beginning the second act and bringing everything we've learned in the first act together in a cohesive matter. Ellis is to be commended for ending his acts at their strongest.


And in that manner, so shall I.

Michael Paciocco

Let's take it from the top

The delay since my last post was caused by a need to escape my profound frustration with my jobhunt. So, I made a retreat from the internet almost entirely, cutting myself off from the comics newsites and political/news stuff in order to spend my time with the people I cared about in order to recharge myself sufficiently. I feel that a great deal of progress in terms of my emotional health has been made, and let it be known that I am back.

Of course, given the main topic of today's blog, a major delay is somewhat fitting.

Oh, new ebay Auctions here. Good comix for those whom want them.

As to today's topic:

THE PLANETARY BLOG, Part 1

October, 2000

Throughly bored with superhero comics at the time, yet wanting some good pulp reading material to take the edge off some truly terrible midterms, I wandered into my local comic shop in Waterloo, and absentmindedly flip through the bins.

Planetary #3. Cool cover, I think to myself. John Woo action looking. Worth a look.

Two weeks later, after finishing my midterms, I begin a manic quest to obtain the entire series, catching a handful of back issues (including issues 4,5,6, and 11), and getting the rest of my knowledge of the series from helpful websites such as this and this.

I am entranced by the sheer beauty of the series and the awe, wonder, and respect that is displayed in these pages. I knew very little of Warren Ellis before this, and what I knew, I wasn't sure I liked. I knew of his public dislike of the monopoly of superhero comics, and his rather blunt storytelling style. I even went to the Warren Ellis Delphi Forum, and found most of the people there to be, if not elitist, than at least very confident that they had gained some measure of self-worth via their choice of associations.

But there was something different here....and I admit, I didn't realize what it was until December, when I picked up the eye-opening issue #12. At this point, it all came together in a way that still moves me.

You see, Planetary is the first, and perhaps the only piece of work Warren has done that contains a multiplicity of themes and meanings. That is not to detract from the rest of his work, but while Transmetropolitan and The Authority are good books, the key themes are immediately and hamfistedly delivered. This is the first time he allows the readers to find their own meanings, which probably was a scary thing for him to do because it allowed for the possiblity that the readers and fans might have a different meaning than the one that he wants to communicate, and that their meanings would have the same intrinsic value as his own. That loss of control on his part was a very brave and risky think for him to do. Very few artists in any media are willing to concede that power, and in comics, Warren is part of a very, very, very exclusive club in that regard (In my mind, it is him and Alan Moore and that's it). However, in my mind, that gamble paid off to make this one of the best comic series, something that will hold up against Alan Moore's major works, and will definitely outlast the scores of dungheap sooperhero shit on the market.

So, what is Planetary? A look at the power and majesty of 20th century pop-fiction? A mystery? A super-powered 'X-files'? An allegory for Marvel comic's strip-mining the essential wonder and timelessness of the superheroic icon in order to provide the most common form of entertainment? A story of a group of brave men and women trying to bring wonders back into the world by tearing down the bloated and diseased giants who hold onto the secrets in order to maintain power?

That, is something you will decide as this serial blog progresses.

Good day to you all,

Michael
infinite_horizon@hotmail.com

That, my friends is

Well, today's been lousy. It's pretty bad when the Mayor tells you to leave town to find a job.

Sorry I'm not feeling much in the mood for fresh stuff, but I found this email I sent to a friend whom was uncertain of what to expect of University dorm life. So, for those of you whom haven't experienced it, here's a fair warning;

DORM PEOPLE TYPES

1) Fearless leader- He's the guy who plans everything important;
parties, pranks, getting togethers. He's a social butterfly and
everyone hangs around him. The drawback is that this guy is the
first to get blamed when the pranks go wrong or the Don gets wise to
whatever's happening.

Recommended strategy: Befriend, but keep enough distance to avoid
going down with him if the shit hits the fan.

2) MacGuyver - need an extra extension cord? Duct Tape? Someone to
modify the antenna on your 9" TV so it can suddenly pick up the
Rogers cable feed in the main hall? Go to this guy, as he is
seemingly prepared for nuclear winter and has an arsenal of tricks,
gadgets, and supplies at his beck and call. (Note: This was me, and
yes, I did rig an antenna and it did somehow catch the cable
signal).

3) Zealot -Religous nutcase who follows the ethics to the annoyance
of all others. You will not win an arguement with this guy based on
his faith, so don't try. However, these people are generally
harmless, but if they try and push you around, cut them off at the
kneecaps.

4) Star Trek guy- Every floor (especially in engineering) has one
of these.
Recommended Strategy: Again, generally harmless, but you should
probably avoid, just to save your sex life. Then again, they can be
very good people, so keep in contact.

5) Guy with the live-in girlfriend - Against all rules, this guy has
his girl shackin' up in the same room (my neighbour in my second term, not a
pleasant experience in the evenings). Generally cool, but you do
have to hate him for flaunting it so shamelessly.

6) Floor Babe - This girl lives on the next floor and for reasons
that defy logic, she hangs out a lot with the guys on your floor,
expecially Fearless leader and any important lackeys.
Recommended Strategy: Get to be her friend as she'll introduce you
to every important and worthwile girl in the building. And if she's
single, you'll face the competition of every guy in the building for
her.

7) Computer Guy - He's got a hookup that allows him to hack into
NORAD while playing a 30 person game of Unreal tournament, and he'll
still have the time to drive you absolutely nuts about his computer
knowledge.
Recommended Strategy: Ask for computer advice. That's it

8) Campus Guy: Only goes to res to sleep and shower. Studies madly
and has no other life.
Recommended Strategy: Be his friend so he can help you during midterms
and finals, and get him out of the place so he doesn't snap like a
twig.

9) Horndog: This requires no explanation
Recommendation: What do you think?

Later people,

Michael

What's new

Thanks for those whom participated in my ebay auctions. I hope to have more for you next time.

Martial Arts practices are cancelled for the week on account of a lack of a floor. This is generally a good reason not to practice, as falling a solid story on to concrete is likely to hurt the little kids. On the plus side, I found out that I did pass my test, meaning that I'm nearly ready to take my orange belt test in January.

Tonite, I'm reading my entire PLANETARY run (excluding the god-forsaken JLA 'crossover') in preparation for my big PLANETARY REVIEW BLOG, which should be out by week's end.

Michael's Pet Theories: Byrne Syndrome

A lot of comic fans have noted and mocked John Byrne's artistic stagnacy (and degeneration, depending on the commentator). I've taken the time to look at other high-profile comic creators, and I've noted several of them suffer from variants of what I refer to as Byrne Syndrome.

These poor infected individuals include

J. M. Straczynski - that he's so pissed at the clusterfuck that happened to "Crusade" (and now "Rising Stars") that he refused to do anything progressive in Hollywood, and is slumming at Marvel.
Jim Valentino - whom at one point had Kurt Busiek on his pride and joy, ShadowHawk, and managed to screw it up.
Erik Larsen - OK, I appreciate that he's working on the only project that he cares about, but it also seems to me that he's pissed over his faux-Kirby Fanatastic Four mini-series
Howard Chaykin - who was at one point pleased by the success of the Mutant X T.V. series saying that it was a number one T.V. show, and his whole "comics are a dead medium bit". An interesting quote, considering what a truly terrible T.V. series we are talking about, the only saving grace of which was the fact that Victoria Pratt is one of the sexiest women I have ever seen.
Mark Waid - whom I guessing is very very very pissed at his frustration at not being able to save the modern incarnation of Superman, despite his many many failed attempts.
Alex Ross - OK, we get it. You like drawing superheroes. You also like taking too damn much credit. You get heavy doseages of nerd-ons. Despite the fact that you could be one of the best spokespersons for comics, you carry on in ways that would make Comic Book Store Guy from the Simpsons blush. Yeesh.
Todd McFarlane - Who carries his "too cool for comics" attitude to such ridiculous (and insulting) extremes that I'm surprised that anyone is willing to deal with him or his 'properties' (given how much he owes to the likes of Moore and Miller for Spawn's popularity, I hesitate to give him proper ownership rights. Rob Liefeld looks positively angelic next to this twit.)
Chris Claremont - Here, I'm a bit torn, because, hey, I liked X-MEN when I was in my teen years, and there's no doubt he set the standard and wrote some seriously progressive stuff....but he didn't progress very much AFTER he left the title, and when he did (i.e. Sovereign Seven), it didn't to very well in the collapsing comics market. I think he then made the decision to stick to his guns, and that choice has limited him. Here's hoping that he will try to move on and evolve his style. It seems from some accounts of his most recent work in the last year or so that he has begun...so of this list, I'm going to consider him as being 'in remission' for the time being.
Chuck Dixon - "I put three fight scenes into each and every comic I write." Great....but so what? Since when is that the sign of a good writer? More like a formulaic one.

PURE ENTERTAINMENT

Sorry, no political stuff today, I've spent the weekend cut-off from that stuff to recharge my batteries.

Had a good time in Waterloo, enjoyed visiting my old friends.....

Oh, and I picked up a month's worth of comics this week...so on to...

NEW COMIC REVIEWS

Amazing Spider-man #500 - Ok, I still find JMS' Marvel work to be pretty bland. The art by both Romitas, however, is pretty spectacular, and having Romita Sr. draw, no matter how small the amount, is still a good thing. On a side note, what's with all the "Dr. Strange" love going on at Marvel these days? He's the 'central' character of the rather banal 1602 project and he seems to have a major supporting role here. OK, I get it, he's supposed to be cool, he's not supposed to be the third lamest superhero (at least, according to MAXIM magazine), but making him a pivotal character in a story does not in and of itself make a character 'cool'. You actually have to well, SHOW THAT HE'S COOL. Otherwise, you're just being a bunch of injured fanboys. Sorry, back on topic now. An interesting way of doing an anniversary issue, but not one that grips the reader. To be honest, the heavy dosage of magic here takes away from the more ordinary aspects of the character that an audience can relate to. The ending strikes me as a ham-fisted way of spelling out something every Spider-man READER should know and realize, but something that Peter himself SHOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO ACCEPT. An OK read, but not a great one.

Fantastic Four # 504 and 505 - Uhm, Ok. This is different. Logical, certainly. A departure from what has been done before? Absolutely. Riveting? Your mileage here may vary. Porter's definitely has it's ups (His depiction of the Thing is one of the best I've seen since John Byrne) and it's downs (Reed's scarring seems wildly inconsistent). These issues read as being a bit padded, however, and I would have appreciated a little more content being delivered for the price I'm paying here. My (rather obvious) advice for anyone thinking about getting this is to get the UNTHINKABLE trade before this, and then see if this is what you would like. Overall, while Waid is not firing on all cylinders in this title, it is still probably the best this title has seen IN DECADES. And Waid not firing on all cylinders is still better than 95% of Marvel's monthly output.


Sleeper #9 and #10 - You are missing out one of the best monthly titles written today. Very few titles can me make say "Holy Fuck" out loud. Almost none can do it to me issue after issue. Issue #9 is mostly a clean up of the loose ends from the previous two-parter, but it does give a type of espionage story we are not used to seeing. Issue #10 begins the final scene of this first act, where we begin to see things go horribly wrong. The wonderful thing about this issue is the sheer heroism of Holden (whom I'm beginning to suspect was named in part after a certain famous literary character) on display. The type of bravery he displays is not the "must fight 1000 villains to save the city" but the "I must damn myself in order to live just long enough to get out of this royally fucked up mess". Other things, like Genocide's trully tragic origin, are just icing on the cake. GET THIS BOOK.


FLOPPY OF THE MONTH

Empire #3

Anyone who has read super-hero comics has seen this one before; The hero, having been captured by the villain of the piece, bravely resists his captors and bides his time planing for his escape while he listens to the villain's latest plan.

Well, forget it folks. That's not what happens here.

Instead, we see Endymion (a Superman type) slowly deteriorating in captivity, in body and soul. Contrasting the daydream sequences that bookend this issue only serves to illustrate the remorse and delusions that control him, and the sense of futility and powerlessness he feels trapped under the boot of a megalomanic. Not for the first time in this series, we see that Golgoth's reign is not only a physical dictatorship, but a tyranny of the spirit, and Endymion serves not as a beakon of hope (I don't think there are any in this series), but as the embodiment of the reader's inability to change the outcome. Golgoth does come to the correct conclusion, but perhaps for the wrong reasons, and the consequences remain to be seen.

Barry Kitson does his best work in this series to date. His use of lighter pencils in the day dreams excellently convey both Endymion's deteriorated mental state and the whimsy unfocused nature of the fantasy.

This is Waid's best work. PERIOD. GET IT NOW OR YOU WILL REGRET IT.