The new picture of Doctor Doom has been circulating the web for awhile. It looks good; Doom's got his traditional green robes and metal mask. Meanwhile, I heard that we might see a teaser trailer as soon as January, just in time for the Elektra movie.
Speaking of...
The Elektra movie official site's now up with new wallpapers, an image gallery, and a couple of behind the scenes movies. No word yet on the soundtrack, though I hope that there'll be a score CD.
In other news...
Hopefully by the end of the week, I'll have some more new chapters typed up for my novel. But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Book Review: Loitering With Intent
The first part of Peter O'Toole's autobiography is a vivid recollection of growing up during World War 2.
It is Peter O'Toole's unique and poetic narration that draws the reader into young Peter's facination of Merlin and Sir Yvain. The actor recalls his childhood with his parents in wartime England, and often speculates on the life of Adolf Hitler with great sarcasm.
O'Toole's memoirs are not written in a straightfoward way. He seems to dance from memory to memory, skipping around his early life. About midway in the book, he reaches the point where he auditions for the RADA before going back into his childhood and the War.
For fans of Peter O'Toole, this book is indispensible, as you get a glimpse into the mind and life of this great actor. People who are curious about life during World War 2 will also want to read this book. Unfortunately, O'Toole doesn't speak much about acting or about working on any of his films, so this book won't help those curious about the art of acting. A-
It is Peter O'Toole's unique and poetic narration that draws the reader into young Peter's facination of Merlin and Sir Yvain. The actor recalls his childhood with his parents in wartime England, and often speculates on the life of Adolf Hitler with great sarcasm.
O'Toole's memoirs are not written in a straightfoward way. He seems to dance from memory to memory, skipping around his early life. About midway in the book, he reaches the point where he auditions for the RADA before going back into his childhood and the War.
For fans of Peter O'Toole, this book is indispensible, as you get a glimpse into the mind and life of this great actor. People who are curious about life during World War 2 will also want to read this book. Unfortunately, O'Toole doesn't speak much about acting or about working on any of his films, so this book won't help those curious about the art of acting. A-
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Comic Review: Green Lantern: Rebirth #2 (of 6)
Geoff Johns, my favorite Flash writer and apparently a big Hal Jordan fan, is bringing Hal back to basics in this entralling mini-series.
Reading issue 1, I found myself with an unique story, one you can tell was written by a fan not only of Hal Jordan but of the Green Lantern mythos. Throughout the issue, Johns expressed his views and tries to resolve the problems created by the changes made in the last ten years, including Batman's distrust of Hal.
This issue is no different, with Guy Gardner being turned back into a Green Lantern, and the apparent resurrection of Kilowog, though no mention of the Kilowog from Joe Casey's "The Last Will and Testament of Hal Jordan."
But continunities are bound to be stepped on as Johns returns the Green Lantern title to its former glory, but I'll be honest, by daying that my favorite part of this issue was the moments with Hal and Carol Ferris. It was nice to see them both together again even if for the last time.
My only real complaint with the series so far is that Johns continuously makes digs on the Spectre. "This nonsense with the Spectre" And yeah, I moaned and complained when I heard they were making Hal into the Spectre, too, but the innovative and short-lived series won respect from me in the end.
While this issue, like issue 1, seems to have asked a lot of questions without making any time for the answers, issue 3 will hopefully shed some light on what's been going on, and what the future of Green Lantern will be.
Reading issue 1, I found myself with an unique story, one you can tell was written by a fan not only of Hal Jordan but of the Green Lantern mythos. Throughout the issue, Johns expressed his views and tries to resolve the problems created by the changes made in the last ten years, including Batman's distrust of Hal.
This issue is no different, with Guy Gardner being turned back into a Green Lantern, and the apparent resurrection of Kilowog, though no mention of the Kilowog from Joe Casey's "The Last Will and Testament of Hal Jordan."
But continunities are bound to be stepped on as Johns returns the Green Lantern title to its former glory, but I'll be honest, by daying that my favorite part of this issue was the moments with Hal and Carol Ferris. It was nice to see them both together again even if for the last time.
My only real complaint with the series so far is that Johns continuously makes digs on the Spectre. "This nonsense with the Spectre" And yeah, I moaned and complained when I heard they were making Hal into the Spectre, too, but the innovative and short-lived series won respect from me in the end.
While this issue, like issue 1, seems to have asked a lot of questions without making any time for the answers, issue 3 will hopefully shed some light on what's been going on, and what the future of Green Lantern will be.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Happy Birthday Doctor Who!
I believe it was 41 years ago from today that this great program was first aired on TV in the U.K.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
DVD Review: Body Language Live
Where there's an album, there's a DVD...
Presentation: B The disc is in a normal DVD case with a booklet with black and white photos from the concert and some credits. My only real beef with this is that they could have written a little backstory on this concert. I believe this concert is the "Money Can't Buy" concert performed on November 15, 2003, two days before the album was released in the UK.
Audio & Video: B+ With 5.1 Dolby Surround, Stereo, and 5.1 DTS, you can bet that Kylie's voice never sounded better. The concert is presented in widescreen. The picture's pretty clean and sharp, slightly better than the "Live in Sydney" DVD.
Content: B Since this concert is to celebrate the album launch of Body Language at the London Apollo, it shouldn't surprise you that seven of the thirteen songs are from Body Language. Most of the other songs are from the albums, Light Years and Fever.
The concert’s split into four different sections (and different outfits) and the concert’s only about an hour long. It has Kylie singing in front of a large screen with some dancers who I tend to ignore. It’s rather modest compared to some of her other concerts, I’m sure, but I prefer my concerts without a whole lot of bells and whistles.
Extras: A Let’s see, there’s a seventeen minute “documentary,” that talks about the new album, filming the “Slow” music video, and the preparation of the concert. There’s multi-angles of two of the songs, which shows you the images on the large screen.
There’s also the three music videos from Body Language as well as a photo gallery and DVD ROM material that includes: four wallpapers, screensavers, and a weblink.
Overall: A This is my favorite “live” Kylie DVD. But part of that is because I really like Body Language. Other Kylie fans may want to purchase one of the other DVDs for a more diverse listing of songs. Another reason was because I got my copy under 15 dollars, well worth the price.
Presentation: B The disc is in a normal DVD case with a booklet with black and white photos from the concert and some credits. My only real beef with this is that they could have written a little backstory on this concert. I believe this concert is the "Money Can't Buy" concert performed on November 15, 2003, two days before the album was released in the UK.
Audio & Video: B+ With 5.1 Dolby Surround, Stereo, and 5.1 DTS, you can bet that Kylie's voice never sounded better. The concert is presented in widescreen. The picture's pretty clean and sharp, slightly better than the "Live in Sydney" DVD.
Content: B Since this concert is to celebrate the album launch of Body Language at the London Apollo, it shouldn't surprise you that seven of the thirteen songs are from Body Language. Most of the other songs are from the albums, Light Years and Fever.
The concert’s split into four different sections (and different outfits) and the concert’s only about an hour long. It has Kylie singing in front of a large screen with some dancers who I tend to ignore. It’s rather modest compared to some of her other concerts, I’m sure, but I prefer my concerts without a whole lot of bells and whistles.
Extras: A Let’s see, there’s a seventeen minute “documentary,” that talks about the new album, filming the “Slow” music video, and the preparation of the concert. There’s multi-angles of two of the songs, which shows you the images on the large screen.
There’s also the three music videos from Body Language as well as a photo gallery and DVD ROM material that includes: four wallpapers, screensavers, and a weblink.
Overall: A This is my favorite “live” Kylie DVD. But part of that is because I really like Body Language. Other Kylie fans may want to purchase one of the other DVDs for a more diverse listing of songs. Another reason was because I got my copy under 15 dollars, well worth the price.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
CD Review: Body Language
With the international explosion that was Fever, a lesser artist would try and replicate its success, but no one ever said that Australian singer Kylie Minogue was your average performer...
In fact for her newest album, Kylie dived deeper into the realm of techno, with more complex sounds compared to Fever's simplistic synth work. But it's Kylie who's the real treat. Her voice is smooth, sweet, and playful. In other words, she's in top form.
The album starts with the single, "Slow," a dance-inducing song that compliments Kylie's alluring voice. It's very radio-friendly, though I've yet to hear it on U.S. radio stations. It then goes through some fun songs exhibiting Kylie's versatility, like "Still Standing" and "Promises." "Secret (Take You Home)" slowly won me over despite the pseudo-rapping.
The next single from the album is "Red Blooded Woman." This is a hit-or-miss song, from what I've read. People either like or hate this song. I personally like it, but I can see how the "la la la" in the middle and the repetiton of the refrain may annoy people.
But the real highlight of this album is "Chocolate," one of the best songs Kylie's ever done. Its smooth rhythm and Kylie's sly voice melt together creating something sweet for your ears. (Sorry about that. Couldn't resist.) You'll want to keep coming back to this jem.
Unfortunately, after "Chocolate," I felt there were some of the weaker songs. I'm not saying that they aren't good. They just don't have the same repeat value as the earlier ones. Marooned near the end of the album is "Loving Days," a song that grew to be one of my favorite songs. While its composition is more straightfoward than the three singles, I could see this one have a home on the radio, but it seems destined to be ignored.
For U.S. listeners, we get two bonus tracks: "Cruise Control" and "You Make Me Feel." "Cruise Control" is a fun song that I enjoy listening to, but it doesn't break any new ground that "Secret" didn't already cover. (Hence it being a B-Side.) There's also a better version of the song on the "Red Blooded Woman" single. "You Make Me Feel" is about the only song that I tend to skip over. It just doesn't click with me.
There's also some enhanced CD material, with the music video for "Slow" and the live performace of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" from Kylie's "Money Can't Buy" concert. (Now out on DVD.)
This is easily Kylie's best album since Light Years, my second favorite album. Not that there's anything wrong with Fever. I was surprised to find out that singer Emiliana Torrini helped write two songs. I had only recently heard of Torrini, thanks to the LOTR: Two Towers soundtrack. Anyway, if you consider yourself a Kylie fan, then you should already own this. B+
In fact for her newest album, Kylie dived deeper into the realm of techno, with more complex sounds compared to Fever's simplistic synth work. But it's Kylie who's the real treat. Her voice is smooth, sweet, and playful. In other words, she's in top form.
The album starts with the single, "Slow," a dance-inducing song that compliments Kylie's alluring voice. It's very radio-friendly, though I've yet to hear it on U.S. radio stations. It then goes through some fun songs exhibiting Kylie's versatility, like "Still Standing" and "Promises." "Secret (Take You Home)" slowly won me over despite the pseudo-rapping.
The next single from the album is "Red Blooded Woman." This is a hit-or-miss song, from what I've read. People either like or hate this song. I personally like it, but I can see how the "la la la" in the middle and the repetiton of the refrain may annoy people.
But the real highlight of this album is "Chocolate," one of the best songs Kylie's ever done. Its smooth rhythm and Kylie's sly voice melt together creating something sweet for your ears. (Sorry about that. Couldn't resist.) You'll want to keep coming back to this jem.
Unfortunately, after "Chocolate," I felt there were some of the weaker songs. I'm not saying that they aren't good. They just don't have the same repeat value as the earlier ones. Marooned near the end of the album is "Loving Days," a song that grew to be one of my favorite songs. While its composition is more straightfoward than the three singles, I could see this one have a home on the radio, but it seems destined to be ignored.
For U.S. listeners, we get two bonus tracks: "Cruise Control" and "You Make Me Feel." "Cruise Control" is a fun song that I enjoy listening to, but it doesn't break any new ground that "Secret" didn't already cover. (Hence it being a B-Side.) There's also a better version of the song on the "Red Blooded Woman" single. "You Make Me Feel" is about the only song that I tend to skip over. It just doesn't click with me.
There's also some enhanced CD material, with the music video for "Slow" and the live performace of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" from Kylie's "Money Can't Buy" concert. (Now out on DVD.)
This is easily Kylie's best album since Light Years, my second favorite album. Not that there's anything wrong with Fever. I was surprised to find out that singer Emiliana Torrini helped write two songs. I had only recently heard of Torrini, thanks to the LOTR: Two Towers soundtrack. Anyway, if you consider yourself a Kylie fan, then you should already own this. B+
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Ultraman Movie Update
The new Ultraman movie site has been updated with wallpapers, trailers, and a lot of Japanese stuff I don't understand. While the movie still seems to be called "Ultraman," the wallpapers have a subtitle of "Revival" which may be part of the title as well.
The Ultraman in the movie is referred to as Ultraman the Next, and the villain is Beast the One. From the trailer, it looks like an army pilot with a good family crashes into a red asteroid, which gives him the powers of Ultraman!
The movie is going to be released on December 18, 2004. Check out ultraman-movie.com for yourself.
In Ultraman Nexus news, the third Ultraman has been revealed to be Dark Faust, an evil Ultraman. Faust has a more traditional rubber skin look than Ultraman Nexus' armored form. He shares Junis' colors of red, black, and silver and has three horn-like protrusions.
The Ultraman in the movie is referred to as Ultraman the Next, and the villain is Beast the One. From the trailer, it looks like an army pilot with a good family crashes into a red asteroid, which gives him the powers of Ultraman!
The movie is going to be released on December 18, 2004. Check out ultraman-movie.com for yourself.
In Ultraman Nexus news, the third Ultraman has been revealed to be Dark Faust, an evil Ultraman. Faust has a more traditional rubber skin look than Ultraman Nexus' armored form. He shares Junis' colors of red, black, and silver and has three horn-like protrusions.
DVD Review: Ultraman Tiga Volume 4
After a long delay from an original August release, I finally got my hands on the last episodes of one of the best Ultraman series ever made.
Presentation: G- Mislabeling disc two on the back cover. No booklet. The menus look the same from the last volume only with a gold background. This volume wasn't delayed so that FUNimation could do a good job on the packaging...
Audio & Video: B+ It's the same quality as the past volumes, so if you were impressed with them then you won't be disappointed with this one.
Content: B+ While the first three episode seemed weak, all of the other episodes are great. Ultraman Tiga faces off against "Evil Tiga," meets the original Ultraman, and there's a satisfying conclusion to a great series.
Extras: C- There's a monster gallery, which features monsters I don't think was even in this set, and "GUTS Top Secret Logs," basically Fox Box junk that gives you a sampling of what the English dub sounded like.
Overall: B FUNimation should be arrested for their cruel treatment of this set, but I'm happy just to have the rest of the series finally.
Presentation: G- Mislabeling disc two on the back cover. No booklet. The menus look the same from the last volume only with a gold background. This volume wasn't delayed so that FUNimation could do a good job on the packaging...
Audio & Video: B+ It's the same quality as the past volumes, so if you were impressed with them then you won't be disappointed with this one.
Content: B+ While the first three episode seemed weak, all of the other episodes are great. Ultraman Tiga faces off against "Evil Tiga," meets the original Ultraman, and there's a satisfying conclusion to a great series.
Extras: C- There's a monster gallery, which features monsters I don't think was even in this set, and "GUTS Top Secret Logs," basically Fox Box junk that gives you a sampling of what the English dub sounded like.
Overall: B FUNimation should be arrested for their cruel treatment of this set, but I'm happy just to have the rest of the series finally.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
My Name is Modesty
I can't say that I'm a lifelong fan of Modesty Blaise, in fact I'm quite the newbie compared to my dedication to all things Saintly. I only recently learned about her at my local comic book store, where Jim Holdaway's art caught my eye: a huge blow-up of Modesty's face, splashed with red and black. It was the cover of the first of Titan Books' new collection of Peter O'Donnell's entertaining comic strip.
The stories are tons of fun to read, strips and novels alike, but what impressed me the most was that Peter, creator of Modesty, had written every Modesty story out there, barring the occasional bad movie adaptation. Here was a man who had total creative freedom of his characters and did what he wanted with them. Something all writers wish for, I guess.
Anyway, I came across a relatively new movie called "My Name is Modesty." Miramax released it just so they could keep the movie rights. It's a low-low-low budget film about a young Modesty who's working at a casino that gets held up, and through a card game with the leader, reveals her past while trying to free the hostages.
So, I've been tossing around the idea about seeing the movie, but two big things bother me about the movie. No, not the zero-budget. Remember, I'm a big fan of Doctor Who and Ultraman. Special Effects aren't everything. First, it's a prequel. I loathe prequels. Period. Second, there's no Willie Garvin. Who in their right mind would make a Modesty Blaise story without Willie? And third, the price for the DVD is 20 to 30 dollars! Three things I didn't like was prequel, no Willie, and price...
Maybe someday, Miramax will make a "real" Modesty Blaise movie, one fans can flock to and call their own...
Nah.
The stories are tons of fun to read, strips and novels alike, but what impressed me the most was that Peter, creator of Modesty, had written every Modesty story out there, barring the occasional bad movie adaptation. Here was a man who had total creative freedom of his characters and did what he wanted with them. Something all writers wish for, I guess.
Anyway, I came across a relatively new movie called "My Name is Modesty." Miramax released it just so they could keep the movie rights. It's a low-low-low budget film about a young Modesty who's working at a casino that gets held up, and through a card game with the leader, reveals her past while trying to free the hostages.
So, I've been tossing around the idea about seeing the movie, but two big things bother me about the movie. No, not the zero-budget. Remember, I'm a big fan of Doctor Who and Ultraman. Special Effects aren't everything. First, it's a prequel. I loathe prequels. Period. Second, there's no Willie Garvin. Who in their right mind would make a Modesty Blaise story without Willie? And third, the price for the DVD is 20 to 30 dollars! Three things I didn't like was prequel, no Willie, and price...
Maybe someday, Miramax will make a "real" Modesty Blaise movie, one fans can flock to and call their own...
Nah.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Comic Review: Iron Man #1 and other stuff
Warren Ellis has taken over writing everyone's favorite armored Avenger as Marvel "reloads" Iron Man.
The "Extremis" storyline introduces yet another modernization of a superhero's origin. Now, Tony Stark got impaled by shrapnel from an exploding landmine during a Taliban attack, all revealed through an interview/flashback. Meanwhile, someone's stolen a experimental something that's called Extremis and it's been injected into someone, causing a most disturbing metamorphosis...
I like this story, though not much really happens during this initial issue. But it does a good job of introducing the tortured Tony Stark, trying to make up for his past designing weapons for the military. It sets up the story pretty well, and I am eager for future issues to find out what this Extremis is all about.
Adi Granov's digital art looks almost cinematic at times, like on page fifteen. I recommend this to all Ellis fans and Iron Man fans alike. The only real drawback of this issue is its $3.50 price tag.
In other news, Marvel released a Handbook of the Dead 2004, listing all of the dead characters. Bucky was fortunately still listed as dead. I was surprised to find Thor listed as dead, but that explains why there's a new young Thor prequel comic book out. I found it comical (no pun intended) that Phoenix was listed as dead, even though a new miniseries is being made to bring her back after only being dead for what, a year at the most. (See previous discussion of using death as a marketing tool.)
Also, the newest issue of DC's Identity Crisis miniseries seems to be indicating that Ray Palmer, the Atom, is the serial killer who's going after superheroes' family members. (Remember the other day when I was saying about heroes being turned into villains for shock value? Anyway, they should have learned from Hal Jordan.)
The "Extremis" storyline introduces yet another modernization of a superhero's origin. Now, Tony Stark got impaled by shrapnel from an exploding landmine during a Taliban attack, all revealed through an interview/flashback. Meanwhile, someone's stolen a experimental something that's called Extremis and it's been injected into someone, causing a most disturbing metamorphosis...
I like this story, though not much really happens during this initial issue. But it does a good job of introducing the tortured Tony Stark, trying to make up for his past designing weapons for the military. It sets up the story pretty well, and I am eager for future issues to find out what this Extremis is all about.
Adi Granov's digital art looks almost cinematic at times, like on page fifteen. I recommend this to all Ellis fans and Iron Man fans alike. The only real drawback of this issue is its $3.50 price tag.
In other news, Marvel released a Handbook of the Dead 2004, listing all of the dead characters. Bucky was fortunately still listed as dead. I was surprised to find Thor listed as dead, but that explains why there's a new young Thor prequel comic book out. I found it comical (no pun intended) that Phoenix was listed as dead, even though a new miniseries is being made to bring her back after only being dead for what, a year at the most. (See previous discussion of using death as a marketing tool.)
Also, the newest issue of DC's Identity Crisis miniseries seems to be indicating that Ray Palmer, the Atom, is the serial killer who's going after superheroes' family members. (Remember the other day when I was saying about heroes being turned into villains for shock value? Anyway, they should have learned from Hal Jordan.)
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Ultimate Kylie
Kylie Minogue is going through the inbetween-albums blues. So to cheer herself up, she's releasing a two-disc "best of..." including two brand new songs. It's called "Ultimate Kylie."
There's also supposed to be a "Ultimate Kylie" DVD coming put with all of her music videos on it. Reading about it on a fan site, I found two things about it I didn't like:
1. The release date for it in the UK, Australia, Canada, heck everywhere except the U.S. is the end of November, while it'll be released here sometime in February 2005.
2. It's technically not a complete set of her music videos. If the listing on the fan site is correct, the DVD will not have the music videos for "Where is that Feeling?," "Some kind of Bliss," and "Cowboy Style." All cool songs from my favorite era of Kylie.
It's true that I got this from a fan site, so I shouldn't just readily believe it, but it seems typical that when making room on the DVD, they'd start cutting off the bits I'd like.
There's also supposed to be a "Ultimate Kylie" DVD coming put with all of her music videos on it. Reading about it on a fan site, I found two things about it I didn't like:
1. The release date for it in the UK, Australia, Canada, heck everywhere except the U.S. is the end of November, while it'll be released here sometime in February 2005.
2. It's technically not a complete set of her music videos. If the listing on the fan site is correct, the DVD will not have the music videos for "Where is that Feeling?," "Some kind of Bliss," and "Cowboy Style." All cool songs from my favorite era of Kylie.
It's true that I got this from a fan site, so I shouldn't just readily believe it, but it seems typical that when making room on the DVD, they'd start cutting off the bits I'd like.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Ultraman Nexus Update
I have just learned that Japanese composer Kenji Kawai will be writing the music for the new television series, Ultraman Nexus. Kawai's famous for his work with anime director Mamoru Oshii, composing for the Ghost in the Shell movies, all things Patlabor, and the live-action Avalon.
There's supposed to be a soundtrack released at the end of November, but how will I get my hands on one? It also wouldn't hurt if someone started importing Nexus to the U.S.
There's supposed to be a soundtrack released at the end of November, but how will I get my hands on one? It also wouldn't hurt if someone started importing Nexus to the U.S.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Elektra Movie Update
I was impressed by Jennifer Garner's protrayal of Elektra in the Daredevil movie, so I've been keeping a close eye on the new spin-off movie, hoping it doesn't end up like Catwoman.
The new movie site, elektramovie.com, has just opened this week, with a synopsis, wallpaper, and video clips. The American synopsis is pratically useless, mainly namedropping who's in the cast, though it mentions that Elektra has "kimagure," the limited ability to see into the future. (What?)
The European synopsis actually says a lot more of the actual plot. Elektra's haunted by the death of her parents as well as her own death, and becomes an assassin to sate her rage, but she needs "something more than a reason to kill... a reason to live." It also mentions Typhoid Mary, but I doubt she'll be anything like DD's schizoid nemesis.
There's been very little hype or advertising out yet for this movie, despite it coming out in January. The costume looks okay, but I liked the DD costume better. I remain optimistic and hopeful that the movie will be cool. Just think: Terence Stamp as Stick!
The new movie site, elektramovie.com, has just opened this week, with a synopsis, wallpaper, and video clips. The American synopsis is pratically useless, mainly namedropping who's in the cast, though it mentions that Elektra has "kimagure," the limited ability to see into the future. (What?)
The European synopsis actually says a lot more of the actual plot. Elektra's haunted by the death of her parents as well as her own death, and becomes an assassin to sate her rage, but she needs "something more than a reason to kill... a reason to live." It also mentions Typhoid Mary, but I doubt she'll be anything like DD's schizoid nemesis.
There's been very little hype or advertising out yet for this movie, despite it coming out in January. The costume looks okay, but I liked the DD costume better. I remain optimistic and hopeful that the movie will be cool. Just think: Terence Stamp as Stick!
One of Our Own
Another disturbing trend in modern comics is the turning of heroes into villains, especially for shock value.
For instance, I was flipping through the last part of the "Avengers Dissembled" storyline (in stores now) and Scarlet Witch is revealed to have been behind the destruction of the Avenger's Mansion and probably the deaths of Vision, Ant-Man, and Hawkeye. (Correct me if I'm wrong, since I'm not actually reading the series. This also brings into play what I've said before about death as a ratings ploy.)
Now, I'm sure the story was well written, and Scarlet Witch didn't really turn evil, as much as just went loco. And it's not the first time something like this has happened. Remember when Iron Man became Kang's spy or something, and the Avengers took a young Stark from the past, and... well, there was all that. Let's not forget Hal Jordan too.
What I'm trying to get at is that we (the fans) like these characters because they're our heroes, and turning them into villains sucks. Who wants their idol turned into a badly written two dimensional villain?
So, Marvel and DC, stop the craziness and leave the heroes alone. Anyway, just like death and any other changes you try to invoke, someone will come and change it back. Just like Hal Jordan.
For instance, I was flipping through the last part of the "Avengers Dissembled" storyline (in stores now) and Scarlet Witch is revealed to have been behind the destruction of the Avenger's Mansion and probably the deaths of Vision, Ant-Man, and Hawkeye. (Correct me if I'm wrong, since I'm not actually reading the series. This also brings into play what I've said before about death as a ratings ploy.)
Now, I'm sure the story was well written, and Scarlet Witch didn't really turn evil, as much as just went loco. And it's not the first time something like this has happened. Remember when Iron Man became Kang's spy or something, and the Avengers took a young Stark from the past, and... well, there was all that. Let's not forget Hal Jordan too.
What I'm trying to get at is that we (the fans) like these characters because they're our heroes, and turning them into villains sucks. Who wants their idol turned into a badly written two dimensional villain?
So, Marvel and DC, stop the craziness and leave the heroes alone. Anyway, just like death and any other changes you try to invoke, someone will come and change it back. Just like Hal Jordan.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Ultraman Nexus and Ultraman the Movie
Here's the scoop on the new Ultraman tv series and upcoming movie:
Ultraman Nexus premiered on October 2 in Japan. Set in the near future, a high-tech security force called TLT (pronounced "tilt") protects the Earth from an invasion of "Space Beasts."
The show will feature the now traditional multi-form Ultraman: the silver version is called "Anphans" (or "enfance" meaning "childhood" in French) and the red version called "Junis" (or "jeunesse" meaning "youth" in French.) Anphans will battle monsters in our universe, while transforming into Junis to do battle in the "Meta Field" dimension. That's not all. There's also a third version of this Ultraman that has yet to be revealed.
Another new concept being used for the series is that multiple people will take on the power of Ultraman. The first host for Ultraman will be actor Yusuke Kirishima, playing a young man surrounded in mystery. Other cast members include Takuji Kawakubo, Tamotsu Ishibashi, and Yasue Sato.
As for the upcoming Ultraman movie, it seems to have been simply titled "Ultraman" and may be released as soon as January 2005. The script was written Keiichi Hasegawa, whose credits include the Ultraman Tiga tv series and the Ultraman Gaia movie. Since these are two of my favorite Ultraman shows, I can't wait to see this movie.
The Ultraman featured in this movie will be different than the Ultraman Nexus one, though it's likely it too will have a transformation ability. The Movie Ultraman looks like a cross between Ultraman Noah and Guyver I. The nerd translation: simply AWESOME.
The only real problem being that I have no idea if any of this will be released here in the U.S. FUNimation, who's released Ultraman Tiga on DVD, should try and get at least Dyna and Gaia released too, but they really only care about selling their Dragonball Z stuff.
Ultraman Nexus premiered on October 2 in Japan. Set in the near future, a high-tech security force called TLT (pronounced "tilt") protects the Earth from an invasion of "Space Beasts."
The show will feature the now traditional multi-form Ultraman: the silver version is called "Anphans" (or "enfance" meaning "childhood" in French) and the red version called "Junis" (or "jeunesse" meaning "youth" in French.) Anphans will battle monsters in our universe, while transforming into Junis to do battle in the "Meta Field" dimension. That's not all. There's also a third version of this Ultraman that has yet to be revealed.
Another new concept being used for the series is that multiple people will take on the power of Ultraman. The first host for Ultraman will be actor Yusuke Kirishima, playing a young man surrounded in mystery. Other cast members include Takuji Kawakubo, Tamotsu Ishibashi, and Yasue Sato.
As for the upcoming Ultraman movie, it seems to have been simply titled "Ultraman" and may be released as soon as January 2005. The script was written Keiichi Hasegawa, whose credits include the Ultraman Tiga tv series and the Ultraman Gaia movie. Since these are two of my favorite Ultraman shows, I can't wait to see this movie.
The Ultraman featured in this movie will be different than the Ultraman Nexus one, though it's likely it too will have a transformation ability. The Movie Ultraman looks like a cross between Ultraman Noah and Guyver I. The nerd translation: simply AWESOME.
The only real problem being that I have no idea if any of this will be released here in the U.S. FUNimation, who's released Ultraman Tiga on DVD, should try and get at least Dyna and Gaia released too, but they really only care about selling their Dragonball Z stuff.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Monday, November 01, 2004
Chapter Preview
Here's a little treat for all three of my faithful readers: an excerpt from the new Chapter Eight that I'm working on. Enjoy!
Rian moved to the door, and crouched under its frame to fit into the hallway. Zoey heard the stairs creak and moan. Relieved to get the giant alien out of her bedroom, she threw back her sheets, snuck out into the hall, making her way to Sara’s room. She opened the door, not at all surprised to find it empty. Gazing around all the book shelves, she found only one large space of wall, over Sara’s bed, and it was covered by a framed painting. The painting was of a lady in an elegant white dress with a purple sash. She was reclining in an antique chair covered by a floral design with blue drapes in the background. Zoey might have thought it was a self portrait of a younger Sara, if not for the cold, contemptible look on the woman’s face and the fact that her eyes weren’t green.
As she was about to leave, Zoey noticed a picture frame on the desk. It was of two women on a balcony at night. The one on the left had crisp, blond hair that touched her bare shoulders and wore a stylish black dress that hugged to her body. The one on the right was in a mainly black traditional Japanese dress, complete with a white obi that wrapped around her waist. Her long, dark hair was wrapped behind her head into a bun. The two looked of similar ages: late twenties, early thirties Zoey guessed. Both of them seemed to be happy, waving at the camera. Without being able to explain it, Zoey felt that they were both the best of friends. A highlight of that friendship frozen forever within the thin pane of glass. Zoey replaced the frame on the desk and left the room.
Rian moved to the door, and crouched under its frame to fit into the hallway. Zoey heard the stairs creak and moan. Relieved to get the giant alien out of her bedroom, she threw back her sheets, snuck out into the hall, making her way to Sara’s room. She opened the door, not at all surprised to find it empty. Gazing around all the book shelves, she found only one large space of wall, over Sara’s bed, and it was covered by a framed painting. The painting was of a lady in an elegant white dress with a purple sash. She was reclining in an antique chair covered by a floral design with blue drapes in the background. Zoey might have thought it was a self portrait of a younger Sara, if not for the cold, contemptible look on the woman’s face and the fact that her eyes weren’t green.
As she was about to leave, Zoey noticed a picture frame on the desk. It was of two women on a balcony at night. The one on the left had crisp, blond hair that touched her bare shoulders and wore a stylish black dress that hugged to her body. The one on the right was in a mainly black traditional Japanese dress, complete with a white obi that wrapped around her waist. Her long, dark hair was wrapped behind her head into a bun. The two looked of similar ages: late twenties, early thirties Zoey guessed. Both of them seemed to be happy, waving at the camera. Without being able to explain it, Zoey felt that they were both the best of friends. A highlight of that friendship frozen forever within the thin pane of glass. Zoey replaced the frame on the desk and left the room.
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