Prepareth, Ye! It is Santor.

More New DC 52 Reviews: Green Lantern Corps and New Guardians #1

I know, I know.  September was a long time ago, but the truth is, I needed a breather.  52 new titles is a lot to process.

If you've followed this site for any length of time, you know I'm a Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps fan in concept and in practice, which is why the mediocrity of this summer's outing at the cinema felt like such a kick in the shins.

DC launched 4 Green Lantern titles, including a Red Lanterns titles, which I've already discussed.

New Guardians will feature Kyle Rayner and a medley of the rest of the rainbow array of ring bearers (Black and White seem to be off the table).

While I appreciated the issue (written by Tony Bedard) opening with a riff on the origin of Kyle Rayner and what DC was doing back then*, its weird, context-free, and features no mention of when this was all happening, until a few pages later, they note "oh, now we're in present day".  Its a weird swing and a miss as the issue is trying to be new reader friendly, but instead managed to confuse a GL reader like myself for a page or three.  I can't imagine what a new reader would think was happening.

Its kind of an odd-ball issue as its sort of half a set-up.  In addition to the aforementioned origin pages, we see as rings from several corps abandon their various owners from various sectors and seek out Rayner, leaving most of the owners in a lurch.  And then they show up.  And that's it.

New John Hodgman ad for "That is All"

I still need to get this book.

Santor, he cometh

As we roll into the Holiday Shopping season...

As we begin the Holiday Season, remember that your Christmas shopping need not be just another annoying trip to the mall.



Try to enjoy yourself a little this Christmas.

The Texas Showdown Closes Down (UT wins!)

I did not expect UT to win the annual Thanksgiving game against Texas A&M.  Yes, the UT Longhorns were ranked, and A&M had slipped from ranking, but this year, UT's ranking fortunes have just felt like a fluke of other's misfortunes and some oddly-had luck more than the hard-earned rankings of the COlt McCoy and VY years.  While I do believe our defense has been fairly effective this season, its clear the Longhorn offense is still a mess.

In the end, it came down to a last second field goal kicked by UT's Justin Tucker, who has been near-flawless all season.  But it also came down to UT's defense uncharacteristically more or less rolling over to A&M's fairly punishing drive in the final minutes, looking for all the world like a team that was going to have the last word.  And, of course, Case McCoy demonstrating some clear thinking in the last minute that he really hadn't shown too much this season.

I hope Texas Aggies feel like it was a good game.  We were certainly consoling ourselves with this thought at the 1:25 mark in the 4th quarter when we watched the UT lead melt away.

But then Tucker made the field goal.  So, it was a good night to be a Longhorns fan.

Tucker gets tackled by jubilant Longhorns

Of COURSE the game means something.

Happy Thanksgiving, Signal Corps!

Hey! We're taking the day off to spend time with family and friends.  Maybe hang some Christmas lights.  We hope you get to have a good day with those you love and their hangers-on.

We are all grateful for Pantsless Marilyn Monroe with a blunderbuss

Eat a nice meal. Try not to roll your eyes too much at Weird Aunt Gertrude.  Give thanks to the secular institution and/ or entity that matches your religious doctrine.

Depending on what the nephews ate for lunch, we could be witnessing the start of the first naturally occurring Turducken.

We'll see you later, when the schedule clears up a little.  Enjoy yourselves, and don't be strangers.

welcome to the Disney Thanksgiving, which was held this year just outside of Uncanny Valley

Alvin Schwartz Merges with the Infinite

Comics writer Alvin Schwartz, whose tenure at DC stretched from the Golden Age to the Silver Age, has passed at age 95.

Truthfully, I am not familiar with Schwartz's bio, only that his name appears again and again in reprints that I read of old school DC comics.

Schwartz is likely most famous in Superman-fan circles as the writer who (1) created Bizarro, and (2) believed he had actually met Superman in a cab.

I say:  sure, why not?  Superman tends to move between the various worlds of the multiverse.  Why not ours?

DC New 52 catch up and what else am I reading?

I'm tapped out of ideas, so I thought I'd take stock of what I'm up to on my readership of the New 52 titles and share with you guys.


Justice League - Picking up monthly. I like this well enough, and I am actually a fan of Jim Lee's art. Its not exactly screaming "epic" to me at this time, but its a good enough read. I just wish it were $3.
Action Comics - Picking up monthly and still, likely, my favorite of the New 52. But I'm pre-disposed to Morrison, Superman, exploration of the character through a new lens, etc... But the art, story, etc... have all worked well for me.
Animal Man - Picking up monthly. This and Swamp Thing have been the biggest shockers of the New 52 for me. A great fantasy-horror read.
Batgirl - I'll try the trade of the first issues. The first issue was somewhat not in my wheelhouse, but I dug the energy Simone brough to the book.
Batwing - I was SHOCKED by how much I liked the first issue and may pick up the trade.
Detective Comics - No.
Green Arrow - Likely not, and the changes on the creative team by issue 3 tell me this isn't something I want to delve into.
Hawk and Dove - I'm afraid not.
Justice League International - I did not care for the first issue. I don't get why they launched this book now.
Men of War - I've seen some people rave about this book, but its a bastardization of DC war books, and I find the premise and carry through equally... not my thing.
O.M.A.C. - Another shocker. I'm picking this up monthly. How is it Dan Didio is associated with a book I find this wacky and enjoyable?
Static Shock - utter disappointment. I am not picking up this trade.
Stormwatch - no.
Swamp Thing - Monthly, and YES. This is a good continuation of the Swamp Thing I enjoyed in college and in trades with an all-new spin. I think it's advisable to read this book alongside Animal Man.

A New Excerpt from The Great American Novel - From Chapter 41

I've made a lot of progress on my novel since last we discussed how it was slow going.  The chapters are averaging out to about 25 pages, but some have been a lot longer.  Turns out I have a lot to say on this topic.


Kaya has been through a lot by this point, and while its definitely unfair to drop all of this on you context-free, I think I need to share a little bit of my work so I know its not just me doing this all on my lonesome, and that it'll be worth it.  I figure I'm probably about to hit the 2/3rds marker and head into what my film school teachers called "the third act" (although I have no actors, so I may be misusing the term).  But this IS a bit about character development, and as we were so plot heavy last time, I wanted to give some hints as to Kaya's past, and give the reader a chance to see a pensive Kaya in a thinking, emotional moment.


So, without further ado...  (oh, this is about 6 pages into Chapter 41).  


Oh, and, yeah, there may be some spoilers.

    The screaming outside the reinforced steel doors was immeasurably loud, but nowhere near as loud as the voice in Kaya's head reminding her that this was nothing compared to the heartache she felt knowing Drumicus was out there, too.  She fought herself, wanting to run to the big, red button beside the door marked "OPEN", but if she did, these old women and children didn't stand a chance.  She might, but not these little ones who had not yet been hardened by the world, and certainly not trained, hour after hour.  Not like herself.
    Her mind flashed to the cool mountain green valley and the pond that gurgled and burped outside the rice paper doors of the dojo, and the silly cat that lived on the grounds watching her, year after year, transforming her body from that of a girl to that of a living weapon.  There had been endless days and nights of sparring, learning forms and movement, but that was necessary if one were to become Samurai.  Yes, she was a prodigy, and Sensei Atoki always said she was the finest student he'd ever seen.
    But she never finished the training, did she?  No.  She had a weakness then.  A weakness she would not give in to again.
    The old women watched her in silence, no doubt remembering when their own stomachs might have been as taught and trim, showing between a leather sports bra and the gun-belt that rode her hips.  And the children...  some of them could have been her own siblings (twins!, she recalled), looking up at her just as desperately now over the frustrated shrieks of the Vamps outside as her brother and sister had once looked upon her.
    Dammit!  Not again!  This time, they were all leaving.  All together.  Vampires or not.  Something she had not been able to do for Krista and Kyle, so long, long ago.
   "What are we going to do?" Bryan asked decisively.
   "Well," she shook her head.  "I don't know.  We have to get these kids out of here.  And the old women.  This door only opens to the outside, and we know what's out there.  I've got about eight charges left in my Faze-Pistol, and the Katana of Dancing Dragons is thirsty enough for Vamp throats, but I'm still just one.  I'd make it, and maybe you, but not all these old women and kids."
    Bryan nodded his head mournfully, the long locks at the back of his head tied back now in the warrior's ponytail, like some amazing lost medieval warrior. "Still, its weird how much these vamps want these particular kids and old women."
    "They're just hungry," Kaya shrugged it off.
    So much loss! she pondered, considering Elvis's strewn remains left behind.  How much more can we endure?
    Sure, he's been made of steel and wires and cogs, but, dammit, he'd been her friend.
    "Lady."  Kaya turned, feeling small hands pull on the fringed edges of her leather shorts, just above the smooth, tanned length of her leg.
    "We should take the hatch.  Then we can leave."
    "The what?" she asked.
    Bryan lifted an eyebrow.  "What damned fool thing is this?"