Stuck in the Middle with You

And I couldn't be happier.




According to The Middleblog, the best new show of the last year is coming to DVD. It Seems Shout! Factory is putting the set together, and knowing how fantastic their other sets have been I expect no less with this one.

Unfortunately I think ABC Family cancelled the show because of its poor ratings, but believe me when I say this is a set you'll want to own. You can read more about the show and its cast on the IMDB page, and the comic book series its based on at wikipedia.

And I should say that the news of this came to me from TVShowsonDVD.com.

Let's Get Political

My first off topic post, and it promises to be a doozie, and to piss some people off I'm sure.

I've been reading a lot of blogs and opinions from people about our new President, and I just hope evetyone realizes that we elected a man, not a superman and not an antichrist. This hope and change stuff is great when you're running around trying to get elected, but making it stick is a whole different ball game. On top of that, we elected a politician, and let's not forget that it's politicians who got us exactly where we are today, not Republicans and Democrats, politicians, every sngle one of them.

I cross my fingers and hope that Obama can do some good, but I also hope that all of his followers don't become blind to things he might do that aren't so great, else we wind up with a Wizard of Oz scenario again and no one is paying attention to the man behind the curtain.

Also, there's a lot of religious bashing that seems to be going on, and I was extremely disappointed to see some of it coming from people I consider friends. What happened to tolerance?

I guarantee you that there isn't a single person who knows me that can say I've ever beat them over the head with my religious beliefs, so why is it okay for you to belittle the things I believe in? Because there are those out there that believe in God and Christ who do act like idiots? They don't represent a majority, just like Muslim extremists don't represent a majority of Muslims, is it simply okay because it's a Christian belief? I really don't understand. I've never mocked or belittled someone because of their belief (well, maybe Scientologists, but they make it so darn easy...kidding) and to have it done to me by people I respect...it quite frankly makes me angry and a little sad. Just because your guy won doesn't give you free reign to go after people any more than it did Bush's supporters when he was president. (In case anyone is wondering, my guy wasn't even IN the race, and I won't ever cast a ballot for anyone who supported bailing these companies out, make all the arguments you like, the government is not a bank)

The hope and change that we need won't ever be enough if we continue to seperate ourselves into classes. Believer, non-believer, Athiest, Agnostic, Christian, Jew, Hindi, Muslim, Black, White, Hispanic, whatever. We're all people, the labels don't matter. So, can we all stop with the hate speech please? This isn't a school yard fight, we're not six year olds, we're supposed to be adults. Just because someone isn't like you doesn't give you the right to pick on them. That goes for all of you, the Dems and Republicans dammit.

And while I'm on that, why can I go to Burger King and get it my way, but when I go to cast my vote for anyone I pretty much have to choose between two things, it's time for a third party...or even a fourth party. Or even better, no damn parties at all.

Okay, I'm gonna step off my soap box now. My apologies for getting fired up, I'm just a little fed up with being insulted by both sides of this argument. People say "Did you vote for Obama?" and when I say no, yeah, I get treated like a piece of dirt. Don't bother asking if i support McCain (I don't) or even where I stand on things, just assume away. Then, I get the exact same from all the McCain/Palin people when I say I didn't vote for him.

Judge not. Those are words to live by.

Get Commited

New trailer for the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum game is floating around the interweb. Just one more reason to thank Al Gore for all he's done for the world. Check it out:

Friday's Five

I'm hoping to make this a weekly thing, every Friday I'll do a list of five things related to comics and media. Apologies to Tom Spugeon whom I blatantly stole the idea from. This week we're going to go the simple route-


The Five Greatest Superhero Movies of All Time

5. Iron Man

This is the movie that made it fun to be a comic book fan again. For me any way. Downey's performance is spot on, and the film is action-packed and hysterical from beginning to end. I think it stands pretty much in a category by itself. The only downer was the fight at the end, but it's so short you barely even care that Chaplin just beat the crap out of The Dude.

4. Unbreakable

Hah, bet yo didn't expect to see this one. M. Night's take on Superman was both creepy and inspiring, and is easily the best origin story ever put to film. There's been talk since this movie came out about a sequel, but I've always hoped it never came to fruition. I like not knowing where the story goes from here.

3. Spider-Man 2

The first and third entries of this franchise pale when compared to this masterpiece. With this film it seems everyone had settled into their roles, gone were some of the goofier aspects of the first film, no origin was needed so there was more story time and we actually got a believable, tragic villain. Raimi was on fire with this film, I just wish I knew who doused the flame and killed the franchise.

2. X2: X-Men United

Despite the idiotic name, this movie gave every comic book geek what they'd been salivating for for decades, a great X-Men story. By stitching together bits and pieces of some of the best X-stories comics had to offer, Singer and company delivered a morality tale disguised as an action film. Solid performances from the entire cast (even Halle Berry) and one of the most intense endings I believe I've ever seen. Seriously, I thought Cyclops was gonna start kissing Wolverine.

1. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Sure, The Dark Knight is fantastic, maybe even the best movie of the last few years, but really it was Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart that made the film what it was (well, and the rest of the supporting cast). To see a true Batman film, this is the one you need to watch. It's got everything that makes a good Batman story: Mystery, love ( a good love story too, nothing as contrived as what every other Batman film has tried to shove down our throats), tragedy, comedy (a la the greates Joker, Mark Hamill), it still pulls me in every time I watch it, and every time I hope that things turn out different for old Bats, but alas, they never do.

Agree, disagree, got your own list? Post away in the comments and lets discuss!

Review: Hulk vs Wolverine

Directed by Frank Paur
Written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost
Animation by Madhouse Ltd.
Run Time: 37 mins
Rated PG-13 (Special Features Not Rated)
Widescreen (1.78:1 Ratio)
English & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English Subtitles
Special features: Audio Commentary by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost; Audio Commentary by Frank Paur, Kevin Altieri and Butch Lukic; "This is Gonna Hurt: The Making of Hulk vs. Wolverine" Featurette; "Fan Frenzy: Hulk vs. Wolverine at the San Diego Comic-Con" Featurette; "First Look: Wolverine and the X-Men" Featurette; Trailer Gallery
IMDB Page


Overview: What you see is what you get, essentially, and that's definitely not a bad thing. Kyle, Yost and Paur deliver a story that captures everything you'd want in a Hulk vs. Wolverine story. Solid voice work from the cast and fantastic animation from Madhouse (that's probably mind-blowing if you get the Blu-ray version), the only real problem I had was that the flashback stuff gets a little confusing if you don't know your Wolverine history and the Hulk vs. Wolverine battle really is only about ten minutes of the whole film. The special features are pretty much run-of-the-mill, but still relatively informative. The Making of is a lot more in-depth than I would have expected, but the Comic-Con featurette is pretty much pointless and the First Look at the Nicktoons series is a glorified commercial (Not that I can blame them for doing it, there's just not much to it). The Kyle/Yost commentary track is fun, equal mixes of MST3K kind of humor and geek-trivia, while the second track falls more on the tech side of things with supervising director Frank Paur and story board artists Kevin Altieri and Butch Lukic. All in all a pretty good package for a great movie.

Here's where I'm gonna plant the geek flag and let it fly. Also, spoiler warning! So, if you don't want to know anything more about the story, off with you!

In-Depth: I've enjoyed all of the Marvel/Lionsgate animated movies so far, but this one raises a bar I don't think they can ever clear. From the opening scene of Wolverine coming too and resetting a broken arm (or maybe a dislocated shoulder, not sure), this movie is bad ass from beginning to end. Like I said, the Wolverine/Hulk figh treally isn't much of the film, but it does cover the first ten minutes or so. From the under water fight to the Hulk slamming giant rocks into Wolverine's head (which he just shrugs off), it watches like a "Best of" collection of Wolverine/Hulk moments from the comics. Then we get into the meat of the story as the badasses of all badasses enter the picture, Weapon X- Deadpool, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, and Omega Red. They take down Wolvie and Hulk and bring them back to the Weapon X compound and we're treated to a bunch of Logan's back story (including fantastic nods to Barry Windsor Smith, it's like his designs stepped off of the page). Deadpool and Lady Deathstrike easily steal the show after this point. If they captured the essence of any Marvel character to their core, it's these two. Deadpool's wit is spot on, and you definitely get a feel of the insanity that runs rampant in his mind, and Deathstrike is just plain old evil. There are nods to the past her and Wolverine share, and her confrontation with the Hulk leads to one of the best moments in the film as she seemingly is getting the best of him...until he rips her arms off. Omega Red and Sabretooth both feel true to their comic book forms, but I think that's part of the problem I had with them in the film, they're very two dimensional. So, it's hard to say anything really negative about them or the way they end up portrayed. Omega Red does have a nice little scene where in the background he's pummeling Wolverine as Hulk dispatches the rest of Weapon X. It's hilarious and violent all at the same time. Like I said, though, Deathstrike and Deadpool steal every scene they're in, and Deadpool almost steals the entire movie. According to Paur in the commentary track Nolan North, who does Deadpool's voice, ad libbed almost all of Deadpool's dialogue, which is just amazing, he really gets what the character is all about. From beginning to end this little movie is an amazing piece of animation. It sets out to do exactly what it inteded to and makes no bones about being a 37 minute slugfest. I do want to mention the main title sequence, done by a studio called Perception, which apparently put the thing together in about three weeks, and it's absolutely stunning. You can actually watch it over on their site here. Thomas and Joel Moser also did a great job on the end titles, which showcases tons of images from not only Wolverine and Hulk history, but Weapon X comic covers and panels as well. In fact the entire movie has consistent nods to the more famous Wolverine/Hulk comic book panels, as well as Kyle and Yosts own X-23, they even got Kaare Andrews to design the DVD covers. Guy Michelmore returns to score yet another Marvel animated project, and does a great job, the music is extremely effective. The voice cast was stellar, and Madhouse did their usual unbeleivable job with the animation. This is definitely worth the bucks to buy, I've watched it three times already and will probably get in a few more viewing in te next week or so. I'd recommended it to any fan of the comics, or if you're looking for something that is just action packed and hilarious. 9/10

Indigo Lantern sounds funny

Previews has a pretty cool page spotlighting some artists, this Batman painting is probably the coolest of the bunch. I did find it weird that two of the pics were from West Java, Indonesia. What're the odds on that?

If you don't know what Previews is, simply put it's the place where comic and specialty shops order their merchandise. You can often find tons of cool junk you don't need...like these Green Lantern shirts with logos for the Indigo and Orange Lanterns. I want both of them.

Here comes the Snikt!

Marvel.com has a pretty cool slideshow up with loads of pics from the upcoming Wolverine film, this one is easily my favorite (Why? Deadpool is in it, duh), but you'll have to go to the site to view the whole thing. So what are you waiting for, make with the clickity!

The Spinner Rack- 1/27/09

The Spinner Rack is where you'll find the new and notable releases of the week, including further information about the product as well as where to buy it. So, let's get the economy back in full swing!


The All New Super Friends Hour: Season One Volume Two

The series that introduced the world to the Wonder Twins comes to a close with Volume Two. I'm not sure why they felt the need to label it Season One, the show only had the one season in this incarnation, but, hey, whatever. Warner Bros. has been so screwy in the way they released these Super Friends sets I'm not surprised. Still, looks like a decent set for the price, so far all of the transfers on the Super Friends releases have been decent enough, unfortunately the only extra on this set is a featurette about said Wonder Twins. I've picked mine up already,but seeing as how I've yet to get around to watching the other sets I can't see myself jumping into this one immediately. We're still waiting a release of the original 1973 Super Friends series as well as the 1980 series of shorts and The World's Greatest Super Friends and the "Lost" episodes from The Best of... show. Eventually I suppose we'll get them, then maybe I can sit down and watch 'em all in order. Well, DVD order, some of the releases actually have the episodes of of order...like I said, screwy. There's a wiki entry on the whole series with links going all over the place, you know, if you're in the mood for a headache.

However, if you do want a copy of this release, head on over to Amazon, you can get it for right at $20 at the moment, and what's a $20 bill weighed against so many childhood memories?







Hulk Vs.

The latest in Marvel's line of Direct-to-DVD animated releases features two shorts on the Jade Giant as he battles it out with Wolverine and Thor. The DVD comes in a standard single disc edition, a two-disc special edition and a Blu-Ray release (and on the Amazon page the "Blu-Ray" logo is in a green bar, don't think I've ever seen it a different color before, kinda cool) Here's the official description from Amazon:

"Marvel Animated Features premieres two all new action-packed films together on one release - Hulk vs. Wolverine and Hulk vs.Thor. Hulk vs Wolverine: Alberta, Canada. The Incredible Hulk has been tearing a line across the Canadian countryside, leaving a swath of destruction in his wake. He has to be stopped, and there's only one man up to the job. He's the best there is at what he does, but what he does isn't very nice. He's Wolverine, an elite agent of Canada's top secret Department H, and he's been put on Hulk's trail with a single objective: stop the green goliath...at all costs. Hulk and Wolverine are about to enter the fiercest battle of their lives. Hulk vs. Thor: Asgard, realm of the gods. For ages, Loki the trickster has sought a way to bring defeat to his accursed stepbrother, Thor. But for all the battles Thor has fought, in all the nine realms, only one creature has ever been able to match his strength - a mortal beast of Midgard known as The Incredible Hulk. Now, with Odin, the almighty king of the gods, deep in a regenerative sleep, and the forces protecting Asgard at their weakest, Loki is finally ready to spring his trap. In an epic battle that will pit gods against monsters, that will test a hero's limits more than ever before, only The Mighty Thor can hope to prevail."

The two-disc special edition includes two audio commentaries for each film, one by writers Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost and one by Director Frank Paur, two featurettes for each film and trailers for upcoming projects. I'm going to assume the Blu-Ray carries all that as well, while most of it (or all of it) is likely left off the single-disc DVD release. The Amazon pages all have some nice screen caps as well as a preview of the film.

I've already watched Hulk vs. Wolverine and plan to finish the disc and its features this week, so expect a full overview of that coming soon.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1 $2.50

I haven't had a chance to get my hands on a copy of this yet, but I do know it's out there. Spawning from the new show airing on Cartoon Network (of the same name), it features new stories of the Caped Crusader teaming up with some of DC's finest. Here's DC's description of the first issue:

"In this awesome first issue, show writer Matt Wayne (Justice League, Ben 10: Alien Force) joins forces with Andy Suriano and Dan Davis to bring you "The Panic of the Composite Creature," a tale of terror and adventure! All this action plus Batman's secret files await you each and every month. So hang on to your seats, and get ready for the read of your life!"

I've gotta say, I enjoy the show and I'm looking forward to reading this, looks fun.

Fringe #2 (of 6) $2.99

The prequel comic for J.J. Abrams Fox TV series sees it's second issue...five months after the show has been on the air. Still, it might answer a few questions, or at least give us a peak at what goes on in Bishop's head. Haven't gotten issue one yet because, well, I'm still not sold on the series, but I'll probably track them down when the series finishes out just so I can give an overview of it on the old blog. Here's DC/Wildstorm's description of the issue:

"The secret history of Walter Bishop and William Bell continues in this exclusive tie-in to the hit Fox show Fringe! Witness their first attempts at pushing the boundaries of science and reality!"

Yeah, that's not much to go on...

Push #4 & 5 (of 6) $3.50

I didn't even realize they were publishing a prequel comic to the upcoming film. Looks like they're trying to get the issues out before it gets released (Feb. 6). Here's the official descriptions from DC/Wildstorm:

#4 & 5"He's broken back into Division to help free his fellow agents held captive there, and now Ezra and his new band of rogue psychics must derail a plot to ignite an international incident – one so devious it could force even more power into Division's grasp. Having learned the secrets of Division's sordid past and its nefarious plans for the future, Ezra and company must determine a way to shut Division down for good. The prequel to the upcoming motion picture continues! "

The link on issue #4 will take you to the page giving the issue details and you can download some preview artwork if you're interested. Again, I'll probably check these out once the story is finished and give my views on the whole set.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Vol. 2 $14.99 (or $11.24 at Amazon right now)

Not much to say on this, just not my cup o' tea, but here's the official description from DC/Wildstorm:

"Leatherface returns with more bloody horror! Collecting CUT #1, ABOUT A BOY #1, BY HIMSELF #1, RAISING CAIN #1-3 and the TEXAS CHAINSAW short story from NEW LINE HORROR ANTHOLOGY #1, this gory volume will have you screaming with delight."

Actually, I take that back, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, as well as Will Pfiefer and Bruce Jones wrote some of these issues, all of them are damn fine comic book writers, so it may be worth checking out eventually.

The X-Files #3 (of 7) $3.50

Another one that was never my bag, as a kid I found the show a bit too creepy and as an adult it all seemed too goofy, but I'm not judging, I actually enjoyed the first film. (And now I'll be lynched by true fans of the show...) Here's the official description:

"Mulder and Scully are sent to San Francisco to investigate a series of murders happening simultaneously throughout the city. But, according to fingerprints and DNA, all are being perpetrated by the same killer. As their investigation takes them into the unknown mysteries of the Chinese underworld, they learn that instead of being the hunters, they have become the hunted."

The link in the issue number at the top will take you to the site and you can download some preview art if you're interested. I gotta say, I am digging that cover by Jim Daly and Tim Bradstreet.

Dark Tower: Treachery #5 (of 6) $3.99

Marvel's comic adaption of Stephen King's fantasy epic continues:

"In the midst of Gilead’s coming of age party for Roland and his ka-tet, the treacherous Walter O’Dim and the Good Man John Farson have enlisted Steven Deschain’s wife, Gabrielle, in a deadly scheme to assassinate Gilead’s ruler. Once Deschain has been removed, the path to Maerlyn’s Grapefruit will open wide for the Crimson King and his minions to reclaim the nightmare-seeing sphere and plunge all of Mid World into chaos."

Another one I haven't been following...Marvel does have a pretty cool page that encompasses stuff on all their Dark Tower projects if you're interested in the comics though. This issue has two variant covers, proving that absolutely no one learned anything from the 90s comic book market.

The Stand: Captain Tripps #5 (of 5) $3.99

Another Marvel/King project that will take time to finish. I did love the book, I might have to check out the comics. Here's the issue rundown:

"The violently contagious superflu Captain Trips has now encompassed the entire country in its deadly embrace and there’s no turning back. America is rapidly becoming a country of the sick...the dead...the damned. Against that ever-darkening backdrop, Randall Flagg, the Walking Dude, the Dark Man, at long last saunters into this, the climactic chapter of the first volume of Marvel's acclaimed adaptation of Stephen King's horror classic. Abandon hope all ye who enter here... "

Also available at your local comic shop:

Red Sonja Annual #1

Buckaroo Banzai Big Size #1

Sheena: Dark Rising #3

Xena vs Army of Darkness: What Again? #4

Aplogies for the lack of details on these, most of the publisher's web sites aren't very user friendly, and, well, I'm not going to spend hours tracking down images and descriptions.

You can, however, find all these books and more at your local comic book shop. Don't know where that is? well, just go here and type in your zip, and viola!

I bet you guys didn't think there would be much in the way of music or audio when it comes to comics. Well, outside of soundtracks. You guessed wrong!

Graphic Audio has apparently released audion versions of some DC Comics based novels that were published back in 2004. The CD's came out a few months back, but these two showed up on Diamond's release list for the week, so I just had to report on them:

The Flash: Stop Motion

Here's Amazon's rundown of the story:

"As The Flash, Wally West may be struggling to find his place within the ranks of the JLA, but he knows he has one great advantage over every trial he has ever faced: he is the Fastest Man Alive. Now, for the first time, he has met his match. A scientist has created something that can move even faster than Wally Westand it's killing people in Keystone City. Forced to battle the one foe who can truly stay one step ahead of him, The Flash soon learns that the consequences of the creature's actions reach far beyond Keystone and threaten the future itself with annihilation."

The second one is Wonder Woman: Mythos

Here's what they say about it:

"Mysterious events in the Bermuda Triangle propel Wonder Woman on a desperate search for the truth behind the disappearance of a diver near Themyscira, home of the legendary Amazons. But her discovery of a mirror island--one populated entirely by men--sets events in motion that ultimately cause the Justice League to come into conflict with a figure from Wonder Woman's own mythological past. But is she powerful enough to save them?"

Apparently they're part of a Justice League series that includes upcoming Green Lantern audio book, already released Batman and Superman audio books and a Justice League audio book. Graphic Audio has also produced adaptions of DC's 52 and Infinites Crisis. I'm definitely interested in checking these out. If you are too, check out Graphic Audio's DC section, where you can order MP3 versions of them relatively cheap (as well as preview the material), or just look 'em up on Amazon!

There's some video game releases this week as well!

Afro Samurai , out on the PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms ($69.99); Coraline, available on the Nintendo DS and PS2 and Wii. I'm not sure if the game is essentially the same on all three platforms. I plan on tracking down some reviews on them and I'll post links to those as soon as I find them.

That about covers it for the week, but there's more than enough there to keep anyone busy for months, so go out (or just make with the clickity) and spend some dough on something geeky, and of course, enjoy it!

Side Note: The spacing of this post may be a bit off while I get used to blogging again, you'll just have to forgive me!

Mission Statement

I guess every new venture needs one of these, so here's mine:

This is a blog about media and comics, particularly where the two meet. Television, film, music, toys, video games, books, the internet and any other obscure thing I happen to run across. Mostly what you'll find is me talking about the latest comic-to-film DVDs or TV shows that are either out or in the works; news, views and the like, me talking about whatever cool toy line/figure I run across, comics-related game I just played or some weird comic-related thing I found on the web...or in an aisle at Wal-Mart. In reverse, though, you'll also see me talk about the occasional tv show/movie/video game that's found its way into comics


I'm sure there will be the occasional off topic post and even an actual comic book discussion now and again. So, sit back, and hopefully enjoy yourself! And by occasional I probably mean frequent.