Friday's Five

Didn't get to write that post on toys and collectibles, but it's coming, I promise, as well as some Smallville talk, since the show made it's very anti-climactic return last night. For now though,

Five Favorite TV Shows Based on Comic Strips

Yeah, it's not a big list, so narrowing down to "Five Favorite" isn't a huge chore, but it's bigger than you'd think once you start looking at them all.

5. Garfield and Friends

I remember this show being one of my favorites as a kid, and when the DVDs hit I picked them up and was surprised how well they held up. The humor is mostly juvenile, but with Garfield that's what you get.

4. Dilbert

This is a show I loved based on a strip I never understood.

3. The Boondocks

The amazing thing about this show was how it was able to step outside the strip and establish its own identity. The strip took on culture, the show took down culture.

2. The Peanuts

Better than any other show ever adapted from...anything, this one captures the source material. These characters very much stepped off the page and onto the screen. And they're perfect.

1. The Addams Family

I did say it was a favorite list, and this one is my favorite. The show was so far ahead of its time (they were the first family to have a computer on TV) that I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did. It's hilarious, and I'm ashamed it took me so long to find out how wonderfult it was.

Spinner Rack- 3/11/09

I totally forgot video games last week...not sure there were any, maybe that Watchmen game? Dunno, let's get to it!


The week's biggest release has got to be this 80's gem from your favorite producer and mine, George Lucas:

Howard the Duck

You know, the Amazon description is really pushing it. Towards the end they call it "a hidden treasure the whole family can enjoy." Really? It says Special Edition, but I can't find a list of bonus features. I guess having it on DVD is "special" enough.


Batman Anthology-Blu-ray

Bat-Nipples in high def? I thought this day would never come.


(JAN090245) CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #35 $2.50
(JAN090248 ) SCOOBY DOO #142 $2.50

The Gang faces down zombies and a group of rival mystery solvers. Sounds fun.

(JAN092439) THE STAND AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #1 (OF 5) $3.99
(DEC088100) THE STAND AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #1 (OF 5) LINCOLN TUN VAR $3.99
(DEC082308) THE STAND CAPTAIN TRIPS PREM HC BERMEJO ED $24.99
(DEC082309) THE STAND CAPTAIN TRIPS PREM HC PERKINS LTD ED $24.99

Available exclusively at comic shops...wonderful idea, alienate the audience a bit more Marvel.

(JAN092448) WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #4 (OF 8) $3.99

I really don't think I can wait until this is finished to read this, might have to track down the issues...

(JAN094301) ANGEL AFTER THE FALL HC VOL 03 $24.99 ($17 at Amazon)
(JAN094296) ANGEL BLOOD AND TRENCHES #1 $3.99

(JAN094290) GI JOE #3 $3.99
(JAN094285) GI JOE MOVIE PREQUEL #1 DUKE $3.99

(OCT084048) MAN WITH NO NAME #8 $3.50

I'd like to read this series, I'm a big fan of the movies.

(JAN093992) SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #198 $2.50

(JAN094314) STAR TREK ARCHIVES TP VOL 04 DS9 $19.99 ($14 at Amazon)

(DEC084086) TRANSFORMERS ALL HAIL MEGATRON #8 $3.99

As always, you can find these at your local shop, and if you don't know where that is, just look to the right of this page and make with the clickity.

And, I was right, the Watchmen game came out last week(PS3, 360 & PC), and much like the film it's gotten only so-so reviews. Nothing new this week, unfortunately. Well, not comics related any how.

I've been lax on talking about toys on this blog, I'm gonna try and remedy that tomorrow with a post on some recent toys and statues, and maybe a few other collectibles.

Friday's Five

Almost missed it...


Five Comics I wish were TV Shows

5. Aztek, the Ultimate Man

You know this would be awesome, admit it. Done in the Dini/Timm animated style of course, no live action.

4. Y, the Last Man

It's truthfully the only way to go with this, screw a movie, and forget Shia. Drop it on Showtime or HBO, or even better, FX. You'd just have to edit the cursing a bit. And the boobs.

3. Deadpool

Another animated program, get Nolan North back to do the voice and violence it up. He stole the show in Hulk vs.

2. Castle Waiting

Okay, so I'm stuck in "animated" mode, but this really wouldn't work any other way. It would be like the Princess Bride, only better and weekly.

1. Preacher

The greatest comic book of all time? Gets my vote. I'd like to see a very literal adaptation of this (and Y the Last Man) taking each issue and making it an episode. Cast unknowns (basically) and air it on HBO.

Okay, time for Dollhouse!

Post-Watchmen Kneejerk Reaction

Better than V for Vendetta, but not as good as LXG.









I'm totally kidding.



It wasn't bad, actually, it was pretty good. Probably as close to the book as we could ever hope. Sounds weird saying this about a story involving masked heroes and vigilantes looking to stop the apocalypse, but it didn't have the heart that the book has.



I'll probably go see it again.

Pre-Watchmen Thoughts

Just some random thoughts before I go watch the flick.

Worst case scenario, we get something like The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Best case, we get something slightly better than V for Vendetta. I can see it now, Rorschach to Ozymandias: "I love you."

I'm wonderng/hoping if this could be the start of some big budget alternate history films. The only other one I can think of is Max, with John Cusack.

Now that I think about it, he'd have been a pretty good Comedian. Maybe if the film had been made in the early 90's?

How cool would that be? Starring 80's teen idols the Brat Pack! Judd Nelson as Rorschach! John Cusack as the Comedian! Ally Sheedy as the Silk Spectre! Emelio Estevez as Dr. Manhattan! Anthony Michael Hall as Ozymandias! (Or even better, Kevin Bacon!) Matthew Broderick as the Nite Owl! You could even bring in Kelly LeBrock as the Original Silk Spectre!

That would certainly eplain the link to that 80's Watchmen cartoon trailer.

I always wanted David Caruso to play Rorschach, since, you know, he's dead inside as well.

Why is it that everything Jeffrey Dean Morgan is in he plays a dead guy? Supernatural, Greys Anatomy, Weeds...

So, we've gotten the Dark Knight, Watchmen and we'll have Wolverine soon...I guess we need a good, dark Punisher movie to round out comics violent past. Oh wait, they already did that movie...three times...

I really can't believe they're making a video game of the damned thing.

Okay, here we go...

Who Watches the Links?

Who watches the 80's Watchmen animated series? Me, and it's hilarious.

A Sherlock Holmes comic is coming.

So is the first Green Lantern movie.

Harry Knowles on Watchmen.

A look at/review of the Watchmen Motion Comic

Aphrodite IX, coming soon to a theatre near you.

Watchmen, the EW review.

A Suicide Squad movie?

Nick Fury is the Wolverine of Marvel movies, dude's everywhere.

What's it take to bring the big blue Doc to the screen?

Music that shoulda been on the soundtrack.

Meet the Watchmen. Try not to stare at the Doc's big blue junk.

New title for the new Superman flik?

Smallville Season 9 is a go.

Watchmen images.

Weird Wathcmen merchandise. Scrolling required.

Watchmen apparently was unfilmable, so says this guy.

Another comic to movie project, Welcome to Hoxford.

See Wolverine in a new postage samp sized trailer! Relive the internet from 1992!

Well, at least someone is still talking about Sin City 2.

Coraline=Hellraiser. Okay.

Tales of the Black Freighter talk.

Megan Fox is apparently a closet geek. First Hex, then Aspen.

Confused? Let the cast explain it to you.

I can't believe they said big blue penis.

Even the cast doesn't want a sequel.

The science behind it.

Another review.

Heeere's Jackie.

More Wonder Woman Talk


Spoiler Alert for Smallville fans!!!!!








Via Ausiello at EW:

Question: How about some Smallville news? --D-rick
Ausiello: The Legion will return in the May finale -- in some form. Also, I'm told this season's final two episodes will focus on a manhunt for Chloe and Doomsday.

Spinner Rack- 3/4/09

Big week for comics fans, and I'm shaking things up a bit. It takes a ton of time to post pics and hunt down write ups on issues for comics and movies, so to keep myself from going insane, I'm gonna just link to where you can fins more info, and maybe write a bit about the item if the mood strikes me.

Two big DVD items this week, unfortunately they're the only two.

Wonder Woman

I'm really hopeful about this, and I love Keri Russell, even if it's just her voice. The one thing that bothers me is that it's not higher up on Amazon's pre-ordered list, and they didn't include anything in the way of a description for the DVD. Very odd. It's also available in single disc and Blu-ray versions.


Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic

This ought to be intersting. The few reviews I've read so far have been kind, but really, you gotta wonder about paying 20 bucks to essentially have someone read you a comic book. But, the old Maxx series was essentially the same kind of thing and I enjoyed that. Like everything else these days, it's available in Blu-ray too.

Next up, we've got comics! I'll link to the publisher's site and issue descriptions and even preview pages where I can, and probably to Amazon for any trades listed. As always, the code to the left of the title is Diamond's order number, so if your local shop doesn't have it on hand, give em that number and they can order it for you. Don't know where your local shop is? Look to the right of the page!


DEC080047 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #23 CHEN CVR ......................$2.99 (preview)
DEC080048 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #23 JEANTY CVR ..................$2.99

JAN090259 FRINGE #3 (OF 6) ............................................................$2.99 (preview)
JAN090247 LOONEY TUNES #172 ..............................................................$2.50

JAN092449 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED KIDNAPPED #5 (OF 5) ......................$3.99

OCT084040 ARMY OF DARKNESS #17 ......................................................$3.50

JAN094154 BEN TEN ALIEN FORCE GN VOL 01 BEN 10 RETURNS ........$7.99

SEP083872 CHUCKY VOL 02 #1 (OF 4) ANDY B CVR A/B ............................$3.50

JAN094292 CLASSIC GI JOE TP VOL 02 ..................................................$19.99 ($14 at Amz)

JAN094322 DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS SERIES 2 #4..................................$3.99

NOV083872 FARSCAPE #3 CVR A/B................................................................$3.99

JAN094312 GALAXY QUEST GLOBAL WARNING TP ..............................$19.99 ($14 at Amz)

DEC083884 I AM LEGION #2 (OF 6) CASSADAY MARTIN CVR A/B................$3.50

SEP084195 KOLCHAK TALES ANNUAL #1..................................................$6.50
SEP084196 KOLCHAK TALES ANNUAL #1 KLAUBA VAR SKETCH CVR ..$8.99

DEC084092 TRANSFORMERS REVENGE FALLEN MOVIE PRQ
DEFIANCE #2 ........................................................................$3.99

So, go buy something already!

Meanwhile... (AKA Holy Broken Power Supplies Batman!)

Sorry folks, a broken computer and an empty wallet with which to fix it has kept me off the Internet for a lengthy period. But, finally, all is well, and I can get back to this new endeavor. And, for my first post back I'm gonna discuss the latest episode of Carton Network's Batman:The Brave and the Bold. And awaaaaay we go!

"Deep Cover for Batman"

You can read a full episode description over at TV.com, spoilers abound. If you're not interested in that long of a recap: Batman travels to a parallel Earth disguised as the alternate reality (Read: Evil) version of himself, Owlman! There he infiltrates the Injustice Syndicate and helps the Red Hood (and the Justice Underground) stop their nefarious plot to destroy the world!

Easily the best episode so far, and I say that having fully enjoyed this series from the get-go. When I realized we were getting the animated version of the Crime Syndicate from the comics I have to admit I was pretty giddy with geek glee.

I don't know a ton about the alternate reality versions of DC's superheroes, just that it's a tops-turvy world where they're the bad guys and they kind of run amok. In spirit this animated version is obviously faithful to the original concept, but instead of some of the big DC heroes (Supes, Wonder Woman) we get versions of a number of characters that had previously appeared on the show: Silver Cyclone (Red Tornado), Blue Bowman (Green Arrow), Dyna-Mite (The Atom), Scarlett Scarab (Blue Beetle), Barracuda (Aquaman), Rubber Man (Plastic Man), Pussycat (Wildcat), Blaze (Fire), and Bwanna Brute (Bwanna Beast). Alternately we get previously seen villains from the show posing as the episodes heroes, with one notable exception: The Red Hood.

Until now we have yet to see any of the Bats traditional rogues gallery, the Red Hood is our first glimpse at the Joker. The Joker as a hero, no less. And boy does it work. Viewers not in the know might not catch the sly nod to Bats' most notable foe (I believe he'll be making an appearance in the next episode of this two-parter), but long-time comic fans certainly did. I think seeing this heroic side of the character is certainly going to make watching the maniacal version of the guy heartbreaking. Jeff Bennett as the Red Hood steals the show from the Diedrich Bader voiced Batman, making me want to see a whole series based on this counter-earth with him as the hero.

The show had all kinds of nods to Bat-history as well as what I think might have been a great tip of the cap to their cross town rivals at Marvel. First up, the title of this episode and the next are a nice little nod to the 60's series Adam West show (which, tonally, this show has been doing since day one). The (possible) nod to Marvel comes towards the end of the episode when The Red Hood sends the Syndicate's bomb to the Zombie Earth (no chance of us seeing THAT episode I guess...).

All in all a fantastic episode, and if you can catch the repeat, I highly recommend it.

You can catch a brief glimpse of the episode over at Cartoon Network's site, but only for a limited time!