Brad's Week in Dork! (11/10/13-11/16/13)

I took it easy this week.  Nothing too exciting or revolutionary was consumed.  The best bits involved John Carpenter and everybody's favorite inmate.  I cranked out one new film from 2013 (too bad it was a meh), and our latest meeting of The Ultimate Justice League of Extraordinary Graphic Novel Book Club was a rip roaring success.  Still, I will have to do much better next week.  (Pssst...since this is going up several days late, I can tell you that next's week's entry is waaaaaaaay better.  Two words - Fantastic Fest!).

Ain't Them Bodies Saints:  Not quite Bonnie & Clyde or Badlands, this tale of outlaw romance is too one sided to claim kinship with superior films, but director David Lowery certainly seems intent on imposing Terrance Mallick's self-important lingering eye on the characters and setting.  After several years of incarceration, Casey Affleck escapes the state pen in a mad dash to reunite with his wife and daughter.  Rooney Mara hides too much emotion, and the question of her undying love for Affleck is more frustrating than compelling.  If I liked anything about this wannabe Texas Noir, it's the side players.  Ben Foster stretches beyond his usual rage fueled persona, and actually captures a sadsack with his portrayal of Deputy Wheeler, lost in the gaze of the equally lovelorn Mara.  And of course I love Keith Carradine playing a scumbag cowboy of yesteryear.  If the film actually took his point of view than maybe I would have given a damn about the plot.

Man of Steel:  There is so much that I love about this film - the birth of Kal-El, the destruction of Krypton, Russell Crowe's badass space daddy, and yes, the third act nonstop devastation of Metropolis.  But there is also so much that I hate about this film - Michael Shannon's screaming Zod, the nonstop shaky cam, and Pa Kent's desperate fear for his alien son.  Still, I was quick to snatch up the blu ray this week and it's looks gorgeous in high definition.  You will believe a man can fly.  Then I watched the Honest Trailer.  Yikes.  "...this is the reboot for you psycho."  The Screen Junkies have a special ability to cut to the quick of Blockbuster Idiocy, and their latest Man of Steel ribbing just might be the most brutally accurate attack yet.  Funny as hell too.  Man of Steel is not garbage, but it's also not The Dark Knight it so desperately want to be - Snyder certainly doesn't understand or appreciate the differences between DC Comics's flagship characters.  Which is not only a shame, but utterly pathetic when you think of how Marvel Studios seems to have cracked the nut of not just their Avengers, but the god damn Rocket Raccoon.  Madness.

Thor - The Dark World:  Coming off my Man of Steel rewatch, I'm even more impressed with the universe building going on at The House of Ideas.  This God of Thunder sequel certainly doesn't reach the heavens like The Avengers or even Iron Man 3, but I really appreciate the adventurous spirit of this science-fiction fantasy.  Space Ships and Lasers and Elves Oh My!  Marvel Studios doesn't seem interested in elevating the super hero genre, only in establishing it's comic book roots into the multiplexes.  Are the films as good as the funny pages?  Not yet.  But we're well on our way.

Escape From New York:  "You gonna kill me now, Snake?"  Kurt Russell does Clint Eastwood in yet another faux Western from John Carpenter, and its a masterpiece of 80s machismo.  Escape From New York manages to walk the line of camp and super cool TNT.  It's the 1990s.  America has gone to pot.  Manhattan has been transformed into a maximum security prison to house the very worst of its home grown scum.  Murderers, Rapists, Cab Drivers.  When Air Force One crash lands behind the walls, Lee Van Cleef's warden can think of only one thing to do - send in celebrity outlaw Snake Plissken to take down Isaac Hayes's overlord and retrieve POTUS.  Sure, that makes sense.  Everyone might think he's dead, but Kurt Russell's Snake is very much alive as he dispatches a cadre of freaks - my favorite being the shark toothed Frank Doubleday.  Man,  that dude is scary.  Escape From New York is packed with great supporting players like Harry Dead Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, and Donald Pleasance.  None of them get terrible amounts of screen time, but all seem to take great pleasure in chewing the scenery.  "You're the Duke!  You're A Number Onnnnnnnnne!!!!!"  Seriously, if you've been watching movies for more than a decade than hopefully you already know the giddy joys of John Carpenter's Escape From New York.  Gosh, why they attempted to retread this script in LA is beyond me, but I'm ready for a proper sequel.

The Fog:  "Something did happen once."  That quote pretty much sums up my feelings for this Carpenter misstep.  I dig the opening campfire spook story, but the actual plot involving pirate ghosts in the mist is real dullsville.  Tom Atkins costars without his mustache and that's probably the first mistake in a string of them.  The other big one being the leading lady split between Adrienne Barbeaux's DJ Mama and Jaime Lee Curtis' mop-topped drifter.  The film never seems happy with its direction, jumping from scene to scene, and providing a kill when the filmmakers have no clue on what to do next.  Dean Cundey's cinematography is typically moody, and you can never hate on a John Carpenter score, but The Fog never finds its footing and none of the actors seem too bothered to be there.  Scream Factory goes all in with the blu ray, but all the special features in the world can't save this snooze.

Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang:  Check out Matt's review for a little more depth, but I found this dueling graphic novel to be exceptional.  The first book follows China's Boxer Rebellion from the point of view of young Bao, a child who's fatherly hero worship is wrecked when Pop is horrendously beaten at the hands of "foreign devils."  Under the tutelage of Red Lantern Chu & Master Big Belly, Bao is possessed by the gods of China and leads a revolution against those that would enslave their land and culture.  What begins as a Kung Fu romp quickly turns to stomach churning genocide.  The second book, Saints, explores The Boxer Rebellion from the point of view of young Four-Girl.  A child cursed by her family by simply being alive.  Her quest for Devilhood and familial banishment eventually brings Four-Girl into the not-so-open arms of Christianity as well as the confused spirit of Joan of Arc.  Not the happiest of comic books, I was surprised to discover that everyone in our Graphic Novel Book Club loved the dueling stories...but not for the same reasons.  And as such, Boxers & Saints turned out to be one of our more successful discussions and I would recommend it to anyone looking beyond the capes & spandex of the four color form.

CBGB:  If you loved Randall Miller's Bottle Shock or Noble Son than you'll love this follow up.  The problem is that you didn't love either of those movies, you just thought they were o.k.  So is CBGB.  It's always fun to see Alan Rickman in a starring turn, and his Hilly Krystal is a fun bit of morose enthusiasm.  And I guess its cool to see Malin Akerman as Deborah Harry or Rupert Grint as Cheetah Chrome.  But if Punk music is more than just The Sex Pistols to you than you'll probably role your eyes a bunch during the film's run time.  Painfully slight, but not the worst way to kill 90 minutes.

--Brad

Dork Art: Bigode Ideias's Big Trouble In Little China

Coming hot of the heels of his Escape From New York print, Bigode Ideias unleashes his floating head tribute to my second favorite John Carpenter film Big Trouble In Little China.  I'd certainly snatch the six demon bag and slap this on the side of the Porkchop Express.

--Brad

Dork Art: Escape From New York

I'm about halfway through my Martin Scorsese-a-thon and I'm already thinking that John Carpenter is gonna be my next director obsession.  Having devoured They Live twice already this year, and thumping my car stereo with the Assault on Precinct 13 soundtrack, my brain is simply ready for his pop cowboy aesthetic.  Anyway, it's late at night and I just stumbled upon this kickass dork art from Big Ode Ideias.  Bravo sir, you gotta em all in there.

--Brad

Dork Art: 80s Heroes

Artist Guillaume Singelin tackles classic 80s Heroes as brought to us by the twisted brains of John Carpenter, Ridley Scott, & James Cameron.  There is certainly a lot of manga influence here, but I also see a hefty bit of Dr. Seuss as well.  And the coloring feels like a Dan Hipp drawing.  Whatever the case, I dig em.

--Brad

Dork Art: Randy Ortiz's The Thing

We're too little too late on this one.  Randy Oritz's Mondo Thing print went on sale yesterday and sold out in the typical seconds.  So we'll  either have to hit ebay and spend far too much damn money, or just enjoy the jpeg.  It's a real beauty, and I'm always pleased to see artists put their own spin on my favorite Carpenter flick.  I'm real dang sad that DC didn't get it's Alamo until this year, cuz I would have loved to have seen The Thing on the big screen as it was part of last year's Summer of 82.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll check it off my big screen bucket list some day.

--Brad

A Fistful of Road Rage! (Brad's Picks)

The Fast and The Furious franchise has to be one of the few cinematic endeavors in which each subsequent film gets better and better.  Sure, dumber and dumber too but dang!  Justin Lin knows how to string together some serious vehicular slaughter.  And when he added The Rock into that volatile mix of blood, bullets, & octane he hit upon something epically macho and utterly bro.  This series is a goof.  And I didn't start to pay attention until Mr. Johnson hopped on board, but as I've spent most of this past week prepping for Friday's Furious 6 release, I've found quite a bit of fun in the over-the-top absurdity of the Lin trilogy...soon to be quadrilogy!  To celebrate this mondo gonzo action saga, here are my top five favorite moments of Road Rage!

5.  Bonus Points (Death Race 2000):  Set in the far flung future of 2000 AD, the American government and the world's religions have crashed into each other forming The Bipartisan Party.  To keep the masses in line and glued to their television sets, The Party hosts an annual Transcontinental Road Race in which celebrity combatants like David Caradine's Frankenstein and Sylvester Stallone's Machine Gun Joe crash & smash their way to a gory finish line.  As much fun as it is to watch these gladiators go up against each other, the real hateful blood lust commentary comes from the Bonus Round.  Along the way if they hit innocent bystanders each driver is given a few extra points towards their victory.  Special Bonuses are awarded to dead children & the elderly.  Yes, before Grand Theft Auto there was Death Race 2000.  A real sick puppy, but funny as heck if you're blessed with a dark heart.

4. Open Season on the L.A. Freeway (L.A. Story):  Steve Martin's struggles in the land of weird are painful in their comedic attack, but no scene is as uncomfortable or as a accurate than the First Day of Spring in Los Angeles.  Martin's wacky weatherman with delusions of grandeur finds himself trapped on the LA Freeway, and his petty arguments must take a break for gunplay.  Thankfully he's got his revolver in the glove box and he can fend for himself as those around him discharge their hate upon his car.  Damn funny, but real sick humor.

3.  Popeye Doyle's Train Chase (The French Connection):  You can't talk about car chases without talking about the granddaddy of them all.  Gene Hackman's narcotics cop attempts to pursue a suspect after he's boarded the New York Subway.  The Detective nearly kills half a dozen people as he rams his Pontiac through garbage dumps and takes to sidewalks.  The brilliance is not the chase itself, but how it represents Doyle's reckless anger; all he has in life is the pursuit and it really doesn't matter what good or bad comes from it.

2.  Stuntman Mike's Collision Course (Death Proof):  As the second half of the ambitious Grindhouse, Death Proof is easily my least favorite entry in Quentin Tarantino's directorial canon (yes, that includes Four Rooms & that episode of CSI he helmed), but the one thing its got going for itself is that horrendous crackup at the center of the film.  While terrorizing Rose McGowan in the passenger seat, Kurt Russel's Stuntman Mike drives his tricked out death machine right into oncoming traffic.  His victim, the self centered Jungle Julia & her drunk cronies.  Tires go through faces, legs are ripped from windows, glass cuts through throats.  It is withoutadoubt the most graphic car crash ever put on screen. And it's essential viewing for driver's ed classes everywhere. Grisly, nasty stuff.

1.  Mad Max's Decoy (The Road Warrior):  You could easily snatch 6 or 7 great moments of road rage from this film or the original Mad Max, but the king daddy of tarmac warfare has to go to Lord Humungus' climactic tanker assault.  It is a breakneck chase, with Max behind the wheel attempting to swerve villains off the road and jamming his shotgun in their faces when they get to close to the bucket.  Director George Miller is a madman himself, putting his camera right up on the whiplashing action and at any moment the viewer feels like they too could plummet to their own road rashing death.

--Brad

Dork Art: Mike Mitchell's Mondo Portrait Gallery

A few days ago I posted my Week in Dork with a header image provided by Mike Mitchell's Django Unchained portrait.  It's a striking piece of art that's only just a portion of the Mondo Gallery show currently on exhibit in Austin, Texas.  Ah, to live in that hipster paradise....sigh.  I can only hope that some of these appear as prints at this year's SPX cuz I desperately want to put the above Dredd shot in my bathroom.  Why, the bathroom?  Not sure, exactly.  Above the toilet, keeping watch, disapproving Karl Urban.  Just seems right.

--Brad

Movie Review: The Thing

    A flying saucer heading toward the Earth.  An American science research post in Antarctica.  A Swedish (Norwegian!) helicopter chasing a dog across the ice.  Winter rolling in.  Thus begins one of the best horror movie, and a darned fine science fiction movie, ever filmed.  Like Alien, the movie takes its time, introducing the cast and giving them each a little moment or two to establish personality.  A sizable cast of character actors, with a few especially strong stand-outs lend the film a credibility that grounds the cosmic madness laying in wait.

    Though originally conceived as a remake of the 50s film, The Thing From Another World, John Carpenter helmed what became a ground-up, serious adaptation of the inspirational short story ‘Who Goes There?’ by John W. Campbell Jr.  It gets much more into the concept of the original story, keeps several characters, and captures its atmosphere in ways the 50s film (awesome, though it is) never did.  And man, the movie drips in atmosphere.  The sequence where Mac and Copper explore the Norwegian camp is beautiful and disturbing.  The quiet shots of the American camp dial the paranoia right up.  The oppressive snow storm and ever-present cold lend natural danger to moments tinged with unnatural evils.

    The script is crackerjack, with the actors all in top form.  Interplays between various men produce moments both funny and disquieting.  Touching and terrifying.  As they begin to realize the true danger of the Thing, friendships and loyalties are tested and the breakdown of civility and trust is as frightening as any monster.  Even the people who have been turned might not know they’ve been turned.  Copies so perfect they don’t even know (at least not consciously) they’re copies until their alien nature asserts itself.  Nasty.  There are so many classic moments.  Of course, the dog creature, the head falling from the table only to sprout legs and walk away, Wilford Brimley’s axe wielding Down Home Freak-Out, Mac with the dynamite, and Garry tied to that f*&%ing couch.  And man, every moment Wilford Brimley is on screen is amazing.  He goes for it.  Everyone goes for it, but Brimley goes the distance like nobody’s business.  He lives that part, and it’s awesome.  His disgusted autopsy, his complete meltdown, his noose shadowed apology.  All great.  I guess Kurt Russell is the star of the film, though it feels more like an ensemble.  Always a solid, workman actor, Russell and director Carpenter had by this point established an excellent working relationship.  He manages to play a practical, grounded guy who can still keep cool during unprecedented situations.  In some ways, the character feels the closest to Russell himself.  He’s not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he shows up, he does his job, and does it well.  He doesn’t have the academic skills, but practical experience out the wahoo.

    The effects hold up for a reason.  The practical effects were bold and ground breaking, and still look better 30 years later than most CGI done today.  It has a realness, a physicality that fools even your reptile brain like CG still rarely can.  The use of multiple styles of effects goes a long way.  Puppets, stop motion, matte paintings, etc.  Great stuff.  I do wish there had been a bit more of the previous forms the Thing might have taken.  The dialog, and the original story point to some possibilities that could have been pretty cool to see.

    Excellent cast, effects, cinematography, and script are made that much better by the haunting, pulsing score by Ennio Morricone, which matches Carpenter’s own musical style so well.  It’s not flashy, but like the Thing itself, it gets inside you.  Morricone helps set the inevitable, apocalyptic tone.  It might just be the final beats of the human heart, before Mankind is brought low by a corrupting alien menace.

    This review ended up being hard to write.  Not at all because I didn’t have enough to say, but because I have a hard time not talking about it.  I think the film is probably both John Carpenter’s and Kurt Russell’s best, though not my favorite (Big Trouble in Little China likely takes that award).  And The Thing may well be one of those very rare perfect films.  It’s certainly close.  A simple essay doesn’t seem like nearly enough to sing the film’s well deserved praises.

-Matt

Brad's Week In Dork! (11/4/12-11/10/12)

This was another comics heavy week; the first half of which was mostly spent marathoning my way through the entire series of Mike Mignola & John Arcudi's BPRD.  Soooooooooo goooooooood.  I really can't stress how fantastic this series is, but I'm gonna try really hard.  If you like comics at all and are not reading BPRD than you are missing out on one of the truly great titles this wonderful medium has to offer.  I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, BPRD spits in the face of the Big Two comic companies and shows that narratives can progress - characters can die and stay dead, there is consequence for these fictional creations.  I do love me some cape on cape violence, but Marvel & DC could learn a lot from the work being done inside BPRD....at least the Ultimate Universe sure could.

The big movie of the week was obviously Skyfall.  I watched it one morning before work, found a ticket on the floor, and went back for a second helping.  As of this writing, I've actually seen the film four times now and I can safely say that it is my favorite Bond flick of the Daniel Craig era - screw what Matt says.  But more on that later.

BPRD - Plague of Frogs Hardcover Volume 2:  In the previous Deluxe Hardcover you got some pretty good monster books from writer Mike Mignola (& Christopher Golden on The Hollow Earth).  But it's in this collection where BPRD kicks it up a notch, and by the concluding Black Flame chapter you will be utterly in love with this apocalyptic series.  John Arcudi joins the writing team with The Dead & he introduces one of the most sad, pathetic, and badass characters in comics - Benjamin Daimio.  He also starts to work in some wonderfully pulpy history with characters like the titular Black Flame & Memnan Saa, who is totally not Fu Manchu.  The Frog War is no longer contained and the Planet Earth will never be the same again.  But BPRD is just just about planet shattering devastation, Arcudi & Mignola continue to craft brilliantly unique new characters as well as packing new depths to old stand-bys like Abe & Liz.  Seriously, who would have though reading Seed of Destruction way back when that there would be so much narrative to tread with the fish man and the fire starter?  Certainly, not me.

BPRD - Plague of Frogs Hardcover Volume 3:  Sometimes dead is just dead.  That's what The Universal Machine (the first chapter in this volume) is all about - letting go of the ones you love.  Despite what the X-Men may have taught us, The Phoenix does not always rise from the ashes.  In Book 2, Garden of Lost Souls, we learn the truth to Abe Sapien's origins...or at least some of the truth.  It also has the coolest batch of Victorian Cyborgs you'll ever see and it seriously messes up Johann's life path.  That poor bastard.  And finally, in the Killing Ground, the team comes face to face with Benjamin Daimio's Jaguar God.  Right now, 100 issues into the series, and they're still dealing with the aftershocks of this tragic event.  Plus, Daryl the Windigo.  My favorite "new" character in comics is this family man turned Canadian Big Foot.  Guy Davis scores big points for that blood beard design.

Viva Las Vegas:  My first Elvis movie.  Honestly, that shocks me.  Growing up I was (and am) a huge fan of his music.  But I just never sought out his cinematic work.  That's gotta change.  Thanks to Matt forcing this film onto me, I experienced wonderful bewilderment at the sight of Ann-Margret's open-mouthed, spastic pulse dancing to the tunes of Mister Presley.  Elvis plays a stock car racer foolishly gambling his way into The Big Race while Ann-Margaret's swim coach attempts to distract his one-track mind with...again - open mouthed, spastic pulse...dancing?  It's a fascinating watch and I feel like Viva Las Vegas is this weird portal into Pop Culture's Past.  This is what "Cool" looked like in 1964 and it makes me feel...funny.

Dude, Where's My Car?:  And this is what "genius" looked like in the year 2000.  Ok, ok.  I know what you're saying: "But Brad, Dude Where's My Car? is a terrible film."  WRONG.  It's utterly amazing and it's a film I hold close to my heart.  Back in December of 2000 I saw this theatrically as part of a self-inflicted double feature with Apocalypse Now Redux and my life has never been the same since.  This science-fiction stoner classic follows the misadventures of Jesse & Chester after a wild night of partying with intergalactic nordic dudes.  It's The Hangover, only more whacked out and filled with "lop sop doy," Chinese Fooooooooood, and Fabioriffic cameos.  You may not understand my love of this film, but I don't want you to.  Either join the club or join Andy Dick in Brent Spiner's dungeon.  After all, "It's A Breakdancing Stripper Emergency!"

BPRD - Plague of Frogs Hardcover Volume 4:  The Frog War comes to an end, but that's no positive (see Hell on Earth for proof).  Here we get the ghost of Lobster Johnson vs. his arch-nemesis Memnan Saa but who's the bad guy here?  More history is explored via the living mummy Panya and geriatric soldiers of The Claw, which leads to Johann's showdown in Shangri-La, and the final holocaust under the crust of Munich, Germany.  The King of Fear is a tremendous payoff for this series, but it's really just another brick in the sorrow of this ongoing series.  It might always be darkest before the dawn but I see very little bright spots for the future of The Bureau.

BPRD - Hell on Earth New World:  The World is Ending...or at least the Human Race's reign on the world.  And that's not just a hook.  That's a fact.  BPRD is the ultimate experience in End Times fiction.      But as stated previously, there's still time for character development.  Despite giant monstrosities towering over The Salton Sea and the world's general unrest, we get another personal story here with Abe Sapien travelling north in search of Big Foot...or is that Daryl the Windigo...or something else.  I'm not saying.  But if you've read through the series this far you know the answer is gonna be another tear jerker.

BPRD - Hell on Earth Gods & Monsters:  Back to the holocaust.  A volcano erupts under Texas.  Big bad crab creatures crawl outta the Earth.  And a teenage girl predicts further devastation.  But what's it all got to do with the fish guy?  Nothing good.  Abe Sapien gets his own Hellboy-like destiny and Agent Devon steps into the forefront of The Bureau.  As interesting as these X-Files can be, sometimes I find these average joes to be the most interesting characters in the book.

BPRD - Hell on Earth Russia:  I love you Guy Davis.  I really do.  And BPRD will always be your baby (along with Mike Mignola & John Arcudi), but this is my favorite book since the Hell on Earth relaunch and artist Tyler Crook was the perfect guy to follow in Davis footsteps.  No longer America's problem, the BPRD under supervision of the United Nations, travels to Russia to aid they're paranormal division.  We meet another potentially catastrophic character in sludgy Director Nichayko (who apparently first appeared in the Abe Sapien mini, The Abysmal Plain which I need to read soon).  His relationship with Johann is ripe with dread and I see it potentially taking our favorite psychic down a very dark path...one he's been on since Killing Ground.  And yeah, we also get another character from BPRD's past and she get's a containment suit of her own as well.

BPRD - Hell on Earth The Devil's Engine & The Long Death:  The first chapter is a decent enough story, with Agent Devon attempting to bring teenage wasteland Fennix back to BPRD headquarters.  Good luck navigating those crab creatures in Texas.  But it's Johann's quest for revenge (or is it redemption) in The Long Death that has the most meaty emotion.  Plus it's got more Daryl The Windigo and the best use of a moose corpse ever.  But really both stories just serve as downtime until we get to the next arc, The Return of the Master.  Dun. Dun. Dunnnnnnn.

Soldier:  This is really the only film I flat-out-like from director Paul WS Anderson.  Sure, Event Horizon has its moments and the Resident Evil films are there own special brand of fun, but I genuinely dig Soldier.  And most of that's my Kurt Russell love talking.  I just love his silent warrior, Todd.  The poor mook's just a sad little puppy dog looking for a new home.  Connie Nielsen's as good a master as Gary Busey, right?  Definitely a kinder hand than Jason Isaacs.  I wish we'd been granted the serious sci-fi epic that the screenplay once promised, but I'll take the cheese we get.  This might not be Blade Runner but there's a taste of grandness to this film that you don't often get these days in this genre.

Deadpool #1:  I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this book.  I've been a long time head-scratcher when it's come to the character of Deadpool.  I remember when he first appeared in New Mutants and I thought, here's another lame ass villain.  But in the nearly fifteen years since his first appearance, Deadpool has taken on a status of cool that I just don't understand.  He's a wise-cracker, and I generally hate wise-crackers.  But this book is a goof.  After some crazy ex-S.H.I.E.L.D agent raises the magical corpses of United States Presidents, the government comes looking for 'Pool to take down these pun-loving abominations.  After all, we can't have Captain America decapitating zombie Harry S. Truman on the front page of USA Today.  Bwa Huh?  And don't even get me started about Taft, his bathtub, his rubber duck, or his fried chicken.  Deadpool looks to be a pretty jokey book and I usually hate jokey books but there were enough chuckles here for me to continue at least through issue 2.

Iron Man #1:  This is the first Marvel Now book that I just did not like.  I'm so tired of Greg Land's art. I don't understand his fans.  All his characters look like characters he's drawn in the past.  And his smiley Tony Stark is kinda gross to look at.  But my main problem with the book is the seemingly been-there-done-that A.I.M. plot revolving around Extremis.  I mean, how on Earth do these guys still exist in a world where The Avengers can take down Galactus?  You'd think S.H.I.E.L.D. would mop them up by now.  Oh yeah, Status Quo Comics has to keep them around!

Daredevil - End of Days #2:  Ben Urich continues his investigation into the death of Daredevil.  Not a lot of answers here, but I wouldn't expect them just two issues in.  We get a little trip down Matt Murdock's demented love life with both Milla and...well, I don't want to spoil the last couple of pages but you could probably guess.  No sight of the shadowy figure from the final page of issue one, though.  Curious to see where Bendis takes us.

Stumptown #3:  I'm reading this book but I'm not really invested in this book.  The Baby in the Velvet Case has been found and by the end of this issue it will be back with its rightful owner.  But now we've got skin heads and meth to deal with, so I'm guessing we're gonna finally start to get into life & death matters here.  But so far, I just don't find this mystery all that mysterious.  I've liked Rucka in the past but Stumptown feels rather blase.  

Detective Comics #14:  John Layman's Batman might not be as flashy as Scott Snyder's but I'm enjoying this trip through Bats' rogue's gallery.  Sure, it all feels a little too Hush but I really enjoyed the appearance of Poison Ivy's dirtbag husband.  And I thought Batman's mental battle against Ivy's mind control to be compelling; not sure if his struggle with the poison has ever been handled this way before. 

Shadowman #1:  DAMN.  I loved the first half of this book.  But I gotta admit that once the new chosen one was introduced in the second half I was a little bit disappointed.  The father character is certainly a badass and his offspring is a little too welpy.  Still there's is tremendous potential here and if it's at all like the other new Valiant relaunches, there will be plenty of fun to be had.  Plus, who doesn't love voodoo?

Avengers vs X-Men Hardcover:  Ugh.  Yep.  Not good.  I got one question for you, Marvel?  Why have your last batch of Event Books been rehashes of the Hero vs Hero showdowns?  Civil War, Secret Invasion, AvX.  Each one has been another exploitation on Nerd Fantasizing: "Who Would Win In A Fight Between Hulk vs Thing...Wolverine vs Namor...Thor vs. Colossus."  Really, who cares?  It's a concept I'm so over.  And tying this to the Phoenix Force?  Is there any more played out concept in comics?  Don't think so.  It didn't help that I've been reading BPRD all week, but this just felt like one of the most boring ideas out there.  Sure, it leaves the Marvel Universe in a very interesting place - thanks to Cyclops turned Magneto but the good reads are in Marvel Now and certainly not this $75 Event Book.  And getting CM Punk for the introduction is the biggest indicator at the quality within.  Give me a break.

Skyfall:  This sealed the deal.  Daniel Craig is my favorite James Bond.  Don't worry, From Russia With Love is still my favorite Bond film and Sean Connery will always be the Alpha and the Omega, but Daniel Craig is the beast I want Bond to be and Skyfall is the pinnacle of his adventures as 007 so far.  Sam Mendes proves that he was indeed an inspired choice as director and he brings a steady camera to the expected choppy action of Quantum of Solace (a film I enjoy much more than most apparently).  Along with that steady camera, he brings a painter's eye in cinematographer Roger Deakins.  There are moments on the Scottish Moors and the skyscrapers of Shanghai that I'd frame on my wall.  And then there's Javier Bardem's blonde monstrosity.  Holy Cow!  He's scary.  But scary in that way only a terribly sad, pathetic, reject can be -- And I love how James Bond is just an annoying pest in his Wrath of Khan revenge against Judi Dench's M!  He's so frustrated with this silly 00.  He has a climactic facial moment that had me reeling in both comedy and horror...and he may be my new favorite Bond villain...  Ok.  I could just be high right now.  But I love it.  And I want to keep the Skyfall high.  I want to keep going back for more.  That's something special, especially in this year of constant disappointment and mediocre cinema.  Here's to 50 more years of classy chauvinistic espionage.

--Brad