Before I go on any further, I must make a disclaimer..

I Trade wait.

And I suppose this is the only reason why Fables and Ex Machina had not made their appearances on this list yet. I try very hard not to get any spoilers, so yes, I don’t read the individual issues.

Having said that, brilliant though Fables and Ex Machina might be, I’m wondering if they would be good enough to unseat the best books the awesome Blackest Night and the sometimes brilliant Dark Reign had been serving up so far.

Blackest Night has yet to hit a false note (discounting Blackest Night: Teen Titans, but Teen Titans had not been a heavyweight contender for a very long time), serving up suspense, horror, mystery and superb story telling in fell swoop.

Dark Reign, no matter what critics had been saying, managed to massively shake up the status quo in the Mar-verse. The sheer volume of work and the number of characters shaken up by the mega event is truly mind blowing.

True, some of the not so good (ok, horrible) issues of this mega cross over stinks strongly of geek-xploitation, but even the staunchest critics have to admit that the best issues of Dark Reign features some of the best story telling and intriguing character development in the medium for a very long time.

Which brings us to the 2 contenders for the Comic of the week for the week of 17 Sep.

First up, we have Dark Avengers #9. Nick Fury and his “Caterpillars” seems to be everywhere this month.And in Dark Avengers #9, they had a confrontation with Phobos’ Dad, Ares, the @#$% God of War with his “No @#$%” Axe given by Zeus.

By all accounts, it is an inevitable face off. I mean, Nick Fury all but kidnapped his @#$% kid and pitted him against the Dad. What would’ve turned out to be a mindless slugfest in lesser hands became a real character exploration of the various (ok, Ares and Phobos) characters featured in the issue.

Quite a lot of people had been complaining about how the Dark Avengers series had been missing one crucial ingredient, namely…. The Dark Avengers. The Dark Avengers rarely feature in their own monthly, preferring to pop up in other Dark Reign Titles – to the extend of seeming to have the ability to be at multiple places at the same time ( I am looking at you, Dakan). But I prefer to think of each issue so far as Bendis adding layers to each of the Dark Avengers individually.

Dark Avengers #9 certainly shows Ares to be more than a mindless war mongering piece of meat at Norman Orsbornes’ beck and call.

Contender 2 for this week, is of course, Blackest Night #3. Besides continuing the slug fest between the Black Lanterns with Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, (adding the Ray and Firestorm to the lineup for good measures), this issue shows the first movement of the mysterious Indigo Lanterns.

Below is the cover for Blackest Night #3.

With this, I declare Blackest Night #3 the winner of the Comic of the Week for the week of 17 Sep.

No, you did not miss any paragraphs.

The cover is that Awesome.

Out.

The blockbuster event of this summer.

2 years in the making and featuring a cast numbering in the thousands.

It’s darker. It’s more mature. It’s edgier.

It’s not Harry Potter and the half blood prince.

It is way cooler than HP for the pure and simple reason that it contains zombies!

At least that’s what I think they are…

For a storyline that’s been set up for 2 years and 2 books into the saga, I honestly still can’t tell you exactly what a Black Lantern is.

All I know is that they scare the hell outta me and they are cool as hell.

Geoff Johns is a VERY strong writer for character comics. He single-handedly sparked my interest in the Justice Society of America, a team comprising of relatively old, silver age heroes which should have no business in today’s world whatsoever. They represent a generation of values that just does not make sense anymore. Somehow, he managed to make these old foggies relevant and develop these characters into ones that the reader can care about. No mean feat, considering the membership of the Society is dynamic (at best) and said membership consists of anything from 5 to 50 characters.

He is also really good at rejuvenating old concepts and retelling the mythos of  over powered, over exposed characters like Superman and Green Lantern to make them interesting again. He lifted these characters  from the “fight with the monster of the month” monotonous storylines to something else altogether. Cue the Sinestro Corp War, the War of the Light and New Krypton.

One genre which he never really touched so far is that of Horror and Gore, normally more the niche of writers like Garth Ennis and Jason Aaron.

Geoff Johns’ tales till now might be a little dark and slightly angsty, but they normally end with a message of hope. He’ll even try to show the more humane side of “evil” characters such as Black Adam and even Brainiac, which adds another dimension to their characterization and make them more compelling characters. I don’t think he really believes in Evil for Evil’s sake. Green Lantern #43 and Blackest Night #1 seemed to be proving me wrong as he shows he can out evil and out gore the best of them. Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis was supposed to depict a scenario where evil won and all hope is lost. But seriously, the final scenes of Blackest Night #1 were one of the most “f%& me blind” scenes I’ve seen in a comic for a very long time. It shows how absolute the Black Lanterns’ potential for mischief could be, and Johns is milking it for all that it is worth.

He paints a scenario that seems totally hopeless for the heroes to overcome. Case in point: the scene below.

Which I should probably mention: Spoiler Alert!

Sidenote: Is it me? Or is this Dark/Black theme the “in” thing for the moment? I mean… Marvel is having their Dark Reign event going on too… Certainly makes one wonder about the ideas are coming from…

Just watched this and it got my panties all bunched up… hmmm… ok that might not be the perfect expression but you know what I mean….

SIMPLY AWESOME, right? This is THE comic that started it all for me.

Before Sandman, before Swamp Thing, before Animal Man, there was Alan Moore with his whacked out version of the Justice League. It is a tale that oozes with high concepts of truth, justice and morality. It provides an uncompromising look at the ugliness of humanity, forcing you to look into an abyss and seeing nothing. Yet, at the same time, it demonstrates how much humanity more we can be capable of.

That is why his characters are so bizarre and yet, so easy to identify with. His heroes are poster boys (and girls) of their own brand of insanity who are trying to save the world through their own path of self destruction.

Watchmen was the THE book that taught me comics can be much more than just my Incredible Hulks and X Factors (though those are pretty good too). It is also THE book I’ll impose on anyone who disses comics as a “medium for kids”.

And this was the first Trailer for Watchmen that came out some time back. I believed I made a vow not that long ago to stop watching trailers.

But what the hell, right? This is the WATCHMEN!! Don’t think I’ve anticipated a movie as much since NAAAAACHOOOOOO Libre

It’s about time someone in Hollywood seriously rethinks what the term “based on” means.

I mean, why pay millions of dollars to some already friggin rich comic writer to use the term “based on” in your movie poster when your film have almost NOTHING to do with the source material, right?

I can understand the marketing view point if you’re making shit like “Super Mario” and “Street Fighter” movies. The words “based on” are normally enough to send the fan boys (and girls) (hmmm… not really, girls are generally too smart to watch Super Mario Bros or Street Fighters) packing into the cinemas. But shows like “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” and “Wanted” which have coherent (ok, MOSTLY coherent) and independent storylines should’ve been allowed to stand on their own two feet. It is cheaper and less of a hassle to think up a new name than it is to negotiate the marketing rights, right?

It is almost completely opposite to the Hulk, which pays tribute to the source material and actually rewards fanboys who are able to catch the subtle (and not so subtle) easter eggs in the movie. The only reference I got was the name tag of a certain JG Millar who works in the cubicle next to Wesley’s. (JG Jones and Mark Millar being the creators of the original Wanted) (I HAVE to flaunt this nerd knowledge SOMEWHERE)

So why watch Wanted, you ask?

Well, besides the very obvious reason of the SUPER Sexy Mrs Pitt, Wanted (the movie) is every lil boy’s wet dream come true. Superb Action Sequences? Check. Big Ass Car Chases where a dumpster truck can outrun a Sports car? Check. Logic Flaws the size of bullet exit wounds? Check. Profanities spelled out by broken keyboards and fallen teeth? Check. The Sewing Machine of Fate? (I am totally serious). Check. Curving Bullets Gun Fu? Check. Darth Vadar-ish *SPOILER ALERT* “I am Your Father” moment? CHECK!

Naked back shot of Mrs Pitt? (I REALLY had to add that in again) Check! Check! And Check!

And, ermm… There’s also Morgan Freeman and something resembling a plot.

But like I’ve mentioned. It’s a show that could’ve stood on its own 2 feet. It won’t be a cinema classic anytime soon, but for a summer blockbuster, it would’ve done fine. i mean, after all, there’s a naked shot of Angelina’s back. *drooool*

I am also convinced that THIS

Works waaaaay better than THIS

I’ve finally decided on a “no work when I’m off work” policy.

According to some collegues, that shows a “I couldn’t care less” attitude (a bad thing) and might harm my chances of advancement in the long run (a very bad thing). But my point is what’s the point of excelling at work when you cannot even find time to read? ( a very very bad thing indeed)

Anyway, this is not a bitch about work post but a progress report (Of sorts). It’s not much but ever since I’ve adopted my new policy, I’m slowly but surely making headways into the unread comics pile. (Yes, yes, I still long for the day when I can start a new chapter of a novel without having forgotten what I’ve read the previous time. But let’s just start with graphics and magazines and work up from there) (NOT that there is anything wrong with that of course)

Granted, I’ve been making addition to the pile, I think it’s a happy problem to be spoilt for choice on what to read. (Note to self:I should stop buying books when I still have a stack of unread comics lying around. In my defence, the local bookstore was STILL having their 20% off all merchandise… And Y was out. So there! a reason as valid as any. )

Up next, the Immortal Iron Fist! (I couldn’t help picking it up. that is one mean ass-ly cool title)

Yup, Y will have to wait

I had a friend who was crazy about Ka-zar.

I’m serious.

A male friend who was crazy about Ka-zar and not Shanna or Sheena or whatever she’s called now.

But then we were at the age where we just wanted to be different from the mainstream. My personal poison then were Sandman (still an “obscure” character then), Swamp thing along with more mainstream b,c-listers such as Xman, Maverick and Starman.

We burnt loads of our pitiably little lunch money on these “10 cents funnies” that are neither 10 cents nor as funny when you’re reading with an empty stomach.

Anyway,my point for those of you who has been lost thus far… 2 words.. Secret Invasion!

The Marvel super multi crossover that promises to suck dry the wallets of pimply fan boys and geeky comic nerds all around. But if they’re gonna continue throwing Ka-zar-ish characters into the mix, consider my wallet dry.

Now to reinstate my street cred after that uncharactistic mainstream jabber.

Finally got round to reading Bendis’ “Jinx” as well as Carey’s “Faker”. Jinx is a delightful noir-ish read with 2 con men and one foxy bounty hunter. Peppered with Bendis’ Tarantino-ish dialogue, it’s a joy to read. True, there’s not much in the way of plot twists and the final sequence was a bit outta left field, but still it’s good enough to read based on the dialogues alone.

“Faker” was more of a tryout. Word on the street is mixed with regards to its quality. It’s one of those “either you love it or you hate it” kinda thing. I’m ok with it (see! I’m different!) but think that it reinforces vertigo’s standing in the market of alternative and slightly weird but has a potential to be popular reads. I mean..seriously.. *warning! SLIGHT spoiler* Vomit man?

Here’s another gem that I found online. It’s not TECHNICALLY a comic, but it’s still pretty good. It’s called a Softer World. Some of my favs below:

Enjoy!

I mentioned earlier that I’ve been catching up on my reading since I reached here. Indeed, the first few months were great, finding good, thought provoking literature at ridiculously cheap prices is like a nerd’s wet dream, or so I thought…

See, the downside for all this is that you can ONLY find good, thought provoking literature at ridiculously cheap prices here. It is extremely hard finding good, brain cell destroying, reality escaping novels or comics here (unless you count the numerous Mills and Boons available, but even I am not that desperate yet).

Even if it has not been apparent thus far, and because I am good and kind and wise and smart, I shall spare you guys the ordeal of me waxing lyrical poetry proclaiming my love for the comics.

Long story short, I’ve resorted to satisfying this craving online, and boy, did am I glad I did so. Besides the wonderful xkcd, my latest discovery is this comic called “FISHTOWN”, which is without a doubt one of the most engaging and deeply disturbing read I’ve had in a long long time… in ANY medium.

Great stuff. Check it out if you have the chance and let me know what you think

When I posted the article about XKCD, I didn’t know how popular and crazy they actually are…

A few days after they posted this….

the search results for the term “died in a blogging accident” spiked from the measly 2 results to (a last count of) 7300….

Talk about skewing internet trends…

And then there were 7301

And so they’ve done it. After unmasking him, Marvel finally decided to fuck with more than 20 over years of continuity, and take Mary Jane away from Peter Parker (aka Spider Man). Is it a divorce, you ask? Is it separation? Is it death?

No… Being a comic book (always the bastion of truth and reality), they decided to annul the “Marriage” by… having Peter Parker make a deal with the Devil????????

For the record, the writer Straczynski (whom I have immense respect for) publicly decried the move, saying : “there’s a lot that I don’t agree with, and I made this very clear to everybody within shouting distance at Marvel, especially (the editor and artist for this atrocity) Joe Quesada…” Straczynski (wooooo… you know you really like someone when you can spell this ridiculously spelled name, like Mr Mxyzptlk <dun ask….>) was apparently so pissed by this arc that he threatened to take his name away from the last 2 issues of the arc. You go, boy…

And check 0ut the lame “official” plotholes:

On how to explain why the Devil wants something as lame as a marriage when compared to his traditional currency (the soul):

“But as payment, he wants to wipe all memory of Peter’s marriage to MJ from all but one part of their souls, so that he may listen to those parts’ pain for the rest of eternity.”

As if that is not ridiculous enough, they make use of this “deus ex machina” to resurrect (previously) dead characters, as well as wipe out all continuity issues that they do not like with the MOST RIDICULOUS of reasons.

On the current Peter/MJ situation:
“Peter and MJ had not been married but had “dated seriously for years,” yet she does not know that he is Spider-Man, and that she has moved to California to become an actress”

On bringing back Harry “I am the underachieving, whining and lame Son of Green Goblin” Osbourne.
“Harry Osborn is not dead but has been living in Europe for many years.”

And on one of the BIGGEST comic event of last year, the unmasking of Peter Parker to the world as Spiderman, comes my favorite excuse of them all…
“Although some people seem to recall that Spidey unmasked himself during Civil War, no one quite remembers whose face was under the mask.”

How stupid do they take us for???

And to add further salt to the wounds, the editorial actually reads:
“Any questions? Hey, don’t ask us — we’re new here ourselves! Anyway, the past is past — so don’t look back, look forward, to the next great epoch in the ongoing saga of Spider-Man: Brand New Day!”

That, to me is like saying, “We dun have a clue why we are doing this and we dun care. You still pay money to read this shit, so please, ignore the fact that we are treating you like lil naive babies and continue giving us your money”

There can only be so much suspension of disbelief

The moral of this whole story? If you ask me, this whole thing reeks of editorial mandate at the Merry Offices of Marvel. A mandate that ignores the opinions of all who supported and love the franchise for years. A mandate the sweeps through past promises and defies common sense. More importantly, a mandate that insults the intelligence of its supporters by the smug proclamation: “I know what’s best for you better than you, so shut the fuck up and fall in line like the rest of the sheep”

Sounds familiar?