Counting (Way) Down
May 14I think what Countdown is lacking for me right now is both novelty and the mad buzz of creation without a net.
52 was novel, of course, and also had the added excitement of being this large, mostly shapeless thing being created whole cloth by four of the industry’s best writers. I think you could often feel that in the writing–a sense of excitement and anticipation, of talented guys pulling off something that even they may not have thought they could pull off. High-wire creative gymnastics on a big-time stage.
With Countdown, a very experienced showrunner from the world of TV has been brought in to perform those same duties on a comic book. Paul Dini’s a talented guy, but there’s a stench of structure and strategy on Countdown that makes it seem far more conventional.
What can shatter that perception are great ideas, and I hope Countdown will deliver those in spades, since, y’know, Dini’s great. But if not, it’s just gonna shape up as 52’s pedestrian sequel, which would be a wasted opportunity.
"Are you here to rescue or kill me?"
May 11
I was very excited to be connected in some way to the latest issue of Geek magazine – you might however imagine my chagrin when I found out my pal Toren had trumped me by being quoted AND having his picture published. I’ve complained to the editor, but I don’t think he cares.
The magazine missed out however on the next chapter in the rock nerdity that is The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. They wisely chose The Thickets as a high watermark in geek rock (they’re the only HP Lovecraft inspired band I know that make madness something to danceable), but were too early to cover the new album, due any minute now – The Shadow Out of Tim. Imagine a whole album that retells Lovecraft’s The Shadow Out of Time. It goes to eleven as well as being educational.
If anyone wants a taste, they’ve posted the first track, Marine Biologist (technically second, but it’s the first “chapter” of the story), on their MySpace page – there’s a link for the mp3, somewhere, for those of you that want to rock out in a portable fashion.
I knew the album was solid – I’ve heard it and it’s gooood. But I knew it was going to be a hit when they made Marine Biology seem badass.
Obligatory Starbuck Post
May 10Galactica is off the air for like eleventy billion months, yet I still find reasons to post about Katee/Starbuck. For instance, did you know that Katee plays characters named Sara(h) in her next two projects? Obviously, we are meant to be best friends. (Also, what is the deal with her being in Bionic Woman, but not actually being the Bionic Woman? Then again, I guess that scenario would mean no more Starbuck or way less Starbuck.)
Also, there is a really funny Scott Thompson quote about Katee/Starbuck in the latest issue of Geek Monthly, which just came out! It has Greg Grunberg dressed as a Stormtrooper on the cover and an article by me on the last page about using the word “frak” in public. Matt and Chris are both quoted. And page 28 has a piece featuring a certain Alert Pal. Any guesses? Chris, you know this one.
EDIT: Look, look! Here is a picture of Katee holding the very issue of Geek Monthly I was just talking about! Also, there is some stuff about her role in Bionic Woman. See how it all ties together?
30 Years of Star Wars…Eh.
May 09On May 25, Star Wars will celebrate its 30th anniversary.
To me, this milestone seems to be passing largely unheralded by the popular culture. I noted previously an upcoming History Channel special in which wags will wank re: the films. Star Wars nerds from around the globe will converge on Los Angeles soon for Star Wars Celebration IV, which I understand has degenerated into a far more disorganized and frustrating fan “gathering” since the last one I attended in 2002, which was itself quite the disorganized and frustrating event.
Anyway. I point all this out so we can remember to pencil in this date on our calendars, PDAs, Outlook, whatever. We oughta do SOMETHING.
I think I’ll try to force the wife to sit down and watch the original flick with me after the baby goes to bed. I’m not sure that’s her idea of a fantastic Friday night, or mine for that matter, but it’s the least I can do.
How will YOU celebrate?
Goodbye, 52.
May 04It was about 14 months ago that my curiosity from reading about Infinite Crisis brought me into a comic book store for the first time in years.
What kept me going in was 52. The second I learned about it, I knew I had to follow it–the prospect of a weekly comics series, written by two writers I already loved from previous comics collecting eras in my life and two of which were new to me, seemed incredibly fascinating.
(Also, I was staring down the birth of my first child, and it’s possible I was regressing juuuuuuust a bit in abject fear. But mostly, it was just fascination.)
Now we’ve reached the end of our journey, and everyone and their brother has chimed in on this final issue, so I may as well spit out my own ramblings as well.
52, I will miss you. Sure, Countdown will be here next week to satisfy my weekly comics jones, but it won’t quite be the same. With Countdown, there’s a precedent for what we can expect, at least in the sense that it’s a weekly book featuring B-, C-, and D-list characters in the spotlight.
With 52, it was all brand new. There was the “NASCAR factor,” as Keith Giffen called it, where we all watched the action out of a sadistic interest in being there when the machine fell apart, and the book missed an issue, or even worse, put out abject crap.
To be fair, there were definitely some weak moments on both the art and writing sides. There were also fun moments, shocking moments, exciting moments, mind-blowing moments, thoughtful moments, and even downright emotional moments. In short, it was everything we love about comics, tossed in a blender and deposited in our hands at four times the normal frequency.
And the ending was just about perfect in its way. Flawed, like just about every issue, but packed with enough strong moments to carry any bumpy spots.
More than anything else, issue #52 was packed with ambition. If 52 as a series and an idea has been about anything, it’s that–a way to expand the way comics stories are told, the tools available to tell them, and the readers’ awareness of the world(s) in which they are chronicled.
Ultimately, I think that’s what I will miss most about 52–the tightwire, nail-biting excitement of it every week. You never knew where it would go, even when you thought you did; you never knew if it would quite make it there, and you never knew what path it would take. It was the classic case of the journey being just as important as the destination, and just as enjoyable.
So thanks, 52 gang, for a great ride. It’s been real, it’s been fun, it’s been real fun.
