The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff
1x03 Episode 3 [season finale]
That was good. Hope we get more.
Pointless
6x18 (7/3/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Watson & Oliver
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) In HD on iPlayer.]
Monday, 12 March 2012
Comics
Action Comics #7 by Grant Morrison & Rags Morales
After that mediocre aside, Morales is back as the series returns to its main story. Maybe it's just because I so disliked the interruption tale, but this is one of my favourite issues yet: the story progress nicely and there's plenty of it too. It feels wrong to have to praise a comic for giving you a good chunk of story -- surely you'd expect a decent amount for your money -- but, really, you do. And the pieces are beginning to come together here too, including the arrival of Superman's suit. Exciting stuff.
Perhaps even better, though, is the backup strip. Again written by Sholly Fisch and superlatively drawn by Brad Walker, featuring beautiful colours by Jay David Ramos with David Curiel, it's called Meanwhile... and again features Steel. While Superman is off in space saving Metropolis residents (Metropolisers? Metropolisians?), Steel helps out in a city that's just lost a great chunk of itself. Half a city being snatched by an alien is a relatively standard-feeling SF plot, but dealing with the real-life consequences of such a thing -- collapsing suspension bridges, failures in electricity and water supply, etc -- is nice. It gets a bit American at the end, with the whole "everyone coming together to help each other" stuff, but that aside it's a great eight-pager.
I was never sure about buying a Superman book -- the character never seems that interesting -- but Morrison and Morales are doing a good job of convincing me otherwise. Might even continue buying Action past the end of this story. Though if it goes the way of that two-parter I won't care.
Detective Comics #7 by Tony Salvador Daniel
Is that the end of that story? Not sure. A decent action-packed edition, anyway, even if most of the plot had to explained by people standing around talking. Or, as this is a comic book, fitting in an unfeasible number of words while doing a backflip or something.
Uncanny X-Men #8 by Kieron Gillen & Greg Land
Last time I said I wouldn't bother with AvX... but then there's intriguing stuff going on, and a five-page preview of Avengers vs. X-Men #0 was kind of interesting too... but oh, it's going to be expensive... Maybe I'll just exert some patience and wait for the collected edition.
After that mediocre aside, Morales is back as the series returns to its main story. Maybe it's just because I so disliked the interruption tale, but this is one of my favourite issues yet: the story progress nicely and there's plenty of it too. It feels wrong to have to praise a comic for giving you a good chunk of story -- surely you'd expect a decent amount for your money -- but, really, you do. And the pieces are beginning to come together here too, including the arrival of Superman's suit. Exciting stuff.
Perhaps even better, though, is the backup strip. Again written by Sholly Fisch and superlatively drawn by Brad Walker, featuring beautiful colours by Jay David Ramos with David Curiel, it's called Meanwhile... and again features Steel. While Superman is off in space saving Metropolis residents (Metropolisers? Metropolisians?), Steel helps out in a city that's just lost a great chunk of itself. Half a city being snatched by an alien is a relatively standard-feeling SF plot, but dealing with the real-life consequences of such a thing -- collapsing suspension bridges, failures in electricity and water supply, etc -- is nice. It gets a bit American at the end, with the whole "everyone coming together to help each other" stuff, but that aside it's a great eight-pager.
I was never sure about buying a Superman book -- the character never seems that interesting -- but Morrison and Morales are doing a good job of convincing me otherwise. Might even continue buying Action past the end of this story. Though if it goes the way of that two-parter I won't care.
Detective Comics #7 by Tony Salvador Daniel
Is that the end of that story? Not sure. A decent action-packed edition, anyway, even if most of the plot had to explained by people standing around talking. Or, as this is a comic book, fitting in an unfeasible number of words while doing a backflip or something.
Uncanny X-Men #8 by Kieron Gillen & Greg Land
Last time I said I wouldn't bother with AvX... but then there's intriguing stuff going on, and a five-page preview of Avengers vs. X-Men #0 was kind of interesting too... but oh, it's going to be expensive... Maybe I'll just exert some patience and wait for the collected edition.
Articles
Amy Reeder Is Batwoman No More
by Rich Johnston (from Bleeding Cool)
I was never convinced about them switching artist on Batwoman, and I wasn't hugely impressed when I saw the results, so I can't say I'm upset about this one. Based on the one piece of new guy's art included in the article, looks like he might be a better fit.
PayPal is blocking the book
by Steve Berry (from Behind the Sofa)
Not content with the outcry that followed their last attempt to stop a charitable venture, or with forcing people to destroy valuable antique musical instruments, now PayPal are trying to halt another charitable initiative. Bastards. And they basically have a market monopoly at this point, so it can be very hard to never use them. Bastards.
by Rich Johnston (from Bleeding Cool)
I was never convinced about them switching artist on Batwoman, and I wasn't hugely impressed when I saw the results, so I can't say I'm upset about this one. Based on the one piece of new guy's art included in the article, looks like he might be a better fit.
PayPal is blocking the book
by Steve Berry (from Behind the Sofa)
Not content with the outcry that followed their last attempt to stop a charitable venture, or with forcing people to destroy valuable antique musical instruments, now PayPal are trying to halt another charitable initiative. Bastards. And they basically have a market monopoly at this point, so it can be very hard to never use them. Bastards.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Films
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
[#28 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
The Court Jester (1956)
[#29 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
[#28 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
The Court Jester (1956)
[#29 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
Comics
All Star Western #6 by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti & Moritat
Fantastic stuff. Packed with plot (so much more story in the same number of pages than you get in most mainstream US comics), with great art from Moritat (it looks scruffy, but if you look closely it's actually loaded with detail and surprisingly precise), and neat ties in to the current storyline in Batman (which I imagine will only get stronger as we approach the Night of the Owls crossover in a couple of months).
Meanwhile, back-up strip The Barbary Ghost (drawn by Phil Winslade) comes to a close. The dialogue is so poor I can only assume it's in some way deliberate, considering how good Gray & Palmiotti are on the main strip; the story is fine.
Aquaman #6 by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis & Joe Prado
Bit of an aside here, focusing on 'Aquawoman' Mera, but a good story. Prado (pencilling from breakdowns by Reis) isn't quite as good as the series' regular artist on the whole, but creates some super images and indeed whole pages nonetheless. Plus it's nice to see some US comics creators are still capable of creating good one-and-dones.
Justice League #6 by Geoff Johns & Jim Lee
One of the complaints that used to be levelled against classic Doctor Who six-parters (still is, of course) is that even the best of them started strong, meandered for a few episodes going nowhere, then finished things up in the last episode. Decompressed storytelling seems to do the same to comics: after several issues where barely anything happened, Justice League rushes to wrap it all up in a final bound. And in 24 pages of story, there are no fewer than nine splash pages -- four of those taken up in two double-pagers. It's not been a bad story, but it would've been stronger if it had been shorter or spent less time treading water in the middle.
And Green Lantern seems like a bit of a dick. Why do some comics fans like him so? No wonder the film failed...
Meanwhile, the extra pages of sketches and whatnot at the back are replaced by a six-page back-up drawn written by Johns and drawn by Carlos D'Anda. It looks pretty enough, and finally begins to explain that mysterious woman who's popped up in the background of several New 52 comics (including all the #1s), but in majority it's the kind of opaque over-mysterious storytelling that locks out newcomers. Even if it's all a mystery to old readers too, you feel these are characters you're meant to know (but don't) talking cryptically but in a way you're meant to understand (but don't).
It's blatantly setting up a future Big Story in Justice League, but we'll presumably have to wait at least a little while for it as there's a different story with a different artist up next, presumably to allow notoriously-slow artist Jim Lee to catch up.
Fantastic stuff. Packed with plot (so much more story in the same number of pages than you get in most mainstream US comics), with great art from Moritat (it looks scruffy, but if you look closely it's actually loaded with detail and surprisingly precise), and neat ties in to the current storyline in Batman (which I imagine will only get stronger as we approach the Night of the Owls crossover in a couple of months).
Meanwhile, back-up strip The Barbary Ghost (drawn by Phil Winslade) comes to a close. The dialogue is so poor I can only assume it's in some way deliberate, considering how good Gray & Palmiotti are on the main strip; the story is fine.
Aquaman #6 by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis & Joe Prado
Bit of an aside here, focusing on 'Aquawoman' Mera, but a good story. Prado (pencilling from breakdowns by Reis) isn't quite as good as the series' regular artist on the whole, but creates some super images and indeed whole pages nonetheless. Plus it's nice to see some US comics creators are still capable of creating good one-and-dones.
Justice League #6 by Geoff Johns & Jim Lee
One of the complaints that used to be levelled against classic Doctor Who six-parters (still is, of course) is that even the best of them started strong, meandered for a few episodes going nowhere, then finished things up in the last episode. Decompressed storytelling seems to do the same to comics: after several issues where barely anything happened, Justice League rushes to wrap it all up in a final bound. And in 24 pages of story, there are no fewer than nine splash pages -- four of those taken up in two double-pagers. It's not been a bad story, but it would've been stronger if it had been shorter or spent less time treading water in the middle.
And Green Lantern seems like a bit of a dick. Why do some comics fans like him so? No wonder the film failed...
Meanwhile, the extra pages of sketches and whatnot at the back are replaced by a six-page back-up drawn written by Johns and drawn by Carlos D'Anda. It looks pretty enough, and finally begins to explain that mysterious woman who's popped up in the background of several New 52 comics (including all the #1s), but in majority it's the kind of opaque over-mysterious storytelling that locks out newcomers. Even if it's all a mystery to old readers too, you feel these are characters you're meant to know (but don't) talking cryptically but in a way you're meant to understand (but don't).
It's blatantly setting up a future Big Story in Justice League, but we'll presumably have to wait at least a little while for it as there's a different story with a different artist up next, presumably to allow notoriously-slow artist Jim Lee to catch up.
this week on 100 Films
4 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
Catwoman (2011)
Faintheart (2008)
The Gruffalo's Child (2011)
RED (2010)
More next Sunday.
Catwoman (2011)
Included on releases of Batman: Year One, Catwoman is an action-orientated short starring Catwoman (obviously) chasing down gangster Rough Cut because two of his goons tried to shoot a puddytat. OK, there’s more to her motivation than that, but that’d spoil the ending.Read more on my new blog or my classic blog.
Faintheart (2008)
It’s about battle re-enacters; or rather, it’s a Brit-rom-com that uses battle re-enacters as its USP. “Brit-rom-com” should give you a fair idea of the territory we’re in, although this has a geekier edge than most, which plays to the sensibilities of someone like me.Read more on my new blog or my classic blog.
The Gruffalo's Child (2011)
The CG animation retains the original’s “is it claymation?” feel, though the wintry setting allows the animators to really show off with some truly stunning snow. Most of the film goes for an appropriately cartoony style, but the various types of frozen water on display could pass for the real thing.Read more on my new blog or my classic blog.
RED (2010)
just one in a recent array of tongue-in-cheek action films; films that aren’t strictly comedies but aren’t wholly serious either, meaning they can push their action sequences to ludicrous extremes and get away with it. They’re also a lot of fun and I love them. I love a gritty and serious Bourne as much as your next man, or a traditional action film too, but there’s also room for films that are daft, fun, knowingly silly rather than just ridiculous.Read more on my new blog or my classic blog.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Comics
Six tales from Gotham City today...
Batman #6 by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo
Snyder's telling a great Batman tale overall, but it must be said that not much happens this issue; it's the last act of the last issue's story, really -- just a long fight ending in a double cliffhanger. Ah well.
Batman and Robin #6 by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason
Batman: The Dark Knight #6 by David Finch, Paul Jenkins & Joe Harris
Middling... which is as good as TDK gets. It still outsells Batman & Robin, which I can't help but feel must be down to the quality of their namesake films.
Batwoman #6 by J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman & Amy Reeder
New (to Batwoman) artist Reeder has a pleasant cartoony style, but it's nothing compared to the work Williams III was doing before. Oh well. They've replaced intricately-designed art with an apparently intricate story, following six characters across multiple time periods. Be interesting to see how that pans out.
Nightwing #6 by Kyle Higgins, Eddy Barrows & Geraldo Borges
Resurrection Man #6 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino
Nice one-and-done set in Arkham Asylum.
Every non-Batman book seems keen to get in on the Gotham City action at the minute: after All Star Western moved Jonah Hex there, I, Vampire just did a two-parter in Batman's city, and now there's Resurrection Man too; and that doesn't include the mass of non-Batman Bat-family books. Wouldn't be surprised if there's even more I'm not aware of. But hey, Batman's always popular, so why not.
Batman #6 by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo
Snyder's telling a great Batman tale overall, but it must be said that not much happens this issue; it's the last act of the last issue's story, really -- just a long fight ending in a double cliffhanger. Ah well.
Batman and Robin #6 by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason
Batman: The Dark Knight #6 by David Finch, Paul Jenkins & Joe Harris
Middling... which is as good as TDK gets. It still outsells Batman & Robin, which I can't help but feel must be down to the quality of their namesake films.
Batwoman #6 by J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman & Amy Reeder
New (to Batwoman) artist Reeder has a pleasant cartoony style, but it's nothing compared to the work Williams III was doing before. Oh well. They've replaced intricately-designed art with an apparently intricate story, following six characters across multiple time periods. Be interesting to see how that pans out.
Nightwing #6 by Kyle Higgins, Eddy Barrows & Geraldo Borges
Resurrection Man #6 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino
Nice one-and-done set in Arkham Asylum.
Every non-Batman book seems keen to get in on the Gotham City action at the minute: after All Star Western moved Jonah Hex there, I, Vampire just did a two-parter in Batman's city, and now there's Resurrection Man too; and that doesn't include the mass of non-Batman Bat-family books. Wouldn't be surprised if there's even more I'm not aware of. But hey, Batman's always popular, so why not.
Friday, 9 March 2012
TV
Dirk Gently
1x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Let's Dance for Sport Relief 2012
Episode 3 (of 5)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
My Life in Books
2x07 Phil Davis and Rosie Boycott
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
5x08 (3/3/12 edition) [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Roger & Val Have Just Got In
2x05 Poem for Uncle Jack
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Room 101: Extra Storage
12x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Sarah Millican Television Programme
1x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Let's Dance for Sport Relief 2012
Episode 3 (of 5)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
My Life in Books
2x07 Phil Davis and Rosie Boycott
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
5x08 (3/3/12 edition) [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Roger & Val Have Just Got In
2x05 Poem for Uncle Jack
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Room 101: Extra Storage
12x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Sarah Millican Television Programme
1x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Just one new title this week, but it's a good'un: Game of Thrones season one. Specifically, this Amazon-exclusive version. Mmm, bonus-bonus-disc-tastic.
Number of titles in collection: 1,458 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,150 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 308 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,613 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,546 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,449 [up 10]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Just one new title this week, but it's a good'un: Game of Thrones season one. Specifically, this Amazon-exclusive version. Mmm, bonus-bonus-disc-tastic.
Number of titles in collection: 1,458 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,150 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 308 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,613 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,546 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,449 [up 10]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Films
The Other Guys (2010)
[#26 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
Stepping Out (1991)
[#27 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
From the director of You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker... a film about middle-aged ladies tap dancing.
[#26 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
Stepping Out (1991)
[#27 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
From the director of You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker... a film about middle-aged ladies tap dancing.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
TV
10 O'Clock Live
2x04 (29/2/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Castle
2x02 The Double Down
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
The Mentalist
4x15 War of Roses
[Watch it on Demand 5 from Friday 30th March. Probably.]
My Life in Books
2x06 Kate Silverton and Chris Addison
Several of Chris Addison's choices sounded particularly interesting, I thought.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
6x17 (6/3/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2x04 (29/2/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Castle
2x02 The Double Down
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
The Mentalist
4x15 War of Roses
[Watch it on Demand 5 from Friday 30th March. Probably.]
My Life in Books
2x06 Kate Silverton and Chris Addison
Several of Chris Addison's choices sounded particularly interesting, I thought.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
6x17 (6/3/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
TV
Alexander Armstrong's Big Ask
1x05 Episode 5
Pointless
6x16 (5/3/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x05 Episode 5
Pointless
6x16 (5/3/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
If you like 'banter', you are an idiot
by Tom Chivers (from the Telegraph)
Terra Nova Cancelled By Fox: Chernin Series Will Be Shopped To Other Networks
by Nellie Andreeva (from Deadline)
Good coverage of the life and death (and potential resurrection) of Terra Nova.
by Tom Chivers (from the Telegraph)
This is not a tirade against rudeness. I am all in favour of rudeness, of bawdiness, of insult and mockery and obscenity. They're all brilliant things, when done well. But "banter" isn't. If you insult someone, you expect them to be insulted; if you are rude, you expect people to be offended. "Banter" is apparently a free pass: I can insult you, but you're not allowed to be insulted, because "it's only banter". I can be obscene, but you can't be offended, because "it's only banter". No.Great article.
Terra Nova Cancelled By Fox: Chernin Series Will Be Shopped To Other Networks
by Nellie Andreeva (from Deadline)
Good coverage of the life and death (and potential resurrection) of Terra Nova.
Monday, 5 March 2012
TV
The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Help! My Supply Teacher is Magic
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
6x15 (2/3/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Stella
1x09 Episode 9
Watson & Oliver
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) In HD on iPlayer.]
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Help! My Supply Teacher is Magic
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
6x15 (2/3/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Stella
1x09 Episode 9
Watson & Oliver
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) In HD on iPlayer.]
Comics
The Amazing Spider-Man #677 by Mark Waid & Emma RÃos
Daredevil #8 by Mark Waid & Kano
Two-part story in which Spider-Man and Daredevil team up to prove the innocence of one of Spidey's foes/friends. Good stuff, better than that continuity-laden DC pair-up I read yesterday. Both parts are by Daredevil's regular writer, which seems to have meant the tale primarily forwards the ongoing plot in Daredevil -- up my street, as I read that regularly and don't read ASM.
Daredevil #8 by Mark Waid & Kano
Two-part story in which Spider-Man and Daredevil team up to prove the innocence of one of Spidey's foes/friends. Good stuff, better than that continuity-laden DC pair-up I read yesterday. Both parts are by Daredevil's regular writer, which seems to have meant the tale primarily forwards the ongoing plot in Daredevil -- up my street, as I read that regularly and don't read ASM.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
TV
Castle
2x03 Inventing the Girl
Don't know what they showed on TV on Friday, and only episode two is on Demand 5 online, but this was the episode available in HD on Virgin Media catch-up. Both two and three are there in SD. Weird. I doubt they'll put up episode two in HD now, or next week, so SD it will be.
[Watch episode two, The Double Down, (again) on Demand 5.]
2x03 Inventing the Girl
Don't know what they showed on TV on Friday, and only episode two is on Demand 5 online, but this was the episode available in HD on Virgin Media catch-up. Both two and three are there in SD. Weird. I doubt they'll put up episode two in HD now, or next week, so SD it will be.
[Watch episode two, The Double Down, (again) on Demand 5.]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)