Not Comic Con but Comic Con-like

People at work know me as the ‘comic book guy’ so it shocks them that I’m not going to Comic Con this year. I explain that I didn’t try to get tickets and that I didn’t want to go. Then people all ask me the question why.

Despite that opening paragraph, this isn’t a negative post. I’m glad so many have discovered the sheer and unadulterated awesomeness that is Comic Con. I’ve gotten tons of sketches, autographs, sat in endless panels, talked to hundreds of celebrities, and gotten my picture with Stan ‘The Man’ Lee more than once. The things I want now are Hasbro exclusive toys and that’s it. But instead of paying for tickets and parking and food for 4+ days and spending 6+ hours for those toys, I pre-purchase the toys on eBay and save a ton of money even with the generous speculator mark-up.

I envy the hardcore fan who camps out overnight for Joss Whedon but that’s not me anymore. The people who spend all of that time in a line deserve the good seats in Hall H, the 4 day pass with preview night, autographs from the Big Bang Theory cast, and all of the exclusive toys and swag they can carry. When I was willing to stand in the lines, I deserved it too.

I’ve found the activities around Comic Con to be less hectic and more satisfying. While I won’t be going to Comic Con, here is a list of what I’ll be up to at the show.

Wednesday, July 17 @ 8pm Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em Improv

Friday, July 19 @ 7:30pm Veronica Mars fan event (I’m going as a Kickstarter VIP)

Saturday, July 20 I’ll be downtown from about 12pm on. There is a 2pm Felicia Day signing at Geek & Sundry (in the Jolt’n Joes building), and @ 7pm I have tickets for the Thrilling Adventure Hour with a signing after the show

"Back in the Day" Review: Daredevil #196

Back in the Day: Daredevil #196 (July 1983) by Denny O'Neil & Klaus Janson

Thirty years ago this gem was released which tells the story of how Daredevil met Wolverine for the first time. Instead of initially fighting like most team-ups, the two are aware of each other and mostly get along. Of course it’s Wolverine from 30 years ago so he spends the issue pushing buttons while the Daredevil from 30 years ago spends the issue judging him for being too violent.

The issue starts in the hospital Bullseye is in (his spine is broken). Wolverine is there, acting on a tip from Tarkington Brown that the people who laced his skeleton with adamantium are looking to do the same with Bullseye, when there is an attack and during the confusion, Wolverine inhales knockout gas and is shot. When he wakes up, Daredevil is on the scene and the two quickly decide to team-up to locate Bullseye.

Along the way there’s disagreement about how violent Wolverine is but, to his credit, Wolverine manages to either brush the comments off with a joke or to imply that Daredevil is too soft. Daredevil never lectures and Wolverine doesn’t try to punch him – which was unusual for both each character back then. I loved it because they mostly got along and because it was Daredevil and Wolverine in one issue.

I never could resist a superhero team-up and back then Wolverine didn’t have his own title or routinely appear in 10 titles a month. This issue isn’t the greatest example of Daredevil’s greatness (it was just a few issue past Frank Miller’s brilliant run on the title) but a great classic team-up. I don’t know when Wolverine learned Daredevil’s secret identity but now you know when they first met.

Summer Movies So Far: Fast & Furious 6, Now You See Me, and Man of Steel

The Summer movie season is off to a great start. The first five movies I saw, Iron Man 3, Fast & Furious 6, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Now You See Me, and Man of Steel were great films. I don’t think the summer has ever started this strong. I’m going to review three of the movies I’ve seen so far.

Fast & Furious 6

I know it’s been out for 3 weeks but it has been the number one movie two weeks in a row so…better late than never.

As a big fan of the franchise, I had certain expectations the latest installment: all the cast reunited, bigger stunts, and fun dialogue between the team. I wasn’t disappointed.

This film reunites the team from Fast Five (Dom, Brian, Han, Gisele, Tej, Roman, and Mia), brings back Letty, and Hobbs is back with his new partner Riley (played by Gina Carano). Dom has retired to Spain where he and Elena are living together when Hobbs shows up to drop the bombshell that Letty is still alive. I’m not going to recap the entire movie but here are the things I like.

Despite the fact that the team is scattered across the globe they are all quick to respond to Dom’s call to arms and reunite in London. There are several mentions of the film about Dom’s team being family and throughout the film that’s exactly how it feels. There’s a lot of great dialogue between the team that helps reinforce that feeling of family.

I really love to the neat and tidy ending in this one. Dom and Mia are back in the house they shared in the first film. Dom is with Letty again and there’s a nice scene between him, Letty, and Elena. That scene establishes that there are no hard feelings and that the two women get along. And, as Elena was in the previous film, she’s partnered back up (permanently it appears) with Hobbs.

All this plus we get the tragic death of Gisele triggers Han to return to Tokyo where he is killed (they play his death scene from movie number three) and reveal who killed him (and the villain in the next film), Jason Staitham.

I know there are a lot of imperfections in these films but I still like these characters so much and I can’t wait for the seventh film.

Now You See Me

I had been looking forward to this movie for months since I saw the trailer. I love a good heist movie with an engaging group of criminals who pull off the impossible against all odd – movies like Tower Heist, The Italian Job, and Ocean’s 11. A good heist movie does seem like magic since you always see scenes that explain what the team did after they get a hold of their target.

Now You See Me is a cat and mouse game between The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco), Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and his fellow FBI Agents, and Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) a magician trying to expose how The Four Horsemen do their tricks. I’ve been a big fan of Dave Franco’s since Scrubs and Isla Fisher is in my all-time favorite movie (let the speculation begin). Of course the rest of the cast is amazing and does a great job on the film The Four Horsemen’s on-screen chemistry is a lot of fun while Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine get a chance to do some really nice bantering, bragging, and scheming.

NOW YOU SEE ME pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen", a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

I don’t know what the end meant when The Four Horsemen got onto the carousel at the end – I’m going to have to see it again to see what happened. There’s a part where Dave Franco jumps around and kind of kicks Mark Ruffalo’s ass – funny and unique scene. Overall, I had a great time (I was on a 2nd date so that couldn’t have hurt) and I hope you’ll go see it.

Man of Steel

With a cast like Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Christopher Meloni, Kevin Costner, and Laurence Fishburne (not to mention the numerous Whedonverse alumni, BSG alumni, and even a guy from one of my favorite shows, Flashpoint), your movie had better not suck – and this movie doesn’t.

I’ve seen it twice now and am floored by the story which so effectively introduces Clark and his supporting cast while giving us flashbacks to the things that shaped him as the boy who would one day become Superman. The action is big, the scenes between Clark and the people he loves (or one day will) are gripping, heart-wrenching, and incredibly satisfying.

I’ve heard the critics complain that this Superman is too angsty. This is Superman for 2013, a Superman that has had things happen to him that some can relate to (bullying) and things that are completely unique to him as the only alien he’s aware of is himself. Just like Nolan did with Batman, Snyder grounds this version of Superman in reality and digs into his origin, childhood, and quest to find himself to make him a character we grow with and really care about. If you want Christopher Reeves’ interpretation of the character, you can purchase it on amazon.com.

I’ve also heard the complaints about him killing Zod. “Superman doesn’t kill!” you howl. Well this one did and instantly regretted it. Instead of a victory, Superman met with a failure that adds to his character. He’s not perfect but he sincerely tries to do the right thing each and every time. In a comic book, it’s easy and convenient to write an ending where Superman doesn’t kill (or write him on a long, boring walk across America – I’m looking at you Straczynski) but in the real world, lines blur and it the right answer sometimes presents itself in retrospect.

The movie was everything the fans deserved and a complete departure from the bland Superman Returns film from a few years ago.

Jimmy Fallon takes over the Tonight Show and Seth Meyers takes over Late Night

A few years ago, I was excited when Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Show but, a few months later, Leno returned and Conan O’Brien was left without a show until TBS was smart enough to pick him up.

Now that Leno is the king of late night again (according to all the ratings), NBC is replacing him with Late Night host, Jimmy Fallon. The difference between Leno replacing O’Brien and Fallon replacing Leno is that the reports say Leno is behind the decision. Of course when he announced O’Brien was replacing him, Leno told us on his show, it was because he and his wife agreed that he would retire at a certain age so they could travel.

Jimmy Fallon, who took over for Conan O’Brien on Late Night is taking over the Tonight Show in 2014 and they’re building a new studio at 30 Rock (where SNL, Fallon and Meyers’ alma mater, is filmed) for him. Seth Meyers’ Late Night will also film in 30 Rock and premiere at the same time Fallon takes over the Tonight Show.

I have to say that I like Leno – but not more than I like Conan O’Brien or Jimmy Fallon. I’m additionally excited because Lorne Michaels, who produces SNL, will be producing the Tonight Show and Late Night and all three shows will film in the same building. I’ve enjoyed Jimmy Fallon’s show and I’m looking forward to seeing what Seth Meyers brings to the table in 2014.

 

Fallon & Meyers (Photo Credit: Chris Pizzello/AP)

HIMYM Season 8 finale: The Girl With the Yellow Umbrella finally revealed

Season after season, HIMYM has been one of the best sitcoms I’ve seen.

I haven’t watched this season because I always watch the entire season on DVD over a few days. Watching the season that way helps me remember key events. I think it was last season that began with the boys at Barney’s wedding and the season finale last year revealed that the bride was Robin. That season is a lot funnier and more moving when you see it in just a few days instead of letting it slowly unfold over several months.

So it’s with that in mind that I tell you, I couldn’t resist watching a youtube clip of the final moments of the season finale.

After all Ted has been through, with all of the foreshadowing and hint dropping, and that one time Ted saw her ankle, we finally get to see the mother and we get to see her before the main cast does. Honestly, just the 5 seconds we get to see her for was enough to make me cry.

I know that next season is the final season and I couldn’t be more excited to see it. This show could turn out to be the best sitcom I’ve ever seen.

 The Mother doesn't have a name but it's still great to have a face

Valkyrie, the last original Frag Doll retires

Valkyrie has announced that she’s been promoted within Ubisoft and is leaving the Frag Dolls. Over the years, she's the one I’ve talked to the most. As my favorite Frag Doll and fellow San Diego native, Valkyrie will be missed but not forgotten.

One year, I asked the girls if they’d draw stick figures of themselves and sign my sketchbook and this is what I got.

 

Calyber, Psyche, Mischief, Brookelyn, and Valkyrie

Goodbye, Valkyrie, and thanks for the memories. Your new job is lucky to have you.

DC Entertainment: We Can Be Heroes – teaming up with indiegogo.com to raise money for good cause

DC Entertainment has a campaign called “We Can Be Heroes” which focuses on hunger in the Horn of Africa. Late last year the campaign offered a “We Can Be Heroes” Justice League 7 pack action figure box set that I scooped up. Then I learned that the“We Can Be Heroes” campaign had teamed up with indigogo.com to raise money.

The campaign’s perks seems to focus on Batman. In fact, on the standard “We Can Be Heroes” Justice League logo, Batman is highlighted while the rest of the team is faded. This says to me that DC Entertainment will have upcoming campaigns featuring each member. I contributed $25 for the Batman/Superman #1“We Can Be Heroes” variant cover by Jim Lee.

If I’m right, I’m looking forward to more campaigns featuring each character. Ever since their relaunch, DC has been my favorite comic book company and I really enjoy the stories and this commitment to a worthy cause. It’s like the entire company has been reinvigorated and re-inspired since the relaunch - it’s like they are a brand-new company.

PS: I know this doesn’t have anything to do with the title of this article, but I’m a huge 3.75” action figure fan and can’t wait for the Injustice figures coming out this year.