Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Marvel Knights: Thor & Loki Blood Brothers

Promo copy:

The great halls of Asgard have fallen silent since a new king has overtaken the throne. His name is Loki, son of almighty Odin, brother to the Thunder God, Thor. Once a powerful trickster, the God of Mischief, Loki now rules a grand kingdom with little regard for its subjects. His only thoughts are focused inward, toward the origins of his own pain and suffering. To quell his torment and to gain the respect he feels he so rightfully deserves, Loki must now execute the prisoner chained deep within the dungeons of Asgard, the one man who has ever shown him love. His own brother.

Adapted from the acclaimed miniseries Loki, from Robert Rodi and Esad Ribic, Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers takes a powerful look inside the minds of two legendary nemeses, shedding light, like never before, on the depths of Thor and Loki’s hatred, and love, for one another.

Marksmen #1
Created by Michael Benaroya
Story by David Baxter & Dave Elliott
Art by Javier Aranda & Garry Leach
Cover by Tomm Coker

Promo copy:

Sixty years ago the oil ran out and debts were called in. Civil war followed that splintered America into warring fiefdoms. New San Diego is a technocratic utopia that offers the last bastion of peace and prosperity, provided you live within its walls. Drake McCoy is its best protector. McCoy, an expert marksman, defends the city from the numerous threats in the wasteland outside the walls. But when the oil rich Lone Star state sends a powerful army to steal New San Diego’s energy technology, even Drake’s leadership and skill may not be enough to fend off the siege.

The Angry Beavers: Seasons One & Two

Promo copy:

When twin beavers Norbert and Daggett leave their home behind to begin living the lifestyle of wild and crazy bachelors, hilarity is bound to ensue. Featuring all 26 episodes from the zany show’s first two seasons, this sidesplitting four-disc set of Nickelodeon’s hit The Angry Beavers is guaranteed to have you rolling with laughter! Includes fan-favorite episodes such as “Bummer Of Love,” “Fancy Prance,” “Food Of The Clods,” “If You Insisters,” “Beaver Fever,” “The Day The Earth Got Really Screwed Up” and more!

Stuff received 8/16/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

For my latest installment of Nexus Graphica, I discuss one of my favorite topics.

Alongside the apes, I also review The Homeland Directive, Orbital 3. Nomads, Orbital 4. Ravages, and The Jack Kirby Omnibus Volume One Featuring Green Arrow.

The Funny Book Ape was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

[  Mood: Cool ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
Let me just start by saying, I love Barry Lyga. His books Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl, Boy Toy and Goth Girl Rising are intense, well written stories about modern teens facing modern issues. But his books tend to be aimed at the older teens, meaning that they are not right for my Grade 8 students. So when I saw he had written a book for late junior and intermediate I had to read it.

Thanks to his pranks, Kyle is the most popular kid in town. He has managed to prank everyone, his teachers, his peers and the police. He was setting up one of those pranks when the plasma storm hit. He was knocked unconscious and woke up three days later smarter, invulnerable to pain and able to fly.

And he’s not the only one. A teenager was found after the storm, suffering from amnesia and possessing powers similar to Kyle’s. Mike, as the boy comes to be known, quickly becomes the most popular kid in town, displacing Kyle. This makes Kyle very jealous, and he begins to plan a pranks to expose Mike as the fake he thinks he is.

Unfortunately, these pranks quickly get out of hand, and Kyle is painted as a villain who is out to hurt all. Can Kyle convince the town that Mike isn’t the goody two-shoes he seems? Can he avoid capture by the authorities as he learns to master his own powers.

This book was a difficult read, because it was quite obvious to me that Kyle is a self-centred, jerk who can’t handle his demotion to second banana in the kids eyes. And it was hard to have any sympathy for him, and when you can’t empathize with the main character, it makes reading a book a tough slog. Too bad, because author Barry Lyga has proved before that he is a very competent author who is not afraid to deal with tough topics head on, treating his readers with a respect and maturity that many others lack.

[  Mood: Fed Up WIth Life ]
[ Currently: Thinking abouta nap ]
Dear Art-Is-In Bakery

When I discovered your products at the Ottawa Farmer’s market a few years ago, I immediately fell in love. To the point that I bought only your baked goods. I had no problem lining-up for your bread and would happily tell people asking why I would wait that long, why your bread was worth it. And when your retail store opened, I found excuses to drive from the Walkley/Conroy area to buy bread and sandwiches at the drop of the hat. I even added your bread to a scavenger hunt/car rally I ran this year.

Unfortunatley, I have to tell you, my love affair has come to an end. In the last four weeks you have been sold out three times of what I am looking for by the time I get to the Ottawa Farmer’s Market. The first two times were at 10:30 and today was 9:00 am. One hour after the market opened. Apparently you didn’t bring as much because of the supposed rain, the other time an oven was broken, and there was no reason given the third time.

So I as I had to explain to my crying three year-old why he wouldn’t be having his Sunday treat of one of your cinamon buns for the third time in four weeks, despite his getting up early and moving as fast as possible to get to the market to get said treat, it occured to me, it’s over.

That’s right. I no longer need your products. Because you no longer need me. When you were a smaller outfit, my business mattered. But now that you are "trendy", are selling par baked frozen bread to hotels across Canada and offer "bespoke" breads to those rich enough to matter, I am not who you want to sell too. This would explain your lack of effort in trying to keep my business.

And I am happy for you. It’s nice that you are doing so well in a recession to turn business away. You are an Ottawa success story and should be feted as such. I just hope your new friends will be as loyal as your old ones were once you are no longer the "new thing" everyone has to have.

And don’t worry about me and my family. We will find a new bakery to give me what I need. And no, I have no interest in buying your bread at one of the many places you seem to have set up as resellers. I told you, it’s over and that means I won’t be sneaking a slice or two under the table.

Best of luck in the future.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Fenrir
by M. D. Lachlan
Cover by Paul Young

Promo copy:

The Vikings are laying siege to Paris. As the houses on the banks of the Seine burn a debate rages in the Cathedral on the walled island of the city proper. The situation is hopeless. The Vikings want the Count’s sister, in return they will spare the rest of the city. Can the Count really have ambitions to be Emperor of the Franks if he doesn’t do everything he can to save his people? Can he call himself a man if he doesn’t do everything he can to save his sister? His conscience demands one thing, the demands of state another. The Count and the church are relying on the living saint, the blind and crippled Jehan of St Germain, to enlist the aid of God and resolve the situation for them. But the Vikings have their own gods. And outside their camp a terrifying brother and sister, priests of Odin, have their own agenda. An agenda of darkness and madness. And in the shadows a wolfman lurks. M.D. Lachlan’s stunning epic of mad Gods, Vikings and the myth of Fenrir, the wolf destined to kill Odin at Ragnarok, powers forward into new territories of bloody horror, unlikely heroism, dangerous religion and breathtaking action.

Down to the Bone (Quantum Gravity, Book 5)
by Justina Robson
Cover by Larry Rostant

Promo copy:

Lila Black faces her greatest challenge yet as she takes herself, her dead lover, and the AI
in her head into death’s realm …
Lila Black is now a shape-shifting machine plugged into the Signal—the total dataset of all events in the known universe and all potential events: Zal, the elf rock star with a demon soul, is now a shadow form animated and given material actualization by firelight; Teazle the demon has taken up the swords of Death and is on the way to becoming an angel. To say this puts some pressure on their three-way marriage is an understatement.

Meanwhile the human world is seeing an inexplicable influx of the returning dead, and they’re not the only ones. Many old evils are returning to haunt the living following three harbingers of destruction created in the ancient past.

What seems epic is revealed as personal to all concerned as events unfold and that which cannot be escaped must be faced. Heroic destinies unravel as greater powers reveal themselves the true masters of the game.

The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire, Book 2)
by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith
Cover by Chris McGrath

Promo copy:

Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance’s horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.
As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele’s beloved Greyfriar.

The Rift Walker is the second book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternative history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic politcal themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

Got this interesting news from Pyr:

Mirror Maze
by Michaele Jordan
Cover by Cynthia Sheppard

Promo copy:

Jacob Aldridge is still utterly devastated by the death of his fiancée when he suddenly encounters her doppelganger. Livia Aram’s uncanny resemblance to the late Rhoda Carothers so transcends coincidence that Jacob becomes obsessed with her. The intensity of his passion terrifies her until her compassion is roused by his desperate plight. A demon is stalking him, a succubus-like entity that feeds on human pain and desire. With the help of Jacob’s sister, Cecily, and Livia’s guardian, the mysterious Dr. Chang, they overcome the demon. Or so it appears… .

Jacob, Liva, and Cecily are all victims of a single curse, a curse which entrapped and destroyed their parents before them. Now fate has drawn their descendants together again, and the curse is playing out. Nothing can help them, until Cecily’s husband returns from abroad. Colonel Beckford has been missing for years; he has seen strange things and acquired strange powers in his absence. Now he will do whatever it takes to free his wife and eliminate the demon and its curse once and for all.

Books received 8/13/11 Pyr edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

In anticipation of the impending release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes I revised my 2003 ape films survey as Simian Cinema 2.0. Out of curiosity, I researched the streaming availability of the films mentioned. I referenced Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crackle, Hulu, Hulu Plus, and the Internet Archive. As a service to the Geek Curmudgeon faithful, I present my findings.

10. Son of Kong (1933)

Trailer available at Internet Archive

9. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)

Currently not available.

8. Tarzan (1999 Animated)

Currently not available.

7. Mighty Joe Young (1998)

Currently not available.

6. King Kong (2005)

Currently not available.

5. Gorillas In the Mist (1988)

Currently not available.

4. Tarzan, The Ape Man (1932)

Trailer available at Internet Archive

The awful Bo Derek movie is streaming via Netflix.

3. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Currently not available.

2. Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Trailer available at Internet Archive

1. King Kong (1933)

Currently not available.

Disappointed by the weak showing of the best of the best but not deterred, I decided to research all the movies I mentioned in the piece.

Buddy (1997)

Currently not available.

The Gorilla (1939)

Internet Archive

The Jungle Book (1967 Animated)

Currently not available.

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)

Amazon Prime

King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)

Currently not available.

King Kong Escapes (1967)

Currently not available.

Ed (1996)

Netflix

A*P*E (King Kongui Daeyeokseub) aka Attack of the Giant Horny Gorilla (1976)

Currently not available.

Konga (1961)

Trailer available at Internet Archive
Netflix

King Kong Lives (1986)

Currently not available.

Congo (1995)

Currently not available.

Any of the Planet of the Apes movies

Currently not available.

But all 13 episodes of the animated Return to the Planet of the Apes are available on Hulu Plus.

Just terrible. Not much love for the ape via streaming. Wonder if the success of Rise may change that?

*Word of caution. This info is accurate as of August 11, 2011. The availability of streaming titles is nearly always in flux. YMMV.*

Simian Cinema 2.0: The Streaming Edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
I wanted to enjoy this book, if solely for the inventive title, but I actually had to give up halfway through as the book was so convoluted and downright boring. And given that this is supposed to be a murder mystery of a body discovered inside a time machine, that is hard to believe. But author K.A. Bedford has managed to bore me so much, I stopped reading this book.

I mean, the main character looks Seth Green. I wanted to love this book.

Our main character is a former cop who discovered that police officers were travelling back in time to molest children. He reported it, but then was drummed out of the force. Now it appears that he is the prime suspect in the murder, only because he found the body. And when his future self is also found dead, there is even more suspicion directed at him.

But I didn’t bother to find out what happens, because at the halfway mark, I didn’t care. At all. So I gave up.

I will admit that time travel is probably my least favourite of the science-fiction devices. It tends to be used as Deus-Ex-Machina, fixing plot holes that the author has written themselves into. And then there are the implications of you travel back in time to warn yourself not to do something, so you don’t do it, so then the thing never happens, which means that you never travelled back in time, so you never warned yourself. Oh my head hurts.

(And yes I know I love Doctor Who, and I know that’s a contradiction but I am fine with it.)

Now, author Bedford does address this by saying people tend not to believe their future selves and that alternate timelines are created, but again, it is so poorly done that I just didn’t care.

Take my advice people. Don’t bother with this one.

P.S. And, no, I won’t be doing an "Ubalstecha Intends to Read" any time in the future staring this book.

Let’s take a quick look to see what amazing things arrived at the Geek Compound.

Setting the Standard: Comics by Alex Toth 1952-1954
Edited by Greg Sadowski

Promo copy:

Alex Toth’s influence on the art of comic books is incalculable. As his generation was the first to grow up with the new 10-cent full-color pamphlets, he came to the medium with a fresh eye, and enough talent and discipline to graphically strip it down its to its bare essentials. His efforts reached fruition at Standard Comics, creating an entire school of imitators and establishing Toth as the “comic book artist’s artist.” Setting the Standard collects the entirety of this highly influential body of work in one substantial volume.

Toth began his professional career at fifteen in 1945 for Heroic Comics, but quickly advanced to superhero work for DC. Responding to the endless criticism of editor Sheldon Mayer and production chief Sol Harrison, the young artist strove toward a technique free of “showoff surface tricks, clutter, and distracting picture elements.” Simply put, he learned “how to tell a story, to the exclusion of all else.”

After falling out with DC in 1952, Toth moved west. He freelanced almost exclusively for Standard over the next two years, contributing classic work for its crime, horror, science fiction, and war titles. But perhaps most revelatory to the reader will be the romance collaborations with writer Kim Ammodt, Toth’s personal favorites. “I came to prefer them for the quieter, more credible, natural human equations they dealt with — emotions, subtleties of gesture, expression, attitude.”

To explain his take on comics, Toth would quote such proverbs as “To add to truth distracts from it,” or “The beauty of the simple thing.” He employed these axioms “to make clear how universal this pursuit of truth, clarity, simplicity, economy, in all the arts and many other disciplines really is — and has been for 6,000 years.” These and other observations regarding the comic book form will be collected in an essay based on Toth’s published and unpublished letters and interviews.

Every page of Setting the Standard is restored to bring Toth’s unsurpassed graphics and page designs into full clarity, making this an essential edition for anyone with an appreciation of the art of graphic storytelling.

Another gorgeous, must own book from Fantagraphics!

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man
Written by Gerry Conway
Art by Al Milgrom and George Perez

Promo copy:

For the first time, the stories that introduced Firestorm are collected from issues #1-5 of his 1970s series, plus stories from THE FLASH #289-293. After Ronnie Raymond is tricked into nearly blowing up a nuclear reactor, he and Professor Martin Stein are caught in a nuclear incident. Their personalities merge, forming the being called Firestorm!

Yeah, the Milgrom art is ugly, but Firestorm was always one of my favorite titles.

The Jack Kirby Omnibus Vol. 1 Starring Green Arrow
Introduction by Mark Evanier

Promo copy:

In 1957, Jack Kirby returned to DC Comics to draw the Green Arrow feature that ran in ADVENTURE COMICS and WORLD’S FINEST COMICS, pitting the Emerald Archer and his sidekick, Speedy, against a plethora of foes. At the same time, Kirby kept busy with work on DC’s mystery titles. These short tales spotlighted extraterrestrials and earthly monsters, nuclear threats and super-intelligent animals, magic wishes gone wrong and cities lost beneath the seas, challenging Kirby’s ever-fertile imagination in every story.

Now, for the first time, DC Comics collects all of Kirby’s many stories from the pages of HOUSE OF MYSTERY, HOUSE OF SECRETS, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED, MY GREATEST ADVENTURE, ALL-STAR WESTERN, ADVENTURE COMICS, WORLD’S FINEST COMICS, as well as a trio of 1940s stories from REAL FACT COMICS.

While not the best of The King’s work–far too restrained for my tastes–it’s still over 300 pages of rare Jack Friggin’ Kirby. On his bad days, he’s still better than most comic artists ever. ‘Nuff said.

Graphic novels received 8/9/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

The Super Hero Squad Show Season 2 Volume 1: The Infinity Gauntlet

Promo copy:

With Galactus defeated and Dr. Doom moping behind bars, Super Hero City is finally safe: that is, until Thanos goes in search of the powerful Infinity Gauntlet! Although they are without their comrade-in-laughter, Silver Surfer, the Super Hero Squad (Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Wolverine and Falcon) must once again come together to take on any villainy that threatens the peace and safety of the Marvel universe no matter where it might take them!

Featuring the hilarious guest voice talents of Ty Burrell (Modern Family), John O’Hurley (Seinfeld), Stan Lee, Jane Lynch (Glee), James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Adam West (Batman)!

Meet Monica Velour

Promo copy:

In this irreverent comedy, awkward teenager Tobe (Dustin Ingram) sets off on a road trip to meet Monica Velour (Kim Cattrall), his favorite ’80s porn star, at a rare live appearance hundreds of miles away. Instead of the glamorous sexpot portrayed on film, he finds a 49-year-old single mom living in a trailer in rural Indiana, performing at seedy strip clubs to make ends meet. A starry-eyed Tobe, still captivated by his crush, befriends Monica, further complicating her difficult life. Kim Cattrall gives a career-defining performance in this offbeat love story that appeals to the dreamer — and the nerd — in all of us.

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil

Promo copy:

The good… the bad… the Twitchy. The sequel finds our heroine, Red (Hayden Panettiere), training with a mysterious covert group called the Sisters of the Hood. But Red is forced to cut her training short when she gets an urgent call from Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers), the head of the super secret Happily Ever After Agency, aka the HEA. A wicked witch (Joan Cusack) has abducted two innocent children, Hansel (Bill Hader) and Gretel (Amy Poehler), and Nicky needs the whole Hoodwinked gang — Red, Granny (Glenn Close), the ever-clueless Wolf (Patrick Warburton) and his over-caffeinated little partner, Twitchy (Cory Edwards) — for the search and rescue mission.

DVDs received 8/6/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

What started as meditation on historical revisionism in The Planet of the Apes evolved into the full blown article “How Rises messes with Apes canon (and 3 ways we can fix it all)” for Blastr.

I posit three potential solutions to reconcile this issue: Ape Shall Venerate Ape, an Abrahams Conundrum, and a Crisis on Infinite Ape Earths. Check out my Blastr article for all the particulars.

How Rises messes with Apes canon was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon