Ubalblog

[  Mood: Silly ]
[ Currently: Editing the Podcast ]
I love manga, and I am always looking for a series to pick up to add to the three or four that I read. Hense why I grabbed the Hand of Recca when it came up at the library recently.

Interesting manga about a young man (Recca) who wants to be a ninja. In this volume, he finds his princess, fellow student Yanagi Sakoshita, to whom he pledges his undying loyalty. This irks his fellow classmates, because Recca has always said he would be the slave of the first person who could beat him in combat. Particularly upset are lifelong friend Fuko Kirisawa, who has fought with Recca since they were children, and classmate Domon Ishijima, who is jealous of the attention that Fuko lavishes on Recca. Added to the mix is Kagehoshi, Mistress of the Shadows, who claims that Recca is the one destined to kill her.

Not the most engaging first volumes of manga I have read, but there is enough there to keep me reading to see how this story develops.

[  Mood: Evil ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
Let’s get this clear, I hate the story of Romeo and Juliette. Loathe it to a depth of my being that you can’t understand. The year we were forced to study it in high school was only made bearable because I had an amazing English teacher who let us watch West Side Story.

So why do I hate this play? Because it enforces the wrong stereotypes about young love. That it lasts forever. That it is pure. That it was meant to be. That two 14 year-olds have it figured out more than the adults who surround them.

I teach 14 year-olds, and believe me, nothing could be further from the truth. What you feel at 14 is not love, it is infatuation at best, but is in most cases your hormones trying out this lust thing. Love is not intense feelings and violins in the background. Love is the man who gets up in the middle of the night and drives the baby who has been fussing on and off for six hours around in the car so you can finally get some sleep. Love is the woman who takes the kids so you can hang with the boys and play video games. Love is sacrifice and unselfishness. Of putting someone else before you. The hormone rush gets us to a point where real love can grow.

In reality, Romeo and Juliette by William Shakespeare, is about two young people who "fall in love" (and maybe they really do) but are prevented from marrying because their families hate each other. Yet, when presented with a way out, Romeo’s aunt in another city, they dither about, whining and indecisive until they both end up dead. (Ooops, spoilers!)

The two of them deserved their fates and we need to stop mooning over this story be anything more than a morality tale written to warn us to take control of our lives and grow the hell up.

[  Mood: Amused ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio – that clearly has replacement techs working ]
I finally got to the big cross over that has been rumoured for years.

The cross over between the JLA and Avengers has been in the works for years. An earlier version even got as far as pencilling (ironically enough by George Perez) before it was cancelled. This one finally brings together two of the biggest teams of comics. Both have been charged to find twelve items that can be used to prevent the destruction of their respective universes.

And because it’s superhero comics, there has to be fighting, so we get to see Thor and Superman duke it out, as well as Wonder Woman and She-Hulk. The best of these is Green Arrow and Hawkeye, although Green Arrow comes out the worst of that excahnge. Initially, they teams work against each other trying to gather the essential items of the quest, but when they realize they are being used, they unite to fight the cosmic big bad.

The biggest issue with this book is the plotting. In order to give the heroes something to fight, Busiek has a new created cosmic big bad, Krona, to fight against. The problem is that Krona has to be so powerful that only the united teams can bring him down. (And for some reason, Krona looks human and dresses like supervillains. Why can’t cosmic big bads look non-human? That is more plausible.)

The story telling is disjointed and jumps all over the place in time, mostly to allow the swapping in and out of historic JLA/Avengers teams and members. Because of the temporal story line, costumes, incarnations and even relationships kept shifting. Other characters in the universes also get cameos, but there is a noticeable lack of X-Men. Busiek justifies this with our supervillain’s attempt to force the two universes together causing temporal rifts. But perhaps the worse thing is the deus ex machina ending.

This book got three stars for the subtle Green Arrow/Hawkeye rivalry story line that permeates the book. It is really the only thing that feels like there is a joy of storytelling, and a knowledge and care for the characters. The rest of the book feels earnest, as if Busiek wants us to know he has important work to do.

One of the saving graces is Perez’s art. It is very good, almost brilliant at times. You can see where he laid out panels with his trademark multi-panel action and/or symetry. Which works in a story about teams from mirror universes fighting each other. His ability to draw hundreds of people fighting is at its peak. You can forgive his tendency to draw the women as D-cupped weight lifters.

This is an OK outing, and this group of heroes deserves more than just OK.

[  Mood: Distorted ]
[ Currently: Drinking some tea ]
I am not going to lie. I love the Justice League. I have read it in many of its incarnations. And in the 80s, we got the below:

This is a collection of the first few issues of the 80s problem filled reboot of the Justice League. So you get the gathering/origin story that is earnest in a way that only the 80s can be. And a guest spot for President Reagan.

This most valuable part of the collection is the introduction. In this we learn two things. First, that this reboot was meant to be a reaction to the Alan Moore darkening of comics. The spit takes and running gags were done on purpose. Which, I will admit I loved in the 80s. But now, I look at it and think cringeorama.

Second, this was a reboot because the previous incarnation with Gypsy, Vibe and Vixen, was pretty much a disaster. That is the reason why DC wanted a reboot. The problem was, that Superman and Wonder Woman were undergoing reboots themselves, and were not available for permanent membership. So once again, this lead to a group of second stringers and unknowns. But there was a desperate attempt to make it hipper and more appealing than what had come before.

And can I say 80s? Hal Jordan makes a cameo, with a sweater draped around his chest that makes him look like Ken. We have superheroes from another dimension destroying our nuclear capabilities in a storyline so heavy-handed, it deserved to be in a very special episode of Blossom. And don’t get me started on Flashdance Canary.

Good for the completionist, but it will serve to remind most readers of the flaws of this run of the series.

Although it might be worthwhile to pick up just to watch Batman slug Guy Gardener.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Eating Dessert ]

The thrilling conclusion to the New Frontier saga that is actually better than the first instalment. Here our heroes gather to fight the menace that is looking to cleanse the world of humans. We also see character development of people like Superman and Batman, in a way that is clever and a wink at the overarching history of these two characters.

I personally like the inclusion of Black Canary in the teen titans/sidekick generation, given that this is Black Canary II. And Arrow has a role beyond shooting Arrows, rare. This series possibly also has the best representation of Hal Jordan ever.

So good. A satisfying way to finish the series.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Taking a break from cleaning. ]
Just recently finished this book, and I made some observations I thought I would share.

The villains of the DC Universe have been having nightmares about the end of the world and how the heroes can’t stop it. So they band together for two purposes, 1) to save mankind by performing acts of good and 2) stop the apocalypse by stopping all the heroes.

In this first volume we see hero after hero fall to the onslaught of villains. It is a bit depressing watching the icons of my childhood fall so easily to the onslaught of the badguys. If it had been this easy, wouldn’t it have happened before? Still there is enough here to make me want to read the next instalment.

I also have a problem with Alex Ross’s artwork. I know that a collective gasp just broke out, like the voices of a thousand Geeks could not believe that I said that. But Ross is all about the strong chin and defiant stance, which is awesome when you have male heroes wearing masks. The results with the females of the DC Universe are not so pretty. Black Canary and Wonder Woman end up looking quite manish, almost transvestite like, especially in the covers. Gone are any suggestions of delicate beauty. I get that they will be muscled, but Canary was designed after femme fatales of Hollywood, she should not look like she has a chin you can cut cheese on.

And so that one thing puts me off much of Ross’s work. I don’t doubt he’s one of those artists who takes pictures of models posing to achieve his photorealistic art, but it’s just slightly creepy.

[  Mood: Angelic ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
I have been doing a lot of reading recently and feel the need to share some observations with you.

Imagine a world where superheroes have been outlawed, with the exception of those who are willing to reveal their identities and work for the government? Those that haven’t are considered outlaws and need to be captured.

This is the world of New Frontier. We have the classic DC Silver Age heroes, before most of them were heroes, learning to control their powers and to act to help the ones they loved.

Heavily influenced by the Watchmen (but what isn’t in modern superhero comics), the beauty of this work is the art, which looks like the art of the 50s and 60s. Also of note is the reimagining of Wonder Woman into a strong female character who is still constrained by the social norms of the time. Her giving the liberated sex slaves the guns and turning them loose on their captors is one of my favourite scenes in comics period.

Can’t wait for the second volume.

[  Mood: Cool ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
!!!!!SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!

We here at the Roundtable are pleased to announce that Roundtable will be introducing a bookclub! Yes, we read books and want to share them with you.

Our first bookclub will be taping the week of December 26. Our host and discussion leader is our man in Japan, Dave Farnell. Dave will lead a merry band of readers through a discussion of the book he has hand chosen for this event.

And what book is that, you may ask?

<drumroll>

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik.

Yes, it’s Napoleonic war fiction, with dragons!! The first book of this epic fantasy series that has been optioned by Peter Jackson for a movie. If you haven’t read it, now is the time. If you have read it, why not read it again? Send your questions and observations to revcast@revolutionsf.com.

We are also looking for one special listener and or special guest to join us. So if you think you can talk about dragons, sailing ships and black powder, send a quick email to revcast@revolutionsf.com as to why we should pick you. Who knows? You may end up talking on the Roundtable.

[  Mood: In Love ]
[ Currently: Editing the Podcast ]
"He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you."
— Bob Marley

[  Mood: Angry ]
[ Currently: Getting read to go shopping ]
So on Google+ Marvin Ryan Vista posted a thought

And someone followed up with

Now I am a teacher and part of what I teach is Math, and the above thinking gets my blood boiling. So I wrote a follow-up and I liked it so much, I wanted to preserve it. So here it is below: