A new ‘Batman’ TV series please!

The Comic Book Pile:Summer 2012

***Note***
This is an unpublished blog post from 2012. Not sure why I never posted it, it was interesting to see how much has changed in 6 years. I've inserted some updated comments.
- Chris Sept 25th 2018
_______________

2012: (2018)

I am currently blogging while on my vacation in Fairview, Alberta. The family and I are visiting my Grandparents-in-law. (Sadly we did not make our annual trip to Fairview in 2018)
We are having a blast as always. But onto the blogging:

 

As you no doubt know I am a huge comic book fan. I order most of my comics on line from a company out of Quebec called 'Comic Pull' (I no longer order comics through Comic Pull. I get my comic books digitally from comixology and I order trades from Amazon) . I also have a 'pull list' at the 'Comic King' comic book store in West Edmonton Mall (Which has now been closed for probably 2-3 years. The last owner was a bone head and not a comic book fan and had no clue how to stay in business. I really did not like him and I am glad to see his business fail, although I am sad to see no comic book store in the mall. I have a lot of fond memories of WEM Comic King as it was my first comic book store).

I read a lot of comics in a month so I've decided to do a quarterly update segment where I tell you what I feel is the best of what I read (I never kept up with that nor do I want to do that now...lol). Some titles will not change from month to month because my favourite titles are pretty solid, but I'll try and include something different. If your thinking about picking up some comic books to try I hope this segment will help. in my opinion this truly is a great time to be reading comics.  

 

Top 10 Comic Books (In my opinion)

 

1- Batman (DC). Best written and drawn book out there!! (Still good with Tom King currently writing it)

2- Invincible (Image). Created and written by Robert Kirkman (creator of 'The Walking Dead' comic and TV show) (Sadly this book ended earlier this year but still worth checking out)

3- Daredevil (Marvel). Written by the great Mark Waid. This book is a lot of fun. (Waid no longer writing and I stopped reading it)

4- Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics). Jonathan Hickman is a great writer and this is a fun thinking man's comic book. (Hickman no longer writing and it just relaunched with Dan Slott writing after a 3 year hiatus of the title. So far it is good) 

5- Earth Two (DC) Still a new title but this is a great read by James Robinson (Starman) (No longer being made)

6- FF (Marvel) This is the sister book to the Fantastic Four and is written by Hickman. Fun book. (No longer being made)

7- Saga (Image) Written by Brian K. Vaughan this is a cool sci-fi comic book. Romeo & Juliet-ish it is. (No longer reading. got very boring)

8- Justice League (DC) Written by Geoff Johns, art by the legend Jim Lee. The back up 'Shazam' story is great too. (No longer reading. Johns no longer writing)

9- Aquaman (DC) Written by Geoff Johns. This really is a fun book to read and yes it is Aquaman. (No longer reading. Johns no longer writing)

10- Flash (DC) I was a fan of the Flash but with the relaunch of the 'New 52' this book got really good. (No longer reading. Got boring and redundant in my opinion)

 

Mentions: Swamp Thing (DC)(No longer reading) , Secret (Image) (No longer being made), Action Comics (DC), Hulk (Marvel)(No longer reading) , Batman Incorporated (DC)(No longer being made) .

 

Trade I'm reading: Starman Omnibus 1, paperback from DC comics. Reprinting this series from the 90's written by James Robinson (Earth Two). this is a fun book to read. the art is not the best but it suits the story I think.

  

See you in the fall for more of 'The Comic Book Pile'!! (No you won't)
(But more blogging goodness next week as always!)

The Dark Knight: 10 years later.

I never understood all the hype and praise placed on this movie; some of it yes but not all. When I hear people say “The Dark Knight is the best comic book movie ever made!” my response is always “What?” There are far better comic book movies than that one. Now don’t get me wrong I do think it is a good movie, but is it the best comic book movie? No it is not and here is why:

-         The Joker: Heath Ledger was mesmerizing as the Joker and some have said he was the best person to have taken that role. Unfortunately I think the same people are caught up in his performance knowing it was his last before his unfortunate death prior to the release of the film. Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s 1989 ‘Batman’ film is so much better than Ledger. Nicholson brought the Joker to life in a way that had never been done before. He truly captured the essence of the comic book’s clown prince of crime. Ledger played up the Joker in a way that was not what comic book fans expected from that character. He was good but not as good as Nicholson.

 

 

-         Two-Face: I love this character and I was excited he was introduced in this film. But no sooner do they introduce him they kill him off and somehow Batman is the bad guy at the end of the day…WHAT??? Two-Face would have made for a great villain in his own Batman film and was completely wasted here.

 

 

-         People having to decide who lives and dies: The whole Joker rigging the two boats to blow up and leaving it to the people and prisoners on the boats to decide who dies was just dumb and very un-Joker like. Joker is an agent of chaos and does not care about what people will decide…he kills for fun and laughs and to get under Batman’s skin. The whole ship sequence was an attempt of Director Christopher Nolan to make this film deeper than it really is.

-         Batman the bad guy: So Commissioner Gordon and Batman its best for everyone that they do not find out the truth about Harvey Dent/Two-Face so Batman takes the wrap for killing Dent and everyone Dent killed prior to his death…WHAT?? It was such a stupid plot twist and again an attempt to give the film a deeper meaning than it really had.  

 

So what comic book films are better than ‘The Dark Knight’? Here’s a few:

-         Iron Man

-         Avengers

-         Avengers Infinity War

-         Every Captain America film

-         Spiderman (2002)

 

‘The Dark Knight’ was a great comic book movie, but definitely not the best.

Nuff said.

-Chris

Random Nerdness Podcast Episode 7: Talking Walking Dead & Old People

Chrisloc1701 is once again joined in the 'Batcave' studio with Sound Engineer Seb, Sister Brianna and old friend Mr Tyler Kluin. In this episode they discuss Comic Book homework, 'The Walking Dead' TV show, getting old and what not to do when old, and who should play 'Batman' in the JLA movie?? 

This podcast is a proud member of the Atomic Geeks Podcast Network!!

Also check out Chris on the 'Geek Fallout' podcast!!

The Dark Knight Rises (Spoiler Free Review)

Last weekend I was out visiting my Dad who lives by the Saskatchewan border, and I decided to take some time and go see a little film called 'The Dark Knight Rises', which i had been meaning to see but didn't have a chance at that point. So my son and I made the short trek into Saskatchewan to watch the film, my first film ever watched in that province, and I must say it was well worth the trip!

First off I am a huge fan of Christopher Nolan's Batman films (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) so when I had heard that this would be his last film in this 'trilogy' I was very disappointed. But DKR (Dark Knight Rises) was a great film and a fitting end to this Batman saga. I still wish they would keep going with this series with all who is involved, but sometimes it is best to end on a high note which is what they did with this latest film. Here's a few spoiler free pro's and con's:

Pro:

- Bane made for an excellent villain and was used very well, unlike his first feature film appearance in 1997's 'Batman & Robin'. Tom Hardy did a great job as the character despite having to act through a mask. After Heath Ledger's historic take on 'The Joker' in the last film Hardy had very big shoes to fill and he did so nicely.  

- Anne Hathaway was excellent as Selina Kyle (Catwoman, but very actually called that in the flick). I really wasn't sure if she could pull of the character but she did and perhaps did the best interpretation of Selina ever seen on film. Really hope she gets her own film...

- All the supporting characters were great once again and  Joseph Gordon-Levitt made a great addition to the cast.

- I love Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Definitely the best actor for the role by far.

- Nolan did a great job making Batman a 'real' character. You watch this film and you cannot help but think that this could happen. Batman/Wayne is a regular dude and is vulnerable just like anyone else.

- There were some great surprises in this film, story elements that surprised even me and certain actors making surprise appearances. Very cool.

Con:

- Probably my biggest con with this film is the complex story. Without giving anything away certain things were established in the last film, but then it just got tossed out the window just too easily to be believable. The story has a lot of holes in it's logic. Problem wit the last 2 Bat films is that Nolan created too complex of a story. It was still an enjoyable story but there were times I was scratching my head saying "What?".

But over all I would give this film 4.5 stars out of 5. It is a great film, but not as good as 'The Avengers' in my humble pie opinion.

See ya in the future!

The Comic Book Pile: Summer 2012

As you no doubt know I am a huge comic book fan. I order most of my comics on line from a company out of Quebec called 'Comic Pull'. I also have a 'pull list' at the 'Comic King' comic book store in West Edmonton Mall. I read a lot of comics in a month so I've decided to do a quarterly update segment where I tell you what I feel is the best of what I read. some titles will not change from month to month because my favourite titles are pretty solid, but I'll try and include something different. If your thinking about picking up some comic books to try I hope this segment will help. in my opinion this truly is a great time to be reading comics.  

 

Top 10 Comic Books (In my opinion)

 

1- Batman (DC). Best written and drawn book out there!!

2- Invincible (Image). Created and written by Robert Kirkman (creator of 'The Walking Dead' comic and TV show)

3- Daredevil (Marvel). Written by the great Mark Waid. This book is a lot of fun.

4- Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics). Jonathan Hickman is a great writer and this is a fun thinking man's comic book.

5- Earth Two (DC) Still a new title but this is a great read by James Robinson (Starman)

6- FF (Marvel) This is the sister book to the Fantastic Four and is written by Hickman. Fun book.

7- Saga (Image) Written by Brian K. Vaughan this is a cool sci-fi comic book. Romeo & Juliet-ish it is.

8- Justice League (DC) Written by Geoff Johns, art by the legend Jim Lee. The back up 'Shazam' story is great too.

9- Aquaman (DC) Written by Geoff Johns. This really is a fun book to read and yes it is Aquaman.

10- Flash (DC) I was a fan of the Flash but with the relaunch of the 'New 52' this book got really good.

 

Mentions: Swamp Thing (DC), Secret (Image), Action Comics (DC), Hulk (Marvel), Batman Incorporated (DC).

 

Trade I'm reading: Starman Omnibus 1, paperback from DC comics. Reprinting this series from the 90's written by James Robinson (Earth Two). this is a fun book to read. the art is not the best but it suits the story I think.

 

See you in the fall for 'The Comic Book Pile', but see you next week for more blogging goodness!

Blog #32: State Of The 'Bat Nation'

With DC's New 52 last fall I decided it was an excellent opportunity for me to jump on the Batman bandwagon. I have always been a fan of Batman but I have never been a regular reader of any of his titles. The only Bat-comics I have have been story arcs that interested me, but I never dedicated myself to a particular title. but with the New 52 I decided this was my chance to jump onboard and hit it from the beginning. Here is my reviews of each title, rated on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best rating.

Batman: Written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo. This is the BEST Batman title out there. The writing is amzing and the art too is just as amazing. This is the BEST title in all of the 'New 52' in my opinion. Their 'Court Of Owls' storyline has been absolutely amazing. The 'Owls' are probably the best Batman villain creation since Bane in the 90's. Batman and all his allies have truly met their match with the Owls. This really is an amazing book.

Batman:  Rating of 5 out of 5.  Read this book!!!

Batman & Robin: This too is a good title. I love the Batman and Robin dynamic, especially this Robin because he is actually Bruce Waynes son, Damien. And Damien may be a little evil himself, too much like his Grandpa Ra's Al Ghul. The art is OK, but not great, and the writing too is OK. This book definitely has room to grow and I do enjoy reading it every month.

Batman & Robin: Rating 2.5 out of 5.

Batman The Dark Knight: This is a good book too. The writing is OK, but what is awesome with this title is the art!! Aside from Greg Capullo on 'Batman' this is the second best Batman art in the Bat titles. This is a beautiful book to look at and read. Especially the character of the 'White Rabbit'. Wow she looks amazing, too bad she's not real.

Batman The Dark Knight: Rating 3 out of 5.

Detective Comics: Again this is a good book. Like 'The Dark Knight' this is a book with OK writing and great art. And as the title suggests this books focuses on the 'Detective' side of Batman. The story line so far has not been great, but the more recent Penguin storyline was better.

Detective Comics: 2.5 out of 5.

Batman Incorporated: I still have to read this title. I had read the previous run before the New 52. But I like Grant Morrison on 'Batman'. So I will definitely be reading this title with a review to come.

Have a great week!

Beer Goggles: May 2012

Beer Goggles: May 2012   

 

As part of my 'Random Nerdness' Blog I have included a monthly update I am calling 'Beer Goggles' where I will share a brief outline on what I am drinking, reading, viewing and listening to for the month.

 

Beer: I am drinking some 'Old Milwaukee'. It's cheap and it's not half bad. I'm also drinking me some Traditional Ale from Calgary's Big Rock Brewing Company. Also on the non-beer side of things I am enjoying Sanpellegrino's 'Blood Orange' sparkling fruit beverage. 

 

Comics & Books: I am almost a year behind in reading 'Hulk' from Marvel Comics. I keep ordering it every month and the pile keeps on getting bigger so this month I intend to get caught up on the adventures of the Red Goliath, also known as Thunderbolt Ross. 

I bought the first 2 novels in Peter David's 'The Hidden Earth Chronicles' at the Calgary Expo, from Mr Peter David himself and I even had them autographed. I'm not a big fan of fantasy novels but given that this is written by Peter David it should be an enjoyable read. I'm starting Book 1 in May. 

I'm also still reading 'The Great American Cereal Book'. Awesome history about breakfast cereals that Canadian consumers share with our American neighbours. 

 In March I bought and continue to read the 'Compendium' of the comic book series 'The Walking Dead'. In March I finished the first trade and I was blown away by what I read and saw. I loved it so much I went out and ordered the first Compendium of this comic series, and I will buy the second one when it is released. Robert Kirkman is perhaps one of the greatest comic book writers in history!

Viewing: I'm a little behind in my DC Animation viewing so this month I will be watching for the first time the 'Batman Year One', 'Wonder Woman' and 'Batman/Superman Public Enemies' DVD movies. DC has done an excellent job with their movies that I have already seen so I'm sure to be pleased. 

Listening: Having a long drive to work every workday I tend to do a lot of listening. 'The Atomic Geeks', 'Nerd Lunch' and 'Classic Film Jerks' are all great podcasts I love to listen to. Some other great podcasts I listen to are: 'iFanboy', 'Comic Geek Speak' and 'I Sell Comics'. I've also downloaded some great audiobooks I hope to crack open this month: 'Bradbury 13', radio-like drama's about some of Ray Bradbury's classic sci-fi tales. Also 'World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War'. I also have William Shatner's and Leonard Nimoy's autobiographies to listen to. 

 

Well that is all for May's 'Beer Goggles'.

 

Cheers!

Beer Goggles: April 2012

As part of my 'Random Nerdness' Blog I have included a monthly update I am calling 'Beer Goggles' where I will share a brief outline on what I am drinking, reading, viewing and listening to for the month.

 

Beer: I just purchased some 'IPA' India Pale Ale from Calgary's 'Big Rock Brewing Company'. I also have some Rickards Red's that I am finishing. Although not a beer I have been enjoying 'Orangina' sparkling orange beverage. 

 

Comics & Books: My favourite comic book right now is 'Batman' written by Scott Snyder. His 'Court Of Owls' storyline is reaching new heights and is just getting better each and every month. I'm also enjoying Fantastic Four, FF and The Ultimates, all written by Jonathan Hickman. 

I bought several 'Star Trek: Titan' books at the Edmonton toy show last Sunday and I am very excited to read the further adventures of Captain Riker and the USS Titan. 

I'm also still reading 'The Great American Cereal Book'. Awesome history about breakfast cereals that Canadian consumers share with our American neighbours. 

Last month I bought and continue to read the 'Compendium' of the comic book series 'The Walking Dead'. In March I finished the first trade and I was blown away by what I read and saw. I loved it so much I went out and ordered the first Compendium of this comic series, and I will buy the second one when it is released. Robert Kirkman is perhaps one of the greatest comic book writers in history!

Viewing: I am watching season 2 of 'Game Of Thrones' on HBO and season 5 of 'Mad Men' on AMC. But I recently bought season 1 of  'Game Of Thrones' on Blue-Ray which I will be re-watching. I also bought the newest DC Universe animated movie 'Justice League: Doom', which I intend to watch shortly. Look for a future review on 'The Cola Dog' blog. 

'Commander' Shelby assisting me in this hard photo shoot. 

Listening: Having a long drive to work every workday I tend to do a lot of listening. 'The Atomic Geeks', 'Nerd Lunch' and 'Classic Film Jerks' are all great podcasts I love to listen to. Some other great podcasts I listen to are: 'iFanboy', 'Comic Geek Speak' and 'I Sell Comics'. I've also downloaded some great audiobooks I hope to crack open this month: 'Bradbury 13', radio-like drama's about some of Ray Bradbury's classic sci-fi tales. Also 'World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War'.

 

Well that is all for April's 'Beer Goggles'.

 

Cheers!

Beer Goggles: March 2012

As part of my 'Random Nerdness' Blog I have included a monthly update I am calling 'Beer Goggles' where I will share a brief outline on what I am drinking, reading, viewing and listening to for the month.

 

Beer: My favourite beer is Kokanee and I recently bought a case of them, so I will be enjoying them soon. Kokanee is made in BC and is 'Glacier Fresh'. What ever they are doing works because this is the best beer made in Canada in my humble opinion. 

 

Comics & Books: I recently bought the 'Compendium' of the comic book series 'The Walking Dead'. I recently finished the first trade and I was blown away by what I read and saw. I loved it so much I went out and ordered the first Compendium of this comic series, and I will buy the second one when it is released. Robert Kirkman is perhaps one of the greatest comic book writers in history!

At this years Calgary Comic Expo writer Peter David will be there. Last summer I bought his book on how to write for comics, but I have not yet read it so I'm hoping to to read some of it so I can ask him some questions at the con. David wrote some of my favourite comic runs in comic history. 

Also I bought a special 'Batman Incorporated' comic titled 'Leviathan Strikes!'. Right now for me Batman is my favourite character to follow in comics and I am especially looking forward to reading this Grant Morrison story. 

Viewing: I am still watching season 2 of the North American version of 'Being Human'. Also be sure to check out 'The Walking Dead' TV series on AMC. This show is one of the best TV series on TV right now!!

I recently bought a 'Directors Cut' of the 2009 'Watchmen' movie, which I intend to watch. I really liked this film and feel it is one of the best comic book movies ever made. Also last summer I purchased the DC Animated Movie 'Green Lantern: Emerald Knights', which I have yet to watch but will watch soon. Look for a possible review on 'The Cola Dog' blog. 

 

Listening: Having a long drive to work every workday I tend to do a lot of listening. 'The Atomic Geeks', 'Nerd Lunch' and 'Classic Film Jerks' are all great podcasts I love to listen to. Some other great podcasts I listen to are: 'iFanboy', 'Comic Geek Speak' and 'I Sell Comics'. I've also downloaded some great audiobooks I hope to crack open this month: 'Bradbury 13', radio-like drama's about some of Ray Bradbury's classic sci-fi tales. Also 'World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War'.

 

Well that is all for March's 'Beer Goggles'.

 

Cheers!