Grim-and-gritty is officially old and boring

This had started out as a longer, probably much more convoluted post about Mark Millar, the cult of personality that seems to have sprung up around certain comic book writers, and the apparent addiction to gore and ultra-violence that both Marvel and DC have been guilty of, but instead I'll boil it down to a simple question that I put to you, my Internet Pals:

Are people finally getting tired of it all?

I ask because I've been sensing some push-back recently, and I'm not sure if I'm actually detecting a ripple in the Force or if it's just wishful thinking. In either case, here are some things to consider:

Kick-Ass, which was hyped so hard people back in the 1920s have probably heard about it, just kind of petered out this weekend when it opened nationally. Sure, it was No. 1, but by just barely bringing in $19.8 million compared to How to Train Your Dragon's $19.6 mil. (a kid's movie that was already in its fourth week).

No doubt the hardcore Millar fans were lined up, but what about the rest of the geek chorus? Did they reject the movie the way some have been rejecting it and the comic online lately? Or is just a matter of little name-recognition and mainstream audiences being gun-shy (heh) about a movie riding mostly on its more interesting supporting character, an 11-year-old girl who curses a lot and is a ninja?

The other thing that caught my attention was the first few pages of Brightest Day #0, the kick-off to what DC promises is a shiny and new direction spanning the publisher's superhero line. A direction apparently best expressed by showing a baby bird falling from a tree, bloodily cracking itself open on a headstone and then laying crumpled on the ground, dead.

Marvel is also trumpeting the launch of the very similar Heroic Age event, noise that sounds tinny considering Millar, Brian Michael Bendis and Jeph Loeb have spent years upping the body count for the publisher while sealing it in a slick veneer of "coolz." (I feel I have to point out, as so many have before, that Loeb was responsible for the "Blob cannibalizing Wasp, like, RIGHT THERE" scene in his Ultimatum series.)

Both companies say they're paving the way to a lighter tone in their books and moving away from the grim-and-gritty aesthetic that keeps getting grimmer and grittier. And I have to wonder — are the Big Two full of shit?


Because I don't see it. And I'm curious whether other people are missing it, too, and if there is some kind of grit-fatigue setting in, like a comic book readers' version of Seasonal Affective Disorder. It bothers me because it's gotten ... stupid. And distracting. And, worst of all, boring. Bo-ring. Both publishers has created a system and style that encourages big, flashy set pieces tied together with the flimsiest of dialogue and piecemeal plot points at the expense of, y'know, a story.

(I know this isn't true of every single title either company puts out — both produce comics I love, but let's stick to generalities for the sake of this discussion.)

Now that the Big Two are promising to do things differently, how will readers react if they don't? It wouldn't be the first time either one has promised more than they delivered, but I wonder if there's more at stake this time. I kind of doubt it — fanboys have short memories and a limitless ability to gripe-and-forgive. But, man, I'd sure like to believe it.

As corny as it sounds, maybe it's time for Marvel and DC to have a little less shock and awe, and a little more aw, shucks in their comics.

I make no apologies for loving 'Superman III'

Yeah, yeah, I know — Richard Pryor in a giant cowboy hat, weirdo computer villain at the end, fake kryptonite laced with tar ... as far as I'm concerned it's all forgiven for giving us Barfly Superman.

Besides, it also yielded such fanciful illustrations as this movie poster for the film's release in Poland.



I think posters like this — which seem to be more the norm in some European countries — are a lot more interesting than the static poses we get in the States. What do you think?

Space Marines vs Arnie's Special Ops: Who ya got?

A few weeks ago my wife and I were having a serious discussion that eventually made its way to my Facebook page, and while there were advocates on both sides of the issue I never really felt like the thing was resolved. The mission was not over.

Nothing is over!

So I put it to you, Internet pals! In the great history of alien-ass kicking soldiers, who's tougher:

the Delta Force squad of Predator,

or the Colonial Marines from Aliens

Any way you look at it, it's a tough call; as someone pointed out to me, the Predator guys not only have Arnold Schwarzenegger at his peak, they've also got the former governor of Minnesota and MF'n Apollo Creed! On the other hand, Aliens features the craziest chola I've seen since La Smurf back in '85.

Do you think one squad has got it all over the other? Let me know in the comments, and vote for your favorite (and freedom) in the handy poll over on the right while you're at it.

Fall in!

Attention Austin: Prepare to have your ass kicked

This is kind of a big deal, so listen up!

Austin Books and Comics has announced writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr. will have a signing for their hardcover collection of Kick-Ass at the store from 5 to 6 p.m., Saturday, March 13th. That's a small but no doubt hard-fought-for window giving fans a chance to meet the creators of the popular, blood-soaked comic.

Kick-Ass is the eponymous title for a series about a would-be superhero in the all-too-real world. Inspiring other heroes, making enemies and being on the giving and receiving ends of brutal beat-downs is just the beginning of the story for the young crime-fighter, a story that's now a movie from Lionsgate starring Aaron Johnson and featuring Nicolas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The movie will have its world premiere March 12th at SXSW; go see the movie and then get your book signed the next day!

Here are the details on the signing straight from Austin Books:

We're thrilled to have (Millar and Romita, Jr.) here for what will surely be a BIG weekend for Kick-Ass. To make sure as many people get to meet them as possible, we have a few rules in place for this signing.

• Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. are scheduled to be here from 5 to 6 p.m. Be sure to get here early for your best chance to get a signature!

• You're welcome to bring a camera to the event and take pictures, but we've been asked that there be no individualized photos. They slow the line down a lot, and our guests have limited time with us as it is.

• Each person in line is allowed to have one item signed. This is a promotion for the new Kick-Ass movie, so the only book being signed is the Kick-Ass hardcover. If you've already bought the hardcover FROM US and made contact with us before this notice, you may bring that in. We will have copies of the hardcover available for sale that day. If you'd rather not buy a hardcover, there will be free Kick-Ass mini-posters to be signed. No other outside material will be allowed into the store.

• There will be no holding places in line. Anyone new to the line goes to the end of it. This will be enforced!

We know this all sounds a little hardcore, but we want to make sure as many people as possible get their books signed in the limited time we have. By following these rules, you may be ensuring that you get your chance to meet them.

Disclaimer: All details are subject to change.

Austin Books is located at 5002 N. Lamar Blvd.; here's a handy map. See you there!

MOOOOON ... child?!

Generally speaking, I don't think anyone cares what I'm having for lunch.

So when I'm updating my status on Facebook (clicky-clicky over on the right if you want to be Internet pals), I crib film quotes on a regular basis. Usually they're taken from pop culture icons, obscure B-movies or geek movie touchstones. And normally at least one or two people know what the hell I'm talking about and play along.

Now that I've set the scene, I should tell you the movie I was talking about this time was The Neverending Story.

There was some brief back-and-forth online, and then it was picked up again yesterday at the comic book shop.

"Hey," my friend asked when I walked in, "was the princess' name really 'Moonchild'? Where'd you get that from?"

Yup, I said, that was actually her name; I couldn't remember when I'd figured that out, but it was one of those things rattling around in my melon, like AT-ATs and the Penny Plunderer.

But the seed was planted. Was that her name? Did Wikipedia and IMDb lie to me? They've been know to do it before, the dirty bastards. I've always thought it was Moonchild, but maybe I'd just told myself that for so long that I believed it. And really, "Moonchild?" Even coming from a kid it seems a little silly-pants.

So what do you think? Take a look at this clip and tell me — what the heck is Bastian screaming into the night?



And while we're at it — what kind of name is Bastian?!

Ride the Lightning

So the last time I saw my nephew he was hard-core excited about a young adult series of books called Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is apparently about the demigod children of classic Greek gods and their misbehaving parents. I'd never heard of it at the time, but it sounded kinda neat and I've been meaning to look into it ever since.

And then suddenly, this starts making the rounds.


Now, I'm not ashamed to admit this: I've had a soft spot for Uma Thurman ever since she ripped the curl on the half-shell as Venus in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I even forgive her (mostly) for that awful, awful thing she did as Poison Ivy. I won't watch it ever again, but I forgive her. And now that she's playing Medusa in The Lightning Thief? Pretty much guarantees I'll be seeing this in the theater when it comes out.

(And was that Rosario Dawson in there?)

...

(It was!)

Like a lot of kids, I went through a serious mythology phase when I was younger and it's a fascination that's always lingered. Which is probably why I'm also interested in the Clash of the Titans remake.

Zeus help me.

How to get me interested in 'Twilight'

via Dave Campbell, from Josh Krach

From deep space ...

I'm still recovering from a long weekend (wah, wah, waaaahh!) so it seems like a good time to share this ad for Invasion of the Body Snatchers.


One of the interesting things about reading back issues is poring over the cultural baggage that older comics carry with them. There are the usual half-page advertisements crammed with tiny images of X-ray specs and stink bombs, but every now and then you might come across something like this. Isn't that a gorgeously designed movie poster? It's about 30 years later and that image still makes me want to see that movie.

And what the hell, Leonard Nimoy?!

Godspeed, Captain

I was saddened by the news this morning that Dom DeLuise died last night at the age of 75.

DeLuise was a fantastic comedic actor, especially when he was paired with longtime pal Burt Reynolds, and no where was this more apparent than in the road-race classic, The Cannonball Run. Playing a character with a split personality, DeLuise would go from spineless sidekick to Captain Chaos, a courageous superhero who appeared whenever the need arose. Chaos would often taking on whole gangs singlehandedly while crying out "Daan dan DANNNN!!", swooping down like happy-go-lucky vengeance itself.

It was just one hilarious bit in a fun and funny movie, but it was memorable and I'd be lying if I said it didn't inspire me to randomly leap on people shouting out the Captain's battle-cry.

Here's a clip from Cannonball Run, but I'd really recommend just renting the movie to truly soak in the glory:




- Thanks to Johnny Bacardi for being one of the first to mention the news.

All right, everybody - suit up!

I don't know if this has made the rounds yet, but it's the first I've seen of it: the New York Daily News has a fun little compare-and-contrast photo feature up at their Web site comparing TV and movie depictions of superheroes to the original comic book designs.

They cheat a little bit by using multiple characters from the same movie (there's plenty of Watchmen and Spider-Man here), but the indie folks aren't left totally out in the cold, either. It's not complete (insert fanboy whine here), but it's still impressively in-depth, from the cool ...


to the omigodmakeitstop ...


What do you think? What are some of your favorite — or most hated — character costumes to hit the screen? Any love for the TV version of Flash? Let me know in the comments!

Is this thing on?

Well ... hello, there.

As you may have noticed (or not), things have been pretty quiet around these parts. The one-two punch of the holidays and a two-week vacation gave me the chance to take a nice little bit of time off. Now I'm rested and ready to reacquaint myself with this electronic addiction. In other words, I missed you guys and I missed talking comics, so let's get going.

So where was I for the past two weeks? I was lucky enough to spend the time in New York City, and let me tell ya, that's a happening little town. My wife and I saw nearly every museum, landmark and tourist destination while we there, and discovered 14 days is just enough time to realize it's not enough time. Still, we saw almost everything on our list and had a great time. And in case you're wondering, yes, a certain store was on the list:

Sorry about the photo quality — I was a half-block away, for God's sake! Anyway, I'm happy to report that Midtown Comics is pretty much everything you'd feverishly imagine. Friendly staff, plenty of floppies and books in stock, a ton of back issues, toys and statues ... all in all, fairly high on the awesome scale.

Fortunately for me, my wife was patient enough to let me drag her to both Manhattan locations. If you don't live in the New York area and have to choose only one during a trip, I'd recommend the Times Square store. It's bigger (two floors!) and it felt like there was more to gawk at and geek out over. On the other hand, the cozier Lexington location was hiring at the time and it's easy to fantasize about working there.

---

Another stop on my NYC geek tour was the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, which is hosting exhibits of Harvey Comics art and the work of Ryan Dunlavey (who's probably best known as the co-creator and artist of Action Philosophers). It's really more a gallery than a museum at this point, but it's nice to see someone giving unfiltered attention to comic art and MoCCA does a good job of it. Both of the current exhibits are great, and the Harvey art is particularly fascinating. Both the process and craftsmanship that went into these comics are on display, and it's a treat to see it up close. If you have the chance, you should go check it out and give your support to an organization that's supporting an art form we all love.

---

And this has nothing to do with vacationing, but I was sorry to see veteran character actor Pat Hingle died Saturday due to a type of blood cancer. Hingle played Commissioner Gordon in the first four Batman movies, and had a long career that spanned film, television and the stage. He was 84.

Huh. Well, nothing like ending on a depressing note to alienate whatever readers are still here, right? Again, thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading! As always, I appreciate your comments, and thanks for the e-mails asking just where the hell I was. Things will be getting back into the usual rhythm soon — I swear!

Contest: Who needs the Olympics? We have a winner!

After crunching some numbers, getting in touch with our spirit animal and conferring with the Shadowy Council of Shadowy Men, a winner of the Batman: The Movie contest has been revealed:


Congratulations, T. Rakei! Send me an e-mail with your mailing information (the address is in my profile) and I'll send Batman: The Movie winging your way. And thanks to everyone who participated — you guys are swell. Even Robin thinks so!

Contest: That other Batman movie

So, as I've been hinting at here and there, the blog will be going quiet for a few days as I visit family in Veracruz this week (according to my niece, the forecast calls for mostly humid with a 99 percent chance of mosquitos). I'm hoping to get my hands on plenty of classic Spanish-language comics while I'm there, but getting to a computer for any real amount of time before next week looks doubtful.

So how about a contest?

There's been a lot of talk about that guy-who-dresses-like-a-giant-bat movie that came out a couple of weeks ago, but true connoisseurs know the really tasty cheese can be found in 1966's Batman: The Movie.

Yup, we're talking Adam West as the Caped Crusader, Burt Ward as the Boy Wonder and a cast of really very good actors as the bad guys who terrorize Gotham by chewing all the scenery. I've seen more than one review of The Dark Knight that compares Heath Ledger's Joker to Cesar Romero's as a definitive interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime, and there's a good reason why — Cesar Romero. Is. Awesome.


If you've never seen it, B:TM also stars everyone from the television series, including Romero, Frank Gorshin as The Riddler, Lee Meriwether as Catwoman, and Burgess Meredith as The Penguin (though I keep expecting him to tell Gorshin that he's going to "eat lightnin' and crap thunder.") More specifically, it's the one with the notorious "Bat-shark repellent" scene and a master plan that hinges on a dehydration weapon (hmmm ... sounds familiar ...).

Thanks to the folks over at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (geez, that's a mouthful), I've got a copy of the recently released special edition, Blu-Ray disc Batman: The Movie, and I want you to have it. The rules are simple: Comment on this post, and in a week I'll take the names of everyone listed and pick one at random, and we'll have our winner. Anonymous posters won't be counted, but everyone else will have a chance.


And just so you know what's so special about the special edition, here are some of the disc's bonus features:

• Commentary by actors Adam West and Burt Ward
• Commentary by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr.
• All-new high-definition featurettes:
Batman: A Dynamic Legacy
Caped Crusaders: A Heroes Tribute
Gotham City’s Most Wanted
• 2001 35th Anniversary Piece Featuring Interviews with Adam West and Burt Ward
• The Batmobile Revealed with George Barris
• Pop-Up trivia track
• Original Teaser and Theatrical Trailers
• Galleries

So get crackin', and I'll see you next week!

Hey, check out my briefs

Between trips out of town and the resulting backlog at work, posting here at GCP has been even spottier than usual — but that doesn't mean I haven't been around! Here are some of the things that have been in the back of my mind recently:

No, I haven't seen it yet. I know, I know — but it hasn't been because of a lack of desire, that's for sure (especially after I saw Church's and Sims' spoiler-free reviews). I tried to see it yesterday, but tickets had already sold out for the next two showings so I'm planning to try again this afternoon. But you know what's the worst part, worse than the anticipation or trying to avoid the inevitable spoilers? Here it is: My mom has already seen The Dark Knight.

My mom.

---

Speaking of lame, what's up with Christian Bale? It's never right to assault anybody, but your mother and sister?! I'm hoping — probably foolishly — that the allegations somehow turn out to be false, but we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, my selfish fanboy soul hopes this doesn't end up reflecting badly on the movie. Stupid Christian Bale.

Edit to Add: Thankfully, the whole thing doesn't seem to be as bad as the media reports first made it sound. Bale denies the allegations, the cops don't seem too stressed about it, and even his mother and sister seem to be downplaying the so-called incident. It's also important to note the definition of "assault" is different in England and in this case basically seems to mean he angrily hollered at people. Under that definition, I'd be considered a repeat offender. All in all, it seems to be no big deal — just the sort of thing that happens within families every Thanksgiving. It actually bothers me more that Fox seems to be the only ones following up on this story.

---

Speaking of movies, after seeing the trailer for the Watchmen movie, I'm getting more and more (cautiously) optimistic about the final product. I'm still a little worried about what's going to go into the movie and what's going to have to come out, but as long as the core concepts are included I think it'll turn out alright. So far it looks pretty good, and while Nite Owl is a little more buff than I expected, Dr. Manhattan is damn near perfect.

Also, this picture of the original Minutemen is pretty fantastic:

That's kind of what you would expect costumes in the 40s to look like, right? Sorta homemade and goofy looking. I appreciate that someone is paying attention to little details like that, instead of just going for wall-to-wall "WaTChmEn RUleZ!!"

---

So, I haven't read any Spider-Man books regularly for a while now (the clones did it to me), but I might have to pick this one up when it comes out in August just for the Adi Granov cover alone:

Positive reviews keep floating around, so this may be what gets me to finally give the post-Brand New Day Spidey a chance. Or not. We'll have to wait to see if Amazing Spider-Man Family #1 is any good or just a bunch of crap wrapped in a really beautiful cover.

---

As I mentioned at the beginning of this ramble, I've been out of town a lot lately and I'll be traveling again late next week (helloooo, Veracruz! Home of some of the best coffee ever as well as soul-crushing humidity).

Of course, that's also the same time the mighty Bahlactus will be hosting the first round of his latest Friday Night Fights bout, so I'm either going to be really, really early with my entry or I'm going to be experimenting with the scheduling function on Blogger. Either way, prepare for potential weirdness! I've been a longtime FNF participant and I've always appreciated how much work Bahlactus obviously puts into it, so I'm not about to miss one now — especially since the Big B hints that this might be the final fight.

If that's the case, I hope you'll join me in a proper salute.

Prediction: The Spirit is gonna blow

Frank Miller's Sin City-fication of The Spirit for the big screen seems to be rolling right along, and in what passes for the usual with Miller, the latest movie poster isn't very subtle about it.

On his production blog, Miller has gone on about how his movie is going to be an updated extension of what he knows was Spirit creator Will Eisner's intent. Well, guess what? I may not have been mentored by the comic book legend, but I'm pretty sure he never intended to portray all women as hard-edged hookers. Or just, y'know, slutty.

Don't get me wrong — I'm all for the beautiful women. Hell, the more, the better. But Eisner's stories were never about the awesome-cool bad-ass from Monochrome City and his loyal army of whores; they were about people being people just like anyone else, for better or worse.

I don't think Frank Miller — or anyone else — should just mindlessly ape Eisner's style, or even sensibility. But don't strip-mine someone else's well-established work just to stroke your own ego (or whatever) and leech it of all the things that made it popular and unique in the first place. Especially if you're going to do it in a way that panders to the worst stereotypes about the comic book community at large.

Hey, you hear that? That's the sound of all the goodwill comics (and their fans) got from Iron Man being flushed down the toilet.

Heath Ledger, 'Dark Knight's' Joker, dies unexpectedly

There was bad news tonight when it was reported that Heath Ledger, the Oscar-nominated actor who will be playing the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight, was found dead in a New York City apartment.

Making it especially sad was his young age — he was only 28 — and the family he's left behind, including a 2-year-old daughter. At the moment there hasn't been any cause of death given, but pills were allegedly found near Ledger so there has of course been speculation that he committed suicide. It's still early in this sad event, so there are a lot of theories and stupidity flying around; someone on CNN just commented that Ledger had said playing the role of the Joker "really got into his head, and he was having trouble letting it go," and needed Ambien to go to sleep — apparently making a half-assed attempt at connecting it to his death. We'll have to wait and see how the whole thing washes out.

In spite of his youth, Ledger had plenty to brag about: He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Brokeback Mountain, and was also known for his roles in popular popcorn movies like 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot and A Knight's Tale (one of my mom's favorite movies).

Like a lot of people, I was a little surprised when Ledger was announced as the Joker for The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins. I thought there was no way this pretty boy could pull it off. But as more news and movie stills started coming out I started to think he might not only be able to pull it off, but he could actually be a great Joker. I reached a point where I was excited to see Dark Knight, and especially Ledger's Joker.

I'll still be looking forward to seeing it, but it will be sad to think that the movie was the actor's last. I think when I see The Dark Knight, I'll be rooting for the bad guy.

You're a wonder, Wonder Woman

Pointed out by sharp-eyed reader Kyle, and as reported in various other sources, the role of Wonder Woman in the upcoming Justice League of America movie has apparently been filled by the statuesque Megan Gale.

Now, all I could find was Web sites referring to each other, and a quick Google search didn't turn up the Australian magazine that supposedly confirmed the news, so take it for what it's worth. Personally, it looks like Megan Gale might not be a bad choice it it's true.



Yeah, not a bad choice at all. Even my wife said, "She's pretty, and not like Jessica Alba with blond hair." I've never heard of the Australian supermodel, and I've got no idea whether or not she can act, but she's certainly got the right look for an ass-kicking Amazon.

According to IMDb, Gale played "Dr. Orbit's secretary" in Stealth and also had a role in what looks like an Italian movie; it's not what you'd call a lot of acting experience, but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Christopher Reeve was a little-known soap actor, as we all know, and he put in a performance that made him THE Superman for an entire generation.

In the case of superhero movies, it's all about the commitment to the character — if the actor can get over themselves and get into playing a superhero without hanging on to all the baggage that can come with it, then it can work. Playing a superhero isn't just about representing a character, it's also about representing an icon.

And there are few comic book characters as iconic as Wonder Woman, so let's hope Gale is more than just a pretty face.

A really, really pretty face, but still ...

....

Gosh, I wonder what she'll look like in the costume? (I can already hear fanboys warming up Photoshop.)

Oh, and some guy named Armie Hammer has reportedly been tapped as Justice League's Batman. He's got a bit more acting experience, but he might be hamstrung by the same thing that's a plus for Gale's role — he's just too pretty. And since when is Batman barely legal? (Helloooo Google searchers!)

Like a lot of things, this movie could end up being pretty great or pretty awful. Where do you guys think it's going to end up?

Fatal accident on Batman set

You always hate to hear about something like this. It's easy to forget there are real people who are pulling off a lot of the stunts that make us ooh and aah during our superhero movies, as well as technicians capturing the action, and it is often an incredibly dangerous job. The fact that this happened during what sounds like a dry-run is certainly proof of that.


"Batman" film technician dies in accident

A special effects technician involved in the filming of the new Batman movie has died in a car accident, the film's producers said on Tuesday.

An investigation has been launched after the man was killed when his 4x4 vehicle crashed into a tree during a dummy film run, Warner Brothers said in a statement.

The studio said that none of the cast, which includes several Hollywood stars, was involved in the accident that occurred at a special effects facility.

It added the fatal crash did not happen on the set or during filming for "Batman: The Dark Knight."

Media reports said the vehicle was following a stunt car, believed to be the Batmobile, at a property near Chertsey, Surrey.

Read the whole thing here.

Only sorta about comics (but not really)

The other day my wife and I were telling a co-worker about our hometown, and somehow the conversation ended up on Jay J. Armes, a former city council member and WORLD-FAMOUS PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR!

Since I grew up with Armes as a regular part of the landscape, it was easy to forget how much pure awesome this guy is packed with; I don't remember him being much of a councilman, but check out this resume:

Blew off both of his hands with dynamite when he was 12, later replacing them with gripping steel hooks!

Last name: Armes!

Rescued Christian-son-of-Marlon Brando from kidnappers!

Has a specially made prosthetic housing a .22 magnum!

Played a deranged sniper called The Hookman on Hawaii Five-O!

Has his own action figure!

Runs his own international PI business!

Has a movie in development with Stan Lee's company, Pow Entertainment! (there's your comicy content)

OK, honestly, I don't know what's going on with that development deal since it was first announced in January 2005 and I haven't been able to dig up anything more recent, but I hereby officially support this film. According to some sources, Scott Lobdell (more comicness!) has already written a first draft of the script.

And it's called "Hooked" for God's sake. This, kids, is Stan the Man's special genius.

If nothing else, looking all this up helped endear him to me all over again (he would genuinely seem like a nice guy when you ran into him around town). His huge plot of land, only a couple of miles from where I lived, was legendary in my neighborhood. I didn't grow up in a well-off area, so a mysterious compound surrounded by a tall golden fence featuring gates emblazoned with a huge "J.J." and crossed guns had an effect. Plus, he was known to have jungle cats that prowled the property after dark.

Holy crap ... I think I just overdosed on kick-assery.

I hope the movie does get made someday. At the very least, I'd love to see a Human Target-style comic come out of this - after all, the guy's practically OMAC! He's even got a similar affection for wacky head decor.


How could you lose?

Giving up the Ghost

Ghost Rider, the latest in an apparently now-trendy line of superhero movies, is due to open Feb 16 and I have to tell you ... I'm pretty excited.

Ha! I kid! Actually, I can't stay far enough away from what already looks like a terrible movie that somehow manages to completely miss the core mechanics of what makes the character work (mostly) in comics.

Truthfully, it makes me a little sad. I remember watching a Spider-Man TV series that was awful - the webbing looked like clothesline and the eye-lenses could have been made from a colander - and I loved it. I own the Roger Corman version of The Fantastic Four, for the love of Aunt Petunia!

I'm an enormous fan of the Spider-Man movies, too, and I thought Superman Returns was everything it should have been.

But I've only seen the first X-Men movie. I haven't seen Hulk (though I loved the show). I haven't seen Fantastic Four (and I'm not really convinced I need to see Rise of the Silver Surfer). I haven't seen Daredevil. I haven't seen Elektra.

And I'm not going to see Ghost Rider.

Which brings me to a question: Why not? What is it that makes some movies - even the "bad" ones - so much fun to watch?

What makes a superhero movie good?