Mary Louise Eklund

Author: Mary Louise Eklund

  • Comic Comments – The Salted Earth

    Comic Comments – The Salted Earth

    DP 61 Cov

    The Marvel Universe Deadpool is coming to an end of a Volume. Don’t worry our beloved Merc with a Mouth isn’t going away but like many titles he’s relaunching the next volume with the Marvel Now banner. The arc is entitled The Salted Earth and includes issues 61-63.  Here we learn how Agent Alison Kemp came to be in that wheelchair and just why she has it out Deadpool himself.  Oh and he faces Hit Monkey!

    Now for the ever present US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    Now to give credit to the final creative team of this volume : Daniel Way, Writer – Ale Garza, Pencils issue #62 and with Matteo Lolli in issue #62 – Filipe Andrade, Pencils issue #63 – Sean Parsons, Inks Issue 61 with Don Ho (who knew he could sing and ink?) issue 62, with Jeff Huet in issue 63 – Guru eFX, Colors – VC’s Joe Sabino, Letterer – Dave Johnson, Covers – Jordan D. White, Editor – Nick Lowe, Senior Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan, Fine Executive Producer.

    If you remember back in previous Deadpool arcs – he deliberately lost his ability to heal.  He thought he wanted to die but learned that Lady Death wasn’t real.  So he wanted to LIVE.  Only thing is he doesn’t have that healing factor any more.  So in the course of adventures he’s suffered severe burns all over his body and lost a finger.

    DP 62 Cov

    Now Agent Kemp has retired and is out to get DP for inadvertently making her a paraplegic. Hit Monkey is also out to get him.  Some how in all of this Deadpool matures, he sees a few things about himself and what he’s done in the past.  Sure he’s still got that yellow box inner dialogue going but in the long run a diner’s meatloaf dinner becomes a zeitgeist moment for him.  Never did say the man became sane –  most don’t find their defining moment in meatloaf this is DP we’re talking about.  Some how for him it makes total and perfect sense.  In an odd way once he’s had his meatloaf moment and accepts that Lady Death isn’t real – he’s free to reach other disturbed people.   Again this is an off beat DP sense of right here.

    The arc had it’s funny moments but all in all it was kinda sad.  Many broken people trying to be the super villain and beautiful hero people we see in other Marvel titles.  No one quite makes the cut, they aren’t the B listers but more the Kathy Griffin’s D listers.  Which is sad when they realize that, not so sad if they knew it but didn’t care.   The trademark quips are there but not as off the wall silly this time. The final line has some brutal alternate meaning that just leaves the reader stunned but satisfied   It was a good ending for the DP volume.  The attraction of Deadpool is that he isn’t so serious, is crazy, and makes no bones about it or attempts to hide it.  Instead he revels in it and we with him.  However, characters in order to be good have to grow.  Deadpool’s growth from insane Merc with a Mouth isn’t ever going to be a happy ending.  He’s severely disfigured.  He’s killed people for money.  He’s hurt others without noticing.  To top it all off he’s losing his mind. The saddest lecture I ever sat through was a mentally ill man whose disorder was controlled with medication explain what it was like to come to the realization that without treatment you have lost your mind.   So any DP volume is eventually going to reach this gestalt moment when the fun stops and the pain begins.  That’s when a volume reset is needed in this character’s case because following him to an asylum isn’t so fun but going back to the wacky Merc with a Mouth that rattles a stream of conscious while going after bad guys is fun.

    DP 63 cov

    The art was great for Deadpool’s hi-jinx and fitting to the end.   I enjoyed the odd visualizations of what DP imagines as he works things out for himself.  The over the top almost cartoony effects suit how our hero see the world.  I enjoyed the highlight of the physical flaws of the heroes and villains in the story it fits well the meatloaf moment.

    This arc was a fitting end and I raise my tear stained beer to the team that pulled it all off so well.  Here’s mud in your eye guys and gals!

    ***** Just a few scans***Maybe Spoilery*** Warning*****

    (more…)

  • Meet The Furry Boys

    Meet The Furry Boys

    Honestly my furry boys each deserve their own post.  They are two distinctive personalities.  Still they share the same origin story of how they came to be part of our family.  So despite being two fine feline fellas they will get three posts.  One on their origin story and one each on their unique personalities.

    It all started when I struck up a friendship with a single mom of seven where I used to work.  She was younger than me and had this weight of responsibility on her shoulders.  Long story short through a series of tragic happenings she wound up being the sole parent of these kids ranging in age from 19 to 5.  She was working hard as were the older kids to make ends meet.  Then an better opportunity happened – except the job was in California. I was asked to foster her two cats until she got settled there.  Then the plan was to send them out to the family. I couldn’t say no.

    Who spilled the catnip? Don't care dude just enjoy until mom cleans it up!
    Who spilled the catnip? Don’t care dude just enjoy until mom cleans it up!

    That’s how two 1 year old cats named Puss and Boots came to be part of our household.  They had become part of her household due to her finding them.  You see P&B came in a shipment of radioactive waste to a processing facility.  When they were discovered due to their mewling they were quickly rescued by the workers one of which being the single mom.  The kitties were dubbed Puss and Boots as they moved through the decontamination process. My friend was the one in charge of the process.  Once complete the decision was to the pound with them or to a home.  Being like me unable to turn away that cute needy kitten face – the two came home to the crowded house with seven kids.

    Now they were in our home with us, Mo, and Belle (an elderly golden lab).  I have to say the furry boys were shy at first staying in the basement and work room.  We didn’t push just made the main floor available  to them when they wanted.  Puss (aka Blue) was the first to come up and meet us all.  Within a week he was at home, it took Boots (aka Red) a few more weeks due to the dog but he came around.

    We’d had them for some time and gotten a few checks from my friend for the expenses of the boys.  Then the letter came that she just couldn’t take them back.  The expense of getting them out there and managing that was more than she could do with her large family.  She guessed they’d have to go to the pound any way.

    Oh no!  They’d been in our home and become part of our family during the months between.  There was no way I’d ship them off to an uncertain future.  These were my furry boys!  So I let her know they were a part of our family now and we’d be more than happy to keep them.  She was relieved they’d found a forever home.

    Thus they were ours and got collars with names on them and our address as contact information.  Back in those days they looked very much alike so the quickest way to tell them apart from a distance was by their collar color.  Boots had a blue collar and Puss had a red one.  Eventually as they grew into manly feline maturity and out of the long legged gawky stage the no longer looked cutesy like Puss and Boots names so they came to be called Blue and Red.  More manly nicknames that suited their maturity and their new collars for beefy necks bore the names Mr. Puss Blue and Mr. Red Boots  to recognize that they were indeed full grown cats.

    "Sorry Bro only room for one now that middle age spread has set in."
    “Sorry Bro only room for one now that middle age spread has set in.”

    The two were always and still are best buddies.  Early on they would always travel in the same carrier to the vet.  You couldn’t take one without the other going too or both would wail themselves sick for the missing brother.  I guess when you’d been through what they had been through but always had your brother at your side – separation even for a check up at the doctor’s is traumatic.  They eventually grew out of it and prefer the full carrier for the more full bodies of the mature feline.

    Today they are edging into senior citizen territory.  Still they are active healthy cats.  They still romp together and groom each other.  They talk to one another and me.  They curl up and sleep together but it takes the couch or a bed for it the chair is just too cramped for two to doze comfortably.  Blue is definitely the leader, the Alpha of the clowder.  Red is the mischievousness follower.  As I said at the start each is his own feline. I’ll tell you more about each in their own post.

    Until Next Time!

  • Comic Comments – Finally A Honeymoon!

    Comic Comments – Finally A Honeymoon!

    AXM 2012 Annual Cover

    In the last arc of Uncanny X-Men Kyle and Jean-Paul were married. Then Wolverine exploded at their reception at the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning and their honeymoon got postponed. (I’ve heard exploding Wolverines will do that.) So the 2012 Annual of this title’s first story Welcome To The Family covers the delayed honeymoon – that’s even further delayed. No Wolvie didn’t explode again, thank goodness! That’s a mess to clean up and heal from!

    The second story is a reprint of Alpha Flight issue #106. This is the issue is entitled The Walking Wounded where Jean-Paul Beaubier comes out to the world. He loses his adopted daughter to AIDS, she was found in a trash can as an infant. He feels he can live in hiding no more and must come out to bring open the discussion of the AIDS epidemic at the time. This was set in the 80s.

    The legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    Now the credit for Welcome to the Family: Christos Gage, Writer – David Baldeon, Penciler – Jordi Tarragona, Inker – Veronica Gandi, Colorist – Chris Elipoulos, Letterer 0 David WIlliams & Jay David Ramos, Cover – Daniel Ketchum, Editor – Nick Lowe, X-Men Group Editor – Azel Alonso, Editor In Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

    Credits for the Walking Wounded story are as follows: Scott Lobdell, Words – Mark Pacella, Pencils – Janice Chiang, Letters – Bobbie Chase, Edits – Tom DeFalco, Editor In Chief.

    The first story is Welcome to the Family of how Kyle’s and Jean-Paul’s honeymoon is interrupted by the team. There is a threat to all non-mutant loved ones of the team. Northstar is the only one with enough speed to reach all of them and warn/take them to safety. He does want to go but Kyle says – go the team will be enough to protect me here and they’re family! So Kyle is left in his honeymoon suite with the team. He tries to get to know each one individually. As he has a conversation with each he gets relationship advice of course. None of it sounds promising as each has a heartbreaking story of loss of a loved one.

    I felt for Kyle in this issue. Having been a Navy wife for going on 28 years I know what it’s like to have a spouse that must leave to harms way when duty calls. Yes when we were starting out I got a lot of advice. I faced the highest divorce rate in the services at the time – submarine wives (back then only men were on subs that’s changing). As I read the issue I reflected on the advice and stories I was told. What helped the most oddly paralleled what Logan tells Kyle in the end. Strength holds you together because you know you are better and stronger together than you could ever be apart, because your love for each other is strong enough to flex and not break, because you are strong enough to be on your own when you have to be and strong enough to lean on the other when they are there. Yeah that’s strength to take the risk of loss because the moments together are worth it. In the end Kyle has to find his own way to cope with Northstar’s X-Family and their world saving needs. Just like all military spouses every day have to do the same.

    As for the art of this story – it was okay.  I found the colors a bit too glowy for my taste, too bright or primary not blended or muted enough.  Also the heavy outline of each character gave them cartoony looks at times.  I didn’t care for that effect.  Though I like the depiction of Logan more as a short powerhouse almost barrel chested than the more Hugh Jackman look he gets at times.  (not that I object to Hugh playing Logan in the least!  I don’t but it’s nice to see him portrayed as the powerful runt from time to time).  Over all it did nicely.

    The second story struck me as somewhat of a cop out for an Annual.  I like it when they are one long stand-alone story or two new stories that are asides supporting the title’s continuum.  I get that this coming-out issue was an important one for the star characters of the story – Marvel’s first married gay couple.  But really there was an era there that was horrid in art – it was called the 80s.  Time has not been kind to it as it has say the comics of the 50s, 60s, or even 70s.  Instead I think as time goes on it becomes more atrocious to me.  I’ve read the issue years ago and this time I couldn’t make it deeper than a quick scan due to the art.  OMG!  I just couldn’t stomach it.  I began to think of what I could say good about it – at least there were any ties going back and curling up like greyhound tails that have to poop.  Oh and at least I could follow the story with the images, though it wasn’t pleasant.

    So that’s this year’s annual Kyle meets the family and comes to terms with Jean-Paul’s 24 hour, 7 day a week, on-call job.

    ****You know what’s next SPOILER SCANS***You’ve BEEN WARNED**** LOOK AWAY IF YOU MUST*****

    (more…)

  • Merry Christmas to One and All

    Merry Christmas to One and All

    favorite ornaments (6)

    A very Merry Christmas and joyous holiday season to you and yours!

  • Kenosha Gets In the Holiday Mood

    Kenosha Gets In the Holiday Mood

    This house is in our neighborhood. It’s just behind the bank and across the street from the grocery store. It is a sight to beho- ho-ho-hold!

    One thing I noticed our first season here was the attention to yards. No really here and Michigan people on the whole tend their yards more than say in Tennessee, South Carolina, or Florida. Why I don’t know, but they do. I suspect it has something to do with the awful winters they generally have here and the Midwest ethos. I throw in the last part because there’s awful winters in upstate New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island (all place I’ve lived) but they don’t pay attention to lawns like Michigan and Wisconsin do.

    This lawn attention carries on to holiday decorating. I showed you our neighborhood at Halloween, now let me introduce you to it during the Christmas season. There is a street here in Kenosha called Christmas Lane. It’s known for the over the top Christmas decorations. It all started as a friendly competition between two neighbors. They tried to out do each other every year. It got so competitive that tarps were put up so the other fella couldn’t see what was coming until the great reveal! Eventually the whole street joined in the spirit of lighting up the night.

    What follows are highlights of our neighborhood and of Christmas Lane. You can click on any picture to be taken over to my Flickr account and there see even more photos.

    We are simple folk who go for a few simple strands of color. T he big bulbs like I remember being on trees of my childhood.
    We are simple folk who go for a few simple strands of color. T he big bulbs like I remember being on trees of my childhood.
    The view down our street.
    The view down our street.
    Neighboring decorated houses
    Neighboring decorated houses
    This one was done in all white lights but I liked it!
    This one was done in all white lights but I liked it!
    Santa and his light reindeer!
    Santa and his light reindeer!
    This looks like the Griswald place!
    This looks like the Griswald place!
    This house on Christmas lane has a miniature scene in the window every year.
    This house on Christmas lane has a miniature scene in the window every year.
    Santa is on his way. I really like how they lit the windows in the background.
    Santa is on his way. I really like how they lit the windows in the background.
    Some look better a bit out of focus. Reminds me of watching the tree as I fell asleep on the couch as a kid.
    Some look better a bit out of focus. Reminds me of watching the tree as I fell asleep on the couch as a kid.

    Until next time!

  • These Are A Few of My Favorite Ornaments

    These Are A Few of My Favorite Ornaments

    An ornament Aaron made for me when he was in elementary school.
    An ornament Aaron made for me when he was in elementary school.

    Our holiday decorating has scaled back over the last few years.  Trust me years ago when Aaron was little we went all OUT!  I mean I even changed to Christmas themed dishes and no room in that large house was left undecorated!  Today it’s a tree, maybe a bit more in the living room.  No dishes are changed.  Last year we even down sized our tree.

    This year I came home from working the late shift to find the house decorated.  I couldn’t lift, I couldn’t stretch so Mike it did all!  I was thrilled.  The lights were up outside and the tree was tastefully decorated inside with just a few of our most favorite ornaments.  Having gone to a smaller tree less is needed to complete it.

    So enjoy a tour of a few of our favorite pieces.  Some maybe battered from years of use, others may not be perfect but they are to us.

    Golden Violin - Aaron played the Violin for years this ornament was purchased to remember those times from elementary through high school.
    Golden Violin – Aaron played the Violin for years this ornament was purchased to remember those times from elementary through high school.
    A wreath from preschool - do you see a theme developing here? Yep a gift from my son. He made it while in preschool.
    A wreath from preschool – do you see a theme developing here? Yep a gift from my son. He made it while in preschool.
    This Santa was on one of the presents Aaron got for his first Christmas.
    This Santa was on one of the presents Aaron got for his first Christmas.
    Couldn't find a Wolvie one but Aaron liked Spidy so with great decorations comes great responsibility - Spidy guards our tree
    Couldn’t find a Wolvie one but Aaron liked Spidy so with great decorations comes great responsibility – Spidy guards our tree
    What Navy family's tree isn't complete witout a three masted schooner?
    What Navy family’s tree isn’t complete witout a three masted schooner?
    I've not had a tuxedo kitty in my adult life but this one of several of my kitty ornaments. It's a hand painted egg one from Russia. I like it very much and gives me hope that if the Cold War came to an end so can many other horrid things.
    I’ve not had a tuxedo kitty in my adult life but this one of several of my kitty ornaments. It’s a hand painted egg one from Russia. I like it very much and gives me hope that if the Cold War came to an end so can many other horrid things.

    That’s it for this year’s tour. Next year I’ll highlight a few more. Until next time!

  • Comic Comments – A Wedding, An Explosion, A Betrayal

    Comic Comments – A Wedding, An Explosion, A Betrayal

    AXM 50 Cov

    I’ve not gotten an X-Men title in so long. I’m Wolverine centric as you know. I figured keeping up with his titles was enough. I caught on to what the team was doing with previews, the sucking cross-title arcs, and various comic books discussion sites. However I have to say the preview of issue 53 brought me into this title. The scene where Logan is in the infirmary healing and the team is rallying around to figure out what happened to him – sucked me in. Remy was portrayed as I like him. Beast was as brilliant and hug-able as ever. The team’s concern for Northstar to go join his husband and they’d take care of this was touching. Oh and the banter between Remy, Bobby, and Jean-Paul made this fangurl’s heart melt. So I had to go back to the start of this arc and put Astonishing X-Men on my pull list. The arc turned out to be a long one of seven issues covering issues 50 through 56. Still I’m glad I got it and hope to see the team spirit hold up through the upcoming issues as it did in this one.

    The wrap around wedding cover.
    The wrap around wedding cover.

    The required US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    AXM 52 Cov

    Credit to the creative team that brought us this arc: Marjorie Liu, Writer – Mike Perkins, Artist Issues 50 & 53-56, Penciler Issue 51, Artist with Gabriel Hernandez Walta on Issue 52 – Andy Troy, Colorist Issue 50 & Colorist with Jim Charalampidis and Rachelle Rosenberg on issue 51, Jay David Ramos, Colorist Issues 53-55, Colorist with Cris Peter in Issue 52, Colorist with Andres Mossa in Issue 56 – VC’s Joe Caramagna, Letterer Issue 50, 52-54, & 56, Letterer with VC’s Cory Petit & Cowles on Issue 51 – VC’s Cory Petit, Letterer Issue 55 – Dustin Weaver & Rachelle Rosenberg, Cover Issues 50 – 53, Phil Noto, Covers Issues 54 – 56, John Cassady & Lara Martin, Varient Cover for Issue 50, Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor Issues 50 -53, Jennifer M. Smith, Assistant Editor Issues 53 – 56, Jeanine Schaefer, Editor – Nick Lowe, X-Men Group Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor In Cheif – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alaen Fine, Executive Producer.

    AXM 53 Cov

    This arc covers Jean Paul Beaulier’s marriage to his long time boyfriend Kyle Jinadu. I never really enjoy Marvel weddings because they remind me of Barbie weddings. The big fancy things that are more show that substance. For once I’d like a Marvel headline couple in love to elope! Really, I’m not a fan of big ceremonies in general. What counts isn’t the day but what you do as a couple in the days that make the decades to follow. I often feel these weddings are what fanboys THINK fangurls want. Even though this arc was written by a woman it still falls into that cheesy fantasy princess wedding feel with two princes instead.

    AXM 54 Cov

    This arc centers on the character and X-Man member Xi’an Coy Manh codename Karma. I don’t know her really. She’s one of the many peripheral characters to my interests. I am aware of them and know their names but not much else. Apparently she has a step sister who was depowered after M-Day and shunned by their father years ago. This chick carries one MEAN grudge. Being an international arms dealer makes her more than able to act out her vengeance. She uses cutting technology to turn Logan into a bomb at the wedding reception and later take control of the X-Men’s bodies. Heck she even makes an X-Men themed team of her own using technology. The battle is on – mutant trained fighters against technology! It’s a good story with a team that’s working together not fighting among themselves. They support each other in their personal as well as professional lives. THIS is the team work I want to see when I come to an X-Man comic. Cudos to the creative team.

    AXM 55 Cov

    As for the artwork – I like the covers. I especially love the concept of issue #55. Just one nitpicking thing on Issue 50 what the heck has made Logan’s mask grow HUGE wings? What? Also a few panels at the reception get Greg Land-ish (he’s know for tracing photos and porn faces). Other than that it’s good solid comic art. I like that it isn’t over stylized but yet has just enough of the comic book better than real life feel – people are pretty or unique in a more striking way that real life. The drama is a bit heightened that in real life, yet very much real like Logan’s flirting with former friend with benefits now just friend Ororo. That scene plays nicely as do the anguish scenes for Karma and the action scenes for the team. I would be happy with this team for any superhero comic.

    AstonXM 56 cov

    Overall this was a strong arc about a character I didn’t know but came to care about. The ability to do that in seven issues puts Astonishing X-Men firmly on my pull list for some time to come.

    *** YOU KNOW WHAT IS NEXT SPOILERY SCANS DON’T LOOK ETHEL LESS YOU BE SPOILED**** (more…)

  • Let’s Start A NEW Thanksgiving Tradition

    Let’s Start A NEW Thanksgiving Tradition

    Thanksgiving 2012 (18)

    It’s hard to cook a 20lb turkey when you can only lift 10lbs.  Also time on my feet was limited.  I started by making the Broccoli Salad.  It’s a layered salad that marinates for twenty-four hours in the fridge.  After that my guys lived up to their promise and joined me in the kitchen.  They were a great help in all the chopping to make the stuffing (I do stuffing with apples, veggies, sausage, nuts…).  They were also the heavy pan lifters.  Mike was the official Turkey Baker of the house.  He did as well as I could.

    There was a mix up about Thanksgiving dinner time so we didn’t conflict with Aaron’s obligations at Sara’s family.  It was okay we went over for dessert at Sara’s house then came home to have our dinner.  It all worked out just fine.

    I liked having help so much that I’m going to make family preparation of the dinner a NEW family tradition.  I’m all excited for it and gung-ho for next year.  The guys don’t seem to be embracing it so much.  I can’t see why they wouldn’t love it too instead of sleeping in while I cook or watching football while I cook they get to get up and be a part of the holiday preparations!

    So here’s our day in photos:

    My start on the broccoli salad.
    My start on the broccoli salad.
    The start of a new family tradition or at least my sous chefs of 2012.
    The start of a new family tradition or at least my sous chefs of 2012.
    The meal progresses...
    The meal progresses…
    The guys goof off at the table. It's my family tradition to take pictures of holiday table before anyone eats. We have 3 generations of them. However my group no longer does good china nor do we take it seriously any more.
    The guys goof off at the table. It’s my family tradition to take pictures of holiday table before anyone eats. We have 3 generations of them. However my group no longer does good china nor do we take it seriously any more.
    The final result - a wonderfully delicious plate!
    The final result – a wonderfully delicious plate!

    Until next time! Hopefully the new tradition sticks – I’m sure they will come around to it.

  • Comic Comments – Something’s Gotta Give

    Comic Comments – Something’s Gotta Give

    DSV 01 Cover

    I get a lot of comics. Well at least it seems that way each month when the box arrives and I look at the bill. So I have to keep my list down to 25 or less titles. There are times something has to give to get a new title. That is what happened to Dark Shadows Vampirella. I got the title because the pairing struck me as amusing but after three issues the joke wore thin and better reviewed titles like Think Tank were coming available. So the ax fell on DSV. If funds were unlimited I’d keep it, but alas they are not and the magic number of 25 must be maintained even if it means staking Vampirella and Barnabas through the heart.

    First the legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    DSV 02 Cover

    Now to give credit to the creative team – Marc Andreyko, Writer – Patrick Berkenkotter, Illustrator Issues 1 & 2 – Jose Malaga, Illustrator Issue 3, Thiago Ribeiro, Colorist – Troy Peteri, Letterer – Covers by Fabiano Neves – and Special Thanks to Jim Pierson.

    The story centers on a vampire killing in NYC. Barnabas has vowed as part of his penitence for the years of killing he did before he gained control of his powers to watch over his victims’ families protecting their descendants. Vampirella is put on the case by her just started wearing drag detective friend. Well I really don’t think it’s a drag queen detective but from the art it appears that way.

    We eventually get the meeting of the two heroic Vamps. Holding to comic book tradition they have to fight first then team-up. I thought great we got the fanboy ‘what if Barnabas and Vamp fought who’d win’ battle out of the way but no, oh no I couldn’t be so lucky. The whole story is follow the comic book crossover book of cliches. The sidekicks like each other and mock their respective partners. For me the joke of the liberated vampire woman and the Victorian vampire man team up wore thin before the third issue.

    Sure like I said if funds were no problem I’d hold on for the few laughs an issue offers, sometimes it’s fun to mock the cliches by OVER doing them with the sidekicks. But alas this is not to be. When a culling had to happen to let in better written titles, this was the weakest on the list.

    DSV 03 Cov

    As for the art – I prefer Berkenkotter’s style for Dark Shadows, it’s more the line intensive old comic style. It’s a great style except for the unfortunate depiction of the female/drag wannabe queen detective. Still over all I prefer his style for this tale over Malaga’s more modern superhero style. I think the tale of an ancient evil vampire fighting two well established vampires deserves a more classic treatment. No disrespect to Malaga’s art I just think I’d enjoy him more on a superhero tale. I will say he can do excellent comic nudes…

    The covers are okay. I can’t say I’m swept off my feet by them. Vampirella broke her back for issue one so she could give us a T&A ‘Kay’s Open Heart’ pose. Really living backs can’t don that I don’t think the undead that aren’t zombies can either. If a zombie did it I’d suspect it couldn’t stand, due to becoming a paraplegic from the broken spine. As for the other two covers, I like them. They are nice. Just not WOWZERS for me.

    So alas poor Dark Shadows Vampirella I knew them, Horatio: a couple of infinite jest, of most excellent cliched fantasy. (with my deepest apologies to the Bard)

    You know what’s next ***POSSIBLE SPIOLERY SCANS***** (more…)

  • Thank you! Thank you! You like me, you really like me!

    Thank you! Thank you! You like me, you really like me!

    Blog of the Year Award 1 star thumbnail

     

    The wonderful Francine In Retirement  nominated me for 2012 Blog of The Year Award!  I am moved and honored!  Really I’ve not been blogging in earnest a full year and to receive such recognition is flattering.  Thank you, thank you.  Now I know how Sally Field felt receiving her Oscar.

    In receiving this nomination I’d like to nominate a few blogs that I enjoy.  They can go here to pick up badges and here for FAQs.

    I’d like to give a nod to Diatribes and Ovations  I enjoy the blog very much.  It’s fun.  It’s honest.  It makes you think.  For me that’s a lot of bang for your buck in a blog!

    I’d also give a nod to Sunshine Factor.  She always gives me a smile with her posts.  They are heartfelt and down to earth stories or ruminations.  I can relate to what Debb writes.  It’s an enjoyable blog with a positive outlook.

    Bo Lumpkin’s I’ve Been Thinkin’  blog takes me back home every time I read it.  It’s good ole thinkin’ an’ drawin’ too.  The humor is right with the Blue Collar Tour type and so true it’s even funnier.  I can relate to his geezerhood comics more now as a geezer than as grandchild of one.  LOL!

    Also a nod to  How The Cookie Crumbles and her wonderful posts.  I enjoy her flash in the pan fiction.  She’s excellent at setting scenes in just a few words.   She completed NaNoWriMo this year!  Also I love her admitted irreverent look at life!

    Finally I nominate the lovely lady who blessed me with a nomination – Francine!  Her photos are always moving.  She’s always up beat!  Be sure to check out her blog and enjoy the eye of an excellent photographer with a love of life.

    My nominations can pick up their badges and share the love!  Until next time!