Meet The New Blog...

No idea how many (if any!) people will catch this as it's been 18 months or so since I last posted here at Crisis on Earth-Prime.

As mentioned in the last post, I did sign up for a Twitter account . . . and took about half an hour to realise that I really, really dislike Twitter and so killed that off pretty much instantly.

However, you can't keep a good blogger down but rather than start up this old thing again, I've gone and bought myself a domain and set up a site not only to babble about comics, but to get back to the annotations side of things that I started even before this blog.

Come join me at Crisis on Earth-Prime.com (because I'm nothing if not consistent) and say hi.

Time For A Change?

Haven't been around for a while fr a couple of reasons but mostly (for the last month or so) it's been due to getting promoted in work and just not having the time to write those wonderful, in depth posts you've all come to know and love.

Though it may not seem like it, this blog took up a fair amount of my time. The weekly Cocktail posts alone often took a couple of hours to prepare - scanning the covers of the books, combining them into one picture, typing out the heading and quote, posting that along with my reviews of the comics themselves. Sometimes I could get them done on a Friday afternoon, sometimes I was frantically writing them on the Sunday morning just to meet my self-imposed publishing deadline of 1pm on a Sunday.

I know - it's hard life, isn't it?

Self deprecating sarcasm aside, it's been bugging me that I've let this blog sit without an update for a few weeks. So, in an attempt to aim for brevity, I'm heading off to experiment with Twitter. You can find me over at @CrisisOEP though, at the time of writing, there's nothing there except the bare bones of an account. Hopefully over the next week or two I'll find out whether that's for me or not - if not, I might end up back here anyway!

So, for now at least, this'll be the last post here at the blog. If you tweet and want to come see me, feel free to follow me and I'll return the favour.

One way or another, see you soon folks!

Sin City II Trailer

Damn this looks good:

Been a long time coming but it looks like it'll be worth it.

Forever Evil's Prisoner Revealed

The issue's been out for days and the reveal's been all over the internet but, because I'm a nice guy, be aware that if you click the read more link below, there be spoilers ahead.

Change Ahead?

Haven't had time to go through Previews this month in any great depth - my fault for getting promoted in work and being damn busy, eh? - but I decided to live up to my pledge at the start of the year and step away from DC's new offerings.

I'll probably get Futures End but will probably pass over Secret Origins - new versions of origins of versions of characters I'm not interested in? No thanks.

I'll pick up Justice League United because I like Jeff Lemire's writing but I think the new Sinestro series will end up being one I'll look to get in the trades; I like Cullen Bunn's writing on The Sixth Gun which I've picked up in the collections, but don't feel the urge to get the ongoing.

I will, however, be ordering three new series from Image:

C.O.W.L. simply because the premise of a superhero union intrigues me.

Nailbiter by Joshua Williamson whose work I liked on the (in my opinion) cancelled too soon Voodoo.

Trees because while Warren Ellis's superhero stories aren't that good, Transmetropolitan remains one of my favourite comics ever so I'm willing to give this a go.

Batman vs The Terminator Video

The title of the post pretty much sums this up:

Oh No! Constantine Actor Not From Liverpool!

So the new NBC show Constantine has cast its lead - it's Matt Ryan, a Welsh actor who, according to the linked article there, has been "seen in Criminal Minds, The Tudors, Layer Cake and other reputable productions."

Honestly, I don't really care one way or the other whether the actor happens to come from the same locale as the character they're portraying but David T.G. Riches obviously does. He says in the comments on the linked article:

While he is British he is also Welsh and I see visions of people in the U.K. specifically Londoners who will point out to the Star Trek episode of “Futurama” where Scottie was replaced with Welshie it just wasn’t the same.
True it is better than Keannu Reeves in the role but still was their no one from central England available? Maybe someone from Eastenders, Emmerdale, Law & Order U.K., or any other number of programs loaded with talent pool?

Matt Ryan might be British but "he is also Welsh" which, thanks to a handy line from the excellent Futurama, Mr Riches is able to point out that it just isn't the same as being English. Thank goodness it's not another American like "Keannu Reeves", eh Mr Riches, but still . . . a Welshman playing a character who wasn't Welsh? It's almost unheard of, isn't it?

Apart from Ioan Gruffudd who played Mr Fantastic in the last couple of Fantastic Four films . . . I don't know why they didn't get an American to play that part.

And that Rhys Ifans chap who plays Mycroft Holmes in Elementary . . . I don't know why that didn't get an Englishman to play that part.

And that John Rhys-Davies bloke who played Treebeard in The Lord of The Rings . . . I don't know why they didn't get a real Ent to play that part.

And that Anthony Hopkins fellow who played Hannibal Lecter in several films . . . I don't know why they didn't get a real cannibalistic serial killer to play that part.

Oh wait, yes I do - it's because they can act. You don't need to be from the same place as the character you're portraying, Mr Riches - that's part of the joy of being an actor, having the ability to take on different roles. If you didn't allow Constantine to be anything other than what his creators based him on, there would be only one man for the TV series's main role and that would be Sting:

And he hasn't looked like that since 1979 so unless you have a time machine handy, I guess we can discount him.

Am I, as a Welshman, being overly sensitive here, or was there an implication that Welshman just aren't quite as good as, presumably, Englishmen?

And who wants to be the first to point out that James Doohan who played Scotty (not "Scottie") was Canadian? Another example of an actor playing a role who came from somewhere different from the actor.

Spongemen Squarewatch

Quite possibly the best Watchmen parody I've seen:

Watch till the end for Alan Moore's reaction.

DC's May Solicitations

FUTURES END #1

Five years from now, the DC Universe is reeling from a war with another Earth, leaving the world unprepared for an approaching evil that threatens to destroy the future. Can a time-traveling Batman Beyond help a massive cast of the DCU’s finest avert the impending apocalypse? Find out in this new weekly series that will forever alter the direction of The New 52! In this debut issue of The New 52’s weekly series, Batman Beyond arrives five years later! Grifter turns against humanity! And a Justice League member DIES!

Okay, a new weekly series sounds fun - you got me, DC. I just wish we were past then whole idea of the death of a character being a story hook.

Lack Of Movement

The Movement's due to finish with issue 12 it appears.

I wish I could say I was surprised but, for me, it took far, far too long to find its feet - I haven't enjoyed it that much until the last two issues or so, sticking with it mainly because it's written by Gail Simone whose work I've thoroughly enjoyed in the past. Sadly, it wasn't until issue 7 or 8 that it began to feel like it was written by Simone so I can only assume others didn't stick around that long.

Still, three more to go which should give Simone plenty of time to wrap things up.

I Predict A Lawsuit

Over on Earth-2, the bad Superman - brainwashed or possessed into believing he's the herald of Darkseid - orders his Parademons to destroy all the houses of worship to reinforce his belief that the only god is Darkseid.

I've condensed the captions from the first few panels on to the top of one that made me raise an eyebrow:

Scientology is one of the "fictions they have invented"?

I don't disagree but I'm surprised, knowing how litigious Scientologists can be, that DC let this through. Maybe their defence will be that on Earth-2, it's acknowledged as fiction?

Robin's Double Standards

The recent Worlds' Finest Annual featured the young Helena Wayne as Robin battling some crooks and taking one out in a particularly nasty manner:

That's an iron poker right through the chest and stomach, killing the guy. Self defence could be argued, sure, but she still kills him.

Later on she, Supergirl and Wonder Woman battle Fury who had previously killed someone that Supergirl was sweet on. Fury gets away through a Boom Tube, leaving Robin to report back:

"She's a killer."

Yes, Robin, she is. Just like you.

Martha Wayne's Marvellous Moving Neckline

When the young Thomas Wayne meets Martha for the first time on Earth-2, he probably thinks one thing: CLEAVAGE!

Thankfully, Martha's wearing the latest in mind-reading dresses and quickly sorts out the problem as, in the very next panels . . .

I'm not adverse to a bit of flesh being exposed in the right context but a little consistency would be good.

Reasons Why George Lucas Should Never Write Dialogue

Much as I love Star Wars, the excellent Dark Horse adaptation of George Lucas's rough draft illustrates wonderfully just how terrible he was at dialogue. You know that scene in Attack of the Clones just as Anakin and Padme are being led out to the arena where Padme professes her love:

Anakin: Don't be afraid.
Padme: I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.
Anakin: What are you talking about?
Padme: I love you.
Anakin: You love me? I thought we had decided not to fall in love. That we'd be forced to live a lie and that it would destroy our lives.
Padme: I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. I truly... deeply... love you and before we die I want you to know.

There's a precursor to that:

And then, just a little later:

Dear lord that's clunky dialogue.

Crime Syndicate / Dr Who Crossover?

At the end of the latest Forever Evil, the Crime Syndicate stand on the shore and look out, scared at the big crack in the sky that Ultraman says is proof that the monster that destroyed their world is coming for them:

Honestly? I saw that and thought of this:

The crack in time from a recent series of Dr Who. Wonder if David Finch and/or Geoff Johns are fans.

I'm A Dick Who Reads Books

From Our Valued Customers

Yeah, that's what it is - it's also my god who will destroy your tiny mind by making you look upon his other dimensional true self sending you into the depths of insanity and despair at the inconsequential nature of your very existence...

But in other news, thanks for the kind comments and the couple of emails following the last post. As you can imagine, things haven't been great here on Earth-Prime but we're getting there and with the funeral and everything now done and dusted we can pick ourselves up and get on with things.

Which means, among other things, getting back to the comics.

Man, I have so many to read right now...

Be back soon!

Won't Be Around For A While

My wonderful mother-in-law passed away due to cancer a few days ago. Obviously comics are kinda taking a back seat right now.

Be good to each other and see you soon.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #257

The same could be said for many things.

Kryptonian Super Power #523

Comicosity has a preview of Suicide Squad #27 which features Power Girl; as I don't get the monthly title but am a fan of PG, I thought I'd head over there and see what was happening without worrying about spoiling any surprises - like I said, I don't get the title so no worries.

Here's page 2 of the preview:

Dear Lord, the poor woman has no spine! I'm not an artist or a biology student but even I can clearly tell that people do not bend like that! And her legs - surely her right leg (the one closest to us) should be bent at the knee to help support that weight?!

Definitely one of the boobs and butt tag of EscherGirls, I think.

It's Not Who's Who...

...but there's a new Secret Origins series on the horizon:

And just when I'd started to move away from DC.

Bugger.