This Week's Comics - 28/12/11

A bit of a quiet week this week, only four comics, but there is two issues I am really excited about so it definately makes up for it. The Comics I'll be getting this week are X-Men: Legacy #260, Alpha Flight #7, Teen Titans #4 and Superman #4. Out of these I am most looking forward to Alpha Flight, which after a bit of a rocky start has me almost shaking with anticipation for this next issue. I first picked up this revived series when I noticed it by chance on a weekly comic run when I still had a shop that sold comics near me and decided to pick it up because I had always been interested in the characters and that is how the series remained to me for the first few issues. However with the brilliant writing, exceptional art and complex character development, especially with Northstar and Aurora, now has me completely hooked and since this story is now drawing to a close I'm expecting big things this issue, and with Wolverine involved this comic has to be good. Teen Titans is the other comic this week I'm really excited about. With only three issues out so far it hasn't quite gripped me as much as Alpha Flight has but this series is definately standing out of the new DC series to me. I'm enjoying the characters and the story, although its still moving fairly slowly so with a fight between Superboy and Wonder Girl this issue it will hopefully be picking up a bit. Superman so far has been quite good, not excellent but better than satisfactory, so I'm interested in seeing what happens next. This issue promises to finally reveal the origins of the mysterious aliens/monsters that have been attacking Superman which is good because too much ambiguity gets boring and a link to the new Action Comics series - I love it when you see links between two comics. X-Men Legacy is the comic I'm least looking forward to this week, having only read one issue of the series so far so my opinions around it are still in the air but I am interested in seeing if I grow to really like this series, the setting is right with this series falling on Wolverine's side of the Schism and characters I fairly like being teachers - although they probably shouldn't be - so I do have high hopes for this series.

Christmas Post

Christmas Eve today, thank god the festive season is nearly over, so in celebration I'm doing a special Christmas Comic and T.V. Show of the Week. My Christmas is mostly family time, I hold no religious beliefs so don't go to mass or celebrate the birth of Jesus or Mythras, another religious figure which legend says was actually born on 25th December, and I enjoy the presents but could do without them, so no computer tomorrow. Therefore, I'm posting my Christmas blog on Christmas Eve.

For the Christmas Comic I am choosing The Authority/Lobo: Jingle Hell #1:

I find this comic quite enjoyable, not one of my favourite but nice to read and definitely festive. A bit of an obvious pick for me seen as it does feature The Authority, who are written brilliantly by Grant and Giffen, and even more since Apollo, Midnighter, Jenny and their little family takes centre stage. The art style is a little off, like a few random issues of The Authority, but not too bad and the excellent characterisation makes up for it.

For the Christmas T.V. Show I am choosing the Christmas Special of Gavin and Stacey:

A light-hearted comedy sitcom, brilliantly written and full of excellent actors. I find I prefer Christmas specials of these types of shows as they are always easy to watch, fun and show Christmas the way I like it, family central, kind of like my chosen Christmas Comic. This Christmas special is particularly great as it contains all these aspects, as well as giving some deep character development, thanks to the excellent actors. Finally, anything from this show has to be great because half the cast have Welsh accents, which I love.

Well, there it is: short but sweet - I hope. I'm not that much of a festive person so I won't be posting anything else around Christmas, unless its complaining about the slow post or annoying family commitments it brings, being nice to relatives you hardly see and don't like for example, but I may do something for New Years. Merry Christmas!

Feature Post - Avengers Academy

As I mentioned before, I picked up the Avengers Academy series after been suggested to by quite a few people, claiming how brilliant it was. I decided to start from #21, the 'new era', and have now read that and #22 and have to say I am fairly impressed by the series. Setting any story in a school with younger characters is, in my opinion, the foremost platform for character development, and as this is what will mostly attract me to a story, Avengers Academy is an enjoyable read. Having not much previous knowledge of the series or the characters, apart from the teachers, I'm actually quite surprised at how quickly I've taken to all but one, the new student White Tiger who after only two issues seriously annoys me. In #21 two aspects of the story stood out for me that, although commonly used, gave the series depth and a strong stand point. These are the jealousy and unease the original students feel with the introduction of the new students and the loyalty between them, especially since they now feel threatened by the new students, even though they won't admit it. Although this was carried into #22 and even developed further, for example the loyalty the students feel to the teachers (Finesse and Quicksilver), I really didn't enjoy the random appearance of X-Men who I really do not like, especially Frost (die bitch, die). The interactions and the situations were more awkward than in #21 and some of what was being shown - Magneto telling Quicksilver to back off from mutants and Quicksilver agreeing - was just stupid to me. Fortunately, this wasn't enough to put me off the series as the X-Men were just guest starring but I really didn't appreciate it. Seeing Hawkeye in action again in a new series has also got me more excited for The Avengers movie, but also even more disappointed that members of the team like Pym and Quicksilver aren't in it - here's hoping for a sequel with more members! I still haven't got #23 - stupid Christmas making the post slow - but I'm quite excited to read it.

This Week's Comics - 21/12/11

Bit late this week, seen as it is now the end of the Wednesday, but here we go. This week I've got 6 comics - a fair amount - which are X-Factor #229, Red Hood and the Outlaws #4, Wolverine and the X-Men #3, New Mutants #35, Uncanny X-Force #19 and Batman #4. Out of these, I'm most looking forward to Wolverine and the X-Men because so far the series has been great with characters I really enjoy and wonderful, vibrant art that brings the story to life. With this being only the third issue, the series still has to find its feet a bit but I'm quite confident I'm going to be buying this comic for a long time. X-Factor is one of my favourite series and normally an issue from this comic would be the one I'm most looking forward to but I felt the last issue had a serious drop in quality compared to the rest of the series. The drop in quality I felt from the issue comes from the awkwardness of the situations and the lack of complete character development, the conversation flitted around the edges of something deeper but never really landed there, which I have come to expect from A comic by Peter David. I hope this issue returns to the good quality of the rest of the series but unfortunately I feel it may not. Batman so far has been quite enjoyable, not one of my favourite series but has good character presentation, a believable competent foe for Batman and very intense cliffhangers, especially the one at the end of last issue. As the series goes it appears to be getting more interesting and enjoyable so this comic could stand out this week. Having only picked up two issues so far of New Mutants, which I only decided to do after Regenesis, this series is still in the trial period. So far I'm really enjoying the characters, although since I don't know them yet I wish there was a bit more character development, and I am interested in seeing if they are show more of the characters this issue,  but right now I'm not attached enough to say whether I'll continue with this series after this story arc. This Uncanny X-Force issue will be my first, having decided to try the series after Regenesis and some positive suggestions from some friends, so I'm interested in seeing what this series is like, especially since its on Wolverine's side rather than Cyclops'. Red Hood and the Outlaws is the comic this week I'm least looking forward to. After a great start to the series with three characters I really like and a team dynamic I was getting drawn into, the last issue was a big step down in quality and enjoyment. Due to the characters and what I've seen Lobdell can do with them I'm willing to give this series a while to get the quality back but I'm not too hopeful for this issue.

Blog Update 2

This week I have yet to publish a Comic of the Week or a T.V. Show of the Week, which there is a good reason for. With a ridiculous amount of work and family issues(joy) I have decided to give the two posts a miss this week, but don't worry they will be back again and better than every next week. I have also chosen to drop Uncanny X-Men, even though I only picked up the first issue of the new series, as I have just decided to pick up Avengers Academy and need to start picking some to drop, especially as I've been saying I'll be dropping some for months now. That's all for now and I'll hopefully be back up to blogging more regularly soon.

This Week's Comics - 14/12/11

Sorry, short post this week. This week I have a more satisfying five comics, although a few more would have been preferable. The comics this week are Demon Knights#4, Batman and Robin#4, Incredible Hulk#3, Avengers Academy#23 and House of Night#2. Out of these I think I'm most looking forward to is Batman and Robin, although it doesn't stand out too much from the other comics. I'm looking forward to this one the most as I'm liking where there story is going and I'm loving the dynamic between Bruce and Damien, especially with Damien trying to fight back his urges to kill. The comic I'm least looking forward to is House of Night, I was considering dropping it after the first issue if it was just retelling the story but seeing as its extra scenes that aren't in the books and not written by the Casts I'm willing to give it a few more issues as I do like the characters. In Demon Knights I'm enjoying the characters and the fantasy elements and since its mid-battle in the story at the moment I want to see what happens next, while in Incredible Hulk it's still getting started but the basic story of Hulk and Banner being separated is still very intriguing for me. Finally, I haven't yet read any issues of Avengers Academy, last week deciding to pick it up after suggestions from a few people so am still waiting the last two issues so this one will be put off till I've read them. However, after such great praise of this series and looking it up a bit I am looking forward to seeing what its like.

This Week's Comics - 7/12/11

First comic book day of December after Novembers odd 5 Wednesdays. This week is another low week with only 3 comics, those being Stormwatch #4, Action Comics #4 and X-Factor #228. Out of these it is nearly impossible for me to choose one I'm looking forward to more than the other two, so instead I'm just going to tell you why I'm looking forward to each. Stormwatch so far has been very interesting, with the team just being introduced the action and story has been fairly flow but last issue this picked up, so this issue I'm looking forward to some good, old Superhero fighting. Similarly, with last issue ending with all members of Stormwatch being absorbed into the weird alien, only Apollo and Midnighter were left to rescue them, so this promises some nice interactions between one of my all time favourite couples and the teaser 'a major change to the Stormwatch roster' definitely has me curious. Action Comics, unlike Stormwatch, to me seemed to jump straight into the action with a young Superman straight away showing off his will to save Metropolis. However, not only does it have the traditional action that I miss from the new 'psychological' comic of today, it also features Lex Luthor, a bit of an origin story for Steel and, plain and simple, its Superman, literally the origin of all create Superhero comics today. Lastly, but definitely not least, we have X-Factor, a series which I have professed on this blog many times is perfect for me. With a brilliant author, David, some of my favourite characters, Shatterstar, Layla, Monet, Longshot, and some of my favourite couples, Rictor and Shatterstar, Jamie and Layla, any issue of this title gets me 'buzzed up'. The current storyline we're in the middle of didn't really do it for me at first in terms of the villain they were fighting, and to be honest still doesn't, but with Jamie's shock death and blast to the future, I'm fascinated to see what happens next.

T,V, Show of the Week 7

Going back to my roots a bit here, this being one of the comedy shows I was raised with because my Dad loves it and the complete series is on Virgin on Demand. This week's T.V. Show of the week is Fawlty Towers:

Fawlty Towers is a classic comedy, written by John Cleese, of the amazing Monty Python, and Connie Booth, who both star in the show as well, and was ranked #1 on BFI TV 100. As I mentioned before, I was raised on British Sitcoms like this show and what I have mentioned is only a handful of the many reasons Fawlty Towers is truly brilliant. The story focuses on Basil Fawlty and his misadventures and exploits as he attempts to run a hotel with his wife, Sybil, and with aid from the maid, Polly, and the Spanish butler, Manuel. Each episode brings a host of quirky and humorous guests that play on Fawlty's short-temper keep the hotel full of life. The comedy itself is usually straightforward, a pleasing hybrid of humorous situations, perfectly delivered one-liners and slap-stick, with the slightest bit of black humour to give the show its depth, that although is from the 70s still resonates today. Only 12 episodes were ever made of this brilliant show, which to a lot of people, me included some times, seems like too little, but with every episode of the highest quality that means you can watch it again and again and still find every joke funny, its better that they didn't try to make more and ruin the perfect show they already had.

Comic of the Week 7

A bit later than usual but I've had a busy week so blogging has had to take a back seat. I've gone back to relatively new for this post, using a comic that came out last week. This week's Comic of the Week is Avengers Origins: Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver:

Being fairly young I missed the original debut, origins, of these two characters, since it was 1964, the year my bloody Dad was born, so when I saw Marvel were releasing a set of Avengers Origins comics, including this one, I was immediately interested in reading some of them. This one especially stuck out as I have always been fascinated by the two characters and their relationship with each other, which has become a common place relationship between twin superheroes; as seen with characters like twins Alejandro and Maya from the T.V. show Heroes whose relationship mirrors that of these two mutants. Similarly, since they are the children of Magneto, their origin story promised an appearance from him and he is definitely one of my favourite Marvel characters. The story itself was simple and easy to follow; twins on the run confused over their abilities, are saved by kind stranger(Magneto) who reveals to them who they really are and helps them refine their abilities, twins eventually realise dark side to king stranger and flee to avoid death and finally twins find a safe haven where they belong(Avengers). However, even with the simple story the way it is presented made it much more interesting, mainly the character development doing this. Small little extras like Quicksilver's hidden pain and a fight between Magneto's Brotherhood and the X-Men definitely made this more complex and worth reading. The art of the comic was clear and defined while still compelling and intricate, a good combination and the cover, which I've never mentioned before, to me was fantastic; the dark tone to it suggesting the pain the two have and the twins seperate stances representing not only their abilities but their personalities as well. The only issue I had with this comic was the way the relationship between Magneto and the twins was presented. The mystery surrounding it was built up brilliantly, the discovery through a family photo and Magneto's obvious care for them which is revealed at the end as he stares longingly at said photo was perfect but with no real admittance of Magneto being their father and no kind of closure the issue was left in the air when the comic ended.

This Week's Comics - 30/11/11

As November this year is the odd one out with five Wednesdays instead of the regular four there isn't as many comics as usual out this week so the amount I'm picking up is also limited. With DC's New 52 comics running very regularly with one issue per month, there isn't any out this week so I only have 2 Marvel titles. These are X-Men Legacy #259 and Avengers Origins: Thor #1. Out of these I can't really choose one out of the two which I'm most looking forward to. I've never read X-Men Legacy before but I decided to jump on after Regenesis and give it a try. I've always liked the characters of Rogue, Gambit and Magneto so I can see myself liking this series a fair amount, and although Magneto is leaving the new characters joining, like Iceman or Marvel Girl, are definitely as appealing to read. The story itself or this issue, the three characters tying up loose ends before they part ways, is a little weak but a nice introduction for first time readers like me. Avengers Origins: Thor is an issue I decided to pick up quite randomly. I've always enjoyed reading Thor comics, him being an interesting character and the proper fantasy element of Asgard and magic is right up my street, and a chance to see a new take on his origins was appealing. I'm interested in seeing how they convey his origins again, especially after the film having come out with their own take,

T.V. Show of the Week 6

Another late post fro this regular because this week I hacen't matched many T.V shows, which is surprising for me, because I've had a lot of work and not much in the T.V. area has interested me. I have, however, began to re-watch a show that I enjoy a lot, so this week this show gets the honour. The show being The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes:

An animated version of The Avengers comics, which is meant to be for children, but is very enjoyable. Although it does stick to the cartoon idea being set for children, it does seem to me to appeal to all ages, if you like The Avengers. It sticks to the some of the main storylines, with Ultron and set up for a Skrull invasion, and the members of the team are perfectly in character. As well as this however, the show also presents a lively, fun atmosphere around every stroy, even the more serious ones, that keeps you interested and enjoying each epsiode all the way through. Some aspects, that in any other show would seem improbable, in this show because of the atmosphere presented seem to work, like Hulk being able to take out the rest of the team and then Captain America being able to do the same the very next epsiode. An attractive aspect of this show is also the simplicity of it with well known characters and stories and clear progression make it an easy and fun show to watch while your also getting work done.

'Preperation' for The Avengers

With The Avengers coming out relatively soon - May 4th 2012 so only 6 months - yes this seems like a lot now I've written it but compared to how long the film has been built up, it seems like nothing. Due to this I have decided to 'prepare' myself for going to see it. How do I do this? Well, how else? Read and watch anything related to The Avengers I can get my desperate, little hands on. The new Hulk comic, which I am actually beginning to enjoy, is part of this, along with back issues of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man and Thor, anything that contains an Avenger like Young Avengers, all previous Marvel films that have built up to this and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes series, that although childish is actually quite enjoyable. I will try and spread out the 'preperation' so it lasts most of the 6 months but I'll probably get too excited and do it all in 2 or 3 months, leaving me desperate for 3 months waiting for the film. This does mean, however, I will probably be left with even higher expectations than I have now, if that's possible, so if the film doesn't deliver I will be so disappointed.

This Week's Comics - 23/11/11

This week I'm acquiring four comics, a little too less for me but at least it won't cost that much. This Week, the comics I'm getting are Teen Titans #3, Superman #3, Wolverine and the X-Men #2 and Alpha Flight #6. A nice rounded selection with two from DC and two from Marvel. The comic I'm most looking forward to this week is Wolverine and the X-Men because of how much I enjoyed the first issue. Normally I see first issues, even concerning characters I already love, as introductions so I don't enjoy them that much, but this first issue I really did. Partly due to the two main characters being Wolverine and Shadowcat, who I have loved for a long time, and partly due to it being on the side of the schism without Cyclops that has returned to the school setting and teaching new young mutants, an aspect to X-Men stories I always enjoy. Teen Titans Has so far interested me as much as the rest of the DC comics I read have as its a new take on how the team is brought together but is just a bit more because of some characters I enjoy, Red Robin and Superboy, and the fact that it is a team, especially a younger team. In the last two issues the direction of the story seems to be quite positive so I'm interested in seeing what happens next and how Superboy goes from enemy to ally, if he actually does in this series, which I hope he does. Alpha Flight I originally picked up when it began again on a bit of a whim, never having read any of the older stuff I thought I'd give it a go and see what I thought. The first issue didn't catch my attention that much but Aurora's mental illness was a enough to bring me back for another issue and then I was hooked, so I definitely want to read this issue as it focuses greatly on her mental illness. The one I'm least looking forward to this week is Superman. I am enjoying the series so far and anything containing an iconic superhero like him will be good on my list but compared to the other comics I'm getting this week the story just isn't enough.

Comic of the Week 6

This weeks comics isn't a new one from last week but it is fairly new, only having come out two months ago. This weeks Comic of the Week is Red Hood and the Outlaws #1:

As far as I can tell, not many people have taken to this series, but I am actually really enjoying it. Just the concept of having a much smaller team immediately grabbed me. I prefer team titles over individuals so I was partial to this title anyway but the fact that it is only three rather than the very much larger amount in other teams makes it much more interesting and allows a lot more character development. With the characters themselves, I only had any real previous reading experience with Starfire who I had always enjoyed, so I was open to the other two and found myself really enjoying these two as well. There's been a lot of stick against this title for the way it presented Starfire as being promiscuous and disassociated with humans but I just can't agree with it. I actually found these aspects her character more compelling that the rest of the issue, if males are allowed to be shown as promiscuous then why can't females? Similarly, what's wrong with being a bit promiscuous, naturally were not meant to monogamous its just society pressuring us to think that is the right thing to do, and she never lied, so as far as I'm concerned anything goes. Regarding the disassociation, she's an alien so what can you expect? After reading just this issue I was a bit lost over the story, and actually still am, but it did enough to interest me, although I didn't pay too much attention because the characters were interesting me a lot more. Overall, this issue was a very good first issue and I enjoyed reading it a lot more than I did some other DC first issues.

T.V. Show of the Week 5

Although I only did the last post for this regular a few days ago, i want to try get back in my routine so I'm doing this one now. T.V. Show of the Week this week is How I Met Your Mother:

 

How I Met Your Mother - A fun, fast paced T.V. series with sophisticated jokes timed and delivered brilliantly and intense drama. Originally, this show didn't really catch my eye. I saw trailers for it and heard people talking about it but nothing about ever really appealed to me. However, this obviously changed since it's now a T.V. Show of the Week. I was bored one day and thought screw the bad trailers and wierd plot lines I had heard, I'll just watch the show, and that's what I did. And I loved it. I now say the same thing to anyone who has doubts over watching this show, don't think about the railers or the feedback, just try watching it, because to me its a show that reaches everyone personally. To me, this is one of the best comedy sitcoms around, comparable with the likes of Friends and Scrubs as the show can have you laughing so hard you nearly pee yourself one minute and then the next crying so much your head hurts. There's a big online debate I've picked up on - 'is this show better or worse than friends?' or 'how well is it copying friends?' - but I avoid this. To me bith How I Met Your Mother and Friends are completely seperate shows; although there are similarities, each show has its own tone and its own atmosphere, with which there are clear distictions, especially due to Friends being 10 years older than How I Met Your Mother. The basic premise - old Ted telling his kids the story of how he met their mother - doesn't really grab me that much, its the writing and the characters that do. Each of the five main characters have a lot depth, which is explored brilliantly through out the show, especially concerning the relationships within the group, and the writing makes it so each epsiode has its own story as well as being part of an underlinig story arc, more so than many other shows today. Plus, thsi series stars Neil Patrick Harris and Barney, and who doesn't love Neil Patrick Harris, especially when he has his top off.

Random Comic Thoughts

Apparently, wishful thinking does work because 4 of my late comics arrived today so I was finally able to get my fix. Although I wasn't looking forward to Demon Knights and Batman and Robin that much, I was pleasantly surprised by them, which is good but also sucks as I now can't imagine dropping them so it's an extra £4 a month. I've decided I'm definately dropping at least two titles as soon as possible, which yes doesn't sound like much but it's too hard to say I'll drop more. Right now the titles in the firing line are Uncanny X-Men, Mew Mutants, Incredible Hulk, X-Men Legacy, Uncanny X-Force, Teen Titans and House of Night, and there's a few of these that need to seriously impress me. Not really comics but comic relevant, I really, really want the Marvel version of Monopoly. I have around 20 copies of the Forbidden Planet newpaper, they send me one with every comic delivery, that I haven't got rid of yet and it's there on the front page so I see it everytime I look at one. Hopefully I'll have enough money after Christmas to get it.
Now I'm cheerful again, I'll share part of my cheering up method; Longshot and Shatterstar in X-Factor:

Blog Update

I'm actually quite proud of myself so far with this blog. I've not given up or got bored and hardly posted, I'm still doing my original three weekly posts. I'm getting a fair amount of views and I even have a follower so I am very, very happy. I am, however, going to try spend more time blogging. I'm going to keep my current three weekly posts - Comic of the Week, T.V. Show of the Week and This Week's Comics - but try post a bit more spontaneously and randomly as well as maybe introduce some more regular posts, although they probably won't be weekly ones. I'm in a bit of a sour mood today, none of my comics from last Wednesday have arrived yet and I'm getting very angsty to read them, especially with a new lot of comics coming out tomorrow, so the T.V. Show of the Week post I was planning to do today will now be tomorrow as I just can't properly appreciate anything. Wish me luck that my comics come tomorrow or I might just go a little bit crazy.

This Week's Comics - 16/11/11

This week I am getting a more acceptable amount of comics, 6; not too many that it's a big dip in my bank balance and enough to keep me more than satisfied until next week. The comics for this week are Red Hood and the Outlaws #3, New Mutants #34, Uncanny X-Men #2, X-Factor #227, Batman #3 and Incredible Hulk #2. The comic I'm most looking forward to this week is, without a doubt, X-Factor. This series is written by one of my favourite writers, Peter David, contains some of my favourite characters, Shatterstar, Layla, Monet and Longshot, and one of my favourite couples, Rictor and Shatterstar. However, there's even more as to why I'm so looking forward to this issue; it's in the middle of a very interesting storyline with a lot of questions still in the air, there is high tension between a lot of characters, especially Rictor and Shatterstar, and the one line of hint we've got for this issue, 'a member of X-Factor dies', is self explanatory as to why I'm looking forward to reading this comic. The one I'm least looking forward to is New Mutants #34 because although I've just began picking up the series, some of the characters I was looking forward to reading left in the last issue and the last issue didn't really impress me at all. However, a three issue story arc where they are tracking down Blink begins with this issue so I am willing to keep with this title at least for that until I make my decision whether to drop it or not. Uncanny X-Men and Incredible Hulk are in similar positions but the first issues did more to grab my attention and the two titles contain more character I like so I'm more looking forward to reading them but they are still on the edge. Red Hood and the Outlaws is one of the DC titles I'm really enjoying, mainly because of the characters and the team dynamics, so I'm looking forward to reading this next issue, specially as this appears to be the issue where the series properly establishes itself. Batman, I feel, properly established itself last issue so I'm looking forward to having another series not in an introduction stage even though this title is middle ground for me right now.

Comic of the Week 5

This week I was at a bit of a loss over what to choose for this post. My comics for last Wednesday still haven't been delivered so i have gone through ever comic issue and graphis novel I have, which is a fair amount, to choose one. So, this week's comic of the week is The Authority, Vol 1 #29:

The fact that this the second comic of the week to feature an issue of The Authority, third if you count Stormwatch witht the similar characters and themes, definately shows how much I do love this series, escpecially this first volume, which is when I feel it was at its best. I choose this issue because I'm in the mood where I want something soppy and romantic and the wedding of Apollo and Midnighter at the end fits in that category. Being one of my favourite couples, any interaction between the two of them makes a comic good for me so the wedding and Apollo going after Seth, the villain, for vengence over practically killing Midnighter made this issue stand out as I was going through the lot. I also enjoyed Jenny Q coming into her powers properly in this issue, using them to defeat Seth and finally showing The Authority and us what she can do. I prefer her in her toddler stage before she got older and, in my opinion, not as enjoyable to read, probably due to the change in wirter cause it's not the age thing that bothers me but how she changed as she suddenly jumped to an older age. I also tend to prefer issues thta finish story arcs to others if there are no specific stand out elements becuase it ties together all the story lines, themes and ideas and leaves you feel more satisfied when you're finished.

T.V. Show of the Week 4

I realise this edition of T.V. show of the week is quite late but it's taken me a while to get round to doing it and choosing the right show. This past week/2 weeks I've really just been watching one show from start to finish so I haven't got many options to choose from. However, this week's T.V. show of the week is Merlin:

As I've mentioned before I love shows or books or films set in either a realistic or fantasy historical time, especially medieval or classical. So the T.V. show Merlin is an obvious choice for me with its historical setting, fantasy elements and it being set around the traditional Arthurian legend. The new take on the legend is interesting and fascinating and is definately paying off as the show is currently in it's fourth series. The only issue I do have with this show is the slow and sometimes total lack off progress. So far only two other people are aware of Merlin's magic, which is understandable as the majority of the chracters are against the ise of magic, but there have been a fair few who would have accepted Merlin's abilities and kept his secret. In this latest series, some progress was made with Arthur becoming king and Morgana falling into her traditional villanous role but each episode still follows the same basic structure as the episodes in the first series, limiting how far this show can progress. The most recent episodes, compared to the series and half of epsiodes before them, have been somewhat of a relief. Instead of cooming up with even more complex ideas and twists, the whriters have gone back to the basic themes and elemnts of the show and the lagend itself; Merlin risking his own life for Arthur's, the battle between good magic and bad magic, Merlin and Arthur's destiny and the strong friendship between the two.

This Week's Comics - 9/11/11

This week I'm getting three comics, including one new title. I am getting Demon Knights #3, Batman and Robin #3 and House of Night #1, the new title. Out of these four I am most excited about batman and Robin, given that I've really enjoyed the first 2 issues. Batman comics have always gone down well with me, especially ones with a Robin in, so I'm excited about reading this one. I'm really liking the dynamic between Bruce Wayne as Batman and Damien as Robin as its different to the other Robins since he has so much underlining contempt for his father even though he's trying to change and work with him. This issue again focuses on Damien trying to fight the instincts Talia al Ghul raised him with so I'm definately looking forward to it. So far, the first two issues of Demon Knights have done enough to keep me interested and looking forward to this issue but not really enough to make it stand out that much in mind when I think of what issues are to come. I love medieval settings and magic themes so I'm sure Demon Knights will get even better for me so I'm looking forward to the next few to see how it goes. I have read the majority of the House of Night books and although I am utterly appaled at the lack of suitable writing skills and terrible characterisation, I do think the main story is an interesting idea and some of the characters I did like. So I thought I'd give the comic a try, hoping the new medium and difference in the story will improve it so I am looking forward to seeing what it's like.

Comic of the Week 4

This week I have chosen a comic that came out this last Wednesday. I had already decided this was the one I was most looking forward to this week and it definately met my expectations. For this week, for comic of the week I have chosen Stormwatch #3:

 

Although there have only been three issues, this series has quickly become one of my favourite. As I hoped, this issue moved away from introducing the series and gave lots of action and more substantial characterisation. I already loved a fair amount of the chracters in this series from the Authority - Midnighter, Apollo, Jack, Engineer, Jenny Q - so am excited to see them in a new series with new stories, especially the new exploration of Midnighter and Apollo's relationship that Cornell has set out. The other chracters are fairly interesting, although aren't interesting me as much as the one I already know, and make sure this series different from the old Stormwatch or the Authority so kust as exciting to read. Out of the new chracters, Harry Tanner is my favourtie so far, mainly because he has been by himself so has had more chracterisation, especially with the revelation of his relationship with Engineer in this issue and the fact he uses a swrod to fight, which is classic and effective. In this issue, I really enjoyed the physical representation of the cities as Jack talked to them, which brought an extra dimension to the story and jack, and the presentation of Midnighter's tactical skills, which resulted in him having to face a monster with the powers of the members of Stormwatch next issue. I was a little disappointed when Midnighter stopped in the middle of a battle to ask about Jenny Q's powers, not very tactical or in character but a good way to establish a relationship between the two. Being only three issues in,  this series is one of my favourites and I find myself almost desperately anticipating the next issue, and further issues to see what happens with the characters.

This Week's Comics - 2/11/11

This week I'm picking up one more comic than last week, a whole 4 amazing comics - I do really love comics, don't let this fool you, I'm just very picky and short on cash. The 4 I'm getting tomorrow are Stormwatch #3, Action Comics #3, Uncanny X-Men #1 and New Muntants #33. The same as last week, I am very excited about all of these comics since two are part of X-Men: Regenesis and the other two are so far the best DC re-boot titles out of the ones I'm picking up. However, the one I'm most looking forward to is Stormwatch. I'm looking forward to this issue the most as, like I've stated before in this blog, I love the old Authority and since this a lot of the same characters I'm finding it really hard not to love this one as well. Although the story is kind of week, it doesn't grab as much as the similar one in Authority Vol.1 did, it is still presented very well by Cornell, whose work I love, just the inclusion of characters like Midnighter and Apollo make it the one I'm most looking forward too. I'm also hoping we're going to finally move on from the two issue introduction and hope they don't make it a third, otherwise even I will have to admit it's dragging on a bit. Action Comics comes in at a close second, again hopefully past the introduction issues but even if it isn't a young Clark Kent/Superman and Lex Luther is more than enough to keep me fully hooked. Uncanny X-Men and New Muntants are the two I'm least looking forward to. Although both being starting points for their series in X-Men regenesis, both fall on Cyclops' side and contain characters I'm not as fond of as the X titles on Wolverine's side so I'm not expecting as much as was for Wolverine and the X-Men and am expecting for the rest of the Gold Team's titles.

T.V. Show of the Week 3

This week I'm moving away from my last two picks to something completely different. This week's T.V. Show of the Week is Russell Howard's Good News:

This is a show I've watched for a long time, I like my comedy shows, and found very enjoyable. Russell Howard is one of my favourite comedians, being the only one I've been to see live, due to his abstract comedy. This type of comedy is shown perfectly in Good News with a mixture of stand-up, clips and interviews about the news over the past week that appeals to many ages, although is definately not suitable for young children. Howard's comedy works so well because he engages the audience, both physically by talking to members of his studio audience and mentally as he deals with hot topics and doesn't shy away from controversial issues. Each epsiode is formulated perfectly but flows naturally with Howard's improvisation and canny personality. Good News began its 5th series on BBC Three last week and I am again hooked and waiting for the next episode.

Comic of the Week 3

Again, my comics were delivered late, so this weekI decided to put off this post for a few days and give them chance to arrive, which two of them did. So to avoid getting too furious I'm just going to choose a week old comic that I really enjoyed but came too later for me to have last week, X-Factor #226:

This is my definately my current favourite comic book series, and arguably of all time given its consistency compared to other series excellent parts but then terrible parts. So I always enjoy every issue and am sure I will continue to do so, unless Peter David does something to completely change the series, which I highly doubt he wil, so it should be obvious that I really enjoyed this issue as well. I could of chosen almost any issue from this series for comic of the week, so why this one? Well it's partly due to the story arc this issue falls into. The great thing about this story arc is it shows off the basics of the X-Factor team, an investigation team that deals with mutant cases, and it completely unpredictable; the appearance of Hangman in this issue was a surprising, but welcome, twist. As well as the story arc, this issue also brilliantrly shows of David's amazing manipulation of the characters and the relationships within the team. Each character was covered effectively, luckily for me with extra consideration given to Shatterstar and Layla over their mysterious intamacy, as these two are my favourite characters. I even found myself enjoying the interactions with Guido and Rahne, who although I do like, don't reach me as much as the others do, again showing David's amazing ability. Like I've mentioned before in this blog, as well, this issue left me completely satisfied, due it covering a suitable amount of story and a lot of character exploration, but also almost desperate to read the next issue and find out who Bloodbath is. Plus with the small teaser given by Marvel for next #227, 'a member of X-Factor dies', not reading on is not an option.

This Week's Comics - 26/10/11

I haven't really posted much since I started this blog so thought I'd just throw this in. This week, Wednesday 26th October, I have only got three comics to read :( For me this is quite a small number and doesn't really represent my continuing insistance that I read a lot of comics - which I swear I actually do. Anyway, the comics I got were Superman #2, Incredible Hulk #1 and Wolverine and the X-Men#1. Out of these I think I'm most looking forward to Incredible Hulk the most because it'll be the first time Hulk and Bruce Banner are seperate so will creat an interesting relationship dynamic. Similarly, Hulk in general has been off my comic-radar for a while now, for a lot of reasons that will take way too long to go into, so this story better be good if only the basic premise was enough to draw me back. The issue I'm least looking forward to reading, although I am still looking forward to it, is Superman. This is mainly because so far with most of the re-booted DC titles I've been picking up, the second issues have just carried on from the first as introductions to the series, which although still interesting doesn't grab me as much as the two brand new titles I got today. Wolverine and the X-Men I am definately looking forward to but not quite as much as Incredible Hulk as I have been picking up X titles continuously for a while now.

T.V. Show of the Week 2

After finally getting a break from all my work I've had chance to go back and finish watching T.V. shows I had began or thought about watching but hadn't had chance to get to. One of these shows in what I'm choosing for this weeks T.V. show of the week - The Walking Dead:

Being an avid comic fan, of course the comic book series of The Walking Dead has not escaped my notice and attention. Therefore, I am glad I have finally got around to watching the last two episodes of season 1 and the episodes from season 2 out so far. Most zombie films and shows don't really do it much for me but I'm really enjoying this one. It's mostly because of the comic background and the fasciunating characters, where the interactions between the families are just as hard to tear your eyes away as the intense battles with the zombies.

Comic of the Week 2

This weeks comic isn't a new one. As I buy my comics online, this weeks have yet to be delivered, so to fill in the gap from the missing new comics I went through some of my old ones and read a few of them, including this weeks comic of the week. So for this week, the comic I have chosen is The Authority, Vol 1 #12:

The Authority is definitely in my top 5 comic book series of all time, I just love the characters, the stories and the gritty element to it. Issue 12 gets a mention as it contains the death of one of my favourite characters from this series, Jenny Sparks. I was sad to see her go, especially since it was so early and we only go 12 issues to enjoy her. The premise of her death, being the spirit of the 20th century so dying at midnight on 31st December 1999, just made it much more intriguing and tragic, she knew it was going to happen and she accepted it. Additionally, this is the issue where the Authority defeat the 'closest thing to god', the creator of our planet, and ends the arc during which the Authority had to battle the moon, an idea which is also occurring in the new Stormwatch by DC. Really, any Authority issue could have made Comic of Week, I do really love this series, but I've chosen this one because it resonated with me particularly this week and got me even more excited for the next issue of Stormwatch.

T.V. Show of the Week 1

Building on my Comic of the Week, I'd thought I'd throw this into the mix as well, to share my opinions on the T.V. show I'm most thinking about at the moment and to give me something to post; I've had a boring day. This week for T.V. show of the week I have chosen Game of Thrones:

I've heard praise and raving reviews for this show ever since it first began but haven't got round to watching it till now. Today I finally sat down and watched the first episode and fell in love immediately. I tend to find myself loving most of the T.V. shows like this - anything that has the apparance of medieval or older - so from the start I knew I would have a fair amount to love about Game of Thrones. However, this show particulary grabbed me because of the characters. None of them were that quirky or unusual, which is normally what draws me, but I found myself really enjoying them. I find it hard to find anything to truly enjoy anymore because of the overuse of sterotypes in characters and events, I mean how many Mary-Sues or tortured playboys are there filling today's books, films and shows. These characters, although not exactly stereotypes like these, weren't particularly original or unique but the way they were presented caught my attention. So I am definately watching the rest of this series, and I'm fairly positive I'll continue enjoying it; I find it so hard not to love one of these shows, but if it gets too like every other show, our relationship will turn sour.

I haven't read the books by Geroge R. R. Martin that this series is based of either. However, giving I find most T.V. shows based of books just that bit not as good as the orignal books, I think I'll love them as well, but unfortunately I do now have high expectations.

Nibbling Nemos

Today me and my sister went and had a fish pedicure, and it was amazing. I understand people are squeemish about it but it wasn't bad at all. For the first few minutes it tickled like hell and I was pissing myself laughing, but then it calmed down and felt like really good pins and needles; it's dead relaxing too, like any spa treatment. Additionaly, your feet are so smooth and soft after it's unbelievable. So I would definately reccommend this to anyone looking for something to do on a girly, or even manly, day out.

Issues With Issues

I have just finished reading Demon Knights #2 and have to admit I'm not very impressed, like I'm not with many of the second issues of the New 52. Although I'm still enjoying the ones I've been picking up - Action Comics, Stormwatch, Demon Knights, Superman, Batman, Batman and Robin, Red Hood and the Outlaws - I haven't been very impressed with the lack of content in the issues. The overall storyline that runs through the issues is interesting me but I only feel unsatisisfied when finishing one issue. Unlike some of the Marvel comic books, X-Factor for example, where each issue leaves you both satisfied as it is a story within instelf but still in suspense for the next issue, DCs new issues barely cover enough to count as part of a story. I'm not giving up on any of the series but I am definately considering leaving the issues for a few months and then reading 4/5 at once, so I at least will feel some sense of satisfication with the story once I've finished.

Comic of the Week 1

Finding a post to begin a blog with is hard, so I went with something simple, general and fun.

Comic of the Week

For this weekly post I will comment on my favourite comic of the week, not necessarily a new comic, just the one I'm thinking about most at the moment. This week, the comic is X-Men: Regenesis #1:

To any Marvel or X-Men fans this choice will be obvious. Following the evnts of Schism, this issue shows which side, Wolverine or Cyclops, most of the mutants are choosing. This isssue is also a starting point for the new era of the X-Men, which will alter every series included. I am very excited to see how this plays out, especially with my favourite X title X-Factor, so this issue gets Comic of the Week because of what it represents and the renewed interest it has given me for the X-Men. However, no matter how excited I get by this new storyline, I still refuse to pick up Generation Hope; the characters don't do it for me at all and I just find the storylines fairly glib. I will be giving all the other 7 titles involved a try though, and I highly reccomend you do to.