As I prepare to drive approximately 35 miles to buy about four new comics (and perhaps see a matinee of Kill Bill- I haven't given up), I was pointed to (via ¡Journalista!) John Jakala's post about growing disenchantment with playing the comics buying game. It made the rusty, creaky gears in my thought mechanisms lurch into motion, and hopefully something will issue forth in response at some later time.
To address another topic that's been making the rounds lately (and it's a tempest in a teapot if I ever saw one), I think perhaps Tony Isabella should develop a bit thicker skin. Whether he likes it or not, DC is not obligated to run any changes in the Black Lightning character he created by him, because it was done under the work-made-for-hire situation that has caused so much grief over the years. I sympathize with him, but he's not- I'm sure- the first creator to see a beloved creation get put through paces that he abhors and I'm sure he won't be the last. I'm feelin ya, Tony dog, but ya gots ta put some distance between, knowhutamsayin? And I still think that what Kevin Smith did with Stanley and his Monster was far worse...but did you hear Arnold Drake crying? Huh? Didja?
On the TV watching front, I have an confession to make: I am really enjoying Navy NCIS, and not just because of Pauley Perette. Last night's eppy, about mysterious, apparently Meth-related deaths among members of a Navy aircraft carrier's deck crew, even though they don't seem to do drugs and their urine tests all report clean, kept me guessing all the way through till the end and the look "behind the scenes" on the carrier was very interesting. I find myself wondering if my friend the Stupid Llama (Mike Cary), who served in the Navy, has ever watched this show and what he thinks about it. Gray-haired Mark Harmon, of all people, gives a nice, nuanced performance as the head guy of the investigative team, sometimes crusty, sometimes dryly witty. Didn't think he had it in him.
I also caught the most recent episode of Carnivale, have been watching all season in fact, and I gotta say I'm very pleased with they way things have played out so far. We've been treated to a number of interesting characters, weird events, and arresting imagery- one in particular was the strange, sad fate of cooch dancer Dora Lee in the ghost town of Babylon, and the "carnival justice" which was invoked as a result. I don't know how many more episodes there are (and last night's previews of next week's show promises many revelations), but I can't wait to see how this all plays out.
About the only full length feature film I've seen lately is the Jason Statham vehicle (and I do mean vehicle) The Transporter, which is probably the dumbest, most cliche-filled, and worst-acted (except by the low-key Statham) movie I've seen in a good long while. If you like routine explosions and car chases and people shooting at each other and little else, then I suppose this film succeeds on that level. But if, like me, you like a bit more wit and style with your action thriller and like Statham because of his great turn as Turkish in Snatch, then you should just pass this Transporter. Statham obviously needs a new agent, one with better script choosing ability anyway, because almost everything he's done since his last Guy Ritchie film has flat out sucked. Ghosts of Mars, anyone?
Hopefully more later.
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