Well…I don’t know if I like them apples.
BREAKING NEWS: Warner Brothers has, officially, announced that Ben Affleck will portray Batman in the Man of Steel sequel. To hear my full thoughts on this, click on the picture above! Also, in the comment section, tell me what your thoughts are about this news! Finally, subscribe to Channel23hahaha for more videos! 🙂
Jimmy or Jenny…kind of sounds like a sequel to Ed Wood’s Glen or Glenda, don’t it?
Hello super friends! It’s your alien refugee, Richard, here! Today, I present to you an episode of COMICS! in which I review two AMAZING comic issues from last week. After that, I discuss an interesting bit of news that has been going around since Monday. As you know, this summer will see the latest film to feature Superman. While the film is only months away from release, we barely know a thing about it.
Little by little, as we reach closer to the big day, small nuggets of information emerge. Answering questions we’ve had since the announcement of Man of Steel. One of those questions was whether or not Jimmy Olsen, photographer for the Daily Planet, would appear in the film. He has shown up in pretty much every adaptation of Superman ever, but there didn’t seem to be any sign of him in Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan’s take on the superhero.
One day, while surfing the Man of Steel IMDB page, website Comicbookmovie.com found the answer to that question. Jimmy Olsen IS going to be in the film, but not as you remember him. In this film, HE will be a SHE. That’s right…Jimmy Olsen is now going to be JENNY Olsen. Now, IMDB isn’t the most reliable source for movie info, ironically enough. However, when watching the latest trailer, you see a bit in which Perry White, played by Lawrence Fishburne, is charging away from an explosion with a woman.
The woman, unknown actress Rebecca Buller, looks exactly like the actress listed on IMDB whose playing Jenny Olsen. So…it looks like this is legit information, but it’s still not 100%. So, what are your thoughts on this news? Are you for it? Against it? Tell me all about what your thoughts in the comment section here, or in the comment section of the latest episode of COMICS! As usual, in order to watch, click on the pretty picture above! Also, subscribe to my channel, Channel23hahaha, for more episodes! Have a good one!
Don’t stare directly into his eyes!
HEY, HI, and HELLO EVERYONE! It’s your comic book reading friend, Richard here coming to you STRAIGHT…from the New York Comic Con! So, Day Uno of the convention has come to an end, and what a first day it was! However, as most stories begin, I figured I should start this article with a little colorful exposition. So, Thursday morning. 9:30 in the AM. Myself, my friend Joe (whose snoring sounds like a fan on low hitting a plastic card as I type this), and my father leave my home state of Ohio. The trunk is packed with luggage, the backseat holds our road snacks and beverages. For the first few hours, I’m half asleep listening to my father and Joe chit-chat about my snoring and guns.
This wasn’t the road trip you see in the movies. We don’t lose the car on a bet. Nor do we meet a gang of serial killers that end up accepting us. It was a straight A-Z type deal. Only a few gas and resting stops were made. After 8 hours of tiring travels, we finally arrive at the Howard Johnson Hotel I booked. The Hotel is…okay? It’s not terrible at all, but It’s FAR FAR FAR FAR from perfect. The desk my laptop is on right now is covered in scratch marks, but the Bacon served during breakfast was amazing. So, again, not terrible…but far from perfect.
Anywhozzles, I know that’s not a word, we arrived at the HoJo at about 5, and began settling into our hotel room. After an hour of rest from the road, we decided to hit the Javits Center to pick up my press pass. Also, I had plans to attend an 8 pm Bat-Chat with my friend, Dr. Travis Langley, and a few others whom were all AWESOME!
Speaking of which, Dr. Langley wrote an amazing book on Batman, and his Psychology, that he signed for me! I love the Big Bang Theory reference made! The chat was a blast, and brought up several interesting points, good and bad, about The Dark Knight. Around 10 0’clock, my group of travelers scurried back to the HoJo to rest and prepare for a big day!
That is the end of the exposition, and I hope you enjoyed it.  ha-ha. SO! Day one of New York Comic Con started off very stressful! It took us a little while to find the ferries to NYC, but thankfully we found them. The trip across was cool. Met a beautiful, and fun woman out there. She was telling me about her movie review show she did, and I told her about COMICS! Sadly, I didn’t see her again the rest of the day, but It was a nice way to start off day one. Now, Most of day one was spent exploring the show floor, filming as much as I possibly could. However, to my surprise, I actually took way more pictures then filmed. I guess, It’s something that happens when you take the Nikon with you to Comic-Con. Also, It’s nice to have a camera handy when you see beautiful cosplayers roaming around! 
The biggest highlights of day one was seeing a handful of my biggest influences surrounding the building! In less then 2 hours I saw Grant Morrison, Guillermo Del Toro, Jim Lee, and the biggest of them all…Scott Snyder! Wait…I hope you’re not asking who that is! If you are…then I guess someone hasn’t been watching my show, huh? Well, for those of you left in the dark, Scott Snyder is probably the most popular, and acclaimed, comic writer these days. His works, from his original stuff like American Vampire to his takes on Batman, have been amazing to say the least. Every new issue of a Scott Snyder penned comic tends to just rock my comic nerd world! His use of characters, subtle horror, and plot threads is incredible! If you have yet to experience the magic of a Snyder comic.,.DO IT NOW!
Now, Unlike the other’s mentioned, Scott was the only creator I actually got to meet. We have met before, but never in person. Scott and I have had several chats online, and over the phone before, but never face to face. It was awesome to finally get the chance to meet the guy, and shake his hand. Maybe some of his genius got on me. Fingers crossed!
A few other highlights, speaking of Mr. Snyder, was I finally purchased his amazing horror graphic novel, Severed. The story follows a young boy whom is stalked by an evil Cannibal with a taste for children. The story is kind of realistic, and more creepy, version of Little Red Riding Hood. Highly recommended!
Also, not speaking of Mr. Snyder, I finally found The Dark Knight Rises Catwoman figure I’ve been searching for like a mad man. However, I didn’t purchase this gem. Why, you ask? Well, the price of figures at conventions are INSANE! I don’t think that figure was worth $34.95, honestly. I’d spend that much on a comic. Not an action figure…unless it was totally freaking awesome. So, that being said, I might get that Cat after all.  So, In conclusion, Day one was a successful, and fun time. It ended with dinner at the Hard Rock, and a late night explore of Time Square. Oh, and a drunk woman came up to me, handed me her broken iPhone, and asked if I could take a picture of her and her buds. That’s how you know your in New York!
Happy Birthday to me. I have turned 23. Well, Actually I’m 22….But 2 didn’t rhyme with me! YAY!
PS My birthday was actually yesterday, but still. Happy Birthday to me!
Hey, Hi, and Hello everyone! It’s your comic reading, world saving, drug dealing Watchman, Richard here! Wait…Did I type drug dealing? I meant HUG dealing, of course……ANYWAYS! So, a little while ago I posted an article giving my thoughts on DC Comics current Before Watchmen event. At that point, Only 4 of the 7 books were on the shelves. My opinions on the stories were mixed, but the art was amazing in all. Today, all of the BW books in the event have started, and a few of the limited series have multiple issues. So, I figured It was the perfect time to write part 2 of my thoughts on Before Watchmen. I’m going to go in alphabetical order, and even give you some more updated thoughts with the books that have 2 or more issues out now. So…HERE WE GO:
The Comedian (2 of 6 out now):
Last time I mentioned this book, I was disappointed but interested. Now that issue 2 has arrived, I can easily say this is the worst in the BW event. I didn’t think I would say it, but I am. I HATE THIS COMEDIAN BOOK! Its so boring, and incredibly uneventful. It actually felt like a chore to read issue 2 in this series! I hate saying all this because I am such a huge fan of the writer and artist, but both are delivering poor quality work. Hopefully the series gets better. Especially since its one of the six issue series in the BW movement so there is hope….kind of. I just can’t say more right now, or I’m going to cry or become enraged…..and you wouldn’t like me when I’m crying…
1.5/5
Dr. Manhattan (1 of 4 out now):
This is the most recent, and final, series to start up in the BW event. I was kind of on the fence with this book. I’ve never really liked the writer, J. Michael Straczynski, but I love the artist, Adam Hughes. Thankfully, both did quite a wonderful job with the good Doctor and his new comic. JMS did an amazing job capturing the voice of Dr. Manhattan, and his views of humanity, machinery, and time. I will say, the story didn’t seem like anything new, but the ending of this comic changed that. JMS seems to have big plans in store. The best part of this comic, by far, was Adam Hughes as predicted. It’s fantastic to finally see some interior work from him for a change. Very glad with the turn out for this first issue. Hope the rest repeat this level of quality, or higher even!
4.5/5
Minutemen (2 of 6 out now):
I fell in love with Darwyn Cooke’s first issue of Minutemen! The art was beautiful, the story was fantastic, it was the perfect prequel to Watchmen. Now, does that opinion still stand? You beat your sweet toosh it does! Minutemen continues to wow me issue after issue. I loved the way Cooke handle’s the team in the second issue. It’s like he created them almost. Yea, that’s how good he is doing with this book, IMO! Also, His art has yet to falter in anyway. It’s as beautiful as it ever was! Overall? THIS BOOK IS A MUST PURCHASE!
5/5
Nite Owl (2 of 4 out now):
Like Dr. Manhattan, I was very much on the fence with this book. Same reasons as well. Unlike Dr. Manhattan, JMS couldn’t seem to do a good job with Nite Owl. Issue one, if you remember, was just a giant let down. However, the series has improved with issue 2! Well…not by much, but still. The story isn’t rushed to death anymore, but there is still one huge problem with the book. The Writer seems to forget whom this book is about. He spends WAY TOO MUCH time tackling who Rorschach is, when he should be focused on Nite Owl. The Art, by Andy Kubert and the now late great Joe Kubert, is still amazing! I just love the retro look the book has. Fits perfectly with the times, and story. However, the book will lose that now that Joe Kubert has passed on. We will miss him. Anyways, Nite Owl still has tons of kinks in the armor, but they are being fixed….sort of.
3/5
Ozymandias (2 of 6 out now):
So, when I wrote the first article, I missed my chance to add this title into it. If I had gotten the chance, I would have told you how much I loved that first issue. Len Wein has a great handle on the character, and still does two issues in. However, As much as I loved issue 1, Issue 2 wasn’t as strong. Mainly because There didn’t seem to be a sense of danger IE the stereotypical, and mostly untrue IMO, Superman story problem people have. While I’ve never found that present all the time in a Supes book, that problem is very much in issue 2. It makes it difficult for a reader to connect with Ozy in anyway, really. That being said, I still found issue 2 to be good but not great like issue 1. The art by Jae Lee is mind blowingly beautiful. The style is a perfect fit for Ozy,and his world.
3.5/5
Rorschach (1 of 4 out now):
If you’d ask anyone whom their favorite Watchmen character is, the majority or all would say Rorschach. That includes myself. He was the break out character in the original graphic novel, and even in the movie. Now, I’ve started to get worried about this comic, to be honest. The writer, Brian Azzarello, has been disappointing me with a lot of his recent comic work. Which includes the terrible terrible Comedian book I mentioned earlier. Thankfully, Rorschach features the amazing Azzarello writing I know and love! One thing Azzarello tried, and failed, with in the Comedian book was to show a new side to the character. He attempts that again in Rorschach, but is much more successful with it. It’s a bit jarring, admittedly, but it works out much better later in the comic. Also, Azzarello capture’s Rorschach’s voice brilliantly. He’s faithful to the original comic, but He also injects his own spin for this new take. For example, Rorschach swears in this comic. I don’t remember that from the original at all! Unless I’m missing something. Anyways, again it’s a bit jarring, but It ended up working well. Now, the art in the book, drawn by my 2011 pick for best artist Lee Bermejo, is amazing as usual! Best part of this book by far! Over all, I’m excited for future issues!
4/5
Silk Spectre (2 of 4 out now):
Silk Spectre was a book I didn’t really know much about. I wasn’t excited for it, I wasn’t dreading it, I just…didn’t seem to care much. That being said, Issue one was actually rather good! If you remember, It was one of my favorites. I liked the mash up between 70’s chick flick and superhero story. Issue two continues this great work! Darwyn Cooke’s doing a great job with this series. Not as good as he’s doing in Minutemen, but still good. However, I think the true star of this series is Amanda Conner. Her art is just beautiful, cute, detailed, and badass all at once! Her style just fits so much with the book! Hopefully issues 3 and 4 continue the good work of issues 1 and 2.
4.5/5
SO! As you can see I’m starting to dig this series more. Well, except for Comedian. That series needs something, or else its just going to keep tanking! Most of the other stories are either awesome, or rising up from poor and stupid. However, one thing remains the same throughout….the amazing artwork. I wouldn’t mind if these books were just art books instead of actual comics. Just saying! So, In the comment section below, What are your favorite’s in the BW Event, if any. NOW! If you want more comic book awesomeness, go subscribe to my youtube channel, Channel23hahaha, and share it with your nerdy friends! Stay tuned for Part 3 of my articles with the entire series is over!
It has finally arrived!!!!
So, DC Comics announced a while back that they would be releasing prequel stories to the companies famed Graphic Novel: Watchmen. I even appeared on the show one day, and talked of my feelings towards it. I might have shocked Dan when I said I was excited! At first, I wasn’t pissed off, or excited, I was just neutral on the idea. However, when I saw the creative teams involved, I instantly became excited! Now, the first issue in the line has arrived, but is it any good? Click the photo, and find out for yourself! Enjoy the episode!
If you thought you knew the entire history of ol’ “Honest” Abe….think again!
Hello Everyone! It’s Richard here, and I’d like to wish you all a happy Memorial Day! So, I’ve been thinking of ways to celebrate the day with you all. One way, we can all get together and have a BBQ in my backyard, but I have a strong feeling it might take a while for you all to get here. So, I decided a review would probably be easier. Today, I will be reviewing Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter!
No, Its not a review of the movie. I’m not cool like some people, and get to see big movies early. I wish I was cool enough, but I’m not. This is a review of the book which was written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Now, This review would probably make more sense to be published during Presidents Day, or July 4th, but I’m writing it now cause the movie comes out before the 4th. Also, Presidents day has gone by already. Plus, the book does touch on the Civil War a lot, So there is a connection!
Anyways, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter’s plot is sort of explained from it’s title. The book follows Abe’s entire life, from boy hood to his presidency, but from the “true” perspective. When Abe was a boy, he witnessed his mother’s murder at the hands of a Vampire. This was the beginning of his life long war against the creatures of the night. I won’t say much more, but trust me when I say Vampires are the key motivation, and reason, for the vast majority of everything in Abe’s life.
So, I haven’t read a good novel in quite some time. When I was younger, I HATED reading. Because of my dyslexia, It was hard for me to get into anything. I loved a lot of different stories out there, but I hated having to read them. It was a big struggle in my life, and the biggest reason I didn’t do too well in my English classes. However, I became really inspired during High school, thanks to my awesome English teacher, and began reading books all the time. It was a mixture of both comics and novels, but eventually books would end up being dominated by comics and graphic novels.
Recently, I’ve wanted to jump back into the world of novels, but I couldn’t really find the right book. I was going to start with The Hunger Games, but I wasn’t amazed by the movie enough to check it out. I might still read it someday, but not any time soon. Eventually, I would read an older article saying that Tim Burton’s newest film, Dark Shadows, was going to be scripted by a guy named Seth Grahame-Smith. Now, I’m a HUGE Tim Burton fan. He is my all time favorite film maker. I grew up with his pictures, and they inspired me to want to make movies. Also, I know the DCR peeps didn’t dig Dark Shadows much, but I really enjoyed it. Yes, I said those words! I liked The Dark Shadows movie! Deal with it!
Anyways, When I read this article, I wanted to find out exactly who this guy was. Strangely enough, the first Trailer for the movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter had been released the same day. Once I viewed that piece of action packed, Vampire Slaying awesomeness, I ran out and purchased the book immediately! Now, admittedly, the idea of Abe killing vampires is pretty ridiculous. That being said, the book was so freaking amazing!
Its a big action packed thrill ride, that paints Abe as much more of a Badass then he already was. Grahame-Smith does such an amazing Job blending fact and fiction. So much so, That I questioned whether or not a few bits in the book were true. Example, I never knew that Abe hadn’t met Edgar Allan Poe before. The only connection the two have is Abe was a fan of Poe’s work. Also, I loved how Grahame-Smith took a real historical event, and kind of turned it into a diabolical plot cooked up by the Vampires. Kind of like X-Men: First Class. That flick took the Cuban Missile Crisis, and made it the evil scheme of a group of Mutants. Very clever use of the events, if you ask me!
Probably my favorite aspect of the book is Grahame-Smith’s character work. Especially in his dialog, Grahame-Smith captures the tone, voice, and nature of every character in the book. Fact or Fiction, you just love every character! My favorite character was Henry Sturges. Probably one of the cooler Vampire’s I’ve seen in a long time. He is arguably better than Abe! This aspect was what proved to me that Grahame-Smith would be a natural at writing screenplays, and what got me even more excited for Dark Shadows and the Abe film adaptation.
What I would love to see is Grahame-Smith adapting his book in comic book form. The book, and even the movie it seems, just ooze comic book potential. He should team up with an artist like Roger Cruz or Sean Murphy, and create an Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter Graphic novel or comic series. I’d pick that up instantly! Though, It’d have to be written by Seth Grahame-Smith, or I probably wouldn’t pick it up. Overall, even though its a ridiculous idea, Seth Grahame-Smith deliver’s one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time! I highly recommend each and everyone of you go out and pick up the book! I have a strong feeling you won’t be disappointed.
I give Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter a 5/5!
PS Click on the photo! Just do it!
Same-Sex Marriage has been a hot button topic for quite a long while. Its been a heavy news topic recently when President Obama voted in favor of gay marriage. Now, in the world of Mainstream comics, writers and creators always try to keep current and tell relevant stories. Well, Marvel Is doing just that in their Astonishing X-Men series. Known Gay superhero, Northstar, is finally getting hitched to his long time boyfriend in issue #51 of the series. Also, DC made a some what similar announcement this past weekend. An iconic character from DC, whom has yet to be introduced in the New 52, will come out of the closet. As to whom it will be, your going to have to wait till June to find out. Personally, I don’t see the issues with gay marriage. Love is love, no matter if its between a man and a woman, a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. Its nice to see comics telling this kind of story. Yes, it could easily be a publicity stunt, but still. Click the picture above to checkout the latest episode of COMICS! Also, leave a comment on your thoughts of this whole thing. Enjoy the video!
This week on the Director’s Cut radio show, the guys (and gals) run out to see two films. We get a review of both Despicable Me and Predators. They also have a myriad of special guests sit-in and give some fresh perspectives on the latest from Hollywood. Plus, Ollie delivers a special World Cup report, they read your listener mail, and finally the guys count down the top ten movies about Alien attacks. You know you love it. It’s the Director’s Cut!
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