Love and Rockets: New Stories No.1

LOVE & ROCKETS: NEW STORIES No. 1 by los bros Hernandez
Los Bros Hernandez return with the third iteration of their legendary comic book, and while it’s a kick to see Jaime doing superhero stories, I still can’t shake the feeling that the long-peaked Gilbert is making his shit up as he’s drawing it. I’ll wait for Xaime’s collected editions.

Watchmen

WATCHMEN
An acolyte of the source material, I loved this faithful deconstructionist superhero flick, even preferring the movie’s altered climax to the comic’s. But WATCHMEN relies on a dense, hyper-specific frame of reference to fully appreciate its style and substance. If you’re not the slightest bit geek, I’d skip it.

Watchmen: Music from the Motion Picture

WATCHMEN Music from the Motion Picture
Alan Moore did much of the movie’s music supervision when he wrote the comic, as some of the songs on this collection were quoted therein. Some creaky classics (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel) sparkle with fresh context and Nina Simone’s “Pirate Jenny” alone makes this worth buying for Watchnerds.

Trust Me

TRUST ME
This contemporary MAD MEN is entertaining, but Tom Cavanagh’s hyperactive man-child shtick can be grating and it is impossible to believe that Eric McCormack’s nervous, clueless Mason could even keep his job, let alone be promoted to creative director. Ultimately as realistic as an Axe Body Spray ad.

Bat-Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan

BAT-MANGA! THE SECRET HISTORY OF BATMAN IN JAPAN by Chip Kidd
Just when you think there’s nothing old that’s new in the Batcave, along comes this amazing sampling of rare, original Japanese Batman comics from the 1960s, beautifully designed (of course) and enhanced by awesome and often bizarre images of toys and art from the era when Batmania reigned even overseas.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
Intermittently bits of hilarity (“Boosheet, boosheet, boosheet!”) and refreshingly complex characters (Russell Brand! Who knew?) can’t quite overcome another utterly predictable plotline in this rom-com from the Apatow factory. Jason Segel is cuddly as the schlubby hero, but Paul Rudd steals the show (as usual) as a wasted surf instructor.

The Spirit

THE SPIRIT
I always thought that Frank Miller was a bad choice to adapt Will Eisner’s classic mix of whimsy and noir, but nothing prepared me for this execrable display of ineptitude. To compare Miller to Ed Wood is an insult to Wood. Truly one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.

Religulous

RELIGULOUS
I love Bill Maher, but this look into the lunacy and hypocrisy of religion overreaches. I wanted more confrontation (like the truck stop church scene) and less history lesson, but I’ll bet that the DVD will feature much more meat for atheists like me to chew on.

Quantum of Solace

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
After CASINO ROYALE blew away all the naysayers, maybe expectations were too high for the next 007 installment. Craig, Dench and Wright remain great, but the action is over-edited and the plot too slow to develop. Marc Foster was the wrong director for a spy flick.

Superman: Last Son

SUPERMAN: LAST SON
I have mixed feelings about the ever-expanding population of Kryptonian survivors in the DCU, and this tale of a mysterious super-powered boy isn’t spectacular enough to allay my concerns. Some clunky storytelling in the art doesn’t help matters. Still, it is nice to have General Zod and Ursa back.

Batman: Brave and the Bold

BATMAN: BRAVE AND THE BOLD
The Light Knight Returns in this homage to the Batman of the 1950s and 60s, teaming the hero up with a series of DC Comics B-listers like Red Tornado and Guy Gardner. The simplified SAMURAI-JACK-esque animation and light, comedic tone is a fresh take on an oft-tackled character.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
My brother and my girlfriend are both hardcore X-Philes while I am not, yet all of us were disappointed with this muddled, oddly anticlimactic tale of a psychic pedophile priest, a modern Dr. Frankenstein and too much emotional grappling between Mulder and Scully (“Don’t give up!!!” Aaaagh!).

The Education of Hopey Glass

THE EDUCATION OF HOPEY GLASS by Jaime Hernandez
There’s something achingly poignant in this latest LOVE & ROCKETS collection starring the Locas crew of aging punks and ne’er do wells, particularly if (like me) you’ve been growing old (if not up) along with them over the past 26 years. And Xaime’s artwork, while undeniably streamlined, remains dazzling.

The Soup

THE SOUP
If you prefer a soupçon of train-wreck TV mocked by someone smart and funny, then E!’s condensed collection of head-shaking clips is both hilarious and cathartic. Hopefully the deluded narcissists of The Hills or Big Brother tune in to see how stupid and pathetic many people think they are.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART
As the Bush Administration slowly, painfully winds down, let us take a moment to consider how even more unbearable it would’ve been without the righteous, hilarious, sometimes angry, always spot-on bullshit detectors at The Daily Show. In a media-oversaturated world, this is one show that remains utterly essential.

The Colbert Report

THE COLBERT REPORT
When this show premiered in 2005, I was afraid that the Billo satire would get old quickly, but the brilliant Colbert has managed to craft perhaps the smartest ongoing satire of not just the right wing, but every short-sighted, knee-jerk, self-absorbed trait that makes America so Goddamn frustrating.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: NO RESERVATIONS
I am not well-traveled (to say the least), but the gastro-expeditions of Jersey-bred Chef Bourdain (a punk with the soul of a poet) not only make me feel like I’ve been to exotic locations, they actually make me want to go there (although I still don’t fancy offal).

The Hold Steady, Stay Positive

The Hold Steady, STAY POSITIVE
While I’ve always respected Springsteen, aside from “Born to Run” (a perfect rock song), his music has always left me cold. Filling the void, Jersey stalwarts The Hold Steady’s pissed yet hopeful blast of punk Americana is rife with bold anthems that don’t evoke fist pumping or backwards ball caps.

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT
At the risk of being hyperbolic (as well as redundant), a masterpiece. This movie works on every level, as a superhero movie, a crime drama and a complex character study, with spectacular visuals, mind-blowing action, a brilliant screenplay, an affecting score and across-the-board stellar performances. Finally, Bat-Perfection.
(for 1638 more words, see here)

Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard: The Dark Knight soundtrack

Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard, THE DARK KNIGHT original soundtrack
Listening to a soundtrack before seeing the movie isn’t exactly spoilerish, and the music’s quality doesn’t always correlate with its film’s. However… this score is absolutely incredible. There’s an epic, nightmarish, sweeping grandeur to it that creates a mood so palpable you can swear you’re in the heart of Gotham.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
I’m a huge defender of adaptations altering material to fit a new medium, but this sequel strays even farther from Mike Mignola’s comics’ beautifully realized Lovecraftian tone into an off-putting comedic fantasy (and I detest the parental turn of events). Another missed opportunity for a unique superhero / horror hybrid.

Ice Road Truckers season 2

ICE ROAD TRUCKERS Season 2
Basically, aside from the whiny bitching of Drew and Rick, the only drama this season comes from computer animated enactments of what COULD happen (but never does). With nobody going through the ice and no scenes of what happens after hours, this show is for truckophiles only.

Batman: Gotham Knight

BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT
This septet of anime takes on Batman didn’t convert this non-fan of the genre. Kevin Conroy’s traditional Batman voice ill-fits these hyper-styllized Dark Knights. The writing is fine, and the Killer Croc and Deadshot segments looks nice, but ovearall this direct-to-DVD tie-in just feels like a botched experiment.

Monsterama

MONSTERAMA
This 15 minute documentary series is the best reason to DVR Monsters HD. In-depth features on such geek manna as Aurora model kits, Basil Gogos and Munsters memorabilia are beautifully lit and shot, making for amazing hi-def freeze frames. And it’s nice to see host Elvira getting work.

The Full Color Guide to Marvel Silver Age Collectibles

THE FULL COLOR GUIDE TO MARVEL SILVER AGE COLLECTIBLES by J. Ballman
The breadth of this tome is incredible, as are the hundreds of pictures of classic Marvel memorabilia, much of which I never knew existed. Unfortunately, the clunky page layout and awkward, unedited writing are endemic of the most amateurish fanzines. Ah, the perils of self publishing.