Thursday, December 15, 2011

Video of the Day: "I'm Hungry, But I Don't Know Why"



I don't know if I am either hungry or horny after seeing this clip. What I do know is that I will never, ever, EVER look at a Big Mac the same way again!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 11 - "What's Your Game?"

Episode 11 - "What's Your Game?"

(Click the above link to download the episode or click HERE to stream it)


          Today, the Authentic Geeks take a look back at some of their favorite video games. It's a love and hate relationship for geeks and nerds all over the world.  We love playing HALO or Call of Duty or the latest Mario Bros. game. But we also kinda' hate having to develop the thumb twitch muscle reflex necessary to land that last combo in Street Fighter II and finally kick Dhalsim's fireball spitting keister! The Geeks commentate on their favorites from each major era of gaming. From Mario & the good old NES in the '80s to the Master Chief and the Xbox 360, they take a look at them all. So, pull on the Power Glove and warm up your favorite console, it's time to get to clickin'.

POINT OF ORDER: Many games were considered for this episode. In an effort to keep the show length down, the Geeks had to leave some by the wayside. Otherwise, JT and Doug would have been there all night. You don't really want to listen to them talking about video games for 3 hours, do you?!

"Hey, PETA, I got yer' "animal cruelty'' right here!"

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Geek 2 Watch: Mikey Mason

               Mikey Mason is a comedian/musician who is also an unapologetic fanboy. He peppers his songs with references to all things geeky. Warcraft, Firefly, TRON, D & D, the Saturday Morning Cartoons of yore. Pretty much the entirety of our youth, provided you grew up in the '80s and early '90s.

    

          Goddamn, but I pity the youth of today! If you want to laugh and reminisce and curse the fateful day when you realized Saturday Mornings weren't Saturday Mornings any more, listen and love Mikey Mason!!

Suggested Tracks:

"My Next Girlfriend"




"She Don't Like Firefly"




"Summer of '83"

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 10 - "The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants"


Episode 10 - "The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants"

(Click the above link to download the episode or click HERE to stream it)

         Hey, it's a new episode!! About damn time, right?! Anyway, the Big G is not around this episode. So, JT called upon the help of one of his podcasting friends, TV's Mr. Neil of the Animation Aficionados podcast!! YAYS!!! Together, the Geek and the Aficionado discuss that which is surely one of the greatest of all guilty pleasures, the bad movie, bad acting and all! 

         Some of the greats and not-so greats are mentioned. "Street Fighter", "Kull the Conqueror", "Jason X" and more are discussed, ridiculed & glorified. So, pop that corn, pour the soda and get comfortable. It's time for the marathon to start!

POINT OF ORDER: Neil mentioned after the recording that we forgot to discuss the most infamous of all bad movies, "The Room". TV's Mr. Neil has seen this. JT has not. And having never seen it, JT is hesitant to discuss Tommy Wiseau's work. It's probably better that way.

          And if we missed any bad movies that you would have liked for us to discuss, let us know in the comments or an email! Because we all know that one of the most telling traits of a bad movie is the inevitable sequels, right?! *hint-hint, nudge nudge*

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Video of the Day: "Green Lantern: The Animated Series" 'Sizzle' Reel

      




     Coming soon from the mind of legendary animator/artist Bruce Timm ('Batman: The Animated Series" & 'Justice League') comes the next big DC Comics animated TV series. "Green Lantern" will feature Josh Keaton (Peter Parker/Spider-man, 'Spectacular Spider-man') giving voice to Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814, as he travels to other worlds and assists his fellow Green Lanterns against the evil Red Lantern Corps and their leader, Atrocitus.

          And from the look of this 'sizzle reel' trailer, it doesn't look half bad! The designs of the characters, buildings and assorted backgrounds bits look to be done in the traditional Timm-style. And the CGI animation looks nice and polished, not at all 'clunky' as some CGI cartoons are apt to be. Definitely looking forward to this one!

          "Green Lantern: The Animated Series" will debut in an hour-long special on November 11th, 2011, with the series debut coming in Spring 2012.

(Via Forces of Geek)

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 09 - "Inside the Actor's Swagger"

Episode 09 - "Inside the Actor's Swagger"
(Click the above link to download the episode or click HERE to stream it)

          The Internet defines 'swagger' as "How one presents him or her self to the world. Swagger is shown from how the person handles a situation. It can also be shown in the person's walk." And today, the Authentic Geeks discuss those actors who they feel display copious amounts of the stuff! A trio of sci-fi legends, a legendary caped crime-fighter, a drunken scoundrel, the world's greatest pitchman, the coolest space ship captain besides Kirk and the only man capable of portraying both a Jedi master and Col. John 'Hannibal' Smith!! All this and a few honourable mentions too!


          POINT OF ORDER: Yes, the Geeks did think of adding the master of the 'boomstick', Bruce Campbell to the discussion. No, you can't track the Geeks down and beat them senseless for leaving him out. They bruise kind of easily, y'know. And, YES, Mr. Campbell will get his own spotlight episode in the future. 



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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Video of the Day: "The Avengers" First Trailer!!!



         All in all, "The Avengers" looks pretty darn good! That being said: hominahominahomina-OMG-didyouseethat-thatwassoawesome-ican'twaitfor2012-wannaseeitnow!!!!
           Yes. I am excited for this. Can't you tell?! Now, if you will excuse me, I need to grab a napkin or three. I seem to be drooling a little bit.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Video of the Day: ThunderLOLcats



          The best thing about today's VotD is not the fact it comes from the new "MAD" animated TV show. It's not the fact it takes so many Internet meme's and makes them funny. It's the fact that they actually got Will Friedle, who voices Lion-o on the new 'Thundercats' series, to voice the parody version here. The video also gets extra points for getting Jason Marsden to provide some voices as well!

(Via io9.com)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 08 - "Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys?"

Episode 08 - "Where Does He Get Those Wondeful Toys?"
(Click the above link to download an MP3 of the episode or HERE to stream it



       

          If there is one thing to know about the 'Authentic Geeks', it's that they love the bits of molded plastic and die-cast metal of their youth! Be it shape changing robots from beyond the stars to aliens who brainwash dinosaurs to fight their battles for them, the Geeks remember the awesome playthings that kids had back in the day. If it had a cartoon series, you can bet they had the toys.... or at least knew someone who did!

          POINT OF ORDER: One, the audio may sound a little funny on JT's side of the conversation. That's because the boy cannot speak directly into the mike for some reason. Two, there were many toy lines the Geeks considered for the show, they just chose some of their favorites. Pretty sure "Visionaries" will make an appearance eventually!! Three, we make liberal use of the word 'kibble', which we borrowed from Matt Spada (aka baltmatrix), a YouTube toy reviewer. JT is a big fan and uses the word with repsect and admiration!


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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

"Who You Gonna' Call When The Boys Are Back In Town?!"

          Just a few short hours ago, an event of epic proportions shook the Interwebs! No, I'm not talking about Scarlett Johansson's cel-phone getting hacked and her nude photos being leaked to the 'Net. I am talking about the announcement of the impending re-release of the greatest supernatural comedy film EVER back into theaters!!


          That's right! "Ghostbusters", the movie that influenced much of my childhood and the childhoods of many of my nerdy brethren is being re-released next month (October being the month of spooky stuff, you know?) into theaters once again!! Yeah, it probably is a promotional stunt to drum up interest in the much rumored "Ghostbusters 3", though why they just don't adapt the 2009 video game story line into a film is beyond even me. I don't care. Because I finally get to fulfill my childhood dream of seeing one of my favorite movies on the big screen, something I never got to do as a kid. Now if you will kindly excuse me, I'm going to freak out and watch the following video 20 or 30 times in a row, thank you!!


AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, 

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!! 

Monday, September 12, 2011

Video of the Day (2): Street Fighter X Tekken, Grindhouse Trailer

          I love it when game trailers are this entertaining! This faux-grindhouse trailer for the upcoming cross-over game, "Street Fighter X Tekken", has got me completely hooked! Watch as Street Fighter IV's Rufus picks a fight with Tekken 6 fighter Bob, thinking him to be SF mainstay Ken Masters and then gets served by Julia Chang, another Tekken fighter.



            This genre, more so than any other, lends itself well to trailers. Just take any random assortment of the cast and throw'em into the mix and see what happens. Good times are guaranteed! The game will be released on  March 2, 2012.

Video of the Day: "Vader Makes Everything Better!"



         Remember Anakin Skywalker's plaintive wail of fury when the Emperor told him what happened to his beloved Padme?! Yeah, we all do, though I have tried to block it out. BUT, take that same sound and apply it to other classic movie moments?? Pure awesome-ness!!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Download THIS!



        
         Hey there! Don't you find it annoying when you go to listen to a podcast and the only way it's available is in a streaming format?! Boy howdy, I sure know I do! Friends of mine, both in the podcasting community and here in Saskatoon, have mentioned this to me and I have finally found a way to fix this. 

         All you have to do is click on the links below to download any of the past episodes of "Authentic Geek, The Podcast" and enjoy them at your leisure! And yeah, all future podcasts will still be offered in a streaming format, as well as downloadable versions, for your listening convenience. 









          We aims to please, here at 'Authentic Geek'! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to tinkering with my newest blog/podcast related creation! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!



Saturday, September 3, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 07 - "5th Week Crisis of Infinite Vengeance"

Episode 07 - "5th Week Crisis of Infinite Vengeance"
         Comic book cross-overs. They are the 'chocolate in the peanut butter' of so many nerd's lives, especially the Authentic Geeks! In the newest episode, JT & Big G take a look at some comic book team-ups, cross-overs you never thought you'd see and the 5th week events that make comic books worth reading! And by the way, if any cross-overs weren't mentioned, like 'The Infinity Gauntlet', they will covered in a future episode. Possibly even in the next volume of 'Authentic Geek'.

Foreshadowing, kids!

          POINT OF ORDER: The intro on this episode clocks in at just about 3 minutes! If you want to get to the heart of the matter, skip ahead accordingly.


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Friday, September 2, 2011

Phreak Reviews: "Justice League #1" (2011)



JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Jim Lee (Pencils), Scott Williams (Inks), Alex Sinclair (Colors)


          I have to say I was really worried that the new 'Justice League' was gonna' suck. I had my reasons, my love of the Morrison-era 'JLA' notwithstanding. But in all honesty, I liked 'Flashpoint', the cross-over that set up the new DC, ended and was very cautiously looking forward to this new take on the classic DC title. 'Justice League #1' is the first look we get of the 'New 52' and sets up this new and slightly familiar world. So, with cautious optimism at the ready, what happens?




          'Justice League #1' opens on a "5 Years Ago...." premise, at a point in history when superheroes aren't organized and the public has yet to accept them. The Gotham City S.W.A.T. team is trying to take down Batman, while he is chasing after a armored, green skinned creature. Batman gets away from the police and is almost taken out by the  creature before Green Lantern shows up and drops an fire engine construct on it's head. 


         GL helps Batman escape from the trigger happy cops and we get our first team-up of this new universe as they continue to pursue the creature, who survived the fire engine upside it's head. They pursue it into the sewers and confront it once more. The creature affixes a strange cube-like device to a sewer wall before self-immolating (that means it burned itself to death) while screaming "For Darkseid!" 


Foreshadowing, kids! 


         Upon examining the cube & discovering the device is alien tech that not even his ring recognizes, GL surmises it maybe connected to "That guy in Metropolis". Batman cautions against it before Green Lantern generates a fighter jet and takes off for Metropolis, Batman in tow. As they arrive in Metropolis, we get a brief intro to pre-Cyborg Victor Stone. The two heroes land at a LexCorp construction site that looks like a bomb went off. Ignoring Batman's warning, Green Lantern enters a building, intent on questioning Superman. The Man of Steel promptly punches Green Lantern out and exits the ruined building to confront Batman. 


PLOT:
         All in all, I did like the plot of this first issue. Johns did an okay job of introducing us to the 'New 52', setting up the idea that the average man is none too trusting of superheroes and some are even hunted down by the police. His characterization of Batman and Green Lantern is pretty on point. Batman is driven and totally committed to the job and Green Lantern is pure test pilot-cockiness, completely self-assured. 


         The plot breezes along at a decent pace, even taking a small pause to introduce us to future Justice Leaguer Cyborg, in the days before he is injured and gets his bionic parts. The only problem with the story is it is too predictable. This is the intro to the 'New 52', an all-to predictable team-up? Batman & Green Lantern have some decent back & forth banter, but it seemed stale. I liked what i read, but I've seen it many times before.


ART:
         I loved the artwork in this debut issue. Teamed with Scott Williams on inks and Alex Sinclair on colors, Jim Lee's art is expressive and vibrant, capturing the classic feel of John's story. Superman, Batman and Lantern's 'armored' costumes don't come off nearly as toy-like as I had thought they might, based on the previews that I've seen. 


          Even Lee's designs for GL's ring-constructs are very nicely detailed and colored in a way that they  actually looks like holograms. All in all, I think Lee, Williams and Sinclair put a lot of honest work into this issue's art and it shows.


Finale:
          As a whole, this first look at the 'New 52' is, quite honestly, kind of weak. Not weak in a bad way, just weak in that for the first issue into a whole new DC Universe, it's kind of 'blah' and predictable. The story, while it does give us some insight into the backtory of the 'New 52' and does set up the first storyline admirably, it has been done before. While Jim Lee was providing his usual stellar art style, it cannot make up for Geoff Johns' lackluster story. 


          I give this first issue of the new 'Justice League' 6 out of 10. It was a predictable story with some very good art, but that does not a good issue make. Here's hoping the rest of John's first story-arch kicks it up a notch. 




                                           Please, please, PLEASE don't suck!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Fun with Captions: August, 29, 2011


While Bruce Lee may have loved birthdays, he goddamn hated surprise parties!


The original 'pimp-mobile'.

In his later years, Einstein started to slack off when it came to scientific theory.

You will be deleted.... right after I finish watching "Judge Judy".

Robin: "Say, Batman, I think it's my turn to help free Catwoman from her own Cat-Trap."

Batman: "Sorry, 'old chum'. You aren't yet ready to handle such a 'delicate' situation.

Robin: "Geezer."

Batman: "Delinquent."

Robin: "Over the hill gloryhog."

Batman: "Virgin."

Robin: "....dick."

"Hail to the King, baby!!"




         August 28th is a day that every geek worth their comic collection should know by heart. It is the birthday of Jacob Kurtzberg aka Jack "The King" Kirby! Kirby is one of those artists that well and truly deserved the title of 'the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be!' His art was bold, striking and completely captured what comic books are all about! Kirby put so much emotion and power into his artwork, that even when they are standing still they fairly pulse with power. In the mid-'60s, at a time when other artists were toeing the line in terms of what could be done within the pages of a comic, Kirby strode over that line with a style that, to this very day, none have been able to match!! Hell, he had a hand in creating one of my all time favorite comic book baddies, M.O.D.O.K!




       
       










          Kirby didn't just break the mold when it came to comic book art, he ground it into dust. His is the style that screams 'comic book' more that any other. Raise your glasses, tip your hat or however you salute and pay tribute to "The King", Jack Kirby!!

This man created your childhood memories. You're welcome.




Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Local Art YAY


Hey all you Authentic Geeks out there!

A couple of months ago our local comic store Unreal City hosted one of its many local art-shows to help launch two comics from local writer Kurtis Wiebe, one of which featured art from (formerly) local comic artist Riley Rossmo.

On that fateful evening, Riley was kind enough to donate an original art-piece for raffle, and it was won by one from our own Authentically Geeky ranks, Devin; who graciously agreed to let me have a copy of said art-work for the purposes of this very blog.

So here ya go:

I always wanted this place to be a bit of a showcase for local art and talent; a kind of "Go-Saskatoon-Art" zone with a geek-enhanced slant and am so glad to have the opportunity to show off some of Riley's work, cause I really like it! He's managed to find a unique conglomeration of styles that really fits his subject matter... there's a loose, almost unfinished-sketch like quality that lends itself to dark, action, monster oriented pieces that Riley excels at! Although Riley is no longer living in Toon town, having recently relocated to Calgary, he's spent many a year here in Saskatoon, frequenting the local comic stores, and being an all around great guy; so I'll always think of him as a local.

If you like his art, be sure to check out some of his books like Proof and Cowboy Ninja Viking from Image comics, as well as Green Wake, which is the series this piece came from (written by the aforementioned Saskatoon-local, Kurtis Wiebe) and is newly printed in TPB form.

-All my lovin'
Big G

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 06 - "Please Sir, May I Have Some More?"



Episode 06 - "Please Sir, May I Have Some More?"



          In this installment of 'Authentic Geek', the guys are chit-chatting about sequels, the 'Cousin Oliver' of the film industry! Some be good, some be bad. The Geeks talk about what goes into making a sequel, some of their favorite sequels and talk about Freddy & Jason more than they should have! But it's not their fault, they're just doing what comes natural.

          POINT OF ORDER: Certain sequels (like 'The Dark Knight', for example) are not discussed in this episode, as they are going to get their own show down the line (more than likely). 

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That's Why I like: Tokusatsu

Hey, what's up with that 'Masked Rider' crap?! Are you trying to piss us off?


          Tokustasu is a genre of Japanese film & TV shows that involves super-heroes, giant monsters and a ton of special FX. It's been around for almost 4 decades (!) and is responsible for the untold hours of my childhood spent watching Godzilla movies and Power Rangers. 




          You want to know why I like tokustasu? It's like someone took the best stuff about Saturday morning cartoons & Silver Age comics and created a living representation of both! Tokusatsu has it all! It has insanely simple, but also extremely complex stories. It's full of over the top villains, plotting world domination, battling stalwart & righteous heroes, whose personalities sometimes border on the 'Dudley Do-Right' stereotype. They contain as many special FX shots as some major motion pictures. And most of the time, the plot doesn't make a lick of sense, but that's okay. It's all 100% fun, every single time! Great stories, intriguing characters and just the right amount cheesy 'what the hell was that' entertainment value. That's why I like tokusatsu!
         Well, that.... and the giant robots!!

"Gaze upon me and weep, for no other after me will be as awesome!"



Monday, August 15, 2011

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Fantasy Fight Night: Voltron, Defender of the Universe vs the original Power Rangers MegaZord in a no-holds-barred cage match, with Ultraman as a referee. Who wins and what wrestling move do they use as a finisher?!

Fantasy Fight Night: Voltron, Defender of the Universe vs the original Power Rangers MegaZord in a no-holds-barred cage match, with Ultraman as a referee. Who wins and what wrestling move do they use as a finisher?!

Answer here

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Well, Now That I Think About It...Part Deux




After talking with friends and reading Doug's thoughts (post-Episode 4 - "Re-Boot Be Gone"), I was of a mind to re-approach my thoughts about the DC Reboot as well. I read my friend's thoughts and I do agree with him in that the medium needs to change and grow and that it may hurt in the process. I get it. I guess I am just a little too bitter in that regard. Now, I want to make one thing clear. This is not a retraction. I am still very much against the reboot for a variety of reasons, but I think I was a little too emotional when first discussing this and didn't get my thoughts across clearly.

And before I really get into it, I would like to clarify something. It has been pointed out to me by some of my Twitter friends that Geoff Johns is not one of the architects of the reboot, but he is still the Chief Creative Officer. The two main architects of the reboot are Dan Didio (hereafter to be referred to as “the Didiot”) and Jim Lee. Being that I am a bit of a Jim Lee fanboy, he gets a pass for now. The Didiot is still on my shitlist. So, in as much as he is still part of the creative staff at DC, Mr. Johns IS still involved but not to the extent that I made him out to be in the podcast. I'm not absolving him of his past sins, like he did Hal Jordan. I just wanted to point that out.

SO, yeah, I am still pissed that DC Comics is rebooting their universe. And make no mistake, it is a reboot. I've read several articles online (mostly on Newarama) where DC Comics claims “it's not a reboot, it's a relaunch”. Which is completely and utterly stupid!


Like I said in the podcast, you can't go and fundamentally alter the origins and histories of most of your entire comics universe and then claim “nothing is changing, it's all good”. It's lazy and dismissive on a level that is staggering in it's arrogance. Now, how can ole' JT make this claim and not be pulling this right out of his tuchus?! Well, according to the Newsarama article, “DC Releases New 'The New 52' Info and Answers to Retailers”, when asked why not call the relaunch a reboot, DC responded by saying, “a reboot is a restart of the story or character that jettisons away everything that happened previously.”

Now to most that would make a lot of sense. But when you ARE changing things, like turning the classic "I, Vampire" into a loosely veiled *shudders* "Twilight" rip-off ...



 ... and Superboy is a robo-clone-hybrid (as far as I can tell from the cover art)...


..... that is EXACTLY what a reboot is! Hell, they just killed Pa Kent not even two years ago and now BOTH of Superman's parents are going to be gone before he ever dons the cape and blue jeans. I am not even kidding.



Also in the article was this little gem. You are gonna' love this! When asked what makes this event different, DC said “This is a historic initiative for DC Entertainment and the DC Comics characters – and a first for the company's publishing history.


I call 'BULLSHIT'! A first for the company's publishing history”?! Are you kidding me?! They cannot possibly be serious, can they? Hey, DC, it HAS happened before. And it will happen again. Oh Gods, I'm so pissed that I'm quoting 'Battlestar Galactica' now. It was a little comic series called “Crisis on Infinite Earths”!!! And unlike this 'event', there was a legitimate editorial reason for it. For those in the audience not sure of what I am talking about, it goes like this. In 1985, the editors at DC Comics devised the “Crisis” to reboot the current DC Universe and consolidate the myriad universes that the various characters inhabited. Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family were on Earth S, Uncle Sam & The Freedom Fighters were fighting Nazis on Earth X, the JSA and all the other WW2 heroes were on Earth 2 and so on and so forth. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was a tool, designed to not only clean up the continuity, but to bring in new readers at a time when the whole comics industry was not doing so well.

So, it's not like they haven't done this before. It just isn't that neccessary. Sadly, it's pretty much just an attempt to grab a hold of the “unicorn of the comics industry”, the mythical *finger quotes* 'new reader'. Every comic company does this almost every year, by renumbering a failing series with a new #1, by introducing 'new & dynamic' characters or offering yet another 'unknown' chapter of a hero's origin. It happens all the time in this industry that I love, but it never seemed so deparate as it does here. I mean, when you look at DC's current continuity, it's only 25 years old! And DC had used the “Crisis” button before to tighten the continuity. Can any comic fan honestly say that “Zero Hour” was anything more than an excuse to tighten up their literary belt and trim the editorial fat?! It cannot be that hard to keep things straight and in line with the core of the universe, even with all the quasi-reboots and continuity tweaks, can it?!

And it's more than that, really. I love DC Comics, but this whole scheme reeks like it was the early 1990s! I swear, I took one look at the 'new' Harley Quinn and Green Arrow, and I distinctly caught the scent of 1993. 



*sniff, sniff* "Does it smell like Image Comics in here to anyone else?" 

Maybe it was just the art, but it sure does feel like it's the early '90s again. Like I said before, Jim Lee gets a pass ....FOR NOW. That doesn't excuse him entirely. I am just giving him the benefit of the doubt.  All that's missing now is Rob Liefeld drawing “Hawk and Dove” again and ....oh wait.....


Dammit.

I know it's a little ways off yet and I have yet to read even ONE issue of this new universe, but I am so far beyond 'cautiously paranoid' that it's not even funny. And it is very hypocritical on my part for me to say that I will probably be buying some of the new titles. I am still very interested in seeing how they are going to try and pull this off. I just think it may result in DC pulling a 'Heroes Reborn' and going back to the old continuity after a years time has passed. I think most of my thoughts can be summed up in this response to Doug's post from   from Karen (@powergirlfan on Twitter), a fellow comic fan and Power Girl cos-player who has commented on the blog before. She summed up her thoughts by saying:

"If The DCU truly wanted to keep up with times, they would allow characters to age and build families (as they had done in the Superman titles, with Clark wooing Lois, then getting engaged, then married).

To suffer great tragedies and rise above them, not allowing the hurts they've suffered to define them (like Barbara Gordon being permanently injured by the Joker, but finding a new role as Oracle).

Or to choose what defines you: your past or your future (with characters like Superboy, whose lineage could make him either the greatest hero, or villain of the future)

Or to move forward with real change, as beloved characters age into new roles and identities (like Dick Grayson actually graduating to the status of equal to Bruce, and donning the Batman cowl)

But instead, all of those characters remain stunted, and all are reset back to their previous settings. The New DCU is not about moving forward, it's about being slavish to the status quo. And not just any status quo, but the specific, arbitrary status quo that Dan DiDio and Jim Lee want to cling to.

And that is the biggest problem I have with this whole deal. The reboot is not moving things forward, letting the characters and titles evolve into something new and exciting. Gone is originality and 'thinking outside the box'. Instead, we get a mixed grab bag of the greatest hits of the '90s, a time when comics were so indistinct from one another, it was hard to tell if I even cared about what I was reading. 



Steve-O approves.

But like I said, it has not happened yet. I haven't read even one issue yet and in all honesty, what they have planned may even surprise and entertain me. God, I hope so, because if the "New 52" doesn't pull it off, I weep for the future.