Comic Musings III - 2000!

In which we reach 2000 US floppies

I knew from my database that I was approaching the 2000 mark. Note: This doesn't count all the Transformers, M.A.S.K, Real Ghostbusters, Battle, Eagle etc... that are in my parents loft. (Assuming they haven't been eaten by mice and rats that is.) It also doesn't include trades or collected editions. I figured I should do something a bit special to mark the event.

One of my saved ebay searches threw up a comic I'd been trying to track down for awhile. Well technically it came with some more (#298,#302,#313,#314 & #317 fact fans) and any of those could have been 2000, but I got the batch for Batman #308.

The first thing that strikes me about it is that they did covers a bit differently back then. Mr Freeze gloats over a frozen Batman awakening from a coffin. Mr Freeze says "This is the moment of my greatest triumph!" and the word baloon is all frosty. As a further call to action the cover asks "Now that he is the frozen slave of Mr Freeze, what chilling fate awaits the Batan and the World?". Well he get's his back broken in just under two hundred issues but I doubt that's what it means.

Onwards! The indica says it's from February 1979, which makes it older than me. Hurrah! The story is officially titled "There'll be a cold time in the old town tonight!". It's written by Len Wein and illustrated by John Calman and Dick Giordano. Giordano I'm familliar with as he did some work on the classic Denny O'Neil / Neal Adams Green Lantern / Green Arrow run that I read recently. A man watches Batman swing past his window and thinks about calling out for help but decides against it.

Thought baloons, that's another thing that is sadly missing from today's comics. As Mr Freeze bursts in with what I can only call Ice Zombies, we learn that this guy is called Jakob Riker and he's made some sort of deal with Mr Freeze and tried to double cross him. Bad move pal!

Elsewhere, Selina Kyle aka Catwoman comes to visit Bruce in Wayne Enterprises tower. Apparently she's given up being Catwoman. I doubt that'll last. As an aside, I love the old adverts in comics. "Pick up a crossman. You won't believe it's an airgun!" Indeed. She convinces Bruce to take a donation of an old inheritance as he can't discriminate against her for her criminal past. I imagine she's been through the revolving door of the local prison recently then. Bruce goes too see Lucius Fox and orders a full background check on her. Just to be sure. We also meeet Lucius' daughter who is involved in some sort of anti drugs program.

Later, Batman reflects on his relationship with Catwoman, also thinking about some woman called Silver St. Cloud, whoever she is. Gordan summons Batman to the frozen remains of Jakob Riker who Mr Freeze iced earlier. (Sorry for the Batman & Robin esque pun).

Elsewhere, a Mr McVee visits Mr Freeze in his icey lair, he's helping him make money somehow. In return he's being promised Immortality by Mr Freeze. I'm not sure that's in Freeze's MO, McVee, I'd check the small print of this agreement if I were you.

Mr Freeze leads McVee to another toom with a futuristic coffin in it, abley modeled by his assistant. Seriously, how do supervillians attract woman. It's not like there was an internet site they could use back then. NcVee is turned into a frozen zombie, apparently Freeze was planning something else. It seems he can't get the brain to remain past the freezing process. Ah, the lass is only after immortality too. That makes more sense I guess.

Now we're at S.T.A.R. labs, who are performing some experiment on a subject that they got from Wayne Enterprises. He doesn't survive. I guess that this came from an earlier issue, as I don't really get what's going on or rather why it's going on. Maybe this bit was cut from the edition I read as I don't remember it.

Off panel, Batman has done some world's greatest detecting to find Mr Freeze's lair and is about to bust in. Disastor! He can't punch the Ice Zombies as they're like punching solid ice! Not even a good old WHAM or a WUMP seems to have an effect on them. He should have tried a Caf-pow. After a bit more fighting Freeze shows some intelligence and freezes Batman's feet. Job done. He's led to the same chamber that McVee ended up in and we know how well that went. Holy frozen Batman!

Now we're at the bit promised by the cover with an Ice Batman Zombie. Mr Freeze's current squeeze, Hildy, is still plotting against him tho. Freeze goes off to the adjacent room and leaves her with the Ice Zombies, she laments on what could have been between her and Batman, but realises that the frosting on his cheek is fake. Before she can do anything with that revelation Freeze bursts in calling here a traitor. As he's about to shoot her with his ice gun (no innuendo intended) Batman stops faking and leaps at Freeze. That ticksy Bats!

It's Batman vs the Ice Zombies round two, and it seems to be going the same way as the first round. Batman realises that Freeze himself is the weak spot as the Ice Zombies are mindless and need Freeze's orders to do anything so he chucks a block of ice and Freeze's helmet. Problem solved.

It's a quick fight and Batman rips Freeze's gun away from him. Hildy picks it up to ice Freeze (sorry), but despite Freezes warnings shoots him anyway. As it's disconencted it backfires and she is frozen dead. It's left to Batman to sum it up. "Let's go Freeze, it's over! Your Hildy wanted to stay young and beautiful forver, and it looks like she's finally got her wish.

We finish with a page dealing with the burial of the body from S.T.A.R. labs earlier, but wait! It's not dead as hands burst out of the grave, presumably coming for Batman next issue.

So finally, that was as good as I remembered it, it's held up very well, considering it's age. Mr Freeze doesn't have the depth that Dini gave him in the animated series, but is still a decent villain here, but it's really Hildy's story. There's a lot more text in it that in modern comics, which imo is a good thing. Thought balloons whilst cheesy are missed nowdays. In the current days of month long arcs, it's nice to read a story that's done in one. I guess if it was written now, Batman tracking down Freeze would probably take at least an issue rather than happening off panel. Until next time...

Favourite Albums - M

Honourable Mentions

• Master of Reality by Black Sabbath
• Mezmerize by System of a Down
• The Music by The Music
• Mutter by Rammstein
• Midian by Cradle of Filth

Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)

M is the halfway point and for once, an album I don't have to sell you. If you like metal you own it. It's that simple.

So, funny story. I borrowed it on tape when I was at sixth form, and my tape player ate it, so I had to send my dad to Andy's Records in the waterside to buy a new copy. He did notice that it wasn't his original due to it not being old and played to death, but it's the thought that counts. Hmm... not that funny I guess.

This is another album that reminds me of 6th form and in particular playing d&d.

#	Title	Length
1	Battery	5.10
2	Master of Puppets	8.36
3	The Thing That Should Not Be	6.33
4	Welcome Home (Sanitarium)	6.27
5	Disposable Heroes	8.15
6	Leper Messiah	5.42
7	Orion	8.25
8	Damage, Inc	5.31
		54:45

Favourite Albums - L

Honourable Mentions

• The Last Kind Words by Devildriver
• Legend by Clannad
• London Calling by The Clash
• Love of Hopeless Causes by New Model Army
• Light from Above by Black Tide

Levelling the Land - Levellers (1991)

For L we have a bit of modern folk, from highlighting the battle of the beanfield, in the song of the same name to inspiring uplifting songs for life such as One Way.

If you only do one thing with this post, watch the last video.

The Boatman, with it's "if I could choose the life I lead..." lyric reminds me of bus journeys to and from De Aston. (For the record, I'd be a free man.) The whole album was on the jukebox at Harry's Bar when I was a student and always used to get a couple of plays. And later, to more recent years, One Way is used as a kick out tune at a manchester nightclub. So it's an album that's always been around me and probably always will be.

#	Title	Length
1	One Way	4.08
2	The Game	3.28
3	The Boatman	5.57
4	Liberty Song	4.29
5	Far From Home	3.47
6	Sell Out	4.17
7	Another Man's Cause	4.34
8	The Road	4.00
9	The Riverflow	3.02
10	Battle of the Beanfield	3.41
11	Fifteen Years	3.08
		44:24

Singles
The singles were "One Way", "Far From Home" and "Fifteen Years"

Favourite Tracks
One Way, Battle of the Beanfield, Liberty Song

When There's Nowhere Else to Run (or Turning 30)

"After thirty years I've become my fears I've become the kind of man I always hated"

A bit strong that, but I didn't write it (James - "Come Home"). I guess I am a corprate "suit" now so it sort of applies. So thirty tomorrow then*, how did we get here then? Ah yes, the relentless march of age. That'd do it.
So how do I feel about it? Well I'd rather not be 30, but to be honest (and to roll out a cliche) it is just a number. Far bigger and more life changing events occured in my 20s such as:

• Met Bec
• Graduated Uni
• Emigrated from Lincoln
• Bought a house
• Got a Mortgage and now owe the bank lots of money
• Got engaged
• Sold a house
• Got another mortgage and owe the bank even more money
• Married Bec
• Became a Father
• That one, yeah that one you're thinking of, how could I miss that one? Sorry.

See what I mean? Just a number. Regrets? Yeah I've had a few, but then again to few to menshun (Sid Vicious - "My Way"). Maybe I doth protest too much, we'll see on Friday when it stops being theory and starts being practice.

In summary "I am so much older than I can take" (The Killers - "All These Things That I've Done") but I'm OK with it.

"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -- Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!"

(Rudyard Kipling - "If")

So, who is for Jelly + Ice Cream?

* Unless we don't count birthdays in 2000 as that number is mainly zeros so it's pretty much not a number, ergo not a year, ergo not a valid birthday! Which makes me still 29. (courtesy of @Rickleton)

Comic Musings II - Death

Death

Mild spoilers, for things gone by are ahead I guess...

Looking at the silouette in the preview for Justice League: Generation Lost, I found myself hoping that it would be revealed to be Ted Kord, aka Blue Beetle. No disrespect to Jamie Reyes and his fans, but I would love to see Ted Kord back as Blue Beetle.
Stop.

Let's do some text replacements on that last sentence. If we do:
"Jamie Reyes" => "Wally West"
"Ted Kord" => "Barry Allen"
"Blue Beetle" => "The Flash"
we get a sentence that I wouldn't agree with.
I think it comes down to who your interpretation of the character is. Equally we could have used "Kyle Raynor", "Hal Jordan" and "Green Lantern" above. (Or "Bucky", "Steve Rogers", "Captain America" if we put our Marvel hats on.)

In comics death, isn't that big a barrier to continuing stories, you only have to look at the cover to Blackest Night #5 to see some of the DCU characters that have died and returned.

A lot of how the return of a character is percieved is down to the manner of their death. Was it satisfying? Did the character go out well? If so, then the return is a harder sell. If it was unjust then a return is generally better recieved.
The other factor is how well the return was handled. It's perfectly possible to bring back the deadest of the dead in a satisfying, fan pleasing way. Bucky in Captain America for example, was one of the great unbringabackables. Hal Jordan was brought back via a very good story. For every Bucky and Hal Jordan however, there is a Jason Todd (Superboy's reality punch™), or a Kilowog (still not sure what happened there.).

Going back to Ted Kord, there is the arguement that bringing a character who died a "good" death (and Ted's was the best of deaths, in the Countdown to Infinite Crisis special) that it somehow cheapens the death story.

I haven't read Final Night since Hal Jordan came back, so I'm not sure how that sacrifice reads now with the Parallax retcons in place and I'm not old enough to have experienced Bucky's death, however around the weekend I was reading some X-Men comics. If you're interested I got through:

• New X-Men: E is for Extinction by Grant Morrison
• New X-Men: Imperial by Grant Morrison
• New X-Men: New Worlds by Grant Morrison
• New X-Men: Riot at Xavier's by Grant Morrison
• New X-Men: Assault on Weapon Plus by Grant Morrison
• New X-Men: Planet X by Grant Morrison
• New X-Men: Here Comes Tomorrow by Grant Morrison
• X-Men: Phoenix Endsong by Greg Pak
• X-Men: Phoenix Warsong by Greg Pak
• Astonishing X-Men: Gifted by Joss Whedon
• Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous by Joss Whedon
• Astonishing X-Men: Town by Joss Whedon
• Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable by Joss Whedon
• X-Men: Dream's End by Chris Claremont et al.

I've bolded the ones that are pertinent to our discusion. In Gifted Colossus returns from a pretty final death, returned by some unspecified Breakworld technology. That "pretty final death" is in Dream's End he dies: In "The Cure" (Uncanny #390) he sacrifices himself to cure the Legacy virus that threatened to wipe out mutantkind. As death's go, that's pretty meaningful. The final page is a splash page with text from his first appearance in Giant Size X-Men #1. Nice. In "One Tin Soldier Rides Away" (X-Men #110), Kitty Pride takes his ashes back to his native Russia in a touching tale.

You'll note that in the order I read them this time through, Colossus returned, before he died. Now did the fact he returned make his death any less satisfying or meaningful? In my opinion, no, as both were done well and that's the key.
I guess this has been a really long way of saying I want the Blue and the Gold back together without anytime travel nonsense like last time and that I still think Ted's death will be as good afterwards.

Personally, I think that this will be the return of Martian Manhunter as the cast for James Robinson's Justice League of America seems pretty nailed down for the foreseeable future, and if he's kicking around after Blackest Night, you can't see J'onn not being on a Justice League book.

Moving away from death, (a rule to live life by) more news from the upcoming Green Lantern movie reports that Sinestro may not be the villian of the piece in the first film, rather being set up for a possible sequel. Sort of how the Spider-man movies tried to do with Dr Connors aka The Lizard, until that franchise got a reboot (Yay another Spidey at school film :o\ ). Plus we get Tomar-Re, Kilowog. In Green Lantern that is, not Spider-man.

10 Fave Shows from the Last Decade

Shows of the last Decade

In a rechallenge after my top 5 Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes challenge, @Rickleton asked me my top ten shows of the last decade. This one was a real poser and I'm probably wrong (even tho it's my list) as I'm sure to have missed some stuff off, but here we go true believers!
Considering 9 and 10 just changed as I was writing this down, this is very influx!

10   Life on Mars / Ashes to Ashes
"Your're surrounded by armed bastards!" and yes they count as one show in my eyes - the policeperson stuck in the past (or are they?) show. Which is admitedly not as catchy so the beeb was probably right to go with what they did.

 9   The Inbetweeners
Bus Wankers! Camping Club! Fishing! Pure comedy gold, and all so true. Bec asked if boys are really like that. Now she doesn't want our son to go to school. At least we won't be sending him there with a briefcase.

8   Scrubs
"Let me go ahead and share alittle something special with you that i like to call Perry's perspective: one, if someone is standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop and can't decide what they want in the half hour it took to get to the register then i should be allowed to kill them; two, i am fairly sure that if they took porn off the internet, there would only be one website left and it would be called bring back the porn; three, and most importantly of all, the only way to be respected as a doctor and a man is to be an island, you are born alone, you damn sure die alone. isn't that right spike? the point is, and you might want to jot this down, only the weak need help."
The interplay between Dr Cox and JD is the highlight of this show.
But there'll be banana hammocks everywhere!

 7   Being Human
The concept sounds like something you would come up with in a pub. "What would happen if a ghost, a werewof and a vampire lived together? But the result is so much more. Now getting a remake in the states. That'll be as successful as their version of Life on Mars then.

6   True Blood
Sort of like the best X-Men tales, where being a mutant and mutant oppression is an allegory for racism, so is this, but with vampires who have come out of the shadows thanks to a blood subsititute you can buy in bars, add in a serial killer and the fact that vampire blood is a drug for humans you have an orignal take on vampires. Throw in a psychic and a shapechanger and your on the way to funtimes.
Speaking of the X-Men...

 5   Wolverine and the X-Men
Controversial choice, as I'm only 20 episodes in, but this is the X-Men done right. I was sceptical due to the name, as wolverine is far from my favourite x-person so more wolverine was pretty much the last thing an x-verse adaptation needs. There is knowing nods (rarely a cameo wasted) to people who have read a lot of X-Men, but you never need to have. Probably the best X-adaptation since the 1990's cartoon series. There are at least 4 different threads running through the series with a sequential plot line rarely found in a cartoon program aired on cbbc. Plus there is a really good Emma Frost arc. This is how cartoons used to be, at least in my mind's eye. Best cartoon since Mysterious Cities of Gold. There I said it.
If I wasn't watching it, would I have included it? That's the question that only time will answer. I like to think yes.

4   Dexter
He's a nice guy, but a serial killer, but still a nice guy. The highlight season was season 2 with the whole, how is he going to get away with that vibe.

 3   Doctor Who
If you're going to bring a show back this is how to do it. It's dragged a little in the off season, but look set to dominate 2010 when it returns with doctor 11.

2   Lost
For the best TV, there is an element of the unknown and Lost certainly has that, there are mysteries. Things aren't explained straight away (if at all), even when they are there isn't a knowing nudge to the viewer saying "eh, eh? See what we did there, we're so smart!" you're expected to pay attention, keep up and remember stuff. Anything that has websites devoted to theories on what is going to happen is a good thing. It started to lag a little in season 3, but the writers took the unprecidented move of negotiating an end date, with a finite number of episodes left things kicked back to high gear and haven't looked back. The fact that no-one knows what season 6 (the final one) will bring only heightens expectation.

 1   Supernatural
This. This is how you create a new universe show. You start with "monster of the week" episodes gradually building the audience and introducing the mythology. You have killer cliffhangers each season so you never know what goes on. You have two awesome leads that really bounce off each other. You have humour, but never let it over power it, indeed some of the "comedy" episodes are the most poignant (Yes, Mystery Spot - I'm looking at you. Tuesday? Pig in a poke. Heat of the moment. Etc..)
Each season the stakes get higher and higher. Pure brilliance.
I could talk about this show forever, and if you expect me to do that, mines a purple nurple.

You had it... you lost it.
Heroes - Up until the last episode of season 1, quality. Last episode of season one - average to poor.
24 - Seasons 1-4, great, afterwards plot recycling costs and knowing the characters ultimate fates cost it a place in the top 10.
Sanctuary - Strong enough 1st season, second season the cliffhanger was resolved in an unfavourable way, eventually leading to a give up.

Gah, can't believe I didn't include...
Firefly (all too short), Dollhouse (almost, almost), Peep Show, Mighty Boosh and probably lots more.

5 Favourite...

5 Favourite Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

The other day in email I asked @Rickleton what his 5 favourite next generation episodes were. This was his list, and this is mine.

5   1x25 - Conspiracy
Ah, when a TV show season used to get to 25 comfortably. Anyway, I think that this was the first episode of the next generation that really got me, don't get me wrong, the rest of the first season was pleasent and enjoyable 6pm wednesday viewing with the folks, but corruption! Intrugue! Betrayal!

 4   6x07 - Relics
It's the Next Generation, but with Scotty! The highlight being in the holodeck, (Hurrah! a use for it that wasn't a cheap psuedo time travel episode) where he tries to get it display the bridge of the Enterprise and says "No bloody A, B, C, or D". Amen sir, the millions who watched last years Star Trek film agree with you.

3   7x12 - The Pegasus
It has a spaceship, in a rock. How cool is that? How did it get there? What's Riker's old Captain up to? Where do Riker's loyalties lay? (Well after nearly 7 seasons, it should be fairly obvious. There was never a high turnaround of main cast). It has mystery galore, which is the key to good drama. And Romulans. Can't beat a bit of Romulan, unless it's in Star Trek: Nemesis of course.

 2   5x24 - The Next Phase
I always wondered what it would be like to see your own funeral, and this is Trek telling that story. Almost. We don't quite get that far, but it's a good take on the concept. Plus as background to this is a stand off with the Romulans. Can't beat a bit of Rom... oh nevermind, you get the point.

1   3x15 - Yesterday's Enterprise
Getting to see a new Enterprise, how awesome is that? All good things are here, alternative realities, battles and explosions, plus giving a character who died a pointless death a chance to go out in a bit more style. I seem to recall it's called a pointless death in the episode by Guinan.