Hey! Check THIS out...

I found this cool Days of Future Past site Fox cooked up.

It reminded me of the stuff Warner and DC did for The Dark Knight.

I"m interested to see how Kennedy's assassination plays into Trask creating the Sentinels. 

Is there any chance Fox and Sony will work with Disney/Marvel for Avengers 3...

...or better yet...

Happy Black Friday!

'Nuff Said!

Happy Turkey Day!

'Nuff Said!

First Impressions - AoS: 'The Well'

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

That will happen over the summer after my purchase of the Blu-ray.

I've put my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once after the jump.

You've been warned...

Robin III Part 66: Robin III #1 (of 6) (December, 1992)

There’s talk of a gang war coming to Gotham, and a sudden influx of out-of-towners…along with a growing body count...are proving it.

I have this issue.

Tim and Bruce break up a meeting of a biker gang called the White Wolves when a helicopter shows up and turns the place into a shooting gallery. Bruce pulls him to safety, and in the aftermath orders him to stay off the streets for a few days while Bruce looks into what’s happening.

The next day at school, Tim’s friend Ives invites him to his birthday party that night in a restaurant in Little Odessa – Gotham’s Russian neighborhood. While there, Tim finds himself looking into a back alley where a mob enforcer’s attacking a man as his daughter looks on. It ends before Tim has a chance to react and he helps the young woman, Ariana Dzerchenko, bring her father into their store. Tim and Ariana want to call the police. Her father refuses, but she tells Tim that she’ll keep trying to convince him, and Tim returns to the party.

Ives drops Tim off at home, and Jack is there waiting for him. Tim tells his father that he wants to go next door to Bruce Wayne’s house to use his computer, but it’s a school night, and Jack wants him to stay home. Tim waits until his father falls asleep and sneaks over to the Cave to suit up and watch over the Dzerchenko’s store.

His gut feeling pays off, because a car drives up to the place and several men armed with guns and a flamethrower break in. Tim fights off the thugs, but gets caught by another person that was in the car…the KGBeast.

Notes of Interest:

1) Despite everything that Tim’s been through, he’s still learning how to handle certain situations.

2) Obviously, Tim meets Ariana this issue.

3) Also obviously, this is where Tim faces KGBeast for the first time.

4) We learn that thanks to Harold, Tim can get from his house to the Cave in roughly five minutes.

WTF? Moment: Chuck Dixon is a great writer, and I love how he handles Tim. Dixon has him struggle with disobeying both Bruce and his father while getting into trouble with a major Bat-villain. And, naturally, there’s a girl involved.

WTF? Moment #2: I’ve said it before – Tom Lyle is the artist to draw Tim. Nothing against other artists, but whenever I think of Tim, he looks how Lyle draws him.

Monday Movie Roundup...11/25/2013

Pretty cool numbers this morning...

Thor: TDW made an additional $14 million in the U.S. over the weekend,

making the Worldwide total to date just shy of $549 million.

Now you might be thinking: 'Only $14 million this past weekend? Where'd everybody go?'

Well...they went here...

...'cause Catching Fire made over $161 million domestically, 

and more than $146 million internationally,

giving it a Worldwide total of $307.7 million it's opening weekend.

Not bad for Mystique/Katniss...

I haven't seen it yet myself, but Adorkette did and she loved it.

I'd like to see it in IMAX for the full effect, but with work and all who knows.

Anyway, some great numbers for some great films geared towards Dorks like me.

Speaking of British continuity...

This is news to me...

...there's been Bond comics?

I knew that the novels came first, and the films were based on them,

but comics?

Apparently there's been a lot of them, because the Omnibus pictured above is Volume #5.

It's a really good thing that I'm not 13 anymore...

Happy 50th Doctor!

This is big.

When Google gets involved, you know it's big.

If I was 13 years old, and hadn't heard about this guy until now, I would be all OVER this stuff.

But I have a problem...

...called an obsession with continuity.

See, I'm a collector by nature.

When I get hooked on anything, I go all in.

My past blogs about Malcolm Reynolds are an example of this.

I got the Firefly and Serenity DVDs (Blu-rays to come), and the comics.

I first read OHOTMU #4 when I bought it off the stands back in 1983.

I was twelve.

And what did that do to me?

So now there's this website...which features every Doctor, and every Companion from the show.

But there's a problem - 

according to this site, there are also novels...radio broadcasts...computer games...

...comics...

...and yes: missing episodes of the show.

All of which, by the way, is considered canon 

(except maybe the Peter Cushing stuff, and the Atkinson stuff, and the Grant stuff).

It would take me a lifetime and a fortune to collect it all,

which I most definitely would have,

and it still would never be complete.

Not just because of the missing episodes, oh no...

...because the very nature of the character involves wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.

The Doctor could alter/affect/retcon himself at any point in his history that the writers deem worthy.

I'm having a hard enough time deciding if I need to buy Marvel's MMU tie-in comics,

never mind 50 years of canonical history that could change on a dime.

So I have determined to keep my distance, which has saved me time and money with Marvel, DC, Valiant, et al.

I've seen the recent stuff...up to Series Seven...and can say that I enjoy The Doctor rather much.

But there will always be the voice in the back of me 'ead calling me...

...nay tempting me...

...to run.

WTF Fridays...11/22/2013

Today, I want to talk about the Infinity Gems...

...now called "Infinity Stones" in the MMU.

I've always believed that Thanos wouldn't show until Avengers 3 for two reasons:

* He's so bad-ass there's gotta be a lot of Avengers on hand, and 

* He's gonna need time to collect the gems for the Infinity Gauntlet - which we all knew would be the plot.

I'm not too upset about calling the gems "stones"...

...you could call them Fred, Ethel, Lucy, Ricky, Pebbles and Bam-Bam for all I care...

...it's that we've been given confirmation of what one of them is.

According to Kevin Feige, the Tesseract is indeed one of the stones.

W...T...F...FEIGE?

That blew my mind, because it means that there's no such thing as Cosmic Cubes in the MMU.

What also threw me is that Feige said that the Tesseract is the Space Gemstone.

This made me mad because I was convinced it was Power.

I sorta get it though. It explains why we saw what happened with Schmidt at the end of Captain America.

But the mere fact that so many weapons can be made with the Space Stone scares me.

Does this mean that everyone shot with one of those weapons wasn't killed, but sent into Space?

Is Red Skull floating in deep space somewhere, waiting to be found?

Then there's the Aether...

...I had no idea that's what is given to Collector.

OR that it's another of the Stones, which Feige also confirms.

Now which one will this be?

Can't be Reality, because it only works when the Nine Realms are aligned.

Can't be Time, or else Makelith would have sped time up to the next alignment.

Power? Then is wouldn't need a host body.

So it's either Mind or Soul.

You can't tell me we'd be dealing with the Soul Stone without introducing Adam Warlock.

Not in a million years.

So my money's on Mind. (Having it a liquid Stone like Mercury's a nice touch.)

Any possibility we'll see a Thanos Quest film that will lead into Avengers 3?

Yes...yes there is!

In Marvel Studios I Trust

Robin III Part 65: Batman #487 (December, 1992)

Tim sees the aftermath of Bruce’s fight last issue…and is very concerned.

I have this issue.

Tim (and Alfred) return to the Cave and find Bruce limping out of the Batmobile and up the stairs to the manor. A week later, Tim’s in the kitchen with Alfred when Bruce appears and reprimands him for wearing his suit out in the open. He gets the feeling Bruce won’t need him that evening.

Notes of Interest:

1) This issue takes place immediately after Batman #486.

WTF? Moment: Why would Tim throw away a perfectly made sandwich like that?

WTF? Moment #2: I’m getting tired of the “Alfie” thing. Stop it Tim…stop it now.

Robin III Part 64: Batman #486 (November, 1992)

Jack Drake’s recovery is going rather nicely…Bruce’s not so much.

I have this issue.

Tim meets with Dr. Shondra Kinsolving, his father’s physical therapist, who recommends acupuncture to help Jack Drake’s recovery. Tim is unsure about it…since his father hates needles…but tells her they’ll consider it.

That night in the Batcave, Tim and Alfred discuss Bruce’s behavior of late, with Tim acting mostly as a sounding board to Alfred’s “armchair psychology”. They agree that Bruce has been pushing himself more than usual since Black Mask’s escape (in Batman #485). 

Later, Alfred drives Tim to the cemetery where they find Bruce dragging a body dressed in spikes across the grass. Tim explains to Bruce that even though Black Mask escaped, Batman didn’t fail, and they’ll be even more ready when Black Mask makes his next move.

Tim convinces Bruce to head back to the Cave, and ties up the criminal for the police.

Notes of Interest:

1) Tim’s a really good son, helping his father into and out of cars and wheelchairs. He cares, and does what he can to be there for his dad - a valuable trait to have…as Bruce learns later on.

WTF? Moment: If Bruce is getting too involved and obsessed, why doesn’t he use Tim more? It could be because he doesn’t want Tim to share Jason’s fate.

WTF? Moment #2: Whoa, hold up. Exactly how did Tim and Alfred find Bruce in the graveyard? Tim just guessed? Why did writer Doug Moench waste so many pages on dialogue when we could have just seen Tim figure out where Bruce went and then get Alfred to drive him in the van? Then again, doesn’t the Batmobile have a tracker of some sort? Granted - this is 1992, years before iPads, smart phones and GPS, but geez…couldn’t Tim have just looked it up on the ‘Puter? He’s there often enough. 

First Impressions - AoS: 'The Hub '

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

That will happen over the summer after my purchase of the Blu-ray.

I've put my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once after the jump.

You've been warned...

Monday Movie Roundup...11/18/2013

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone which film took the top spot this weekend...

Thor: TDW made over $38 million in the States, bringing it's total Domestic Gross to $146.9 million.

When we add in the Foreign Market, we're looking at roughly $479.7 million worldwide.

 In eighteen days.

Now, will this film meet Iron Man 3's numbers?

Probably not.

 IM3 ran in theaters for 20 weeks when it broke $1 billion.

Thor, on the other hand, ran for 19 weeks and made 'only' $449 million worldwide.

Catch that? Thor: TDW has made more in 18 days than Thor did in 19 weeks. 

Not bad...not bad at all.

Robin III Part 63: Batman #485 (October, 1992)

Black Mask’s gang goes down, and Tim is introduced to one of Bruce Wayne’s most loyal employees.

I have this issue.

Tim meets with Gordon on the rook of police headquarters and learns of Lucius Fox’s abduction. The commissioner also tells him that Fox is the second Wayne executive to go missing. Then Tim reveals Batman’s plan to have the Gotham PD to move in on Black Mask’s hideout at ten the following night – despite Gordon’s better judgment – to take the whole gang down.

Later that evening, using some new tech Harold developed that allows him to hear everything from a safe distance, Tim hears that both Black Mask and his first lieutenant Tattoo are getting wise to Bruce’s disguise and tells him so. However, Bruce has him stay put and continue to listen in case they make a move on Lucius. When Bruce returns, he takes over the stakeout and sends Tim home for sleep and school.

He comes back the next afternoon and resumes his post so Bruce can sleep. Tim wakes him up after a few short hours so he can go back undercover as one of Black Mask’s gang, but soon after he does, he’s made as a cop.

Tim’s not sure what to do, since things fall apart before 10 PM, but Bruce manages to get Fox out before he can make a move. While Bruce goes back in as Batman, Tim gets Lucius to the hospital and an ambulance for Circe (Black Mask’s lady/prisoner).

The raid goes on, and everyone is captured…except Black Mask.

Notes of Interest:

1) Tim learns who Lucius Fox is and meets him here for the first time.

2) He really likes using Harold’s technological creations.

WTF? Moment: This has nothing to do with Tim…but I just have to say it…Tattoo? Really?

Robin III Part 62: Batman #484 (September, 1992)

Tim learns of another foe from Batman’s past...

I have this issue.

There have been three cases of arson in Gotham, all of them buildings owned by the Wayne Corporation. Tim’s research on some latex Bruce found at the most recent location leads to Roman Sionis, an old foe of Batman’s known as Black Mask.

Tim is told by Bruce (who infiltrated Mask’s gang) where their next target is, and steps in before they can torch the place.

Notes of Interest:

1) This is the first time Tim hears Black Mask’s origin.

WTF? Moment: All due respect to artists Tom Grindberg and Trevor Scott, but what is their deal with how Tim looks? They’ve got him looking like he can bench 350! Have they forgotten Tim’s a high school freshman?

WTF? Fridays...11/15/2013

Okay - so I've been playing Marvel: Avengers Alliance a lot lately...

Well, there's a Special Ops that relates to Thor: The Dark World! That's Cool!

Anyway, I've finally figured out how to maneuver through the flaming hoops...

...to get the things...

...to reach the final stage with 14 days to spare.

I know..right?

All I have to do now is defeat Malekith - who's an Epic Boss in Mission 2.

To do that, I need to fight all fights and deploy heroes on all missions.

Now I was expecting to have to "recruit" some Asgardian heroes, like Thor or Valkyrie (who I don't have yet) or maybe Sif (who I do have already) so I saved up 160 Command Points.

Who do I learn that I need? 

Mockingbird.

W...T...F...?

Not only that, but she costs 200 Command Points!

W...T...F...?

I have prided myself on not spending a dime of real money on this game,

but now I have 14 days to come up with a way to get 40 more CP's

for a character that has nothing to do with Asgard...OR the movie...

so I can get that much closer to the prize...

...unlocking Heimdall as a playable character.

That's wrong man...just plain wrong...

I caved...sort of...

I bought Man of Steel on Blu-ray Tuesday, which is significant.

When DVD's started replacing VHS, I was extremely skeptical of that "newfangled technology". So when we finally caved and got a DVD player, I began my investigations into determining which films were worthy of the upgrade. The biggest factors were Bells-and-Whistles, the extra stuff not available on VHS, and the personal impact certain films had on my life. 

Then this "newfangled Blu-ray technology" came out, and once again I scrutinized over every purchase. Yeah, they look better than their DVD counterparts, but are the upgrades worth the $20-$40?

They are...to the point that I'll never buy a DVD again...but my magnifying glass has gotten a whole lot bigger.

That being said, I was thinking about this particular Blu-ray a lot. I don't even have Superman: The Movie on Blu-ray - yet. But I eventually caved for two reasons:

* It was cheaper to get it now, which makes no sense.

* It is (supposedly) the first movie of the DC Movie Universe (which I will forevermore call the DCMU).

When Iron Man came out, I only had the DVD player, so I got the DVD. I just bought the Blu-ray version this year. Way better. But I'm such a fan of the MMU that I'm hooked for life anyway.

DC, in general, has always been a mixed bag. Their animation has always been better, and they've been regularly successful on television for decades. Film not so much. Say what you want, but if they're gonna be introducing Batman to the screen for the third time, they've got problems. But more than that, their comics have been uneven for decades. Crisis on Infinite Earths I understood. But rebooting their books twice since then? 

Ridiculous.

So why buy the Blu-ray?

Mostly because I want to see where the DCMU goes. I've given up on their comics (except for the stuff of my youth and before) and liked the Nolan/Bat-verse, - why they couldn't bring Superman into that we'll never know - but this film was meant to be Film One. Intentionally and deliberately. 

And I'm curious...

Robin III Part 61: Detective Comics #653 (November, 1992)

Tim helps Bruce with a case, but is kept on the sidelines.

I have this issue.

There’s a terrorist group in Gotham hiding behind diplomatic immunity, and Tim looks into the people involved. He tells Bruce that all of the Krasnian “statesmen” are members of a terrorist mob called Krasna Voll Beranya. He offers to go with Bruce, but is told that it’s only a reconnaissance mission so he won’t be needed.

Notes of Interest:

1) I’m putting this issue here because after this story, things start leading towards Knightfall.

2) Tim’s wearing the suit must mean he’s itching for action. Too bad he doesn’t get any...

WTF? Moment: …and I can guess why – Robin III was coming out and the Powers That Be didn’t want Tim to meet Huntress before then. Okay, fine. But couldn’t he have something else to do besides sitting at a computer…in the Cave…in the suit…again?

Robin III Part 60: Detective Comics #651 (Early-October, 1992)

Tim helps Batman help Detective Bullock…who’s been getting death threats.

I have this issue.

Tim is given copies of five years’ worth of Bullock’s cases and uses the Bat-computer to make a list of possible suspects.

Notes of Interest:

1) Absolutely no character development here. Move along.

WTF? Moment: Four panels. Tim appears in all of four panels and is told by Bruce to “run the search and collate programs”? WTF?

WTF? Moment #2: Nice mention of Tim saving the reporter from Detective Comics #650 though!