March 26, 2007

Why does TV have to suck all of a sudden?

Massive spoilers for Lost and Battlestar Galactica

First, Ben tells me that there is some magic box that will grant the user whatever he wishes. I laugh along with Locke when he says that Ben should hope the box is big enough for another submarine. But then, he goes to the box and sitting there all trussed up like a pig is Locke's con man father. I told Sam, right as Ben and Locke were walking to the box, that if Locke's dad was in that box, I was going to quit watching Lost altogether. Of course, Locke's dad is in the goddamn box. Don't think I didn't notice that this was Brian K. Vaughan's first credited episode either.

Next, after forty-five minutes of near brillance, the season finale for Battlestar Galactica decides that hearing a crappy version of "All Along the Watchtower" makes you a Cylon with no real explanation. Also, Starbuck is back. And oh yeah, she's been to Earth, which looks mightily like Earth now.

I'm giving both of these shows one more episode to prove me wrong about their newfound crappiness (although I'll have to wait until 2008 for BSG and I may forget by then).

thecomicman spoke @ 12:35 AM |

March 19, 2007

It's a Date!

Sam and I went on a date today. Our first one in a long time. We just took the day and did stuff together. We went to eat brunch at a Mexican place in the West Village (I did not get lost, but it was due to Sam). I don't remember the name of the place, but I'm sure Sam will fill you in on those details. I ate their posole, which was pretty good, even if their meat was slightly overcooked. Also, the toppings they provided were menudo toppings, which scared me for a little while.

After that, we went used book shopping all over the Village area. We hit like five bookstores including the Strand and Alabaster. I bought too many books, but I'm gonna enjoy them all. Here is a list:

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon by Sei Shonagon: a book about Japanese life in the tenth century (we're totally going, Hal)
The Kalevala translated by Keith Bosley: the great Finnish epic
The Lais of Marie de France by Marie de France: Medieval French poetry, some of it relating to King Arthur
Stories From a Ming Collection translated by Cyril Birch: six Chinese tales from the Ming dynasty
Who's Irish? by Gish Jen: a short story collection by an Asian-American (I loved her Mona in the Promised Land)
The Friendly Guide to Mythology by Nancy Hathaway and The World of Myth by David Adams Leeming: two quick and dirty mythological anthologies featuring myths from around the world, including many on the world's flood myths
Popol Vuh translated by Dennis Tedlock: the Mayan Bible (we're going here too, Hal)
A Guide to the Gods by Richard Carlyon: An encyclopedia of major world gods and goddesses

After book shopping, we went to see Bridge to Terabithia. Man, this thing made me cry like a little girl (seriously, there was a little girl sitting near us who was bawling, and so was I). I thought it was pretty good, and so did Sam, but don't let Disney's marketing campaign fool you: there is very little fantasy in this film. If you're looking for the next The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, then this is not it.

All in all, a very good day, except I spent too much money. Oh well, it was just burning a hole in my pocket anyway.

thecomicman spoke @ 12:15 AM |

March 17, 2007

Oh Captain, My Captain

Donne said "every man's death diminishes me." He could have added "especially if there's some lame-ass deus ex machina twist and he comes back again a year later." - Mike Carey, talking about comic book death on Newsarama.

I think I would have cared more about Captain America's death if Captain Mar-Vell hadn't been brought back to life a month ago. The man died of cancer, one of the most human deaths I've ever seen in a comic book, and you bring him back with a stupid "wormhole" explanation? Lame, Marvel. I already only buy like four of your books. Keep pushing and see if you don't push me right out of the fucking door.

thecomicman spoke @ 04:18 PM |

March 16, 2007

Sally Floyd is a dumb bitch!

go here: http://mightygodking.livejournal.com/300945.html

this dude is pretty awesome.

thecomicman spoke @ 12:56 PM |

March 04, 2007

Florilegium

now, i'm no Florilegist, but...

"Looking across the street, he became fascinated by the sight of an old woman standing close to the entrance of the lane. Almost statuesque on her bound feet, she was hawking ices from an ancient wheelbarrow, her shrunken face as weatherbeaten as the Great Wall in a postcard. Sweating, she was swathed in black homespun, like an opaque piece of smoke-darkened glass for watching a summer eclipse. She wore a red armband with Best Socialist Mobile Service Woman in Chairman Mao's calligraphy. Perhaps she was not in her right mind, or she would not have worn that antique armband. Fifty or sixty years earlier, however, she could have been one of those pretty girls, standing there, smiling, her bare shoulders shining against the bare wall, soliciting customers under the alluring gas lights, launching a thousand ships into the silent night."

Qiu Xiaolong, Death of a Red Heroine

thecomicman spoke @ 11:58 AM |