Sunday, December 30, 2007

One More Reset

Hello everyone,

This is Percy, the other half of Comics&Classics and I am here to provide some commentary on what was one of the most anticipated comic story arcs in recent memory, Spider-man :One More Day.
First I want to say MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!!! If you haven't read One More Day and plan to or don't want to know anything about the story then stop right here.

Still with me? Good, let's move forward.

For those of you that have not been keeping up on this storyline I will give you a quick synopsis. Aunt may is in the hospital having been shot by a sniper's bullet intended for Peter Parker. The assassin was sent by the imprisoned Kingpin who along with everyone else in the Marvel Universe knows Spider-man's secret identity. This was all due to the events of the Super Hero Registration Act and Civil War where Peter publicly unmasked. If you haven't read Civil War, you have missed a great story and need to get the trade right now.

Aunt May lies dying in a hospital and everything that Peter has done which includes talked to all the greatest minds and greatest sorcerers in the Marvel Universe and the answer is the same : There's nothing that can be done. It's her time.

Well, that's not good enough for our hero who as we know has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. Enter Mephisto, the version of the Devil in the Marvel Universe. He offers a tantalizing deal. Trade your marriage for Aunt May. So Aunt May lives and all memory of you and Mary Jane's marriage is wiped from reality. They have 24hrs to decide, hence the title "One More Day".

I'm not going to comment on the art work or the coloring or any of the technical aspects of the book. There are other people all over the net who are doing that. I want to talk about the fact that it seems that the writers and editors painted themselves into a corner and needed a deus ex machina to fix their mistake. Peter Parker should not have his identity known by the world. Again, Peter Parker should not have his identity known to the world. There are certain elements that are essential to any Spider-man story: Responsibility, Balance of life as Peter Parker and Spidey, and the secret identity. The secret identity is important because it's like our little in-joke, it connects us to the character. This nerdy, geeky, loser puts on a costume and does incredible things. He's the everyman who seems average but upon closer scrutiny is extraordinary. He hides what makes him special in plain sight and for that we love him. It was a mistake to reveal his identity to the world, everybody knew it. This ending robs of us of a more satisfying conclusion. We knew they were going to hit the reset button, the ending is predictable and frankly a cheap trick. Perhaps Aunt May should have died, maybe it was her time.

So they retoconned him, took the easy way out, pulled Pam Ewing finding Bobby Ewing in the shower alive and finding that the entire season was a dream. Dare I say, they have jumped the shark?

One last thing, how will this play out with the rest of the Marvel Universe, there is still a Super Hero registration Act and other heroes are abiding by it. Norman Osborne is back, is he still the Green Goblin? These and more questions will be answered in "Brand New Day", on sale at our and other fine comic shops next month.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

The Mice Templar is Fun Fantasy & Fantastic Art!

The Mice Templar issues 1 & 2 have hit the shelves and the series is making quite a name for itself already. I had the feeling when I first saw it advertised in Diamond's Previews that I would be among the few who might become a fan of another series staring mice, after the wildly popular MouseGuard, but it doesn't take one long to find others out there praising the efforts of Bryan Glass and Michael Oeming.



I am a fan of MouseGuard and its cute, English cottage-ish mice, who remind me of Beatrice Potter and warm tea, but these are not Ms. Potter's mice. I wouldn't call them "cute" by any means, and with the level of blood, guts, and gore Oeming provides, especially in the fight scenes with the menacing Rats, you soon forget the comparisons to David Peterson's mouse tale. These are not mice - they are MICE!



Issue 1 begins with a glorious two-page spread of a fierce battle between brothers of The Templar, Guardians of Justice created by the ancient spirit Wotan to fight evil and protect against all enemies. However, The Templar has turned against itself and the fighting brings about the end of The Templar. Or, so it seems, perhaps there is hope in young Karic, who listens to the stories of The Templar told by the town's Blacksmith and plays "Templar Knights" games with his friends and sister. Without giving too much away, chaos invades Karic's world quickly in issue 1. After a mystical underwater encounter with golden fish gods and the bequeathment of a magical leather pouch, young Karic finds he must begin a journey with a mysterious stranger that may make of him a worthy hero who can save his people.

In Issue 2, Karic and the mysterious stranger have begun their journey. Although only half the length of issue 1, #2 advances the plot in a meaningful and satisfying way with the introduction of a rouge mouse who follows behind our protagonist and his teacher and is sure to cause harm in upcoming issues. Also, in issue two we get more of the mythology of the Templar, the great spirit Wotan, and the warrior-priest Kuhl-En.

I look forward to issue #3, which will, hopefully, live up to the great start of the first two issues. Check out more about The Mice Templar at Mike Oeming' site www.mike-oeming.com/templar.html and at www.hiddenrobot.com/MICETEMPLAR/

Post your comments here about The Mice Templar and other cool new series out on the shelves.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Hollywood Writers on Strike - Read a Book!

Now that Hollywood screen and TV writers have gone on strike and late night television and daytime soaps will be taking a great hit, it's a good time to do more of what we all say we'll do more of -- read a book!

We at Comics & Classics offer these new gems and timeless standards to replace those hours we find ourselves in front of the boob tube (yes, you could watch reruns - but come on, wouldn't that be like breaking the picket-line - - "Union!"):

Alan Moore's Watchmen - The only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award and graphic novel to be included in Time Magazine's 2005 list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present." A look at superhero status deconstructed.


Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible - Written by freelance game designer and published by Pantheon Books, this entertaining look into the mind of evil genius Dr. Impossible and new superhero female cyborg Fatale offers a fun read that blends the world of comic book heroes and villains with traditional novel writing. Check it out at www.sooniwillbeinvincible.com


Katherine Dunn's Geek Love - A twisted story of family love and sacrifice, Dunn's Geek Love looks at common themes in a intense and uncommon way. The novel is the story of a traveling circus run by husband and wife team Al and Crystal Lil Binewski, who, in order to create their own side shows for the circus, repeatedly inject Crystal with multitudes of drugs and questionable substances during her pregnancies, of which are born their deformed "special" children. Both disturbing and touching, Dunn's work calls all we understand about love and family into question.

Shazam and The Monster Society of Evil - A retelling of Captain Marvel's origin. This trade includes his first encounters with such characters as The Wizard Shazam, Mr. Tawky-Tawny, Dr. Sivana, and Mr. Mind. Also, look out for the introduction of Mary Marvel.

Post us with your comments on good books to read during the strike!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Two Differing Opinions on "30 Days of Night"

The following two blogs offer different opinions - my husbands and the right one (mine) on the latest vampire film "30 Days of Night." Let us know what you think by posting a comment.

Why 30 Days of Night works

Okay, before I start I also want to say that 1) I'm not a movie critic, just someone who has seen many of movies, some good some bad, 2) I'm going to throw out some spoilers so if you haven't seen 30 Days of Night (and are planning to see it) stop now and come back after you have seen it and read our opinions.



All in all, I liked 30 Days of Night. This wasn't an Oscar winning effort by the director or the actors but it was solid storytelling with an interesting plot and enough scary moments and gore to keep you enthralled.



For those that don't know the story, in Barrow, Alaska the sun sets for 30 days, no sunlight whatsoever. This makes it the perfect location for a band of vampires and the backdrop for our story. One of the vampires actually remarks that they should have come there ages ago.



The vampires attack and the townspeople who are not killed in the initial slaughter have to hide for 30 days and wait for the sun while trying to fend off the vampires. These vampires are different from your traditional vampires, they don't seem to be averse to garlic (nobody tries to expose them to it), religious symbols (same thing), or entering a residence that they have not been invited to. This adds a great deal of tension as the traditional defenses against vampires don't work. I spent the better part of the movie wondering "How are they going to get out of this?"



That's probably why I liked the movie, I felt the fear that the survivors felt as they were hold-up in an attic waiting to: 1) be found by the vampires and be food or 2) sunlight. The claustrophobic feel left me shivering along with the characters as they dealt with the fear and the cold. In short, I identified with them.



30 Days of Night has some pacing issues and logistical problems. Though the survivors are hold up in an attic for 30 days without a shower, shave, and rationing their food, nobody seems have lost weight or grown facial hair. But the vampires are terrifying, I had nightmares last night and still see them when I close my eyes.



One more thing, 30 Days of Night is perhaps the goriest, most violent movie I have seen in a long time and quite possibly the goriest vampire movie ever (along with From Dusk Till Dawn). So if that's your cup of tea, you'll like it. If you like your gore understated (think Seven) then you may find this movie jarring. There was so much violence that my wife almost had to leave the theatre.



I couldn't, I wanted to see how they were going to beat those damn vampires.

Why "30 Days of Night" Doesn't Work

Let me offer a two disclaimers before posting about "30 Days of Night." Disclaimer 1 - I am not a movie critic. I took one graduate-level film class and I think one of the best movies ever made was "The Breakfast Club." Disclaimer 2 - I offer this "spoiler alert" in case you haven't seen the movie.

I love the vampire myth, but "30 Days of Night" for all its gore, quick pace, and good intentions just doesn't work. Director David Slade's foray into the vampire film genre lacks the one element that makes any film work - that we care about the characters. Unfortunately "30 Days of Night" doesn't work because it doesn't make us sufficiently care - either for the humans or the vampires.

Based on the mini-series comic written by Steve Niles and illustrated by Ben Templesmith (IDW Publishing), the story is set in Barrow, Alaska, an isolated town so far North there exists a period of darkness lasting 30 days. The vampires are led by "the master" (Danny Huston), named Vicente in the mini-series but, I believe, unnamed in the film, to Barrow to feed unencumbered by bothersome daylight and the need to sleep. Married sheriffs Eban and Stella, in the middle of an impending divorce, are left to calm the terrified and confused townspeople, at least the few who make it past the first day.

While movie critics may get the benefit of privately screening a film, we did not. The over-the-top gore and violence, coupled with the fact that the vampires were presented as "outsiders" or "foreigners" that did not even speak an understandable language but some guttural, clucking tongue, caused laughter from the audience in inappropriate moments. We are so far removed from anything resembling humanity in the vampires that we have no connection to them, hence we can barely care if Eban, Stella and the townspeople survive.

"30 Days of Night" suffers, likewise, from some classic horror film pit falls. When dealing with extended periods of time, your actors should appear to have been ravaged, have suffered, have dwindled down to mere shells of themselves (think 28 Days Later). These folks look very good for having little food, ability to bathe, shave, groom themselves and being hunted by vampires that seem to be incredibly ineffective at tracking humans. It's a small town with few places to hide and they have 30 days to find them. Time itself seems to pass without much fanfare or interruption. We move swiftly from day 7 to day 18 to day 27. In the last moments, when we think Eban will make it, he makes the ultimate sacrifice by shooting up with vampire blood to have vampiric strength the fight off "the master." Only to have the vampires disappear into thin air before daylight a few moments later - a total let down and cop out plot wise.

When it comes down toit, it's not as if it's a bad movie - Underworld is a bad movie. It's a good movie that could have been great, could have worked on a much higher level had Slade spent less time grossing us out and more time with character engagement.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Yes, We're Open!

So, we've been open a week and are doing well, so far, even though I have a habit of forgetting to turn the "Closed, Please Come Again" sign around to read "Yes, We're Open!" Our first sale was actually two days before the true opening date to a great couple, James and Sarah, who have come in several times already. Our first sale on the opening day (Tues, 10/9/07) was to a mom buying a Looney Tunes comic for her son.


Alpha Cat came by the night before we opened to give us their opinion and copies of their comic The Vault. They are each working on first issues of each story that appears in The Vault, a collection of four one-shots. Read about Alpha Cat and The Vault at http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=37;t=009031;p=0

and their website at http://www.alphacatcomics.com/.

Rob Jones is working on an Bettie Paige illustration for the store and has hooked us up with some incredible panel pages from Dick Giordano and his adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Check out Giordano's work at http://www.dickgiordano.com/. I am hoping we can host a signing of Giordano's work soon.

I am exhausted and stressed and perfectly happy with our adventure into the world of owning our own business - and yes, after many delays and a ton of personal debt, "Yes, We're Open!"



Sunday, October 7, 2007

The Excitement is Building...

So, we are days from opening the doors to our new store and the excitement is building. We've had folks come in and want to look around even though we aren't officially open yet. I have to say myself, we look amazingly sweet for a comic book shop. We've only heard good things so far.

On Monday, we've invited some local artists and writers, among them a group of guys calling themselves collectively Alpha Cat. They write and draw for Liberty Girl, Chrissy Claus, Snappy Stories, and other books. I was blown away by how good their work was, especially the art work of Rob Jones, who is going to draw illustrations of Betty Paige and Wonder Woman for the store (but he just doesn't know it yet). I'm going to have to con some consignment pieces from him, since we've just about blown our inventory capital on books and comics already.

I'm really hoping to put together a show in November promoting Alpha Cat, along with Shaun Ward, a local Jacksonville artist, and a few others we've met at Florida comic conventions. Everyone we talk to about the local comic scene agrees it's just the type of exposure local artists need. I see ads for art shows all the time but none for comic art. I don't understand the snub that comic art seems to get from the art scene. Is it me or am I missing something? I'll take an Alex Ross over an Andy Warhol any day. Is it the subject matter of the art that keeps comic art from getting the wide-spread attention it deserves? Is it looked upon as "childish" or "immature"? Because the subjects may be in costume, do we look upon the art as less of an expression of what it means to be human? Any comments on this subject are welcome.

I am thrilled to be representing this vibrant art form in my community. I think it will be the beginning of an amazing adventure. Its own super story, with provocative characters, and conflict, and struggles, and growth. I'm psyched. The excitement is building. I promise pictures of opening day!

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Be who you are.

I figured it was time for me to step up and make my presence felt. I am the other half of Comics & Classics (the Comics part). My wife has blogged the first two times and I figured that I better say something so this thing doesn't get to girly.



The title of this post speaks to what I am going to talk about today. If you read the previous post by my wife you know that we went to Orlando-Con yesterday. A good time was had by all as we mingled with artists, writers, and other assorted individuals. I felt as if I was surrounded by OKP (Our Kind of People). We got pictures of a guy dressed up as a Storm Trooper and two ladies wearing Storm and Elektra costumes.



I've come to the conclusion that the key to being happy in life is to figure out who you are and live that way. When you try to deny who and what you are that's when you get into trouble. I'm a comic book geek (some people prefer nerd or loser), I say embrace it. It felt good to be around people who are just like me. The greatest thing in life is finding a woman who loves me for me and doesn't want me to stop reading comics or living in a world of fantasy, in fact she embraces it.



So, if you like comic books don't listen to your friends when they call you a nerd. Maybe you should find some new friends. That girl friend that thinks you're a loser because you like anime, get rid of her and go find that girl that we saw at another convention. The hot one with the t-shirt that says "I Love Nerds" Even better find one that's wearing a t-shirt that says "Geeks make me hot!" And if you're Family ostracizes you for loving superheroes, well.....I know you can't get rid of your family so just tell them that Bill Gates and Alan Greenspan were nerds and look at how it turned out for them.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Over The River and Down the Interstate to Comic Con We Go

Tomorrow we celebrate all things geeky with the hardcore fanboys (and fangirls) at Comic Con Orlando. Luckily we get to bypass any Giant Mice or child-chasing Pluto's ( a reference to the in-costume Disney character caught on video this past week obviously fed up with some bratty kid's hijinks - I wonder what he would have done with the kid had he caught him or the lady in the video (the kid's mother?) not shoved him to the ground).... but I digress. Over the River and Down the Interstate we go to Comic Con.



The last Orlando comic convention, Mega Con, was well-attended and offered many activites in which to participate, including Japanese Naruto-style battling. Of course, there were plenty of folks dressed in constume. The prerequisite Storm Troopers attended the festivities. The greatest joy for me is seeing how many middle school and high school age kids attend, usually in large groups dressed manga-style. Oddly, there always seems to be one John Constantine carrying a huge cross around. Whatever, floats your boat, man. Didn't seem to play out too well for the last guy.



What I remember from the Orlando Mega Con last February, however, was that Margo Kidder was signing autographs. Or, rather, Margo Kidder was sitting alone at her "celebrity" table off to the side waiting for what seemed a very long time for someone to approach and want an autograph. Lou Ferigino, however, had a crowd around him (of course he appears on King of Queens as the neighbor "Lou" - very original - periodically).



She looked so sad just waiting. I found myself watching her for quite some time, waiting to see if someone would come up and want her to sign a picture or ask her what it was like to be Lois Lane to Christopher Reeves' Superman. And how sad it seemed to me that after all these years she might need to attend a Mega Con in Orlando in February.



What I mean is that to me she was or rather is Lois Lane. That new chick..I don't even know her name...she's not Lois Lane...not even close...not even a smidgen. And Lois Lane wouldn't sit at an empty table, pushed off to the side, waiting for someone to notice her and care. Lois Lane would be off looking for a story somewhere or telling someone off or getting rescued in the nick of time. Margo, you are so much better than that. There are those of us that know you were the only one who could be Lois. You deserve so much better, so much more respect. So, I respectfully say, let us enjoy our memory of you...young and beautiful...and fiesty...and not someone who'd sit alone waiting. I guess I'm a romantic that way.



I wonder what or who we will see tomorrow....maybe a few Iron Mans or Transformers or maybe, but hopefully not, Gene Hackman or Patrick Stewart.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Enthusiasmos: The Official Comics & Classics Chronicle

This is our first post on Enthusiasmos and I feel compelled to explain where our blog title came from and why it was chosen. Enthusiasmos means the state of being "filled with the gods." It's the feeling of being pumped up with power and excitement and zest for life and for what you love. It is carpe diem and eating good chocolate and being in love (or lust) all rolled up and bursting forth as a raw, emotional fireball. It's what we hope for every day but rarely encounter. It's what my husband and I needed a good shot of about a year ago. So instead of giving up on excitement or turning to substance abuse or taking it out on each other, we did something risky, we decided to create our own enthusiasmos, throw caution to the wind, take out a home equity loan (thank you soaring home prices) and open a comic book/bookstore/art gallery.



Okay, so an ordinary person would have settled into their quiet despair or had an affair or taken a vacation, but we needed a bigger life change - something more permanent. I quit my job (16-year stint as a teacher...stories about that life may be forthcoming) and started reading everything I could about opening a bookstore. My husband (after much coaxing from me) agreed there was never really a good time to risk it all and start your own business. I think really he did it to shut me up at first but since has come to see that we could really do this.



We designed Comics & Classics as the bookstore we always wanted to visit - a fun mix of comics (his love), graphic novels, manga, pulp & mainstream fiction, and literary classics (my love). Then we threw in comic art just for fun. Neither one of us can paint our way out of a paper bag but we appreciate those who can and want to work to promote local artists working in the genre.



So, now we feel enthusiasmos and getting up in the morning doesn't suck as much (well it's still morning ... it hasn't turned us in to "morning people" freaks or anything). But, we have that passion and zest and carpe diem feeling we were looking for. Now if we can work out how to get rich off doing it, or at least not lose our shirts, we're taking enthusiasmos plus some!