Review: Spider-Man is Good Again!

Everybody loves a holiday weekend, but getting back on track can sometimes be a pain. One of the biggest drawbacks to the holidays, if you're a comic geek, is the fact that new comics get shipped a day late. I would have liked to do a comic review for you guys earlier, but was delayed by a day.

When I finally got a hold of this week's comics, I was pleasantly surprised to find not one, but two great Spider-Man comics waiting for me. Good news everyone, Spider-Man is fun again!

I go in and out of reading Spider-Man. I pick it up when it's good, I drop it when I get bored. As Amazing Spider-Man #595 featured the start of the "American Son" storyline that Marvel has been advertising all of the place, I figured I'd give it a whirl. I'm digging the whole Osborn-run Marvel Universe right now and this was the storyline that would see it spill over into the Spider-Man stories.

By the time I was done with the issue, I was pleased as punch with what I had just read. Putting Norman in charge of... well.. everything, really put a new spin on the same old dynamic between these two rivals. Wolverine makes a cameo in this issue to give Spider-Man a lesson on doing what "ain't pretty" and tells him that if he ever gets a chance to take Osborn out, he should do it. Spider-Man tangling with these dark issues makes for a fascinating read as Spider-Man realizes that Wolverine just may be right.

What really made the issue for me, however, was the redemption of Harry Osborn, which is proving to be one of the better results to spin out of the Brand New Day story-arc. Harry and Norman finally get their first confrontation with one another after Norman's promotion to head of H.A.M.M.E.R. and the shocker ending? Puts a whole new spin on the title American Son huh?

All in all, if you've been thinking of possibly getting back into Spider-Man, start with this issue and if you've been with him all along, you know what I'm talking about!

I also picked up Spider-Man: The Short Halloween because it was a one-shot story written by Saturday Night Live funnymen Bill Hader and Seth Meyers. As a writer working in the field of comics, I get a little wary about the sudden rise of celebrity writers because I start to feel like the competetion is getting a bit out of my league. However, I completely endorse this comic!

The Short Halloween takes place on, well, Halloween and follows a hilarious mix-up between a drunk guy in a Spider-Man costume and Webhead himself. And the villains? They're a D-List ragtag group called the Furious Five whose only competant member is the homocidal furball named Badger Teeth.

The humor is spot on and it really captures the fun of being an average joe who lives in New York and actually gets to meet Spider-Man. There is an entire fight sequence that the reader is unable to really get a clear view of because it's shown entirely in blurry cell phone pictures that one of the characters is trying to take. Little touches like that make the book a great read and play out almost like a Spider-Man sitcom.

I did have one or two complaints. Although Hader and Meyers are great writers, its clear that comedy scripts are their forte and that they had never worked in comics before. There were three panels in a row which contained nothing but random exterior shots because there were so many word bubbles crammed in. Rough spots like these should really have been smoothed out by the editorial department. The other thing that seemed off was the timing of the release. This was a great Halloween story and would have been an even better read in October. Why the chose to release it in May is beyond me.

With these two releases I think it's safe to say that Spider-Man is back on top of his game for now. Get it while the gettin's good!

How to Save the X-Men Movie Franchise

If you've been reading the blog so far, you know I have words to say about the latest movie in the X-Men movie franchise. However today, we're not going to focus on the negative. Today is all about staying positive and figuring out now what makes these recent X-Men movies so terrible, but what is needed to make future installments reclaim the franchise's former glory.

So here we go kiddies, the top five ideas that I think would get this movie series back on solid ground.

5. Scott Summers: Ultimate Badass
I used to hate the character of Cyclops. It seemed that all Scott could do in the 90's was whine about his girlfriend and be a square boy scout who got in the way of the team's number one bad boy, Wolverine. But as the millennium changed, so did Mr. Summers thanks in part to the reworking of the character under the pen of Grant Morrison. In Morrison's New X-Men, Scott had a sort of "mental affair" with Emma Frost, which separated him from his longtime companion, Jean Grey.

Whether you loved it or hated it, the new dynamic introduced a new spark to the character that carried on to the current books where Cyclops has positioned himself as a tough-as-nails protector for the last shreds of mutantkind. This character has gone from being my least liked to one of my favorite and it's something I would love to see on screen.

Okay, so Cyclops was "killed" off in X-Men: The Last Stand. So what? This is a comic movie and the death happened off camera anyway. Bring Famke Janssen back for a cameo showing that at the last second, Jean stopped the Phoenix from killing Scott and, oh I dunno, sent him hurtling through the Canadian wilderness. Alone, injured and rendered blind by his lack of visor, his psychic rapport with Jean calls out for help... and is answered by Emma Frost.

For all its missteps, X-Men Origins: Wolverine did have the right idea by trying to bring in two of the comic's biggest characters in cameos by a young Cyclops and Emma Frost. Get a decent actress to play a grown up Frost (may I suggest Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell?) and bring back James Marsden to play Cyclops, only this time make him the badass leader of mutantkind that he gets to be in the comic books.

4. Put a Cap on Cameos

When I first saw X2, I was a little disappointed that the only new mutant we were really going to get to see in detail was Nightcrawler and Deathstryke. The bad guy was a human and his mutant son was sort of a melting pot of a few different characters. There were drive-by cameos by a few characters like Colossus and Siryn, but for the most part, all of the major muties had been introduced in the first movie. X-Men has always had such a giant cast, I felt coming out of it that the movie was spectacular, but that I wanted more and more mutants to show up.

X-Men: The Last Stand granted my wish for more mutants and I immediately wanted to take it back. X-Men Origins: Wolverine took it a step further and brought in beloved characters like Deadpool, only to make them suck beyond belief by the end. Leaving that mess, I yearned for the days of X2, when guest mutants were treated with serious gloves and where quality was more important than quantity.

Bring barely explored characters like Angel, Colossus and Shadowcat into the forefront instead of packing in new mutants to walk on, do a power and then leave. And trim the cast where appropriate. Rogue takes the cure? Fine, get out of there. Beast works in the government now? See ya!

And we all love Hugh Jackman and we all love Wolverine, but he's had FOUR movies to himself. It's time to relegate him to calvary status and let the other characters shine. Don't worry, the Wolverine toys will miraculously still sell!

3. Look to the Future

One of the reasons that X-Men Origins: Wolverine fell so flat was because, let's face it, for the most part prequel pictures suck. There's no suspense when you know, flat out, that none of these characters are going to die. Instead of making us suffer through X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Tokyo Drift, they should look to the future instead.

The distant future.

Days of the Future Past is one of the most beloved X-Men stories of all time. Not only has it been adapted for the 90's cartoon, but it has pretty much been the entire basis of the newest X-Toon, Wolverine and the X-Men. And let's be honest, Heroes did it! If this storyline holds the attention of Joe Q. NBCviewer, then it will hold the attention of his cousin John Q. Moviegoer as well.

Start the movie with a dystopian future full of giant Sentinels and mutant outlaws. Throw in Forge to create some sort of time travel device and do the story right. Taking a cue from the original comics, this would be a great way to do a Shadowcat-centric movie and Ellen Page has the acting chops to pull doubt acting duty as spunky present-day Kitty and her hardened future counterpart, Kate.

And if studio heads demand more cameos, you've got a great chance to do so in the future scenes as mutant outlaws running for their lives. Any stupid changes or weird flaws in character can be easily written off as being a product of such a devistating environment, and altogether erased when the X-Men are able to stop the assassination of insert government person here.

2. Roll out the Villains

I love Ian McKellen as Magento, let me make that clear. He's a phenomenal actor and the fact that he's gay brings a certain level of passion to the role that's obvious in his acting. Despite the fact that he's a little old for the part, he's pretty much the real deal.

But let's get some new villains in here, shall we? With Xavier out of the picture and Magneto cured (for now...dun dun dun!) its time for the X-Men to take on new adversaries. Afterall, with so many years of continuity there's a plethora of great villains to choose from.

I've always been a fan of (Mr.) Sinister and I think there are a number of plots that could be done with the character. His role as a geneticist could mean that cured mutants might seek him out to get their powers back, which he grants at a price. There's also the fact that he's got a vested interest in Jean Grey and Scott Summers. His tinkering with their DNA could be a way to bring the two characters back in way. Or how about a movie version of the Mutant Massacre? With Storm as the leader, this would be a great way to do a focus story around her by introducing the Morlocks, only to have them picked off by the Mauraders. It could even end with Angel getting his wings severed, leading him to be turned into Archangel, which could be a lead in to another villain.

I think Apocolypse, if done properly, could be one hell of a great villain to use to jump start the series. Start the movie with some archeologists in Egypt uncovering a sleeping En Sabah Nur and you've got the set up for an epic showdown against the first mutant in existance.

His horsemen could be an excuse to trim down the giant cast into a likeable size. Do the whole Archangel thing and use Wolverine, Storm and a resurrected Xavier (thanks to Apoclypse!) as the other horsemen. That way the conflict is in the X-Men having to fight their allies and lets the movie use all these characters, but just in different ways.


1. Make Mine Marvel!

When Fox Studios first made X-Men, comic book movies were rarely done and rarely good. Nowadays, Marvel Comics has its own movie studio and clearly has a better handle on its own characters than executives in outside companies do. The best way to get the movie franchise back to its previous glory is to the let the rights revert back to Marvel so that they can get their own version out.

However, as far as I know, Fox pretty much can hold out on the rights just as long as they keep making movies. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was an obvious attempt to keep the franchise in Fox's pocket by avoiding the mess that X-Men: The Last Stand created altogether. With announcements for a Wolverine sequel and a Deadpool spin-off, it looks like Fox will have a tight grip on this franchise for years.


That doesn't mean Marvel shouldn't attempt to wheedle in more creative control over what happens to their characters. After all, X-Men is one of the comic giant's biggest franchises. Letting Fox haphazardly squeeze money out of this limping movie series is helping to tarnish the brand. Get in there Marvel and convince the Fox executives they need to be treating the material like The Dark Knight with innovation, power and gravitas. Not slash slash cameo slash NOOOOO!!! like we've been getting.

Wednesday Updates

One of the weirdest things about writing for comic books is working with an artist. When you right straight up prose, it's all on your shoulders to carry the story. When it comes to making a comic book, you can really only claim about 50% for its success as it is much more of a visual medium. Once the script is complete,there's nothing more for you to do besides wait for the artist to work his (or her) magic. And like Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.

I like to keep in contact with my artists just so we're always on the same page. I know they're working hard, but I also want them to know I'm still here to support them or answer questions. I almost feel guilty in a way because every little frustration they may have because of the art is thanks to me. It takes me all of three seconds to write something like "She starts eating the car" but it takes the artist hours of time to actually draw that out.

So, one thing that I have developed with my artists in a weekly check-in. Even if nothing is going on or no work was done, it's a way for the both of us to touch base and stay focused on one particular project, while juggling others. We ask questions, trade information and even keep each other up to date with things that we think the other may be interested in. It's a great way to maintain a working relationship with an artist instead of dropping a script on his (or her) lap and saying "Draw this!"

I chose Wednesday as the day that we e-mail one another because every comic book fan knows that's the day that new comic books come out. While picking up a new batch of comics, it's easy to remember that you're not just a fan, you're also a creator and that your own comics need tending to.

Some Guys to Be in the "Thor" Movie

Marvel Films is gearing up to get Norse God Thor into theaters next summer. Director Kenneth Branagh has been signed on for awhile now and just recently, a small trickle of casting has come in.

The official announcement a few days ago was that Tom Hiddleston, shown on the right, would be taking on the role of mischievous chaos god, Loki. The rumor mill heavily points in the direction of Chris Hemsworth wielding the mighty Mjolnr as title character Thor.

Don't worry if neither of these two names are familiar as both are relative unknowns. Hiddleston is a stage actor who recently worked with Branagh on both stage and screen. Hemsworth meanwhile played Captain Kirk's father in the first couple of minutes of Star Trek. Neither are household names, but considering Branagh's background in Shakespearean theater we can assume these guys must have the chops to play the roles to perfection. I've got faith in this, but my big question is-- Will the American public?

Thor is kind of a hard sell. He's a superhero, but he's also a Norse god and he speaks with "thees" and "thous" intact. Thor is essentially the world of high fantasy and mythology mixed with classic superhero action. While the character has been a staple of Marvel Comics for years, he hasn't exactly been their most popular character franchise outside of the books themselves.

It's a bold move on both Branagh and Marvel's part to go forward with two relative unknowns in the lead of a movie which may alienate general audiences with its high brow mythological infulences. Thor will be a part of the Avenger mega-crossover movie, so perhaps it was an economic decision on Marvel's part.

Whatever the reason, we'll be able to see if they pull it off when Thor hits theaters next summer.

Con Report: Motor City Comic Con = Success!

Sorry to have kept you waiting this whole time with news on the Motor City Comic Con. I know this is a blog updated weekdays and I missed a weekday, so for that I will probably be going to blogger hell.

The convention was great, but that's coming from someone who went for only one day and more for business than for pleasure. You'll have to ask another convention-goer if his twenty dollars was well spent, but I know mine was.

As I mentioned previously, I went with the intention of talking to some editors and doing some general networking. There was one large-scale publisher at the convention and it was my goal to talk to them specifically. Arguably, it's the reason I even paid to get in.

However, upon my arrival, I was surprised to find a plethora of local, amateur artists doing high-quality work that was on par with (if not superior to) the bigger guys. It was a complete eye-opener to discover so much great comic material coming out of my own state. If you couldn't tell already, I'm located in Michigan which has had a reputation for being sort of a poverty-stricken wasteland. But people who don't live around here don't know how great this state really is! I'm very pleased to have had the opportunity to talk with local artists and to do my part to support local art.

I wanted to take this opportunity to give out a little free publicity to some of the people I met this weekend. They never asked for it and I never told them I would be giving it, but nevertheless I want to do my part to help people discover the great things coming out of this state.

In no particular order:


Flint Comix - Some of you may remember the city of Flint from the Michael Moore documentary "Roger & Me" where it is depicted as some sort of spooky ghost town. These guys, however, prove that not only is Flint still a thriving community, but one capable of producing fantastic art. Flint Comix is a monthly free-periodical that is pretty much a newspaper with just the good stuff. From syndicated strips to serialized stories told by local artists, Flint Comix not only supersedes DC's Wednesday Comics by a few months, but is free to boot! If you live in or around Flint, check local businesses to pick up your copy!

Comics Obscura - I had a chance to talk to both one of the artists and the editor of Comics Obscura, an independant comic book publisher out of Lansing. Comics Obscura is a collection of short story comics produced by local artists. Usually the thought of independant publishing brings up the thought of badly xeroxed mish-mash, but this was some top quality stuff being done by extremely talented people. According to editor Jay Jacot, Comics Obscura is all about getting local artists and writers together to make great comics and I think that's an excellent mission statement.

Jesse Rubenfeld Illustrations - What attracted me to Jesse's table was this big print of the Muppets reinacting the last supper that was adorning the front of it. There was absolutely no way I could go the whole convention and not meet the man who came up with that amazing piece! He eventually suckered me into buy a print of the picture, which I will proudly display for the rest of my natural life. A great artist and an all-around great guy to talk to, Jesse also self-publishes the comic book series Into the Dust.

Archetypal Images - I was lured to artist Eric Wilmoth's table by a sign that said "Help Wanted (to change the world.) " What followed was a long conversation about making art and inspiring others to make art. Eric's book, Archetypal Images is a philosophical statement to the reader about helping to make the world a better place through art. It was absolutely a thrill to have a chance to talk with him and to get inspired by his mission. It's one thing to make art, but its another to make art that inspires others to do the same.



Sisters Comics - The next time I feel like I can't be a comic writer or I just don't have it in me to get out there and do what I love, I'm going to think of the little girls making Sisters Comics. 12-year-old Layne Toth and 8-year old Peri Toth are comic book artists creating stories and publishing books at an age when most kids are just doodling. If these talented tykes can do it, anyone can!




Besides having the chance to hobnob with some great artists and learn about local talent being produced in the state, I did end up getting my pitch into the hands of the publishing company I came to the show to see. Mission accomplished! I felt really good about taking that first step forward. I don't expect much to come from this first venture out, but Rome wasn't built in a day. If there was one thing I learned from the Motor City Comic Con its to keep making art and keep doing what I love.

Next year, I hope to be behind one of those tables instead.

Motor City Comic Con

Today's update is sort of a non-update, and I do have to apologize for that. You see, I'm getting all of my materials ready to attend the Motor City Comic Con tomorrow afternoon.

I've been talking about being a comic book writer for awhile, but not ever taking the first basic steps towards being published, besides the occasional cold pitch here and there. This weekend, I hope to use some of my new found networking skills and so stellar pitches to start getting at least a toe in the door with a comic company.

If you're in the Detroit area and will be attending the convention, let me know! I won't have a booth or anything, I'll just be slumming it around on the floor like the rest you, but if you see me, say hey!

And I'll let you all know how it goes next week!

You Should be Reading: The Walking Dead

As yesterday was Wednesday, the all-important NEW COMIC DAY, I was planning on having a review for you folks today on something from my pull box. The Walking Dead seemed as good a book as any to talk about, so I cracked open issued number 61 one with that in mind.

Holy cow! I can't do it! This issue was so good, so utterly crazy, that to give a review would be to post major spoilers and I just don't have it in me to ruin such a huge plot point for anyone, whether they care or not. It's too good. You need to experience it for yourself.

One of my favorite movies growing up (and to this day) was The Neverending Story, but I always hated the scenes where Bastian is reading and reacting outloud to the book. I've heard of people talking at the screen when watching a movie, but I always thought it was hokey to have him reading and somehow commenting at the same time.

However, that's exactly what I did while reading the latest issues of The Walking Dead. It was worse than the audience members at a taping of Jerry Springer. I was all "No he didn't!" and "Oh snap!"

And that's when it hit me. EVERYONE needs to experience this book. Call in sick to work tomorrow, drop a hundred bucks on the trade paperbacks and get this sucker into your brain. You'll thank me later.

The Walking Dead is, simply put, the best zombie story ever crafted. If you've ever watched a zombie flick, wishing there was more about the day-to-day struggle the survivors must face and less about constantly running away from mobs of people, then you'll find the change of pace pretty exhilarating. After setting up the downfall of the human race, Robert Kirkman offers readers a bold look at the people left behind. The book never holds back and not a single person is safe. Every day is a struggle and every issue makes you ask yourself "how are they going to hold together after going through all of that."

What makes The Walking Dead such a great book, however, is that Kirkman is not afraid to break the rules. While zombie movies tend to be gore-fests, The Walking Dead is beautifully illustrated in black-and-white by artist Charlie Adlard, making gory scenes much easier to stomach. While most zombie flicks feature hot, young actors and actresses this cast is much more diverse, and includes a fair amount of children. Which brings up another factor, the cast.

While any one of them can go at any time, they are the furthest thing from zombie fodder. Most zombie film characters are forgettable, only there to serve a role or to get eaten up in the ensuing climax (Shawn of the Dead, of course, being a big exception.) The focus in The Walking Dead is clearly on the people and not on the horrors. Watching very real, genuine characters fall apart because of this new threat makes the book such an amazing read. Watching characters like leading man Rick eventually be worn down to literal insanity is both fascinating and heartbreaking. Even more so is his son, Carl, who slowly loses his innocence and is forced to grow up quickly through the course of the book. Having such a vested interest in these characters keeps you coming back for more and has you on pins and needles when their fate is in the balance. Like I said before, Kirkman pulls absolutely no punches and beloved characters often meet their doom in shocking, terrifying and downright tear-jerking ways.

I seriously cannot stress how much each and every one of you needs to be reading this book. It is the highlight of my month getting to get back into this terrifying world with the characters I love once more. If you're not reading this, you're missing out.

Watchmen on DVD and Blu-Ray to Feature Unneccesary Facebook Integration

Good news, Alan Moore!

You remember that esteemed graphic novel you and Dave Gibbons created called Watchmen? Well it appears a young gentleman in Hollywood has adapted that story into a motion picture and it's due out on DVD and Blu-Ray at the end of July! Congratulations, you must be so happy to hear that!

Not only that, but you know how you had always wanted people to be able to make comments in real-time as they read the story in real time with their friends across the country over popular social networking site Facebook? Well they are making that feature a reality for the Blu-Ray release of the film, utilizing BD-Live technology.

What was that? That wasn't your overall intention for the story? Excuse me, Mr. Moore? Was that some sort of British obscenity that you just screamed at me?

It's true, Watchmen is on its way to your home and if you're lucky enough to pick up the Blu-Ray copy of the movie, you'll get to try out what must be the most useless extra feature ever, the ability to watch the film with your friends from Facebook.

I'm really left to wonder how ideas like this even start, let alone get through the hands of several high-powered decision making people and still manage to make it to the end. And yet, the person who thought of this idea drives a better car than I do from the big fat bonus he or she received for being so clever. But in the whole whirlwind of back patting and congratulations, everyone forgot to ask one big question:

Who does this feature even appeal to?

Let's start at the beginning, the hardware. Not only is this feature limited to only people with Blu-Ray, but to people with Blu-Ray who have a BD-Live player. What's a BD-Live player, you ask? It's a Blu-Ray player that is more expensive because it can do useless things like allow you to watch a movie over Facebook. Of course every person has to own a copy of the movie, have a BD-Live player and have a Facebook account as well.

But ultimately, why would anyone want to go through the hassle of synchronizing something like that when it would just be easier to have a viewing night at someone's house. I'd much rather make comments outloud then have to watch and type at the same time.

And what does this say about the target audience for Watchmen? Is this Hollywood's way of saying "Hey, comic geeks only have online friends. We need to give them a way to feel less alienated."

I say for the Blu-Ray release of Watchmen 2: Rise of Rorschach Warner Bros. opts to go with Twitter over Facebook. It would allow you to watch the movie for 140 seconds at a time on your computer or your iPhone. You could then comment with your friends on the go, since you're such a busy gal these days.

And maybe then, we'll witness a full-on Alan Moore rampage.

Movie Review: Boldy Go to the Theater and see Star Trek

Let me just preface this post by saying that I am not a Trekkie, a Trekker or a Trekvestite in any way shape or form. I was a Star Wars kid, so Star Trek never really appealed to me. I'm sure you can love both equally, but that was never the case with me.

That doesn't mean that I haven't dabbled with the franchise before. I've seen a great deal of the movies and have enjoyed the good ones. Star Trek: First Contact was one of my first exposures to the canon and is a stellar sci-fi movie.

Having only a little bit of experience with Trek lore, I was ready to take the complete plunge this weekend to see director J.J. Abrams' take. From all the previews and commercials it looked like it would finally inject a bit more action into a franchise that's always seemed a little tame compared to the flash and dazzle of Star Wars. I caught the late show on Sunday night and I was completely blown away.

Star Trek provided a much needed mouthwash to get rid of the dirty taste that X-Men Origins: Wolverine left behind last week. Both movies have a lot in common. They both are based off of existing properties and both serve as origin prequel stories. Both films strive to be special effects showcases, but only Star Trek manages to pull it all off. If this were a battle on Iron Chef where the secret ingredient was "origin," then X-Men Origins: Wolverine would be the paltry "good effort" dish served up by the challenger while Star Trek is the masterpiece crafted by the Iron Chef (probably Hiroyuki Saki cause that dude always won.)


What makes Star Trek work is just a great formula of rebooting the franchise that I welcome in any and all future reboots. Instead of trying to tie the movie in with years and years of Star Trek continuity, the film boldly picks what works and leaves the rest behind. This is all thanks to big baddie Nero (played by Eric Bana) who comes back in time to change the course of history. Unlike most other film franchises, he succeeds at doing this and now everything we know and love about Star Trek happened in another universe.

It's no surprise to anyone that Leonard Nemoy shows up as an older Spock to bridge the gap between the new school and the old school. I'll admit, it's a little hokey, but the placement of this important revelation in the middle of the movie is really interesting. I'm already involved in this world, these characters, so throwing old Spock at me isn't going to ruin the good time I've already had and it certainly only adds to the powerful ending.

Excitement is the name of the game here, and Abrams delivers in abundance. I've always felt Star Trek movies lacked this particular element and to see it brought to the level it should be at was a treat. Case in point, the phasers. I've always thought this particular weapon was completely lame, especially compared to a lightsaber. It always looked like a bunch of pauncy actors pointing remote controls all over the place. However, in this film, when Spock and Kirk storm the villain's ship, they're jumping around firing shots all over the place like they were transported directly into the middle of Die Hard in Space. And as I watched it, all I could think of was "Finally!"

The director can't take all the credit, however. The cast is as much to blame for this movie's success as anything. Each of these actors delivers their own take on the characters in such a great way that you completely forget about their predecessors. Chris Pine makes a unbelievable Kirk, taking what worked about William Shatner's portrayal and upping the cockiness tenfold. I went into the theater with little expectation for his portrayal, tricked by his Matt Damon-esque looks into thinking they had just casted yet another hollywood hunk to walk through the movie. I couldn't have been more wrong. The humor, the charm, even the boldness in his speech, it was all there.

Main character aside, Star Trek has always been about the ensemble and this cast could not have done a better job. Zachary Quinto was most likely born and bred in a laboratory to be able to one day play the perfect Spock. Consider your experiment a success, Paramount scientists! Zoe Saldana knocked me off of my feet as a powerful, confident and sexy Uhura. Here's hoping we see more of this actress in the future. The best part is, just when you're so far into the movie that you've forgetten about Scotty, here comes everybody's favorite actor Simon Pegg who then manages to steal every scene he's in.

There are a few downsides to the film. Often times it tries a little too hard to amp up the action and it comes off a little hokey. When Sulu pulls out a switchblade katana it's a little too much. The badguys are also a bit generic. They brood around in their big sinister pointy ship being dark and sinister looking. Eric Bana could have very well been some extra from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I don't think there would have been much of a difference. And while cameos by Star Trek alums such as Leonard Nimoy are fun, unexpected celebritry cameos like Tyler Perry and Winona Ryder ellicted more chuckles than necessary.

All in all, by the time the credits are running that that classic theme music is playing, you're left craving more. The movie gives you enough time with all of the characters to get attached, but desperately waiting for the sequel. There's no way this won't be the next big sci-fi franchise.

As I said before, I grew up on Star Wars, but the recent slew of movies has left me lukewarm (get it?) to that particular franchise. It's great to have a new sci-fi movie series to get behind, even it it is technically over 40 years old. I thought I could get through the whole post without saying it, but it needs to be said. Here's hoping this new universe that J.J. Abrams has created lives long and prospers.

Writer's Advice for ANY Field: Read This Book!

I'm a big believer in taking things in baby steps. With an overall goal of being a comic book writer, I have to be realistic and realize it can't and won't happen overnight. The first good step in doing anything is to gather information.

Awhile back, I had the opportunity to ask comic writer Bryan Hill (Top Cow, Broken Trinity: Aftermath) a couple of questions about trying to get into writing comics. He gave me a great piece of advice that I'd like to extend onto you, my faithful reader. He told me that professionalism was rare in the comics industry and recommended that I read a book called "Good in a Room" by Stephanie Palmer.

After being on the waiting list at my local library for what seemed like forever, I finally got a chance to read it and now I'd like to officially recommend it to you. No matter what field you want to get into, no matter what idea you are trying to sell, it's a great guide to networking. I will admit, the idea of rubbing elbows and trying to sell my stuff had me a little terrified, but reading this book calmed me down tremendously. Check it out!

Why Komics are my Kalling

I have a lot in common with legendary comic book writer Alan Moore, the genius behind Watchmen, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and other comic classics. Besides sharing a common last name and affinity for facial hair, we both consider ourselves comic book writers. Where we differ however is where Mr. Moore has earned his place at the top of the heap, I'm still at the bottom, trying to claw my way up.

So every hero needs an origin story, I just wish mine were a bit more exciting. Its not like a chance encounter with Stan Lee inspired me to start out on this long journey to comicdom or anything, I just up and decided one day that this was the life I was going to pursue.

I always pitied the poor souls in college who hadn't picked their majors by the time their junior year started. To have gone so long in their lives without knowing where they're headed seemed sad to me. I could have signed my major when I was eight years old and been satisfied with the choice I made my entire life.

When I was in second grade I had a teacher who often assigned creative short story assignments throughout the year. While other classes we reading Frog and Toad books, we were writing our own versions of the story (mine, disturbingly enough, involved dissection-- something no second grader should really know about.) This focus on creative writing, and the praise and support that went along with it was instrumental in shaping me as a future writer. From that day on, there was no question as to what I wanted to do with my life. The only thing left was to figure out was what I was going to write.

When I was a kid, back in the ancient era known as the 90s, McDonald's sponsored this speech contest called "When I Grow Up." Elementary school kids in 4th and 5th grades would give a speech about... well what they wanted to be when they grew up, of course. In 4th grade we were all required to write a speech, so I did a ho-hum rendition of "Why I Want to be a Writer" and stated RL Stine as being one of my influences. It sure was the 90s and I sure was in 4th grade.

I didn't even advance out of my class tier on that wimpy premise. The speech made me look at my career goals in a subjective light. I wanted to be a writer, but I didn't know what I wanted to write.

The next year, the speech was voluntary, but I decided to give it another crack and instead changed the premise from a writer to a comic book creator. Suddenly the speech had more zing, more flair and most importantly, more heart. My influences included Stan Lee and my dreams involved working for Marvel Comics, but eventually publishing my own creations.

But the amazing thing was, the judges actually responded. I won for my class, came in second for my school, but by a lucky twist of fate was able to advance on to districts which I also won. My reign of terror came to a close when I lost to a kid in regionals who had a speech impediment and wanted to be a "wawyer."

The entire experience was an eye-opener for me. For the first time in my life, being a comic book writer seemed like something I could actually do. Being able to know so early on what I wanted to be gave me the opportunity to start walking that path at an early age. When it came time to pick majors in college I could emphatically pick English with a creative writing concentration and not second guess myself for a minute.

How to Make "Spider-Man 4" Not Suck

As you may or may not know, Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire have officially signed on to do a fourth "Spider-Man" movie because apparently the people who front the money for these things never saw the dancing scene from Spider-Man 3. While there is some small shred of hope that movie will actually be good, that Raimi might be able to re-capture what made the first two so good, I wouldn't hold my breath just yet. I mean, you guys DID see the third movie, right?

I think that Raimi is going to have to be extra careful this outing if he has any intention of doing a good film. Having already blown his Venom wad and with both Osbornes now pushing up daisies, there isn't a whole lot of meat left to Spider-Man's rogue's gallery. Sure there's almost a dozen different costumed criminals he could fight, but none of them have the capacity to hold a movie by their lonesome.

So what's a Sam Raimi to do? Simple! There's a few storylines that the movies haven't explored yet that could really reinvigorate the franchise. If they did any one of these things, then we might just have good summer blockbuster coming to theaters and IMAX in 2011.

5. Spider-Man: Public Enemy

You know what scene from Spider-Man 3 just really didn't work for me? The one where the city has declared "Spider-Man Day" and webhead gets to lock lips with the policeman's daughter. Aunt May said it best in the first movie, the guy's not Superman! Spider-Man's not supposed to get no respect, you know what I mean? He's smeared in the papers, the police aren't sure to thank him or arrest him, Spider-Man works best when he's an underground legend instead of a public figure. With the events at the end of the last movie, Raimi could easily begin with Spider-Man being a wanted man for the death of Harry Osborne and spend the movie not only chasing bad guys, but being chased by the cops.

4. Bring Back Venom!

They blew it with this guy! Just blew it! Most fans would have rather there not been a Venom at all than a measly fifteen minutes with the character slapped into the final moments of the movie. So fine, they wasted Venom and killed him and Eddie Brock off to boot. Vaporized even. Well, what about the sample Peter left with Doc Connors? What if that attached itself to someone else.

Right now, Venom is a character being spotlighted in Marvel's Dark Reign story-arc as he plays the role of Spider-Man in Norman Osborne's Dark Avengers. However the person in the suit is not Eddie Brock, but Mac Gargon, who used to go around as the villain Scorpion. Why not introduce Scorpion at the start of Spider-Man 4 and turn him into Venom through the course of the film. That way the movie has just one villain, but gets to explore two sides of him.


3. Spidey vs Sinister Six

Throughout the years there have been several incarnations of the super-villain sextet called the "Sinister Six." Having Spider-Man fight six villains at once is a true testament to his strength and can provide an ultimate special-effects showdown worthy of IMAX 3-D. It's simple, just get six of the villains who couldn't hold their own movie and throw them together. Almost all of Spider-Man's rogues gallery are just a couple of mooks or hired goons in either a suit (Rhino, Vulture),has some sort of powerful weapon (Shocker, Mysterio,) or gets powers in an unfortunate accident (Electro,Hydro-man.) Their origins are never that special and they never do much but rob banks or work for smarter guys. So how about this, have them each be the leaders of crime syndicates or gangs who find a bunch of Oscorp gadgets and decide to team up to take out Spider-Man. Simple, easy and more importantly fun. Because honestly, does anyone think they'd be compelled to sit through the origin story of the Shocker when it'd be easier to just make him a criminal in a suit? Isn't that the character in a nutshell anyways?

2. Hunter and Prey: Kraven and the Lizard

If there were ever two characters that deserved to be in the same movie, it's Kraven the Hunter and the Lizard. Doc Connors has been a mainstay of the series since the first movie, so turning him into the Lizard seems like a long time coming anyways. But to be honest, I'd rather stay home than spend two hours watching Spidey chase Hulk-lite around the sewers. A Spider-Man vs Lizard story is always the same thing-- chase, chase, fight, web, transform, rinse, repeat.

Throwing the additional element of Kraven the Hunter could make for an interesting dynamic. Bring him in as some obssesed big game hunter trying to hunt down Doc Connors, but soon develops a taste for the Spider instead. You need something else to add to the tired old Jeykyl and Hyde dynamic of the Lizard that's been done a million different times and in a thousand better ways. Crazy guy with lion's mane seems like a unique enough twist.


1. Black Cat Fever

You know what I'm getting reaaaaalll tired of seeing? Kirsten Dunst in a red wig. Take a cue from the comics and send Mary Jane packing within the first five minutes. That love story is a dead horse that has officially been beaten to nothing but a sick pink pulp. Put her on a plane headed for a better life as an actress in Los Angeles and keep the emo-Peter to a minimum this time.

Instead, inject some sex appeal by introducing a new dynamic to the Webhead's love life-- the lucious Black Cat.

Now, I'm gay, but I can still admit a little T&A inject can only help this series at this point. With Black Cat, you've got a completely different take on the tired Peter Parker love storyline by giving him a mate that is his superhero equal. He doesn't have to worry about enemies coming after her because she can protect herself. Just avoid any of the same pratfalls that the horrible Catwoman fell into and you could have a decent character here-- with the possibility of a new franchise.


So there you have it. If you're Sam Raimi and you borrow one of these ideas, I'm not going to make a big stink. I'll just be glad, like everyone else in the audience, that you were able to redeem yourself.

Gay Kids Love X-Men or Why I'll Read Nearly Any Book That Has a Certain Letter in the Title

As I discussed in my last post, one of the earliest comics that got me into the medium was the first issued of little gem called "X-Men Adventures." While I had been familiarized with comics before that point, it wasn't until I met Marvel's merry mutants did I get fully hooked. They had the coolest characters, the brightest colors and had the biggest adventures. But the x-factor that kept my interest and sparked an obsession inside of me was the ideas of persecution and otherness that a young confused gay kid like me could relate with.

To this day, I still can't imagine how some gay men and women can go nearly half their lives before realizing who they really are. I feel lucky to have been wise enough to not only realize it at an early age, but to have the X-Men around to show me that, hey, being different isn't only okay, it's kind of cool too.

And during those days, I lived and breathed X-Men. I collected all the toys, including the characters I didn't even know anything about. I saved up money over the course of a summer so I could buy a Sega Genesis, solely because of the X-Men game that was released for the system. My playground days were spent with the "X-Men Club," pretending to fight Magneto and getting in trouble with authority when our play battles got too realistic. It's amazing to find out later on in life how a few of my fellow recess teammates ended up being gay themselves.

In recent years Marvel has only played up the whole gay analogy when it comes to the X-Men. When the first movie was being made, they tapped openly gay director Bryan Singer, who then brought in openly gay actor Ian McKellen. Gay characters have now been integrated into the cast in the forms of Northstar, Anole, Greymalkin and the Ultimate Universe version of Colossus. And let's not forget the AIDS anaology with the Legacy Virus from the 90s comics.

If you open up an X-Men comic today, you'll find the group has relocated to San Francisco, which has a history of being a gay friendly place. The pages are filled with the mutant characters being "out and proud," going shopping or clubbing and doling out the smackdown on anybody who tries to mess with their good time.

And it's that rebelness, that strength and conviction that has helped me to cope with growing up gay. I knew I'd face hard times, just like the X-Men had to face the intolerance and bigotry of the people they tried to protect. These were some real heroes to look up to and so to this day, I'll have to admit, I'm kind of still obsessed with them.

My First Time

I'm sure that a number of comic book fans are able to recall their first foray into the medium. Many could tell you when they gave comic books a shot, or which book they first cut their teeth on. I'm sure not a lot of people can remember the reason why they got into comics; the motivation they had to explore a new medium of storytelling.

Despite all of the usual stigmas that come along with collecting comic books, I initially got into the medium in order to impress some older kids and to become socially accepted by them for doing so. That's a terrible reason to get into any hobby or interest, but luckily once inside the world of comic books, I found myself at home.

I remember the entire incident very clearly. I had been waiting for the bus with some older boys in my neighborhood who were having the typical comic book conversations that young boys will have. I wanted to throw in my own two cents but I had no clue as to what they were talking about. I knew some of the characters, but only in passing. I knew Batman and Superman by their logos, but not as Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent. However, like all young kids, being accepted by my peers, and not only that but by older, supposidly cooler boys, was a big deal.

So I lied. Since I didn't know anything about the characters or stories, I figured I'd try and impress them by saying that my dad owned a copy of "Hulk #1." It worked, but only for so long. I knew at some point I'd either have to give up on trying to look cool or actually get into comic books.

I think my choice was pretty obvious.

So during the next shopping trip to the grocery store, I convince my mother to let me go pick up a comic book at the bookstore which was in the same shopping center. I was a big reader as a kid and I'm sure my mother didn't mind giving me a measly dollar and some change to get a comic book over buying me a book that I would have just devoured in a night anyways.

My first experience as a comic book fan began at the spinner rack, not at the comic book store, and as such I had a limited amount of titles to work from. I decide to start simple and look for a hero that I had not only heard the older boys talk about, but someone I had heard of before. A cover caught my eye that featured Spider-Man sporting six-arms and carrying two burglars in his arms.

Little did I know, what I had in my hands was a "What If" title and not an actual Spider-Man book. I went through the first couple of months as a comic book fan thinking that Spider-Man actually did have six arms and that he just did a really good job of hiding them (and forgetting to use them ever.) Despite its place just outside of Marvel continuity, the book still proved to be a great crash course to the universe. Not only was Spider-Man featured, but as was the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and pretty much the entirety of Spider-Man's rogues gallery. It gave me a lot of material to work with at the bus stop.

I couldn't wait to take the book to school, to show it off to those who would be interested. I remember treating it like it was a big deal, keeping the comic not only in the plastic baggy it came in, but in the actual paper bag from the bookstore to preserve its glory. Of course, later on I'm sure it ended up on the floor of my room, its cover torn asunder and its pages bent to all hell.

From then on, that was it. I was a comic book geek. My second book would be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic based off of the animated series. I had been a fan of the cartoon, so it proved to be an easy way to get into the habit of buying comics. The third book I picked up was the first issue of "X-Men Adventure," which was the comic adaptation of the 90's animated series. At the time I had no clue, all I knew was that the X-Men were considered to be cool by anyone who liked comics and that first issues were a big deal. This led to my lifelong devotion to Charles Xavier's little school of muties, but that's a whole 'nother article onto itself.


Later on in my life, when I had finally donned the mantle of "serious comic geek," I went ahead and bought a new copy of What If #42 just to read it again. Every time I see the montage of villains at the end, or Spider-Man fighting the original X-Men, I forget the reason I initially got into comics and I remember the reason why I stayed with the medium after my first dip in the pool.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine or "How Not to Spend $10 at the Movies"

When trying to sum up my thoughts about this movie, it's hard to find a place to start. With so many misses, so many moments of utter embarrassment on screen, picking just one to start with would be unfair to the other, equally terrible parts that made up this hodge-podge of fail.

So okay, let's be positive here. What is there to like about "X-Men Origins: Wolverine?" The actors usually worked with what they had, even if it was terrible. Hugh Jackman makes a spot on Logan once again, with Liev Schreiver proving to be a perfect foil as Sabretooth. And believe it or not there are some genuinely entertaining moments lost within the shuffle. Every once in awhile the movie would play with an idea or two that seemed to be in the right direction. A scene where the newly adamnantium-laced Logan is taken in by an older couple is genuine and lighthearted and certainly out of place in this breakneck action movie. And I guess the director felt the same way because the ending of this touching moment is the exploding Wolverine helicopter fight that you may have seen once or twice on TV the past few weeks. Like any good scene in this movie, its quickly marred by just how much... how much everything sucks.

You can tell that they tried, or that somewhere down the line, someone tried to try to make this not a terrible movie. But trying and doing are two different things. You don't congratulate a potty training toddler when he takes a crap just next to the toilet, no matter how much he intended to make it to the bowl. In a way, that is the perfect metaphor for this movie. The horror of walking into a bathroom where someone took a crap on the floor is next to walking into a movie theater and finding out that they made this. The psychology is the same, you know what is supposed to happen but somewhere between thought and execution, something goes awry.

It's as if some big wig Fox executives got together and said "Okay, let's take everything that people hated about X-Men: The Last Stand and do it all over again. Only this time, let's make it twice as bad!" The plot is shoved aside quickly to bring out the cameos, which wouldn't have been a huge issue if any of the cameos were worth their salt.

Ryan Reynolds plays a perfect Deadpool for a pulse-pounding three minutes of film time or so and just when you sit back in your seat and say "Okay, good... this movie will be okay," he disappears only to be seen again as a mouthless, soulless, unneccesarily changed character. It's ridiculous how underused he is, especially with Fox announcing that they're doing a Deadpool movie. It looks like Ryan Reynolds dropped by the set and did his entire role in a day or two. He probably got paid more than I make in an entire year too.

Other cameo characters are changed in not only inexplicable, but downright confusing ways. Instead of simply making Blob a big fat mutant whose powers are that he's big and fat, they instead decided to make him just a normal super strength guy who gets fat over the course of the film through overeating or whatever. Except when people gain weight in real life, they don't get so fat that they can deflect punches with their gut-- they usually have heart attacks and die. Look, the reason Stan Lee came up with the X-Men and the concept of a mutant was to make origin stories easier. Having Blob fat because he's a mutant suspends the disbelief better than pretty much ripping on the morbidly obese.

Missteps like these happen pretty much every time the film decides to bring in a new idea. The movie starts with a young James Howlett growing his bone claws, but instead of launching into the story from the Origin miniseries, they thow an "OMG we're brothers" at the audience and decide to sum up Wolverine's life with Sabretooth in a Watchmen-did-it-better-montage and get right to the parts that matter, the cameos. Emma Frost is introduced at the end as a prisoner of Stryker. That could have been the easiest explanation except they go a step further by making her the sister of Kayla Silverfox. This is despite the fact Emma Frost is not a Native American, nor looks like Kayla or even has the same last name.

It's not that they messed with comic's canon, I can take that, it's just that the movie is never as good as you want it to be. Every time there's a good moment, it's instantly snatched away or ruined by an unintentinally funny scene. Every cliche is used, every line is hacknyed and characters meander from point A to point B with zero motivation, often walking away from conflicts for no reason so that they can get to the next point in the script.

Speaking of walking, when Kayla gives Stryker the psychic command to "Keep walking and walking and so on," did she fail to realize that they were on an island that was specifically three-miles long? He ain't getting far sweetheart.

I could go on, I could dissect every terrible moment in this movie, but instead I'll just issue a warning. In these harsh economic times you can't just go around throwing your money willy-nilly at every crappy superhero movie that comes along. Supporting this trash means you're giving them reasons to make more trash. You all saw X-Men: The Last Stand and we got this. If enough people take a stand and keep their precious money, then maybe the rights will revert back to Marvel and we'll see what a real X-Men movie looks like.

In conclusion, don't see it, I wish I hadn't. I wish someone had told me to stay away.

You're lucky you have me.