My Favorite Song, and Other Really Awesome Tunes
Most people will tell you that they don’t have only one favorite song. They will name off artists, albums, genres or maybe their favorite song right now. Not me though. I have one favorite song, and I’ve had this favorite song since it debuted in high school in 1999. It will probably always be my favorite song. I love the tune, I love the chorus, I love the lyrics; it’s a song that really speaks to me and defines my mindset. Or maybe it’s just a really catchy song. That’s the thing about me, I don’t know that much about music.
My favorite song is ‘The Great Beyond’ by R.E.M.
Great song, right?
I am geeky about a great many things. I love comic books and video games. I’m a huge fan of TV, movies and books. But the one medium I’ve never really been geeky about is music. I never wanted to be a rockstar when I grew up. I don’t know anything about the history of music. I can’t speak intelligently about the great movements or artists. I’ve heard of Elvis, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra, but I could barely tell you anything about them. I’d only heard of contemporary artists like Lady Gaga or Amy Winehouse when they started making news about their weird behavior.
I don’t know music, but I know what I like.
Click the jump to see some other songs I like and learn a bit more about my tastes in music.
The Revving of Chainsaws: A Review of the Anticipation of Gears of War 3 from a female critic.
Gears of War 3 is due to release in the Americas, Australia and Europe on 20 September. By all accounts, the game is truly incredible, with crisper graphics, smoother gameplay and new weapons, finishers and all of the blood-soaked combat that fans have come to enjoy. Sadly, this isn’t a review of Gears of War 3.
Not a review of Stand By Me's gritty reboot, either.
This game has been in production since late 2009, and originally slated for release in April this year. The full release, however, never came, but faithful fans of the series were rewarded with the multiplayer beta of the game, which lasted for four weeks before it was cruelly taken away from us again.
At least I had you for a little while...
I’ve been a fan of Gears of War since I first chose X-Box over PS3 all those years ago. I’ve always loved its deep storyline, gritty combat system, hard-edged dialog, and the depth of its characters. It’s consistently fun to play, especially in multiplayer games, and there are rarely any slow points.
Not to mention chainsaw high-fives
I was at the midnight release for Gears of War 2, nearly two years ago, and the anticipation was heavy in the air (as well as body odour). As one of the only women there, I was a creature of awe to most of the other gamers, who I assumed had never actually seen a woman before.
How men see me when they realise I'm also a gamer.
Gears of War 2 was well worth the wait and the smelly crowds and the awkward compliments and come-ons. It was worth standing out in the freezing cold, worth staying inside for long periods of time afterward, simply slaughtering all comers in online deathmatches (Except for laggers, hosts and cheap-killers. Because those sorts are the only players who can kill me!)
Now, that anticipation has grown tenfold. It looms over nearly every gamer in the civilised world tonight, and it is stifling. I can hardly sit still, waiting for the opportunity to rejoin the fray once more. It’s one of the most anticipated games of the year, and me and every other gamer are salivating for it.
The anticipation, in short, is maddening. I rate it 2/5, and I’m only being generous here because we were treated to the beta earlier this year. This is among the worst anticipations I’ve ever been through, and I would not recommend it.
Arkham City Continues to Impress
By releasing a Robin action figure! Readers may already know me as a comic book and video game geek, but I also have a fondness for action figures. So at the risk of sounding especially dorky to all the hot babes who are reading this blog, I’m definitely going to be trying to order this action figure.
Also, I continue to be impressed by Robin’s Arkham City costume.
The hood is a nice touch, though I'm a little miffed on the super short cape
The Defenders are Back, for Some Reason!
Spinning out of Fear Itself will apparently be a new Defenders series from Marvel Comics. The Defenders has always been one of their B-list superhero teams. Always sort of around but never able to maintain a monthly book. They get relaunched every few years or so. I can’t really remember the last time there was a Defenders book. But whenever it was, Marvel is bringing it back! They’re giving the keys to Matt Fraction (the writer of Fear Itself) and Terry Dodson (lover of drawing boobies)!
I am modestly curious. I think this was announced months ago, but here is some cover art.
Silver Surfer is a good way to start a team!
-Spinning out of the stunning end of FEAR ITSELF! The final Worthy on a global rampage!
-Matt Fraction (FEAR ITSELF, THE MIGHTY THOR, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN) reteams with TERRY DODSON (UNCANNY X-MEN, SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN)!
-Everyone’s favorite Marvel characters banding together to solve a mysterious conspiracy deep at the heart of the Marvel Universe!
-The last line of defense against the forces of the unknown!
The lineup looks pretty spiffy. You’ve got Dr. Strange, Namor and the Silver Surfer from the original Defenders lineup, or at least the famous Defenders lineup. Replacing the Incredible Hulk is Red She-Hulk. I remain luke warm on the idea of Red She-Hulk. I don’t like the idea of multiple Hulk characters in the first place. Give me Bruce Banner as a lone figure, thank you very much. And what’s wrong with regular She-Hulk? My guess is familiarity. Everybody knows Jennifer Walters and what she’s like. Red She-Hulk is still an unknown commodity. She’ll add new style and character to a series. Plus it looks like she’s keeping her Mighty weapon. Cool.
Iron Fist and giant purple monster man are just OK.
This is the sort of book I might pick up on a whim. We’ll see how broke I am when it hits the stands. I just wanted to let people know it’s coming. That’s the kind of helpful comic book geek I am.
New Writer Already on Green Arrow – Possibly My Fault
Update: J.T. Krul posts on his Facebook
The DC comic book solicitations for December have come out, and it looks like writers Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens have replaced J.T. Krul, who wrote issue #1. Giffen and Jurgens will be taking over as of issue #4, which is solicited for December. Comic news website Newsarama has confirmed that Krul has been totally replaced by the new creative team.
Perhaps Krul wanted to write a lot of swearing and boobies
And it’s not the first writer to be leaving one of the new series. John Rozum, the guy writing Static Shock, left that title too. But he said it was his own decision and had nothing to do with Static or DC. What’s with all these writers leaving so early into this rejiggering? Hey DC! I won’t leave you! Hire me!
Anyway, I blame myself for Krul’s departure after my scathing review of Green Arrow #1. Perhaps either he just couldn’t take it, or DC had a light bulb moment after reading my blog entry. Not that I have any reason to believe that either J.T. Krul or DC Comics reads my blog.
In fact they probably don’t…
J.T. Krul had this to say on his facebook about leaving the book:
Hey everyone! Effective as of issue #4, I will no longer be writing Green Arrow. As many of you know, Oliver Queen is one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe, so this decision was not easy to make. Getting the chance to do the fall of Green Arrow and my run during Brightest Day was a dream come true, and I was excited to bring a new yet familiar take on Green Arrow in the new 52. But, I’ve been writing him for a few years now and an opportunity came up that I really wanted to tackle. I had to make a choice. In a way, my decision to leave is more a testament to how incredibly thrilled I am about Captain Atom. I don’t think I’ve been more excited about a project. Working with Freddie Williams is amazing and I really think it’s among my best work at DC to date. It was a tough call – like picking a favorite child.
I can’t talk about my new project just yet, but it perfectly exemplifies what DC is all about with the New 52 – taking the best characters in comics and presenting them in new and exciting ways. The ability to think outside the box, take chances, and tell different kinds of stories is why it’s a great time to be writing for DC Comics.
For sure, I’ll miss Oliver Queen – and working with the likes of Dan Jurgens, George Perez, David Baron, and Dave Wilkins – but I’m sure the Emerald Archer will be in good hands for more globe-trotting, James Bond, high adventures.
And, at the very least, I got to include my version of the boxing-glove arrow.
