My Wibbly-Wobbly, Spooky Doctor Who Theory
Each of the Doctor’s past several companions resembles a story book character.
If you’re a fan of Doctor Who, chances are that you’ve heard about this theory. And for the most part, I agree with it. It really does make a lot of sense. Every one of the Doctor’s last four companions has had some resemblance or allusion to a storybook character: Rose as Red Riding Hood, Martha as Dorothy, Donna as Alice and Amy Pond (and Rory) as two of the children from Peter Pan.
This week’s Christmas episode introduced a new companion for the Doctor: Oswin Read the rest of this entry
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #18
Miles Morales doesn’t usually have a lot of inner narration, but this issue is chock full of it, and it definitely makes for a more engaging story. Not a lot happens plot-wise, and Miles being lost in the fields of Wisconsin is fixed rather easily, but it’s still a very fun and fulfilling story. It’s fun to read Miles working out his problems in his head. He’s a smart kid with a strong personality, and his inner commentary elevated a somewhat simple story. Throw in a few emotional moments with Spider-Woman and Miles’ parents and you’ve got a real winner.
Ultimate Spider-Man #18
When ‘Divided We Fall/United We Stand’ started, I didn’t think Brian Michael Bendis had any interest in crossing over. But now that the story is finally done, I’m happy with what Bendis did to help flesh out Miles and his family.
Comic rating: 5/5: Great.
Ultimate Spider-Woman has always been a very fascinating character, and I wish I was reading Ultimates so that I could see more of her in action. She’s a great foil for Miles Morales, and their scenes together in this issue – especially in light of her attitude last issue – were fantastic. We, the reader, know exactly why Jessica Drew is so awkward around Miles Morales, but he’s clueless, and it leads to a really nice scene between the two. Likewise, Miles’ parents get a standout scene as Jefferson fills us in on what happened with the HYDRA terrorists. I was definitely surprised by the reveal, and I’m excited to see what it does for his character. I’ve always felt Bendis has been a little lacking when it comes to Miles’ relationship with his parents and how they impact his life. I hope this is the start of some good stories.
And it’s Miles Morales himself who carries the comic, with a running internal commentary like Peter Parker used to do. Miles is definitely a different person than Peter, but he’s still got that desire to be heroic, and that’s always relatable. I also like that Miles isn’t quip-a-minute, but still kind of funny. And Bendis finds a lot of humor and cool action in Miles’ fight this issue – with artist David Marquez drawing the hell out of this issue! The art is absolutely perfect, making for an even better comic.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Live Action Hong Kong Phooey and Marvin the Martian
Of all the random things you thought you might see today, I bet you didn’t expect test footage from live action versions of Hong Kong Phooey (the #1 super guy!) and Marvin the Martian! What do those two properties have to do with one another? Apparently they’re being made by director Alex Zamm. Or at least the Phooey one is still in production, with some kind of Eddie Murphy attached. Marvin the Martian has been cancelled though. At least according to Bleeding Cool.
Neat clips, at least!
The Startling Surprise Ending to Amazing Spider-Man #700!
Warning! There will be SPOILERS in this post! So read at your own peril!
The big, epic, glorious Amazing Spider-Man #700 came out this week, the one Marvel and writer Dan Slott have been hyping for months now. It’s the last issue of Amazing Spider-Man, leading into the brand new Superior Spider-Man next month! So what was the big dramatic change that Dan Slott was promising? Does he really have to hide in a bunker from all the fan anger?
Well, does he?
Is all of this history just wiped away?
Not as far as I’m concerned. He doesn’t even have to buy a big hat.
Short answer, I’m disappointed and disinterested.
I’m not angry or filled with a burning need for geeky revenge against Slott. He’s the writer of Spider-Man. He gets to come up with the stories and tell whatever tale he wants. I don’t think he’s ruined Spider-Man forever. But at the same time, I’m just not excited by what he’s done. I’m sure some people are violently angry and I’m sure some people are bristling with excitement. I am neither.
I’ll put the long answer after the jump. But Amazing Spider-Man #700 is a fantastic comic book. It’s got exciting, edge-of-your-seat action and more drama than you can shake a stick at. I’ll review it on Saturday with the rest of the week’s comics, but for right now, just know that it truly is an amazing issue.
It’s just that the big surprise ending does nothing for me. Though I bet my brother is going to love it.
SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP! DON’T CLICK IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ!
6 Awesome Things I Got for Christmas
I love Christmas. And with my family, it’s especially wonderful. Both my immediate and extended family all get together down on our grandparents’ farm and everybody exchanges gifts. We have a big Christmas dinner with delicious food and great desserts. And everybody gets along. Forget what you see in movies or TV where everybody’s drunk or mad at each other. That’s not my family, not on Christmas. Everybody gets along, everybody has a great time, and it’s been that way since I was a wee little henchman.
I also always get awesome presents!
My wrapping skills are not that good
Not that Christmas is just about getting presents. I also really splurge on gifts for others too. I’m not a cash/gift card kind of guy. So even for my distant aunts, uncles and cousins that I don’t see very often, I’ll buy them something cool. Because if they wanted money, I could just loan them money. Christmas is the one time of the year when you go out of your way to buy something nice for the people you love. Here’s a list of the six most awesome things I got for Christmas this year.
