1. MYSTERIOSO. If you’re not reading Amazing Spider-Man these days, you’re missing out on the best Spider-stories since Roger Stern was at
the helm. And over the course of the last half-dozen (or so) issues, Spidey has been running through “The Gauntlet”—the first time he’s facing each of his classic villains since Brand New Day. The Sandman story was offbeat and fascinating. The Rhino story was one of the best Spider stories ever—with incredible art by Max Fiumara and a fresh take on the character—and now it’s time for Mysterio, with a script by Dan “Mighty Avengers” Slott and art by up-and-comer Marcos Martin. There’s a lot of crime stuff, which can be a little cliché, but readers who sit through those first three pages of grisly death scenes will be rewarded at the end: It all means something. And in the personal life department, Aunt May has once again fallen in with a bad crowd to great effect. In fact, something happens in the first issue of this arc that actually made one of my sons (we all read this book together) cry out loud, “No!” That a comic can make a ten year old care so much for an old lady supporting character is a testament to how great the editors are handling this three-times-a-month release. You really, really, really should be giving this book another chance.
2. PUT A RING ON IT. I was a big fan of the “Blackest Night” plastic ring promotion. I had one of each, prominently displayed in my home near the giant talking Santa that we keep around for most of the year, dressing him in various seasonal garbs. But my kids took the rings and now they’re scattered about. Sigh. Anyhoo, D.C. has announced a similar promotion for the post-BN “event,” their 26 issue “Brightest Day” series, that promises to reboot the entire DCU. They’re offering one Flash and one GL ring. Nerdcool!
3. BEEN CAUGHT STEALING? Sci-Fi/Capes website io9 totally ripped my idea of 15 comics that need to be made into movies/tv shows with their feature of 10 Marvel comics we need to see on television. They even used a similar format, and picked Power Pack as one of their choices! Should I be flattered? I can’t disagree with their esoteric selections of the wonderful late ‘80s miniseries “The Bozz Chronicles,” Ann Nocenti’s take on Longshot, But Star Brand? And Machine Man? Come on, he’s stupid now and always has been stupid. And Son of Satan? Do they honestly think America is going to pick up on a show, made by Disney, with “Satan” in the title?
4. IRON MAN KILLS LOBO. If you’re one of the folks who just couldn’t wait to see how Guy Ritchie would ruin D.C.’s Lobo character in a feature film . . . You’ll have to keep waiting. Based on the success of the terribly lamed Sherlock Holmes flick, the studio has snatched Guy for a sequel. So, once again, Lobo is rudderless. Too bad. I wish he was the villain in IM2 . . . Although I am looking forward to Whiplash . . .
5. LA FEMME NIBORING. And speaking of directors who suck, the mastermind who made Terminator boring and Charlie’s Angels sexless is now ready to reboot one of the best foreign action flicks of all time: McG is working on La Femme Nikita. I’m sure it will suck the brown juice outta dead babies.
6. And finally, the great Robot 6 blog has reported that there may be a “Young Justice” animated series. You remember YJ, right? It was where the 
Teen Titans sucked so they became a mini-Justice League, and the costumes were lame and the characters were inconsistent with their long-established histories. The ‘toon is supposed to include some of the usual suspects like Aqualad, Nightwing, Impulse (remember him? Kid Flash with a stupider name?), and Connor Kent; some esoteric characters that nobody cares about (Martian Girl) and some spin offs that are so lame they’re kitch (Green Arrow sidekick Speedy’s spin-off character, Arrowette). This can’t be good.
Tags: Movies
will be a great album when they finish it.” Transference has all the elements you expect: Urgent vocals, metaphysical and/or obtuse lyrics, a driving, pulsating beat, tight musicianship, distortion . . . And yet it’s very different from what they’ve done before. There’s no question that Spoon can craft perfect pop songs, but here songs suddenly stop or break left, suddenly and without warning. It reminds me a lot of the way The Beatles, on Abbey Road, used hypnotic rhythm as a way to lull the listener into a trance before jarring the composition with either complete silence or an extended jam. So it’s not that the collage style employed by Transference hasn’t been done before—but it certainly hasn’t been done this well in over thirty years. Unlike previous works, this is an album you have to listen to a few times before you’ll really “get” it. But please (please!) make the effort! It’s almost as if Transference, which is guaranteed not to please casual listeners and is likely to drum up criticism, is a direct response to the band’s wonderful but highly mainstream Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. And lest you think the band has forgotten how to make pop songs, play “Out Go The Lights.” The extended bass jam could easily be mixed out to make this a beautiful single (not that it should be, just that it could be), and other tight songs like Got Nuffin’ show the band’s still got their old skills. They’ve just added some new ones. I can’t recommend this album enough. Here’s some live versions of songs off the new album, and some covers, to get you in the mood to go drop a few bucks on the CD or download.
Singer-songwriter and pianist 
