THE AMAZING ROGER STERN!

Posted on March 31st, 2010 by ekko

A long time ago, I wrote that 1982′s “Amazing Spider-Man” #229 to 230 was the third-best comic book story of the 1980s.  Those two issues, written by Roger Stern–the greatest Spidey writer in history (yes, even better than Stan Lee)—with art by Marvel’s greatest artist, John Romita Jr., was a simple battle that spanned two issues: Spider-Man versus The Juggernaut.  Titled, “Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut,” the two-issues quickly became collector’s items, and have never been reprinted (to my knowledge) in color form.  Damn shame.  What made the tale so fantastic was that the action sequences were so well plotted.  Spidey has never been a super-powerful character.  (If you read Bendis’ New Avengers, for example, you’ll see that Spider-Man never really does much of anything—he’s completely nonessential.)  He’s always struggled to keep up with others who can leap (or smash) tall buildings, are invulnerable to bullets, mind-meld, etc.  That vulnerability was part of his charm, which was a fact that Roger Stern understood better than just about anyone.  In that Juggy story, Spider-Man had to outwit the invulnerable maniac as much as overpower him, which made the story as intelligent as it was exhilarating.  Yet is was simple, too, which can be a key element to an exciting story: It was just Spider-Man trying to stop Juggernaut from moving forward, and Juggernaut plowing ahead, through any and all obstacles in his way.  If you haven’t read it, get a hold of it.  Even if you have to read the black and white “essential” reprint.
In case you can’t tell already, I think that whole Stern-Romita run deserves hardbound, oversized reprints.  That’s when Hobgoblin was introduced, Spidey got his black costume, and we saw Peter’s relationship with MJ begin to deepen.  It was a peak not just for Spider-books, but for serialized storytelling as a whole.  Indicative of how great it was, the other Spidey books rose to keep up.  In Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man, we saw the Sin-Eater storyline (a.k.a. The Death of Jean DeWolff) and through Web/PPTSS/Amazing, we read about Kraven’s Last Hunt.  It was a great time to be a kid reading the funnybooks.

Well, I’m happy to say that Roger Stern will be returning to the Juggernaut tale with a three-part arc: “Something Can Stop the Juggernaut,” beginning today, March 31, in Amazing Spider-Man #627.  Based on the solicits, it looks like Spidey and Juggy may be more on the same side in this one, facing some kind of mind-powered villain.  So it’s unlikely to be a simple, long battle.  Sadly, the art will by Lee Weeks and not Romita, Jr., but Weeks is damn good, too.  So mark your calendar: Even if you’re not a regular reader, starting today, there’ll be three issues you’ll need to buy.

Tags: Comic books, Filthy Muties, Spider-Man

JENNIFER KNAPP-Letting Go.

Posted on March 31st, 2010 by ekko

Okay, so I don’t usually write about Grammy nominated Christian female singer-songwriters.  In fact, Jennifer Knapp is the first.  But her album impressed me enough to warrant a mention.  If you miss Melissa Etheridge in her prime, this is the record for you.

Dive in (direct link}

Tags: Indie rock, Messiah

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Posted on March 31st, 2010 by ekko

Tags: Picture of the day

ABSOLUTION by Christopher Gage

Posted on March 30th, 2010 by ekko

So my buddy and fellow comics blogger CD recently wrote on this site about an Avatar Press book called, “Absolution.”  He didn’t write much–just a blurb.   But then he loaned me the whole series.  I was skeptical at first, because graphically violent superhero books aren’t usually my thing, but after issue one I was hooked.  It’s the story of a superhuman police officer who becomes a vigilante killer of bad guys.  Fairly straightforward: Take Dexter and Punisher and mix in a few capes, and you’ve pretty much got it.

Or do you?

In this six-issue story, Christos Gage (best known for the Thunderbolts and War Machine Secret Invasion tie ins, and a bunch of Wildstorm indie titles) manages to paint a fully believable story of an antihero that not all readers will see in the same way.  Much like the aforementioned Dexter series on Showtime, Gage’s lead character does very, very evil things.  Sick things.  Brutal things.  To sick, brutal people.  And when he is confronted by righteousness, in the form of “Servant,” a hero whose power derives from his faith in God, he even makes the holy warrior doubt himself.

If you’ve ever read a superbook and thought you’d behave differently if you were the one bitten by a spider, you might find these characters more relatable.  Absolution is a great example of the “realism” movement that’s primarily found in the independent comic press these days–from the moral ambiguity of the characters in The Walking Dead to the fact that street heroes get put in comas in books like Kick Ass, comic books are embracing not only adult themes, but more and more mature ways of telling stories.

Oh, and by the way, the art is terrific, the covers are by Jaycen Burrows, and the action is basically nonstop.  If this review makes it sound like Absolution in is a moral primer, don’t worry. It isn’t.

I don’t know if it’ll be released in a bound volume, but you can order all 6 issues from the Avatar website.  And if you do, please drop me a line and let me know what you thought.

DUM DUM GIRLS-I Will Be

Posted on March 29th, 2010 by ekko

There’s this thing about the modern versions of the punk/garage universe occupied by folks like The Strange Boys, Nobunny, etc.: Lots of it sounds the same.  It’s a driving beat with occasional flourishes, a chainsaw guitar, vocals with echo, and ample fuzzy guitar breaks that sound like The Byrds on crystal meth.  I must receive a submission a week from bands that sound like this.  So when I heard the first song (“It Only Takes One Night”) off the new debut full-length from the Dum Dum Girls, I wasn’t impressed.  (If you’re a regular reader, though, you know I don’t write about bands who don’t impress me.  So don’t stop reading here!)  It’s shoegaze garage punk.  Then I saw the bio and found that the bandleader’s name is Dee Dee, they’re from L.A., on Sub Pop, and produced by veteran Richard Gottehrer (The Vovoids, Blondie, The Go-Go’s).   Again: Ho-hum.

But it’s my policy that unless the first song absolutely sucks, I will give every album a fair shake.  So I listen on. And it gets better.  There’s no overmodulated screaming.  The hooks are 1960s garage grind, sure, but the drumming is . . . Special.  Frankie Rose (Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls) sounds ordinary until you really listen.  She’s  not just keeping time–she’s the person in charge here.  On the title track, for example, she runs ahead of the vocals and the rest of the band.  That’s unusual.  Unhead of, actually, because most of these D.I.Y. bands aren’t capable of chasing of the drummer and when they try, they sound like mud.  But on the very next song, “Lines in Her Eyes,” they take the opposite track, and the entire band can’t seem to keep up with lead singer Kristin “Dee Dee” Gundred. This is not to take away from the rest of the group, either: All play an important part in the overall sound here. That’s really the thing that makes Dum Dum Girls stand out: They play like a team, without losing that loose “we’re figuring it out as we go along” punky vibe.  This “power quartet” of four ladies has something.

Jail La La (direct download)

D.A.L. (non-album track) (direct download)

Tags: Punk

THOR MOVIE UPDATES

Posted on March 28th, 2010 by ekko

Lots of rumors going around about the Norse God flick.  Here’s a rundown, mixing fact with possible fiction:

1.  The scheduled release date was May 2011, but if Spider-Man 4 moves to May, Thor will move to June and be sandwiched between Spidey and Captain America.  Cap is set for July 4 weekend, naturally, but that’s also Will Smith’s spot—he usually releases a summer blockbuster on that date.  Maybe they can cast Will as The Falcon?

2.  The director, Kenneth Branagh, has never done an action film before.  But he’s British, so maybe that’s good.  Makes him sound important when he talks like Shakespeare.  Of course, this Thor won’t talk in doths and sayeths.

3.  It’s an origin story: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is kind of a jerk to his Daddy, so Odin (Anthony Hopkins) sends him to Earth.  Kind of like sending Gordon Gecko to the mailroom.  But it’s understandable, because he gets to bang Natalie Portman.  Eventually, Thor decides he kind of likes hanging out with mortals.  Kind of like Donald Trump hanging out with his celebrity apprentices.  Only Thor has better hair.  Then Loki (Tom Hiddleston) decides to screw around with Midgard, and Thor saves the day.

4.  The film will end with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) making Thor a job offer.  Unless it doesn’t.  (Jackson has both denied and confirmed a cameo in the movie.)

5.  Hawkeye will appear in it.  Unless he doesn’t.  Ditto Iron Man.

6.  Stan Lee will appear in it and say or do something silly.

7.  Heimdall will be played by Idris Elba.  He sells dime bags to Frost Giants who try to get across the rainbow bridge.

8.  A Marvel animated Thor DVD will release a little before the film.  See, D.C.?  You can have the characters on the big screen and idiot box at the same time.  You won’t get hurt!  Now, let Tom Welling put on the tights, already!

9.  The “look” of the hero will be based on the Ultimates costume, and there won’t be a Donald Blake.

10.  Most lists have to have 10 items.  Makes them seem more complete.

Tags: Movies, Superheroes

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Posted on March 27th, 2010 by ekko

I could look at these pictures all day.  I guess that makes me morbid.

Tags: Picture of the day

THE RETURN OF DMX

Posted on March 27th, 2010 by ekko

DMX used to be great.  His first two on the majors were fiya, and the mixtapes he released before that were even better.  I saw Dr. Drew is fishing for X to be on Celeb Rehab now.  How the mighty have fallen.

Haven’t listened to this mixtape yet–I hope it’s good, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be . . .

Link.

Tags: Hip Hop, Mixtape

DRIVE-BY OF THE DAY

Posted on March 26th, 2010 by ekko

Tags: Ronald McDonald, Video of the day

FRIGHTENED RABBIT- The Winter Of Mixed Drinks

Posted on March 25th, 2010 by ekko

Frightened Rabbit’s 2008 album The Midnight Organ Fight was the greatest album to come out that year, and one of the best indie rock albums of all time.  That’s not my opinion, it’s fact.  It was a collection of songs about people and love that served as a raw, impassioned, painful rebel yell against prepackaged music, canned feelings, and corporate sentiment.  But what have they done for us lately?

The Winter Of Mixed Drinks is the Scottish fivesome’s third record.  And it’s nothing like the first two.  Lots of bands when they get popular take a softer, less desperate turn, and Frightened Rabbit are no different.  This will inevitably be compared to the Bell X-1/Snow Patrol/Coldplay contingent (who are all just softer versions of U2 anyway), but not by me.  Scott Hutchison’s voice, in a single verse, is capable of dynamic range and ambiguity—and nobody can accuse those soft-rockers of anything close to that.  Just listen to “Wrestle,” with its layers of power and pathos, and then play “Yellow.”  You can sleep through “Yellow.”  But you better not sleep on Frightened Rabbit.

Is the album perfect?  No.  Is it better than their last one?  Again, no.  This one takes repeated listens to appreciate—the songs don’t instantly feel like old sweaters—but it is well worth the investment.  The band has the ability to make hooks that sneak up on you.  Instead of hammering out choruses designed to get airplay, they slog through the hard parts, verse by verse, and drag the listener along behind.  Sometimes you’re dragged on your face.  It’s a softer album, but it many ways it is less accessible and harder to get into.

Just like on “Organ Fight,” every song is a lighters-up anthem.  (And this can get exhausting, truly.)  But every lyric is well-constructed; every verse well placed; and the band is as tight as ever, moving as a single organism, crawling through your ears and under your skin, just like the yearning at a bar at closing time.   None of which is to suggest morbidity or hopelessness.  On the contrary, FR are still full of fire, still alive, and still searching for abundance and joy.  They’re just not afraid of honesty—true honesty.  In fact, the only thing they seem to fear is affectation.  And that’s why I’ll never compare them to U2 or Coldplay.  This is a band that overcomes all comparison.  I can’t wait to hear what they do next.

Swim Until You Can’t See Land

Tags: Indie rock