2010.08.25
12$Habit: August 25
Okay…so I slacked for a couple of weeks…I’m a bad poster. To be fair, last week was a little on the dry side for my taste, so I saved up for a bonanza this week.
Okay…so I slacked for a couple of weeks…I’m a bad poster. To be fair, last week was a little on the dry side for my taste, so I saved up for a bonanza this week.
Anonymous asked: How did the pyramids get built?
Way back when, someone decided self-aggrandizement and ostentatious monuments were a better use of resources than, say, libraries. In a completely unrelated story, New Jersey governor Chris Christie, after slashing school budgets, wants to financially back failed shopping mall Xanadu.
When I started my 12$Habit experiment, I set an unwritten rule for myself: no crossover events. That proved to be difficult with DC’s Brightest Day, as it permeates a significant portion of the DCU. I did buy the first two issues of this “event”, then chose to abandon it. I didn’t find any of the characters particularly compelling and I figured I would just wikipedia the whole thing when it was over. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t have picked up this week’s issue #7, but my comic book shop didn’t have my first pick Secret Six, so I figured, “Why not?”
Web Show of the Week: Vampire Mob - Visit www.vampiremob.com to watch the first two episodes. Episode 2 features Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope from Criminal Minds).
Quick Review: The show features a clever premise by Joe Wilson that blends caricatures of The Sopranos (or any mob-themed movie/show) with the verite style of The Office to create a darkly comic approach to vampires in the real world. It tells the story of a mob hitman who chooses to become a vampire who then turns his wife into a vampire, who, in turn, turns her mother into a vampire. The central conflict arises when the wife wants the mother to live with them.
The leads, played by Joe Colella and Reamy Hall, have great chemistry together. By just the second episode, the dynamic between this vampire hitman and his wife seems natural and genuine. The second episode features Kirsten Vangsness and Jim Roof as the wife’s sister and her husband and the comic timing is much sharper during this dinner sequence.
The documentary style, which is becoming something of a staple in comedy thanks to The Office and Modern Family, is used well here. Credit Joe Wilson with deliberate use of this mode to create humor. In one scene, our vampire’s wife refuses to recreate an argument they just had for the sake of the camera.
With a great cast, strong production bang for its buck, and a well-used quirky premise, Vampire Mob is another example of how viable web television is becoming and how entertaining short form television can be when freed from corporate interference.
One month ago, I started the 12$Habit experiment. Missing comic books - but not missing the expense or the amount of real estate my collection consumed - I made the bold move to re-enter the local comic shops, but with a caveat. I could spend no more than twelve dollars a week, limiting my purchases to about three books a week. I used this first month to test the waters of titles I once cherished to see what spark remained. Were my favorite creators still at the top of their game? (Spoiler Alert: Peter David is still the King) Could I adhere to my own strict policies and limit my spending to a scant twelve dollars a week?
On this, the eve of my fifth week of purchases (and a new cycle of issues), I present my initial findings…
June 23: I eased back in with a couple of previously released issues: the first two issues of Brightest Day, plus the new reboot of Green Arrow. Brightest Day seems a fine story, but I’m not particularly invested in any of the characters. I don’t think it will make the 12$Habit cut. Green Arrow, on the other hand, is a fun, adventurous ride - even if the Robin Hood motif is a little heavy handed. GA has earned a spot.
June 30: Starting Strong. My first official week back reintroduced me to Thor and Wonder Woman. I approached them both nervously, like blind dates - my first time back into the four color jungle in over a year. But they felt familiar…comfortable. I’ll be sticking with both these titles for the foreseeable future. I also picked up Death of Dracula without knowing much about it. It seems to be a set-up for the current X-Men storyline about vampires. I was intrigued by some of the story elements, but the shades of Twilight were a little too apparent. I’ve quite had my fill of sulky vampires and X-men crossovers. Pass.
July 8-14: A Grim July. I caught the last couple of issues of Spider-Man: The Grim Hunt, which features the return of Kraven the Hunter into Spiderman’s rogue gallery. I’m glad Kraven’s back, but there wasn’t much here to get me excited about Spider-Man as a character. That was the sound of my wallet breathing a sigh of relief. Batgirl is a fun read, but it may not make the cut in the future. What will be an absolute mainstay in the coming months is JMS’s new take on Superman. Damn, that man can tell a story. If tomorrow’s Wonder Woman gets the same treatment, then I’ll have two locks each month. (I still hate the new costume…)
July 21: X-Factor Still Rules. More than a year away from this brilliant book and it feels like nothing’s changed (and I mean that in a good way). The characters are as entertaining and quirky as ever and I feel I could slip back into the story with little challenge. I also used this week to pick up Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet, which is a clever and funny reboot of the classic radio hero (who will soon be appearing in a very similar fashion in a feature film starring Seth Rogen.) X-Factor is a definite for as long as Peter David is writing it, same with Green Hornet and Kevin Smith.
July 28: The New Cycle… No more tinkling my toes in the shallow end…Starting tomorrow 12$Habit will offer up incisive commentary on each week’s selections. I can almost guarantee that tomorrow will feature quite a bit of Wonder Woman discussion…
