I'm Still Alive!

This may shock you all, but the computer is still dead and gone. I ordered a new, very pretty, very fast gaming machine from Dell. It showed up last week. I plugged it in, my heart racing in anticipation for the glory that Crysis supposedly is and...well, nothing. The computer started, but nothing showed up on the monitor. After about an hour on the phone with the help desk I was informed that the monitor was bad and they would be shipping a new one right away.

That was almost a week ago and the new monitor is yet to ship. It is scheduled to ship this Friday, and if it does (and assuming that was the only problem) I should be up and running on the new PC by early next week. I doubt I will have any posts until the week of 8/4, what with setups and all, but I hope to be back soon. I miss posting for all my loyal readers (hi mom!) and I hope you haven't given up on me. I will be back with new content as soon as I can, and believe me, I have a lot to talk about!

I'll be back soon!

Bone - One Fat Book

Just a small programming note: the computer has been acting suspicious lately...I think it wants to die. I have seen this before. I know the signs. Blue screen of death, extra slow, weird random errors, it's all there. It took me about 30 minutes just to get onto Blogger here to make this post. The point is, if at some point there are no new updates for a while it is likely because the computer finally gave up the ghost. I will be back once I replace it. [EDIT: The computer died before I finished this post, I had to post it from work. I can't be making regular blog posts from work, so we may be on hiatus until a new computer has been procured]

Okay, so, book post today. For this post I want to talk about one of the biggest books I have read in a long time: Bone: One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith. Now, I know what you are saying. Bone, isn't that a comic and not a book? Well, sure, it was, but now every issue of Bone has now been combined into the One Volume Edition, a 1332 page behemoth of awesomeness. It reads more like a book than any comic I have ever read. I'm calling it a book.

Bone is broken down into three major storylines, nine chapters, and multiple subchapters in each chapter, but there is really one epic adventure of three small Bone creatures. I assume they are called Bone creatures because they look like bones. They are essentially cartoon characters, but they seem to fall into a more realistic valley.

The Valley is full of all sorts of characters: cute talking bugs and woodland creatures, evil rat creatures, a giant mountain lion, humans, and even dragons. Shortly after arriving in the Valley the Bones meet up with Thorn and her Grandma Ben, who have mysterious pasts. As the story continues the Bones begin to unravel the mystery while they embark on their own journey.

Every character is fleshed out and unique. Each one is fun to read in their own ways and Smith's world feels real. As is normal with most epic stories (ie Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, etc) the action starts out small and inconsequential and becomes more and more meaningful and life changing. Jeff Smith has created a new, epic, masterpiece and it really should be read by anyone who likes comics, epic stories, or just a good read. The story is moving and really touched me. I will say, I wish the One Volume Edition was in color, because from what I've seen Bone in color is beautiful. I also was a tiny bit dissappointed with the ending, but I think with anything that takes over 1300 pages and was read over the course of three months, it is hard to really make the most satisfying ending.

Also, I know Jeff Smith has a new comic series, Rasl, coming out now, and I totally plan to check that out once it his trades. Anyway, check this book out, it may be the most value you can get for your 26 bucks.

Ouch, Let's Laugh at People

Okay, so have you ever seen that show on Spike TV called MXC? You know, the one where some comedians took footage from a crazy 1980s Japanese game show called Takeshi's Castle and redubbed it to mock everyone? You know, this show:



I loved that show! It was great fun watching people fall and hurt themselves while at the same time listening to the announcers mock them relentlessly. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago Mrs Titan and I saw some previews for a show on ABC called Wipeout. It looked oddly...familiar. The previews showed people falling down and hurting themselves. Hmmm...

So, we checked out the first episode and at first I got very nervous. The hosts seemed to be taking the competition seriously. If this were a reality show where people competed and it was taken as a serious event, I would have been very disappointed.

Thankfully, once the competition got going, I realized that it was very much in the vein of MXC. The commentary isn't quite as funny as MXC, but the falls are as funny as always. Many of the people on the show were very stupid and/or out of shape. The hosts mock the players and even laugh at them when they wipeout. It's a great mindless summer show, and it is a lot of fun. Laughing at the competitors as they stumble and fall is a great guilty pleasure. If you've never seen it, check it out. It won't change your life, but it may make you smile.

Showcase Presents: Superman Part 4

This is the forth of numerous posts on Showcase Presents: Superman. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the stories.

Now, this won't be like most comic blogs with scanned pictures posted throughout. Mostly because I don't have a scanner, but the stories should speak for themselves, but also because I want to go through the whole book in the next few weeks, and I want non-comics readers to enjoy the kookiness that us comics readers understand from the Silver Age. While I may mock these stories, I am not making anything up, this is all straight from the comics! While I may mock, I love these stories and the character of Superman. This is great stuff! The cover scans are from The Grand Comic Book Database.

With this forth addition I am going to add my own Tagline for each story, giving a brief explanation.

Superman # 124

"The Super-Sword."

Tagline: Superman fights the Black Knight, who wields King Arthur's magic sword."

Clark and Lois are sitting together listening to the radio and trying to come up with a new story for the Daily Planet when they hear over the radio that a knight in armor was found floating in the north, trapped in a glacier. Clark immediately takes off as Superman when he arrives he realizes that they knight is alive (I know, I was shocked too).

The knight is placed in a cabin on the boat where he quickly breaks out and decides to steal stuff, because what else would a thousand year old man want to do? He is able to break into any vault with his sword. Superman rushes to stop him and is stabbed in the arm and leg by the Black Knight. He is then rushed to the to the hospital. A mob boss sees this on the news and finds the Black Knight, offering him $30,000 to borrow the sword. Superman shows up, is stabbed again and is fine. Well, guess what? As is the norm for these Silver Age stories, the Black Knight is really an elaborate ruse to trap the mob boss. He was played by Perry White and everyone has a good laugh.

"Mrs Superman"

Tagline: Lois and Clark crash land on a volcanic island so, obviously, they get married.

As Lois and Clark are flying back from reporting on a story, a meteor comes crashing down near their helicopter, forcing them to bail out. They land on a volcanic island, where Clark immediately slips away to change into Superman and get help. Turns out he can't. As usual, must be kryptonite. Yup, that meteor crashed into the volcano and is spewing kryptonite dust all over the island, creating a barrier that he cannot escape.

Superman decides there is no way they can ever leave so he reveals his secret to Lois and proposes. He sure gives up easy. She agrees as soon as Superman proves it really is him and some natives marry them. He builds her a house. As she is preparing for the wedding, there is an earthquake and the kryptonite falls so deep into the earth that the barrier disappears. He decides to back out of his proposal (cold feet) and begins to refute all of the proofs he gave to Lois when he proposed, claiming that he was Clark all along, faking Superman's powers with magnets, papier-mache, and a blow torch. He then secretly tosses out a message in a bottle so they will be rescued. Lois is pissed at Clark for lying and trying to trick her into marrying him, but they are rescued, and she pines for Superman even more.

I'll be back next week with more!

Why I Need a New Computer

So, I have been a computer gamer ever since Warcraft II came out in 1995. Since then I have eaten up everything Blizzard has released. Diablo, Starcraft, Diablo 2, Warcraft III, all of the expansions, and even, to my surprise, World of Warcraft. I never thought I would be interested in an MMORPG, but they hooked me for a little over a year. I had to stop when I got me a job, and I have been tempted to go back, but I could never make that kind of time commitment to a game any more.

Anyway, I heard some fantastic news just a couple of minutes ago. They are releasing Diablo III. Now, you may have already heard that Starcraft II is coming as well, so now they have the whole gambit of games on the way. I can't wait! These game made me a gamer and I have all faith in Blizzard to make great games. They have never disappointed me, and I don't expect them to any time soon.

Just check out the sites:
Starcraft II
Diablo III

How exciting! I got chills when I heard the news about both of these! Hoo boy, thanks Blizzard!

Two other reasons for getting a new computer:
Crysis
Spore

Yeah! Awesome! I'm not gonna have any more posts until next week, as I am headed out of town to visit family for Independence Day. I probably won't have a post on Monday either, as I will be getting home late Sunday night. You all have a fantastic 4th! Stay safe and have fun! I'll see you all on Tuesday.

Showcase Presents: Superman Part 3

This is the third of numerous posts on Showcase Presents: Superman. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the stories.

Now, this won't be like most comic blogs with scanned pictures posted throughout. Mostly because I don't have a scanner, but the stories should speak for themselves, but also because I want to go through the whole book in the next few weeks, and I want non-comics readers to enjoy the kookiness that us comics readers understand from the Silver Age. While I may mock these stories, I am not making anything up, this is all straight from the comics! While I may mock, I love these stories and the character of Superman. This is great stuff! The cover scans are from The Grand Comic Book Database.

Action Comics #243

"The Lady and the Lion." This story starts, as many others seem to, with Superman performing for orphans. Were there hordes of orphans needing performances back in the fifties? It seems a little weird that Superman is always entertaining these kids. Superman then sees a earthquake taking down a temple in the Mediterranean. He rushes to rescue a temple girl and afterwards it turns out that she is the ancestor of Circe, the "legendary sorceress who could turn men into animals." It turns out, however, that she used to change men into animals with a serum, not magic. The fifties were all about the future, and science, none of that magic junk that they put in our funny books today.

Anyway, the girl then offers Superman a "drink of sweet mineral waters" as a reward. Uhhh...Superman? She just told you her ancestors could change men into animals. You silly, silly superhero. Turns out that he was given the famous serum (duh) and Superman must return to marry her or else he will "turn into the creature [he] most resemble[s] by nature!" Superman assumes it will not work on him. And I say it sounds like magic!

Shockingly enough, he turns into a lion the next day. He then feels he has to prove that he really is Superman to Perry and Jimmy and then takes off to get the antidote. Circe left in her space-ship, leaving a note carved into stone taunting him to guess which planet she went to. She also adds a classy "Ha, ha!" to her note. Awesome!

Superman then goes back to The Daily Planet to pout until Lois shows up and is disgusted. They had a date planned to go to a play, and what do they see? Beauty and the Beast, of course! (It's odd to me that Superman won't marry Lois because she could be at risk from criminals out to hurt Superman, yet he goes out on dates with her. Seems a little shady. Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free, right Supes?) Lois feels guity, so she kisses him, hoping it will break the spell as it does in the play. No go.

Off Superman goes to entertain some more orphans (!) where he lets them put their heads in his mouth. Fun! He then helps out a lion in a circus (who is also dressed as Superman), saves a safari by beating up a lion pride in Africa (awesome!), and considers joining a sideshow.

He soon decides to pout in the Fortress of Solitude and realizes the serum used kryptonite, so he assumes Circe was from Krypton. He then decides to do some research in a Kandor library using his microscopic vision. Of course, there is an antidote right there in a book. He makes and takes the antidote and goes to kiss Lois in payment for her kiss before he flies away into the sunset.