I went to the midnight showing for Spider-Man 2 last night, because that's just the type of geek I am. All I can say about that movie is it's probably my favorite comic book movie, up there with X2 and Blade. It's amazing in every aspect.

To continue the geekiness, here's the comic books that come out this week: Amazing Fantasy #1, a new series from Fiona Avery; Batgirl #53, which is always good; Batman #629, the penultimate chapter of Judd Winick's run; Green Lantern #178, which is spiraling towards conclusion; Invincible #13, one of my favorite books; JLA #100, featuring the return of Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke; Powerless #1 (of 6), a new interesting-looking mini-series; The Punisher #8, which I might drop soon; Richard Dragon #2, continuing what is now Chuck Dixon's only book; Sleeper: Season Two #1 (of 12), to which I say "yippie;" Spectacular Spider-Man #16, featuring art by Michael Ryan; Superman Secret Files 2004, because of the completist in me; Ultimate Fantastic Four #8, continuing Warren Ellis's run; and Ultimate X-Men #48, from Brian K. Vaughan.

Good stuff. I get paid next week. My eyes hurt.

I got my contacts yesterday. I haven't worn any in about three years, so I have to break these in, meaning I can't wear them for more than a couple of hours. Which is fine, because that's about as much as I can stand. I just took them out, and now my eyes itch and I look like I'm stoned. And I still need new glasses.

This is the most interesting thing that's happened to me lately.

I'm having to work on a Saturday. I'm all by myself and it is lonely. I will sing Travis's song to myself to keep me company. "Your skin no longer pink it white." Yeah, baby. That's rockin'.

I finally finished Wolves of the Calla last night, a 714-page son of a bitch that has been kicking my ass since November. As a Stephen King novel, it's amazing. As a Dark Tower novel, it's still freakin' amazing. We have four characters (or five, if you count animals as characters) that I've known since I was thirteen, but who have been around for alot longer, interacting with a whole town's worth of characters, including one from another King novel. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger (although one you can see coming), but it doesn't matter to me because I started Song of Susannah last night as well. It's only 400-and something pages, so it shouldn't kick my ass at all, especially since I don't have any classes this summer.

I read The Gunslinger, the first novel in The Dark Tower, at the end of seventh grade. It's probably my favorite book. I've read it a number of times since then, probably at least once a year. I don't remember exactly, but The Drawing of Three must have been read right after that, because I can remember my dad buying me a copy of The Waste Lands that summer in Ruidoso. In fact, I think that's the same summer I drove to New Mexico with by cousin Jacklyn and my dad's counsin Ricky in a far far to small for the four of us. I think that's when I finished The Drawing of the Three. But I remember finishing The Waste Lands in Ruidoso. I remember it so clearly because it was a copy bought at a used book store, but only half of the book was read. I thought that was odd. There was probably some old man who died half-way through reading the thing and never got to find out how Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy got out of Lud. I remember that making me a sad panda. Wizard and Glass, volume four, came out when I was in ninth grade. I remember reading it in art class, and doing a drawing of the Tower in the field of roses. But I had to be reading it later because I can remember my tenth grade Chemistry teacher and I talking about the series at great lenght. Perhaps it just took me that long to read. It's a bit of a long pastard as well (700 or 800 pages, if I remember). I know that I re-read all for of them during my senior year in high school. So these books are a heavy part of my life. The seventh and final volume comes out in September. I'm going to do a geek dance now.

Once again, the justification of money. Here's what's out this week: Amazing Spider-Man #509, featuring a new artist, Astonishing X-Men #2, continuing the Whedon brilliance; Avengers #84, Chuck Austen's last issue; Captain America #28, Robert Morales's last issue; Captain America and the Falcon #4, featuring the end of the current story arc; Catwoman #32, which is always good; Conan #5, which is also always good; Excalibur #2, which I might drop soon; The Flash #211, always a treat; Fraction #3, which isn't that good, but is about to end; The Gray Area #1 (of 3), John Romita's book; Kinetic #4, which is pretty good; The Losers #13, which I haven't read the last few issues of; Mystique #16, always good; Robin #127, featuring art from Damion Scott; Silver Surfer #10, which has become less and less good; Spyboy: Final Exam #2 (of 4), to which I say "yay;" Superman #206, which only looks pretty; Teen Titans #12, which I like less that Outsiders; Venom #16, which is ending soon; Wanted #4 (of 6), which is way late; The Witching #1, which I'm really looking foward to this; and Wonder Woman #205, which I think is the end of the current story arc.

I used the word "which" alot up there.

Working in a library, I'm constantly staring at any number of combinations of numbers and letters. These are some library of Congress classification call number that I found amusing for a few seconds:

BJ (as in oral sex) - books about ethics and social issues. Conclusion: oral sex is ethical.

BM (taking a poop) - books about Judaism. Conclusion: Jews like to poop.

BS (crap) - either the Bible or books about the Bible. Conclusion: well, if I say it, I might go to hell.

DD (Daredevil) - history of Germany. Conclusion: Matt Murdock is a Nazi.

DK (that damn barrel throwing monkey) - history of Russia. Conclusion: Donkey Kong is a Russkie.

DP (king donk of punchstonia) - history of Spain. Conclusion: don't have sex with people from Spain.

KCF (deep fried goodness) - local United States law. Conclusion: George Washington and Colonel Sanders are one and the same.

Also, the call numbers for graphic novels is PN 6727. Not funny, just interesting.

I'm bored. Yet I really have no desire to write anything here. I'm currenty taking a break from counting thousands of book order forms from the past three and a half years. I spent the weekend going through my TiVO and watch two weeks worth of stuff... The Dead Zone, Deadwood, and Six Feet Under. There are still some Andromeda episodes I should probably just delete because I really have no desire to watch them. I also knocked out some more pages of Wolves of the Calla, the 700-page bastard of a book I've had no time to read until recently. Damn you Stephen King and your insistent need to describe how robots can make footprints in the sand. I downloaded the new Bad Religion and Bestie Boys albums with every intention of buying them when I get paid tomorrow. Probably, anyways.

Look at that. I typed stuff. I need a nap.

white kids love hip-hop

"Man, there ain't nothin' to do in this stupid town. Rope swing's busted. Stinkin' cops always kickin' me out of the park. The manager of the 7-11 always sayin' 'get off my curb you good for nothin'.' All the girls already know I'm a bad kisser so they won't come anywhere near me. I don't know how many times I've been TGIF. A kid can eat an onion bloom only so many times. Bowling's boring and the skating rink's been taken over by twelve year olds. There ain't no good movies out. Blockbuster never has any good games in. I don't wanna play Wombat Racing. I mean, what the heck is that? I sick of all my records and every time I walk into a record store, I forget what I wanna get. And there ain't nothin' on TV. Not a stupid thing. There ain't nothin' to do 'cept take naps and wait patiently for death."

--Brak

Once again I present the list of crap I'm buying today, more to justify to myself spending this money than for any other reason. The Adventures of Superman #629, continuing Greg Rucka's run; The Amazing Spider-Man #508, John Romita, Jr.'s last issue; Birds of Prey #68, one of my favorite books right now; Captain Marvel #24, the penultimate issue to the series; Daredevil #61, featuring the return of Black Widow; Fantastic Four #514, starting a new storyarc; Ex Machina #1, Brian K. Vaughan's new series; Gotham Central #20, possibly my favorite book right now; Gotham Knights #54, which I don't know whether to like or not; Hawkman #29, continuing Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray's run; JSA #62, old school goodness; Mary Jane #1, Sean McKeever's new book; The Monolith #5, a book which I didn't expect to like as much as I do; New X-Men #2, a book which I thought I would like more; Outsiders #13, Judd Winick's book; Runaways #16, which is sadly coming to an end; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16, which nobody else reads; Thor #81, the second issue I've ever bought of this book; Ultimate Fantastic Four #7, Warren Ellis's first issue; Ultimate Spider-Man #61, continuing the Carnage arc; Wolverine #16, continuing Greg Rucka's run; X-Men #158, continuing Chuck Austen's run; and some other stuff I'll be getting later.

Food.

Why is it that the past three movies I've gone and seen have had crying children in them. Not the movies themselves, but the damn theaters. Multiple crying children. The two main things that jump to mind are the ratings of these movies (I think they were all R), and the time. I purposly went to the late shows so that I wouldn't have to put up with this crap. Late enough that the movie finishes past midnight. Get a freakin' babysitter. Stay the fuck home. Stop breeding. Something. I'm tired of it.

comic book review: identity crisis #1 (of 7)

Coffin written by Brad Meltzer, art by Rags Morales and Michael Bair (DC Comics, released June 9, 2004. $3.95)

Anyone who knows me know that I'm a DC guy. I was a DC kid growing up, and those stuck with. Sure, I know my Marvel just as much as the next guy, but DC is where my heart is. It probably always will be. When word came of this book, this new epic mini-series that would rock the foundations of the DC universe, I admit I was excited. And they chose Brad Metlzer to write it, who wrote probably my favorite Green Arrow story ever, The Archer's Quest, and has a handful of excellent novels under his belt. On top of that, Rags Morales is drawing it, who did some excellent work on Hawkman very recently. I knew I'd be there, and I knew it'd be good.

We are presented a story from several different points of view: Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), Ralph Dibney (Elongated Man), Clark Kent (Superman), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), and Tim Drake (Robin). Ralph's wife, Sue, someone close to almost every hero in some aspect or another, has been killed. Some heroes mourn, others try to solve the mystery of her death. Ralph gathers a group of his former comrades, including Oliver, Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Carter Hall (Hawkman), and Zatanna, to go after the person he believes responsible for Sue's death: Doctor Light.

Brad Meltzer has set up something great here. Something that I think everyone can enjoy. There's a secret buried here somewhere, something no one has spoken of since it happened. Here lies Meltzer's greatness: a mystery with characters that he knows and loves, that he knows how to write and who speak inside of his head. This is what makes a great comic book, and I know that the following issues will be just as great.

This guy is fucking crazy:

Vernon Robinson

Read that and try to tell me this guy isn't completely insane.

This is what you get when you don't where any clothes around people who have never seen a naked person:

Amanda being oggled at

Now take a look at how many times people have viewed these pictures. Most of them are 20. Maybe 30. Amanda's has almost 200. You know what that means, right? Not only are people probably relieving themselves to that picture, but they're coming back to do it again.

And there's always this picture. It doesn't have a counter.

And so he doesn't feel left out, here's one of Chris. I'm sure there's somebody out there jerking off to that picture as well.

I don't know what made me want to work fourty hours a week. Perhaps the need for sweet, sweet currency so that I may buy things that I don't really need.

Here's what came out at the comic book shop last week when I was out of town, that I picked up on Monday: B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs #4 (of 5), continuing Mike Mignola's mini-series; Detective Comics #795, the most under-rated of the Bat-books; Enginehead #3 (of 8), continuing Joe Kelly's freaky-ass mini-series; Exiles #48, the end of Tony Bedard's first story-arc; Firestorm #2, of which I don't yet know how to feel; Hard Time #5, continuing Oz with super-powers, Scratch #1 (of 5), featuring artwork by Sam Kieth; Superman: Birthright #11 (of 12), the penultimate chapter in Mark Waid's reworking of Superman's origin; Thor #80, Mike Oeming's first issue; Ultimate Fantastic Four #6, Brian Bendis and Mark Millar's last issue; Ultimate Spider-Man #60, the first issue of the "Carnage" arc; Uncanny X-Men #445, continuing Chris Claremont and Alan Davis's work on the book; and Y: The Last Man #23, which concludes the current story.

And here's what comes out today: Action Comics #816, continuing Chuck Austen's run on the book; Batman: Death and the Maidens #9 (of 9), the conclusion to the last Ra's Al Ghul story; Bite Club #3 (of 6), continuing an interesting vampire story; District X #2, continuing what I think is going to be a very interesting book; Fables #26, featuring the end of "March of the Wooden Soldiers"; Fallen Angel #12, one of my favorite books right now; Global Frequency #12 (of 12), concluding Warren Ellis's mini-series; Green Arrow #39, featuring the conclusion to the currect arc; Identity Crisis #1 (of 7), beginning Brad Meltzer's mini-series; Marvel Knights Spider-Man #3, continuing Mark Millar's new series; Nightwing #93, another of my favorite books; The Punisher #7, of which I'm still on the fence about; PvP #7, Scott Kurtz's book; Spectacular Spider-Man #15, featuring the Avengers; and Ultimate X-Men #47, continuing Brian K. Vaughan's work on the book.

I also picked up Buffy the Vampire Slayer season six on DVD on Monday. Awesome freakin' stuff. There's a great documentary on the making of the musical episode on there that was alot of fun to watch. I still need to go through the commentaries and other special features, though.

I still need sleep.

We got back from A-kon at about 9 or 10 last night. I got away with some DVDs (Samurai Fiction, the five Slayers OVAs, and two Farscape disc), some stickers, some Aqua Teen Hunger Force shoe laces, and a set of the Batman Hush action figures. I ended up spending more money on food and whatnot than I did on actual stuff. Still, this was probably the best one yet, as I got to make out with a total stranger. A really hot total stranger. And I learned some important things about my friends: Blake is a weirdo, Paolo is cheap, Daniel should never wear a dress, the back of Greg's head is a cat, Chris is 'gay,' Amanda should always wear clothes, and Travis really is a troll.

I still need sleep.

I watched ten hours of The West Wing yesterday on Bravo. Ten hours. TEN HOURS! Never have my eyes been so fixated on a television for so long. I get to go out of town on Thursday for A-kon. The anticipation is there, although not as strong as it has been in years past. I will still have an excellent time, though.

Back to work.