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Three Things for a Monday
Aug. 10th, 2009 09:11 am1. Saw Harry Potter 6 yesterday. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, but neither was there anything all that right. Like all but the third film in the series, it was a perfectly serviceable and rather well acted bit of entertainment that doesn't otherwise seem like a big deal. I thought this installment was rather light on plot for 2 1/2 hours, and that the director really overdid the washed-out look of so much of the film. I was also a bit annoyed that so many of the characters (and actors) I like were underutilized, like Neville and Hagrid and even Hermoine (who was far more an adjunct to the boys that before). OTOH, Daniel Radcliffe continues to impress and to bring the right note of frustration to all the crap that keeps getting dropped on his head, and both Alan Rickman and Tom Felton were perfect. When all else fails with these films, just enjoy the acting.
2. It's been ages since I read a super-hero comic that I would call excellent. Really good? I still can find that a few times a month. Excellent? Rarely. And even more rarely from Marvel. But the first TPB of the current Nova comic is excellent. Gripping, a bit gritty, a bit sad, surprisingly witty, and always smart, this series builds on what happened to Richard Rider in the Annihilation event and creates a harsh but entertaining adventure. Abnett and Lanning are completely on their game, and Sean Chen's art is the ideal match (and reminiscent of Gil Kane at his best). If you are looking for cosmic super-heroics, and for a character who is both believable human and a real hero, look no further. I have to get the next book and see what comes next.
3. Wish I could recommend The Dc Comics Encyclopedia with as much enthusiasm. But it's seriously flawed. While a book that offers updated "Who's Who" listings for the vast majority of DC's heroes, villains and major supporting cast is welcome, this book has a lot of trouble dealing with the endlessly altered timelines and complicated story arcs. If you are not a DC fan, the entries (especially for things related to the Legion) are going to be even less accessible than the comics. This book is for hardcore fans only. And such fans will not tolerate the contradictions between listings and the slew of errors. How much can you trust a book that calls characters by the wrong name? (Matter-EATING Lad? He was already silly enough as Matter-EATER Lad. At least get his name right.) I'm reading it through from A to Z, but it you are not as die-hard a fan as I am, skip it.
2. It's been ages since I read a super-hero comic that I would call excellent. Really good? I still can find that a few times a month. Excellent? Rarely. And even more rarely from Marvel. But the first TPB of the current Nova comic is excellent. Gripping, a bit gritty, a bit sad, surprisingly witty, and always smart, this series builds on what happened to Richard Rider in the Annihilation event and creates a harsh but entertaining adventure. Abnett and Lanning are completely on their game, and Sean Chen's art is the ideal match (and reminiscent of Gil Kane at his best). If you are looking for cosmic super-heroics, and for a character who is both believable human and a real hero, look no further. I have to get the next book and see what comes next.
3. Wish I could recommend The Dc Comics Encyclopedia with as much enthusiasm. But it's seriously flawed. While a book that offers updated "Who's Who" listings for the vast majority of DC's heroes, villains and major supporting cast is welcome, this book has a lot of trouble dealing with the endlessly altered timelines and complicated story arcs. If you are not a DC fan, the entries (especially for things related to the Legion) are going to be even less accessible than the comics. This book is for hardcore fans only. And such fans will not tolerate the contradictions between listings and the slew of errors. How much can you trust a book that calls characters by the wrong name? (Matter-EATING Lad? He was already silly enough as Matter-EATER Lad. At least get his name right.) I'm reading it through from A to Z, but it you are not as die-hard a fan as I am, skip it.
