[Comics] Some DC New 52 Thoughts, Six Months Later...

Regardless of the fact that DC Comics is still touting “The New 52!” on the covers of their books, the “New” 52 is now six months old.  In those six months, I had gone from being a fairly completest DC Comics customer, to buying FIVE books with any regularity.  DC Comics is writing for a different audience and good on them, they seem to have found one.  In the past several months, DC has dominated the sales charts in units sold (though, now falling below Marvel in dollar share thanks in no short measure to Marvel’s inflated pricing structure).  My decade and change investment in the publications and characters of DC Comics is over.

Admittedly, I would be tempted to drop the remaining five DC books I have managed to hold on to… my completest nature, however, will not completely allow me a clean break.  The five books I continue to collect are:

Action Comics

Batman

Justice League

Justice League International

Teen Titans

            Batman is my pick for strongest title.  It’s no surprise, considering that the Batman titles (along with the Green Lantern books, apparently) kept most of their backstory.  If the “New 52” had not come to pass, this Batman could have easily existed pre-Flashpoint (with a markedly younger version of Commissioner Gordon, admittedly).  Keeping in mind, we are still in the midst of the opening story-arc, whether or not existing Batman characters will be “re-introduced” or “re-origined” in the coming months remains to be seen.

                Action Comics is the title I was most excited for during the lead up to re-launch, and thus far it has struck me as rather underwhelming.  Not bad, by any stretch of the imagination… just not what I expected.  I’m too big a fan of Grant Morrison to outright drop this title, and I would imagine that if anything noteworthy to the DC (n)Universe were to go down, it would happen in either this title or…

                Justice League.  The flagship book for the new DC, has delivered on what it’s promised.  What it’s promised, however, is not really to my liking.  Though, I understand the addition of Cyborg as a founder of the team, for diversity’s sake… I’m still not a fan of it.  I’ve always enjoyed Cyborg as a Titan, who “graduated” into the ranks of the Justice League.  Then again, I’m a bit of a sucker for the “Legacy” methodology to the old DC Universe.  In the last volume of Justice League (of America), the team was comprised primarily of legacy heroes… graduated Teen Titans.  This displayed that there is a hierarchy to DC’s super-hero teams… that a Teen Titan or an Outsider could one day become a member of the vaunted Justice League.  Hell, I’m also a pretty big Martian Manhunter (who Cyborg replaced) fan, so that may be clouding my judgment a bit as well.  Back to the new volume, it feels as though the new backstory is being shoe-horned rather painfully into place.  A handful of issues in and Batman ALREADY shared his secret identity with Green Lantern?  In the book, they’d just barely met… I know, I know, this is not necessarily the Batman I grew up reading, so I cannot use his “existing” pattern of behavior to diagnose his current personality.  It still rubs me the wrong way, however.  This title will likely remain on my pull-list, as I have a nearly complete run of Justice League starting from a couple of years before the original Crisis.

                Justice League International is a bit of a strange one.  Being “launched” out of 2010-2011’s Justice League: Generation Lost maxi-series, this title features most of the characters normally associated with the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League.  However, with this being the re-launched universe, the characters now share no backstory.  The whole purpose, at least to me, for launching this type of title is to play off the character’s existing histories.  Why would anyone care about the dynamic between Booster Gold, Batman and Guy Gardner without being able to reflect on past experience with the characters?  I know it’s unfair of me to say that these characters are being written “out of character” considering we are playing tabula rasa with the whole affair, however, I am having a difficult time reconciling myself to the fact that these are for all intents and purposes NEW characters.

                Teen Titans rounds out my list of keepers… a rather dreadful book, in my opinion.  The only reason I keep this one on my pull-list is, like Justice League, I have a nearly complete run of the Titans dating back to the 1980 Wolfman/Perez “New Teen Titans” run.  That, in addition to the hopes that the title will improve will keep me coming back for at least the foreseeable future.  Again, I need to be careful not to harp on “mischaracterization” of some of my old favorites…

                So, has the DC re-launch been a success?  Undoubtedly.  DC should be applauded for their risky undertaking of turning their existing universe on its ear, and coming out on top (as of this writing).  I do hope that this does not become the precedent for boosting sales throughout the industry. 

Unfortunately, I can see Marvel doing something like this come the Avengers vs. X-Men summer cross-over.  With all the talks of late of the Phoenix returning to earth to make things die, and be reborn… I fear Marvel may be going the re-launch route this coming fall.  If this were to occur, I fear it may be my time to tap out.  If/when this occurs; if DC is anything to go by, it will be a great boon to sales, and fiscally speaking… I cannot think of a reason NOT to do it.  I am rapidly shifting gears here, going into a subject which may be better off a new post… so I will save it, for if and when we get any further details.

[Wrestling] WWE Vengeance 2011

WWE’s Vengeance just wrapped up a few hours back, figured I would give some of my thoughts on the event.

Before I get into the matches, I gotta say… if the WWE *NEVER* mentions twitter again, it’ll be too soon.  I could not care less what WWE buzz-phrase is currently “trending worldwide”.  Instead of worrying about attracting followers and ridiculous made up hash-tags (like #ridiculousmadeuphashtag) concentrate on putting out a regularly-delivering top-quality product.

The show opened with a tag-title bout with Air-Boom defending against… um, Zig-Swag?  Decent match, however, I don’t think I ever need to see Dolph and Kofi in the same ring again.  Air-Boom got the win.  I was hoping Ziggler and Swagger would take this one; they’ve been making everyone they’ve worked with look great.  I don’t see any ceiling for either of them, and I hope to see them both moving up closer to the top of the card.

The second match again featured Dolph Ziggler… this time he was defending the United States title against Zack Ryder.  I know we’re supposed to dig Ryder, I mean, he’s the guy who made himself when WWE couldn’t be bothered.  I just can’t get into the guy, I think his appeal was that he *was* being held back.  Was worried for a bit that he’d beat Dolph and take the title… was very pleased when he didn’t.

The Divas Title match was quite good.  Eve and Beth worked well together, and for a few seconds there I thought Eve was going to win.  I’m glad Beth retained, it took her so long to win it (featuring far too many clean losses to Kelly Kelly), if she dropped it now, it would be tough to rebuild her as a credible threat.

I was shocked to see the HHH/Punk v Miz/Truth match this low on the card.  Considering how the World Title match ended, it becomes a bit clearer.  This was a fun match that showcased all four competitors.  Would have liked to see Miz and Truth look a bit stronger here (especially if this is all building to a Survivor Series elimination match), but for whatever reason, outside of Mark Henry, the WWE seems incapable of booking strong heels.  Was happy to see Kevin Nash return, that jackknife however, looked a bit rough.

Sheamus and Christian was a great match, which allowed Christian far more offense than I feared he’d get.  Really fun match, both men came out of it looking great.  Sheamus hit a wicked looking Brogue Kick on a spearing Christian to win.  Again, a really fun match.

I became otherwise engaged during Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.  Had to pick a match to miss to handle some laundry… this was the one.  All I know is I heard Orton’s music twice, which was exactly what I expected.  Adding the Intercontinental title to this match would have made it more exciting.  Putting a secondary title on Orton could really improve the belt’s prestige in a time when it really needs it.

Mark Henry is probably my favorite thing in Pro-Wrestling… and he has been since his return to SmackDown!  Pitting him against the Big Show provided an awesome power-match.  This was a great match, featuring an incredible spot.  The ring implosion hasn’t been done in, what 8-9 years?  This was a lot of fun.  I hope this leads to another match in this feud.

Alberto Del Rio *barely* retained the WWE Title against John Cena in a Last Man Standing Match.  Over the past few years, I’d begrudgingly become a John Cena fan… this match, however… Cena was booked far too strong.  It took Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, The Miz, R-Truth, the backstage interview set, the Vengeance “V”, and a belt shot to keep Cena down for a ten-count… and JUST a ten-count… if this was a “Stay Down for an 11 Count” match, it would probably still be going on.  The bout featured a lot of neat spots, and I’m glad Del Rio retained… just wish he could be booked a bit stronger.

Assuming The Miz and R-Truth running in on this match further builds the big Survivor Series Elimination Tag match (which will feature the in-ring return of The Rock), the attack should have left Cena laying until the show went off the air.  Instead, he got back up and had to take a belt-shot to end the match.  I’m sure Cena can cleanly lose a match, and not lose any fans… all this does is cause the heels to look incredibly ineffectual.  Alberto Del Rio, looked like he’d be the WWE’s next big heel going into 2011… now, he’s on his second dirty WWE title reign, and can only get clean wins over John Morrison… who I think *I* even have a clean win over.

Looking at it this way, Cena on his own is damn-near a Terminator-level beast.  It took four men and several gimmicks to (barely) end this match.  How are we supposed to fear for John Cena and his team of 3-4 partners (including The Rock) against a group of guys that have been booked like geeks over the past several weeks when Cena can just about withstand them all on his own?

Vengeance 2011 was definitely a miss-able show, not terrible… but not necessary.  I’m probably coming off sounding pretty bitter over the whole thing, and I apologize if that’s the case… maybe I need a bit of a break from the product.  It’s been a pretty grating few months of WWE programming; I may just require a small respite.  The good news is the “three pay-per-views in a six-week span” is over.  The upcoming build to Survivor Series should be interesting and I’m looking forward to it.

[Comics] DC Reboot Thoughts

Figured I may as well join the rest of the comics blogosphere and share my thoughts on the DC Comics Reboot post-Flashpoint. Funny, I’m actually quite enjoying Flashpoint, however, I’m not altogether certain that I will be able to fully appreciate what follows.

Back in the mid-late 1990’s, I found myself in a strange place in my comics fandom… I was a new reader. To DC Comics, that is. Of course, I was fully aware of Superman and Batman their origins and what they were all about, I just had no desire to follow their monthly adventures. Coming into my late teens, and finding myself with the first “disposable” income I’d ever possessed. Being a foolish teenager, instead of putting said income aside for the future or for my higher education, I blew it on comics. DC Comics. I’d already been buying the nearly the entire Marvel line I was interested in. Grant Morrison’s JLA, No-Man’s-Land Batman, Mark Waid’s Flash were just some of the new titles I’d used in effort of dipping my toe into the DC pool.

In the years to follow, I’d bounce back and forth between being a Marvel guy and a DC guy. Up until recently, I’ve been pretty heavily biased towards DC. What with the lower prices and less snarky editorial teams, DC just seemed like a nicer universe to play in and follow.

Now… Flashpoint and the Great DC Reboot. I can’t claim to have been a comics fan during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, so it’d be silly for me to compare this to that. I wonder if in the near future if we’ll be referring to the time we’re in now as pre-Flashpoint, or if this will serve as a simple blip of a gimmick that had already been overturned.

I don’t really have any problem with DC deciding it’s in their best interests to inject a bit of youth into their established franchises. I did, at the onset, think it was rather foolish to reboot titles such as Action Comics and Detective Comics back to Issue #1. I’ve come around to it (at least the logic of it) when DC announced same-day digital availability on all titles. It only makes sense to re-start the titles at #1 with that in mind. Granted, to use such logic is to buy in to the theory that it’s the scary numbers on the established titles that are keeping new readers away. Either way, it is what it is… time to buckle down and enjoy (or not) the ride. On to the… ahem, 52 Number One’s DC will be launching come September.

Action Comics #1 (by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales)

This list is obviously alphabetical, though, I really couldn’t pick a better title to start the list with. Grant Morrison on Superman may just make this entire experiment worthwhile. Out of the entire line, THIS is the title I’m looking most forward to. The apparent affinity for the silver age that Morrison has keeps me a bit more at ease on the entire affair. Definite buy from me.

Animal Man #1 (by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green)

Enjoyed some of the old pre-Vertigo Animal Man series (the Morrison and Milligan runs especially). Not really sure I’d like to read more solo-Animal Man. It’s likely I’ll pick up Issue #1 to try it out.

All-Star Western #1 (by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Moritat)

Creative team notwithstanding, I’ve heard great things about Gray/Palmiotti’s Jonah Hex series, this is likely a pass from me. Not terribly interested in a Western Comic.

Aquaman #1 (by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis)

Aquaman looks to be finally coming into his own as a bona fide A-Lister with Johns and Reis at the helm. I’ve not enjoyed Aquaman since the Peter David run of almost 20 years ago. I’ll more than likely try this one out.

Batgirl #1 (starring Barbara Gordon; by Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes)

Not interested in seeing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. Pass.

Batman #1 (by Scott Snyder & Greg Capulllo)

Really digging Snyder’s current run on Detective Comics, will probably grab this.

Batman & Robin #1 (by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason)

Tomasi and Gleason had a brief run on B&R earlier this year that was really quite good. Not sure if I’ll continue being a Bat-Completist after the relaunch… this one seems like a good jumping off point for me.

Batman: The Dark Knight #1 (David Finch and Jay Fobok)

If we see this one in the year 2011, I’d be shocked. Pass.

Batwing #1 (by Judd Winick and Ben Oliver)

Batwing is one of the new Batmen from Batman Incorporated… so, does that mean Batman Inc. is still around in the new DC Universe? Utterly confusing that they’d pick Batwing of all people for an ongoing title. I don’t see this one hitting the double digits. An experimental title to show that DC have black heroes, perhaps… it’s taking place in Africa too, so maybe Winick can pummel us with more HIV/AIDs lectures. Pass.

Batwoman #1 (by J.H. Williams III, Haden Blackman and Amy Reede)

Wasn’t interested in this one pre-reboot, definitely not interested in it now.

Birds of Prey #1 (by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz)

Not feeling a non-Simone, non-Dixon BoP. Of course it’s unfair to judge a title under such circumstances… and to be completely honest, a Simone or Dixon BoP would barely interest me at this point.

Blackhawks #1 (by Mike Costa and Ken Lashley)

This may be a fun title to try out. I know next to nothing about the title, only having read the Howard Chaykin series of prestige format stories. Will probably give this one a try.

Blue Beetle #1 (by Tony Bedard, Ig Guara and Ruy Jose)

I really rather enjoyed the previous Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle volume post Infinite Crisis. Will likely give this one a whirl.

Captain Atom #1 (by J.T. Krul & Freddie Williams II)

Just last year I came into an almost complete run of the Captain Atom series from the 1980’s. Really enjoyed what I read of it. Didn’t so much enjoy the WildStorm mini-series or Bob Harras’s abortive Breach. I feel Captain Atom is a better team-member than a solo-hero. I’ve liked him as chairman of the JLE and as part of the Generation Lost JLI. Will probably grab at least the first issue though I’m not expecting much.

Catwoman #1 (by Judd Winick and Guillem March)

Nah. Nothing against the creators, but the only solo Catwoman I’ve ever liked was the Ed Brubaker one.

Deathstroke #1 (by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert)

Always thought Deathstroke was a bit overrated as a character. Surprisingly, I liked the first issue of his Flashpoint mini. Dependent on how the mini works out, I may try this one out.

DC Universe Presents #1 (Anthology - first arc Deadman by Paul Jenkins & Bernard Chang)

I have a really hard time paying even $2.99 for an anthology title. I’ve never bought an anthology title and felt that I’d gotten my money’s worth. Depending on reviews, I may pick this one up in trade.

Demon Knights #1 (by Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert)

Etrigan the Demon, you say? Sorry, I was napping just then. Etrigan, for me, is just THAT character. The one where whenever he’s on panel I’m suddenly more interested in just about anything… laundry, weeding, checking the smoke detectors… you get the point. Paul Cornell is a fantastic writer, and hopefully he can do something with the character that could draw me in. The fact that this title is apparently taking place in medieval Europe doesn’t really help matters. I have a feeling this will be a title with a cult-like following… all of whom will be terribly disappointed when it gets cancelled within its first year.

Detective Comics #1 (by Tony Daniel)

So, Snyder goes from 'Tec to Batman, and Daniel goes from Batman to Tec. I guess that makes it feel, err, kind of new. I’ll probably grab the first issue, though Daniel’s current run on Batman really isn’t holding my attention.

Flash #1 (by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato)

Bit of a Flash completest, I may be… this one may depend on which Flash it showcases. Barry Allen was never MY Flash. I grew up knowing only Wally and hearing of the legend of Barry. I liked that. If it’s a Barry book, I’ll try it. If it’s a Wally book, I’m all over it. I won’t even hazard that it may be a Bart or Jay title.

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #1 (by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli)

The current Frankenstein Flashpoint mini hasn’t captured my imagination, and his Seven Soldiers mini didn’t either. Not really looking forward to this one.

The Fury of Firestorm #1 (by Gail Simone and co-writer Ethan Van Sciver; art by Yildiray Cinar)

I’ll try this one. I tried getting into the early 80’s Firestorm recently. The stories were always solid and decent; however, on the whole it felt terribly dated. Glad to have the opportunity to read a contemporary Firestorm (having missed out on the Jolley run post Infinite Crisis).

Green Arrow #1 (by J.T. Krul and Dan Jurgens)

I can’t really mince words here. I really like the Green Arrow. Years ago I’d devoured the Grell run, and have been looking for a Green Arrow title that could recapture the magic, as it were. J.T. Krul’s already had over a dozen issues to do so… and hasn’t. Granted, he’s been stuck towing the Brightest Day line… but, still. I’ll grab the first issue.

Green Lantern #1 (by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy)

Green Lantern Corps #1 (by Peter J. Tomas, Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna)

Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1 (by Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham and Batt)

Remember when I mentioned using the reboot as a jumping off point for some of the ancillary Bat-titles? Green Lantern has been on my chopping block for a few months now… I’d only stuck with to see it through to the War of the Green Lanterns. Post-Flashpoint, I’m cutting Lantern titles cold turkey.

Grifter #1 (by Nathan Edmondson, CAFU and BIT)

Eh? Grifter was always a character I wanted to dig. He’s got a great look… sadly, I’ve never found him anything resembling interesting. Doubt I’ll pick this one up.

Hawk & Dove #1 (by Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld)

Pass… and No, not because of Liefeld. Liefeld art isn’t something that’s bothered me in years… it’s obviously fashionable to bash his work… he’s a man who clearly loves comics, and was able to carve out his own piece of the industry, good on him. His work hearkens back to a very interesting period in comics history, I think it’s neat that he’ll be part of this. That said, I truly have no interest in the characters.

I, Vampire #1 (by Josh Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino)

Wait, what? I think this may be a DC attempt at testing the axiom “If you build it, they will come.” catering to the bookstore crowd. Not for me, though… no thanks.

Justice League #1 (by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee)

This appears to be the lynchpin of the entire DC Universe post-Flashpoint. Yeah, I’ll be getting it.

Justice League Dark #1 (by Peter Milligan and Mikel Janin)

Perhaps the silliest title on this list. Really like the characters (and creators) involved in this, however, I just can’t shake the feeling that John Constantine does NOT belong on any Justice League team. Just feels wrong.

Justice League International #1 (by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti)

I never thought I’d EVER say “I wish Judd Winick were writing this” but, here we are. Love the JLI, so I’ll be picking this one up.

Legion Lost #1 (by Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods)

Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (by Paul Levitz and Francis Portela)

I’ve never been able to get into the Legion. I’m sure I’ll be passing on both of these.

Mister Terrific #1 (by Eric Wallace and Roger Robinson)

Look DC has Black Superheroes! Mister Terrific is an odd pick for an ongoing title… especially as he’s most associated with the Justice Society… and the Justice Society is nowhere to be found post-reboot. Pretty sure I wouldn’t buy a solo Reed Richards ongoing… so, I’m really sure I wouldn’t buy a Mr. Terrific one.

Nightwing #1 (by Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrow)

Maybe. I’ve invested a lot of time, interest (and money) in the current Batman direction… The current teams on the Bat-titles were able to convince me to accept Dick as Batman. I’m not totally happy with demoting him back to Nightwing. May try the first issue, doubtful for the long haul.

Omac #1 (by Dan DiDio, Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish)

Nope. Love Giffen… but, nope.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort)

This is an odd one… Why isn’t Winick writing this one, now? Not that I would have been interested in the book either way. Pass.

Red Lantern Corps #1 (by Peter Milligan, Ed Benes and Rob Hunter)

I’d like to give this one a shot, due to it having Milligan writing it… however, I fear that since I’m not planning on picking up any of the other Lantern titles, I’d only be getting part of a story… that, and I’d hate to be pulled back into the Lantern-verse, just as I’m ready to leave it totally.

Resurrection Man #1 (by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino)

I remember liking what little I read of DnA’s Resurrection Man from over a decade ago… the first issue had like a holographic pog on it, I believe. Still, as it didn’t exactly set the world on fire then, this is a strange title to pick for a launch. Haven’t decided on this one yet.

Savage Hawkman #1 (by Tony Daniel & Philip Tan)

I thought James Robinson was supposed to be writing this one? Oh well, the only Hawkman I’ve ever been able to get into was the Geoff Johns version from JSA and the solo-title from that era… hearing the rumblings of Hawkman being given yet another new origin has me spooked… Pass.

Sgt. Rock and the Men of War #1 (by Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick)

I can’t even think of an interesting way to say I’m not interested in this one. Pass.

Static Shock #1 (John Rozum, Scott McDaniel and Jonathan Glapion)

See, DC has black superher—oh, Static? I may actually be interested in Static. Great creative team at that. Yeah, I’ll grab this one.

Stormwatch #1 (by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda)

Never read any Stormwatch… wonder why they’d launch this, and not something like, say, WildCATs… I’ll have to do some Stormwatch reseach and see if this sounds like something for me.

Suicide Squad #1 (by Adam Glass and Marco Rudy)

It’s suddenly apparent why we have no Secret Six on this list. I’ve recently gone on a crusade to collect the entire Ostrander run on Suicide Squad, and am nearing completion. The Squad is a fun concept, and I look forward to checking it out. The cover, however, is… well, not so good.

Superboy #1 (by Scott Lodbell, R.B. Silva and Rob Lean)

Depending on how Superboy is in Teen Titans, I may check this one out from time to time. Probably not though.

Supergirl #1 (by Michael Green and Mike Johnson)

Nope. Sorry, nothing more to say on this one.

Superman #1 (WRITTEN BY George Perez; art by Jesus Marino)

Nah, I think Action will be my Superman title.

Swamp Thing #1 (by Scott Snyder and Yannick Paquette)

I’ll reserve judgment on this one, until seeing how the Brightest Day Aftermath series pans out. Swamp Thing without Moore has never even registered on my interest meter, though.

Teen Titans #1 (by Scott Lobdell, Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund)

Scott Lobdell wrote a whole load of X-Men comics during my more formative years. Seeing him on a Teen Titans book shouldn’t excite me as much as it is. Will be grabbing this one.

Voodoo #1 (by Ron Marz and Sami Basri)

Voodoo? The WildCATs member Voodoo? This was green-lit, why? Will any of us be surprised when this one goes down?

Wonder Woman #1 (by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang)

Never read Wonder Woman… the creative team here feels an odd choice. Though, I actually now find myself interested in checking this one out.

Well, there we go. Fifty Two Number 1’s for DC this September. I’m sure the sales will be incredible that month… October through the end of 2011, however, will give us the real story.

For the moment, I’m reading all the Flashpoint tie-ins, and will be opining on those shortly (this week’s comics has the last of the flashpoint #1’s). I’ll do a full run down on them either later this week, or early next… I’ll pass on which ones I’ll continue reading, and which ones I’m not going to grab the last two issues of.

I know this was a long one, thanks for reading!

[Wrestling] WWE WrestleMania XXVII

I've attempted to put this little column together for most of the day... can't seem to shake off the write-rust. Gonna give it another go... haven't written anything of substance in quite some time now... nothing for fun, anyway.

Anyhoo... off we go. WrestleMania 27! We'll attack this beast from top to bottom.

WWE Championship Match

The Miz (c) vs. John Cena

Regardless or where this match falls on the card, I feel this is THE main event of the evening. Most places I've seen this program discussed, the main focus was placed on the ongoing discourse between John Cena and WrestleMania "Host" The Rock, leaving the actual MATCH somewhere in the background. I think it's been played quite well so far, however, this past week on Raw, the WWE may have crossed the proverbial rubicon in teasing us with a potential Rock/Cena match-up... that I feel they're going to have to eventually deliver.

As for the match, I must admit... I figured The Miz would have dropped the title, either at the Royal Rumble or in the Elimination Chamber... leaving him free to give Jerry Lawler (who we'll discuss later) his inaugural WrestleMania match. I've enjoyed the Miz's reign thus far, and feel his sneak attacks on Cena in recent weeks have been extremely well played... however, I don't see him leaving Mania with the strap. With a heel more than likely going over in the World Title Match (spoiler: I'm picking Del Rio), I think they'll give Cena the win.

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Edge (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio has sure become a big deal... pretty quick. Not too many will "get" that, I'm sure. Del Rio fulfilled his "destiny" by winning the 2011 Royal Rumble match, launching him into the WrestleMania "Main Event" (which I'm guessing will be placed firmly in the mid-card) and a shot... er, opportunity for the World Heavyweight Championship. I really can't see him losing here. Across the ring, we have Edge... who, well... I'm not really sure where I see him fitting right now. It simply seems as though there isn't a whole lot left for him to do... On Smackdown! he's either World Champion or challenging the World Champion. He's in the 2006-2008 Batista rut, which wasn't a whole lot of fun to watch. While I was hoping for the inclusion of Christian into the match, it appears that he'll probably get involved in some way... possibly costing Edge the title, either by accident or design.

No-Holds-Barred Match

The Undertaker vs. Triple H

Okay... I *know* I've seen this match before... Could've sworn these two faced off at WrestleMania before... nah, if that were the case, they'd have surely mentioned it, right?

All joking aside, I guess I kind of understand their not bringing up Hunter's WrestleMania X-7 loss to The Undertaker... many younger fans probably haven't the foggiest idea it even happened. I can understand it... but don't appreciate it. I keep feeling as though I should care about this match more... or at least, that I'm being told by the WWE that I should. This match is being portrayed as the second coming of Hogan/Andre. Though I can't argue it'll probably be a better match from a technical standpoint (may even be match of the night), there's no way this match has anywhere near the spectacle.

The Streak is the thing, of course. Winning this year, would put the Undertaker at 19-0 at WrestleMania. The recent face-to-face confrontation these two shared on Raw (along with a surprise visit from HBK) just may have served us a bit of a curveball. They were clearly setting up the classic guy who looks better on the go-home Raw loses the PPV match, with Michaels telling Triple H he wouldn't be able to win. Even with all of that, I can't see The Undertaker losing here. I think NEXT year will be the more likely end to the streak, with Taker hoping to go 20-0.

It bugs me whenever I think of how the WWE blew John Cena's WrestleMania undefeated streak in a lousy three way match at WrestleMania 24 (Cena's WM record now stands at 6-1). If next year, Cena were to challenge the Undertaker to a streak vs. streak match... now, THAT match would have a decent amount of spectacle to it.

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton

I'm a big fan of CM Punk. It bugged me that he was taken off program with Cena and put with Orton for WrestleMania. I wanted the Raw Main Event to be Cena/Punk for the WWE Title (with, as previously mentioned... the Miz vs. Lawler). I haven't really enjoyed the New Nexus storyline. Prior to losing Wade Barrett, the Nexus felt like a force of nature... now, they're just a faction. Hell, right now, they've all been punted back to FCW. Orton's always come off a bit wooden to me... kinda dug his more sociopathic persona, right now it's like he's being shown caring for his family... I just don't "get" Orton as a sympathetic character. I think Orton will take this one, in a great match.

Rey Mysterio vs. "Dashing" Cody Rhodes

This is the match I've forgotten about several times while running down the card in my head. Cody Rhodes has grown leaps and bounds as a competitor and a character, and Rey always shines in big-match scenarios... The lead up to this match was almost done in the background... very well done. The announce team making comments during the Royal Rumble that Cody couldn't compete due to the facial injury suffered at the hands (err, knees) of Mysterio... leading to the confrontation and challenge. Fun build which will lead to a fun little match. I think Mysterio will take it.

Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Michael Cole

This match is a bit of a double edged sword for me.

On one hand, it displays the importance and prestige of a "WrestleMania Match". Jerry Lawler has mentioned in passing on commentary for the past several YEARS that he's never once had the opportunity to compete at WrestleMania. It goes a long way to show how competitors strive to and work their entire career hoping to showcase their talents at WrestleMania... and cements it as the biggest show of the year... not just for WWE... but for the entire wrestling world. It's great the Jerry Lawler, after nearly 20 years in the WWE, is finally getting his match.

On the other hand... he's facing Michael Cole. So, we've already established the prestige and honor it is to have competed at WrestleMania... and instead of giving Lawler a match against a credible talent... we get Michael Cole? Don't get me wrong, as a character... Michael Cole has been fantastic since the inception of NXT and his heelish character... a character we've all been begging to see Jerry Lawler throw a fireball at... I was just hoping, again, that we'd have Lawler vs. The Miz (with Michael Cole).

This is probably the match that has been given the most build... as Lawler and Cole are ALWAYS on-screen (at least vocally), and I must say... the build has been absolutely fantastic. I'm hoping the fall-out of this match has Cole left on Smackdown! as a commentator, while appearing on Raw as a manager... with Jim Ross returning to Raw's announce booth permanently. Oh, yeah... the match... Lawler wins... hopefully with a piledriver.

WWE United States Championship Match

King Sheamus (c) vs. Daniel Bryan

I'm glad they're finally showcasing a secondary title at WrestleMania. Sheamus and Bryan have had some really fun matches leading up to this... and I'm quite confident they'll "bring it" at WrestleMania. I'm very excited to see Bryan Danielson's first WrestleMania match. This is the only match of the show that I can't with great confidence, pick a winner. If I have to choose, which I don't... but I will anyway... I think Daniel Bryan will re-capture the United States Championship.

6-Person Mixed Tag Match

John Morrison/Trish Stratus/Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler/Layla/Michelle McCool

Up until recent episodes of Raw I had no idea what a "Snooki" was. I know I'd heard the name before, and that she was on a reality show of some sort, but I wouldn't be able to pick her out of a line-up... and life was just a little bit nicer. I haven't followed TNA Wrestling since Hogan and the gang came in... but I'm hearing they are also using Jersey Shore people... jeez.

Anyhoo... the match. It's a real shame to waste the talents of... well, everybody involved in this match... in this match. Ziggler and Morrison certainly deserve better... and a Trish return to the ring would've been, in my opinion, best served in a non-gimmick match. Perhaps a one-on-one with Layla El or Michelle McCool.

This being a celebrity match, Snooki's team will more than likely get the win... more than likely with Snooki pinning Ziggler after either a botched "finisher" they teach her, or via capitalizing on a Starship Pain. Not looking forward to this one... and it will ultimately be this generation's "Limp Bizkit is WWE's favorite band", in trying to use popular culture without realizing how terribly it dates the product.

8-Man Tag Team Match

Big Show/Kane/Santino Marella/Vladimir Kozlov vs. Wade Barrett/Heath Slater/Justin Gabriel/Ezekiel Jackson

Hmm... Just where in the hell is Diesel? I was hoping that Big Daddy Cool would somehow get involved in this one. While we're at it... where's Kofi Kingston? He certainly deserves to perform at WrestleMania more than... err, Santino? Kozlov?

Oh well... what can ya do? The Corre needs to get the victory here to stay strong. I feel that since the original Nexus dissolved, the founding members lost a bit of their cache. Don't get me wrong, three of the four members currently carry championship gold (Intercontinental and Tag Team, respectively) but, the dangerousness of the original Nexus just isn't there.

The lack of a Money in the Bank ladder match really hurts the card, in my opinion. Too many worthy competitors are being left off the biggest show of the year. Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Christian, Evan Bourne, Drew McIntyre, Ted DiBiase, Mark Henry... guys that should have fit somewhere on this show... ultimately will be relegated to the pre-show Battle Royal, that nobody will care about, or even mention the winner of, possibly only in passing. Hell, they could have debuted Sin Cara (Mistico) in the Money in the Bank match. Maybe even Awesome Kong.

Warts and all, this IS WrestleMania, and should be a good show. Haven't decided if I'll head to O'Sullivan's for this or maybe just order it and have some friends over. I am looking forward to it, for sure... and will hopefully share my thoughts on the proceedings after the show.

[Comics] The "Jim Cornette Analysis" on the Four Groups of Comics' Target Audience

About a hundred years ago, I'd mentioned on this site that I was planning on shamelessly ripping off an article I read about an interview with pro-wrestling's James E. Cornette, where he opined about the "Four Groups of Wrestling's Target Audience".  Original article, here.

I hadn't done so yet, as I really hadn't been motivated to talk much about comics at all.  I feel I've become far too "familiar" with the industry... and as the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.

I was flipping thru a few copies of the more recent Marvel Previews while waiting for the shower to heat up, and suddenly became painfully aware of something.  Though I've been supporting Marvel Comics for the past twenty-odd years, I am not their target audience.  Seeing blurbs of "From the writer of Entourage", "From the writer of Heroes"... tells me that Marvel (and mainstream comics at large) are becoming more about the singer and less about the song.

What follows is word-for-word what Jim Cornette had said in regards to the Four Groups of Wrestling's Target Audience... with all the mentions of WRESTLING removed and changed to fit the comics industry.  There's a bit of salty language... which I'll cut out.  I guess I'll never get a job at DC with that kind of attitude, eh?

The First Group: "There are this many people who buy anything in a comic shop. They're going to come and buy anything comics related no matter what. They're hardcore. They are on the internet. They want to come because either they can't get enough comics or they want to b**** and complain about something and say how they could do it better."

The Second Group: "This crowd likes good comics. Not old comics, not new comics, just good comics. There's two kinds of comics: good comics and bad comics. I don't care who presents it or what it is, that's this crowd, that's the second crowd. They want to read good comics and if you present a good product for an extended period of time to where it gets the point across, they will come to see you.

The Third Group: This crowd comes to see the star, comes to the see the big event. "The Writer of Entourage", Kevin Smith, Civil War, Ultimate Final Crisis part 7. Either somebody really gets hot like Claremont/Byrne's X-Men two decades ago or Image Comics in the 90's or whatever. Or the Summer Crossover is hot. That's the crowd where no matter what you do they aren't going to come all the time, and they're not going to read every month, but they know it is around. That's the third group, the people who will come for the big stories or the big stars.

Everybody else in the world is in the fourth group. They don't give two flying f****. You could put a reincarnated William Shakespeare behind a book, they don't give a s*** because it's comics and they don't want to read it. They want to read magazines, Harry Potter and I don't give a f*** what else. You ain't going to get them.

So you've always got these people [group one] right. And I'm not saying you should s*** on them because they are your ticket purchasing patrons, but you have always got these people. If you've got a good product, you've got group number two so concentrate on that. There's really no way that you control group number three because how do you just say 'Ok, this guy is going to be the next Wolverine. Or the next Sin City or Sandman'. You can't do that, they've got to come along. That's when you get the really big sales, record months, whatever.

And the fourth group, who gives a flying f*** what you people want to see, if you people are going to read g-d Harry Potter, f*** you! Because we're doing comics. And the people who try to say 'Well, we're going to give people who don't like comics something to read'. They've got something to read, it's in all the other f****** books while your books don't sell you dumb son of a b****! So why do you do s*** that's not related in any way to comics in the comics industry. They don't stop Saturday Night Live to have Curt Gowdy give the g-d Olympic freestyle skating report. The people watching Saturday Night Live don't give two flying f***s about the god damn Olympic freestyle skating. So WHY DO IT is all I am saying?

You've got group one. If you're good you get group two. When you're lucky you get group three, and the rest of them it don't make a f*** because they're not coming anyway."

[Manga] Naoki Urasawa's MONSTER

Re-upload of a review from 2010.

I finished reading Naoki Urasawa's MONSTER late last year.  Was probably the only manga I was willing to buy new and at full-price.  I've put off writing a "review" of it ever since.

Whenever I attempt to review this manga, I have to keep reeling myself in from gushing over it.  Not sure that this will be any different, tho, if I feel it heading in that direction... I'll run for the exit as quick as possible.

Naoki Urasawa's MONSTER is an eighteen volume manga released over the past few years by Viz Media as part of their "Signature" imprint (The Signature imprint is now also home to two other Urasawa titles, PLUTO and 20TH CENTURY BOYS... both of which I have not yet read.  The Signature line got a price-hike, and I'm still weathering a rather tumultuous financial storm).  Urasawa was also (at least partly) responsible for the anime MASTER KEATON, which I'm waiting to show up used at the local Bookman's.

Getting it out of the way right here, I feel strongly that MONSTER is one of the finest stories to EVER be told in/with sequential art (I've been reading comics for about 25 years too).  There's layer upon layer of story and characterization, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure that I have the writery ability or talent to sum up ANY of those layers with any kind of precision or brevity (this IS a nearly 3,000 page story after all).  I'm definitely the wrong guy to be reviewing this.  The characters, besides the main handful are changed out rather often to keep things fresh, and to provide new insight to the story at large.  I've never seen a writer have the ability to introduce bit characters every so often, equip them with a FULL back story, and make me care about their well-being.  Even the characters that were written to be irritating actually felt whole.  By the end of their arc, you knew WHY they acted the way they did, and could either empathize or reaffirm your disinterest.

The MAIN storyline of MONSTER is that of Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant young Japanese brain surgeon working in Germany (this takes place right around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall).  He is chief surgeon of his department, and engaged to the daughter of the hospital head.  Very early on, a decision is made by his superiors that cost a man Tenma was operating on his life (Tenma is pulled off the operation to operate on a local Mayor).  Wracked with guilt, he vows to himself never to let himself get pulled away from an operation again.  Shortly afterwards, a young boy is rushed to his table with a bullet in his head.  Tenma is once again pulled off the surgery to work on a higher profile patient.  Tenma refuses, saving the boy's life.

The higher profile patient dies, and Tenma is run thru the wringer by his superiors, his fiancee leaves him, and he is quickly demoted.  He sits at the side of the young boy's (who is still comatose) bed, and starts talking to the boy about his troubles.  Over the next few days, everybody he had a problem with, was killed.  Then, the boy disappears.

Those are the first few chapters, and I'm sure I didn't do them justice.  From this point, we flash forward about a decade... and the boy who's life Tenma saved has become a "Monster", a serial killer with a small nearly cult-like following that helps him do his bidding.  Tenma is a wanted man, for several murders and is on the run.  He's also looking for the boy, now man (his name is Johan) to clear his name.

This is a "seinen" manga, meaning it's marketed for adults (it does feature several mature themes, nothing too outrageous tho).  This is probably why it hasn't gotten the kind of lip service as the Death Note's and Bleach's that are marketed to teens-young adults.  The fact that there's very little mature anime on TV anymore is probably the reason that this has not yet been licensed for DVD release in North America.  

I'm sure I'd ventured into the gushing side above, but it's all good.  I'm no professional manga-reviewer anyway.  This manga is definitely worth your time, is easily found in bookstores, comic stores, online (they're super cheap at DCBS - Discount Comic Book Service), or for a try-out I'm sure you can procure a few of the chapter scans online all webcomiclike.  Just remember, you read right to left.

[Wrestling] TNA Hard Justice 2009

Well, it's certainly been an interesting month for Total Non-Stop Action. Turmoil behind the scenes, as well as a rumored power-shift, could be the perfect recipe for exciting wrestling television. This month's offering is Hard Justice. Initially, it was announced/rumored that all of the matches will be contested under "No-DQ" ruling, much like WWE's Extreme Rules and WCW's Un-Censored... I'm not entirely sure if this stipulation remains. I would bag on TNA for taking this page out of the WWE playbook, however, it's a perfectly decent idea for a gimmick pay-per-view.

Now, onto the matches:

TNA World Heavyweight Title Match

Kurt Angle (C) v Sting v Matt Morgan

It's nice to see TNA elevating new talent to the Main Event level. I'm not much of a fan of Matt Morgan, but it's still very nice to see nonetheless. Other the past several weeks, The Blueprint was put in a "Best of 3" series with AJ Styles. With AJ, Morgan put on some great matches, potentially the best of his career thus far. Kurt Angle and Sting continue their rivalry that has been going on for the past few months. I don't see TNA taking the title off of Angle this close to Bound For Glory (October), as I feel that should be saved for the bigger show. I can see Morgan having a rather impressive showing for his first pay-per-view main event match.

TNA Legends Title Match

Kevin Nash v Mick Foley (C)

Kevin Nash further proves to be one of the most entertaining guys on the roster (probably any roster, right now). I gushed over his "Businessman" gimmick in my last TNA-PPV post, and those feelings remain. As far as Foley is concerned... I'm not sure why I should care. He's a heel, he's a babyface, he's a heel, he's a babyface. He's been in TNA less than a year, and has turned so often, I need to be reminded each week which entrance way he should be coming out of. I'm guessing at this point in time, he's playing face... possibly shifted into a conjoined Foley-Jarrett role, had Jarrett not taken a leave of absence a month or so back. Regardless of all that, this should be a fun match. Foley will still push his limits, and it will be fun watching businessman, Kevin Nash pick and choose what's "worth" doing for him and his paycheck. I'd like to see a Nash victory.

X-Division Title Match

Samoa Joe v Homicide (C)

I almost feel bad for Samoa Joe. I wouldn't go so far as to say the X-Division title is below him, however, it seemed as though they were building a head of steam for him to leave a lasting impression in the main event scene. Taz's arrival last month didn't really do much for either man. Homicide is always impressive, as is Joe. This should be a great match, possibly match of the night. I would like to see Homicide retain.

Steel Asylum Match

Suicide v Chris Sabin v The Amazing Red v Alex Shelley v Jay Lethal v Christopher Daniels v Consequences Creed

TNA announced that D'Angelo Dinero would be debuting at Hard Justice (who is heavily rumored to be former WWE/ECW Superstar, Elijah Burke). Not sure if his debut will be as an entrant in this match or not. It's also interesting just how quickly Christopher Daniels dropped out of the upper mid-card. He certainly deserves better. Both Suicide (as Kaz) and Jay Lethal have won Steel Asylum's in the past. I'd like to see Daniel's take this one, and hopefully gain a decent foothold in the upper mid-card once and for all. That is, of course, unless Dinero DOES debut for this match... in that case, I pick him.

$50,000 Bounty Match

Jethro Holliday v Abyss

Abyss's old "counselor" Dr. Stevie Richards has placed a $50,000 bounty on his head. This is a great old school set-up, leading to several interesting opportunities. I don't see Holliday (the former Trevor Murdoch) winning this one. It should be fun watching to see who else tries to cash-in and take Abyss out.

Rob Terry v Hernandez

Rob Terry is physically impressive. In the ring, however, is a different story. Hernandez has been on a tear since returning from injury (as well as before he was injured). This match is predicated on the Feast or Fired Briefcase that Hernandez won at Sacrifice earlier this year. The British Invasion took possession of it (as well as Homicide's case) before taking Hernandez out. They seem to be building Hernandez as the next big thing (and rightfully so). That said, he should take this one.

IWGP Tag Team Title Match

Beer Money, Inc. v The British Invasion (C)

Up until last week there was a bit of confusion over whether or not New Japan would let The British Invasion's title victory stand. Ultimately, the title switch stands, and honestly, that's for the best. The British Invasion, Magnus & Williams are a couple of great wrestlers. This match, if not for the X-Division Title match would be my pick for Match of the Night. I'd like to see The British Invasion retain here, and scoot Beer Money over to chasing the TNA Tag titles.

TNA Women's Knockout's Title Match

ODB v Angelina Love (C)

Another breath of fresh air. A title match without Tara or Awesome Kong in it. Opening up the field for a new challenger in ODB. Great decision in my humble opinion. ODB, with sidekick/love-interest, Cody Deaner have been incredibly entertaining both in and out of the ring. At this point, I don't see Love dropping the title, however, I wouldn't mind seeing an ODB run with the belt.

TNA Tag Team Title Match

Team 3D v Scott Steiner & Booker T (C)

Well, it's certainly nice to see Team 3D in a feud that doesn't have anything to do with "respect" or "beating respect into anybody". How they became the #1 contenders to the Titles, I don't know. Not that it matters, they're clearly TNA's marquee tag team (especially with Beer Money, Inc. otherwise engaged for the evening). This match is probably the hardest one to call... or even care about. Personally, I'm tired of all four men. I'd reckon The Main Event Mafia retains, and builds towards Bound For Glory with Beer Money, Inc. chasing for the belts.

Well, there ya have it. All in all, a decently stacked show. If I had the money, I'd consider making the purchase. TNA has really picked up their game over the past few months... and if some of the backstage rumors are true, they'll continue to raise the bar in the near future.

By the way, next week we've got WWE's SummerSlam... Enjoy the show!