Another New DC Logo

Another new logo!

...so DC Entertainment is re-branding themselves yet again with another new logo.

Yes, another one.

It seems like I just wrote a blog about this four years ago.  Oh wait, that's because I did.  And you can read it here:  DC Comics - The New... Uh.... Logo....

It's a good one.  You should read it.

This new logo looks more like a classic one from the early 70s.  I kinda dig it, I guess, but nothing will ever really replace the DC Bullet from 1976 that lasted until the early 2000's.  To me, that will always represent DC Comics.


At least this new logo is easy to read and understand.  The more I looked at the "Page-flip" logo, the more I didn't understand it.

2012 Logo... it's been a nice 4 years.

It's a bit plain, though.  Not much to it.

I definitely liked the 2005 logo more, but still think the classic '76 Bullet is the best.  And the more I look at this new logo, the more I wish there were some stars somehow incorporated into it.

What do you think?

-ryan

Superman IV Isn't So Bad

Was Batman V. Superman too much for you? Too gritty? Too violent?

Were you expecting a Superman who believes in people and does good for the sake of doing it?

Well, that Superman can be found in the old Superman flicks. I showed my son Superman IV: The Quest For Peace the other day and he loved it. He's only fifteen months old, and was glued to it.  I can remember being seven years old in the 80s and just loving this movie.  As I got older, jaded, and far more cynical that I started to believe all the negativity about The Quest For Peace.  But seven year old me, and 15 month old Grayson love this movie.  Maybe Superman IV ain't so bad after all.

Okay, yes Superman IV is pretty bad. And here's why most people say so:

• The visual effects are total bullshit 
• There are numerous plot holes
• People breathe in space without dying
• Nuclear Man looks ridiculous 

But, and remember this is from a kid's point of view, there are some great things about Superman IV.

"Ladies and gentlemen... the ladies of GLOW Wrestling!"

Christopher Reeve still owns the role
One of the best things about Reeve's performance as the Man of Steel is that he's simply a gentleman and a friend.  He doesn't overly dissect the character to make him cool or trendy.  He's just a super guy.

me in the 80s

The music is fantastic 
John Williams wrote some new music for this movie and it was adapted by Alexander Courage.  While not as good as the original Superman movie score, it's still awesome to hear that theme play when Superman is doing something super.  It brings you into the movie and along for the action.

The movie is visually bright and colorful 
Even compared to the first three installments of the series, Superman IV is the one that looks most like a comic book.  It's bright, kind of campy, and sometimes over-the-top looking.  Just look at Nuclear Man's awful costume.  Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous, but so were super heroes and villains in the 80s.

We actually see Superman fight somebody 
Sure, the actual fighting sequences between Superman and Nuclear Man are pretty shoddily choreographed, and the visual effects certainly don't help, BUT we actually see Superman in a fight all over the world and on the moon.  With a better budget, script, dialogue, and effects, this could have been a pretty cool slug-fest to see on the big screen.  

Luthor is a mad genius trying to destroy Superman

Luthor's appearances in Superman and Superman II mostly show him as being obsessed with owning land.  But if you look back at many of the comics over the years, Luthor was an evil genius always coming up with new ways to try and destroy the Man of Steel.  The idea of Luthor sending Superman's DNA into the sun with a bullshit computer program isn't as far-fetched as you may have believed.  Nor are the notions of him shrinking Superman with a shrink-ray gun or swapping his mind with Superman's.

"My eyes are up here, Luthor."

Mariel Hemingway is pretty fun

Okay, Margot Kidder was definitely past her prime for this movie which is probably why sexy Mariel Hemingway was brought in as a love interest for Clark.  Back then they knew you don't mess with the Superman/Lois relationship... but Clark was technically considered a different person back then.  Hemingway's character (Lacy Warfield) was actually lots of fun.  The only thing she was missing was a set of L.L. initials.  

This movie features Superman more than any other Superman movie.

Say what?  You heard me.  In the original Superman movie  we don't even see Superman on screen until about the 45-minute mark.  Then, in Superman II, he spends a good portion of the movie powerless and out of the costume.  Superman III?  The less said about it the better, but again, Superman takes a backseat to Clark Kent and Richard Pryor.  Superman IV actually has more scenes involving Superman (by percentage of the movie) than any other in the series.  Heck, let's even throw Superman Returns in there for good measure.  So here, you can see why kids really like Superman IV - they aren't focusing so much on the quality and little details, they're just excited to see Superman being Superman.

So there you have it.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace ain't so bad because kids like it.  And their opinion about a Superman movie is what should be important.

Thanks for reading!
- ryan

a picture in picture of my little guy watching Superman IV and loving it.

Newzinetter #11

Check out Newzinetter #11!
For a high-res version you can print off, make sure to hit up www.ryanfanclub.com

This month: 

• Yo Ryan! What's Been Goin' On?
• Top 11 Retitled Arnold Movies
• Review of some random rock n' roll comics
• Autoryography Chapter 93: my first visit to Swiss Chalet
• PinterRyan Recipe - meat sandwich
• #1 Fan of the month - Sheona
• and more!!!!!

Top 11 DC Movies I Wanna See

...last week the San Diego Comic-Con showed us two trailers for new DC Comics movies.  We lost our shit over the footage from Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and then we got even more excited about the trailer for Suicide Squad.

With Suicide Squad, it looks like Warner Bros. is finally putting some stock in DC Comics characters that aren't strictly Batman - even though the movie looks to primarily feature Harley Quinn and the Joker.  This gives me hope for some other DC flicks from some of their lesser known, yet awesome, stories.

As a life long DC fan, here are eleven I'd really like to see turn into popcorn flicks...

11. Guy Gardner and the JLI
10. Deathstroke the Terminator
09. The Legion of Substitute Heroes
08. Blue Devil
07. Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld
06. Batgirl of Burnside
05. Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (the full version with all the deleted footage)
04. Power Girl
03. Lobo
02. Ambush Bug
01. Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam

The DC-You

Well, it looks like the New52 is finally gone.  And with good reason.  I mean, even up to issue #40 of many DC Comics titles, the covers still said, "The New 52" on them.  The New 52 started over three years ago.  That's hardly new anymore.

But I digress.

I think DC has finally started listening to a large chunk of their audience - and if you get a chance, check out Batgirl Of Burnside in TPB to see where I think it all started.  Batgirl is hip and chic, and stylistically, it's perfect for today's comic buying crowd.  Couple that with the mega-popular Harley Quinn, and DC has a new target audience.  Oh, and Commissioner Gordon as Batman?  How can that not be interesting?

DC's typical summertime event, Convergence, did away with the idea of one universe and brought back the Multiverse, which means that just about anything is possible again.  And that's great for us as fans, because we don't always necessarily need stories to fit into a specific continuity.  That was such a 90s thing.

In the wake of Convergence we're left with some truly entertaining comic books.

You should really check out the new Bizarro mini-series.  Do you remember when comics had a sense of humor to them?  Maybe not, but I do.  This new Bizarro comic sees Bizzaro and Jimmy Olsen on a road trip together.  Now that's a premise I couldn't pass up.

Need a few more laughs?  DC is also giving us a Bat-Mite mini-series and a Harley Quinn and Power Girl team up book.  Both are pretty funny.  I've gone on plenty of praise filled rants of the Harley Quinn series, so I'm happy to see that Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti are still writing this one too.

Speaking of Conner/Palmiotti, I also bought the new Starfire #1 by them and Section 8 All Star. I don't think I've been so randomly interested in new comics in a while.  And it's not like it was with The New 52, where we wanted to see what changes they'd be making to Superman and Wonder Woman and our other favorite heroes.  These are just good characters with interesting premises that aren't taking themselves overly seriously.

They're calling this new wave the DCYou, because there's something here for everyone, or so they say.  And yet, my only real gripes with all of this have to do with my two favorite characters.

Superman and Supergirl.

For starters, Supergirl is nowhere to be seen in the DCYou, and I'd wager dollars to donuts that's because of the new Supergirl TV show coming out this fall.  We'll see a Supergirl comic later to be sure.  And I hope it's as good as the show looks, because the initial twenty issues or so of the New 52's Girl of Steel was quite good.

And then there's Superman.  DC Comics just hasn't been able to get the feel of Superman right for a long time.  Sure, there are hints of brilliance here and there, but on the whole DC just tries to be too serious and real-world with Superman.  Personally, I want a Superman who occasionally breaks the fourth wall and winks at us.  I want a Lois Lane who may be the smartest reporter on the face of Planet Earth but can't seem to see past a pair of glasses (because deep down she really does know that Clark is Superman and won't admit it to herself because she loves the adventure that goes along with it).  I want to see Superman stop meteors made of Kryptonite, save Metropolis from Luthor's death ray, and still find time to get a cat out of the tree.  A few years ago there was a Shazam series called, "Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam" which would be a great style to see Superman in.  He's Superman, he should really be for kids. 

I do think that DC Comics is taking a step in the right direction here.  It's nice to see so much attention on characters that aren't the big three.  I know I'll be watching where they go with it.

- ryan

Another Mother's Day

Another Mother's Day is upon us, a day in which we are supposed to dote upon the woman who gave birth to us, cooked for us, and raised us into the responsible adults we're supposed to be.  Flower shops all go in the black, restaurants have huge line ups from 8am to noon, and the producers of macaroni work double-time to keep up with the supply/demand problems from all the art that will be made by children.

My mother passed away in 2012, and not a day goes by that I don't think of her.

This isn't going to be one of those sappy, miss-my-mommy blogs.  We all know that's not my style. 

I do, however, find the humor in the odd places that I find myself thinking of my mother.  I can't go for a walk downtown without reminiscing about the donuts we'd get at Kreske's Department store or the hours on end she'd patiently wait for me while inside Cosmic Comics as I perused the 25 cent bins.

I can't hear Blind Melon's "No Rain" without thinking of mom.  I know, that's kind of odd, and given that my mother was a fairly conservative woman (this was the woman who asked my wife what a water bong was at the mall while looking at a display of them) if she'd known a bit more about Blind Melon she probably wouldn't have liked them at all.  But, my mom would watch the Coca-Cola Countdown with me Fridays on Much Music, and she thought the little girl in the bee costume was, "just really cute."  So she liked the song. This is also the same woman who thought the lyrics "Stayin' Alive" were, "ah-ah-ah-ah., staying the night, staying the night."  Beautiful.

I'm one of those guys who lets my computer screen saver shuffle through all the photos on my monitor, so sometimes when passing by I might see an old photo of mom and me on there from when I was a kid.  It can be a little odd too, considering the next photo in rotation could likely be Aerosmith, Superman, or even Lexi Belle, but I like the randomness of it all.

My mom made the best pancakes too.  Not too thick, not overly fluffy, and they were stacked in a circular motion.  They were the best.  I've tried and tried, and I just can't make them the same way.  I've gotten close, but I also don't want to crack that code because it gives me something to long for. 

I see a lot of my mom in my daughter Ryleigh.  Sometimes the faces she makes, especially when she smiles - an I mean really smiles - I can't help but see my mom there.

And now that I'm a parent myself, I understand so much more.  I understand how much more the little things must have meant to her, all the little things that growing up I took for granted - and I'm sure many of you did too.  I remember the day I cut off all my long hair, and how my first stop was to see mom and show her.  The look on her face was so excited, and at the time I thought, okay, she's happy I'm conforming to society again, but really I know she was just happy to see her little boy's face again.  Corny, right?  But if you have kids of your own you'll know what I mean.

My mom was pretty awesome.  She worked full-time as a telephone operator, made sure supper was ready by 5pm every day, kept the house and laundry clean, taught me morals and respect, and she even had a wicked rap song in the early 2000s.  My mom could do it all.

So, call your mom.  For no reason at all.  It would mean a lot to her.

- ryan

I Was A Fat Kid

I was a fat kid.

It's not something I talk about overly much, but I was a fucking fat kid.  And I was picked on a lot too.  No biggie, right?  Happens to a lot of us growing up.  Some might even say they are who they are today because of the way they were treated by their schoolyard chums.  Like the caterpillar to the butterfly.  I'm sorry, I can't help but laugh at myself as I type that last sentence.

I was a fat kid with a really short brush cut.  The other kids called me Pugsley, like the fucking fat kid from the Addams Family movie.  I distinctly remember this one time in Grade 7 that one of my friends pointed out how I actually had bigger titties than most of the girls in class.  Granted, theirs hadn't quite come in yet.  So I guess I kinda looked like your stereotypical dyke with an affinity for eating chips and drinking Pepsi.

Grade 8 Graduation.

I'm not telling this story today to garner any sympathy, or help anyone else out.  I can guarantee you that somewhere else is a boy or girl getting picked on for being fat.  And maybe it's their fault or maybe it's not.  That's not my place to say.  I'm not in charge of the world.

I have two children of my own now - two beautiful children who I encourage to be whatever they want to be.  My son Grayson, at four months old, already eats like a champ and is going to be a thick boy.  I predict a future WWF Champion in my family.  My daughter Ryleigh, only four years old recently had her first experience of not feeling like she was beautiful enough at someone else's hands.  Just hearing about it tore me apart.

I was a fat kid.  And I was also a lazy kid.  I liked reading books, drawing Superman comics, watching Star Wars, playing Super Mario Bros. 3, and trading O-Pee-Chee hockey cards.  When I did get my exercise, which was road hockey, I usually played goalie because I didn't want to run.  I was a fat, lazy, pimply kid who could down an entire 2L bottle of Pepsi while watching TGIF.  At the age of twelve I could easily knock off an entire Godfatha pizza while watching the Coca Cola Countdown on Much Music. 

That's when I decided I wanted to grow my hair long, from my early interests in rock music, but I knew I'd probably look like the singer Meat Loaf.  It was bad enough that everyone already called me Pugsley.  I had a hard enough time getting girls to like me without the other boys telling me that I'd likely do anything for love. 

Grade 9 photo

How was gym class, you ask?  Not bad.  You learn how much time you have to let your mind wander when you're always picked last.  I did some of my best daydreaming during gym class.  I even created a few super-heroes while there. 

I was fifteen when I decided enough was enough.  I was sick of people thinking my name was actually Pugsley because they didn't even know me.  I was a fat kid, and a lazy kid, and a shy kid because I didn't want to be seen by anyone.  For all anyone knew, my name really was Pugsley.  They'd hum that theme song, and ironically, I couldn't even snap my fingers to try and lighten up the mood.  So I created a very green diet.

This diet was so green that all it consisted of was Iceberg Lettuce and Lime Kool-Aid.  And that's pretty much all I ate for a few months.  I'm not proud of it, but I did lose a lot of weight in a short time.  People have large worded terms and conditions and disorders for these types of things nowadays.  I never made myself throw up; I hate vomiting more than just about anything.

Now I'm not trying to tell anyone a quick way to lose weight here, because listen to me, doing something like eating only lettuce and drinking Kool-Aid will fuck you up really good.  But you know what?  We live in a really fucked up world.  Nobody ever thinks they're good enough, no matter how truly great they are.  Fucked.  Up.

I had become friends in high school with a girl, Angie, who told me. "Ryan, nobody else can love you until you learn to love yourself."  Not sure if she got that from a Jewel song, but it's something that's always stuck with me. 

All kidding aside, this shirt was fucking awesome.

What really sucks is now, as an adult with kids of my own, I see all these stories about bullying and obesity and it's clear that the real problem is and has always been that nobody teaches their kids to fucking stand up for themselves anymore.  Yeah, I was a fat, lazy kid who got picked on a lot - but I also didn't stand up for myself when I should have.  I didn't know how.  It's one thing to be a pansy-ass and go cry in the corner until you starve yourself and then it's another to do something about it. 

Parents, please, you can teach your kids all you want about anti-bullying but you're really better off teaching your child how to stand up to those bullies and make them go away.  Sure, they'll probably get hurt a few times in the process, but it might just be worth it.  And I'm not talking about them telling a teacher, or writing a poem about their feelings - teach your kids to punch someone right between the eyes.  Hard.  Seriously.

As for me, I'm not a kid anymore.  I'm a little round in the belly, and yet I get more exercise these days than ever.  I've replaced the 2L Pepsi bottles with a few pints of Banana Bread Beer.  I can eat a whole Tata's pizza if I want to, but I like to save some for lunch the next day.  I'll change the TV channel if the Addams Family is on because it makes me emotional.  I still enjoy salad, but ninety-nine percent of the time I put something on it so it's not just lettuce.  I can't remember the last time I had green Kool-Aid, and that's fine.  I've learned to love so much about myself (hence why I have my own fan club), but there's parts of me that I don't truly believe I can ever come to terms with.

I guess some part of me will always be that fat kid.  And I bet you're the same, in your own way.
Fucked up, eh?

- ryan

Ryleigh and Grayson; my two exceptionally awesome kids.

The Bone Tribute Edition

Bone (by Jeff Smith) has, for a long time now, been my very favorite comic.  The first time I read an issue of Bone was in the year 2000.  I found a few reprints of the first six issues at a flea market for a buck a piece.  It was something I had read about in Wizard Magazine (remember that?) and knew I wanted to read it, but the original issues were fetching a pretty penny.  I've always been more interested in reading comics than turning a profit on them, so getting reprints cheap was no big deal for me.

I fell in love with the storytelling of Bone right after the very first issue.  I was hooked on the charm and humor as soon as the snow fell on the valley, suprizing little lost Fone Bone with that long winter.

Maybe you don't know what I'm talking about with those details, and that's okay, because Scholastic has just released a new Tribute Edition in hardcover of the first Bone story arc, Out From Boneville.  If you've never read Bone, and you're a fan of comics then you should check it out.  These days, it can easily be found in the children's section, but but that's only because it's kid-friendly.  The Bone saga was never really intended to be for kids, it just so happens that it crossed over to public schools really easily.

If you have read Bone before, then why is the Tribute edition for you?  Maybe it's the new poem, "Ode to a Quiche" by the Stupid, Stupid, Rat Creatures.  Maybe it's the gallery of Bone artwork from other great artists to accompany the story.

Or maybe, you're like me and never bought the colorized Scholastic paperbacks of Bone because you've got the classic, black and white, 1300-page, one-volume edition that recounts the entire saga.  I used to shy away from the Scholastic paperbacks because of the coloring.  To me, Bone was best enjoyed in it's purest form.

My sketch of Fone Bone, to contribute to the tribute.

But when I saw this Tribute Edition was coming out, I just had to have it... but, why?  I know the story.  I must have read those first few reprints a good fifty times.  For me, this new Tribute Edition is a new chance to enjoy Bone for the first time again - this time with my daughter Ryleigh. And she loves it too.  Reading it with her is so much fun, because she gets right into it - she's even a little scared of the Stupid, Stupid, Rat Creatures and their leader Kingdok.

Re-reading it with Ryleigh almost zaps me back to the first time I read Bone, and felt that wonder and amazement that Jeff Smith has created on the page.  I've never met Mr. Smith (though he recently re-tweeted one of my tweets and I felt like a schoolgirl) but if I do I'll shake his hand and thank him for giving my family one of the most enjoyable stories I've ever come across.

- ryan of the ryan fan club

Fone Bone's affections for Thorn will have you reminiscing about your first childhood crush.

The Best of 2014

The year is almost over, and thus it is time once again for my picks as the best of the last twelve months.  I think it's important to note that anybody's "top" list is always just an opinion of personal taste, so if you don't agree with my selections that's just too bad.

Here we go!

Mahhhkey Mahhhhhk!

Movies
I'd say that 2014 was a darn good year for movies.  Sure there was some awful shit from Michael Bay, but we're all accustomed to just avoiding those flicks by now.  As usual, my picks aren't going to win the Oscar for Best Picture, but they certainly entertained me.
1. Dawn of The Planet of The Apes
2. Muppets Most Wanted
3. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
4. The Expendables 3
5. The Lego Movie
*special honorable mention to Personal Space Invader


Songs

I never liked Bruno Mars until this.

2014 will go down as the greatest year of shitty pop music.  There was so much typical garbage on the radio that I just couldn't avoid, and also didn't want to.  Hell, I even caught myself singing along to "Let It Go" with my daughter.
1. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson
2. Say Fuck It - Buckcherry
3. You Really Got A Hold On Me - Smokey Robinson & Steven Tyler
4. Breakfast Can Wait - Prince
5. Word Crimes - "Weird Al" Yankovic

Puddin'

Comics (I refuse to call these things "graphic novels") 
DC Comics leads the way in 2014, with Harley Quinn by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner.  Seriously, it's the most consistent fun in comics right now, and it even warranted a whole blog from me about it. 
1. Harley Quinn (inc. all the specials and annuals)
2. He-Man & The Masters of The Universe
3. Alice Cooper
4. Aw Yeah Comics
5. Adventures of Superman

Brucio.

Books (yeah, I read more than just comics...)
This was the hardest list for me to compile because, while I do read a lot of books - mostly autobiographies - it's pretty rare that I buy them when they're brand new releases.  I usually wait for them to go on clearance price or show up in the second hand shops for $4.  With that said, there were a few books I couldn't wait to read this year.
1.Let's Start A Riot - Bruce McCulloch
2. Dirty Daddy - Bob Saget
3. Rocks - Joe Perry
4. Jim Henson; The Biography - Brian Jay Jones
5. Frozen: Olaf's "A Day In The Sun" sticker book

Mmmmmmmmmmm

Babes
Well, it looks as though I've finally taken Miss Lexi Belle off the top of my babes list.  Really though, it's probably because I don't want you - my loyal fans - to think that I'm a hyper-perv.  Okay, we all know Lexi will always be #1 in my heart of babes, but let's let Paige have her turn on top for a while.
1. Paige (WWF Diva)
2. Lexi Belle
3. Taylor Swift
4. Jessica Alba
5. Molly Quinn

Nick Miller is the man.

TV Shows
I think it's important to note that I didn't actually start getting into New Girl until this past summer.  It's that darn good.
1. New Girl
2. Gotham
3. Tosh.0
4. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
5. Storage Wars

- ryan of the ryan fan club

Harley Quinn - The Best Thing in Comics Right Now?

Everyone loves Harley Quinn.  Even people who don't really love comics all that much.

We all know the basic story - Harley Quinn showed up on Batman: The Animated Series as the Joker's girlfriend/sidekick and she became so popular that she eventually wound up in the regular DC Comics Batman books, and then had her own title too.  It was eventually cancelled, and when the New 52 started Harley found herself in the Suicide Squad.  And then, almost out of nowhere last fall were ads for a new Harley series.  You could quickly tell from the ads that this new monthly comic was going to be something different.  And something special.

...oh, and something successful too.  Since the first issue (#0) launched last November, Harley Quinn has consistently been a Top 20 selling comic book.  It also regularly sells more copies than Superman.  Holy Puddin' Pops Batman!

So, why is Harley so great?  Or, more importantly, why is she so popular right now?  Harley has always appealed to young men.  Is it because we see her as Mr. J's babe?  The kind of girl that can get bossed around and keep coming back for more loving?  Wow, do we actually like her for that reason?  Or are we compelled to watch her story unfold, hoping that she'll finally be able to have happiness without the Clown Prince of Crime?  The Joker hasn't even shown up in the pages of Harley's newest series yet.  We all know it's coming.  It has to happen at some point, right?  And we're all waiting with anticipation for it, just to see what happens.  I mean, ANYTHING can happen in this new Harley series.

Girls love Miss Quinn too.  If you need proof of that, there's a new line of Harley Quinn inspired clothing coming out this fall.  Yep, that's right.  Harley Quinn has gone from Saturday morning cartoon sidekick to full-fledged pop culture icon.  Have you been to a convention lately?  There are Harleys everywhere.  A girl can certainly get a boy's attention by dressing up like Harley Quinn, but there has to be more to it than that?  Quinn represents rebellion, anarchy, chaos, and insanity - but can snap her fingers and be the girl next door too.  Does that sound like today's modern woman to you?

Harley Quinn might very well be our favorite new york doll, but is it too much too soon?
(...anybody pick up on the Dolls reference there?  C'mon, I'm really proud of it...)

Harley Quinn #0 was a gamble, allowing the creators to think outside the box and write outside of the four walls.  It paid off big time, setting the stage for the new series to be as crazy as it wanted to be.  In the last month or so, Harley has been featured in Secret Origins #4 (gaining a cover spot ahead of Robin and Green Arrow), had a Special Edition Director's Cut of issue #0 that let us read the enjoyable ramblings of writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, and starred in a One-Shot book about her roaming around the San Diego Comic-Con.  All of this on top of her team-up with Poison Ivy in her own book.  DC has also been reprinting some classic Harley stories in collected editions to capitalize on her insane popularity.

So the question has to come up, is DC going to over-saturate their market with Harley Quinn and ultimately ruin her popularity?  Or is DC getting the most out of Harley's popularity before it slows down again?

What I do like about her extra-curricular activities is how they are all written by Conner/Palmiotti.  This keeps the narrative flowing well, even when the artwork doesn't match up from story to story.  If we're going to get a dozen Harley stories all at once, at least they're coming from the same place.  So we know they're quality and we're getting our money's worth.

I truly believe Harley Quinn is the most enjoyable comic on the market right now. If you aren't reading it, you should add it to your pull list right away.

- ryan
 

John Romita Jr's Superman

I've been on and off about Superman in the New52.  And after checking out the first chapter of the new Superman run by Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr, I decided to let it stew on my mind before making a decision about what I thought.

You see, Superman is my all-time favorite super-hero.  That all started when I was just a little Ryan Fan Club, and even in the 90's when it wasn't cool to like the Man of Steel (not that it's really cool now either) I still put him at the top of my list.  Then in the early 00's I lost interest, felt like the writers were running out of quality ideas, and stopped reading those super comics on a regular basis.

Right before DC Comics launched the New52, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank did a Superman: Secret Origin story that I really enjoyed.  Sure, it was really nostalgic and made Superman look like Christopher Reeve, and that's probably what I liked so much about it.

Then the New52 came about and tried to make Superman a little cooler with the kids these days.  Boy, I sound like an old fuck just by writing that.

The New52 Superman started out really good, and I seriously dug Jesus Merino's art on the title. Ken Rocafort's art was really stylized and interesting too.  But I couldn't keep myself reading that comic on a monthly basis. No matter how good the stories were (H'El On Earth was excellent), it never really felt like I was reading Superman.  MY Superman.

When it was announced the Geoff Johns would be writing Superman again I decided I'd check it out.  And John Romita Jr was advertised as a "Superstar artist taking on the Man of Steel".  I've never been a big fan of his work, but then I also didn't read many Marvel Comics as a kid.

So what do I think of Romita's Superman?

It's interesting.  Romita's art style is pretty unique but doesn't necessarily fit the character.  The sketchy way Romita draws Superman doesn't really feel like Superman to me.  On first glance, my initial reaction is, wow, what an ugly looking guy; good thing he has all those super powers to impress the ladies with.  It's also important to note that Romita is being inked by Klaus Janson for Superman, and I'm a firm believer that artwork changes drastically depending on who is inking it.

But here's the thing: there's something about Romita's storytelling... and I mean the actual sequential artwork... that really suits Superman.  It's fast and full of movement.  Superman is a man of action, right?  Well, even on pages that are just intended as plot-building there's a sense of movement and action just in the dialogue and conversation.  I think a lot of artists out there could learn a lesson from Romita about pace and flow. 

I'm going to reserve judgement for now though.  After all, they're only one issue into their run.  To be perfectly honest though, I saw the advertisements and thought I'd hate it.  After reading the first chapter I'm kind of intrigued.

- ryan

Top 11 Superhero Movies

It's not an "S".  It's actually a $.

... you may remember that I did a little list like this way back in 2008, when my website was still pink.  You can still see it (and the worst) at: http://www.ryanfanclub.com/archive/top11bestsuper.html

But that was then, and this is now.  Much has changed, including my opinion of several of those "top" films.  Looking back, I can't believe I ever liked Superman Returns as much as I did.  So here's a brand-new list of the Top 11 Super-Hero Movies.  There's also been an onslaught of new super-flicks in the last five years, and that makes the competition even stronger. 

*I think it's important to point out that I'm reflecting specifically on super-heroes here and not comic books in general.  For instance, V For Vendetta should surely be on the Top 11 Comic Book Movies list but it's not a super-hero flick.

Here we go.

11. The Incredible Hulk
No, no, no.  Not the one directed by Ang Lee.  This is the one with Edward Norton.  You know, Edward "Everything I Do Is Fucking Awesome" Norton.  Norton is such a good actor that he legitimately made us care about his Bruce Banner and the beast inside.  And that's really the first rule of story telling.  Make us care.  The fight scene at the end between the Hulk and that monster was really cool too.  This was just an all-around enjoyable superhero film.

10. The Amazing Spider-Man
It only took four movies for them to finally get it right.  I'm a big fan of the first Tobey Maguire movie, and I sincerely did enjoy the third one with Venom, but Spider-Man 2 bored the pants off me.  And then just a couple years ago they restarted the franchise.  The Lizard was awesome, Emma Stone is great in anything she does, and Peter Parker was actually a character you could relate with - which is what he always was in the comics anyway.  I really hope they make more to this series. 

Why so serious?

9. The Crow
You can pretty much thank this film noir from the early 90s for the gained interest in comics by independent publishers.  The Crow, often overshadowed by the on-screen death of star Brandon Lee, was the alternative superhero movie.  You can also say that because of the Crow we were also forced to sit through Judge Dredd, Tank Girl, and Spawn during the 90s.  At it's heart The Crow is a love story in a very grim world.  And that's the beauty of it.  Budding rock star Eric Draven and his new bride are murdered (she's raped too) and he returns from the dead to hunt down the gang members that caused their demise.  Amid all the drugs, gangs, violence, and rain, a dark hero emerges for vengeance.  Along the way of claiming vengeance, he makes friends with a little girl and Ernie Hudson.  Who wouldn't want to be friends with Ernie Hudson? Nobody, that's who.

8. Superman: The Movie
It's the movie that defined a genre.  Really, every other superhero movie owes their existence to Richard Donner's Superman. You can talk at lengths about Christopher Reeve's performance, and you can rave about John Williams' musical score, but there isn't just one piece to this puzzle.  Superman succeeds purely on charm, delivered by the ensemble cast.  The flick chronicles Superman's life, from Krypton through Smallville, and into Metropolis where he does battle with the land-hungry Lex Luthor.

We are family!

7. The Incredibles
I really wanted to avoid putting any animated features into this list (it pains me deeply to omit Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm), but there's simply no denying just how wonderful Pixar's The Incredibles is.  If you've ever been a fan of superheroes, there's something in this movie for you.  It's cheesy and often tongue-in-cheek and doesn't take itself overly seriously, but at the same time treats the medium and subject matter with the utmost respect.  I'd love to see a live action version.  That would be unstoppable.

6. Marvel's The Avengers
There's not much else to say about a movie that made a butt-load of money at the box office and on DVD.  Oh wait, they did it with a bunch of second-string Marvel characters.  Just goes to show that if you make a superhero movie aimed at children, you'll hit the nail on the head.

5. Man Of Steel
It's still relatively new, but what Man Of Steel has done is make Superman accessible and relevant to modern day audiences.  This is hands down the most intelligent Superman film made yet.  Looking at Kal-El as an alien on Earth from the perspective of humans is what makes this film so believable.  You want to see Kal win and save the day, just so he can fit in with the rest of us... even if he never truly will.

Act now and get these steak knives!

4. X2: X-Men United
You might think topping the first X-Men flick would be pretty tough, but Bryan Singer managed to make one of the best action movies I've ever seen with X2.  Sure, it's mostly a Wolverine story, but it's way better than any of his own films.  And Rogue is pretty sexy, let's not forget that.  What Singer did with this movie was pretty simple: stick to the source material and give the fans what they want to see on the big screen.  I'm actually disappointed in myself for waiting for this one on DVD for a first viewing.

3. The Dark Knight
It was the best of the Nolan trilogy, riding completely on the performances of the Joker, Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Dent.  People often say that there wasn't enough Batman in Batman Returns, but with The Dark Knight our hero doesn't even really need to be in the movie.  This is a Joker movie, and admit it to yourself, he's the reason you went to see it. The Joker has never been quite as menacing, or even frightening, as he is in The Dark Knight  and it's a darn shame we didn't get him in the third movie.

It's not an "S". Where I'm from it's saran wrap.

2. Superman II
I might be a little biased because it's my favorite movie of all-time, but what premise could be better than Superman going toe-to-toe with three Kyrptonian baddies who all have the same powers (and some new ones invented for the movie) that he does?  They throw a bus at the Man of Steel for Christ's sake.  That was awesome in 1981 and it still is today.  I'm not going to say which version of the movie is better - there was also a director's cut released about five years ago - but neither of them are the same movie. So many other super-hero movies have followed the format of Superman II.  A few years back, Spider-Man 2 was regarded as the greatest super-hero movie ever made and yet few people mentioned how it was pretty much a clone of Superman II.  Think about it: The hero wants to be with a girl he loves, loses his powers, the bad guys take over, and the hero has to get his powers back to save the day and then ultimately choose the rest of the world over the one person he loves more than any other.

1. Batman Returns

Robin eats yellow snow.

This installment of the Bat-Franchise has gotten too much flack over the years.  Some said it was too dark for children.  Others said there just wasn't enough Batman in it.  But if you look a little closer, you'll see that Batman's psyche is actually divided between the three villains in the movie.  The Penguin is the lonely child in search of his lost parents.  Catwoman is the dual personality that wants to lead a normal life but feels the need to put on a mask at night.  And Max Shreck is the billionaire tycoon.  Put them all together and you've got Batman.  And in Tim Burton's second film of the series, he has Batman do battle with all three sides of himself.  I used to think that Returns was just a Tim Burton flick that so happened to feature Batman from time to time, but then I picked up on the subtlety of it all.  Visually, the movie is leaps and bounds ahead of it predecessor or any movies that followed it.  Michael Keaton continued being perfect in the bat-suit too.  Danny Elfman's score evolved from the first round into something more twisted and bone-chilling.  If comic books are a medium that are often misunderstood by those who aren't die-hard fans, then Batman Returns is the perfect representation of that medium on the big screen.

And there you have it!  Who's to say what my opinion will be in another five years.  Maybe I'll pick Batman & Robin as the number one movie of all-time.

- ryan

Review - Star Wars Infinities Omnibus

Today we take a look at a comic collection called Star Wars Infinities.  It's a neat idea that throws a "What If" into everyone's favorite trilogy.  What if Luke didn't blow up the Death Star?  What if Luke died on Hoth?  And what if Leia accidentally destroyed Jabba's palace?

"Hold me."

The Good:  These three stories are lots of fun to think about, especially if you were like me as a kid and actually used your classic Star Wars figures to create different stories that weren't in the movies.  I fondly remember the time Darth Vader teamed up with Cobra Commader, because those toys were the same size.  Anyway, much like the original Star Wars Trilogy, installments number one and two were excellent.  There's enough nostalgia and catch phrases thrown in there to make a little wookie happy.  The art is clean and pretty faithful to the actors in the flicks.

The Bad:  Well, they had the perfect opportunity to correct all of the mistakes made in Return Of The Jedi, and they squandered their chance.  I'm talking about Luke actually turning to the dark side like he should have, and those goddam Ewoks getting an arse full of lazer blasts.  That is all.

The Verdict:  It's easy to read, but only if you're a fan of the movies.  If you think your wife is gonna enjoy this stuff, be prepared to explain who Mon Mothma is.  I'm glad this was collected in paperback form, because, honestly, I wouldn't have bought the original issues when they came out.  Still, if you're excited for those new Star Wars movies coming, and you're also hungry for some nostalgia, and you want my personal guarantee that there's no Jar Jar Binks or "Noooooooo" in this story, then go ahead and check it out.

DC vs Marvel. When voting sorta counted.

Wolverine versus Dee Snider!

In 1996, DC Comics and Marvel Comics combined for what should have been the greatest crossover in the history of comics.  Maybe it was.  I don't know.

I do remember a lot of hoopla around being able to vote for the winners of five superhero battles.  There was nearly some fanboy fisticuffs.  Just imagine the amount of empty basement bedrooms if things got too carried away and some of these comics nerds actually killed each other over this stuff.  Anyway, the fans were able to cast their votes at their local comic book store via secret ballot, and this way we could finally get our answer to who would win in a fight between Black Lightning and Quasar.

Okay, that fight never happened.  But really, who would YOU vote for?

Marvel Comics won three of the five voting battles, with Storm, Spider-Man, and Wolverine defeating Superboy, Wonder Woman, and Lobo.  While the on the DC side of things, Superman and Batman scored W's against The Hulk and Captain America.

Doesn't that all seem... uh... lop-sided to you?

There's no way Superman or Batman were going to lose to the Hulk and Captain America.  Even the biggest Marvel fans will show respect to the big two.  But did Superboy ever stand a chance against Spider-Man?  And what about Lobo?  I think Lobo is awesome, but he was pitted against the most popular comic book character of the 90s.  At first glance, seeing Wonder Woman lose to Storm could be surprizing, until you remember again that in the 90s the X-Men were the #1 selling comic book around.

The Royal Rumble!  30 will enter!  Only one will go to the main event at Wrestlemania!

I can just imagine the boardroom meeting for this "event"...

DC: Okay, this is gonna make us a shitload of money.  And the fans get to vote, so they feel a part of it!
Marvel: Sweet!  Let's have Spidey duke it out with the Flash, and Silver Surfer fight Green Lantern!  Those would be awesome to see.
DC: Uh... I dunno... Warners doesn't really like talking about any characters that aren't Superman or Batman.  So let's throw Superboy in there against Spidey.
Marvel: Oh.  That's... ummm... sure, I guess.  Well, Batman's really popular in the movies right now, and our number one guy is Wolverine, so they should totally battle.  The fanboys will drool at that!
DC: Yeah... so here's the thing... we know just how popular your X-Men characters are... and we really can't have Batman lose here.  Warners is planning on making a fourth Bat-flick and they want it to be the best one ever.  I hear Clooney is gonna be in it!  So you got any characters that everyone knows but nobody cares about?
Marvel:  Yeah... The Hulk and - -
DC: Perfect!  He can fight Superman!  We've got a new movie for him coming too with Nicolas Cage!  

So why didn't we get the REAL match ups that would have us all excited?
What about Superman versus Iron Man?
Or Batman versus Wolverine?
Aquaman versus Namor?

Okay, Aquaman DID fight Namor in that story, but nobody got to vote for it.  I'm pretty confident everyone would vote against Aquaman anyway, even his own mommy.  Poor Aquafucker.   Nobody likes his fishy smell.  And there's always those nit-picky arguments like,Superman would just rip off Iron Man's armor and throw him into space. Game over.  Well, yeah, but that wouldn't be a very fun story.  In the right scenario, Iron Man could actually beat Superman in a fight.

Anyway, my point of all this is, a lot has happened in 15 years.  Superman is about to become popular again this summer.  People actually know who Iron Man is now.  We now have this fancy technology called the Inter-something-or-other for voting.  The Spider-Man in that classic battle was some clone who wasn't a clone but really was a clone... ?  Confusing, I know.

I say they do it again, and this time do it right. 

Don't play the safe bets.  Let the fans vote on the fights that matter, and if their favorites lose, then oh well, suck it up and do it again ten years later when their popularity changes.  What's in it for them?  Uh, fucking market research.

And the winning comic book company should be allowed the rights to one of the others' big name  characters for a year.  Just imagine Captain America in the Justice League.

Who would YOU vote for?

The Adventures of Ryan - Secret Origin

I've been getting requests to do some new Adventures of Ryan comic strips.  So until I get one completed, here's the "Secret Origin" story to wet your whistle.

(Click the picture to see it full size)