ONE OF US, ONE OF US

I suppose after our President's shocking reveal that he collects comic books, the following story was inevitable.


Well-played, Onion. Well-played. Still not the geekiest link I've seen relating to our new President, tho'.
(thanks, Ragnell!)

The LookOut - Still On the Cutting Edge

Your brand new favorite Videogame for the Nintendo Entertainment System (Spoilers for all 2 of you who still haven't seen The Dark Knight):



Many thanks to Kevin Church for the tip.

Another brief thought on Final Crisis

Just once, I hope that somebody like The Creeper or Ambush Bug responds to the evil mantra of "Anti-Life Justifies My Hatred!" with "Pro-Madonna Justifies My Love!".

Thank you, thank you. I'm sure that all four of you who love 90's Madonna references will find that joke hilarious.

Look Out! Here Comes A Comics Blog! - ON THE CUTTING EDGE

Your new favorite comic

Wolverine has faced a lot of deadly enemies in his time.

The Hulk.

Sabretooth.

Wendigo.

Deadpool.

But now he's come up across an enemy so implacable . . . so deadly . . . so CUDDLY, that only ONE of them will walk away.

Coming This Spring . . .



WOLVERINE VS. PANDA

EATS, SNIKTS, LEAVES


Taken from the previews for part 3 of the mini-series everybody had forgotten about years ago, Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk #3. I'd be a lot happier to see Ult. She-Hulk showing up if the Ultimate-verse wasn't such a burning bag of dog poo lately, Ult. Spidey excepted.

I rarely do memes . . .

But this one -

"Create a team of four to eight members, which comprise of sets of doubles as played by the same actor."

- amused me. Kalinara's choice was inspired and hard to beat. My only response would be making a team of the following fellows:



Sam Axe
Ash Williams
Brisco County, Jr.
Autolycus, King of Thieves
Jack Stiles, a.k.a. The Daring Dragoon

In a weird way, it all sort of makes sense. Sam Axe is an expert spy gone to seed, Jack Stiles is a spy in his prime, albeit in 1801. Ash Williams get time-tossed a lot and Autolycus is a thief who's done some time-traveling himself (and yes, I know this idea has happened and is already happening again at the moment - quite hilariously, I might add). Brisco County, Jr. deals with weird steampunk science all the time and the end of his series was connected to time-travel as well.

I imagine them all getting time-tossed thanks to MAD SCIENCE and forming one big messy family. I could see Sam Axe and Jack Stiles bickering while having to guide the others, Birds of Prey style, to get out of things and get back to their respective times. Naturally, Ash wouldn't listen to anybody and there'd be zombies on top of everything else. It'd SO be a hoot and a half. :D

Why I should write comics

THIS





+ THIS


MULTIPLIED BY THIS




= THIS, SQUARED



Nextwave 2.0 -
Never send a mutant to do a mecha's job.

Thanks and praise to the inimitable Kevin Church for the inspiration.

Your cuteness quotient for the day

Even 18-month-year-olds love Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long-Blog!



No word yet on if she felt the ending worked or not.

Still, I bet this little angel will be reading Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes, Marvel Adventures: Avengers, X-Men: First Class, Wolverine: First Class, Tiny Titans! and Super Friends in no time, once she gets past that whole "learning to read" hurdle.

(All of which are excellent books, btw, and great to buy and give to kids/hoard for the kid in you. Hulk with a giant dog! Mxyzptlk vs. Bat-Mite! Wolverine in therapy! Good times, folks. Pick one or more of 'em up, if you have the cash and are so inclined.)

Interesting story - a kid actually did come in when I was at the comic store this Wednesday. He looked at the rack, blinked and asked us where the comics for kids were. Luckily, the owner had an entire rack of comics like the above set up for such an eventuality, so I pointed him and his Mom at said rack. Ironically, however, the kid got frustrated with those selections and asked for books that were "both easy and hard". Eventually, he walked out the door with a giant-sized Sonic The Hedgehog Manga-style Digest. Heh. Kids these days.

Haiku Reviews for 1/21/09

Some of these are rather belated but alas, I don't make it to the comic shop as often as I'd like.

SPOILERS ABOUND HERE
LIKE A BOUNDING THING THAT BOUNDS
NOT JUST SINGLE BOUNDS





Final Crisis: Resist - A
Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann (Hey! They misspelled his name on the cover! Not cool, DC!), Ryan Sook, Marco Rudy

Rucka and Trautmann
Write amazing Checkmate, not
Bruce Jones' Godzilla.

BONUS HAIKU

Tragic, noble end
For a character I loved
I hope she reboots


Uncanny X-Men Annual #2 - B+
Matt Fraction, Mitch Breitweiser, Daniel Acuna

Sub-Mariner, Shaw
Both think Emma is their Queen
Silly, silly men.

Thunderbolts #128 - B
Andy Diggle, Roberto De La Torre, Frank Martin

Barack Obama
Takes Osborn on Air Force One
Eat it, Spider-Man!*

*Seriously, Obama's totally in this comic too. I'm as surprised as you are. And that Irredeemable version of Ant-Man but, well, I really don't think that's nearly as news-worthy.

BONUS HAIKU

Bad day for Samson
Outfoxed by the Green Goblin
Still beats that Rulk crap

My Bottomless Past

Hey, folks! Still sick but I thought I'd mention that yours truly has the honor of being a featured "Wednesday Motivator" over at MyBottomlessCup, the blog of extremely talented musician and comic book enthusiast Kelly Fenton. The pictures included in her interview (and the ones in this post) are actually from six years ago, so I feel I should clarify things a bit about the goings-on in said photos.

1. I lost that sweater shortly after these photos were taken. I still miss it, even if it did make me look twenty pounds heavier.

2. I was maybe a trifle drunk on fine Scotch in one of those photos.

3. While Judd Winick's Black Canary/Green Arrow has proven more than a bit upsetting (I seriously dislike that editorially enforced pairing), the man himself and his charming wife Pam are both grand, gracious people. And if anybody says an unkind word about Pedro And Me, well, we're gonna have to have a knife fight.
Ditto to a lesser degree about Barry Ween: Boy Genius and the early run of Exiles.

4. Isotope Comics can throw one HELLUVA kick-ass shindig. Thanks again for a memorable birthday, James Sime.

5. This was also the first time I started my birthday tradition of traveling to a city I'd never been to before. So far, it's worked out pretty well 80% of the time. I can proudly say that I've now gotten lost on the bus in five states!

6. Warren Ellis will not actually murder you in the face if you approach him politely, make no sudden movements and do not get in-between him and his Scotch.
In seriousness, he's a great conversationalist and was kind enough to sign a Jenny Sparks action figure for Nerdy Sis Kay and the 1st Volume of Transmet & Planetary trades for yours truly. Not joking about getting between him and his Scotch tho'. James Sime lost an eye that night and he was one of the lucky ones.

7. Incidentally, Transmetropolitan: Back On the Streets and Sandman: Brief Lives are the only GNs I own signed by both the writer and the artist . . . even though both writers are originally from the UK. Weird.

8. Yes, those are toilet seats on the wall. It's an Isotope tradition to have artists sketch on a toilet seat and then hang the results on the wall afterwards. Hilarity always ensues.
Sharp-eyed readers may also notice the Lone Wolf & Cub series behind us, which I love to death. I don't know if I picked up my first volume there but I'm sure it was sometime around then I started reading it.

9. Yes, Wonder Woman would totally smack down Superman in a fight and I dare you to try and convince me otherwise.

10. My declaring that "my name was Kevin, I was from Denver and today was my Birthday!" to everyone I met that night subsequently inspired a 330-something odd message board thread simply entitled "KEVIN!". Apparently, I made quite the impression (and accidentally showed up in like, 25 different people's photos).
Yes, I still take pride in being accidentally famous on the Internet for five minutes. And now I run a popular* comics blog! Truly, I live out my dreams on a daily basis.

11. I really should be asleep and doped up on cold medicine right now. Good night, everybody and thanks again to MyBottomlessCup for the chance to wax on and on about comics. :)





*"Look Out! Here Comes a Comics Blog!" was officially decreed popular by Kelly Fenton on 01/21/09. It is TOO, popular. Shut up.

Cough cough WILDCAT cough cough

The LookOut seems to be developing a slight cold.



Please enjoy the following BONUS VIDEO CONTENT in lieu of my usual scintillating insights on comic books, Emma Frost or why Marvel Comics are fools for not letting Adam Warren write a Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu series for them.

While this isn't my favorite episode of Brave And The Bold, you can't deny the joy of R. Lee Emery as Wildcat. Also - PELISHARK:



Then again, Dennis Farina's voice seemed more apropos to me for Wildcat back in the JLU days:



Now I go to drink tons of fluids and pass out. Night, all.

Neil Gaiman SINGS! Sort of.

Well, Jonathan Coulton and Paul And Storm just rocked my socks off. I am now sockless. Maybe the previous videos weren't enough to convince you of the awesome. In that case, may I point out that Neil Gaiman himself is a fan? Enough of a fan to get up onstage and sing along with them (sort of)? Behold Neil joining them all for a dramatic rendition of Creepy Doll!

First, enjoy the full album version of Creepy Doll with appropriately creepy lyrics, in this genuinely creepy video:



Secondly, enjoy the live and improved Neil Gaiman version:



Repeat at will!

All we want to do is rock your brains

My plans for the evening do not include comics but they do involve geeky musical joy. I will be seeing a live performance by Mr. Jonathan Coulton, the hitmaker behind Still Alive, Re: Your Brains, Code Monkey and Skullcrusher Mountain. In joyous celebration of my Friday night plans, I hereby present BONUS VIDEO CONTENT of his many hits:

Photos of an Iron Monger

Jeff Bridges has quite a lovely set of photographs from his time on the set of Iron Man, over on his personal website. Man's got quite a nice eye for framing and light.

And I just had to post this gem I found on Teh Interwebs -



(Yes, I know the man's a talented actor with several roles under his belt but damn if I don't love that weird little film. Just be glad I didn't post this deeply irritating yet mildly amusing video instead.)

We lost two great ones this week

R.I.P., Mr. Ricardo Montalban. He opened doors for Mexican and Latino actors and actresses that were closed shut before he came along. A gentleman and a class act all the way. Speaking as both a fan and a Mexican-American, he will be missed.

And R.I.P., Mr. Patrick McGoohan, best known as The Prisoner. Another icon and an uncompromising actor - damn shame to lose him.

And since it's almost inevitable in discussing them, here's two of the roles that will keep them alive forever:

A moment in which we discuss Final Crisis

So, I'm tradewaiting Final Crisis and hoping it reads better as a whole story, but coming across huge spoilers is kind of inevitable on Teh Interwebs. I haven't even been to the comic shop today but I still heard a little something about Final Crisis #6 that made my eyebrow quirk.

To keep the rest of you who might be unspoiled, er, unspoiled, my only response will be the following BONUS VIDEO CONTENT. Avert your eyes and don't read the comments, ye who wish to be unspoiled, by what my BONUS VIDEO CONTENT implies:



Again, reserving judgment until the trades, folks.

A surprising revelation, Shameless self-promotion and A Reader Quiz!

So, I was watching the Special Features on the DVD of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog ('cause I'm a giant nerd like that) and there was a feature where the stars and writers chose what superpower they would like to have. Unsurprisingly, Joss Whedon's most desired superpower is that of an alumni of Professor Xavier's Westchester Academy. Surprisingly, however, it is not Kitty Pryde. Instead, Joss covets the ability of most humble of the New Mutants - Mr. Doug Ramsey, Cypher. His power was basically to be a living Babelfish and . . . well, that's all really.


Yeah, future one-half of Douglock, I'm as surprised as you are.

Now, as a writer I can understand the desire to understand and speak any language but also as a writer, I'd much rather be a telepath. Being able to read Japanese would be cool, sure, but being able to understand people on a deep, personal level? Know their stories? Way more satisfying. Plus, knowing the honest thoughts of people around me would be a plus, assuming the telepathy came with an off switch to keep me from having an aneurysm in large crowds.
(Also, Doug Ramsey died a ridiculous death by being shot by a bird man with glasses. Emma Frost and Professor X are still running around, even after Charlie took a bullet to the freakin' head. I'm just sayin', folks.)

Readers, you make the call - what one superpower would you most like to have?

Writing is hard work

Well, gang, I am wiped out from taking an extensive survey on my comic booking habits, soon to appear at Bottomless Cup, blog of the lovely and talented D0nna Tr0y (I am protecting her Secret Identity).

As a result, all you get tonight is this single panel from Michael Kupperman's Tales Designed To Thrizzle:



I hope that this single awesome panel of Edgar Allen Poe punching a sucka out fulfills all your comics blogging needs.

. . . oh, fine. From Five Fists of Science, I also present Mark Twain. Mr. Twain is screaming "Science!" in front of his and Nikola Tesla's Giant Mecha Robot:



TODAY'S MORAL: Writers can totally kick your ass.

"Sadness but incredible pride"

I especially love Robert Downey, Jr's "Please just get on with giving Heath Ledger the award he has both already won and deserves" face when they cut to him and finishing reading his name. A beautiful acceptance speech as well by Chris Nolan. Fingers crossed for Oscar gold.

It was a BIG dog

Robin: "Like, hey, Bats - if you go into that creepy cave and do some detecting work, I'll give you another one of these groovy Batman Snacks!"

Batman: "Batty Batty Booooooooo!"

BONUS VIDEO CONTENT:

Goodbye, productivity! Hello, Hulu!

Hulu, the site where you can watch TV for free after Lex Luthor tells you to buy things*, has just put up so many of my Geek TV favorites that I don't think I'll ever write another word.
(hey, if Kalinara can blog about TV, I think I'm good here)

Sure, you've got the obvious staples I already watch or own on DVD but there's also the gloriously obscure and geeky shows. We're talking stuff Fox canceled here, people. So far, the only obscure shows I love they don't have are Wonderfalls (a.k.a. the show Bryan Fuller did before Pushing Daisies and writing some of the only great episodes of Heroes) and Due South (1 Mountie, 1 Chicago Cop, 1 Deaf Lip-reading Wolf). They also fail at hosting The Middleman, which is, quite simply the most amusing comic book action show ever put on TV but I can forgive them. Almost.

Here's just a taste of Hulu's bounty:

John Doe - an amnesiac who is a walking Google box solves crimes. Surprisingly fun.

Death Note - if you like anime and cat and mouse games with supernatural stuff, this is your cuppa tea. A bit too clever for it's own good at times but annoyingly compelling.

Freakin' Sliders, people. The show is about several delicious mini-burgers who travel from alternate universe to alternate universe, hoping against hope that the next leap will be the next- oh, you get the idea.

American Gothic - One of the most deliciously creepy TV shows I think I've ever seen on television, period. You will belief the boss from Office Space can murder you in your sleep.

The vastly underappreciated New Amsterdam - I usually hate shows about immortal people but this story of a cop who can't die until he finds true love was cheesy and charming in all the right ways (and before you even mention it, yes, they also have Forever Knight). Why they canceled it, I can't say - people just liked it better that way.

There's also the obscure yet strangely awesome Saturday Morning Cartoon Project G.eeK.e.R. - which, much like the Matrix, has to be seen to be experienced.

But most awesome of all, they have obscure comic book TV shows up the wazoo, some of which I've never even seen.
The Incredible Hulk, complete with sad piano music? Check.
The Crow: Stairway To Heaven? Check.
Swamp Thing? Good Lord, really? Also, check.
Mr. Justice and Powerful Girl? Uh . . . check. Who are they again?

And most importantly, live action episodes of The Tick! While it never quite measured up to the glorious lunacy of the animated version, it still holds a place of joy in my heart.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fail at writing anything ever again.

*To add humor to your Hulu viewing experience, make sure to shake your fist at the screen every time Clancy Brown tries to sell you something, shouting "I'll never buy your DAMN 'fill in product name/attribute here', LUTHOR!" in your best Tim Daly voice.

Galactus and Geek Madness

Hey look - other people blogged, so I don't have to! That was thoughtful of them.

Please enjoy this extremely well-thought out discussion of Galactus' Helmet by Kerry Callen.

Still bored? Go vote in the Geek Madness Tournament hosted by songsters (and friends of Jonathan Coulton) Paul and Storm. Tough choices to be made there, my friends. Damned hard choices. I can't even pick a favorite to root for out of that crowd of Geek Giants.

More Drinking Well With Excalibur

When last we left off discussing Excalibur, I was coming up with notions about how best to relate a noble team of superheroes to the process of getting hella crunk (as opposed to getting Hela Crunk, which is a horrible idea). Now, I was happy to let the matter lie but The Red Monk had the unmitigated gall to slap me across the face with a metaphorical glove by decrying my Geek Cred for not including Meggan, Captain Britain and Rachel Summers . . . so now it is ON. It is on like Donkey Kong.

The Burning Phoenix



So, as it turns out, there is already a drink named Phoenix Paradise but given that A) it is a cold ice cream drink and B) Phoenix is such a goddawfully emo character half the time, it just didn't sit right with me. Poor thing. Seriously, even her cheery Go-Go Girl costume that Deadpool had to try on for fun doesn't take away from her unhappiness. I don't think I've ever seen the girl happy unless she's making out with shirtless space men or clothes-shopping with Kitty. Yes, I know she has issues (thank you, Claremont for giving her a thinly veiled Electra Complex* on top of the Survivor's Guilt), but if I were finally living in a past devoid of genocide with free food and rent, I might enjoy it a tad more.

Anyways, here's a shot for Rachel Summers, because she could probably use three or four of them. I proudly present The Burning Phoenix (a slightly modified Flaming Jesus) - dangerous, briefly on fire and consistently bittersweet.

1 1/2 oz flavored Vodka (preferably raspberry, in keeping with all the red)
1 splash Lime juice
1 splash Grenadine
Float 1/2 oz Bacardi 151 proof rum

Mixing instructions:

Pour Vodka, lime juice, and grenadine into shot glass. Then layer 151 on top from the back of a spoon. Light the 151 and shoot it while lit if you dare. If you are worried about shooting a lit drink, just blow out the flame and then shoot the drink.**

*The "hating every woman who her father dates that isn't her Mother - the mother who Claremont constantly has to creepily mention she resembles" Complex, not the "ninjas bring you back to life, you get a bad movie with Jennifer Garner and then Skrulls kidnap you for a stupid crossover" Complex.

**Do not use if housing a cosmic avatar.


Meggan's Kiss



Now, while there is a drink called Sex With The Captain, even I'm not tacky enough to use that drink for the purely adorable and much-missed character that is Meggan. That said, she is still deceased (for now), so a variation on a Blonde On Ice is my regretfully appropriate choice.
(Fingers crossed for Meggan's resurrection coming sooner rather than later. Hey, when Gail Simone brought back Ice, she also renewed my hope that there's still a place for happy, upbeat women in comics)

1/2 oz Creme de Banane (Yellow to match the hair)
1/2 Vanilla Schnapps (Sweet to match the attitude)
1/2 oz Peppermint schnapps (Minty to match the . . . mintiness? I don't know)
1/2 oz Vodka (So, it's either give up now or make a tasteless joke about her poorly-written crush on Colossus. I vote give up now)
Fill Cream (Aren't you glad I voted to give up now?)
Ice cubes (Because Britain is cold)

Mixing instructions:

Fill highball glass with ice. Add creme de banane, followed by peppermint schnapps, vanilla schnapps and vodka. Fill with cream. Short shake.

Alternately, you could get a blender, scoops of vanilla ice cream, increase the proportions and make yourself a summer treat. Unlike Rachel, I could totally see Meggan being a sweet ice cream drink.


Captain Britain



. . . is an alcoholic, you sick, sick little monkeys. What is the matter with you? Maybe I should just come up with a Tony Stark's Iron Bender drink to entertain you ghouls while I'm at it. God.

You people disgust me. Alcoholism is a disease, you jackals.


. . . Tony Stark's Iron Bender is actually a drinking game, which consists of the following - take a six-pack of the cheapest beer you can find in cans, drink each can as quickly as possible, crushing each of the cans against your forehead after you finish and throw them against the wall, screaming "REPULSOR BLAST!" at the top of your lungs each time you throw. The first person to finish drinking, crushing and shouting each beer in order, without mixing up the steps, wins!

. . . And Captain Britain drinks English Highballs when nobody's looking.

And because I'm getting all the classic roster done, here's a drink in honor of the most delightful character on the roster . . .


Fuzzy Elf



A variation on the Fuzzy Navel, naturally, but far more charming, dangerous and German.
(and him quitting the X-Men is totally idiotic, btw)

1 oz Peach schnapps
1/2 oz Vodka
1 1/2 oz Orange juice
1 shot Jagermeister

Drop the Jager quite suddenly into your Fuzzy Navel for a Bamf effect. Admire the swirls, then drink. Much like Nightcrawler himself, this will guarantee a kick you won't see coming.

And you didn't even MENTION Nightcrawler, Red Monk. So there. Shame, shame and dishonor on you for forgetting your favorite character, you punk, you.

Remember, please drink responsibly and, failing that, enjoy yourself immensely while drinking irresponsibly. Cheers and good health to you all!

Return of Haiku Reviews!

So, yes, I've been pretty remiss in a lot of bloggy things, I know. Sorry. My "14 Comic Book Couples I Love" remains only 98% complete for nearly a year now, I have a part two of Excalibur Cocktails to complete (because The Red Monk called me out. Blogless tomato-growin' punk.) and Haiku Reviews haven't existed in a dog's age. Well, guess what? I'm gonna finish up my nerdy ode to Scott Summers and Emma Frost just in time for the next VD and, just like The Gargoyles, it's time for my abuse of Japanese poetry to LIVE AGAIN!*
*Dear Lord, I am a nerd.

There are SPOILERS here
Seventeen syllables worth
. . . so not that many.


Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 - F
by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Dean White

Define "ludicrous" -
Osborn bossing around Doom?
My eyes, how they roll.

BONUS HAIKU:

Whedon and Ellis?
They can write Emma Frost well
Bendis? "Yeah, okay."

Ultimates Vol. 3 - F
by Jeph Loeb, Joe Madureira & Christian Lichtner

Around issue three
I realized this wasn't
Meant to be funny.

Incredible Hercules #124 - A
by Fred Van Lente & Greg Pak, Clayton Henry

Move aside, Ayn Rand -
"Atlas Got Rochambeaued"
Is way more awesome.

Secret Six #5 - A
by Gail Simone, Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood

Bane takes licks from bricks
While Tarantula high kicks
Last page reveal? Squicks.

Excalibur on the rocks

As it might not surprise some of you to know, one of my favorite comic book runs is Warren Ellis' all-too-brief run on the (mostly) British Mutant Superteam known as Excalibur, if only because it gave us the glorious bastard that is Peter Wisdom. I'm also, more obscurely, a fan of the new Doctor Who show. So, when I learned Paul Cornell, the gentleman behind Family of Blood and the current Captain Britain and MI:13 series had his own blog, of course I had to take a look. And I'm quite glad I did, as it led me to this fine UK-based fellow's blog and more importantly, his drink recipes for major British Marvel characters. I have to say, his Peter Wisdom? Spot-on.

Still, something like this is too cool for me not to take up as a challenge. So, may I present my very own Excalibur-themed Cocktails!

Pryde And Wisdom



Smart money says a shot of painfully strong English Scotch with a Chicago-based beer as a chaser would do the trick. Still, not nearly creative enough for my tastes. Plus, all the best beers come from small breweries in Colorado, not Illinois.

The Pryde & Wisdom

1 oz Aftershock Cinnamon Liquor (for Wisdom's hot knives)
1 oz Blackberry schnapps (for Kitty's tech geekery)
1 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice (because Kitty would insist on something in this being healthy)
1/2 oz Everclear (because Wisdom would have to thumb his nose up at Kitty's attempts at making his alcohol healthy)

One of these and I imagine you'd end up having neither much pride or wisdom, which is a sad comment on how they're no longer together.
(And, if your tastes run to emo, whiny Russians, you can replace the Aftershock with Vodka and Everclear with more vodka, assuming you're one of those people.)

The Douglock



Bright yellow 'bot with blue accents? I think a variation on Electric Lemonade is in order. Try to use only Top Self ingredients, if possible.

1 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
2 oz Sweet and sour
1/4 oz Goldschläger
1 splash 7-Up


Stay Out of Me Medlab!
(a.k.a. The Moira McTaggart)



Since she's now a deceased Scottish doctor, I must sadly recommend the Scotch Daisy (lifted in whole cloth from oh-so-helpful The Webtender)

"Ingredients:

* 2 oz Scotch
* 1 oz Lemon juice
* 1/2 tsp superfine Sugar
* 1/2 tsp Grenadine
* 1 Maraschino cherry
* 1 Orange slice

Mixing instructions:

In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the Scotch, lemon juice, sugar, and grenadine. Shake well. Pour into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with the cherry and the orange slice."

A little fruity for such a strong lass but there's hard Scotch at it's core. R.I.P., Doc.*

(*And yes, I know Sean would not approve. Shut up.)



Did you guys know there's actually a drink called a Wolfsbane? Remember when Rahne thought alcohol would "taste evil"? Yeah, you know, this drink doesn't strike me as dissuading her from that notion (egg? really?). Let's try to think up something better.

Bad Wolfsbane

1/2 oz Gold Tequila (to shake things up)
1/2 oz Goldschläger (the fresher the better)
2 oz Mead (preferably from the hair of the dog that bit you)
1 oz Summer Ale (preferably a Blond Summers Ale)

And yes, I know that mixing mead, beer, tequila and Goldschlager will make you . . . (wait for it) . . . sick as a dog!

And we mustn't forget Lockheed.



Burn Your Clothes

A shot that, much like Lockheed, is small but burns mightily.

1 1/2 oz chilled Tequila
1 1/2 oz cinnamon schnapps
4 dashes Tabasco® sauce

And on that note, I think I'm done for now. If I get any further requests, I may consider putting out more of these.

Happy reading and happy drinking . . . assuming any one of you out there is crazy enough to try making these.

Assistant Editor's Month Returns!

So, it would seem Marvel is resurrecting an old chestnut - Assistant Editor's Month! For those of you unfamiliar with the wacky hilarity of Assistant Editor's Month, this was an event that produced scads of hilarious crack, such as Aunt May, Herald of Galactus.



Sadly, this looks like just a one-shot special full of wackiness. Of course, considering that said wackiness involves a writer from the Daily Show and Mr. Adam Warren (whose name has shown up here maybe one or two times) among many others, I think we'll all have a good time.

Coming June 3rd!

Because, as you all know by now, I love Empowered more than Robocop loves Fried Chicken . . .






(Yes, yes, that did need glitter text. Shut up, that's why.)

Uh-oh! Rampaging Sistah Spooky? Naked BFF and Boyfriend in close proximity? Yeesh. To quote Angelus, things do not look good for our heroine.

It'll be nice to have another volume so soon; it felt like the wait between 3 and 4 was interminable.

YOU Are The Man-Thing! And Hulk!

I have yet to fully sit through these read-along comic books but I am presenting them here for our mutual enjoyment/confusion later.





Poor Squishy Man-Thing. Always finding dead clowns in his swamp.

Also, HULK!





Why is everything so hard for Hulk?

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

January is shaping up to be an awesome month for comics bloggers. Not only do we have Dave Campbell back to blogging for pleasure, the good folks who where formerly part of Blog@Newsarama have returned in the form of the mysterious Robot 6! Hooray for more well-written comics blogging!

And in honor of their new name, I present my favorite comic book robot - L-Ron!


Ah, the good old days.

It's What's For Dinner In Gotham

BATMAN:







HE TAKES HIS STEAK MEDIUM RARE.

Batman's canonical love of slightly pink steak is taken from Azzarello and Risso's Broken City and the "never-reprinted" Batman 247, wherein Batman Saves New Year's Eve.

And just so I don't forget . . .

Fuck You, Penguin.



Yeah, you heard me, Cobblepot.

You heard me.

Happy Year of The Ox!

Happy New Year, everyone!

So, I've been told that 2009 is officially The Year of The Ox!




I have to say that I'm surprised that Marvel would devote a whole year's worth of stories to a low-level thug whose last appearance was getting tortured by Daredevil. Still, it's a bold move and I commend them on their courage. I'm sort of shocked Montana or Fancy Dan didn't get the nod instead but hey, whatever floats their boat.



Guess I should have seen this whole "Year of the Ox" thing coming after they announced Spider-Man: Noir and Incognito. Still, I can't-

Wait, what?



Ohhhhhhhh.

Never mind.

Happy New Year's Anyways, everybody.