As in guillotine...

REVIEW: Batgirl #63

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:May 2, 2005
Post category:Pop Culture Reviews
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Post-"War Games", writer Andersen Gabrych is slowly but surely turning Batgirl into the most satisfying Bat-book not named Gotham Central. Freed from the angst-ridden constraints of patrolling the streets of Gotham City in Batman's shadow -- and to a lesser degree, Oracle's -- Batgirl is on her own, relocating to the mean streets of Blüdhaven and carving her own niche out of one of the darker alleys of the DC Universe. After ruining the also-relocated Penguin's arms deal by taking down the Brotherhood of Evil last issue, this time around he raises the stakes, bringing in Deathstroke to take her…

Review: Red Sonja #0

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:May 2, 2005
Post category:Pop Culture Reviews
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Damn Kurt Busiek and his unexpectedly enjoyable revitalization of Conan! If not for him, I wouldn't have taken a chance on Red Sonja, a comic book I was pretty sure I wouldn't like from the minute I first saw its Greg Land cover. The easy thing would be to simply say you get what you pay for and move on, but I like to do things the hard way and will figure how to belabor the obvious in as interesting a manner as possible. Cheesecake aside -- and this comic is pure cheesecake with a faux-gritty graham cracker frosting --…

REVIEW: The Losers #23

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:May 2, 2005
Post category:Media Pop Culture Reviews
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Most mainstream comic books these days ride a rickety wooden roller coaster throughout their ever-shortening life spans, offering an uneven mix of definitive and forgettable story arcs before inevitably being rebooted by some flavor-of-the-month talent in the kind of short-term thinking that brought down corporations like Enron and Worldcom. Then there are comic books like The Losers, defined by a singular creative vision that, hopefully, is allowed to carry through to its organic conclusion and then able to rest in peace. Typically, though, these types of comics die on the vine, languishing in obscurity as they are ignored by the…

REVIEW: 15 Minutes #3

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:May 2, 2005
Post category:Reviews
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"In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes." In this era of 24-hour news channels and Reality TV, Andy Warhol's prophetic quote has practically come true. Why should superheroes be any different?That's the angle Bob Elinskas comes from with 15 Minutes, an appealing combination of Troy Hickman's Eisner-nominated Common Grounds and Marvel's Great Lakes Avengers played straight, featuring poignant snapshots of D-list superheroes and villains, as told through the eyes of the everyday civilians whose lives they affect. While the basic premise isn't terribly original, the execution is near-perfect as Elinskas packs more emotional subtext into each…

Free Trade Guerrilla: Queer Eye for the Meta Guy

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:May 1, 2005
Post category:Pop Culture
Post comments:1 Comment

With this...I say "THANKS!" to Brandon and anyone else associated with Superman Returns for throwing two strikes on this movie before it even hits the editing room! Somebody invest in some foam! Hire BALCO and hook him up with some Cream and Clear. Someone up the CGI budget, please.Do something. Anything!Physique issues aside, the trademark S is looking more like an Izod Lacoste logo than the symbol for Truth, Justice and the American Way. And what up with the name buckle, bro? That shit went out with Freestyle and skinny ties!The color palette is also distinctly brand Eecch! (Cool points…

Speedos or Bust!

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:April 29, 2005
Post category:Uncategorized
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Well, not literally. No matter what shape you're in, unless you're an Olympic swimmer in the middle of a competition, Speedos are unseemly and a bit vulgar. The male equivalent of camel toe.Nevertheless, I've finally started hitting the gym again and am trying to get back into shape. Thanks to the flu a month or so ago, I lost about 12 pounds, most of which I kept off after I got better. Now my goal is to drop another 10 of the 40 pounds I've gained since I've been married, and tone everything up that's gotten soft over that time.I'm…

Mixed Emotions

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:April 27, 2005
Post category:Uncategorized
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We didn't get the house. While we were apparently "one of the better offers," the winning offer was "substantially higher." I'm guessing that means at least $5k above our offer, if not more, so great for the seller - a nice old guy who'll now be able to retire comfortably and spend his time painting - and back to square one for us.While I'm disappointed, I'm also relieved that we didn't get sucked into bidding higher than we did and potentially paying more than the house was worth; "worth," of course, being relative. I am curious, though.I've always been a…