Pop Culture

On comics and other pop culture topics, including archived Comic Book Commentary posts from 2005-2007.

A guillotine, a Sister of Battle, and a scrapbook picture from the 2001 National Poetry Slam.

Batman Begins vs. Fantastic Four: Different Paths to Success

The friendly rivalry between Marvel and DC knows no boundaries. What started decades ago in print has now spilled over onto celluloid. About a month apart in their release dates, the iconic figures of Batman in DC's Batman Begins, and Marvel's Fantastic Four battle it out for comic book supremacy on film. Two different paths, two different beginnings, but ultimately, both will win.Batman Begins got off on the right foot from the start by signing its director, Chris Nolan. The film was the beneficiary of a lot of buzz before its release, followed by positive reviews from critics and fanboys…

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A guillotine, a Sister of Battle, and a scrapbook picture from the 2001 National Poetry Slam.

You Can’t Serve Two Masters

There's a passage somewhere in the Bible to that effect, the equivalent of the more recent "can't have your cake and eat it, too."The whole poetry & comics thing is one example, where a couple of months back I was inspired to get back into the scene and start performing again, only to be cockblocked by life's twisty little turns. In the meantime, comic books have swallowed the majority of my free time, not to mention storage space, as my writing for Buzzscope has taken on a life of its own. (Check out my latest feature here.) There's just not…

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A guillotine, a Sister of Battle, and a scrapbook picture from the 2001 National Poetry Slam.

Industry Buzz #1: The Kids Are Alright

My latest feature over at Buzzscope is a column called Industry Buzz, a monthly roundtable featuring some of the most outspoken creators, retailers, pundits and advocates in comics commenting on the issues affecting the comics industry. Check it out and add your two cents to the discussion!The ParticipantsRonée Garcia Bourgeois - National VP / PR, Friends Of LuluJohanna Draper Carlson - Reviewer, Comics Worth ReadingGerry Gladston - President, Midtown ComicsBrian Scot Johnson - Proprietor, Khepri.comFrank Miller - Proprietor, Richmond ComixChris Pitzer - Publisher, AdHouse BooksJason Rodriguez - Editor, Hoarse & BuggyRose Vess - Reviewer, Shrew ReviewScott Wherle - Writer, BlacklightPlus,…

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A guillotine, a Sister of Battle, and a scrapbook picture from the 2001 National Poetry Slam.

Spring Cleaning in July

We celebrated Independence Day by giving our prison cell apartment a thorough scrubbing. "Thorough" as in near-blisters and aching joints when we were done. Except we weren't really done, because we still have our bedroom and closets to do tonight. That this includes a new bed, desk and rug - completing the Extreme Makeover - makes it all a bit more bearable.It's funny how you can go months without realizing you've simply been treading water, waiting for something to happen instead of making it happen. We hadn't really done much with the apartment since we'd started looking at houses, and…

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A guillotine, a Sister of Battle, and a scrapbook picture from the 2001 National Poetry Slam.

Try Something Different: 6/29/05

Support Independent Comics!Independent comics (and manga) being released tomorrow, 6/29/05, courtesy of ComicList. Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it.Recommendations, sometimes blind, in BOLD. Which ones are YOU reading?AAA MILWAUKEE PUBLISHING CO Essential Arsenic Lullaby Vol 1 HC Sgn, $45.99ABOUT COMICS Licensable Bear #1 (AA), $2.95 Licensable Bear #2, $2.95ALC PUBLISHING Rica Tte Kanji GN, $15.00 Yuri Monogatari GN, $15.00ALIAS ENTERPRISES LLC 10th Muse Vol 2 #2, $2.99 10th Muse Vol 2 Photo Cvr Foil Ed #2, $4.99 Elsinore #2 (Of 9),…

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A guillotine, a Sister of Battle, and a scrapbook picture from the 2001 National Poetry Slam.

Comment: Handicapping Batman Begins

As of Tuesday, June 21, Batman Begins has made $84,928,817 at the domestic box office, already ranking it as the 20th highest-grossing comic book adaptation ever. The Top 5 on that list are:Spider-Man: $403,706,375Spider-Man 2: $373,585,825Batman: $251,188,924Men in Black: $250,690,539X2: X-Men United: $214,949,694Assuming a typical 50% dropoff this weekend, I'm guessing it'll leapfrog into the 13th spot, just behind The Hulk at #12 with $132,177,234. From there, though, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out, especially with the Fourth of July holiday next weekend which should boost its take despite War of the Worlds opening that weekend.My prediction?…

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A guillotine, a Sister of Battle, and a scrapbook picture from the 2001 National Poetry Slam.

Pull List Review: June 2005

Here's what I'm currently buying on a regular basis, and why. What about you?100 GirlsBecause it's a great story, and Adam Gallardo's an interesting guy.15 MinutesBecause it makes C-list superheroes interesting.Action PhilosophersBecause it's smart and funny and takes more than 5 minutes to read each issue.ArañaBecause I really wanted it to be good, and have been hoping it gets there. (Though, honestly, my hope is fading fast.)The AtheistBecause it has an intriguing plot and a brother as a lead character who isn't a stereotype. (Well, not a bad one, at least, because he's definitely a bit of the stereotypical Sam…

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