HYGOTS No. 38
July 3rd, 2009
Ten years ago, I was compelled to give up the evil habit of reading (buying, actually) comic books. I was headed off to college and it was suggested that I could save money by doing so. Understand that at the time, I spent virtually everything I earned on comics, whether it was at Zimmies, Ray’s 3 C’s, or All About Comics & Hobbies. Thing is, there was already a conspiracy afoot to break the habit. Zimmies moved, Ray’s closed, and AAC&H was no doubt already in the process of transitioning to The Keep – and its own move. I had spent the years 1994-1999 haunting these shops, and a few years prior working myself up to such an avid devotion, when you could still find packages of the stuff at places like Toys ‘R’ Us and Sam’s Club. Luckily, my parents weren’t the kind to make the comics I had “disappear,” but I spent the next five years looking at Wizard and pretty much nothing else, as far as printed superheroes were concerned. I didn’t seem to need them, or miss them. Then I moved to Burlington, MA in 2005, and found Newbury Comics (which, despite its name, is actually more devoted to music and movies). I was back in the game before I had even found a new job. I started writing about them with Paperback Reader, first reviewing and then in a weekly column, which I eventually named ‘Weekly’ (seriously), but it was originally ‘The Quarter Bin.’ In 2006 I did my first QB awards at the end of the year.
This year, although I no longer write about them so regularly, I’m upping the ante a bit. Because I no longer have that weekly column, all my thousands of rabid readers don’t know what I’ve been thinking about what’s been going on, so 2009 sees the debut of a midyear report. While the last two QBs have covered my favorite 50 series (since I started writing this column last September, you’ll be forgiven for only having recently heard about this whole QB thing, ancient though it really is), this version of the highlights game will spotlight my ten favorite issues from January through June, as well as a smattering of the best stuff I’ve been reading, which is where we’ll begin.
The Twilight Zone Marathon on SCI FI
July 3rd, 2009
SCI FI Channel is currently in the midst of its annual Fourth of July marathon featuring The Twilight Zone. In what I believe is a change from previous years, the marathon began yesterday (July 2nd) at 8:00AM Eastern with episodes from the 1985 version, and those will continue until 5:00PM Eastern this evening when the classic 1959 version takes over. The marathon ends at 6:00AM Eastern on Sunday, July 5th.
Be sure to check your local listings and enjoy hours and hours of wonderful television. And remember that SCI FI Channel becomes Syfy on Tuesday, July 7th, so this is the last marathon of The Twilight Zone under the current name. Sad. My personal favorite episode, “The Midnight Sun” (starring the late Lois Nettleton) airs tomorrow (July 4th) at 3:00PM Eastern. I’ll probably watch a few hours of the marathon but unlike SCI FI’s New Year’s Eve Day/New Year’s Day marathon, I won’t be watching for two days straight.
Alan Dean Foster Writing Novel Set After Star Trek (2009)
July 2nd, 2009
TrekMovie.com reports that Alan Dean Foster, who wrote the novelization to Star Trek (2009), will be penning an original novel set after the events in the movie, tentatively titled Star Trek: Refugees, that will presumably not have anything to do with the movie sequel to Star Trek (2009).
Farscape To Be Re-Released on DVD; Series Issued
July 1st, 2009
SCI FI Channel’s Farscape, which ran from 1999 to 2003, will be re-released on DVD this November by A&E Home Entertainment in conjunction with the Jim Henson Company. The series has been released on DVD twice before, in complete season sets and individual volumes/collections. But they are all out of print and can be expensive and/or time consuming to purchase secondhand.
Now, however, you’ll be able to buy all four seasons individually or the complete series in a special megaset. Read the official press release at TVShowsOnDVD.com.
Comics On Sale – July 1st, 2009
July 1st, 2009
It’s new comic book day! Dozens of new books will be hitting the racks today. Head over to Previews to see the list of new comics and then hit the comments to share which books are on your pull list this week.
Another Day, Another SCI FI Channel Remake
July 1st, 2009
Variety.com is reporting that SCI FI Channel (soon to become Sy Fy Channel) is working on a new version of the 1988 movie Alien Nation, which spawned a television series that ran on FOX for one season from 1989-1990. Both the movie and the television series involved a race of aliens attempting to integrate into Los Angeles society and the racism directed towards them.
Tim Minear (Dollhouse, Angel, Wonderfalls, Drive) is writing the script for what may or may not begin as a miniseries much like SCI FI’s Battlestar Galactica.
Merlin review
June 29th, 2009
Based on the episodes “The Mark of Nimueh” (1×3) and “The Poisoned Chalice” (1×4), originally broadcast on NBC 6/28/09.
It’s a good thing that remakes are something of a topic this year, because it helps put the new series ‘Merlin,’ and the topic of remakes itself, in better context. The concept of telling and reimagining old stories is just about as old as the art of storytelling itself, and that’s probably the first thing to understand about ‘Merlin,’ that it’s neither a good nor bad thing inherently for such a show to have debuted in 2009 to be working with a character that’s been around for hundreds of years. It’s not for a lack of creativity. In fact, I would argue that, as would be the case with any other such work, it’s quite the opposite. And in this case, ‘Merlin’ would be a case of finding something fruitful to say regardless of the familiarity of the material.
Interested in IDW’s Star Trek (2009) Comics?
June 29th, 2009
Star Trek (2009) just finished its eighth weekend at the box office (and has now made $246.3 million domestically). A sequel has been ordered but won’t hit theaters until Summer 2011 at the earliest. But that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. There are already tons of memorabilia and collectibles relating to the movie available. A novelization, action figures, trading cards, toys, a soundtrack and more.
Plus, IDW Publishing has a pair of comic miniseries planned that will continue the story of the movie. Are you interested?
Comics I Like – June 29th, 2009
June 29th, 2009
I’ve finally had a chance to read Captain America #600 so I can give my thoughts on that issue as well as the upcoming Captain America: Reborn miniseries that starts this week. I’ll also talk about WildStorm’s intriguing Storming Paradise miniseries and DC’s latest The Warlord series.
Captain America #600
Has it really been 600 issues? According to the cover gallery included in #600 it has. I know I haven’t read nearly that many, only picking up the series around issue #438 of the first volume. I’ve been with the title, through its various incarnations, ever sense. #600 was interesting but certainly not worth $4.99 so I’m glad I got it through my subscription.
Captain America #600 (Courtesy of the Grand Comics Database)
Sunday Movie Review: The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues
June 29th, 2009
I apologize for the delay but I think it’s worth it. I’m reviewing The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues, a movie so bad that I can’t think of anything good to say about it. Released in 1955, the title makes absolutely no sense. There’s no phantom involve — the monster is quite visible — and 10,000 leagues would equal about 30,000 miles. That’s pretty deep.
The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues
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