Some comics don't suck!

We3 is my new mistress. It's a new comic out, published by DC's Vertigo imprint, it's by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, and it's bloody good. I think the words 'Grant Morrison' should've been good enough for you, but if they weren't, the words 'Frank Quitely' should have made it a definite buy. But if you're one of those that just have to know what the premise is, well, it's this: a dog, a cat, and a rabbit are turned into cyborg killing machines by the government, but they escape, and make a desperate dash for "Home." It's a great pop comic, a visually dense animal epic that'll prove to be heartbreaking in the comic months. The first of three issues came out Wednesday. The second one'll be out in October. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. It utilizes some interesting new techniques that I've never seen done in comics before... As Grant has said, it's an attempt at "Western Manga." There isn't a lot of dialogue for a good chunk of the issue, yet it still takes time to read and sift through, because of how dense it is. The art, of course, is brilliant. Whether it's the nigh 3-D splash pages or the six-page sequence of eighteen panels each, well, it just looks damn purty. Run out and get it. I'll give this one 9/10.

Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men continues, with #4, yet it's not quite what it used to be, or what it could be. The first issue was kinda bad, the second and third issues were amazing, and this issue is middle ground. Something major happens, and yes, it's all over the internet, spoiled for everyone. It's technically good, with some great moments, both funny and terrifying, and some pretty art and sharp dialogue, but the major event depresses me, as I'd hoped Joss wouldn't stoop to this level. The issue almost felt like Joss copying Joss, a parody of himself. I hope the next issue's better, because this one kinda soured me. I didn't "feel" it like I had the previous two. I want to like it, I really do, but it just kinda bums me out. Gorgeous cover, though. It gets a tentative 6/10. This could bump up a point or so upon a rereading.

X-Statix (by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred) has ended, with #26. I won't spoil it for anyone, but, as the cover says it's a "Downbeat yet strangle moving final issue!" I felt like someone had punched me in the gut the entire time I was reading it, it affected me that much. Okay, so the book has been travelling on a downward spiral since #12, but this last issue invokes the greatness that it used to be. It gets 7/10 for finally returning to form, albeit a bit too late. Very emotionally involving for me, a long-time reader of the run.

And now for the rest of what I've read this month...
Fantastic Four #517: Waid and Wieringo are back, so it's much better than the previous arc, but it didn't grab me. Lots of wasted space in this one, on huge yet pointless splash pages. A few nice character bits, but nothing much happened. And the price has now gone up to three bucks an issue, and I'm really debating whether I should keep buying the singles, switch to trades, or just drop the series. It seems like it's lost the magic. No more than 5/10, or maybe a point below, if I'm feeling really mean.

Gotham Central #22: That has got to be *the* biggest anticlimax I've ever seen. After the arc was ramping up to terrific levels, it ends with a dud. Good character bits, though. I feel sorry for Bullock, the poor lug. It'd be nice to see him show up again in the series, but I don't want him turning into another Slam Bradley or Joe Potato... we've got enough of those lawmen-on-the-outside-of-the-law guys. Perhaps the story will read better all in one sitting. But for now, this gets a 6/10.

Human Target #13: This series is good. The sales are piss poor, having slipped under ten thousand, but it's good, dammit! It's Milligan and Pulido this time around, and it's a very nice story, although not as good as the previous issue. The little arc wraps up here in a semi-satisfying fashion. Once again, it's all about identity, and trying to find a place in the world where you fit in. Everyone in this story is technically "damaged goods." Sometimes it's their fault, and other times not. Milligan's doing his best work on this title, and no one's paying attention. 7/10.

Oh... and I'm back, by the way. Yes, I know, I never showed up with that Seaguy thesis, but dammit, I'm a lazy bum.

Rising from the graaave...!

I'm still alive, dammit.

Fizzing Sherbetstorms of Light Particles!

July 31st. There's some kind of poetry in it. 7/31. Yes...
Happy birthday to me.

And now for an added bonus, here's William Shatner "singing" Pulp. http://homepage.mac.com/sceldred/.Public/Steve/common_people.mov. Enjoy.

The Return of the Di-Verbal Review Revue!

Hi, kids. Today, returning from a long-distance trip there was a bit of a traffic jam, and the detour around it led to the comic shop, so here's a few more two-word reviews.

Astonishing X-Men #3: Riveting. Smart. 8/10
Fantastic Four #516: Humdrum borecore. 4/10
X-Statix #25: Retro-esque nu-pop. 6/10

See you in the funny pages...

Di-Verbal Review! Or is it Bi-Verbal...?

Time for some two-word reviews of recent comic books I've picked up!

Fantastic Four #515: Traditionally atrocious. 2/10
Gotham Central #21: Pulpy characterization. 7/10
Human Target #12: Cinematically human. 8/10
Seaguy #3: Boombastic psychedelia. 9/10
X-Statix #24: Ludicrous satire. 5/10

Look for a review of the entirety of the three-issue Seaguy mini-series fairly soon. And when I read V for Vendetta, the first volume of the Invisibles, and Essential Thor, I'll be posting some sort of commentary. Also, please note the new links section in the sidebar to your right.

Breathing the electric air of the future!

I'm going into this entry having no idea what to say and no whimsical oblique title to give it. I suppose I'll mention something about the comics world, throw in a few other ditties... I've been in quite a lot of random pain today, so I need something to take my mind off that. Oh, let's just see.

So Warren Ellis is going to be writing Iron Man very shortly, which is quite interesting. I have had absolutely no interest in Iron Man whatsoever since I was a wee lad and loved everything either shiny or in bright colors, and Iron Man's both of those. Anyway, Ellis is one of those patented Crazed British Comic Authors (tm) who is known for doing some really good, experimental, and noteworthy stuff. He redefined super-heroes and brought about the 'widescreen' movement with The Authority, he tackles super-hero anthropology and numerous other interesting elements in Planetary (which I admit that I haven't read, but I plan to get the trades), plus he's done zillions of other projects. Anyway, now he's on Iron Man. I think he'll be a good fit for the technology and sci-fi aspects, and he'd probably write a decent Tony Stark, although I won't be surprised if the character suddenly becomes a chainsmoking British guy, as that archetype appears in nearly all of Ellis's works. So yeah, I'll check that out.

Another bit of news from the San Diego Comicon is that Ed Brubaker is writing Captain America. "Bru" (as he's known) writes Catwoman and Gotham Central right now, and they're both excellent books, so I'll at least check out his Cap run. It promises to be more than silly tradition.

Peter Milligan will be taking over the adjectiveless X-Men comic in five or six issues or so. Milligan writes Human Target for DC's mature Vertigo imprint right now, and it's my favorite ongoing comic on the stands. He also writes X-Statix, which will come to an end next month, and that comic ranged from good to excellent until that whole Princess Diana debacle which ended up shooting quality in the face. Anyway, his X-Men will most likely be good, so check that out, too.

That wraps up this entry, I think. Perhaps another one will be shortly forthcoming. And before I forget, today I will wish a certain person a happy birthday. They know who they are.

Oh, and now I've added a random title. And yeah, I stole it from somewhere. If you correctly identify where it's from, you get a cookie.

Hmm...

No, I haven't forgotten, I just haven't had anything to say. I suppose I could talk about movies and such... maybe later. And next week, expect a review of Seaguy, the best comic to come out this year. (Note: It has come to my attention that next week is suddenly this week. Hmm. So by 'next week' read 'Wednesday or so.')

But right now? Um... Yeah.

But while you're at it, go to http://www.icogitate.com/~luxnatura4/AlanMooreSalon.pdf and read the interview. It's Alan Moore, arguably the greatest comic book writer of all time, and literary mastermind, discussing politics, comics, and how he predicted the future back in the 80's. It's a great read.

Politic-tac-toe?

I'm not a big fan, or follower, of politics. I find them dreadfully boring, and trying to keep up with the political world will probably only lead to frustration and anger. I simply can't fathom the thought processes of our so-called government "officials." I must say, no, I don't like Mr. Bush very much, but Mr. Kerry seems like he took classes at the Al Gore school of elocution. Still, Mr. Kerry, right now, seems like the lesser of two evils. So remember: a vote for Kerry is a vote for someone that isn't Bush.

As far as politics go, I can find myself to be a fan of some politically-charged comic books, however. I wish that Captain America had kept going in that direction, but unfortunately Marvel has decided to regress the title back to simple super-hero fare, something I'm not going to waste my money on. It seems like I'll have to write my own political comic... and I will, surely. I have many ideas for a new title which will serve as a political thesis, as well as a range of other topics, including religion, the military, philosophy, law, and a few other things, I'm sure. Plus it should have some well-rounded (and well-written) characters. We'll see how the scripting, shopping, and publishing processes go, however.

Places to Go...

I've got no idea what to say, but I'll try to say something anyway. I realize no one's reading this, so instead it's actually just my own demented mind talking to itself. Which I suppose is fine, in some stream-of-consciousness writing-skill-building exercise. Or not. But if you're out there, leave a comment. Or I'll be forced to leave comments under assumed names just to satisfy my own demented and soon-to-be-fractured mind. Anyway...

Websites of the Moment:

Tales of the Parodyverse: The people on this board are family. No, not literally, of course, but they very much feel like it for me. I love these people. The board itself is a home for a shared universe of fiction, and many of the posters are writers. Sure, it's super-heroes and parodies of comic books, but it's some great storytelling. There's comedy and drama and action and crime-fic and lots and lots of other genres. It's a great place, and hopefully it's not too hard to get into for new posters. There's a Who's Who, Where's Where, and a When's When (The History of the Parodyverse), and numerous archive sites of previous material. If you like comics, or you're a writer, or both, or even if you're just looking for a place to read some good material, then check it out. (You can find my own story archive here, by the way. I warn you, though, a lot of the very early stories are crap. Trust me, I get better.)

Barbelith: The smartest forums on the 'net. The place covers all of culture and back again, from politics to philosophy to science to books, movies, comics, and music. The posters are very intelligent and witty, and they have the best taste in pop culture.

And that is apparently it for now.

So what the heck is this all aboot?

So... what is The Lithium Age? "Next generation of imagination? Wuzzah?" Allow me to produce exposition for you.

In the comics world, there are several Ages. The Golden Age in the 40's, the Silver Age in the 60's, the Bronze Age in the 70's, and so on. The closer to present time one gets, the harder it is to classify an age. The Silver Age, however, was classified by new ideas and imagination. I see a new trend starting to develop, one which will return things to their imaginative Silver Age roots yet be grounded in the modern era, and so I have dubbed this age The Lithium Age, and I'm allowing you all to get in on the ground floor.

It doesn't necessarily have to apply only to comics, of course. It can apply to prose, music, film, or any part of culture, pop or otherwise. And so I leave it to you to continue the trend and help me develop The Lithium Age.

Hello there, gentle viewer!

So this is what a blog is, eh? I never saw the point of these. Still don't. Yet here I am. This will serve as a place for my ramblings, rantings, and other inane or important things I find myself having to say. I'll discuss the comics medium, writing, and other things, probably involving pop culture in some way. It'll be updated when I remember or if I feel like it.

On with the show.