The Web Haunt of Ryan K Lindsay

I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy because my brother told me to. He read it because it was post-apocalyptic fiction, as did I. He also said it was damn good. Once I was finished, which was only a few days later, I agreed. It wasn’t long after that for news of a movie to trickle through and get me excited. The two main exciting aspects being the involvement of John Hillcoat and Viggo Mortensen. I held my breath and waited. Waited a very long time.

The movie kept getting pushed back, and I had hoped this time it was to make the prime time for Oscar awards season. Either the movie overshot the mark or it just wasn’t as good as I had hoped because it didn’t get a single nod that I could see. Which is a shame because I can think of 3 or 4 noms I’d sling its way. But before that I’d better review the flick.

The Road looks brilliant. Everything is black and grey, no bright colours have survived whatever caused this complete phenomenon of death and destruction. I still veer towards thinking it was something environmental in nature. The Man and The Boy trek across the land in search of the water to the south. It’s a sad and fruitless journey, only to be made sadder along the way by cannibalistic bastards on the roads looking for whatever they can find.

The movie is bleak, and you need to be prepared for that. Viggo Mortensen is in a constant state of emotional strain, and his son, Kodi Smit-McPhee, gets dragged through the mud at every turn. The pair carry a gun with two bullets left, one each. A chance encounter sees Viggo use one of those shells and so for the rest of the movie you can see he is even more pained that he will be left alone in the world because there is no way in hell he’ll allow his son to succumb to anything evil that roams in the ashy wastes that surround them.

The scenes of human anguish are real, and when they first venture into a cellar only to find the pale and limbless people who are being harvested for food you want to jump or scream or express some guttural emotion. It’s horrific and the aftermath is just as taxing. The movie puts you against a wall and then starts to twist and grind you.

The Boy carries his half of the movie well, he is all heart, or at least the character tries to be. He wants to help those he stumbles across, and seems to be able to sense when they are worthy of this help. The Man, however, never sees this distinction in people because he is lost to humanity, and has lost faith in it. It’s sad, but The Man is without hope completely.

The essence of the movie is boiled down, for me, in one line by The Man:

The boy is the word of God and if he is not then God never spoke.

It says so much about his view on the world and on his son. It’s heartbreaking and I warn you, if you have children, that this film will be confronting. I’m glad I saw it before I had a kid, or even a son, in the same way I’m glad I read Pet Sematary early as well. It’s emotionally draining, but that’s what you go in expecting. That’s what is meant to happen.

I’d certainly give an Oscar nod to Viggo Mortensen. The man is a powerhouse of emotion at all times and yet there are scenes where he relaxes and he plays this so well, especially in the scenes in the bunker. I’d give a nod to director John Hillcoat because his vision is so complete and tactile. Everything is right there in the mise en scene and that’s an impressive feat. I’d think about possibly throwing some nods towards the script and The Boy but my other certainty would be Charlize Theron.

Theron plays The Wife in flashbacks only and she is phenomenal. If I was going to cry in a movie, and it’s only happened twice, then she would have done it. Her scenes are pure anguish and she nails them perfectly. You leave her last scene just wondering what else could go wrong. The world has just ended and she is so blessedly cold. It’s a chilly performance and a commendable one because it certainly could not have been easy to deliver.

It’s not a movie you walk away saying you loved, but I damn well respected it. I couldn’t watch it every week, but it was forever linger within me, much as the book is. It’s a masterful adaptation and an impressive flick. I’d suggest you check it out for those reasons.

Posted on February 7th, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: movies | No Comments »

When I joined on at The Weekly Crisis they mentioned that they would like to do some interviews. I said I had DM’d Steven Sanders (the famed artist of recently cancelled S.W.O.R.D. fame) and brashfully said I’d be able to pull an interview with him. They were bold words but I wouldn’t to look like a big shot to all my new friends in the school yard. I put it out there but then I had to follow it up. So I gave it a shot, and after Mr Sanders having helped me out with a few other questions before I thought he’d be okay with it. I asked for the interview, and shockingly got it.

What follows through this banner/link is a discussion that Steven Sanders and I had about comics. Enjoy.

To give some background; I tried to think of cool and different interview article names and the one that pretty quickly came to me was the Fireside Chat. It’s informal, it’s fun, it’s most certainly, I hope, different. I thought I’d fly the flag and see who saluted. The lads were fine with it, so then I moved onto format. I wanted questions, yeah, obviously, but I wanted some different touches too. I added the Literary Rorschach Test at the end to sort of send a few curve balls out and see what happened. I like some of Mr Sanders’ answers. A man can say a lot by how he reacts quickly and to the point. I think it all went well.

Lastly, I have to say, Mr Sanders was a complete gentleman about it all. He didn’t mind follow up emails, he didn’t mind me sitting outside his window to observe him in his natural habitat, and he most certainly didn’t mind hugging it out at the end. He’s a real champ, and I cannot wait to see what he draws next in comics. Plus, I’m pretty sure when he does I’ll get the inside scoop…

Go here. Enjoy.

Posted on February 3rd, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: comics, weekly crisis | No Comments »

Yes, as some of you already know, I’ve sold out.

I’m a corporate player now, I’ve got the logo on the sleeve, and the party line memorised in the back of my brain. I’m just another shocktroop on the front line taking schrapnel for the big brains back in the tent who move us through the theatre of war like little rock pieces on a gaol chess board. It’s sad, but also so very cool.

The Weekly Crisis is a comic news and opinion website that I have grown to especially love over the past year or so of my internet trolling campaign. It’s written by four guys and they each have a unique perspective on the comics they read and the things that they like. I have read standard reviews, I have looked at brilliant covers and scanned moments of the week, and I have immersed myself in fantastic Top Ten fan lists and op/ed pieces about the state of the comics world today.

I stop at The Weekly Crisis first at all times, which is, sadly, actually no lie. It’s a fun site, it keeps me up to date and I like the tone of it all. It’s personal, it’s more of a group blog that some newshound site looking for hits and money from links. This is comic love born from comic love, and I love that.

I contributed some guest articles on there, and comment a fair bit, when the time is right, and now I’ve earned my stripes. Rather than have me pester them constantly from the outside, windows jangling as I force muddy palms up against them to see inside through the glare, the door has been opened. I can warm my feet by the fire of opinion, sip on the delicious hot chocolate of fan servitude, and hunker down with a decent comic to read under the sturdy roof of a wider audience.

I’m a writer, that’s what I do, be it novels, short stories, or here on the trusty ol’ website. I like to write, and I write what I like about. I like comics and have often written about them here, but now I shall do that there, if you know what I mean. There will still be comics posts here but the majority of my creative and editorial output on those matter will now reside at The Weekly Crisis. That means all of my non-comics info-dumps; movie and book reviews, state of the union addresses for my writing, all that fun stuff will still be here. I am not abandoning the ‘brown, not by any means. Just taking my shirt off to offer elsewhere. It’s going to be a hell of a 2010.

I’ve already got a fair few texts drafted up, and one piece is quite the scoop, so I look forward to posting links to them here. Yes, you’ll have to click one more time to hear my sweet dulcet tones discuss nerdisms and other four colour matters, but fret not, poor damsel, you’ll also get a few of my own special mock-up Weekly Crisis pic-links, so long as the real Crisis doesn’t sue me for them…heh, thanks lads.

I’ve been introduced over there (so I guess I’m posting my own welcome to introduce my introduction over there in post form…what‽) so go have a look through the magic of this link.

Stick around, here and there, and I hope you enjoy, I know I certainly will.

Posted on February 1st, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: Writing, comics | 7 Comments »

Four comics this week, things are getting crazy, but we’ll manage. Some really good things here, people, really good things. And first up is Resurrection 7. How are you, old chap?

Resurrection: This week brings new issues, a cult to be specific.

I thought they saw themselves as more of a religion?

Resurrection: When you’re dealing with the end of the world you’d be surprised how many religions really show themselves as cults.

Ouch, I like it. There’s no doubting that whatever this group is their prayers were answered; they live in a massive city that has not been touched by the bug invasion at all. That’s pretty impressive. Everyone else was razed to the ground and they’re sitting pretty.

Resurrection: Yes, how interesting when you’re embroiled with a bug that suddenly you are protected from the bugs.

This bug, if it is the same one as featured in the intro, was around in Landstuhl, Germany on June 3rd, 1982. It’s been on Earth longer than I have been, though I was in utero then, but the bug had most likely been around for some time by the time we see it. I guess my question is, does it having been on Earth almost exactly as long as I have been have anything to do with the story?

Resurrection: …

I guess not, but anyway, I thought it was cool. We get at tease of this bug years ago then once our merry and intrepid explorers are kidnapped by hooded and gun toting goons they are taken to the pristine city and meet the bug who brought them there. And who knew they would come and knows all of their names. It’s a great end to an issue and I didn’t mind the interplay as they get sprung in the first place because they were all too busy considering their own position and not looking out as they should have been.

Resurrection: The issue gets everyone into place for the entire arc to now play out like a tune. Whether it’s a top 40 tune or a nails-down-the-chalkboard tune is yet to be seen.

It’s a simple week, I think, but I keep forgetting that I’m only getting 16 pages. It’s only two-thirds of what I consider an issue and you still set everything up pretty nicely. The back up story is a bit sad.

Resurrection: Yes, the burn.

For those who don’t know, burns are the people left over from bug experiments. They’re melted people who wander the landscape soulless and broken. They’re pretty sad and this short made them somehow even sadder. But in a well written way.

Resurrection: I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Yeah, overall, I really did. I’ve been enjoying the back up stories a lot, they rarely disappoint as they are sweet little done-in-one’s. I can’t wait to see some more of this cult they’re all stuck with. And if they’ll care about President Clinton at all. Thanks, Resurrection, now we’ll have a chat to my comic of the week, Secret Warriors 12.

Secret Warriors: Comic of the week, that’s a big wrap.

No, what’s a big wrap is the tapestry you are weaving in this title. This single issue seemed to give me so many ideas and I am in such awe at what you are accomplishing. There’s such insanity and depth on the pages that I sat back and simply enjoyed myself, which is exactly what this comic reading game is all about. You progress four stories here and that’s pretty good for a single issue. I really am in awe.

Secret Warriors: Which storyline are you enjoying the most?

That’s the thing, they’re so varied that I enjoy them equally on different levels. To kick things off we get Gorgon fighting off some Leviathan goons. It’s a bit of crazy kung-fu action which ends with Leviathan tendrils into faces and Viper being stolen away. It’s pretty cool and very well paced.

Next up we have Stonewall taking Yo-Yo for a drive to get her used to her arms. They have just seen her mother and she is happy once more. Such a family reunion leads her to push Stonewall into seeing his father. We learn the horrible past of Stonewall’s father, involving violence, rapes, and death, and then we meet the man himself, behind bars. I won’t spoil who he is, but it is pretty cool. I’m not sure it gels with what he had been saying during one scene in Secret Invasion. I’ll wait it out and see what they do with it, though.

Then we get a six year prior flashback that explains how The Hive was created, for want of a word. It’s clever, nasty, brutal, and ultimately awesome. Especially because we know how it is now, so to see the formative stage is a real eye opener.

We cut back to Gorgon, who has assembled the other leaders, to discuss that he believes there is a traitor somewhere in their midst. He’s going to root them out, and we know there is one, so this will get interesting. I like that the reveal of the traitor came many issues ago and we’re just getting back to it now. I kind of appreciate that longevity of storytelling.

Nick Fury continues to talk to his team leaders, of which there are more than we had at first thought, and he explains to us how Leviathan came about, and it’s interesting the thought Jonathan Hickman has put into it. HYDRA came from post-war Japan and Germany but Leviathan is Russian in origin and that is why it is so intensely different. It’s a very cool, and well explained, origin.

Finally, we see Leviathan interrogate Viper and get a glimpse at the next stage of the plan. And it looks pretty strange. And awesome. The arc is called Wake The Beast for a reason.

Look at all I’ve mentioned and imagine it in one single issue of a larger arc being told. It’s fantastic. It’s kung-fu, it’s family drama, it’s spy-fu, and it’s intensely crazy shenanigans. Book of the week for sure, book of the year so far, perhaps. It helps that Stefano Caselli is honestly doing the work of his career. I picked up a lot of his Avengers: The Initiative run and it didn’t always grab me. The people looked like clay figures, like each panel could have slipped off the page, but here he’s got it in one. He brings the crazy characters to life in amazing ways and I think this partnership gets better with every issue.

Secret Warriors: Do you actually need me here to say anything?

You shouldn’t have to, you said it all on the page already. Just kick back and get a free massage up the back.

Secret Warriors: Is Betsy here?

You bet’cha. Ah, another satisfying meeting, who’s next?

Fantastic Four: Here, Ryan, and ready to go.

Issue number 575, I must say, you had some moments this week. You were certainly enjoyable but you could have done more for me.

Fantastic Four: You do realise I was written by Jonathan Hickman as well?

Don’t try and rest on those laurels. You’ve got to prove yourself each week just like everyone else in here.

Secret Warriors: The man’s got it.

Fantastic Four: Stay out of this.

Hey, don’t get all testy with him just because I’m calling you out here. Now, to business. I liked you, don’t get me wrong, but let’s run down what you do for me. You bring a bunch of moloids to the surface to act as herald for the Mole Man to ask the FF for help. They then learn about the High Evolutionary’s crazy city that was evolving creatures but when the moloids went in they could speak and they didn’t seem to like it so they dumped the evolved children into the sidebars of history, harsh. Everyone then tours the underground for, like, four pages, and when they hit the city the Thing goes off to save the kids while the FF deal with the city. Grimm saves the kids and evolves a little as well, he gets a humongous Ken Griffey Jnr on the old cough syrup head, and the FF watch the city raise to the surface and don’t affect the situation at all. It sounds like a bit but most of it could have happened off-panel, all of the travelling, the city coming up anyway. The FF simply watch it all they don’t really do much, except for Grimm, but his evolution wears off, so we are told.

Fantastic Four: This issue sets up a lot of things, a grand palace needs a solid and rewarding foundation.

I don’t doubt it and though I love sausages I also do not want to know how they are made. This issue just seemed a little redundant to me, or could have been handled among more action instead of during inaction. Even the FF seem on downtime with the issue opening with Reed serving everyone coffee, it’s break time all around.

Fantastic Four: Come on, that is actually pretty funny.

Yeah, I’ll pay it. However, not to rant all fanboy-like all night long, I loved that splash page.

Fantastic Four: I assume you are speaking of the corpse of Galactus from another dimension that Reed buried in the underworld.

Damn skippy, that was pretty cool, as was the splash at the end of the High Evolutionary statue in the middle of the raised city. I also really dug the one page of info-bites that tell us what happens over the coming days of the city having been raised. It was info we didn’t necessarily need to see play out but we need to know, nice way of doing it, I thought. I didn’t feel cheated by it. Sadly, though, the whole issue could have started right at the end, with the FF being called out because the city had already arisen. Then the story could kick off, but I guess it needs to be there for further set up later. It also meant we got to see some awesome Eaglesham art as we tour the underworld.

Evolution is a tricky subject but I trust Hickman enough to treat it smartly at all times. I’ve got faith, FF, I just want to see a return to those first three issues. I want the next three to really bring the brain.

Fantastic Four: We can most certainly accommodate that.

I have no doubt you will and still thoroughly look forward to discussing it all with you next month. Now, Daredevil 504, being my boy and all you come at the end of the stack no matter what. You didn’t get the book of the week title, but you were still pretty good.

Daredevil: Thank you. I hope you like where we are taking things.

I do, but again, felt like I didn’t quite get enough from my single issue fix. We see Daredevil start to set up shop on the site of a recent failure, where he will build something called Shadowland. I’m intrigued and that’s a very good thing to put into your reader. Then you show me Foggy and Dakota chatting to a judge with some information they feel is very pertinent, and they then discover that Norman Osborne isn’t behind all things evil. The Hand stamp their authority on Hell’s Kitchen and a massive fight ensues between said ninjas and the troops of H.A.M.M.E.R.

Daredevil: That certainly sounds like you got a lot.

It should sound that way but it didn’t feel that way. Everything whizzed by but I didn’t feel enough of it. I think, and I stole this off a very good friend’s review, that I might be missing the inner monologues. Usually we get to know what Murdock’s thinking but here I have no clear clue and I’m not sure I love that. I like me some captions, gives me more writing and gets me deeper into the story. Here, I feel a little on the outside looking in. Not necessarily bad, but I yearn for so much more.

Daredevil: You yearn?

Yeah, I do, I yearn. All the time, and right now I yearn for a comic that will give me plenty to chew on. Secret Warriors did it but nothing else really did. They either started things off, or I think ended things but without anything really being resolved. Diggle’s first arc is only going to echo into the next one and while I like a long form story I also like getting some story not trace elements of a story. I’m hoping with Murdock going to Japan to see the leaders of the Hand we’ll get some good action. I’m also surprisingly pumped to see Anthony Johnston come on board for this coming arc. I think it will be kind of cool, so let’s see what happens next. Daredevil would have to do a lot for me to drop him, not that he’s anywhere near this yet.

Daredevil: You’re thinking of dropping me…even considering the optional possibility is shocking.

Calm down, It’s not going to happen. You’re solid in my book, and Diggle is really taking DD in some new places, it’s okay, I like it, I just want to absolutely love it. It was the same with Brubaker, it fizzled a little bit but the Lady Bullseye arc really brought me back in. I have faith, Murdock always comes through with the goods.

Daredevil: Whew, thankfully we’ll still have you around to chat to each month.

Alright, sarcasm aside, it was a good week, and Secret Warriors really made it great. Thanks for turning up guys, I’ll catch you all next time.

Posted on January 31st, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: comics | 2 Comments »

My writing regimen is a little scattered what with my return to work. I got a solid two hours yesterday morning, and yielded a very nice 1k of words out of it. Quota had been met for the day and I was happy. There was no need to stress or overthink the process or the day, I was in and it felt good.

Then, after dinner, and walking the dog, and doing the dishes, I was given a nice little half hour window with which to occupy myself. I have to stay up until 9pm to get the dog tired to go to bed. Any earlier a set down time and she’s liable to chew all of the newspaper I lay down and just make stupid noises for an hour because she’s too amped. Luckily, and this is no lie, the dog loves it when I write. She sits next to me at the desk and just rests her head for a little while. It’s awesome, so I had the perfect excuse to settle her down.

In that half an hour I got a sneaky 651 words down and then could happily shut down the computer knowing my day had been completely successful.

It was kind of cool to grab such a small moment and make it work for me. I had to be focused and not allow any distraction to get me, and I was happy with what I got. A chapter finished and the base for the next one laid for me, which I’ve been steadily building on this morning.

There’s always time to write, you just have to use it.

So go on and use it, you know you want to.

Posted on January 28th, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »

I am a writer. By now you know that, but by day I am a mild mannered primary school teacher. It’s fun and it pays the bills. Score.

For the past five weeks I have been on summer holidays. It’s awesome, I’ve got like 12 hours a day with which to write and all that fun stuff. I write anywhere from 3-5k a day on my current novel, plus other ancillary articles and essays that I work on, not to mention posting here. It’s the most productive time of the year but it appears those salad days are over, for now.

Today marks my return to work. I have an induction conference today, which is going to be deadly boring because I’m new to this territory but have been teaching for six years, so I’ll have to sit and listen to big wigs talk about pay scales and super-annuation, so you can tell I’m not pumped for it. After today it’s work for the year as usual, a gifted Year 5 class and other school jobs, programming, reporting, marking, etc.

For the past year I was simply casual teaching for a year, sort of taking time off from the profession, seriously, and spending more time at home writing. I would leave after 8am and return before 4pm, guaranteed every day. It was great, and I managed to finish one novel, complete two more, and start a fourth in that time, not to mention short stories, essays, etc. It was awesomely productive but this year is going to be different. I’ll be working for realsies, so I’ll be putting my whole heart and brain into it. I can’t just slack off, I’m part of the permanent staff and people will be relying on me to carry my weight.

I’ll have to leave the house before 8am every day to get to work and who knows when I will return. Could be by 4pm, could very well be later. This is going to severely impact my writing time.

So, to help with this, I’m going to severely alter my writing expectations of each day. As I mentioned, in the holidays I can write up to 5k a day, when I’m absolutely firing, as well as other stuff. This year, I have to be more realistic. And as such, here’s my plan.

I will aim to write 1k of words every day on my novel, excluding weekends as always.

I will devote time to writing some other essays and articles for publication. More news to come on this soon.

I will spend a greater majority of my time shopping my completed and proofed first two novels, and I will get my third novel proofed, once I finish this fourth novel.

This should generally work out, except I know I have two different ideas vying for my attention to become my fifth novel. Both ideas I really love, both plot and character, so I’ll see if I can start them or not. I really enjoy writing, it’s the most fun out of the whole process, beats the hell out of planning, proofing, or submitting. I like that act of creation and innovation and would like to keep it coming.

I just have to be realistic about how much of it I will get each day.

Here’s to 2010, a year of different goals, but all working towards the same end. My words on a page, and someone else’s hands on them reading them. Enjoying them.

Posted on January 26th, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: Writing, life | No Comments »

This week brings 3 more titles back into my life, which seems to be a bit of a good number each week. I wonder how I’d go round-tabling with nine comics in one week. I’d have to keep it short, but this week won’t be short because I’ve got three very interesting, very talkative titles sitting here with me so I’ll kick off with Spider-Woman.

Spider-Woman, it kind of felt like some stuff happened this week.

Spider-Woman: Thank you, Ryan.

Well, it felt that way but then I looked back and it’s really just one long interrogation scene. A good scene, but one that took pretty much a whole issue to get through. It’s like you’ve not been listening to me at all about any of this. Pacing. woman, what’s up with the pacing?

Spider-Woman: We simply hope to ensure that the story is full and covers much.

The way I see it is that I’ve just bought an intro arc where Jessica Drew is hired by S.W.O.R.D. as an agent, she is then sent to Madripoor (which could and should have been so much more awesome). Once there she’s attacked by a Skrull, taken in by cops, jail-broken by Viper, given a Skrull to kill, then escapes from Viper and then goes back to jail this week only to escape from it again. Five issues for all of that. Stan Lee could have done this in half an issue, and I think Brian K Vaughan (who I’ll rank as this generation’s writing equivalent of genius) would have busted through this much in about two issues. But we get five for it.

Spider-Woman: You always seem angry with me, Ryan.

I know, and I’m sorry, but it’s just that I expect and want so much more from you. I enjoy you, sure, you’re relatively well written in parts, and you look gorgeous, but you’re the first thing I read every week, guaranteed, no matter what else I bought. You are the bottom of my pull list and I’m sticking around because it has to get better. Now, I’m not sure who to blame, Bendis or Maleev. Perhaps both, or just myself for sticking around and continuing to sink money in here.

Spider-Woman: Don’t be like that, Ryan.

How else should I be. I just scanned through it all and found about five pages I could have skipped, or blended into other pages. Five pages where you could have added more story instead of just padding so that when the Thunderbolts are revealed it’s the end of the issue. It’s like each issue has an end image in mind and then just meanders to get there in the requisite 22 pages. That’s not how comics should be made.

Spider-Woman: Wow, anything else to add, Ryan?

Yeah, you look good in the suit, finally. I actually didn’t mind just having Jessica Drew running around in a singlet (not to sound dirty) but I’m interested to see what Spider-Woman does next month. Fingers crossed for being impressed. Now, I’m off to talk to another comics that I think might have been my favourite of the week. Cowboy Ninja Viking, how are you?

CNV: We are fine, pardner, just fine.

I want to thank you for being a dense and interesting comic this week. I felt like I spent an hour with you just taking it all in, not to mentioning all of the pauses to actually laugh out loud. There are some wickedly funny moments in you. I find it reads a lot like it could be a movie, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is one day, and I like the added lines and pacing that really build to certain instances. Considering the issue really centres around one scene, on a roof top, you made me feel like so much more happened. Sure, you cut away here and there, but ultimately it’s all about that roof and I am glad we got that scene and opened and closed it in one issue. Very well done.

CNV: Thank you, Ryan. May we meet in Valhalla one day to once again enjoy the spectacle that what our third issue.

I’m sure we will, man. And we sure will be laughing about it. I have to say, there were a few lines that really cracked me up. Duncan is one funny bastard, and he bounces really well with his many personalities but not quite in a Deadpool way. More like a gang of mates way.

CNV: They all do like each other so much. I guess if you’re put together in the one head and made to survive you have to find some way to bond.

I’m going to say that my line of the week came after Duncan ran across the top of a jet and jumped through the window of a high-rise office. That one line was perfect and really fits with the Duncan character. It’s things like this that really keep me loving this new title.

CNV: Did you appreciate the Amish/Demolitions Expert/Green beret character?

I did, a very interesting character, but I also liked the chef/samurai/sniper. Who turns out to be connected to our main character, as does someone else that has been mentioned. The depth of this story continues to be developed and I appreciate it all.

CNV: Anything that could be improved?

Actually, yeah, one massive thing. I just found out that your trade, coming from Image in April, will feature pin-ups and character galleries, and an index. Why no love for us, the monthly hordes? Why pander to the fickle wait for trade crowd when we’re here on the front lines supporting you every month? I have to say that I’m majorly disappointed in you. I feel betrayed and fooled.

CNV: Uh…

Exactly, you take a month to think about it. I’m off to chat to Weapon X, and the conclusion of the Insane In The Brain arc.

X: How did you think everything wrapped up?

Honestly, it felt a little rushed. We had the mob bosses who kind of felt ignored, we had Charlie Chainsaws who didn’t get to do enough at all, we had Dr Rot getting his abdomen slashed and his reply being to strangle Logan with his intestines, and we had Logan getting double syringes to the eyes and then kind of shrug it off. I was hammered with a bunch and not a lot had explanation, which is a shame. I loved this arc, absolutely loved it, but the ending wasn’t wrapped up completely convincingly. It seemed convenient that Psylocke was sent for as she could handle the psychic brain bombs and Nightcrawler seems pretty superfluous.

X: Hrumf…so things between us have changed?

I just felt that it was slightly unsatisfying. Even the cover was underwhelming, just another piece of Wolvie Pin Up nothingness. There were great moments, sure, but the pieces didn’t seem to fit to make the whole. Perhaps because you want to keep Dr Rot around as a new villain for Wolvie is the reason why everything couldn’t be tied up with a little bow exactly. And I admit, he’s an interesting character and I like that Jason Aaron created him to be that mental foil to Wolvie whose brain and memory are his biggest weak points. You can’t punch him into submission but you can manipulate him into it.

X: In the end, did you enjoy the arc?

Yeah, I did. Too much craziness for me to not, I just wish all of the pieces coming together had meant more upon contact. I did like this arc and I would be interested in checking out the next Dr Rot storyline, but sadly I won’t be around with you next month.

X: What‽

Yeah…budgetary restraints, man. I can only afford so much and I loved this arc, loved it, but the next one’s about Deathloks, and you cost $4, and decisions had to be made, man. At least we’ll always have the Dunwich Sanatorium.

X: Yes, we will. And perhaps you’ll be back when Dr Rot is?

Anything can happen, man. With Jason Aaron around anything can happen at all. And I take Yanick Paquette’s Logan as my favourite version so if you get him it just might happen indeed.

Posted on January 24th, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

It’s been a long time now. I wrote a four issue comic mini series titled Fate. It detailed the tale of Ben Schultz who wakes in a hospital with no idea who he is. He sees the stupid red costume that is tattered on his body and worries.

Ben is Fate, the nastiest villain that has ever been. He can control other people with his scent, his pheromones, and he’s used this for some time to mess with people’s heads and generally sate his every wicked desire. I envisaged him as a bit of a Purple Man type, especially the way Bendis wrote him in Alias. He’s creepy and evil and proof about absolute power. However, this power is shut down as is his evil personality.

This all ends when Prometheus punches him into amnesia (which I’m sure can happen). Prometheus died once, and when he came back he inexplicably had Superman level powers, however his outlook was more like the Punisher. He protects his city but people get hurt along the way. Many people.

Throughout the four issues Ben is chased by various people who want to get their hands on him for a number of reason.

Prometheus wants to finish the job. He’s got a personal vested interest in the case, as we find out later.

Gravedigger, Fate’s right hand man, sees the opportunity to stage a coup and so grabs the whole gang and goes after Ben’s life.

Stinger, Justin Frank a hero who inflicts pain through skin contact (I modeled him as a bit of a Danny Rand type) chases Ben because if one man’s power can be turned off then maybe another’s can as well. This would allow Justin to finally touch and kiss wife. (And, why would a woman marry a man she could never love through touch? Funnily enough that’s covered and secretly has something to do with Fate, which Justin does not know)

Detective Mills hates all supers, a bunch of property destroyers all of them, but he’s tasked with watching over Ben, and chases him as he runs.

Salem is a master of the mystic arts who is brought into the fray by Justin who needs a hand to understand it all. He’s a very cool surfer looking dude, or so he appears to us, he’s actually been alive for well over a hundred years, perhaps even hundreds, and he’s getting bored with his existence.

As the chase continues everyone tries to figure out how Fate’s little son plays into things, and what they can use him for.

In this series one man gets torn in half from the neck to the waist, another has his complete jaw torn off to prevent certain words being spoken, a man reflects on a life he doesn’t know yet still disgusts him, and the town is torn apart while every side takes their turn to take a shot at the title.

Ben eventually gets his powers back. And he decides how things will ultimately end. But is it Ben’s choice or Fate’s?

I really liked this series, and I loved working with Justin Greenwood on it. He is a fantastic artist, and I’m loving his current work on Resurrection with Marc Guggenheim, and to collaborate with him was very easy and enlightening. Justin brought a lot of ideas to the table and he managed to draw things a lot better than I imagined them in my head.

I’ve mentioned this all before, so why again. And again. Well, my series proposal passed in front of my eyes again the other day and I thought it looked cool, so I thought I would share it. Click the picture to see a much larger version!

To view any of the pages up close, or even read some sample script pages, click the Fate links to be found on the toolbar to the right.

Can you believe they passed on this? I know, but I’ll always have the experience and that was pretty cool too. I’ll also have this document to keep me warm, if I were to print it and burn it in the inevitable gas shortages we’ll experience as time goes by.

Enjoy.

Posted on January 21st, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: comics | 2 Comments »

As a new year is now well into existence I realise that I really should start to plan into the future a little better. You never know when your car is going to cost $800 to get a bunch of crap done to it. Though I know when that will happen, it happened last week. So, I decided to pass my eye over a few budgetary concerns I have, notably my entertainment budget; flicks, comics, books, dvds.

These are things I spend my money on. I don’t drink coffee, ever, really. I mainly drink water, at home and at work. I eat simple meals, most every lunch is the same: couscous with tuna, and peas and corn, with maybe some Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese and cashews thrown into the mix for crazy flavour. I eat fruit, make dinner with lots of cheap vegies, and generally try to lead a cheap existence. But you can never be too certain, so I bring to you my game plan for 2010.

The two big problems will be flicks and comics, so here’s what I came up with.

Flicks

Try to only see one flick a month at the movies. I’m a Dendy member, so it’s ten bucks a ticket, with a few free tickets thrown in every now and then. This one might still be hard, but then let’s have a look at what’s coming out this year (that I know of, and as brought to me by Empire Magazine, thanks).

Wow, that was wickedly easier than I thought. There’s only three locks for the year, The Road, Shutter Island, and Iron Man 2. Then I have Christopher Nolan’s next directing effort, Inception, which may well be worth it, and Affleck behind the lens again with The Town, I can support. Not completely sure about The Green Hornet, but it may be cool and it’s on Boxing Day, so why not, beat the heat. The others are on the list as possible, The Men Who Stare At Goats looks hilarious, but possibly not something that need be seen on the big screen. Another Kevin Smith movie, but just not sure, see how the entire budget looks the weeks it is out. A-Team could be a very cool way to spend my 28th birthday, by pretending I’m eight again, haha.

There were a few other decent-ish flicks, but I was realistic. I am curious to see Kick Ass but I doubt I’ll really go out to the cinema to make it happen. No point deluding myself, or anyone for that matter, when I’m trying my best to be realistic.

Sure, some other little things might come out this year, or something may get some insane buzz and I will just have to go and check it out, but this was all I really came up with. I’m pretty happy with this. Nice work, Ryan, moving along.

Comics

The solicitations for the big companies come out a few months in advance so I’m going to scour through them and see what’s what. I’ll list what I will definitely get, and what I might like to get, then I’ll add it all up, taking into account Aussie conversion.

Firstly, sorry for my handwriting, and for trying to get three months onto the one page. There’s the odd one-shot in there (Mystic Hands of Doctor Strange, Savage Axe of Ares, and Sif), not to mention S.W.O.R.D. is now cancelled and Daytripper only goes to ten.

Then there’s Viking, Cowboy Ninja Viking, Stumptown, and Resurrection that are impressing me but will honestly be on the chopping block before anything else. But that will only arise if something else really catches my eye, and I’m not even picking up the American Vampire comic, which features Stephen King, or Kevin Smith’s Batman runs, so that’s saying something.

I didn’t realise I was digging on so much Marvel, but clearly I am. It helps that nearly all of my Marvel stuff is only $3, whereas the other presses hit me up for $4 (I don’t know what Oni is thinking on those two, they’d surely be losing a heap of business).

Damn, guess there’s a few hopefuls that I can’t really pick up. Don’t know what will happen when Casanova comes back, or Brian K Vaughan, finally, launches a new ongoing. Or, damn, if Iron Fist does come back, and it has not been officially cancelled yet so I live with hope in my undying heart. I’m going to be screwed, and something will need dropping. I’ll burn that bridge after I cross it.

Sadly, this does not cover trades that I will need want like. Uh…I’ll cover them in some other manner.

Books

As for books, I rarely read stuff as it comes out, I’m just not that prolific. My weakness is second hand books. I live near a wicked little second hand book store, relatively decently priced, too. It’s two blocks away and I’ll often pop in on weekends just to see what’s up.

I used to get a fair few books on eBay, but that has died off recently, so unless I go hunting for something specific I should be fine.

However, every Autumn and Spring the charity LifeLine holds a massive book stall set up in a showground. Tables upon tables of pretty awesome stuff, I’ve mentioned getting Book Fair Bargains before. But the first time I went I spent quite a bit of cash, the second time was a little less, hopefully this spring I’ll get even less, maybe even buy some presents early.

I cannot believe I’m hoping to not find bargains. The world has truly gone tipsy turvy.

DVDs

I’ve been very good with this lately. I rarely rent them, though a few flicks I missed this year I will either rent, or wait until they are ten bucks, in a few months, and then pick them up. Stuff like Moon, A Serious Man, the good stuff.

There will be a few tv shows on dvd I’ll want to buy, but it might just have to wait. I still have two seasons of Mad Men, four seasons of The Wire, one season of The Big Bang Theory, plus a few good shows on my computer that I can still watch to get me through the long, cold, Canberra winter.

So, that’s not too bad. I feel surprisingly so much better.

Roughly twenty bucks a week in flicks, if the lady even wants to see them all with me. I do nont think she wants to see The Road, whereas I am so wickedly keen for it, so that’s ten bucks saved, though I’ll then reinvest that into a nice night out seeing Valentine’s Day on Valentine’s Day, I suspect.

Fifty bucks a month in comics, rounding it creatively, that’s like ten bucks a week in comics. I really do not think that is too bad, and it’s not like I actually had to cut a bunch of stuff, it just means I’ll have to get creative when it comes to trades of Scalped, Northlanders, Proof, The Walking Dead, Ex Machina, and Gødland. I’ll make it happen, somehow.

Books – eh, well, the odd splurge, I guess. Those two sales for sure, but try to cut down the intermittent purchases that can wait. And I know they can wait, I’ve still got this shelf to keep me very busy.

In the end, for other things I have a birthday in June, then Xmas in December. Surely every six months people can rally to get me the larger-ish items…I’ll be damned if I even want to be surprised anymore, I’ll just put it all out there. Wish away those superfluous presents.

Other than these things I don’t even know what I buy myself. Clothes are not very often, and I get most other things from the ‘net, like news and contacting people.

I can surely afford this. Alright, 2010, let’s roll.

Posted on January 19th, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: comics, life, movies | 1 Comment »

It’s a simple trio-stack of comics this past week and they’re all itching to ask a few things, so let’s not pussy-foot around, let ‘em have their mike. Here’s Conan: The Weight of the Crown.

Conan: Ryan, what is best in life?

I want to say a Darick Robertson one-shot about you, sir.

Conan: That would be correct.

But I don’t think I can say it, gracious Cimmerian warrior. It’s a simple set up, a nice done-in-one, Darick Robertson’s blood spattered art all through the times before the oceans drank Atlantis, he’s even on writing so it’ll have a pure tone. I want to say it is what’s best in life, but it just isn’t. It’s certainly good, though.

Conan: Name me three things good about the issue and you may keep your head, whelp.

Well, no pressure…the cover is good. A nice iconic image and we get to see instantly how Robertson will draw the mighty barbarian. Sometimes Conan isn’t always drawn to my liking, he’s like Matt Murdock in that respect, but Robertson seems to have a good handle on him. The brow is low, the body is thick but not completely freaky, and the expression is always grim, or at least real.

Conan: Good continue, tell me more that you liked about us this week. Two more.

The battles look good, Robertson knows how to capture just that right moment as someone is killed, torn apart, skewered on a sword, or decapitated. He gets that right freeze frame that tells so much. I must also commend Robertson on his ending. It rang very true for me, Conan was gracious yet still real about the death that he could mete out, if necessary. Oh, and the sketches at the back were fantastic, because it’s a one-shot there’s no need to hold the extras for the trade, just give it to us then and it’s very much appreciated.

Conan: Very well done, that’s four things. Whelp, come have a mead.

I’m actually working right now-

Conan: I was not asking.

Then I most certainly was not telling. Sorry.

Conan: So you thought the story was good? Grand, even?

How many meads have you had?

Conan: I care not to count my drinks, but wenches, ah, that’s a number to always whittle onto something nearby. Why?

No reason, I wasn’t wondering if I would be able to outrun you. Anyway, here goes; the story is okay but it just didn’t ring true. Sure, Conan is a mercenary, a barbarian, but I never really saw him as being this much of a prick before. I know he just lost his love and he’s upset, it happens to the best of us, but watching him ruin this village just so he could get a few rounds into him, some easy treasure and a fine bevy of wenches seemed counter productive to the Conan I know who would never let his guard down.

Conan: Ah, yes, those particular wenches were fine.

With Robertson behind them, yes, sir. But Conan would surely never get himself into a position where soldiers were dying, the village had no supplies, and innocents around him suffered for his pride and ignorance. For me, and I’m no exact Conan expert, it just seemed a tad off. Right for a barbarian, perhaps wrong for this barbarian.

Conan: Have you ever buried the woman you love?

No, I haven’t.

Conan: THEN YOU KNOW NOTHING OF GRIEVING AND EMOTION! Give the Cimmerian his due, it was a rough time and his head was elsewhere. You know he goes on to be a king later, and a mighty splendid one, so where do you think he learnt these lessons?

Probably in this one-shot.

Conan: Good answer, whelp. Now, fetch me what is truly best in life.

How shall I fetch the crushings of your enemies as they are driven before you? And the lamentations of the women may be a tad hard to procure.

Conan: No, idiot. Fetch me more Conan comics, perhaps some drawn by that divine Cary Nord.

Can do…later. Thanks Conan, now here’s the third issue of one of the greatest comics ever produced, S.W.O.R.D. How’s things S.W.O.R.D?

S.W.O.R.D: Not so good, my friend. Times are tough.

I do not know what you are talking about, sure Gyrich is putting all of the aliens on Earth into custody and planning on shipping them out, including Agent Brand, but you guys work on it and it’s a great issue.

S.W.O.R.D: You think so?

Yeah, I do. S.W.O.R.D. is one of the few titles where I really just enjoy the heck out of myself while I’m in there. You bring the laughter, the awesomeness, and a great story matched by writing and art from sure to be superstars (well, already superstars, but only getting better) Kieron Gillen and Steven Sanders. This is one of those little secrets that I can see growing into a real cult phenomenon across the Marvel U.

S.W.O.R.D: I think it was a little too small of a secret, Ryan. We’ve been cancelled.

WHAT‽ That’s ridiculous, you’ve only had three issues out, how can this have happened?

S.W.O.R.D: Sales started at 15 and just kept the usual decline. There was apparently no hope that we’d ever bounce back.

Absolute garbage. Three issues and cancelled. You were barely given a chance.

S.W.O.R.D: We’ll go til the fifth issue, a nice rounded arc, and then we’re gone.

But there’s so much story that you could go on with. What about S.W.O.R.D., what about Lockheed, what about Unit? Where will these things go, and will Death’s Head pop up anywhere else?

S.W.O.R.D: There are no certainties for the future. We’ve not been told what happens after we break up, we’ll probably never see each other again.

How is Lockheed taking this news? First they say Kitty is coming back in another title, then this. He’d be pissed.

S.W.O.R.D: No one’s told him yet, he was already so angry about so much.

Can we take this movement underground?

S.W.O.R.D: McCoy’s working on something, but don’t tell anyone.

Mum’s the word. As is AWESOME and COMIC and I’ve been saying those for ages about you but nobody managed to hear that, so we should be safe. I guess all I can say is that I’m excited to see where this arc will end up.

S.W.O.R.D: You know what I think the problem was, Ryan? People just said the comic was awesome and didn’t always explain exactly how and why. I want you to give it a go for me, consider it a parting gift.

Hey, don’t talk like that, man, we still have two more issues to celebrate. But, for you, anything. Here goes, and listen up people; issue three of S.W.O.R.D. starts with Agent Brand in jail, all a part of Gyrich’s stupid scheme to rid Earth of every single alien entity. Gyrich acts like a dick and Beast shoots him down a lot in some very good writing. Agents try to capture Lockheed but he’s not having any of it and trashes them while getting away, and even in that scene we get a good joke in. Beast discovers Unit has been helping the other team as well, and we get the crazy origin of Unit and what he’s really about, it’s an exercise in patience, a lot of power, and one wicked little brain. Very well written, and drawn. Gyrich has Beast arrested for collusion and then Beast works his plan out. The plan has to do with life-support goo and Death’s Head. It’s well done and the back and forth between Brand and Beast is always quick, and the characterisation of Death’s Head really is one of the best comebacks in a long time. Anything else I should add?

S.W.O.R.D: Yeah, the Mysterious Spooky Signal from issue one finally makes it’s origin known as the Metroliths hit Earth.

Oh, yeah, those things look awesome, great splash page. Wow, that’s one packed issue, I can’t believe so many people missed it to read Cry For Justice and whatever comic has Ultimate at the start of it.

S.W.O.R.D: Well, to be fair, even Bendis and Maleev opened Spider-Woman to a relatively small crowd. Everyone’s got it tough all over.

You’re a gentleman to the end, S.W.O.R.D.

S.W.O.R.D: A very near end at that. I’m off to go mail some more S.W.O.R.D. postcards to Marvel.

Good work. I’ll go chat to Daytripper again. How are you, you crazy Brazilian comic?

Daytripper: Life is good. Our main character is back alive this month.

He was resurrected? Wow, death in comics really doesn’t mean a thing.

Daytripper: No, he’s not back from the dead, we just looked back into his life. The first issue had him much older, this time he’s just 21.

21, a great time to be alive. I like that Bras is obviously the same person, we can see who and how he’ll become the man from issue one, but he looks and acts slightly differently. You’ve nailed that progression of time aspect, and that people do change over time and are affected by their circumstances.

Daytripper: That’s exactly what we were going for.

I figured as much. I read this issue and then went back and read the first. I wanted to see how things connected. Do you think this will read better in trade, so people can instantly flip back, or will still have the information and names in their head because they just read the issue prior, or do you think the floppy experience will stretch it out a bit better?

Daytripper: I guess that depends. Would you rather just be told about your entire life, right now, everything that will happen, in one big sit down chat, or would you prefer to live your life for the next sixty years, or so, and slowly amass all the pieces that make up who you are.

I know my answer, but others will differ.

Daytripper: Then they will have the other option to wait for, won’t they.

They certainly will, well put. This issue shows us Bras as he travels with his best friend. We see how little things, minor decisions, affect Bras so deeply and strongly. It’s such a snapshot of life. I’m really digging the vibe, it’s laid back and meaningful at the same time. Like being told a historic tale over a fine ale at a beer garden on Sunday morning. It’s not didactic, yet if you pay attention you’ll really pick up on things. I get the feeling like I’m learning more about Bras, more about Brazil, and a lot more about the creators, Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba.

Daytripper: I’m sure you are.

The story mesmerised me as Bras spent a day with this mysterious girl he finds in a boat out in the water. He gets to know her, and I guess he also gets to know more about himself, cliché as it sounds.

Daytripper: Clichés are just that for a reason, because they happen a fair bit. Bras is living his life, and sometimes you have to be shown how to do this to the best of your ability.

I guess so. So, where will we see Bras next?

Daytripper: You will most assuredly find out next month, I could never ruin such surprise.

I wonder if he’ll be ten, or late twenties. It offers up possibilities for such varied stories.

Daytripper: And such diverse lessons.

Nice. I love that there’s a smart comic on the stands that’s literary, well drawn, and it makes you think. Think about so much.

Daytripper: To think is to eventually know, or at least try to, and sometimes they’re the same thing.

Nice, let’s end on that. Thanks for coming along guys.

Posted on January 17th, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: comics | 3 Comments »