Comics Roundup

BPRD: 1948- #1 of 5 (Dark Horse) -written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi - Mignola and Arcudi's 1946 and 1947 series were strong, and this one seems to be just as good.  They move the usual Nazi Occult action to slightly past the end of WW2, and move it into the world of the Southwestern United States atomic and nuclear testing; as well as the early days of the US Space program.

It opens a world of possibilities to take the BPRD down.  There are also some very striking lead characters, as well as a classic Lovecraftian horror mystery.  We also get some light humor from Baby Hellboy.  Everything about this comic is near perfect, and when you wonder what Mignola's team could possibly come up with next, they produce something incredibly strong like this. 

Punisher War Zone - #1 of 5 -(Marvel) - written by Greg Rucka-  I long thought the only way you can make The Punisher consistently was to do him balls-out extreme a la Garth Ennis.  Rucka has been very successful with the character by dialing it the other way.  He has went minimal with Frank Castle, making him more like the classic detectives that Rucka loves.

Rucka explores how the police and how the Avengers might interact with a character like The Punisher if he existed in the real world.  That means this story starts with an encounter with Spiderman that is an instant classic.  Rucka's Punisher run is ending and this likely will be his swan song as he goes to work on DC's next big relaunch.  Rucka's take here in this Avengers-heavy mini-series is to make that team resemble quite heavily the team that appeared on the Silver Screen this summer.

I felt Rucka's Punisher run started incredibly strong, but didn't always consistently hit the heights of its potential.  Knowing that this is his last shot on the character for awhile and has one last story arc, I think this is a comic arc you are not going to want to miss.   

On the Shelf 078 : Firewater

Firewater is out with their first new album in four years, following the excellent The Golden Hour.

Initial reviews were negative, but Firewater is one of those bands that critics don't "get". Besides, this album was written in interesting times. Tod A wrote the album while spending time in Tel Aviv and Istanbul while the "Arab Spring" was going on.

I had high hopes, but International Orange! is a bit of a disappointment. Firewater is getting close to the 20-year mark, and a whole genre of 'gypsy punk' has since sprung up (Indeed, one of the people from one of those bands, Balkan Beat Box is a major collaborator here).

Still, like some of Joe Strummer's lesser solo works, this may be good on its own merit, but really fails in terms of potential. (Strummer looms large- "Dead Man's Boots" is a 21-st century rewrite of "Know Your Rights".

Still if you have never heard them, this stilll may be a good introduction to one of the best bands on the planet. It just isn't their best material.

Adventures of a Swing-State Voter - "I wanna dip my balls in it" edition

Although I doubt anyone ever makes their mind based on newspaper endorsements, the Des Moines Register has endorsed Mitt Romney.

The Register generally strikes me as liberal, and indeed, the last Republican they endorsed was Richard Nixon.

Interesting.

Also, I doubt celebrities make much difference, but Bruce Springsteen gave a free concert in Ames in support of Barack Obama. I have to say that was tempting, though the cold, rainy week day scared me (3500 fans weren't deterred).

"Let's vote for the man who got Osama, and when I leave Iowa, I'm going to Botswana" the man who wrote Born to Run and Atlantic City told the crowd.

Meanwhile, across the state, Binders Full of Women were campaigning for Mitt in the 'We Know Mitt' tour.

Still, in Iowa, there is early voting, so many (including this blogger) can't be swayed because they have already cast ballots. For now, thaqt benefits the Democrats, who have already done this by a margin of over 20% over their Republican counterparts.

I have also heard about Vote While You Shop locations that are popping up at grocery stores and strip malls. For me, I went to the local library which is set up as a permanent polling place to Election Day, and it was busier than one would expect.

Vote While You Shop is an interesting play that makes thing convenient by allowing locations to sprout up on college campuses, and makes things interesting by placing ballots outside of bars.

Of course, by voting early, you risk the possibility of an October Surprise that might sway your vote. An October Surprise like The Donald's "game changer", and by "game changer" a publicity stunt that was the death knell for any credibility and integrity that The Donald might have on a national political stage.

Although, it did give us this:

Ricky Gervais- "I will give $500 to charity if Donald Trump gives up his hairdresser's passport and college records."

and this:

Stephen Colbert countering Trump's $5 million donation to charity if he can see Obama's passport and college records, by offering $1 million to charity if Trump lets Colbert dip his balls in his mouth.

... and by balls, yes, he means testicles.

Of course, Colbert is a professional comedian, but that doesn't mean that amateurs like Barry and Willard don't want to give humor a shot themselves.

In one of the bizarre moments on the national political scene is the two candidates trading quips at the Al Smith Dinner.

Some good stuff from both:

"Ultimately, though, tonight is not about the disagreements Governor Romney and I may have," Obama said. "It's what we have in common -- beginning with our unusual names. Actually, Mitt is his middle name. I wish I could use my middle name."

(Obama) said he enjoyed having time to be in New York and shop at some stores in Midtown: “I understand Gov. Romney went shopping for some stores in Midtown.”


“You’re an equal-opportunity basher, aren’t you?” the mic picked up Romney saying with a smile, before turning to the white-tie crowd and saying, “It’s nice to finally relax and wear what Ann and I wear around the house.”


On Joe Biden, Romney said he wished the vice president could be there because he “laughs at everything

The two men meet again for the third and final debate on Monday in Boca Raton, Fla. That debate will focus on foreign policy, which prompted this line from Obama: “Spoiler alert — we got bin Laden.”

Politico has more here.