NEW Masters of the Universe Comic!!!

At 2pm today, a BRAND NEW Masters of the Universe comic debuted on Comixology!!! This series, written by a bunch of different creators, is a companion piece to the upcoming Masters of the Universe DC Comics series debuting in comic shops July 4th.
-First off, I'm totally going into spoiler country, so look away if you don't want to know.

OK, you've been warned. This is TOTALLY an old fashioned MOTU mini comic for the new age. I LOVED it, but I'm more inclined to like it because I love the franchise so much. This issue tells the story of the Geoff Johns created Masters of the Universe character, Sir Laser Lot. It's a great comic that introduces and spotlights the character, just like the old mini comics that came with the toys did. The story leads off with 2 boys running away from a PACK of Bestmen. Then a mysterious figure(who we later find out is Sir Laser Lot) comes to their rescue. This "issue" is action PACKED just like the adventures that you had playing with the toys when you were a kid. The most shocking part of the whole comic to me was Skeletor & crew showing up at the end, looking VERY different that they have before. I'm OK with this. I like things shooken up every now and then and this is DEFINITELY not another rehash/update of the characters. You can tell something is different here. They reference King Grayskull quite a bit and they are going somewhat off the MOTUC bios, which everyone seems to hate(I have no problem with them myself). To sum it up, you should REALLY download this issue. It's only .99¢ and it's a great read. You can download is over at Comixology and read it there. If you like Masters of the Universe, you're going to have a good time with this. And, just because I'm in a good mood and you deserve it, here's a picture of a cute Teela(who does NOT appear in the comic)

The Watchmen Project

So, I'm a terrible comic book guy and I've never read Watchmen. Always meant to, but was always either too busy or felt like I had other important things to read(I mean, hey, Marvel released all those Spider-Man:Clone Sage trades!). So, yeah, just never got around to it. Then, on February 1st, DC Comics announced Before Watchmen, a series of prequel mini series, that had fans calling for DC executives heads. Obviously, have never read the original series, I really didn't have much of an opinion, and it was basically non-news to me. Didn't care one way or the other............
 Then I got to thinking. WHAT IF I read the Before Watchmen books and THEN read Watchmen? I mean, let's face it, how many times in your life do you get to do something like this? The opportunity doesn't come along very often, if ever. I had heard of Star Wars fans doing something like this with their kids. Not having them watch the original trilogy and taking them to see Episode 1, then 2, then 3, then showing them the original Star Wars trilogy. While I thought that THAT was a horrible idea, I couldn't help but wonder what that would be like. A lot of the big reveals in Empire and Jedi would be totally useless. Still, having NO feelings or ties to Watchmen, I thought that this might be something fun to try.
 When I told friends, customers, and everyone else about my intent, it was met with VERY strong opinions. Everything from "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" to "Look, just read the original, don't even bother with Before Watchmen." SO, me being me, of course I'm going to do what everyone told me NOT to do. Every week. I'll post my thoughts on whatever Watchmen title comes out, then, when they're finished, I'll read Watchmen and see what I think. After that, I'll be heading up to Madison to watch the movie on a big screen thanks to my friends Josh & John. All right, here goes nothing..........

Before Watchmen: Minuteman #1 I enjoyed this very much. It felt like I was reading a one of those DC comics that told a charming story of past age of heroes. And that's because it pretty much is. One thing kept bothering me, it reminded me of something, I just couldn't remember what. Halfway through the book I realized that it was thinking of. It reminded me of the 1991 Justice Society of America comic by Len Strezewski & Rick Burchett. Only with a little more bite. All right, a LOT more bite. I thought this was a really charming comic. Like almost everyone else, I LOVE Darwyn Cooke's art and they couldn't have picked a better artist for this book, in my opinion. I thought the narrative, which was nothing groundbreaking, was a nice change of pace, and Cooke moved the story along at a good pace. I guess if I have to put my finger on something that I didn't care for was that there were SO many characters introduced, I'm definitely going to have to go back and give this a second read right before the next issue comes out. Other than that, I found it very enjoyable. It wasn't anything at all on the heavy side, and I am genuinely looking forward to see where the story goes and what happens to these characters.

NEXT WEEK: SILK SPECTRE!!!!



PS: Yes, I realize that Alan Moore hates me.

Dance Party Friday!!!

Weekend's here and here's a couple songs to get you ready for it!

That's "Your Honor" to you!!

Look at that handsome face!!! Out today in comic shops everywhere is Ghostbusters #9 where I make a cameo appearance as the Mayor of Detroit!!! And look, I'm even shaking hands with Peter Venkman!!!! Can life BE anymore awesome?!?!?! Special thanks to the men who made this possible, and who make the book AWESOME every month-Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening and Tristan Jones.  You guys are awesome people, so here you go. You.......you've earned it.

Dance Party Friday!

Here's a couple of songs to get you ready for a beautiful(but REALLY HOT) weekend!

The older I get, the more I love the Rolling Stones. Is that weird? I don't care.

GI Joe:Retaliation: It's gonna be OK

Yesterday GI Joe fandom got a fly dropped in their soup when Paramount and Hasbro released a statement saying that GI Joe: Retaliation's release date was being changed from June 29th, 2012 to March 29Th, 2013. First off, yes, I'm disappointed, just like each and every one of you. BUT, those of you that know me, know that I'm the eternal optimist and the more I think about it, it might be for the better. Here's my wild conspiracy theory on WHY this happened.
-In a word, Battleship. Paramount was expecting BIG numbers for this movie based on the classic Hasbro board game, and well............it sunk. I think that Paramount got REALLY nervous after seeing how badly it performed and with GI Joe on the way, got cold feet and decided to do everything in their power to make sure that this didn't happen with GI Joe. After all, there's a TON of huge summer movies this year. Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, ect. They claim that they moved the move back so that it can be converted into 3D, which does make sense. Movies released in both 2 & 3D make more money, that's a fact. Also, March is quickly becoming the new "secret month" for movies. There's not a lot of movies released in March, and as of late, those that ARE are pulling in pretty decent numbers. Hunger Games, Clash of the Titans, ect.
-Also, I think that after seeing the Battleship performed Paramount MIGHT have placed a call to Hasbro and told them that they have another year to build up the GI Joe brand. I'm guessing that sooner than later, we're going to see some GI Joe announcements regarding the toy line from Hasbro and also, IDW. I'm guessing Paramount wants a bigger built in audience for this movie, and I would agree. As of late, the GI Joe line has been floundering a bit. With the cancellation of GI Joe Renegades, it's hard for retailers to stock toys that don't have a movie or cartoon in the works.
-And just to put the "Jimmy spin" on this-WE NOW HAVE A WHOLE EXTRA YEAR TO GET EVEN MORE EXCITED FOR THIS MOVIE. Let's not forget, almost EVERYONE has been super impressed by the trailers and clips that we've seen. So, we have to wait a little bit longer. Yeah, I'm bummed to, but I have a feeling that everything's gonna be OK. I'm just worried about the toy line. C'mon Hasbro!!! Get some more awesome toys out to hold us over!!!
-Now, you know I wouldn't leave this on a down note, so here's a couple things that'll hopefully make you feel a little bit better today.
First, a special message to all my Joe brothers!


And, something nice to look at.

ARROW!!!!!!

Last night, the CW Network announced it's pick up for the fall 2012 schedule. Among them was an adaptation of DC's Green Arrow character, titled ARROW. Here's how The CW describes the show:


"After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be – flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle – while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel’s father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver’s own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine."

-Wow. There's a lot going on there. But, if you want a series to run for 7 to 10 years, you can't just do the "here's the adventures of Green Arrow!" like so many series did in the past. I think I'm going to enjoy the soap opera aspect that this offers, and I REALLY hope it's not like every live action Superman television show in that you get 50 minutes of Clark Kent solving a mystery and then the last 10 minutes of Superman using his powers. That's what I DON'T want to see from Arrow. I have to admit, I'm not familiar with ANYONE in the cast, and I think that's to my advantage.

And as classic ME, I'm WAY super excited about this. I'm cautiously optimistic, because of the Smallville TV series. For the first 2 seasons I loved it, then hated it, and then I loved the last 2 seasons of the show. Green Arrow has always been one of my favorite heroes every since I saw him on the Super Friends and then again when I bought his Super Powers toy. Also in the series will Black Canary, so I'm guessing that in November, February and May during sweeps, we'll definitely be seeing lots of this:

And I am SO fine with that. Until the season premier in the fall, here's my favorite Green Arrow media that's been done so far. Enjoy!

I'm back.....

and I'm better than ever.

Dance Party Friday!

Getting back in the groove, here's two awesome videos that will get you excited for the weekend!!

-OK, sorry about that first video, the real one won't let me embed it. Lame. But, here's another fun one.

Happy Friday!!!!

DAMN!!!!

Well, it was only a matter of time before some of DC's New 52 titles got cancelled, but I really thought they'd try to publish all of them for at LEAST a year. No such luck as the ax is falling on six titles in April:

Men of War(fine by me)

Mister Terrific(never read it)

Static Shock(please put Scott McDaniel on something awesome)

Blackhawks(damn shame)

OMAC(it wasn't that bad)

& Hawk & Dove(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)

-I'm really dissapointed about Hawk & Dove, it got a bad rap right off the bat because Rob Liefeld's name was attached to it. It was a fun, nostalgic book that was really entertaining straight-forward super hero goodness. Well, at least we got 8 issues out of it. And I have to say I'm less than impressed by the six titles that are replacing it:

Batman Incorporated(Shouldn't have gone away in the first place!)

Earth 2(OK, this one I'm REALLY excited about!)

World's Finest(Huntess & Power Girl. I give it 6 issues)

Dial H(But, it's SPOOKY this time, it's GOT to work!)

GI Combat(You just cancelled 2 war books, so replacing it with another war book is a really smart move)

The Ravagers(Howard Mackie & Ian Churchill. I'm gonna put on my Hypercolor pants and play with my Tamagotchi)

-I shouldn't be this harsh, but those last 3 books seem really unnecessary. But, props to DC for taking some risks. Although I can't help but think-an Art Baltazar/Franco Captain Carrot book would be REALLY fun!

The SKY is FALLING!!!!

No one is more excited for the new James Bond film, Skyfall, than myself and my good friend Wendi(who you should follow on twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/DFWendi ) for her(and you)I've scoured the internet to put together everything we know so far about the new movie opening here in the US on Friday, November 9th, 2012.

First, the official Press Release about the film:

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, entitled SKYFALL. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.

Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

In SKYFALL, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

"We're so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct SKYFALL and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We've a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure," said Wilson and Broccoli.

The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar® nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The Production Designer is Oscar® winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on the films Road to Perdition and Jarhead. The Editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include Casino Royale. Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges, and Children of Men, is the Costume Designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Gary Powell is Stunt Co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX Supervisor and Steve Begg is Visual Effects Supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.

-Next, here are some pictures from the press conference. OK, a LOT of pictures.

-Here's the complete video of the press conferance

-And finally, here's some soundbites from the cast and crew of the film.

-The countdown is on! 368 days to go!!!

Jimmy's Dance Party!!

2 VERY different songs today. First, a cover of one of my favorite songs by Robbie Williams:

next, a wicked hot girl signing a catchy song:

Happy Friday everybody!!!

And being hot is half the battle....

Not that Rachel Nichols and Sienna Miller weren't enough in the first GI Joe movie, but it looks like director Jon M. Chu is turning up the heat for GI Joe:Retaliation in a totally different way. One, that I for one, am totally fine with. In addition to adding REAL star power(Bruce Willis, The Rock, Ray Stevenson,)he's decided to throw in some WICKED hot girls. Like........

Melinda Sullivan

Kendra Andrews:

And singer Nikki Leonti:

No guesses on just WHAT she'll be singing, but I pray to God it's this:

Take me home! For just $4!!!!

So, The Most Electrifying Man in Comic Retail is on a limited edition copy of Ghostbusters #1!!! If you live in Chicago, swing by Challengers Comics and grab one. If you DON'T, you can get your right here, but they're on sale starting TODAY!!!! And just to get you in the mood:

Hot Girl Wednesday!!!-SPECIAL EDITION!!

Last week, it was brought to my attention that I, like most gentlemen, prefer blonds. That's not necessarily the case. Here is, for your viewing pleasure, one of my FAVORITE brunettes-Ms. Jenna Presley!

Guess who's having the BEST DAY EVER??!?!?!

Yeah, it's this guy. First off, check out the new blog header. Many thanks go out to Mr. Patrick Brower. He's the best of the best.

-Second, Dynamite swoops in outta nowhere and announces that they're doing TARZAN comics!!! How awesome is that? Here's one of the covers to the first issue

I have to admit, my love of Tarzan comes straight from the 70's/80's Filmation cartoon. Take a peak:

-This cartoon blew me away when I was a kid.

-So then, let's move on to comics. AQUAMAN #1 comes out tomorrow and if you're lucky enough to be in Chicago, you HAVE to go over to Challengers Comics and pick up a FREE GOLDFISH when you buy a copy!!!!.

Finally, my life long dream of being a GHOSTBUSTER becomes a reality!!! Tomorrow, Ghostbusters #1 goes on sale, and your collection is NOT complete without the Jimmy PS Hayes cover!!

It's being sold EXCLUSIVELY at Challengers Comics. Now, if you're not in Chicago, you can pick one up here. And you'll have my eternal gratitude. Oh yeah, on top of all this, there's a new HAWKMAN comic coming out tomorrow. For me, the only way it could get better is if scientist discovered the cure for diabetes was having sex with Paris Hilton.

Hail to the King, Baby!!!!

I couldn't let today go by without wishing a Happy Birthday, to one of my favorite super heroes...

That's right, 70 years ago today, Aquaman debuted on newsstands everywhere. And what better birthday present than a BRAND NEW ONGOING series by actual A-List comic book talent?

Here's a couple of my favorite Aquaman cartoons that are always fun to watch:

-And by sure to check out Aquaman #1 THIS Wednesday, September 28th. And hey, if you're in Chicago................................

Hot Girl Wednesday!!! FRIDAY EDITION!!

OK, sue me. It was a pretty busy week for me. So, I'll shut up now and let you look at the gorgeous Alexis Ford. Enjoy!t