Remember, remember the 5th of November. The gunpowder, treason, and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

The New Bi-Weekly Column
The Series of Most Slept on:
Comic Book Author
Alan Moore

I have now decided to update the world of what is outside of their boxes that they hide in. And this is starting with the essential graphic novels that you need to buy/to add to your collection.

First up for people that don't know Alan Moore wrote some of the best story arcs ever that sprawled across DC, Marvel and Vertigo's universes. Alan Moore wrote such classics as the Killing Joke in the Batman Franchise and wrote such groundbreaking graphic novels such as Watchmen and V for Vendetta.

Why Should I even care?
I'm glad you asked that question. Because these story lines have been presented in a lot of popular TV and Movies without giving them credit. A small example of this would be NBC's Heroes. Although it hit a snag this year after the Writer's Strike, they stole some story lines from Watchmen. I don't have a problem when other shows borrow ideas but they jacked pretty much the entire story line and then claimed they had never read the book. Fools! If you come from a comic based background you've read it. The whole story line when the bad guy at the end of Season 1 wants to blow up New York city to "unite" the world by the tragedy. I heard people yelling thats genius! It was already taken in almost twenty years prior in Watchmen. But I'm not bitter.

V for Vendetta is captivating. Although a close second to Watchmen it has great ideas that comment on real life heavily while making a different kind of anti-hero. V is on one mission only. And that is paying back everyone who destroyed his life. The way Moore portrayed the government in the story was also great. It controlled people by fear, since it's such a powerful emotion, people give up their own free will slowly without even noticing. Also a well crafted idea in the story was how the government agents are broken up into symbolic representation of the five senses into 5 different branches.

Simply put, Alan Moore has a unique voice and is the best thing to come out of the 80's since slap bracelets.

Life is X-men

About every week I get called a geek or a nerd because I read comics. I was in class reading a comic, and this blonde girl turns to me and asked,"What are you reading?"
I said, "A graphic novel."
"You're reading porn?"
Nuff said. The public school system has failed another child.

I also find it foolish that people look down on my kind, seeing the fact that almost every movie out in theaters were based off comics. For example see:The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (horrible adaptation compared to the graphic novel). Also: Wanted.

I love hearing a good story and life is alot like being in a X-Men comic. Almost like those 90's X-men comics. One character would say, "Hey how are?" and Beast or someone would reply, "I'm alright...now that I'm back from having my mind controlled and back from the Savage Land.x" And then in a small box in the lower corner of the panel it would say something like:

x This was a result of the evil Man-Bird called Sauron, Karl Lykos as he tried to drain the life energies of the The X-Men in Ish 364.

And that was great! The little x would appear at the bottom of the page telling you the back issue where I could find out what happened. Just like in real life when you're walking around and you ask someone how they are doing. You get a back story of their own individual series as if they are just guest star for an issue in yours.

Unfortunately, nowadays people don't even stop and read someone else's back issues anymore because too preoccupied by their own story lines. Instead people give a mechanical, heartless, repetitive, "Hi! How are you?" and then walk away. Next time just take the time and see how the other X-Men are doing. So many fascinating stories people carry around and all it takes is a little time to find out what happened. As for me I don't want to ever stop reading comics.

Marla Singer:Why do you do this?
Narrator: I don't know... it's just, when people think you're dying, they really, really listen to you, instead of just...
Marla Singer: - instead of just waiting for their turn to speak?
-Fight Club

"Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. "

I'm Just Sayin'
The Essential Movie Review Before You Go Out and Spend Your Hard Earned Pennies.
On Tap: The Incredible Hulk

Walking into the theater I had my doubts. I still was recovering from paying $11 for a 1 hour and 54 minute movie ticket when the trailers started to roll. I thought to myself, "Is it even enough time to do a reboot of a franchise,when its only been five years? Could they possibly make Hulk an interesting enough character? Will he look like a bloated Shriek again?" Well in this review you'll find out what spike walls and the French finally succeeding in life have to do with actually making The Incredible Hulk a strong film.


Synopsis: The film followed the tragic self-isolating tale of the tortured soul of Bruce Banner. And for once it was done right. Don't get me wrong I've liked Ang Lee's work in the past but I quickly realized in the first 5 minutes that this was the Hulk that was meant to be seen. It gives a summary of his origin in the scene and then straight to the action. The movie captured the Hulk, not against some poor CGI green dogs, but instead this time against one of his arch enemies, the Abomination. At the same time Banner struggles with trying to cure himself and saving the people around him that actually afraid of him and trying to kill him.
I read a few reviews saying the movie didn't have enough character development in the plot and it felt rushed. I personally found it refreshing, the movie focused on Bruce Banner's control issues, his relationship with Betty Ross and gave time for sequences of him on the run paying homage to the show (you know that dramatic music of him hitchhiking at the end of each episode).

In-Depth: The acting was on par like most Edward Norton films, with a very talented supporting cast. Perhaps not well known actor Tim Roth played the main bad guy (some of his most notable work was in the early 90's when he burst onto the American scene with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction). And also along with Liv Taylor, who contrary to popular belief, cannot look bad in any movie.

Initially I heard the script was in shambles. Even though Edward Norton didn't get recognition in the credits he helped rewrite the script and the film reaped the benefits.The script was excellent and had drama and bits of comedy intertwined. On one side it focused on Banner isolating himself trying to figure out how to control his own demons, while on the other side having throw back lines from the TV series, both live and animated.

One of my main concerns about the movie was about hearing all the news coming from the Marvel studios reps that they cut down the timing of the movie to keep it fast moving. Translated: they took out all the well developed dialog. My heart sank thinking that this too would be a great idea gone bad. It was valid, I didn't trust the director Louis Leterrier who brought me disappointments such as The Transporter 1 and 2. And for those people that might think, "Hey I liked that film buddy," no you didn't. Go back and watch the second movie and answer me why a random blonde chick is fighting Jason Statham by swinging by a rope in the family room before getting impaled by a random spike wall. And don't get me started on the sinking airplane that looked like it was filmed in my grandma's bathtub (you know, that throw-up green tint of a color from the mid-70s tubs). This time the French director was paired with a good script that matched his story telling style for once. Although the time was short the film was balanced with action and a character driven plot. And the word on the suburbanian streets is when it goes to Blu-ray DVD it will contain 70 minutes of extra scenes.

Underneath it all you need to know: The Incredible Hulk was a great pop corn flick and did not take itself too serious. It looks like Marvel is pumping out all the good movies by having skilled actors, an action director mixed up with a storyline and script to match.

Score: 6 BoomShakalakas/7
"Get your pop corn ready."


Sidenote: I would like to take the time to say Marvel and by extension its comic book staff are geniuses. I love that every Marvel movie is now being put under one banner, and they can not connect all their characters. The movies now feel like the Marvel universe. And one of there main writers also have been putting out quality as well, Mark Millar. The man has been doing his thang for awhile but alot of his ideas have been coming on screen (Iron Man, Incredible Hulk and Wanted). For example, in Iron Man having Nick Fury as Samuel L. Jackson. He wrote that in his original run of The Ultimates (The Avengers revamped nowadays) in 2002. And also when the Hulk is dropped in the middle of the city in this movie that scene also happened in the first volume of The Ultimates. All I know is that Marvel is going to make a killing at the box office this summer.

-Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari

"Come back and make up a good-bye at least. Let's pretend we had one. "

Well the blog is now fully operational!!!!...this is for everything I think of during the day. The random abstract thoughts I might have, art propaganda, new short stories, and of course movie reviews. Stayed tuned.

-Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari