“Star Cross’d Destiny is focused around five misfit young adults in New Orleans who are cursed/blessed with supernatural powers.”

You can’t kill this comic. Seriously. Many have tried. It’s been pronounced dead at the scene, at the hospital, in the morgue, been buried, and has clawed its way back up from six feet under. It’s the Jean Gray of webcomics.

The story is just now getting into the the thick of it, and the timing of the most recent resurrection has brought with it a new style of artwork. It may be a little bit on the shiny side, but I’m very happy with it. At this point in the story, the supporting cast are starting to differentiate themselves. The group’s dynamic is shifting out of dysfunction as they confront the imminent crisis. The characters are something bigger than the sum of their powers. I’ve seen a shadowy, interdimensional operative. I’m getting interested, I’m getting invested, and I’m starting to care. And if you can get your readers to care about the characters and where the story is going, you’re doing something right.

I just need to hound the artist to implement an RSS feed. :)

http://www.starcrossd.net/

I was lucky enough to get a free ticket from Bobby, who is probably the most knowledgeable DC geek I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with. After two and a half hours with the 3D glasses on, I have two things to say about this movie.

Firstly, don’t spend money on it, or any merchandise related to it. It is not worth your money or your time. This review sums up my feelings nicely.

Secondly, don’t let your disappointment and boredom with the movie turn you into an asshole that ruins others’ enjoyment of the movie. I did that, and ruined the movie for a 9- or 10-year-old kid, and was confronted by his mother after the film. I apologized, but I can’t take back my actions, and I am profoundly sorry for them.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had geared myself up to read a book by one of the masters, but I did not expect what I found. I did not expect to find an altered English for a future lunar colony. Nor did I expect to find polyamory, group marriages, and a culture without rape in a penal colony. I really, really, REALLY did not expect the main character of a novel published in 1966 to be a computer technician.

I related to Manuel immediately. It didn’t take Mike much longer to have me rooting for him.

The story took its time to build up. The leisurely pace, instead of boring me, gave me the time to get to know the main characters. I had the time to come to care for them, and their cause. The tension built slowly, and then exploded into action and ballsy diplomatic shenanigans. I have to admit that I was surprised by who joined Manuel’s group marriage. I had hoped she had interest in him, but had dismissed it early on. Well played, Mr. Heinlein.

There’s a reason that this book is a classic. If you’re into SciFi, my advice would be to read it. Take your time getting used to the language and the first person narrative. It’ll be worth it.

I picked this one up at a used bookstore in Caseville, MI. It’s old enough not to have an ISBN, but a SBN instead.

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“Webcomic Tales of the surreal, fantastic, & macabre”

The art is what drew me in to this one. I’m not the biggest fan of horror, gore, or over-the-top tentacle-and-eyeball crazy. I hang out with the kids when the wife has her horror movie nights, making sure that they’re playing nice and getting their fair share of the popcorn. But, I tell you what, I loves me some good artwork.

False Positive has amazing artwork. The artwork is so good that it kept me around for the horror, the gore, and the tentacle-and-eyeball crazy. It drew me in so completely that I find myself reading through the comments, guessing right along with other readers about what the next plot twist will be.

Big Mike can twist a plot.

Compared to many in my ridiculously long list of webcomics in my RSS reader, I’m a newcomer to this one. It took two or three comics to suck me in to reading through the full archive of Season 1. It’s currently in the fourth chapter of Season 2, and has dipped into Sci-Fi. This pleases me.

The comic updates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It’s worth your time to eyeball. http://falsepositivecomic.com/

Terry McGinniss makes a good Batman. There, I’ve said it.

Yeah, he’s a teen. He’s got a problem with authority, has high school problems, and has trouble learning to think before he acts. But he’s got redeeming qualities, too! He facepalms with the best of them.

I’d watched Batman: The Animated Series as a teen, and I had hoped that Batman Beyond would be a faithful continuation of that saga. While my hopes were misplaced, this show was worth watching in its own right.

My favorite characters weren’t the protagonists. I loved the concept of Inque. Commissioner Barbara Gordon was beautifully complex, and they didn’t shy away from her feelings about having been Batgirl, let alone her issues surrounding the Robins. Max does an amazing job of being Terry’s Lucius Fox, badass and vulnerable on top of ridiculously helpful. Don’t get me started on Henry Rollins as Mad Stan. I’d squee for HOURS.

I hated the Cobra gang. I couldn’t separate it from G.I. Joe, especially when they started giving nods to it. The new Royal Flush Gang were far more interesting adversaries.

The setting was a ridiculously large leap forward in time. From the 1950’s retro Gotham of Batman: The Animated Series to the hypertechnological Gotham of Batman Beyond was more than a one or two generation jump. And yet, in the intro, when I see old Gotham dwarfed by the titanic skyscrapers, I feel the thrill for that future that Marvel’s 2099 comics could never pull off. Let’s face it, Gotham doesn’t do anything half-ass.

I have (purely by accident, I assure you) addicted both the 12-year-old and the 4-year-old to this series. I found it on Netflix Streaming; check it out if you’re so inclined.