MONDOmagazine

Agents of Atlas #4
Jeff Parker (w), Gabriel Hardman (a), Elizabet Dismang (c). Marvel Comics.

Just when I thought I didn’t really dig this issue of Agents of Atlas, it has to pull out a final page that makes me go, “ah, that’s clever. Too bad the solicitation ruined this a few months ago.” But I guess that’s my fault for reading solicitations. I think praise should be given to Gabriel Hardman who works in two separate styles: one for the present and one for flashbacks. Both work really well but the flashback style reminds me a lot of Michael Lark, and I love Michael Lark, so I prefer it. It’s a good series, but you do have to read a wikipedia page to know what’s really going on for background, which is my problem with it, and why my rating isn’t higher. — Miles Baker

Miles’ Ranking: 3.5 out of 5

Alias Ultimate Edition vol 1
Brian Michael Bendis (w) , Michael Gaydos (a) . Marvel Comics.

The first time the word “fuck” ever appeared in a Marvel Comic was on page one, issue one of Alias. It was the bold statement that Alias was not going to be your regular, everyday, 7-11-friendly comic from Marvel. It was dark in tone and in art, adult in theme and content, and intelligent on every level. This collection handles the first half of what is one of my favourite series of all times. It centres on Jessica Jones, a former superhero turned private eye and how she intersects with the Marvel Universe. Along the way she encounters Captain America, becomes Daredevil’s bodygaurd, helps out Rick Jones, and begins dating Ant Man while flirting with Luke Cage. This was the beginning of a lot of story threads that are still being played out in the pages of the New Avengers. If you haven’t read this series, buy it today and you won’t be sorry. — Miles Baker

Miles’ Ranking: 5 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #593
Mark Waid (w), Mike Mikone (p), Andy Lanning and Karl Kessel (i), Jeromy Cox (c). Marvel Comics.

This issue has the return of a Spider-man device that I have missed: just when Spidey thinks he’s defeated the bad guy, a whole new one shows up that is much scarier. We also get Peter being really nice to Aunt May, something else I have missed in the past. And a Spidey that’s more than a little mischevious and enjoying his powers for once. These are the reasons I don’t care that Peter made a deal with the devil to make it all happen. These comics are just so much better now. There’s also a little beefcake Peter on the first page for those of you out there that are into that. — Miles Baker

Miles’ Ranking: 4 out of 5
Isaac’s Ranking: 2.5 out of 5

Batman: Battle for the Cowl the Network #1
Fabian Nicieza (w), Don Kramer and J. Calafiore (p) . DC Comics

An incredibly busy comic results in a lot of cameos and very little actually gets accomplished. A handy roll call lists a lot of characters, many of which don’t actually appear, and that’s very emblematic of what’s wrong with this book. It’s a lack of focus. What’s important about the story is the interaction between Batgirl and Huntress, but without enough time devoted to them it becomes a case of “angry girl fights with level headed girl.” There are a couple of points where the art isn’t clearing things up and you need the dialogue to get it together. I have no problem with that, it’s common with golden age comics, but they also had the dialogue and captions to back up that kind of presentation. However, Batgirl hasn’t been written this much in character in years, so that’s a big plus. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Ranking: 2 out of 5

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #25
Doug Petrie (w), Geogres Jeanty (p), Andy Owens (i), Michelle Madsen (c). Dark Horse.

It’s funny, for all my excitement when “Buffy Season 8″ was first coming out it seems like it’s been a while since I’ve been genuinely psyched for an issue. Personally, I think it’s because it doesn’t feel like the plot has moved forward that much since the issues in the early teens. I liked this issue more than most of the Buffy issues of the last year, largely because it wrapped one of the subplots up (the long-standing Dawn plotline). The writing was witty and Georges Jeanty did some great creature-design work. It was a pretty good issue, but remember that Big Bad that was lurking around? I think it’s time to get back to him. — Owen K. Craig

Owen’s Ranking: 3 out of 5
Miles’ Ranking: 3 out of 5

Cable #14
Duane Swierczynski (w), Ariel Olivetti (a). Marvel Comics.

The character assassination of Bishop continues in the latest issue of Cable. For the last 18 months, Marvel has taken one of the very few strong African American characters they have and turned him into a disgusting child killer — oh, but he’s justified or some crap like that. Yeah, whatever. Couldn’t they have picked a different time traveling character for this? They have a lot of them. Anyway, this issue is  a part of the “Messiah War” crossover and I loved the “Messiah Complex” crossover but this is nowhere near as good. So far the plot has barely advanced and I feel like this is going to be one of those crossovers that doesn’t matter. That said, I did like a few of the lines, I am still going to be following the series, and I think Olivetti is showing improvement as an artist. — Miles Baker

Miles’ Ranking: 2.5 out of 5.

Daredevil Noir #2 of 4
Alexander Irvine (w), Tomm Coker (a), Daniel Freedman (c). Marvel Comics

The first time I heard of this, I thought, “If Daredevil was any more noir, there’d be nothing but shadows to look at.” Set in the Prohibition era, Hell’s Kitchen is in middle of a war between the King Pin and Orville Halloran, and Daredevil is tangled within the mess. To make matters worse, a mysterious third party Bullseye appears to stir up some trouble. Oh, did I forget to mention the alluringly mysterious Eliza? If there’s anything I love more about Daredevil than Daredevil himself, it’s his uncanny ability to have some of the sexiest encounters with the leading ladies. There’s just nothing that beats a good ol’ fashioned, slightly racy hand-to-face interaction between a blind man and a beautiful lady. It gives me shivers.

My only problem is that Daredevil is already very noir. It seems that the only difference between this and the regular storyline is that he’s in the 1930s and with a new costume, equipped with a sleeveless shirt and fancy dinner gloves. That being said, the art is absolutely stunning and definitely works with the theme. It’s worth a gander, even if it’s just for the art or the hunky Daredevil. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Ranking: 3.5 out of 5

Deadpool #10
Daniel Way (w), Paco Medina (p), Juan Vlasco (i), Marte Gracia (c). Marvel Comics.

In this issue, Norman Osborn decides to send out Dark Hawkeye (a.k.a. Bullseye) after Deadpool after discovering, in a very hilarious way, that he somehow survived his encounter with the Thunderbolts. I’ve never really ever been disappointed with an issue of Deadpool… well, there was that Thunderbolts crossover, but we’ll forget that for now. Deadpool’s new assignment in this issue leads us to raise a few eyebrows, but it showcases the fact that he isn’t the typical “good guy”. Way has really brought some life into Deadpool and this time shows that although he’s been known to mingle with the supes, he still leads a mercenary life. The story does however take a little too long for Deadpool to actually fight Hawkeye, but in the end leaves you wanting more. It’s very frustrating, but it works.

The art is great. The team of Medina, Vlasco, and Gracia have really been able to create a style that works with the dialogue. In typical Deadpool fashion, he stands in an epic pose, while saying something ridiculous like, “This besmirchment will not stand!” This series is still fairly new and, with the new Wolverine movie, I’m sure Deadpool will become even more popular. He’s always the choice for a good laugh. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Ranking: 3.5 out of 5

Flash Rebirth #2 (OF 5)
Geoff Johns (w), Ethan Van Sciver (a). DC Comics.

When Hal Jordan returned in the Green Lantern: Rebirth series, it was the first step in a major revitalization of the franchise. It’s a revitalization that the Flash never needed… until they decided to revitalize him anyway. As Barry thinks in the issue, “Before I came back everything was fine.” What we’re given is a story driven by the addition of a new element, Barry, and how all the older figures react to it. It’s brilliantly done, adding a great deal of fun detail to Barry’s life with a mystery that’s just kicking into gear. The cliffhanger is an old school cherry on top. Highly recommended. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Ranking: 4 out of 5

The Invincible Iron Man #13
Matt Fraction (w), Salvador Larroca (a). Marvel Comics

Once more, Matt Fraction has done something I didn’t think was possible: he has made me like Maria Hill. This was a supporting character I hated. She drove me crazy, but with this issue I found myself cheering her on. So there you have it, a perfect microcosm of what Fraction is doing here: he’s doing the impossible. He’s taking aspects of comics that I don’t usually care for and making them into something awesome. — Owen K. Craig

Owen’s Ranking: 4 out of 5

Irredeemable #2
Mark Waid (w), Peter Krause (a), Andrew Dalhouse (c). Boom Studios

It’s always a good sign when I don’t realize that I’ve finished the issue, keep flipping for more, and realize that I’m reading the preview for another comic. Mark Waid really did a good job setting up the premise of this series in the first issue by simply asking the question: What if the world’s greatest superhero, became its greatest villain?

This second issue was a long time coming and definitely does not disappoint. We start to slowly uncover the mystery and story behind the Plutonian. The focus is on his love life with a woman named Alana Patel. The storyline mirrors that of Lois Lane and Superman, which I think is something Waid is trying to do. The Plutonian is very much like Superman, but unlike him, the Plutonian kills babies when he’s mad. Although the story focuses on the relationship and its role in the Plutonian’s fall from grace, you also get a glimpse of one of his archenemies and are left with a taste of what is to come.

The art is really great as well, and does an effective job in contrasting the bright past with the dark present. Overall, this is a solid start for what is starting to become my favourite 2009 series. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Ranking: 4.5 out of 5

Jersey Gods #4
Glen Brunswick (w), Dan McDaid (a) . Dark Horse Comics

This book is awesome. The characters are fun, the fights are crazy and I can’t wait to see what happens next, but as it goes on I’m getting tired of the main character being off-planet so much. I want to see more of his relationship with the female lead. The battle the titular Gods have got going on is neat and all (it takes an interesting turn this issue), but I think keeping him apart from his romantic interest for the bulk of the first storyline was not the best move. I’m assigning the book 4 out of 5, as I really enjoyed this issue a lot, but we need to see the two leads together again. Soon. — Owen K. Craig

Owen’s Ranking: 4 out of 5

Marvel Zombies 4 #2 of 4
Fred Van Lente (w), Kev Walker (a), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (c). Marvel Comics

I’ve never read any of the previous Marvel Zombies series, so this run has been my first exposure and it’s been great. I know I’m holding gold, when there are non-stop laughs and page turning moments that keep me wanting more. The severed head of Zombie Deadpool is on the loose thanks to Marvel zombie Simon Garth and is being delivered to Black Talon. Black Talon decides to sell the head to The Hood, who despite the advice of his henchmen wishes to make the purchase. If that wasn’t enough, the new Midnight Sons come head to head with The Hood’s own monstrous team, The Night Shift in a pretty epic battle. It’s a big convoluted mess of over-the-top action, fun, gore, and zombies, with some definite twists and turns that keep the storyline moving. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Ranking: 4 out of 5

New Mutants #1
Zeb Wells (w), Diogenes Neves (p). Marvel Comics

Though I don’t take it personally when the cover artist isn’t the same as the interior (I’ve met some guys that just didn’t get it), I do feel lied to by this cover. It’s the classic New Mutants line up wearing some iconic uniforms, and I’m pretty sure the kid next to Warlock is dead. That being the case, I was excited to see how they’d bring him back and get everyone together for their new adventure. Instead, Cannonball is “too cool” and yells at the Young X-Men for not liking Magik. Look Magik, I don’t care if you were with the New Mutants back in the day, if you eat a piece of a person’s soul you lose your free pass. At least pretend to be nice. Asking for help while acting suspicious doesn’t make me like you or the comic. It is a great cover though… — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Ranking: 2.5 out of 5

Power Girl #1
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (w),  Amanda Conner (a). DC Comics

Amanda Conner makes everything better. I tend to be more of a writer-focused comic fan, but she is one of the few artists that can get me to buy anything she draws. In a business that is filled with way to many artists who just draw generic sexy female forms (artists who are eerily popular, by the way. Ugh) it’s great to see an artist who gives these (still sexy) females a personality. Conner’s characters are expressive, distinct, and emote beautifully. I’m not normally a Power Girl fan, but the story itself is quite good. Gray and Palmiotti are setting up a life outside of superheroing for Power Girl, and an old villain returns. I’m interested to see where the story goes, but there’s no doubt about it… I wouldn’t have bought the comic in the first place if it weren’t for Amanda Conner. — Owen K. Craig

Owen’s Ranking: 3 out of 5
Sandra’s Ranking: 3 out of 5

Superman: World of New Krypton #3
James Robinson and Greg Rucka (w), Pete Woods (a). DC Comics

The first issue of this new Superman book (or maxiseries, I guess) caught my attention. I was intrigued by the idea of not only getting a glimpse into the way of life on Krypton, but also getting to see Superman have to deal with his own perceptions of their way of life. The second issue built on that nicely. But now… the third issue didn’t do a whole lot for me. There was a logical conclusion to the incident at the end of issue 2 (which nicely demonstrated why Superman is more than just a guy with powers), a fairly uneventful fight and a cliff-hanger that is not at all surprising if you’ve seen the cover of issue 3 online. I like this series, and I’m going to keep buying it, but this issue was a bit of a letdown. — Owen K. Craig

Owen’s Ranking: 2 out of 5
Sandra’s Ranking: 4 out of 5

I, Claudia
Created by and starring Kristen Thomson
Runs until May 23 @ Young Centre for the Performing Arts

By Daina Valiulis

In this amazing one-woman show, Kristen Thomson returns to play Claudia, a twelve-and-three-quarter-year-old misfit who struggles with growing up and dealing with school and her beloved father’s sudden second marriage. With the raw pain and rage over her parents’ divorce still fresh, Claudia is like a living diary. She comes down to the school’s boiler room, which she has made completely her own, every Tuesday morning to “get control of herself.” Thomson, herself a child of divorced parents, began the creative process wearing masks and recording herself talking into the mirror. Four characters emerged: Claudia, Drachman (the school janitor who watches over her from the shadows), Grandfather, and Leslie (her new stepmother).

Thomson is “hi-lariously” funny as well as heart wrenchingly vulnerable and honest throughout the play. Her body and voice work is impressive and inspiring as she transitions from Claudia to the three other characters, each offering their own perspectives on Claudia and life. Changing her costume and donning the mask of another character to character-appropriate music, Thomson, like a butterfly, is completely transformed when she emerges again. Most striking was the transition from Claudia into Leslie, the “evil” stepmother. In one scene, Claudia goes on a tirade about how much she hates her. In the following scene, Thomson changes into Leslie, who is being fitted for her wedding dress and revealing how much she loves Claudia’s father: “When he looks at me, he sees someone worth loving. And that is a miracle.” She becomes a more sympathetic character, and we are reminded of how much growing up Claudia has yet to do.

The language of the piece is all Thomson’s own – completely unique, musical, and colourful. At one point, Grandfather mutters: “I’ve never seen a wrapper so in love with a lozenge!” as he attempts to open one to satisfy his sweet tooth. And Claudia chatters a mile a minute about how high-heeled shoes are “bondage for women!”

I, Claudia won Doras for Outstanding New Play 2001 and Outstanding Performance. While I am loathe to put too much stock into awards (how far have the Oscars fallen?), this show truly deserves these titles. It’s not easy to capture the minds and hearts of an entire audience singlehandedly, but Kristen Thomson does it.

Poems From a Love Triangle
Conceived and composed by Bill Gilliam
Musical direction by Gregory Oh
Stage direction by Anne Anglin
May 2 @ The Music Gallery

By Matt McGeachy

I’m sitting on the hard pews of a church listening to a new music concert meshed together with semi-erotic love poems based on W.R. Rodgers, an Irish poet of the mid-century, wondering what the hell am I doing here.  I’m a theatre critic, I thought, and self-fashioned though I may be, it’s something I think I do pretty well.  But this?  What do I have to critique about this?  It’s something I barely understand and certainly don’t appreciate; the music is chaotic (some would say “challenging”) and the promised acting, in the form of a staged radio drama with new music for which I was ostensibly sitting on the rock hard pew, left much to be desired.  What criticism should I offer, if any?

The practical answer as to why I was there is that fairly frequently I get emails from my editor asking if anyone on staff is interested in reviewing some show or event.  The email for this show came in at a busy time; I scanned it over, saw “erotic” and “staged as a radio drama” and thought, sure, what the hell, should be interesting.  Maybe it’s shite, but isn’t it fun to write about that?!  In short, I didn’t know what to expect and hadn’t closely read the invitation, so when it turned out to be primarily a concert of new music (which I am not particularly qualified to evaluate), new poetry (which I am better qualified to evaluate), and some quasi-operatic singing (which I am qualified to evaluate) I was surprised.

Not in a good way.

At the beginning of this menagerie of artistic expression, I quickly determined that my hopes of a staged radio drama was not in the cards and was irked — at myself, at the composer/conceiver, Bill Gilliam, at the publicist for not putting NEW MUSIC in big capital letters at the top of the flyer (which, it turns out, she did, so I guess I was just pissed at Bill and myself) — and glanced at my watch, antsy for it to be over.  I quickly realized that this would be a long, unpleasant way to spend an hour of my time, so I tried another tactic: surrender to the new art form.  I wouldn’t review the spectacle; instead, I would relay my experience of surrender.

I listened to the music, the voices, the poems very hard and tried to open my mind and soul, as though maybe this would be the night that changed the direction of my life and sent me on a new odyssey of discovery into the world of modern composing.  I closed my eyes to try to feel every note and absorb the sonorous voice of the actor and singer reading poetry.  And I couldn’t feel a damn thing.

Not only that, but after ten minutes passed, I was staring at my watch again, waiting for it to be over.  And although I didn’t have any great revelations about my affection for new music, and although I won’t offer a critical opinion on something I know so little about, I’ll tell you this: the woman next to me was doing the same thing.

A Beautiful View by Daniel MacIvor (Remounted)
Originally produced by Sherrie Johnson
Starring Caroline Gillis and Tracy Wright
Directed by Daniel MacIvor
Runs until Sunday, May 24 @ Tarragon Theatre’s Extra Space

By Daina Valiulis

The final piece to be performed by Daniel MacIvor and Sherrie Johnson’s theatre company da da kamera, A Beautiful View presents the morphing relationship of two women, M (Caroline Gillis) and L (Tracy Wright), across three decades. They meet by chance at a camping goods store and go through various stages of intimacy beginning with a sexual episode followed by years of friendship and ending somewhere in between. Originally used for instruction of a graduate performance class at Ohio University, the play has since gone on to sell out at Buddies in Bad Times and earn Dora nominations for Outstanding Production of a play, Outstanding Direction of a Play, and Outstanding Sound Design—with good reason!

From the beginning, Caroline Gillis’ nervous, chatty, eager spunkiness juxtaposes and perfectly balances Tracy Wright’s droning sarcasm. Their relationship (the third entity onstage) seemed very much alive, due to the honesty and very real tension each brought to the table. MacIvor first develops a theme and find actors to join in creating the characters. In this case, the collaborative process served to create a realistically unique relationship with ups and downs, reflecting who the characters are. The performers’ comfort with each other and the text added to the intimacy of the entire piece, boosting the solidly told and rhythmically smooth whole.

It was striking how active lighting and sound were in creating the world the characters inhabit. Spotlights lit up the women as they spoke their monologues to the audience, directing focus and emphasizing the importance of the words. They were also used to emulate a crowded bar and a campsite paired with the fantastic soundscape of a ukulele band and chirping crickets.

After years of ups and downs, the women find the connection both long so much for in each other. A great mix of comedy, drama, intimacy, and distance, A Beautiful View keeps it simple but effective: good cast, good lighting and sound, and a good story.

First let me say how proud I am of Random Comics of the Week and of every contributor who worked on it along the way.

The writers Owen Craig, Tom Kerr, James O’Connor, Sandra Yao, and, of course, Isaac Mills: to each of them thank you very much for going along with this crazy premise I had two years ago. And thanks to Adam Bourret, former comics editor, who looked at those early reviews and asked us to keep going.

This will be the last Random Comics of the Week. This column was designed because I wanted to have comic reviews on the site, but I knew that my own pull list would not be able to sustain anyone’s interest but my own. Now, we have a team of four people with varied tastes and the time seems right to jump to a more comprehensive review site.

So we’ve decided to do something special for our last issue, but looking back at the last 99 weeks of Random Comics of the Week. So here it is, the Best of Random Comics of the Week.

—Miles Baker

Owen’s Random Comics

Worst Random Comic: Ghost Rider #19

I really hated this issue. I hated how bland and uninteresting all the supporting characters were, I hated the dialogue, and I hated the character of Ghost Rider for having been in such a terrible comic. I don’t know what surprised me more, though, the fact that a little over a year later Jason Aaron would turn Ghost Rider into my book of the month or that Daniel Way is now doing amazing work on Deadpool. The second one.

Best Random Comic: Daredevil #117

I may not be a regular Daredevil reader, but this was a great book.

Most Random Random Comic: PVP #34

I still can’t believe I had to get this. What’s the point? *glances over at my Perry Bible Fellowship collection* Shut up, it’s not the same thing.

Series I Started Buying After Randomly Getting One: Hack/Slash

I loved that random issue I read. It was great (and made a run at the title of Best Random Comic). Unfortunately I didn’t love future issues as much as that first one, but I had fun reading some more issues before they brought in the Suicide Girls and I stopped buying it.

Favourite Random Review: Omega the Unknown #4

I enjoyed my review of Omega simply because of how confused I was. I gather the book is actually quite good (you know…what with the Eisner nomination and all), but man…I had no idea what I had just read.

Miles’ Random Comics

Series I started Buying After Randomly Getting One: The Spirit #8

I fell in love with this series immediately. Re-reading this review, it’s not as glowing as it should be. After reading this comic, I bought the rest of the series in issue form, followed by buying both hardcover collections the day they came out. It really is a great series and I miss it a lot.

Most Random Random Comic: Tie: Ubu BuBu #2 and Beanworld

I haven’t thought about these books a lot since I read them because it’s impossible to think about them in any serious capacity.

Worst Random Comic: All-Star Batman and Robin # 10

When the subject of bad comics comes up in a conversation, I pull this book out of my crappy comics cupboard (yeah, that is a really thing I have) and get angry all over again. This comic was pure garbage. I remember my hands were shaking with anger as I wrote the review.

Best Random Comic: Hawaiian Dick #4

This was really hard to pick. A lot of great comics stand out: Transhuman, Unknown Soldier, Hellboy, Jack of Fables, Hellblazer, and I know there were many more. This book has stuck with me since I wrote the review. I haven’t made good on my promises to fill in the rest of the series, but I will one day.

Best Random Review: The New Avengers: Illuminati #5

Looking back on these reviews was a large task. I wrote on approximately 95 of the 99 random reviews we did. I’m really proud of that, but I still cringe at some very awkward sentences that plague my writing to this day. I picked this one because I remember being really proud of my fake Skrull titles (“Marvin, Skrull Ruler” and “Skrull Man: Enslaver of Humans”)  and I still think they’re really funny. I also think it’s funny to threaten Bendis and that I look like a complete whack job in this review. So there you have it: INSANITY FOR THE WIN!

An open letter to Nintendo regarding their mistreatment of hardcore gamers

Dearest Nintendo and Wii,

I was very much looking forward to spending time with you when Fatal Frame IV comes out. I had it all planned: we would spend hours together in the evening and I would quiver with anticipation and horror as together we would fight scary Ju-on style ghosts. We would point the Wiimote at the screen and take pictures of our ghostly conquests and keep them as memories of our epic quest. It was going to be beautiful. I knew the controls would be shaky, as I literally tremble with fear when playing a Fatal Frame game, but I was more than ready to try my favourite series on the Wii.

I was literally crushed, vehemently angry, but sadly, not surprised when you said you would not be releasing Fatal Frame IV in Europe and North America. You made me, a hardcore gamer, feel alienated yet again and I’ve tried so hard to forgive you, but this is unforgivable. You’ve let every other crappy, half-assed game that gets made be published on you, but never ever something for hardcore gamers like me. I am beginning to finally believe that you really do loathe hardcore gamers.

Admittedly, you (the Wii) have not been my favourite console. Yes, I do enjoy playing with you with my non-gamer family and boyfriend, and doing my morning exercises. Other than that, really, I haven’t found a game for the Wii that’s swept me off my feet like Nintendo games did in the good old days. Don’t you remember the long exhilarating moments we spent together during Eternal Darkness, Chrono Trigger, and Resident Evil 4? Why can’t you make or even publish games like that anymore? I’m tired of being part of the Wii fit group. I want to go back to being a Nintendo gamer, when I was proud to say I solely owned and played Nintendo games.  I have not been able to say that for years.

You no longer even try to satisfy me. You are forcing me into the loving embrace of an Xbox 360 and into the bed of  my Blu-Ray-playing PS3. I am afraid I am going to have to break up with you – and after such a long love affair! We had the NES, SNES, and the Gamecube together. (I know – totally missed the N64. It was because I stupidly thought I should grow up and not play games anymore. I never said I was perfect, Nintendo.) Would couples’ counseling work? Are you willing to listen to me? Are you willing to consider my needs as a hardcore gamer? Can you give me that epic game that I desperately want and deserve? Can you give me a game that I’ll lose sleep over and constantly think about while I’m at work?

Or are you leaving me to hang with all the casual gamers? (Casual as in sex, not Fridays.) I understand that it means that you can be with more people, and we’ve always had an open relationship, but I really need you to make me remember why I fell in love with you in the first place. Dearest Nintendo Wii, I am waiting for the perfect E3 make-up game. Prove that you still love me for who I am, a hardcore gamer.

Sincerely,
Diana Poulsen

State of Play
Directed by Kevin MacDonald
Working Title Films, 2009

By Brian Last

Every so often a well-intentioned political thriller comes out that falls flat. This is not the case with State of Play. From beginning to end, you are drawn in and taken on a ride with a lot of twists and turns. State of Play rises above the sea of political thrillers with a very well-written script, a great cast, and a director who knows how to tell a story.

Russel Crowe stars as Cal McAffrey, a veteran newspaper reporter for the Washington Globe . Ben Affleck plays Senator Stephen Collins; the two are old roommates and friends with a complicated history. The events that unfold do not exactly do wonders for their relationship. Two deaths occur: one, a petty street thief and the other, Collins’ lead researcher. The deaths seem unrelated, but McAffrey pulls out all the stops to solve the mystery with the help of the police and eager, young writer Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), who gets first-hand experience in guerrilla journalism. The further down the rabbit hole that McAffrey digs, the more layers that are unveiled. The closer he gets to the truth, the closer he comes to losing everything.  Ultimately, he has to decide what is more important — his life, and his friendship with Senator Collins, or his career and reporting the truth.

Director Kevin Macdonald (Last King of Scotland) does a great job of bringing us right into the story. Right away we are introduced to the characters and get to know who they are and what their story is. Affleck, Crowe, McAdams and Helen Mirren all bring their A game to this film. There’s not one weak link in the chain. In the supporting cast, Jason Bateman is astounding, while Jeff Daniels and Robin Wright Penn add to the solid backbone of the film. My only major problem with State of Play is that it was a little long — but there isn’t much that is filler or unimportant to the plot.

We’ve all seen political thrillers, but this one really touches upon current issues. What makes this film a little unnerving is how close it comes to matters that are happening right now in the United States’ government. The privatization of the military is one of those pressing issues, and it stands out in this film. Ensuring the safety and freedom of the American people has become the pretext for employing a mercenary army; corporate takeover and homeland security are two big thorns in democracy’s side. These are the foundations of the new world order and martial law, and they are happening faster than we can react. This film is the first in a while to come out and say in plain English that the U.S. isn’t on the level, and that it’s past time to question the way things are run. We’ve certainly been given reason enough to after the Bush administration. State of Play offers a smart, intense, and fresh take on an old subject. I highly recommend this film to anyone.

NOMO
Invisible Cities
Ubiquity, 2009

By Jake Shenker

I first encountered NOMO a few years back at the Montreal Jazz Festival. I’ll admit that I was less than sober, but I’m pretty sure NOMO would have drawn me in regardless of my mental state.

Back then, this self-labeled “Michicago” band was touring in support of their outstanding second album, New Tones, which I immediately went out and bought upon waking up the following morning with the mysterious word “NOMO” scrawled on my hand in blue pen. Surprisingly, the record was just as sensational as the previous night’s show seemed to be in my memory — a phenomenon that any substance-abusing music fan can attest to as being pretty rare. NOMO’s unusual — and seamless — blend of traditional afro-beat rhythms, funk harmonies, and modern electronica produces a huge sound that somehow translates perfectly from their larger-than-life live show to my CD player.

This week, NOMO released their fourth album, Invisible Cities, and I’m happy to report that this record is just as exciting as my drunken night in the NOMO moshpit. While their sound has evolved slightly, incorporating more traditional African rhythms and less soundscape electronics, their tunes are just as jaw-dropping. From the call-and-response horn lines in “Waiting” to the slow buildup of “Crescent,” NOMO have once again created a masterfully danceable record. Although Invisible Cities has less memorable melodies than New Tones and instead focuses on longer jams, this shift doesn’t seem out of place for a band exploring the more improvisational roots of their music. The meandering sound of tracks like “Ma” might not be perfect for entertaining dinner guests, but it definitely gets my feet tapping… or my whole body dancing wildly, depending on my mental state.

To preview some tracks from the new record, check out NOMO’s myspace.

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Isaac’s Book of the Month

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #4 (of 5)
Written by Geoff Johns
Penciled by George Perez
DC Comics, 2009

I’ve already talked about the previous issue of Legion of Three Worlds in a Random review a couple of months ago, and everything I said back then holds true now: super-quality art courtesy of George Perez, with a jam-packed story by Geoff Johns. The average reader is not going to get what is going on here, and I’m okay with that. This comic is for me — Yay! (I’m warning you now, SPOILERS ahead.)

Okay, so what makes this issue so great? Bear with me as this list is all about what I’m interested in from a nerdy perspective:

• The reason Starman has been hanging out in the 21st century is finally revealed; I think we’ve been waiting on that for around two years.
• Kid Flash dominates Superboy Prime in their fight. It makes no sense that all the other Legion people combined can barely slow down Superboy Prime while Kid Flash stops him in his tracks, but I don’t care. It’s awesome and hilarious. Concerning his being brought back to life, Kid Flash makes reference to Aladdin saying “Phenomenal cosmic power… itty-bitty living space.” How old is Aladdin by now? Why is Geoff Johns making a reference like that? It’s totally out of place and insane, but I love it.
• I’ve already adopted a running gag based off a panel where Superboy Prime, getting frustrated, says, “When I get my hands on you, you’re toast!” and Kid Flash responds with this goofy look on his face and says, “With jelly.” So now I keep doing my approximation of that face and saying, “with jelly” all the time. Is that a particularly clever riposte to use in every conversation I have? Considering I’m the only one in on the gag, no, but to have a comic moment imprint so much on me so fast alone is reason to be book of the month.
• The original Sun Boy finally shows up and in an excellently clichéd action-hero bit of dialogue says, “Sorry I’m late for the party, but I did bring the fireworks.” It’s dumb, but I enjoyed it.
• Okay, here’s the big one. This is why that SPOILER warning is up at the top there. All through this issue, I was saying, “No way, no way, there’s no way they’re doing this.” Then they DID IT! The smile on my face wasn’t going anywhere while I read this thing, and it’s just zipped back on my face thinking about it. What was Starman doing in the past? Oh nothing much, just getting SUPERBOY back to life!! See, I own issue 0-100 of Superboy’s series, plus various specials, plus issues of Superboy and the Ravers (need to get more of those), PLUS issue 3 of Peter David’s Aquaman series that had an appearance by Superboy — I’m a fan.

I had no choice; this comic had to be my book of the month.

All the while I’m reading this book, I’m cursing Geoff Johns for playing every cheap trick in the book in getting me to love this comic, and I’m cursing myself for willingly falling for it. Every. Single. Time. If I look at this objectively, Johns just brought back a fan favourite character to ensure I’d love this comic, which is exactly the same thing he did at the end of the previous issue. Who will they resurrect by the end of the final issue — Ben Reilly?!?

No seriously, resurrect Ben Reilly.

Miles’ Book of the Month

The Mighty Avengers #24
Written by Dan Slott
Penciled by Rafa Sandoval
Inked by Roger Bonet Martinez
Marvel Comics, 2009

This was a hard month to choose a Book of the Month: Incognito really caught fire with this last issue,  Spider-man #591 had some extremely touching and funny moments, Secret Warriors was excellent and continues to gain steam, Captain America was amazing as always, I got caught up on Agents of Atlas and am starting to really dig what’s going on there, Neil Gaiman finished his “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” storyline, and the final definitive collection of Queen and Country came out. And that’s just off the top of my head — there were a lot of good comics this month.

So, I’m making my choice based on the issue that made me the most excited about the issues to come, and The Mighty Avengers wins that contest. This is the fourth issue of Dan Slott’s run, and the first three I wanted to like more than I did. They were confusing, too much was happening, and Khoi Pham’s art was not doing the book any favours.

This issue simplified, reduced the amount of characters, had a ton of great gags and character moments, and got a better team on the art. At the end of this issue, I thought, “Wow. I can’t wait to see what happens next,” and “Wow, Slott got a lot done in that issue.” Whereas after the first three issues, I thought, “Alright, I’ll give this one more, maybe: I don’t know how I feel about this series.”  This was the turning point.

In this issue, the Mighty Avengers travel around the world, stopping one catastrophe after the other; Quicksilver tries to prove his loyalty to the team; the team starts to gel; Norman Osborne starts losing it all over the place; and we get a few hints into what the main villain’s plans actually are. It’s a lot, but it’s all handled so beautifully and with efficient storytelling.

The issue made me like characters I wasn’t so big on before, like Hank Pym and Hercules. Pym is out to prove he’s a hero, and he’s doing a great job of it. But what I like the most about him is that he gives Quicksilver a second chance. It’s really nice to see a character at Marvel give another character the benefit of the doubt because that hasn’t happened since someone said the word “skrull.”

And I love Hercules now and forever with the line he says as he’s about to reflect The Vision’s heat vision with a large mirror:

Herc: This is how Archimedes and I torched Roman Warships at the Siege of Syracuse.
Vision: I’m confused. According to my files that is historically inaccurate. That’s a myth — a legend.
Herc: Aye! Like Everything I do, it was both mythic and legendary!

He’s so great.

So, yes, I can now say that I recommend The Mighty Avengers, and this is a good place to start.

Owen’s Book of the Month

Secret Six #8
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Carlos Rodriguez and Bitt
DC Comics, 2009

I’ve been looking for a way to work in a plug for Secret Six, a comic I’ve thought is pretty great for a while now. This month gave me the best excuse ever: Secret Six #8 is the best comic I’ve read all month. Sure the past seven issues were good, but this one FREAKING AWESOME.

To begin with, it’s a double-date issue. I’m a total sucker for “down time” issues of comics, any chance to see what our characters do when they’re not on missions (or whatever) is a huge plus for me. In the case of the Secret Six…well, it turns out that they have a really hard time not killing on their down time. So when Deadshot, his date (the creepy lady from the last storyline that developed a fondness for him), Scandal and her date (the stripper that was hired to look like Scandal’s dead ex-girlfriend) are out on the town operating under a strict “no killing” policy hilarity ensues. What develops takes the form of a sort of perverse farce, with Deadshot repeatedly excusing himself to beat the hell out of (but not kill, as much as he would like to) some thugs who are after him, Scandal’s date trying to figure out what’s going on and the gang moving locations to stay out of trouble.

Gail Simone is at her best, this is without question the funniest comic I read this month, and the art perfectly matches that tone. Simone and Scott are helluva team. If all of this weren’t enough, there’s the bonus of the “what Ragdoll dreams” section, with a Tiny Six segment done in the style of Tiny Titans. And yes, it is every bit as glorious as what you’re picturing in your head right now. If you don’t own this issue then track it down right now.

Owen’s Book

The Literals #1
Written by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Art by Mark Buckingham
Vertigo Comics, 2009

If you like the Fables universe this will be a lot of fun for you, but despite the large “#1” on the cover this comic is not a good entry point for a new reader. Nor do I think it was intended to be. I think that in planning their Fables/Jack of Fables crossover event Willingham and Sturges decided that they needed a little more room to tell their story, and so here we are.

The main question I have is why a whole new book to do it in? Why not just more issues of Fables and Jack? My first theory was that The Literals would spend more time focusing on the characters referred to in the title, the newcomers who were created (mostly) in the Jack of Fables series. However, they aren’t the focus of this first issue, at least not any more so than in certain Jack issues. Oh, sure, we open with one of them, and we get a few greats scenes with him, but I don’t know that it’s enough to name the miniseries The Literals. Instead time is pretty equally divided between that character (who I’m not referring to by name, by the way, in case someone hasn’t read Jack of Fables, where there is a reveal about this in volume 4) and the Bigby/Snow/Gary/Revise quest.

This leads me to my current theory about why this story is in its own mini. The series serves as a way to build momentum for the crossover. Rather than have all nine issues in the main series, which would mean that the crossover would run over approximately five months, we introduce a new mini which cuts down the time to three. To this I say “Hell, yes.” This crossover is now practically a weekly series, and I approve of this wholeheartedly. At this point in my review it occurs to me that I haven’t really been making sense, and that this review is fairly stream-of-consciousness…y.  So I’m going to wrap it up.

My confusion about the series’ purpose aside, this is a fun comic (provided you’re already a Fables fan, and if you’re not then run out and buy volume 1 right now). “The Great Fables Crossover” is shaping up nicely, tying Jack’s weirdness into the main series, lightening up Fables for a while after 20 or so rather dour issues, and answering some questions we were asking. It’s neat to see Mark Buckingham try his hand at the Jack of Fables cast (he kicks ass, by the way) and our beloved writers do some fun work analyzing and dramatizing the act of storytelling. So, I give this issue a big thumbs-up, provided you’re up to date on all that is going on in the Fables-verse.

Miles’ Book

Spawn #191
Written by Todd McFarlane
Art by Greg Capullo, Whilce Portacio, and Todd McFarlane
Image Comics, 2009

My first thought when opening this comic was, “That’s a lot of of blood-covered underboob.” Then my heart sank because it was clear that I was going to spend even more time with this comic and then even more time reviewing it. Angel torture porn, people, that’s what we get with Spawn #191. We start with some porny torture, move on to some confusing ass shit that’s mostly a recap with no movement in plot, and then we close out the issue with a little more torture porn.

Todd McFarlane should stick to making collectable toys.

I like the toys. I look at them on the shelf in the Silver Snail, they look really cool, and I have no interest in buying them — they just sit there not offending anybody. The same is true of Spawn: it sits there on the shelf, there’s an awesome cape on most covers, and I have no interest in buying it. The difference, now, is that I’ve read the comic and it offends me with its terrible writing, art, and extremely questionable treatment of women.

To be clear, I don’t know anything about the Spawn mythos. I know it used to sell more comics than all the comics on the shelves today combined and now sells a tiny fraction of that. I know there was a movie that no one liked and a cartoon series that a lot of people did. But I don’t know what he’s about, what he does, why he’s in a comic, why any of these things are happening in this comic, and this comic isn’t helping me to understand any of it.

Which can be fine, if any of these things didn’t seem like boring, well-trodden plots: there’s a war in heaven, a reporter getting to the bottom of a case too big for him, female characters who just want attention/serve as motivation for character decisions/are doormats.

And maybe the worst offender of them all: the exclamation point. McFarlane seems to think a sentence isn’t complete if there isn’t an exclamation mark at the end of it. It’s like McFarlane knew the dialogue was stilted and saddled with mountains of exposition or obtuse hints to future mysteries so he tried to spice it up with punctuation. And, boy, it does not work.

Seriously, Todd, stick to the toys. The toys don’t talk.

Isaac’s Book

Green Lantern #40
Written by Geoff Johns
Pencilled by Philip Tan
DC Comics, 2009

This is kind of a crazy issue of Green Lantern; for the most part of the issue, they’re trying to explain what this “Agent Orange” character can do and really show us why we should be scared of him. But they fail at this.

Oh, I’m totally scared of him (in as far as I’m scared of almost any fictional characters), don’t get me wrong, but they failed to explain the how of what he does. It’s one guy, but he’s absorbed these other people to do his bidding, but he can absorb them using the people he’s absorbed and doesn’t have to be anywhere near the place? I guess? [Editor's note: I'm confused too.]

I wouldn’t have any problem with being unclear on what this guy can do, because normally I’d be sure I’d find out eventually… except this was the explanation. I am sure this was their big effort to explain the guy, and now we’ll move off to some other colour-coded corps introduction leading up to the “Blackest Night” story line.

The art is dark and sketchy, as if Tan here went to the Kubert School of Art. It’s not really my cup of tea, a little too consciously “cool” for my tastes, especially since it is a style that can’t do humour. There’s a scene where Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, is flying erratically with a blue ring stuck on his finger and he needs to hope for something in order to get the thing off — but what to hope for?

“World peace. I hope for world peace!”

Insincerity Registered — then Hal crashes. It’s pretty funny, but could you imagine that scene as done by Kevin Maguire of Justice League International fame?

There’s a backup story by Johns with Rafael Albuquerque on art, and that’s a guy who can do humour and action. Not only is his last name great, but he had an extended run on the recent Blue Beetle series. This backup piece was a story featuring a Flintstones-esque garbage disposal creature as the protagonist, so no, it’s not going to be an all-time favourite story — there was a definite Green Lantern deficit — but it was cool.

This is not an issue for newcomers to jump on with, but it wasn’t bad. We’ll see what the next issue brings.

By Jake Shenker

I’m a TV nut. I watch just about everything, I devour seasons on DVD, and the list of scheduled recordings on my PVR is longer than the lines at Disneyland. The thing is, I’m also a music nut, and these two obsessions rarely, if ever, intersect. And that’s why Elvis Costello’s new musical performance/talk show is like my own personal smorgasbord.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… is a different kind of TV show, and it’s a different kind of concert series. The show — which is produced by Elton John and airs Friday nights on CTV — is hosted by quirky singer/songwriter Elvis Costello and features some jaw-dropping musical acts: The Police, James Taylor, Lou Reed, and Smokey Robinson to name just a few. But what separates this show from others is that Costello is not just a well-informed interviewer: he’s a peer to most of his guests. His style is casual—more of a two-way shoot-the-shit than a barrage of questions—and Costello spends as much time answering questions as he does asking them. Rather than the simple exchange of information of most talk shows, watching Spectacle is like spying on an informal chat between musical legends: you can witness Costello and The Police trading stories about playing reggae music in the 70s, learn what it was like for both host and guest John Mellencamp to work with producer T-Bone Burnett, and find out that Elvis Costello reads Roseanne Cash’s blog and that this interaction led to a songwriting session with the duo and the legendary Kris Kristofferson. You just can’t make this stuff up.

What’s more amazing, though, is the music. It’s always a treat to watch some of the best musicians in recent history do their thing, but the magic of seeing Elvis Costello request a particular song from his guest, and participate in its performance, is totally unreal. When he interviewed The Police, Elvis explained how he changed all the chords to his song “Alison” but maintained the vocal melody, and then pulled out a guitar and sang it. Two weeks ago, when Costello welcomed Roseanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Norah Jones, and John Mellencamp to his show, the quintet, each armed with an acoustic guitar, performed a mind-blowing rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Big River.” That alone should make any music fan freak out and run home to set their TiVo.

In fact, getting to know Elvis Costello through this show has made me a huge fan. I’ve always liked his music, but I never had more than a passing familiarity with his hit singles. But the more I watch his show and experience his quirky charisma and eccentric singing, the more I want to delve into his discography. And now I’m worried about paying rent, because I’m spending all my money on Costello back catalogue.

Tonight, Elvis yields the floor to guest-host (and executive producer) Elton John, and welcomes his wife, Canadian jazz musician Diana Krall, to the stage. Next week: former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his saxophone. Like I said, greatest TV show ever. Do I need to repeat myself again?

(For more information on the show, and for details about future musical guests, visit CTV’s website)

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