Up From Genre City

Quote Of The Week Watch IV

"He's alive, Frodo. He's alive."

- Andrew
Angel
Broadcast August 28, 2004

Wednesday Bloody Wednesday: 1.21.04

Well, after last week's so-lackluster-I-couldn't-even-be-bothered-to-comment-on-it selection of titles (the new Gotham Central won by a landslide if you're keeping track) this week is like some kind of 9 issue episode of The West Wing. If I thought it was tough deciding between New X-Men #151 and Cerebus #298 two weeks ago, well, let's just say I wouldn't want to be me right now.

Human Target #6

Holy shit, this is a good book. Peter Milligan is a strange writer to me. While I loved Shade The Changing Man and will for ever and ever, everything else he does I merely admire. It's weird. I know he's good, I read his stuff and I know it's good, but it doesn't floor me like the work of some other people or, for that matter, it doesn't floor me the way it floors other people. But Human Target is the closest Peter's gotten since Chris Bachalo was doing his best work for him. Great Line Of The Week #1: "A dying man's last request. I really hate those." Pete, along with Javier Pulido's clean up guy Cliff Chiang, who does a very nice and consistent job, is very very extremely good at taking ideas and turning them into compelling stories and that's what he's been doing in every issue. This time? Priests. It's a good one and holding it down to one issue makes it tight as hell.

Transformers/G.I. Joe #5

I like Jae Lee. Actually, I love his work unconditionally. That's all I have to say about this book. You know what they say, if you don't have anything nice to say, well, oh forget it. I haven't read any of the other G.I. Joe or Transformers books but, well, I don't know. This story is really incredibly pedestrian. You know, Cobras team up with Decepticons and fight the Joes who have teamed up with the Autobots. Although this time it's some kind of Elseworlds story and it takes place in World War II. Not all that revolutionary (or even evolutionary), but it does give free reign for Jae Lee to make some awesome new Transformer designs that could only ever exist on his pages. So kudos for that. Sometimes it's just a pleasure to look at the pretty pictures.

Wolverine #10

I was exited about a) Axel Alonso editing a Wolverine book and b) Greg Rucka writing it. The result is not half bad, it's good, but honestly, I want to get to the really really good stuff.

Sleeper #12

Good, but I need to reread the entire first season. I feel like I've missed something. I mean, it's great stuff, but, I need to go back.

Runaways #10

Okay. Now we're getting closer. I love this book. Brian K. Vaughan has created the most believable teens this side of the Whedonverse. Quite fitting that this issue concerns vampires then, I guess. Great Line Of The Week #2: "You see, I'm not really sixteen years old. I was born at the turn of the century." "You're four?" "Huh? Oh, no, last century. In 1900." Hee hee. No one's reading this book and that's sad. Fuck you if you're not. You suck. Put down the Chuck Austen book and buy this. Jerkass. I mean, what the fuck? Don't you read comics? Don't you like them? Well, this one is fantastic. I don't get it. This book. Gotham Central. Sleeper. All these great books and no one's reading them and yet, you know, all this revival garbage, Street Fighter, for fuck's sake, is at the top of the charts. Gee. I wonder why the direct market is choking on its own vomit. I really have no idea. What a mysterious conundrum. I'm really just so surprised. If the direct market ever collapses, I'm going to go to a comic convention, presuming they still exist. I'm going to walk around and ask people if they've ever read Runaways. If they say no, I'm going to punch them in the throat. So read this book, if you enjoy using most parts of your neck. It's for your own health and safety.

Fantastic Four #509

Only in a week this good would this book not win The Reread of the Week award. Wieringo's back and rocking the mic. Waid is taking care to make his entire run completely seamless, as this storyline has everything to do with all the ones that came before it. It really makes you not mind at all that Grant Morrison never got a chance to get more into the FF, as I really can't see him doing that much better of a job. This book captures both the pathos of the family and their frontier, Kirby-esque spirit immaculately.

Daredevil #56

Again, only in a week this good would this book not win The Reread of the Week award. Bendis and Maleev make a much welcome return. Mack's story was very pretty and not as awful as everyone else making it out to be, but when Bendis writes Daredevil he fully becomes the Aaron Sorkin of comics, with Alex Maleev his trusty and trusted Thomas Schlamme. Even if Bendis was only telling the story of Matt going to get a pizza, I would love it, but no, he goes and explores Matt Murdock's ascension to Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen at full tilt. Along the way, we have all-time classic moments with Ben "Danny Quincannon" Urich, Peter "Josh Lyman" Parker, Dr. Stephen "Toby Ziegler" Strange, Reed "Sam Seaborn" Richards, and of course Matt "Jed Bartlett" Murdock and Foggy "Charlie Young/Leo McGarry" Neslon. I just miss Jessica "C.J. Cregg" Jones. This book is unrepentantly fantastic and I'm so happy to see it back it full, nay, fuller strength.

New X-Men #152

Again, only in a week this good would this book not win The Reread of the Week award. Last issues awesomeness only gets awesomer as Silvestri takes center stage and owns the X-Men lock stock and barrel. You've all seen the Logan two page spread that spent many a week as my desk top, because it was that badass. It's even better in the book. Oh, and remember that one picture with Cassie and Martha and Logan that was in Wizard and sent everyone into a tizzy? That was only one half of the greatest X-Men drawing ever recorded. Ever. Better than Quitely, better than Alan Davis or John Byrne. Better than anyone ever. In the badass context of this story, it was just friggin' breathtaking. One word for this book, as if you haven't guessed it by now: Badass. One thing though, I still don't think Hank is or has ever been Sublime. I think Sublime's just fucking with Jean. But if he is and has been this whole time? Grant, you've got a lot of explaining to do and very little time to do it in. Not to mention the geek floodgates you've opened. I've seen people bring issues of, like X-Men Chronicles or some such shit in defense of this new development. Please, Grant. Don't make it be this way.

So? All this awesomeness, and which book do I love the most most mostest?

The New Frontier #1

Who would've thunk that Darwyn Cooke would make the DC Comic I've been waiting my whole life to read all by himself? This book is fantastic on every possible level. Not content to just make a book with the beautiful artwork you'd expect from the guy, he had to go and write an actually fantastic story, paying homage to DC's golden days, the days my own Dad read about in Blackhawk, back in the day, and even out Watchmenning Watchmen's newsclippings. Moore's were always too long and sucked the story into a horrifying mire of boredom that always made me want to a) claw my face off or b) skip over them. The final touch? The one that made this book rocket to the top of the charts over the best Marvel books in months? Take notes, Marvel, because presentation fucking counts. Every square inch of this book is gorgeous, from the typefaces to the cover design to the layout of the newsclippings. It's perfect and, whoa, THE LETTERING IS IN ALL UPPERCASE YOU STUPID STUPID COMICRAFT-FIRING DOUCHES. I am hella looking forward to the next five issues of this and can't wait for an Absolute Edition once this book sweeps the Comic Academy Awards. Remember how good Cooke was on Selina's Big Score? Bet you didn't think his lines could get any tighter. Man, check out the way he draws Pooch or Lois Lane or that Dinosaur. What do you think now? Darwyn is writing and drawing the ultimate DC War Movie (just check out all the 1:85 panels) and he couldn't ask for a better DP than colorist Dave Stewart who is magnificent on this book. Man, just talking about it makes me want to go back and reread it. And thus, it is the big winner. It's worth the money. It's worth double that. Sadly, the store I bought it at only ordered five copies because of the price. But everyone who came in asked about it. Direct Market? Time is running out. Order on quality. If quality isn't selling, make it sell by default. Make it the only stuff out there. Y'all have the power. If only good books sold then only good books would get made. Am I dreaming? Maybe. But we're close. Possibly closer than we've ever been. I don't a week this good could have existed a few years ago.

So, I'm done. Thanks, comics. You are awesome.

And He Wept, For There Were No More Worlds To Conquer

'"Indian Sumner" signals the return to the forefront of one of music's most gifted chameleons, DJ Record Player (nee young cartoonist Benjamin Birdie). Without a release since 2000's embarrassment of MTV Music Generated riches, "Indian Sumner" is both a return to familiar territory and a complete and total reimagination of DJ Record Player's style and sensibilities. Made completely with Apple's newly minted GarageBand software, he mercifully avoids the use of any of the three oft-repeated "RnB Horn Section" samples that have plagued the work of so many users of the program. Evocative, haunting, and melodic, "Indian Sumner" is once of January's most remarkable homemade singles.

Half Star.'

- Anonymous Fictional Music Reviewer
Music Reviewing Quarterly

Kitty Pryde, And Nightcrawler Too

So. First impressions of the all-new all-different GarageBand. (Now you guys "get" the post title, right? Get it? Anyway.)

I love this shit. That's for starters. My experience with MTV Music Generator definitely gave me a head start and within an hour of really sitting down with it, I had the foundation of a bad ass Bollywood/Starsky & Hutch freak-out. Some observations:

a) The Software Instruments, That's Your Problem
If you're having lag issues with GB, without a doubt, it's because you've either piled on too many Software Instruments or a Software Instrument based loop with an ass-load of simulataneous notes in it. My first track was made up of about 15-20 distinct Real Instrument loops and the arrow never went out of the white. (For those of you wondering what that means, the little arrow on top of the red line that follows the course of your song as you replay changes color from white to yellow to orange to red depending on how badly it's maxing out your hardware). I'm running GB on an 800mhz iMac G4 with (if I recall correctly) 512 Megs of RAM and (if I'm not mistaken) a 5400 rpm Hard Drive. Incase you were wondering. Currently in my coat pocket is a new set of strings for both of my guitars, some new picks, and a 1/4 to 1/8 adaptor so I can plug my guitar into my PowerWave. Once I do that I'll let you people know how my trusty little guy handles some real six string power. Or rather, some guitar noddling from someone with marginal talent.

b) Put Down The Funk Band Horn Section Loop
I've already decided to take three of the Horn based loops out of my first song, mainly because there are only three Horn based loops pre-loaded into (onto?) GarageBand. And I've already heard one of them on a posted GB Creation. Not to mention the fact that while they worked theoretically in my song, I kept feeling like they detracted from the overall groove effect. Stuff like horn samples are probably never going to be an option because they're so distinct and there are so few of them in the program. Beats, there are plenty of and you can build a thousand different songs off the same beat. Even the more esoteric string loops I used I'm not too worried about because they're layered into five or six other sounds, forming a nice sort of marketplace vibe. A vibe that is obliterated once those horns come in. I don't know what I was thinking. No, that's not true. I wanted a bad ass Curtis Mayfield flavor to my song. But it just doesn'tfit. The rest of it has an honest to goodness Timbaland feel that I'm completely enamored with and then the second half of the song goes into what my roommate described as a Thomas Newman feel. Now, this is no small compliment. I love the Newman stizz in his slower moments (and much less-so when he breaks out the xylophone and gets "jaunty"). What I discovered is that layering in a bunch of acoustic guitar loops (about six all told) and a nice Funk Upright Bass Loop gives this occasional dissonant hum that sounds exactly like a few violas playing softly. Very cool. It all works very well over the tight beat I picked out. Very Four Tet. I know, I know. I'll post a link to the song tonight so you can all hear what the hell I'm talking about.

P.S. Expect to hear the same three horn loops over and over again in your travels among the thousands of new GarageBand composers. Me? I'm already tired of them.

c) Buffer Your End
I've noticed that if you've got an echo effect on the last thing in your song, when you mix-down, it's going to cut the song off at the end of the loop, thus losing any echo that would've tapered off. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to see if I can just make a short Software Instrument loop with nothing in it underneath the echo so that the song doesn't get cut off. I'll keep you posted.

d) Lacking Direction
Spreading your tracks all over the left/right spectrum is critical. This might have been a no brainer to everyone else, but my first mix of "Indian Sumner" (temporary title) had every track mixed right in the middle. After I went back and spread things out, the track sounds 810% better, the loops sounded clearer. Ah, it was beautiful.

I'm still waiting on the 49e, which ought to be another significant test to my current setup's capabilities. We shall see. Overall, though, GarageBand was tailor made for someone like me. Rhythm, but no ability to play drums. Good taste, but without the financial wherewithal to replicate the multi-layered and dense sounds of my favorite artsists/producers (Jon Brion, Prefuse 73, El-P, Tchad Blake, etc). In just a few hours I had several track levels of incredible shit laid down, some fantastic breaks, and a wicked shift in mood and tempo, all in a 5:30 song that I've already listened to (on my iPod, natch, praise be to iLife integration) like five times already.

Once I ditch the horns, you guys'll be the first to hear it. Check back tomorrow morning.

Dancing In Pajamas About Architecture

There's a new favorite video in town. My apologies to the sublime video for "The Golden Path", but the one for "All For Swinging You Around" by The New Pornographers is just sheer filmed exuberance. Videos are getting closer and closer to the ones I film in my head.

Did I ever tell you about the one for Soul Coughing's "Maybe I'll Come Down" where the band gets on an El train and the whole video takes place on the train and at the end of the song the train stops and they get off AND IT'S THE SAME STATION? Or the one for Weezer's "Only In Dreams" that takes place on opposite ends of a football field? Airing daily in my frontal lobe.

When I'm Congested, In My Head I Sound Just Like Toby Ziegler

So, who knows why it took me so long, but I've become completely smitten with The West Wing, via its varied reruns on Bravo and the glory of Time Warner's majestic DVR technology. I mean, loved Sports Night from the get go. Why didn't I embrace TWW immediately? I couldn't tell you. Maybe because my parent's liked it and how lame is that? No, that doesn't work. They even appreciate Six Feet Under.

Also, before this recent discovery, I had only seen one episode of the show, C.J.'s letter home, aka "Who You Gonna Call? Filibuster." and whenever I felt like giving the show a shot, which happened every few months, no joke, that particular episode was on. Not one of its highest moments, a pretty hackneyed format for an episode, and repitition, left a steady sour taste in my mouth. Not to mention the fact that although it sticks to a steady Monster Of The Week Format in one shape or form, the meat of every episode, its subtext, is completely lost if haven't seen what happened before it.

Well, whatever the reason, I'm watching it now and it's fucking amazing. Bravo is hopscotching from the first season in the afternoon and the newly minted fourth season in the evening. Even a cursory glance at any of TWW's web-based acolytes will tell you that, apparently, the show isn't as good as it used to be, for a myriad of reasons.

a) Where Has All The Rob Lowe Gone?

Okay, granted I think my total episode count is maybe seven, tops, but in no way does Sam Seaborne make this show. He's great, yes, but everyone's great. But if I woke up tomorrow and there was no Josh? My nasal sound-alike Toby Ziegler? Then we'd have beef.

b) Where Has All The Sorkin Gone?

Now this could, conceivably, be huge potential beef. Keep in mind that I haven't seen any new episodes. Yes, my infatuation with the show is just that young and new and impressionable. It seems as if John Wells is the new Sorkin of the show and, well, obviously that's going to lead to a different look and feel. I'm not completely dejected, though. He was there from the beginning, and he was responsible for that great ER season of my Sophomore year, where the breezes sang with the voice of Sherry Stringfield and I felt, really felt, like Mark Green was one heck of an O.K. guy.

But what I have seen; the Christmas episode with the Korean War Veteran, the Hollywood Shindig, and Part One of the Season Four Premeire being incredible stand-outs; has left me way beyond impressed. Not only is the dialogue top-drawer and drama keenly focused, but the overall premise, this kind of Twainian American fantasy populated by real flesh and blood characters, where every other day is a Frank Capra movie, where every decision anyone makes is more important than all of the one's you've ever made combined; it's like the most optimal formula for High Stakes, No Limit, Texas Hold 'Em Drama ever conceived.

Quote Of The Week Watch III

"you will never appreciate how much of a fan of music i am and how that drives me to want to CONTRIBUTE to it, and how bad it makes me feel knowing there are people like you with nothing real to give that want to isolate and kill and anybody that does."

-Ryan Adams
The RyanAdams.org Message Board

And What We Have Is Much More Than Legacy

Okay, so you've undoubtedly heard "Much More" off of Chappelle's Show, you know, the most ridiculously out of control De La Soul jam in years. I finally tracked this bastard down, turns out it was released on 12" in August. Jay Dee on the boards, killer break, and a De La which could only be described (and which already has been) as "hungry".

The definitive jam for 21st Century Retrospective Hip Hop. Five stars.

Now where's AOI III?

Wednesday Bloody Wednesday: 1.7.04

Whoa. Big, hectic, crazy comics week. It'll make choosing my newly christened "Reread Award Winner" all the more difficult. After all, in a week with such glorious comic riches, which comic could possibly be the best? Let's watch...

Oh, and duh. There's mad spoilers below. This isn't a review column.

Superman: Birthright #6

This right here is, I'm guessing because the only other Superman book I read is Batman/Superman (or is it Superman/Batman, the best Superman book you can buy these days. It's sort of a boiled down version of Clark's origin story told in modern times (You can tell because the Daily Planet is web-based! Whoa, daddy!). I guess if I watched Smallville, I'd call it a logical extension from that. But I don't. Buffy Full Of Kryptonite, as I have just now dubbed it, could not possibly hold less interest to me.

But we're not talking about the show, we're talking about the stupendous comic book, right? Well, Mark Waid is doing a fantastic job on his end. There's this moment where Superman does the most bad assest thing I've ever seen him do in a comic. He's actually hardcore, not some petulant weiner. So, top marks there.

And our old friend Leinil Francis Yu is in top form on this book. Just beautiful artwork here, filled with both detail and energy, probably the best work I've ever seen him do. Oh, and this is a perfect book to read if you want to see just how important Comicraft was to Marvel's good-lookingness. "Boiiiing!" (The sound of Marvel's pulled boner, obvs).

My Faith In Frankie #1

Here's a book I was thoroughly looking forward to that has ended up just a bit underwhelming. I picked up Sonny Liew's Malinky Robot and that was a nice fun piece. (Sonny Liew is drawing this book, see?) Unfortunately, one of the main protaganists looks exactly like ol' Malinky. "Boiiiing!" Plus, although Marc Hempel is listed as co-inker in the credits, there's very little trace of his awesomeness (except on the awesome cover) in the art. It's a fun read, and there's some great Weissman-esque interludes as well, which are always fun. I don't know, man, I liked it. I'll probably get the whole series, I mean why not, right? I do severely miss Marc Hempel though.

Supreme Power #6

This would make a great TV show.

Ha ha! I had to say it. Anyway, this is tight super-hero book, folks. It's setting up a gang of protagonists that are well-developed and completely incompatible. I can't wait to see what ridiculous threat forces them to join together to fight it, and then watch as they beat the crap out of each other. Nighthawk especially (Jim Valentino, are you reading this?) is your typical, "Grr, I don't take no shit offa you super-hero types! I kick ass! Snikt, byitch!" Gary Frank, also, has some nice moments when Jon Sibal can lay off the god damned Danny Miki look for like five seconds. The Blur, for example, is some fantastic work by Mr. Frank. Why, you can almost see him right in front of you...running...

Ultimate Spider-Man #52

Damn, can you believe how often this book comes out and how long it's been going on? Good lord. It's still a damned fine read, week in and week out. Bendis, as always, is King of the Little Details, like Spider-Man knowing that he's bleeding somewhere on his face, but he has no idea where. And Bagley's so well suited to this book, moreso than anything else he's been on before. Because I never really liked him before. Here? I love him.

New X-Men #151

Ah ha! I bet you thought you'd already read this book in Wizard, right? Sucka! There's a whole extra page, motherfucker! Boo ya!

So, how is this not this week's prize winner? Well, I won't say it wasn't close, because this just such an amazing read. Silvestri's art is so damned good in this book, even though it's taking mad hits in the "Online" "Comic Reading" "Community". Check out, if you will, Panel 2, Page 8. Just awesome panel construction there. Just mastery of Tom's posture. Just total owning of the detail in Rover's hands. Okay, so E.V.A. looks hella dodgy in that panel, but whatever. The Darkness is dead, long live Silvestri.

As far as this story goes, come on, you all know that "The Beast" is Apocalypse, right? I've heard some tastily hilarious theories the two best of which are:

a) He's the evil Age Of Apocalypse Beast (Ha!)
b) He's a bitter Hank McCoy (Ha! Ha!)

Come on, people, surely you realize that anyone with the power to breed Super-Crawlers with all of the X-Men's powers can figure out how to make himself look more biblically apocalyptic (You know, "The Beast", as in "Number Of The"). It's En Sabah Nur, folks. I'd bet my watch and warrant on it.

Final 151 Checklist:

- Rover And I? Badass.
- Nu Beak? Supra-Badass.
- Connection to modern day X-Men Scott and Emma? Quantum Levels Of Badassery.

Morrison is leaving the floor, not with a whimper, but with the best damned Fingerbang of your life.

So, what could be more huge, more revelatory, more mind blowing than this comic? What could possibly sweep its proverbial leg and come out on top this week? Duh.

Cerebus #298

Was there ever any doubt, people? This book right here, this is monumental. Right within these pages, the closing moments of the final book of the series are finally in motion, and whoo doggie are they worth the wait. My only other friend who reads Cerebus has fallen the fuck off and stopped reading it during the YooWhoo days. I'll let him remain anonymous because I don't want to see his readership drop but, hey, sucks for him. This is the best work Dave and Ger have ever done.

EVER.

Stunning backrounds by Ger? Check.
Beautiful line work, lettering, and just straight up and down cartooning by Dave? Double Check.

Hey Judge, what was that bullshit about "Unmourned and Unloved"? Stuff it, Sandman! Cerebus is going to go with probably the one person left in Estarcion who genuinely loves him, and their meeting, after all this set up, is remarkable. Totally low key, but every word they speak to each other is just rife with all the things they're not saying. Dave did a hell of a job setting up Shep Shep as a potential antagonist, but his interactions with his father are 800 times more genuine than the otherwise fantastic Big Fish.

Now comes the real question:

What's in the fucking box?

Cerebus #298, congratulations. Not only are you the most important book to come out this week, you're also the best. If any of you have since given up on Cerebus, like my hapless chum, bad on you. You are missing out on the best and biggest and beautifullest payoff in Comic Book History. But don't sweat it. You'll always have Phone Books.

(Oh, and super secret back cover bonus: The makers of Wrapped In Plastic will be spearheading Following Cerebus, a post-300 compendium, quite possibly monthly, if not just hella-frequently, with heavy input from Dave and Ger themselves. We're talking sketchbooks, writings, unseen material, and, oh yes, Aardvark Comment. Boo and Ya.)

Wanted: The Ultimate Catchphrase

My main man Big Sunny D came up with the ultimate tag line for Mark Millar's not-half-bad Wanted #1:

"A superhero comic for people who like to play Grand Theft Auto with the cheats on."

Spot on, my friend. Spot the fuck on.