§ BLACKEST NIGHT is out, and it’s a hit! DC has even made a mini-site to keep everyone in the mood!

§ Related: Todd Allen reports on The Ultimate Blackest Night Promotion, namely a blackout.

200907170149§ Following in the pages of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, we have Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

§ Recent Comics Classic #1: The Stranger reviews SLEEPER, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

§ Recent Comics Classic #2: The Examiner looks at LIGHT BRIGADE:

Originally released in 2004, DC Comics’ “Light Brigade,” written by Peter Tomasi with art by Peter Snejbjerg, is one of the best comics of the last decade. High praise I know, but trust me, if you pick up “Light Brigade,” you’ll find it deserves every bit of it and then some.

§ The Wall Street Journal examines the recent surplus of Obama based comics:

What’s different about Mr. Obama’s triumphant march through comics is (1) the sheer volume of his appearances, month after month; and (2) the worshipful attitude toward him. The main characters gape and stutter in his presence, overwhelmed by his magnificence. He’s even drawn iconically. Where other presidents have been penciled either realistically or satirically, Mr. Obama mostly gets the superhero treatment with bulging muscles and jutting jaw line.


§ Geoff Boucher contemplates who will play Bilbo Baggins? of those suggested, James McAvoy would definitely be the best, in our humble opinion, but having been previously Tumnified, would he be up for another Inklings role? And it’s hard to imagine Daniel Radcliffe going for another fantasy icon again. Like David Byrne said, once in a lifetime.
§ Stan Sakai blogs about real life giant robots.

§ News of the odd: Michael Jackson to be enshrined in butter statue. PLEA: We desperately need someone to go to the Iowa State Fair and get us photos of these dairy classics!

1 COMMENT

  4. The Iowa State Fair is one of two great fairs in the country, and well worth the trip. (Although it’s not quite the same without Duane and Floppy.)

    The state fair has a long tradition of sculpting cows out of butter. (This year the cow will be a Jersey.) In addition, supplemental sculptures are created to commemorate events and notable individuals (such as Apollo XI, or favorite son Brandon Routh as Superman).

    Michael Jackson, along with the Jackson Five, performed at the Grand Stand during the 1971 state fair. Aside from celebrating the centennial of that venue, Jackson is also being linked, via his moonwalking, to Apollo XI.

    There was some controversy when this was announced, and an online ballot was initiated, restricted to Iowa residents. That poll closed yesterday. Results will be announced today.

    Curiously, no one has complained that there has never been a butter (hamburger?) bull.

    Looking at the fairgrounds, CCI should consider moving to Des Moines… they could even use the fairway! Lots of camping, centrally located, great Iowa hospitality…

    (And if you think butter cows are quirky, google “Ragbrai”…)

  5. “The Iowa State Fair is one of two great fairs in the country…”

    When you say that, Torsten, you better be thinking of the Minnesota State Fair as the other one ;-)

    –ATK

  6. Second the recommendation of “Light Bridage” — very entertaining and well-executed, maybe not “best of the decade,” but certainly something I’ve loaned to many friends who weren’t normally comic readers with positive responses.

    The really strange thing that I could never figure out is why it was published under the DC Comics imprint and not Vertigo. It had no linkages to any sort of mainstream superhero continuity and the subject matter was pure Vertigo urban fantasy, so it seemed like the marketing on the whole project was unfortunately misguided from the start.

    (Also odd given that Azzarello’s Sgt. Rock came out around the same time as a Vertigo project.)

  8. Are you kidding me that the WSJ is seriously bothering to comment on “the worshipful attitude toward” Obama anywhere in the media, comics or otherwise?