Notes on the Passage...

I recently finished "The Passage" by Justin Cronin. It was an awesome book, not to mention long. (800 pages! I didn't know what I was getting into because I got the Kindle version of the book.)
The story starts in the present with a U.S. Army sponsered expedition to a remote part of the Amazon to somehow use the attributes of  the vampire bat (Regeneration and longevity) in soildiers. Something happens where the whole of the expeditionary group is killed except for the lead scientist who makes it back to the States. Additionally,  a little girl named Amy, who has a strange affinity for animals, gets left at a convent in Memphis by her mother. She's taken into a government facility in Colorado to be part of the same vampire bat experiment. Twelve death row inmates are inoculated with a viral substance that was developed by the scientist who escaped from the Amazon.
As expected, the experiment goes wrong and the real fun begins...
Smash forward to 100 years in the future and most of humanity has been wiped out by a vampire-like group called Virals. In a colony of survivor's we meet Peter Jaxon, a survivor who is a member of the Watch, the people who are the equivilent of soldiers. We follow him as he struggles with finding his place among the Watch, since his brother is considered the golden boy and Peter has an intense curiosity about the world before the Virals took over.
Mr. Cronin is a gifted storryteller and whether it's now or the post-apocalyptic world of the Viral ravaged future, all of it feels real and believeable. All the characters are engaging and ultimately very human. The Virals, who remind me of the vamps in "30 Days of Night", are frightening and savage and seem a totally implacable foe until Amy retuns to the story, looking about 13-14 years old, but is actually over 100 years old, and saves Peter during an attack on a scavanging run.
From that point, a lot of questions that Peter has start to get answered and he gets his heroes' quest and grows into the man he longs to be.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of sprawling epics like Stephen King's "The Stand" or "The Lord of the Rings". The book is being made into a movie slated to be released in 2013 and a sequel called "The Twelve" is coming out a little later out this year. Yes, I will be getting it and continuing on this journey.

                                                         The U.S. cover

                                                       The U.K. cover

                                                    The Mass Market Paperback cover
                                                       
         

Justice League, the Dark and Dangerous Birds...

I was very doubtful about the whole New 52 thing from DC Comics when I heard about it. Over the past few years, since Dan Dido took over as editor in chief, there were so many different events going on that redefined the DCU and all the continuity, it seemed like DC just was trying too hard to stay relevant.
I think it's safe to say that this particular change, though it retcons everything again, will actually stick and make the DCU better as a whole.
The New 52 is basically taking DC back to a more simplified universe. All the characters are younger and are starting from scratch. All of the convoluted continuity and weight of the past has been jettisoned and the DCU is starting from Year One. They're able to compete with Marvel's regular universe and their Ultimate universe. It's refreshing and cool and we get to meet all the characters again for the first time.Which brings me to The Justice League.
The flagship title of the DCU is back with a vengance. Geoff Johns, who recently wrapped up "Blackest Night" and "Brightest Day" and Jim Lee, who's doing his best work since "Hush" and "All-Star Batman", are currently introducing the heavy hitters of the DCU to a new audience.
Batman and Green Lantern are on the trail of some mysterious creatures that are plauging Gotham and Coast City, respectively. As the story progresses, Superman joins the fray. The series is up to issue 4 and The Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg have all shown up as well as a new iteration of a familiar DCU villan.
I've heard that it's the best-selling title for DC right now. With Mr. Messers Johns and Lee doing great work like this, it's no surprise.
Then there's Justice League Dark. This title focuses on the Supernatural aspects of the DCU with Zatanna, Shade, John Constantine, Deadman, Mindwarp and Madame Xanadu taking on the Enchantress who has been separated from June Moone and has propmptly gone a little mad.  Peter Milligan and Mike Janin are the creative team and they're both doing some top-notch work. The writing is solid and the artwork is dark, atmospheric and easy to follow. I also like the way the characters are being being brought together and the cool little twist is the darkness that they're facing is not only in the personage of the Enchantress, there's plenty of darkness and dysfunction inside of each of the characters for them to overcome.
Finally, we have the Birds of Prey. Just read the first issue, and it's a great read. Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz are doing some great work. Two of the main characters, Black Canary and Starling, are partners in a covert ops team based in Gotham City. They've been operating for some time, when the book first opens and have attracted the attention of an investigative reporter bent on uncovering their identities. This in turn have drawn out strange men in chameleon suits who are after the girls and the reporter. Action and general mayhem ensues. The series is up to number four, so I have a little bit of catching up to do, but I like the looks of it. And the first issue ends with a bang. Literally.

 

A Group Shot of the New Justice League

The cover for Issue 4

Justice League Dark Issue 1

Dangerous, and possibly angry, Birds

If you haven't checked out any of these titles, give 'em a try. You won't be sorry.

It's Been a While...

Hello again. It's been a while since I've blogged about anything, but something significant has happened...
I'm about to be a father.
On August 7th, my wife Kim called me into our room to talk to me about something. (She said the dreaded, "We need to talk." Usually, that's not good...) I'd just gotten off of work earlier that morning and went to church besides, so I was laying down in our bed and she'd left the room. She came back in, looking slightly apprehensive as she laid on the bed and asked me what I was doing in nine months.
I answered, "Having a baby with you."
At that point, she handed me a pregnancy test from Walgreens. There were two lines there.
Yeppity, Sir. We were pregnant.
The experience of watching Kim's stomach grow, seeing the pics from the ultrasound, going to the doctor, telling everyone about the impending birth has been like nothing else in my life. Ever. People have been telling me that when our little Sydney Giselle is born, (and all my facebook friends love her name) I will experience a love like no other. I don't doubt it. Though, I do have truck with the whole wrapping me around her little finger thing...I ain't John Goodman's character in The Princess and the Frog who fusses at his daughter that she can't go having everything she wants, then gives her a puppy...I got more steel than that...maybe.
Anyhew, I talk to her through Kim's stomach, play music for her, (She loves Stevie Wonder) and generally blush when I talk about her to people and how far along Kim is. 24 weeks as of yesterday, by the way.
All I know is that I will be a very happy man when Sydney comes and I'll at least be emotionally ready for all the changes that will come and love her and my older daughter, Mya, the best that I can and train them to be responsible and God fearing people. As Seal said, "Bring it on."

Wonder Woman DOA

Sometimes, It's hard for a Themscyrian...especially if she's the Ambassador to Man's World...
I'm sure by now we've heard about the Wonder Woman pilot not being picked up by NBC, despite all the tweaking done and that David E. Kelley was in charge of the show. (That part could've possibly sealed it's fate, but i digress...)
The initial outfit was cool, I thought, but there was a major outcry, cuz it looked like a bad spandex/leather dominatrix costume or something of the sort. They tried to tweak it and make the leggings look less leather-like, but ultimately, it didn't work.
I would like to see Wonder Woman back on TV or in the Movies. The time is ripe for it, but it does need to be done right. The effort should be made to keep everything beloved about the character but ground it in reality as much as possible (a la Dark Knight and Heroes). As far as suggestions go:

-Reference Greg Rucka or Gail Simone's runs on the comic. Possibly even have one or both write on the show.

-Keep the original costume, but make it look more in keeping with a warrior culture. (See the attached pic.)

-Look for someone who can be beautiful, but strong and warrior-like. Like Angela Bassett in "Strange Days". She was beautiful, but you didn't wonder if she could kick your ass or not.

Well, that's my two cents. Prayerfully, Wonder Woman will be on the air or in a theatre really soon.

How Wonder Woman should look

The Doomed TV look

 

Essntial X-Men and Future Foundations...

Johnny Storm is dead.
In Fantastic Four #587, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch went out in a blaze of glory. It marked the end of an era that began in 1964 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought the Fantastic Four to life.
And now, from the ashes of that comes The Future Foundation. The book is helmed by Johnathan Hickman, Steve Epting and Rick Maygar. I've heard a lot of cries against the Torch getting, well, torched and call it just another publicity stunt.
Honestly, if they can get past that and just read the book, I think they'd really enjoy it.
Johnathan Hickman has done something no one has done with the Fantastic Four Since the glory days of Lee/Kirby or Byrne's run on the book-He breathed new life into it.  Admittedly, the Millar/Hitch run was awesome and stretched the boundaries, but he didn't take the book in any new or fresh direction. It's just the 2nd issue and Valeria Richards, the genius daughter of Reed and Susan Richards, made a deal with Victor Von Doom to get rid of her father if she helped him restore parts of his brain...and she used Reed to do it!
Say what you will, but this is a series I will be following as long as long as Mr. Hickman is on the book.

Other than that, I've been reading the Essential X-Men TPB's. I'm up to #8 which has Storm regaining her powers, Havok, Longshot, Dazzler and Psycloke forming the core of the team, The introduction of Mr. Sinister and the prelude to the Fall of the Mutants. This is some of the best stuff from the late 80's with Chris Claremont paving the way and Marc Silvestri making his debut as regular X-Men penciller.A lot of insiration for my art came from these issues and artists and it's great to revisit it. Heck, it gets me all inspired again.

  

The Tipping Point

If you're a waiter (or Server, as is the proper nomenclature nowadays), the following scenario may be familiar to you:
You've just finished waiting on a table of four people. They were pleasant and didn't demand any special orders or run you crazy during the meal. You were prompt, got all the meals out accurately and in a timely manner. Basically, you made sure they were taken care of. After cashing them out, they gushed about how good of a server you were and would definitely ask for you again when they came back. You're smiling as one of them presses some money in your hand. The smile fades when you look and see that they just gave you a $3 tip on a $50 check.
As strange as the previous example sounds, this actually happened to someone I work with.
This happens more often than one would expect and frankly a lot of servers I know get fed up with busting their humps and getting little to nothing to show for it. So, since I am a server and have the fortune of writing a blog, I'm going to offer some guidelines, if not actual rules for tipping properly and more than a little personal opinion on the subject as well.
First things first: If you can't afford to pay for your food and a proper tip at a sit down restaurant, then go to Mickey D's or BK. They have value menus there and you don't have to concern yourself with leaving a tip.
We earn our money on the tips that we get, not an actual paycheck. At most restaurants, servers only get paid $2.13 an hour.
YES. $2.13 an hour.
Even with a full 80 hours, how much do you think that someone is going to take home after taxes? Could anyone actually live or support a family on that kind of a wage?
Secondly: As servers we are there to serve you, not be your personal slaves. We are people doing a job, yes, but more to the point, we're people. Just because we serve you is no reason to treat us like we're less than you or that when you're there, you're the only table in the place.
Has any of you seen the movie "Waiting"? There's a scene in the movie where a bunch of the waiters make a 'special contribution' to a bitchy woman's steak. As she tucks in, she's none the wiser and seems to enjoy the steak very much.
"Oh, meat" indeed.
Mind you, I've never seen this happen in any of the places I've worked, but it's a safe bet that somebody, somewhere, has made a 'special contribution' to the food or drink of guests that have pissed them off. The warning here is clear: we handle your food and on the wrong day, someone may put their professionalism aside to get theirs back. Even at the cost of their job.
Third: The proper amount to tip on a bill is 15 to 18% of your total bill.
For example: $50 bill=$7.50 tip(15%), $9.00 tip(18%), $10.00 tip (20%)
That's the norm. If the service was excellent, you can tip more if you like. If it wasn't quite up to par, then maybe 10% of the total bill is appropriate ($50 bill=$5 tip[10%]), unless your server just sucked. Then I can understand anything under 10%.
The point is: if we did a great job, tip us properly. Lavish praises are not going to pay a light bill, put clothes on our family's back or food on our table. Again: we make our living on our tips.
I apologize if the tone of this post is a little sharp. I've been a server most of my adult life and what I've mentioned here is a stinging source of frustration, because it happens a lot. (Not to me necessarilly...)Personally, I believe most people don't know how to tip, have never been taught how to do it properly or are mistaken about how we earn our money. I'm just trying to put the information out there so that the next time you go to Red Lobster, Joe's Crab Shack, Olive Garden or any of the many restaurants that are out there, you'll be able to show proper gratitude for a job well done.

Apples & Oranges & The Gulf Between

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been called "Obama's Katrina" by Republicans.
Are they brain dead or is it just me?
How can you even begin to compare Hurricane Katrina, which was localized to New Orleans and an oil spill that threatens the enviroment or every city that borders the Gulf, the animal life that lives in or draws sustenance from those waters and the economy of the United States that is dependent on the oil that being lost every hour the leak isn't fixed?
The only truly comparable event would be the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. After 20 years, there are still after effects in the habitat in that area and may take another 30 years to recover. This is what President Obama has to deal with: something that, considering where it occured, could effect the country, the enviroment and, ultimately, the world for the next 20 to thirty years. Definitely more devastating in the long run than Katrina...I'm just sayin'...