Absolute Planetary and Other Stories
I spent $59 on Friday. On one comic. I have no regrets...
...so I keep telling myself.
Absolute Planetary combines the first 12 issues (encompassing the first and second TPBs), plus the script for issue 1. It's also bigger than a gaming book (well, not as big as Nobilis, but then again the big flowery N is the coffee table book of the RPG world), comes with a nifty slipcover, and is on high gloss paper that makes even the bitchy waitress in the diner that sells coffee flavored with dog piss look amazing.
I have no regrets.
In addition to all this, I think I have a new favourite campy spy movie. The mid 90s remake of The Avengers is a truly wonderful, if weird and campy, little flick. John Steed has become my personal hero, if for no other reason than the fact that he takes out five thugs with his umbrella and without having to unbutton his suit jacket. Forget James Bond, even though I am a fervent Roger Moore-as-Bond fan. PLus...Uma Thurman in a catsuit. What's not to like?
Now, if the video store had done my other order correctly, I'd have also gotten to watch The Court Jester, an old BW musical comedy that I have only ever seen stocked at this one, small town video store. For those that haven't seen it, find a copy. It has great, snappy, humorous dialogue, some great little intriguing mixups that could only happen in an opera, and some great musical numbers.
Finally, I saw the Justice League Unlimited episode "Dark Heart" on Friday, written by one of my comic book pantheon, Warren Ellis. Ellis outdid himself. The dialogue is FANTASTIC:
Atom: "There could be some trouble, Patti. I blame you."
Patti (the lab assistant): "Why me? What'd I do?"
Atom: "Because I have to blame someone. I'm a professor, I can't be wrong."
and a short while later:
Batman (having just been shot down): "I could use some air support. Preferably soon. I'm falling. And I can't fly. At all. You know, I could use that air support about now-" (and then Superman caught him)
The episode had some great homages to Ellis' other works, such as a short monologue given by Ray Palmer about nanite space craft that is very similar to one given in Global Frequency about "flock humans". J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, in one scene is talking about using the Watchtower as a giant fusion cannon and you can almost see him as Henry Bendix, the crazy Weatherman from StormWatch. And finally, many of the scenes and situations seem like something that the Planetary crew or the Authority would get themselves involved in. Plus Ellis managed to bring a great deal of life and personality to the Atom, who's always been a second- or third-string hero. It was beautiful all over, and there was nothing about that episode that I didn't like.
...so I keep telling myself.
Absolute Planetary combines the first 12 issues (encompassing the first and second TPBs), plus the script for issue 1. It's also bigger than a gaming book (well, not as big as Nobilis, but then again the big flowery N is the coffee table book of the RPG world), comes with a nifty slipcover, and is on high gloss paper that makes even the bitchy waitress in the diner that sells coffee flavored with dog piss look amazing.
I have no regrets.
In addition to all this, I think I have a new favourite campy spy movie. The mid 90s remake of The Avengers is a truly wonderful, if weird and campy, little flick. John Steed has become my personal hero, if for no other reason than the fact that he takes out five thugs with his umbrella and without having to unbutton his suit jacket. Forget James Bond, even though I am a fervent Roger Moore-as-Bond fan. PLus...Uma Thurman in a catsuit. What's not to like?
Now, if the video store had done my other order correctly, I'd have also gotten to watch The Court Jester, an old BW musical comedy that I have only ever seen stocked at this one, small town video store. For those that haven't seen it, find a copy. It has great, snappy, humorous dialogue, some great little intriguing mixups that could only happen in an opera, and some great musical numbers.
Finally, I saw the Justice League Unlimited episode "Dark Heart" on Friday, written by one of my comic book pantheon, Warren Ellis. Ellis outdid himself. The dialogue is FANTASTIC:
Atom: "There could be some trouble, Patti. I blame you."
Patti (the lab assistant): "Why me? What'd I do?"
Atom: "Because I have to blame someone. I'm a professor, I can't be wrong."
and a short while later:
Batman (having just been shot down): "I could use some air support. Preferably soon. I'm falling. And I can't fly. At all. You know, I could use that air support about now-" (and then Superman caught him)
The episode had some great homages to Ellis' other works, such as a short monologue given by Ray Palmer about nanite space craft that is very similar to one given in Global Frequency about "flock humans". J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, in one scene is talking about using the Watchtower as a giant fusion cannon and you can almost see him as Henry Bendix, the crazy Weatherman from StormWatch. And finally, many of the scenes and situations seem like something that the Planetary crew or the Authority would get themselves involved in. Plus Ellis managed to bring a great deal of life and personality to the Atom, who's always been a second- or third-string hero. It was beautiful all over, and there was nothing about that episode that I didn't like.
posted by Derek the Bard at 8:08 p.m.
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