Action Figures

Today, I jumped back into the wonderful world of collecting action figures.  Do I need to?  No.  Can I afford to?  Well, not really.  But, sometimes, you just have to indulge yourself.

One of my favorite things as a kid were my 3.75-inch action figures.  I loved playing with GI Joe and Star Wars figures and their various vehicles and playsets.  I also collected the Dapol Doctor Who figures in the same size.  I often used to wish that they would make superhero figures in that size because, although Secret Wars and Super Powers were awesome, they just didn’t match my preferred play style.  The sick thing is that now that they’ve started making superhero figures in my favorite size, the Doctor Who figures are now bigger, the size the superhero figures used to be.  Well, it figures. Heh.

Anyway, there are two ranges I want to collect (three, if you count Star Wars, which I kinda do, because I need to get the newer characters).  The two ranges are Marvel Universe and (I think it’s called) DC Infinite Heroes.

For DC Infinite Heroes, I have a few already.  Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Jay Garrick Flash, Wildcat, and three villains whose names elude me.  Honestly, I was never into DC as much as Marvel, so that’s hardly surprising.  I’d like to get the rest of them, but I have to admit that they are far inferior to the Marvel Universe Figures which have far better sculpts and articulation.

Up until today, I only had Alpha Flight’s Guardian and Gambit (Gambit is actually from a sister range dedicated to the X-Men Origins Wolverine film).  Today, I added five more figures to my collection.  They are:

• X-23
• Mister Fantastic
• Invisible Woman
• Thing
• H.E.R.B.I.E.

Those last four were part of a Fantastic Four gift pack.  The Human Torch was not included, which means I’ll have to track him down separately to complete the team.

Which brings me to an interesting dilemma – which version of the Human Torch do I want?  One of the early Marvel Universe figures is a really badly realized “see-through” flames figure that doesn’t look like any version of the Human Torch I’ve ever read.  Then there’s the “Johnny Storm” version which, quite frankly,  infuriates me.  I know he’s called the Human Torch, but if they’re going to make a non-flame version, why must they always set his frigging hair on fire?!?  I want a nice figure of Johnny in uniform, his pretty blond locks completely untouched by fire.  Just as well, really, since the figures in my gift pack use the more recent outfits from the Hickman/Eaglesham/Epting run of Fantastic Four, whereas the “Johnny Storm” version uses (I believe) a John Byrne-era look.  While I’d be lying if I said I didn’t prefer that costume, the current look is also awesome and I’d like them all to match.

The answer lies in two-packs, specifically the (I love the irony) SECRET WARS two-packs of Marvel Universe figures, which is basically an expanded range of figures from that line/comic.  There is a two-pack that has a decent paint and sculpture of the Human Torch with his FLAME ON!  He’s packaged with Wolverine in the orange and brown outfit which, I must say, has always been my favorite.  Now, I also want the Ultimate gift pack which contains what I refer to as Proper Thor (Classic Look), Proper Captain America (Classic Look), and Proper Iron Man (the Iron Man from Iron Man #199, the first issue of that book I ever bought).  Oh, and Spiderman.  No, I’m not hyphenating the name.  Deal with it.

Other figures on my “Get Sooner Rather Than Later” list include the following:

• Kitty Pryde w/Lockheed (Darn Shame it’s not the Alan Davis Excalibur look, but at least there’s Lockheed)
• Captain Britain
• Nightcrawler
• Thanos
• Hobgoblin
• Jean Grey (Jim Lee version)
• Vision (Regular non-phasing version)
• Scarlet Witch
• Iron Patriot
• Archangel
• Thanos
• Doctor Doom
• Absorbing Man

But top of my list, and something I intend to order in the next few days is a CLASSIC POWER MAN AND IRON FIST two-pack.  That’s right, baby, Luke Cage in the yellow silk, Danny Rand in the high collar.  AS IT SHOULD BE.

I just hope I can pose Iron Fist in the same position as that classic ad for the book that begins “Listen, Power Man’s not here right now…”  If I can’t do that, I will probably cry.  A lot.  Fair warning.

 

My Comic Shop

So, my best friend’s birthday is coming up (on February 6).  Since we’re both into comics, I decided to try an online shop called www.mycomicshop.com and get him some back issues.

I placed an order with them today.  Not only am I getting him sixteen back issues, but I’m also grabbing six for myself.  While I can’t say what the ones I’m getting him are because he’s probably going to read this, I will say what I’m getting for myself.

• Spectacular Spider-Man #100 – Second part of the Spot story that began in #99.  Been wanting to read the rest of this story for a long time.
• Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life #4 – Last issue of a miniseries I had been getting.
• Fantastic Four #303 – One step closer to filling in the gaps between the Byrne and Simonson runs on the title.
• Robotech: Masters #20 – Only issue of this series that I don’t have.
• Robotech: The New Generation #16, 17 – The only two issues of this series that I don’t have.

Managed to snag all of these for under $30 (and that includes the cost of shipping!).  So yeah, not bad at all.

In related news, I think the back issue bug has infected me once more, and I want to finish off some titles that I’ve been collecting for years.  Time and finances will see if I actually get around to doing so, but either way, it’s fun to get new books, even if they are technically old ones.

 

January 1, 2012

Okay, so…first blog post in a while.  Spent all of November working on NaNoWriMo, and though I reached my goal of 50,000 words in November, I didn’t finish my book.  Yet.  Only like two or three chapters to go though.  I want to try to get them finished by my birthday on Valentine’s Day.  We’ll see.

Speaking of books, I’m currently reading the Star Wars: Legacy series, which I received for Christmas.  Currently on Volume 3, and it’s what the Brits might call a “cracking good read”.  Most of all, it’s a worthy next chapter of the Star Wars mythos.  I think I’m going to “count” these as Episodes VII-IX of the movies.  I always wanted to know “what happens next” in some of my favorite stories, and now I can find out, even if it’s not in the form of actual movies.

In other comic-related news, I find myself interested in statues and mini-busts now.  Mini-busts are a bit of a stretch, as I prefer full statues, but several of the characters I want statues of only have mini-busts, so I just have to make do.  Actually, that’s a bit of a lie.  I don’t expect to ever actually get any statues or mini-busts, but it’s a peripheral goal of mine, one I’d like to accomplish at some point if I get a job and/or become rich.  It’s kind of like how I want to collect pages of original art, in that respect.

Truth be told, I’m further along on the original art front, as I actually own two pages of comic art.  One is a Olivier Coipel Legion page featuring Shrinking Violet.  The other is a Lee Sullivan page from Doctor Who Magazine, featuring the Seventh Doctor, Ace, the Brigadier, and Muriel Frost, an original character created for the comic strip.

As for what type of original art pages I want, there are several.  On the Doctor Who side of things, I’d like to have a Dave Gibbons and a John Ridgway page.  There are probably others, but those are the two main goals for Doctor Who.

Other artists I’d like to have pages from include John Byrne, Alan Davis, Mark Bagley, Jim Lee, Ron Lim, etc.  There are many others, of course, but these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

As far as 2012 goes, I have made resolutions – guidelines, really – of what I want to work toward in my collecting.  These include:

• Start an Alpha Flight-themed Sketch Book for Acme’s Free Comic Book Day guests to fill up
• In the Sketch Book I’m already working on completing, ask for interesting or unusual character requests
• Start my statue collection (yeah, right)
• Start (well, continue, really) my original art page collection. Also, get a portfolio to contain the pages.  My first two pages are framed on my wall, but I’d like to get a portfolio for the new ones.
• Start sending out Autograph requests again.  I sent one to Harry Morgan, but he died before he could reply.  I had intended to send out requests to Elisabeth Sladen and Nicholas Courtney, but they died before I ever sent them a request.  I have only myself to blame for missing out on them.  (Please understand, the main direction of my grief is for the loss to their friends and family, but as someone who collects autographs, it’s naturally going to be regretful that I don’t contact someone before they pass on and let them know how much I enjoy their work.)
• Convert more of my comics over to trades and sell off my back issues on eBay, keeping an occasional key issue that has sentimental value to me.
• Try to catch up on my Doctor Who DVD collection.  I’m behind several releases, and I really need to catch up so that I can junk my inferior VHS copies.
• Try to catch up on my TV on DVD collection, particularly for series I haven’t watched in quite some time.  These include, but are not limited to: Mad About You, Becker, Just Shoot Me, How I Met Your Mother, Dragon Ball, Pokemon, and Super Friends.

I have other goals, but they’re a bit more personal, so I won’t publish them here.  Suffice it to say, I have my work cut out for me.  However, I shall approach this new year with my eternal optimism quite intact.

Wish me luck!

NaNoWriMo Update – Midway Point

Well, I’ve got a few minutes free, so I thought I’d update you guys on my current status.  I currently have 31,331 words on my 50,000 word NaNoWriMo goal.

I set out to write 2,000 words per day and while I never accomplish that goal most days, I have actually got to where I write about a chapter per day which usually works out to around the same thing.

I like the feelings I have while writing these past few days – it seems like fun and an adventure.  Is it something publishable?  No, but it could be if I removed all the concepts others have created.  Such is the nature of fanfiction, however.  Oh, and it would need an edit.  Or twelve.

Basically though, I’m doing really well, far better than I thought I would.  I probably won’t do NaNoWriMo again, as it’s too nervewracking and takes up all of my free time, but to be able to say, “Yes, I did that, and I did what I set out to do!”  Well, it’s a nice feeling, and I grow closer to being able to do that every day.

Just an update for you.

NaNoWriMo

Because I am insane, I’ve decided to sign up for National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo for short.  Basically, the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days.

I decided to do so because I wanted to test my endurance when it comes to writing.  I’ve been published twice now, once in a professional capacity, once as part of a fan fiction anthology, but both times, it was a short story that was published.  This time, it’s just something for my brother and myself to read, no one else.  It will, however, help me realize that I can produce longer works of fiction if I so choose.

My daily goal is 2000 words per day, but I’ve yet to meet one of those goals yet.  Don’t ask me why I’m writing about writing my book instead of actually writing it.  I don’t have an answer for ya, except maybe that I feel like I should be posting on here as well.

Anyway, just a heads up, to let you all know…

Pseudoscope

Hello, all.  Sorry for the delay in posting, but it’s been an interesting/eventful few months, and writing was the furthest thing from my mind for quite some time for reasons I won’t go into here.  I do hope to blog semi-regularly from now on though.

Speaking of writing, I did finish a short story a little before things started to go wonky on me, and that story is out now!  It’s called Breath of Echoes and is one of eight great stories featured in Myth Makers 16: Pseudoscope, the latest volume of the Doctor Who Information Network’s fiction anthology fanzine.  Follow the link above and order a copy for yourself.  I guarantee that if you’re a Doctor Who fan, you’ll enjoy at least one story in the publication (if not more!)  I do not, however, guarantee that it will be mine.  Personally, I’m a bit jealous of the other authors in the collection.  They’ve really outdone themselves!

If you do obtain a copy, drop me a note here and let me know what you thought.  I accept positive and not-so-positive feedback with equal enthusiasm.  Well, not quite equal perhaps, but I do want to hear your thoughts on the story nonetheless.

Make Mine Marvel Digital Unlimited – Week 01

Okay, so I joined the Digital Comics Revolution.  Somewhat.  More accurately, thanks to my uncle who was kind enough to buy me a subscription, I joined the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited service a week ago yesterday.  Since I don’t have a job currently, and I have a year’s worth of free comic reading available to me, this is a good deal.

For those unfamiliar with the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited service, it allows you to read an online library of Marvel Comics spanning from the 1930s to the present day, more or less.  The catalog is a work in progress, but they already have several thousand digitized comics ready to be read by anyone who coughs up a low monthly fee – even lower if you pay by the year, and even less than that if you happen to catch them in the middle of a sale, as I did.  For around $41 (normally $60 per year), I have a lot of reading to do, so why not document my travels across the Marvel Universe here in my blog on a weekly basis?

My first comic book as a kid was Alpha Flight #13, so I figured why not start with my favorite Canadians?  To that end, I’ve read Alpha Flight V1 #1-6.  Looking now, I see that V1 of Alpha only goes through #8 as far as their digital library is concerned.  I must confess to being disappointed by that.  I wanted to reread the entire series digitally, but I suppose I’ll be stopping after #8 until they get some more of them put up on the site.  One would think they’d go as far as #12 and the death of Guardian, but I suppose not.  From what I understand, #1-8 are the contents of the first Alpha Flight Classic collected edition.  Volume 2, containing #9-19, will be out in September or October of this year, so perhaps they’ll add those issues then.  I suppose that at least part of the Digital Unlimited service serves as a teaser for the trades Marvel has released.  If so, they’re an effective one, because several of the books I’ve read, I now want a print collection of them.  Anyway, now I’d like to say a few words about the display format.

On a good-sized monitor, the picture is pretty good.  A full-screen option for the browser-based viewing application is nice and keeps the books the way I like, as big as possible while still being able to view two-page spreads nicely without having to scroll and read or view only part of the page at the time – which you can also do if you prefer, though I personally wouldn’t.  You can also choose to view one or two pages at a time.  I prefer the two-page method.  The cover starts out by itself, then the first page by itself, and the comic is then shown in pairs of pages thereafter, as if you were reading a printed copy without ads.  If the page counts don’t add up, though, Marvel does space out the page before the two-page spread so that it doesn’t break up the two-page splash.  Usually.  They didn’t do so during Alpha Flight #3 for some reason, and that was quite unfortunate.  Luckily, that was the only instance where that has happened.  So far, at any rate.  Otherwise, it’s a great experience.  The colors are crisp and vibrant, and really stand out on my monitor.  Although it’s not as good as having the real thing in your hand, if you’re on a budget, it is a more than acceptable substitute which will give you hours of reading pleasure.  But back to what I’ve been reading…

My plan was to have three regular titles that I would read an issue of each day, and then one or two mini-series.  So far, I haven’t implemented this plan fully, but I did take the first step toward it immediately.  One of the first titles I told myself that I wanted to read was the Frank Miller run of Daredevil.  I like the concept of Daredevil, but it’s not a title I would probably follow regularly, no matter who the creative team was.  Until now.  This past week, I’ve read Daredevil #158-164, the first half of the first Daredevils Visionaries: Frank Miller trade, according to Wikipedia.  The art is a lot better than what I expected, and the stories…well, the stories so far have been very entertaining.  My first issue was the second half of a two-parter.  Rather than read the issue preceding it, which I could have done, I just decided to forge ahead as if I had picked my first issue up off the newstands like I did when I was a kid.  Despite the digital nature of the books, it felt authentic to do it that way, and that was kinda nice.  I also found out that Black Widow and Daredevil used to be an item.  I did not know that before reading these issues, but it is an interesting combination.  As for whether I like the book – I’m happy to say I did.  It read like the Englehart/Rogers Batman my best friend insisted I read once before.  Good stuff, and I’m looking forward to continuing with Daredevil at least through the end of the Miller run, but honestly, if it’s all this good, I may just keep going with the title.

My third “regular” title was Captain Britain and MI:13.  I had heard good things about this series – many good things, and though I had the opportunity to buy this when it was actually coming out every month, I did not do so.  I liked Excalibur as a kid, but it was mainly because of Kitty Pryde and Lockheed.  Captain Britain was actually my least favorite character in the book, until Pete Wisdom came along later.  So a book with the two of them as the lead characters…I had to pass.  I regret that very much.  It may have been silly, but I didn’t like Pete Wisdom because I was jealous of him and Kitty.  Yeah, I can have fictional crushes, no big deal.  I don’t hate him anymore,  but while he’ll still never be a favorite, I can tolerate him here.  He’s not that bad.  Captain Britain isn’t that bad either.  Again, though, neither is my favorite character.  I like Black Knight, I like Spitfire, I like Faiza Hussain, and to see a female Muslim carrying Excalibur in this multi-cultural world we live in is quite glorious indeed.  This series gave us a lot of cool ideas and imagery in its brief little life, such as Doctor Doom and Dracula in a clandestine meeting on the Moon, and I cannot say I am sorry an adequate number of times to express my regret at not picking it up when it first came out.

On a whim, I decided to check out Marvel Zombies.  I like The Walking Dead, I love Marvel in general, so this was pretty much a safe bet for me.  Again, never read it when it first came out, and that’s my fault and no one else’s.  I read the first four mini-series as well as the Dead Days one-shot this past week.  Not bad at all.  Although I love Fred Van Lente’s work on the new Alpha Flight series this year as well as the later issues of Incredible Hercules and Prince of Power mini-series, I think Kirkman’s two stories were more interesting.  They read like an extended What If?, which is good, because I loves me some What If? books.  Having said that, however, I did enjoy the third and fourth minis as well, because they brought the zombie threat home to the 616.  They also had z-list (no pun intended) heroes deal with the threat, which is good.  You know they wouldn’t kill off the Human Torch or Captain America for cheap thrills, so having Morbius, Machine Man, Jocasta, and Jennifer Kale fight the undead was the only way to go.  Even so, that’s not as bad as it sounds, and you actually worry about whether or not they will be taken out by the zombies.  This is good, because it made me more invested in the story, even if I’d really rather be reading the further adventures of Zombie Wasp who, I’ll admit, is kinda hot.  Although Zombie Hawkeye with breasts is just an image I will never ever forget, though thankfully for completely different reasons.

Last but not least, for my first week of reading, I read the Korvac Sage Premiere Hardcover and followed it up with a digital version of What If? V1 #32, “What If the Avengers Had Become Pawns of Korvac?”  This book was the first issue of What If? I ever owned, and to this day, it is still one of my favorites.  You see, for the longest time, this was the only version of the Korvac Saga I had ever known.  This week is the first time I’ve ever read the original, and the only thing missing from the collection, in my opinion was the What If? alternate ending.  Whether you’ve read the original story or not, I recommend this one for the sheer cosmic shenanigans going on.  It’s good stuff and as Stan Lee would say, ’nuff said!

One more thing before I end this first post, and it pertains to the Digital Unlimited service itself.  They keep track of which books you read, organized by title, and they give you the option of printing out a list of everything you’ve read.  It’s a neat little feature for those of us who plan on doing a metric ton of reading over the course of the next year.  So anyway, until next time, Make Mine Marvel Digital Unlimited!

Fifty-Two Pick-Up

Let me start this post by admitting that money’s a problem for me at the moment, but even so, I admit I’m as excited/nervous/scared about the DC Relaunch as the next guy.  So what follows is pure hypothetical talk, meaning that even if I could afford all 52 books and I didn’t already previously have a habit of waiting for the trade when it came to DC, this is my thoughts on whether or not I would be likely to get the DC Relaunch titles on a case by case basis.  Here goes:

Justice League (Geoff Johns & Jim Lee) – I used to love the second Super Powers mini-series as a kid.  It was what I thought DC comics should be – a wide variety of heroes coming together to battle a threat to the world.  That is what I want from this book and any book bearing the JLA title or some variant thereof.  I liked Geoff Johns’ work on early Green Lantern (I’m behind quite a bit on those, so I felt the need to specify the early period in case I don’t like the later stuff when I get around to it.)  I loved Jim Lee on X-Men, Alpha Flight, WildCATs, and pretty much anything else of his I’ve bought.  I don’t buy everything of Jim Lee’s, but I did buy both volumes of Hush in hardcover because it was him.  Whatever else the Relaunch might screw up, this one would be one of my top picks to get, because I love a good team book.

Wonder Woman (Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang) – Under the right circumstances, I could be persuaded to buy a Wonder Woman title.  These are not those circumstances.  I haven’t read much, if any, Azzarello.  I haven’t seen much of Chiang’s work, to my knowledge.  I don’t like this look for Wonder Woman.  Just not interested.  Besides, she’s in JL, so I can check in with the character there.  Pass.

Aquaman (Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis) – Johns is okay, and Reis does good enough work, but my Aquaman is Dirty Pirate Hook-Hand Aquaman.  This one is doubtful, but a bit more likely than Wonder Woman because of the art.  In all likelihood, however, I’ll stick to JL for Aquaman action. (Side Note: It is frigging hard to type “JL” instead of “JLA”!  It’s like a bad reflex or something.) Pass.

The Flash (Francis Manapul/Brian Buccellato & art by the same) – Never been into Flash, not likely to start now.  Thanks, but no thanks, guys.

The Fury of Firestorm (Ethan Van Sciver/Gail Simone & Yildiray Cinar) – Gail Simone is a capable writer.  Ethan’s a good artist, except he’s on writing chores with Gail.  The cover looks great, and the original concept for the character is a solid one.  I’ll give this one a cautious maybe.

The Savage Hawkman (Tony Daniel & Phillip Tan) – I recently read the first Hawkman Showcase volume and thought it was fairly decent.  The idea of a Savage Hawkman does jar with that original image of an alien police officer.  Having said that, it fits right in with the image I always had of Hawkman as a kid from the Super Powers action figure, as a savage winged warrior who will bash your head in with a mace.  Hmm, maybe.

Green Arrow (JT Krul & Dan Jurgens) – I haven’t had all that much exposure to the character.  I don’t dislike him, but I wouldn’t say that I like him either.  I have read the “Hard Traveling Heroes” arc from the 70s featuring him and Green Lantern, which I did enjoy, but I dunno.  I’ll probably pass on this one.

Justice League International (Dan Jurgens & Aaron Lopresti) – Another team book, so I’m down for this, with almost no questions asked.  I question the need for a Batman on this team, except as a nod to the classic JLI run (ONE PUNCH!) which I need to get more than just the first trade I currently own.  If Batman Inc. will be returning, must this Batman be the American one (be it Bruce Wayne or whoever winds up under the cowl)?  Why not have the Japanese or Mexican Batman be on the team instead?  I must admit, though, that I am glad to see the return of August General In Iron from the Great Ten.  It does serve to remind me, however, Great Ten will not be one of the relaunched books, which is a shame, but at least we see him here.

Mister Terrific (Eric Wallace & Roger Robinson) – While I approve of DC wanting to diversify its lineup with non-white headlining heroes, I am just not interested in Mister Terrific.  His look doesn’t interest me (though it is an improvement on the “big black T” on his face from before).  I know next to nothing about him, and I’m not in that big a hurry to find out anything either.  Sorry, but I don’t plan on buying this book.

Captain Atom (JT Krul & Freddie Williams II) – Another character who has just never interested me in the slightest.  The cover is pretty, but not pretty enough to get me to buy it.  Pass.

DC Universe Presents (Various) – I used to love Marvel Comics Presents and its various spin-offs or variations that let you check in with various corners of their universe without the need to buy twenty billion titles every month.  Same premise here, therefore an automatic buy for me.

Green Lantern (Geoff Johns & Doug Mahnke/Christiam Almy) – I’ve always loved the idea behind the Green Lantern ring and power set.  Even though Kyle is my Earth GL of choice, I’ll probably get all the GL-family of titles, including this (presumably) Hal-centric one.

Green Lantern Corps (Peter J Tomasi & Fernando Pasarin/Scott Hanna) – Don’t particularly care one way or the other for either John Stewart or Guy Gardner, but it’s GLC, so I’m on board, no questions asked.

Green Lantern: The New Guardians (Tony Bedard & Tyler Kirkham/Batt) – The Rainbow Corps, led by Kyle Rayner?  They had me at Kyle Rayner, those should have been the first two words out of their mouths.  Plus, y’know, Green Lanterns.

Red Lanterns (Peter Milligan & Ed Benes/Rob Hunter) – I really question the need for this book at all.  I admit I’m way behind on my Green Lantern reading, but aren’t Red Lanterns supposed to be killer bad guys fueled by rage, bent on destruction?  That’s the impression I always had from previews and stuff, so this series that has them “battling against injustice”?  I’m just confused.  I’d get it, but only because it’ll most likely tie in to the GL titles at regular intervals.  Plus, Ed Benes is a pretty decent artist and draws hot women quite well.

Batman (Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo) – I have a dilemma when it comes to Batman.  I like the general idea of Batman, though I tend to prefer the Adam West approach or the Englehart/Rogers Batman of the 70s to the DARK KNIGHT approach favored by modern writers and artists.  What I would like is a single Batman title to follow, preferably with small story arcs of three or four parts (or six at a modern-day trade paperback stretch).  This title claims that Bruce Wayne will be “the only character taking on the Batman name.”  This doesn’t make any sense if Batman Inc is continuing next year.  If it were set in the past, wouldn’t it just say that instead of wording it as if to appear that the status quo of Batman=Bruce Wayne (and only Bruce Wayne) is being restored.  If it were set in the past, this would be my Batbook of choice.  As it is, though, I’m afraid Damian Wayne will be there.  And I don’t like Damian Wayne at all.  So depending on that, I may pass on this one.  For now, I’ll say pass anyway, just to be on the safe side.

Detective Comics (Tony Daniel) – Ditto my concerns for Batman above.  Ditto also my answer.

Batman & Robin (Peter J. Tomasi & Pat Gleason) – Damian Wayne?  Easy Pass.

Batman: Dark Knight (David Finch) – Why do we need four Batman titles?  Even if you like Batman, four is two many.  Two, I could understand.  Three, if the third one was a Legends of the Dark Knight style with stylish story arcs by random creative teams.  When you have three, even if that third one definitely has Damian Wayne in it, why do you need a fourth? The answer is, you don’t.  This slot should be given to something else, anything else but Batman.  Again, easy pass.

Birds of Prey (Duane Swierczynski & Jesus Saiz) – Birds of Prey was a clever pun when the original title first started.  Looking at the characters (and being, admittedly, not completely knowledgeable when it comes to second- and third-string DC characters), I don’t know that Birds of Prey should be the title of this book.  Still, I never read the original, and this one doesn’t appeal to me much either.  As a side note, why is Black Canary wearing armor- or bullet-proof-looking tops and then wearing what looks (from the cover) to be fishnets and sandals?  The design just…isn’t that great.  Anyway, pass.

Catwoman (Judd Winick & Guillem March) – To paraphrase the great Officer Barbrady from South Park, “All I know is, she ain’t Julie Newmar, and if she ain’t Julie Newmar, I don’t give a rat’s ass.”  Less crudely, I’ve never cared for the comic book Catwoman, so I’ll pass on this book.

Batgirl (Gail Simone & Ardian Syaf/Vicente Cifuentes) – Barbara Gordon is Batgirl?  I don’t care who’s writing it.  I don’t care who’s drawing it.  Sign me up immediately.  I never agreed with what happened to her in the Killing Joke, and when comic books can fix just about anything wrong with any character, up to, including, and even surpassing death, and DC keeps bringing back Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, even Jason Todd, there is no good reason to keep Barbara in that chair.  There just isn’t.  A hero with disabilities would indeed be cool and a prime representative of the diversity that DC claims to want to embrace, but they can create a new character for that.  As far as I’m concerned, Babs is back where she belongs.

Batwoman (J.H. Williams III/Haden Blackman & Amy Reeder) – I have no problem with this character, what little I’ve read about her sounds interesting, but after the announcement of Batgirl, I don’t need this book.  I’ve got the redhead I wanted in the cowl already.  Pass.

Nightwing (Kyle Higgins & Eddy Barrows) – I have nothing against Dick Grayson.  At the same time, his is a character that has always been “just there” for me.  That said, the blurb for the first issue does sound intriguing.  I’ll give this book a Maybe.

Red Hood and the Outlaws (Scott Lobdell & Kenneth Rocafort) – Hello, Batman and the Outsiders!  Seriously though, I don’t knokw what to do about this one.  I hate Jason Todd.  I love Starfire.  Arsenal was okay.  Um, Maybe with a 10% chance of Pass?

Batwing (Judd Winick & Ben Oliver) – A Black African Batman battling his own supervillains as well as a corrupt police force?  This sounds more exciting to me than all of the other Batman titles combined. Plus, for some reason, I’ve always been drawn to comics set in other countries.  Alpha Flight, Excalibur, Great Ten, this promises an interesting glimpse into a part of the world I’ll probably never visit.  Gimme.

Swamp Thing (Scott Snyder & Yannick Paquette) – This character has never interested me all that much, and honestly, I think anything coming up out of the swamps should look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon.  I’m glad he’s coming back for the people who enjoyed his book in the past, but I will pass on this one.

Animal Man (Jeff Lemire & Travel Foreman/Dan Green) – Again, never read the original, so this one has very little appeal to me, although I will admit the idea of a father who was once a hero watching his daughter start to manifest her own powers is an intriguing one.  Still, I’ll pass.

Justice League Dark (Peter Milligan & Mikel Janin) – I don’t know any of the characters that well, beyond a single appearance here and there in Sandman or Justice League.  It is a team book though, so I’m still down for it.  For the first arc, anyway.

Demon Knights (Paul Cornell & Diogenes Neves/Oclair Albert) – Justice League Medieval?  How can anyone not like this idea?  Even if I had no idea who Cornell was or who Etrigan was, this would be an awesome idea.  Let’s Get Medieval!

Frankenstein, Agent of Shade (Jeff Lemire & Alberto Ponticelli) – The idea of Frankenstein waving a sword around and bashing heads in is a very appealing one.  Chalk one up for the win column.

Resurrection Man (Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino) – Never read the original version of the character, but the concept of a guy having to relearn his trade every time he gets killed is fascinating.  Like the Man himself, I’d keep coming back over and over again to see what happens.

I, Vampire (Josh Fialkov & Andrea Sorrentino) – I have never cared for Vampires all that much.  If I wanted a Vampire who fought other Vampires to prevent them from harming mankind, I’d go buy Angel.  Pass.

Voodoo (Ron Marz & Sami Basri) – I’ve always liked Voodoo from her first appearance in WildCATs.  Even though this sounds very much like a DC rebooted version of her, I still want to read this and see what happens to her.

Legion Lost (Fabian Nicieza & Pete Woods) – Long Live the Legion!  Although I have to confess, if it weren’t for Gates, I probably wouldn’t be terribly excited about this title.  I have never liked reading long drawn-out arcs of the Legion in the 20/21st Centuries.  Loyalty Read only, though Nicieza is usually pretty good, so I’m not dreading it as much as I would otherwise.

Legion of Super-Heroes (Paul Levitz & Francis Portela) – Is it just me, or does that redhead on the cover look like Grace from the Outsiders?  Either way, it’s Legion, I guess I’m in it for the long haul at this point.  Loyalty Read again.

Teen Titans (Scott Lobdell & Brett Booth/Norm Rapmund) – Tim Drake?  YES!  Although I am very worried they may have screwed up both Connor Kent and Cassie Sandsmark.  Also, which Kid Flash is this?  Bart?  I hope so.  Either way, this one is a get for me.

Static Shock (John Rozum/Scott McDaniel & Scott McDaniel/Jonathan Glapion) – Never saw the cartoon, but always wanted to try the character.  It sounds as if it’d have that teen Spidey vibe to it.  I’d try this just to see what it was like.

Hawk & Dove (Sterling Gates & Rob Liefeld) – The duo never interested me, so I don’t see myself getting this.  I actually like Rob Liefeld’s work (Note, I didn’t say it was good, just that I liked it – important difference), so unlike most people, the art will not be why I don’t get this one.

Stormwatch (Paul Cornell & Miguel Sepulveda) – I like Martian Manhunter.  I LOVE Stormwatch.  I don’t like Authority that much, and unfortunately, that’s what this seems like it will be, just under another name.  Still, I’d get it, just on the off-chance they mention Fuji, Deathtrap, Fahrenheit, Nautica, and Diva.

Blackhawks (Mike Costa & Ken Lashley) – Mercenaries for hire?  Some people have problems with Luke Cage, and while I never did, I do question how “mercenary” they are that they only kill bad guys.  Sounds off, somehow.  Never read the original book, don’t know about this one either.  Maybe.

Sgt. Rock and the Men of War (Ivan Brandon & Tom Derenick) – I first bought the Sgt. Rock Showcase volumes for my brother, and after he read them, I would read them too.  We’re both fans of the Rock of Easy Company, so we were hoping for a Sgt. Rock book to come along as part of the Relaunch.  While this isn’t exactly what we wanted, it did turn out to contain the one “hook” that would get us to read, Sgt. Rock’s Grandson, leading a new Easy Company.  Apparently this version of Easy are a special group that deal with supervillain threats or the aftermath of them, something to that effect.  Either way, it’s an exciting premise, and one I’d be proud to read.  My brother also wants to read it, and he’s much more selective in his reading material.  But that’s the way it is in Easy Company, where nothing’s ever Easy, even a wide-line Relaunch.

All-Star Western (Jimmy Palmiotti/Justin Grey & Moritat) – I would have preferred a War anthology to a Western one, but I did enjoy the Jonah Hex movie, so I am definitely willing to give this title a try.  Aside from the Hex main feature, it does promise back-up strips featuring DC’s other Western characters, so hopefully I’ll get to see Bat Lash again.

Deathstroke (Kyle Higgins & Joe Bennett/Art Thibert) – I always considered Deathstroke to be somewhat overrated.  His main job was to kill the Teen Titans, and he was never quite effective (understandably so, but still…).  If I were to get this, and that’s a big IF, I’d only do it because his daughter Ravager was going to show up.  Since I don’t know if this will be the case or not, I’ll pass on this one for now.

Grifter (Nathan Edmondson & Cafu/BiT) – I loved WildCATs, but I never cared for Grifter.  Voodoo, Warblade, and Maul were much more interesting to me.  Void and Zealot were okay, but I never liked Emp or Grifter.  So of the WildCATs characters that are returning as part of this Relaunch, they pick my favorite and my least favorite.  Yeah, not going to get this.

OMAC (Dan Didio/Keith Giffen & Keith Giffen/Scott Koblish) – I’ve never read any version of OMAC in my life, but that could very well change on the basis of the cover alone.  It looks very Kirby-esque, and as a recent convert to the works of the King, this one is a very tempting title.  I’ll say an Optimistic Maybe.

Suicide Squad (Adam Glass & Marco Rudy) – The description of this one sounds like current Thunderbolts, which I’m kinda fond of, so this one might be worth a try.  I question Harley Quinn’s inclusion on the team, but then it does make me wonder what she might have done that she is on Death Row when someone else, say, the Joker, isn’t, but I suppose that’s one of those things we’ll never really know.  Not that the Joker would be on such a team, it just makes me wonder who gets put on Death Row in the DC universe, and for what.  Either way, a cautious maybe.

Blue Beetle (Tony Bedard & Ig Guara) – Hispanic teen hero sounds interesting.  It helps that I’ve enjoyed his appearances in Teen Titans over the years.  Yeah, I’ll try this one.

Action Comics (Grant Morrison & Rags Morales) – The solicitations for this sound like Superman Year One, with people not knowing what to make of the newly debuted Man of Steel.  That…might not be a bad read, actually.  I give it a Maybe.

Superman: The Man of Tomorrow (George Perez & Jesus Merino) – This book asks us to consider what Superman’s “startling new status quo” will be.  Superman not at the Daily Planet, I’m assuming, since he looks like he’s trashing (or saving, whichever) the Daily Planet globe? Hmm.  If George Perez were drawing as well as writing this, I’d be more inclined to say yes to this one, but as it is…no.  Just not quite enough there to interest me, sadly.  Plus, I don’t think a non-Daily Planet Superman would last for very long without being put “back to normal”, so that hook doesn’t sell me, I’m afraid.  Pass.

Supergirl (Michael Green/Mike Johnson & Mahmud Asrar) – You know the old saying, “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape”?  Forget that one.  The important one to remember is that you do not, under any circumstances, get rid of Supergirl’s skirt.  It’s fun.  It’s sexy. It’s iconic.  It’s entirely missing from the new-look Supergirl.  I know the point is to give these characters a makeover, but Supergirl HAS to have the skirt.  Since she does not, I will not be getting this.  End of discussion.

Superboy (Scott Lobdell & R.B. Silva/Rob Lean) – Why does (I’m assuming it’s) Connor look like a Cyborg?  Why does he look nothing like the version of him running around in Teen Titans?  Eh, Pass.

Okay, now for the totals:

DEFINITE – 22

MAYBE – 8

PASS – 22

Roughly half and half then, with a few on the fence.  Not bad.  When I bought monthlies on a regular basis, I think I had maybe 5-8 DC titles, so that’s definitely a win overall for them.  I still think a couple of choice titles are missing.  Where’s Gen13, for example?  But again, these are the first titles to come out of the relaunch.  Batman Inc is being held over until next year, and there could be others.  I still have questions and concerns about the Relaunch, but that’s to be expected.  Hopefully, most of them will be answered in August.  If I’m lucky, I may revisit this list and give reviews of titles I can get a peek at or borrow from a friend.  We’ll see.  In the meantime, congratulations to DC!  You got an unemployed Marvel Zombie interested in approximately half of your titles.  I still don’t forgive you for losing Supergirl’s cape, though.

Go Your Own Way

I’ve been thinking recently about music, media, and how to introduce someone to something you love.  I used to think that the best way was persistence and hammer-headed repetition, eventually making someone agree to do something just so you’ll go away and stop bugging them.  Now, I realize that not only does this usually not work, it frequently has the opposite effect, wherein they will not look or listen to what you want them to, under any circumstances.

While I don’t think it’s an exact example of what I’m talking about, I’m going to bring it up anyway.  My best friend is a music lover.  I say lover because enthusiast, aficionado, and buff don’t convey his level of devotion to the subject properly enough.  It’s long been his opinion that I need to broaden my musical horizons.  He says this even though I can and will listen to country music as well as music in foreign languages and he will not.  I ask you, who is more musically broadened?  I suppose it’s not a fair question, since there are genres I don’t touch or rarely listen to as well, so it’s kind of equal, maybe.

But yeah, he says I need more music in my life, and a recent topic of discussion was his intent (at my request) to introduce me to punk and new wave (I know some new wave acts, but not enough, probably).  Again though, we had a breakdown in communications because he tried to talk me through a history of the genres and how they came about as reactions to the music that came before.  While I’m sure it’s a fascinating topic for those who are into the evolution of music as an art form, all I really wanted was some good tunes.  I wanted something more akin to “If you like song X or artist Y, then you may want to listen to song Z by artist U2″, or something to that effect.  Once this was understood, we managed to work out a system that did this.  At any rate, he gave me a list of songs by some bands he thought I would enjoy.  I haven’t been through the list much, but it is something I intend to do.

Another example of our new understanding would be Bob Dylan.  I had heard my friend speak of Bob Dylan on many occasions, but I never had an urge or reason to check him out.  Last night, however, I was looking on Twitter and an J-Pop artist I follow on there (xEmylix, she’s awesome!) retweeted a post by Pink saying that she had donated one of her songs to a Songs for Japan compilation album, the proceeds and royalties from which would go to the Japanese Red Cross Society to aid in the relief efforts there.  This was pretty cool, so I looked up who else was contributing to the album, and went on Youtube to listen to a few of the songs and see what I thought of them.  One name on the list was Bob Dylan.  I remembered my friend having spoken of Dylan many times, so I thought, “Why not?” and listened to Shelter from the Storm, which I really enjoyed.  So I PMed my friend and told him, so now I have a selection of Dylan songs that I’m going to listen to and see what I think about them.  This is a much more effective system.

Sometimes, you just have to forge your own path to the same destination.  I don’t know if I’ll become a Dylan fan or not, it’s certainly possible, but I do know that it’s more likely because I found my own entrance into the man’s work, instead of just being told over and over that I would like him, I really should try him out sometime.  So while I may want to share some things with people and have them experience the same joy I have with these artists, I have to let them, as Fleetwood Mac would have said, “go their own way”.  Maybe they’ll discover these people on their own, maybe they won’t, but at least they won’t feel forced into trying something and then not liking it because they were forced into it.  If they don’t like it, it’ll be because it’s just not for them, which is fine, but if they ever want help or suggestions on something new to try, then I’m willing to help them, the same way they would help me.

The Heart of Rock and Roll

…is, indeed, still beating.  Saturday night, my brother, my uncle and I attended the Chair City Clash, a charity wrestling event held at Thomasville High School and featuring the stars of AIWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling.  This is the first wrestling event any of the three of us had ever attended.  Originally, we were only attending because Ricky Morton, one half of the Rock & Roll Express and one of my favorite wrestlers as a child, was going to be there.  Not only did we get to see Ricky Morton, but we saw a whole lot more.

We arrived about a half-hour before bell-time and the first thing we noticed is that it was a smaller turnout than I had anticipated.  This immediately made me feel two things.  First, I was disappointed because of the sold-out arenas I usually see on TV.  This turned out to be a blessing, of sorts, but I’ll explain that in a few moments.  Secondly, I wondered what type of reaction the crowd would have to the action.  I wondered how many of the people in attendance were actual wrestling fans, how many only came because it was a charity event, and how many, like I and my kin, were experiencing the wrestling phenomenon live for the first time.

There were tables set up near the entrance, but the first thing we did was look for a seat.  We had ringside seats, but I never expected them to be “ringside” seats.  In the days leading up to the event, I pictured us on the bottom set of bleachers, the same bleachers I sat on as a teenager in high school.  As it happened, the bleachers were different and looked much fancier than the ones I was used to.  In the end, that didn’t matter, because as I said, we had ringside seats.  And that meant steel chairs, baby.  One of the staples of wrestling.  I wondered idly as we looked around for a good spot whether anyone would get whacked with one of these cold grey beauties before the night was over.

We took a seat in the second row and to the right, with my uncle getting the aisle seat, my brother beside him, and myself furthest in, with our backs facing the doors to the lobby area.  Immediately, our eyes started darting around randomly, taking in the scene around us.  There was an actual wrestling ring in front of us, three or four rows of chairs on every side.  It wasn’t until much later that the thought occurred to me, but it bears mentioning now instead, this was quite an intimate little setup, and the fact that there weren’t as many people in attendance, rather than being a detriment to the experience, took me further back in my remembrances than I would have imagined.  Over the course of the evening, there would be several times that I thought about my earliest memories of watching wrestling on television in the 1980s.  The small crowds of the NWA, where I first “met” Ricky Morton and his contemporaries.  These were those types of audiences, where the number was small in comparison to the WWE audiences of the 2000s.  Somehow, it felt right to me, as if I’d come full circle.  That feeling would intensify further as the night wore on.

My uncle had brought his digital camera with him because the one thing I wanted out of tonight, if at all possible, was to get my picture taken with Ricky Morton.  And to get his autograph, the TWO things I wanted…Anyway, we kept glancing back at the tables near the entrance.  There were three of them, and they appeared to be merchandise tables.  Ricky Morton was walking around near the third table, and talking to a couple of people.  After several rounds of “Do you want to go over there?” “Yeah, but I’m waiting for a good moment…”, my brother took the initiative and stood up.  We followed him, and the three of us went over to check out the tables.  The first had polaroid-looking shots, and a couple of books, one of which was on Hulk Hogan, for some strange reason.  I’m pretty certain he wasn’t part of this particular wrestling organization, so I couldn’t figure out why they had the book there.  It’d be like selling Wolverine comics at an Archie convention.  The second table had DVDs.  We didn’t get too close to those tables because we really had no intention of buying anything from them.  We wouldn’t have known most of the wrestlers on these DVDs anyway, because I believe they were from this organization, which we had not been following.

Ricky actually called out to us first, while finishing up a conversation with the people he had been talking to earlier.  He thanked us for coming, and we told him that we had come to see him because “I’ve been watching you since the 80s on NWA with the Rock & Roll Express”.  He shook my hand and thanked me, and said he’d been wrestling since 1977.  I told him I couldn’t exactly watch him back then because it was the year I was born, but maybe after February…?  He seemed to get a kick out of that, and he said “I’m 55, but I still wrestle like I was 20, and I promise I’m not gonna let you guys down tonight.”  I hoped that was the case.  When the event was first announced, Ricky didn’t have a belt, and this match was supposed to be for the title.  When I found out he had already won the title, I feared the worst.  I feared that he would lose the belt tonight.  While that was something that I didn’t want to happen, I wouldn’t have minded that bad, I don’t think, because at least I’d have seen him wrestle once.

He offered to take a picture with us, and my brother and I took advantage of the opportunity.  He even tried to get my uncle to get in the picture with us, but knowing how camera-shy my uncle is, I knew that just wasn’t gonna happen.  So my uncle took the picture of us with Ricky and the belt, and then we bought a couple of signed photos, two for five dollars.  Not bad at all, really, and he personalized them to my brother and I.  I chose a photo of the Rock & Roll Express.  I wouldn’t have minded a solo Ricky shot, but this may be my one chance to talk to a member of the R&R Express, and I wasn’t about to NOT choose a group shot.  They were my boys, back in the day, and I had to respect that and go with the group shot.  My brother took a solo photo instead.  I’m glad, because it did suggest we didn’t just like the group as a whole, but him as an individual.  It’s a psychological thing, but I’m glad it worked out the way it did.  He shook our hands again, and we wandered back to our seats.  Ricky Morton was a true gentleman, really soft-spoken, and seemed like a great guy and really seemed to care for his fans.

So, we sat back down and an announcer came out and announced that the event was going to be taped for their television show.  My uncle, who again is very camera-shy, decided he didn’t want to sit on the end where people could see him, so I agreed to swap places with him.  We also noticed that everyone seemed to have a program, so I went to the lobby to look for one.  I brought back two, just in case, and we settled in for the event.  It was around that time that a couple of guys brought out some stairs for use in entering the ring.  A detail we had forgotten, but one that just belongs and makes you feel like everything is legit and on the up-and-up.  Like with the steel chairs before, I wondered if anyone would get their head smacked on those bad boys tonight.

As it got closer to bell-time, my mind began to race over what I was about to witness.  What was proper etiquette, I wondered?  Would I be the only one cheering or booing?  It was rather a small event, and the thought of making a fool of myself when most of the others present didn’t have the appearance of being a wrestling fan worried me.  No signs had been brought, and basically, the crowd looked as if it had wandered in off the street on the way home from work or whatever.  It was definitely a concern. Also, I knew the general idea was to cheer, but when?  More importantly, for whom?  Apart from Ricky Morton, I didn’t know any of the people listed on the card for the night.

Finally, the time had come and the announcer came out to the ring, introducing a coach (presumably from the High School) who made a short speech and did a poor impression of the Rock and then left and it was time for the first match.  I should point out at this point that the sound system left a little to be desired.  When someone would speak into the microphone, it came out loud and semi-unintelligible.  This was not good.  Luckily, as I wrote this, my brother looked up and found the results of the event online, so this will help as I continue to tell you what went on that night.

The first match was Caleb Christian Vs. “Showcase” Ric Kelly.  Ric Kelly came out first, and if I had any doubts about who to boo, they were laid to rest the minute he came out to ringside.  Apart from the boos he was receiving from some of the audience who apparently knew who he was, it was easy to tell he was a villain, or “heel”, as they’re called in the wrestling business.  This guy was channeling every wrestling heel I’ve ever seen, and what’s more, he was doing it with style.  He demanded the referee hold the ropes for him as he entered the ring, and once inside proceeded to strut around majestically, as if he thought he owned the place.  He had the look, he had the charisma, but did he have the talent to back it up?  While I never thought that the indie wrestling circuit would be less skilled than what I saw on tv, I did wonder if we would see anything like what we were used to seeing on television.  Would these be more technical, mat-based matches, or would we see something more exciting?

Caleb Christian came out and the fans cheered for him, whether by familiarity, instinct, or in direct opposition to Kelly’s heel character that immediately preceded him, I can’t say.  All I know is that the wrestling term for good guy, “face”, really applied to Christian.  He was a skinny, fresh-faced young man eager to perform.  I couldn’t get over the fact that I was looking at actual shiny wrestling boots and stretchy wrestling trunks which, it must be said, did not leave much to the imagination.  I don’t know if it’s because I’m an adult now or what, but I noticed their crotches a lot more than I would have wanted to.  Not attracted to them, just very conscious that they were there.  Even if I had the ability to wrestle, I doubt I could or would go out in public dressed like that, so I applaud their bravery in that regard.  It’s something I never noticed about the wrestlers on television, so I guess you just had to be there.

The bell rang and the match started, and again, I felt like I had stepped back in time to when I was a boy.  They did armbars on one another, one had another around the waist in some kind of hold, and the other attempted to break free.  I’m sorry to say that my match descriptions are going to be inferior.  I didn’t take notes and I don’t know what all the holds were called, but I do know what a wrestling match tends to look like, and this definitely was one.  Some of the holds, seeing them in person, would seem like they might easily be broken, others not so much.  The thing that does stand out for me about this match is Caleb Christian performing a shooting star press off the top rope onto Ric Kelly.  Like the tagline for the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, at that moment, I did believe that a man could fly.  It was truly gorgeous to see him fling himself into the air, flip over, and land on his opponent.  I’d seen it on TV, but to see it in person, and realize what a man is capable of if he applies himself, to see such athleticism in person…I knew right then and there that, no matter what the rest of the night held, it was worth the time and admission fee just to see such a spectacle in person.  I really wish I could properly convey what I felt at that moment, but I think despite my description above, I haven’t done it justice.  I’ll simply say it was beautiful to behold, and leave it at that.  Oh, and Caleb Christian won the match.

The next match was supposedly a “Midget Match”.  I must confess that I do not know what terminology extremely short people wish to be referred to as, so I will use the term midget for the rest of this entry because it’s the general term used in wrestling when vertically-challenged people wrestle.  Please be assured that no offense is intended.  That disclaimer out of the way, the flyer for the event had promised a Midget Match, Blixx Vs. Justice, whoever they were.  From what I understand, however, neither of those individuals were actually at the event and so a third midget, Joe Kidd, wrestled an average-height wrestler, “Terrific” Tony Lane.  There was a bit of comedy to this match, but not as much as one might expect from a “gimmick” match.  The one thing that stands out to me, apart from Kidd biting Lane on his bum at one point, was when they were bouncing across the ropes back and forth and doing that perpendicular criss-cross thing that wrestlers do, Kidd dropped to his stomach near the ropes and put his chin in his hands and just watched gleefully as Lane kept going back and forth, continuing to bounce off the ropes until he got tired and collapsed.  Truly funny.  Joe Kidd got the win, and everyone cheered.

The third match was on the flyer as being for the AIWF Mid-Atlantic Title, with Louis Moore fighting Rob McBride.  This did not happen.  Instead, Louis Moore had a far more interesting opponent.  His name was Ouga Booga and he supposedly hailed from the depths of Africa or something to that effect.  As far as I was concerned, he hailed from 80s/90s WWF/WWE.  He had a similar gimmick to Kamala, the difference being that Ouga Booga wasn’t so wild-eyed and didn’t do odd neck rotations.  His face was painted and he was wearing a bone necklace around his neck when he came to the ring, and he was doing this really weird chanting/foreign language thing.  The best part of Ouga Booga, however, was that he didn’t break character all during the match.  He would keep yelling out random things in Swahili or whatever made-up language he was speaking and it really freaked out his opponent, Louis Moore.  Moore would shout “What’s he saying?!?” and the referee would yell back “I DON’T KNOW!!!”  Oh, and Ouga Booga had a tongue that liked to stray out of his mouth, not loosely, but darting out hungrily.  Ouga Booga was sharp, he had an intelligence in his eyes that you wouldn’t expect for a savage-persona character like the one he was portraying.  Despite a couple of daring aerial moves on Ouga Booga’s part, he lost the match, but I have to say he gained three new fans.  We all three thought he was awesome.  If I had seen a single clip of this guy on YouTube beforehand and known he would have been at the event, I would have wanted to go, Morton or no Morton.  Come to think of it, I’m going to go look for clips of him as soon as I finish typing this.

Intermission came after that, and apparently some of the wrestlers were outside signing autographs on the appropriate pages in the program guide.  We stayed in our seats and talked about all we had witnessed so far.  The intermission lasted about twenty minutes, and then it was back to the ring for more action.

The fourth match was Matt Smith Vs. Shawn Cruise.  I honestly couldn’t believe my ears when they announced Matt Smith as a competitor.  As many of you reading this may know, I’m a Doctor Who fan, and Matt Smith is also the name of the actor currently playing the title role on the show.  Even if he had turned out to be a bad guy, I knew WHO I would be rooting for in this one, pun very much intended.  I have to admit, however, the more interesting competitor in this match was Shawn Cruise.  Cruise was creepy.  Creepy like a spider.  He had a long, gangly form, with just a bit of pudge on his belly, and a bald head with just a thin layer of dark fuzz growing on it, and eyes that always looked conspiratorially around, as if he were up to something.  He had a grin on his face like he knew exactly what his appearance was doing to the people who saw it.  You couldn’t help but like him, but you also knew it would be bad for you at the same time.  Smith won this match, but unfortunately crowd reaction to the entire match was at an all-time low.  It’s a shame, both men were good competitors, but all the momentum built up for the first half of the show had somehow been taken for a walk during the intermission and it had broken loose and ran away like a stray puppy.  Again, I don’t blame the men or their match, it was just the crowd having calmed down and forgotten they were supposed to be cheering or booing.  Luckily, the next match would quickly remind them how to behave during a wrestling match.

I’d like to take a moment beforehand though to say a word about the referees.  There were three over the course of the entire evening.  The first two alternated for the first four matches.  One was a heavyset guy named Smiley.  I liked him.  Sadly, I don’t remember anything about the second referee except that it wasn’t Smiley.  I don’t know why Smiley made such an impression on me, but he did.  The main reason I wanted to talk about referees however, is because of the identity of the third referee of the evening, who presided over the last two matches.  That referee was Tommy Young.

To anyone who has ever seen NWA wrestling in the 80s, Tommy Young was one of two referees used most frequently on television, the other being Randy “Pee Wee” Anderson.  Tommy Young was notorious for being “knocked out” by heels or sometimes, accidentally, by faces so that an illegal move of some type could take place.  Many times, however, this proved unnecessary because he tended to be blind as a bat at the most critical point of a match and miss a heel attacking a face with a foreign object or missing a wounded face make the tag to his partner waiting just outside the ring.  True, these are staples of wrestling and of refereeing, but Tommy Young made it into an art form and was truly one of the greats.  When they announced that he would be refereeing the next match, I couldn’t believe my luck.  Not only was I going to see Ricky Morton in action later on that night, but I was going to see my favorite referee officiate a match.

Tommy came out to the ring and made a big show of checking over the ring for anything “below-board”.  After fiddling with a turnbuckle on our side of the ring, he turned to the crowd, without even having attempted to correct the problem, pointed to the turnbuckle in question and said, “That looks dangerous!” I thought I would die laughing.

Anyway, the fifth and penultimate match was for the AIWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Titles.  The current belt holders, Notorious (Drake Tungsten & “Manaconda” Matt Houston), came out first, being the perfect heels.  One of the pair had on a Ric Flair-style robe, all flashy and fancy.  Speaking of flashy, he flashed the crowd and made vain remarks about himself to one of the ladies on our side of the ring, and even went to the back row and sat on her lap.  Hilariously done, but it was only the start of what would turn out to be the best match of the evening to that point.

Notorious’s advertised partners for the evening were Corey Duncum and Paco Loco.  The first time I’d heard the name Paco Loco was on a WCW wrestling game for the N64, so I wondered if the game character was based on this guy, or if this guy had taken his identity from the game.  Whatever the answer to my question may have been, Paco Loco came to the ring alone, Duncum nowhere in sight.  There was a brief exchange between Paco Loco and the members of Notorious, something about someone in Paco’s family having died, but Paco said that whoever it was that had died was looking down from Heaven and was watching over him.  As it happened, Paco’s guardian angel wasn’t the only help he had that night.

They announced Rob “Boogie Woogie Man” McBride, but sadly all I heard was “Boogie Woogie Man” and I thought the guy coming out to the ring was Jimmy Valiant.  I hadn’t seen Valiant in years, so when he came out, tagging everybody’s hands, including my own, I thought I’d just made personal contact with someone else I’d seen on my television as a kid.  Valiant or not, McBride turned out to be yet another highlight of the evening.  He really knew how to get the crowd pumped up, and had them doing alternating chants of “Bald-Headed Geek” and “Chia Pet” to poke fun at one of the Notorious members.

What followed McBride’s entrance was an actual, honest-to-goodness tag team match.  It had everything you’d expect to see if you’d ever seen one on tv.  Notorious had a manager at ring side who kept distracting Tommy Young.  It had a foreign object placed in the trunks.  It had said foreign object being used at the most unfortunate moment for poor Paco Loco, aggravating an already-injured eye that had been bandaged up before he came out to the ring.  It had the bad guys double-teaming Paco, while a desperate Rob McBride struggled to get past a recalcitrant Tommy Young.  Paco managed to turn the tables and use the foreign object on one of Notorious and make them bleed.  When Tommy Young turned around, he saw only the blood and was confused but let the match continue.  McBride and Paco Loco managed to win and took the belts away from Notorious.  I can’t believe I actually saw a title change hands.  And for a tag match, at that!  Truth be told, I’ve always preferred tag matches to singles competition when it comes to wrestling.  The more wrestlers wrestling at one time, the better.

At long last, dear readers, came the moment I had been waiting for.  It was time for the final match of the evening, Ricky Morton Vs. Jimi Love.  It may seem strange to you, but this is the match I have the most trouble remembering.  If you’ve ever seen one of those movie montages where a “greatest hits” of a boxer or athlete’s career stroll past while the music plays, all you have to do is subtract the music and you have what I saw.  Every lock-up, every armbar, every move that Morton’s ever done, I saw that night.  Okay, not every move.  He didn’t fall off a scaffold.  Everything else did happen though.  Even chants of “ROCK AND ROLL!”, which I participated in, and that time, I didn’t even care whether anybody else was cheering or not.  Most importantly of all, though, he won.  He retained the title, and when I saw him lift that belt above his head, I felt as if I’d won too.  As he started to leave, he gave high-fives to people as he passed.  Even though we were in the second row, he stopped and shook hands with my uncle, my brother, and I, and thanked us again for coming out to see him.

And just like that, the show was over.  We stood and made our way back out of the auditorium.  It was raining, and as I held my autographed photo under my coat and made the journey back to the car, I couldn’t remember the last time I had had so much fun.