The Disneyfication of Star Wars

My family and I went on vacation to Disneyworld in Orlando, FL in June. When I dumped all of our pictures on my computer, I meant to post these here on my blog. I'm certain that the hardcore Star Wars toy collectors and fans are well aware of these, but for us “average” Star Wars fans these should be an eye opener.

My son got to do the Jedi Training Academy.

There were tons of Star Wars related things at Disney Hollywood Studios. I'll try not to bore you with all of them. Here is my son and daughter on Speeder Bikes.

My son loves Indiana Jones ever since he caught a snippet of the second movie on cable. They had an Indiana Jones stunt spectacular thing that we all enjoyed. They also had this exclusive 5 pack of action figures which my son begged me for but I told him no. When he was in the restroom I bought it and stuffed it in my backpack. He'll get it for his birthday soon.

We also did Universal Studios and the Universal Islands of Adventure. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror gift shop had these sweet action figures that I wanted but didn't buy because I buy too many comic books.

They think they're Batman. Wrong universe, hatchlings mine.

There was a Toonville thing there, and I saw this Prince Valiant image on the pillar and was so geeked. I am currently reading Volume 1 of the Fantagraphics series of hardcovers and am loving it. I would have totally bought a T-shirt but there wasn't a scrap of Prince Valiant merchandise to be found in the shop. I voiced my displeasure at this development to the employee who looked at me like I was a nut. “Who is Prince Valiant?” 

All of the parks are Coca-Cola exclusive. I was twitching and scratching my arms for a Diet Mountain Dew fix. I finally got a bottle at the airport. Their bottles look way different than our 20 oz. bottles do here in Michigan.

Review- MARVEL MASTERWORKS: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 6

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 6 (Marvel, Second Edition, Second Printing, 2007; Hardcover)

Collects Fantastic Four Nos. 51-60 and Fantastic Four Annual No. 4 (cover dates June, 1966- March, 1967)

Writer: Stan Lee

Artists: Jack Kirby (Penciler) and Joe Sinnott (Inker)

Buyer beware: Only the Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 2 Hardcover, this particular printing of the Masterwork hardcover, and the 2011 (and forward) softcover printings have this superior, “high def” presentation. There is a second printing of the Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 2 Hardcover coming later this year. There are also economical black and white phone books called Essentials for those on a budget. No matter which way you read it, the Lee/Kirby era of Fantastic Four is essential reading for any serious comic book fan.

Issue 51's This Man...This Monster! is a powerful story about a scientist named Ricardo Jones who uses his Duplication Apparatus to steal the Thing's rocky hide and powers while turning the Thing back into ordinary Ben Grimm. He did so so that he may infiltrate the Fantastic Four and destroy Reed Richards, a man of whom he is insanely jealous of because of his accomplishments. Issue 52 introduces the Black Panther, the first black superhero in comic books. The thing that I love about the character is that he was introduced near the height of the civil rights movement, and his native country, the mythological Wakanda, was wealthier and more technologically advanced than the United States. That took balls in 1966. 

One issue before the Black Panther was introduced Johnny Storm was at the Kozy Kampus Koffee Shop where had a run-in with Whitey. KKK...Whitey?? Oy.

The Fantastic Four had a great supporting cast in this era. The Silver Surfer, the Inhumans, and Wyatt Wingfoot are all recurring characters. Some long-term villains are introduced, such as Klaw and the sentient computer Quasimodo (Quasi-Motivational Destruct Organ). It was introduced in Annual No. 4, which also features the Mad Thinker, who revives the original android Human Torch, whom Ultron would go on to revive as the Vision. 

Stan Lee's writing may be a tad dated for today's so-called sophisticated readers, but his characterization was great. The then-newlywed Reed and Sue dynamic being a prime example. Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) was basically a neglectful asshole to his blushing bride. The Johnny Storm (Human Torch) pining away for Crystal plotline was also great, even if it seems silly that he could be so obsessed with a girl that he barely knew...at least what we saw “on screen”. I'm sure that some hack has gone into way too much detail over what really happened over the years.

The highlight of this book is Doctor Doom stealing the Silver Surfer's power in issues 57-60. Kirby's Doctor Doom is second to none. No one can draw Doom as great as The King did. 

The Inhumans escape from the Great Refuge during these issues when Blackbolt finally speaks. This is just great stuff, and holds up well on the re-read. I read these issues in the Omnibus, which I cashed in on when it was out of print and going for stupid money. I sold that off and bought the softcover Masterwork for Vol. 4 (the hardcover has inferior restoration), and the 2007 printings of Vols. 5 and 6, all of which used the same state-of-the-art restoration as the Omnibus, pocketing a hundred or more bucks after buying those.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This era of US made Masterworks were okay but aren't as nice as the 2008-on Chinese made ones.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Jack Kirby's first costume design for the Black Panther (1 page) and unused cover art for issue 52 by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott (1 page).

Linework and Color restoration rating: 4.75 out of 5. This printing uses the same color and linework restoration as the Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 2. It is excellent except for a page or two in issue 55, specifically Page 4 (page 88 of the book), which has visible pixelation on panel 3. Still, one or two pages out of 232 is not bad at all. Most folks wouldn't even notice or know what the Hell I rant about anyways. Your mileage may vary.

There is a softcover version of this book available, but I am uncertain if it has had any upgrades in terms of restoration. Some of the softcover Marvel Masterworks have had additional spit shining, even after being remastered a third time for the Omnibus.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. They used a really nice, thick coated stock with a slight sheen at this time. The paper has since gotten thinner.

Binding rating: 4.25 out of 5. While the binding is sewn, there is way too much glue used in the casing. It's stiff when compared to a Chinese made Masterwork.

Buy MARVEL MASTERWORKS: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 6 HC at InStockTrades!

Also available in softcover. 

Reviews- The Smashing Pumpkins/ The Aeroplane Flies High Deluxe Edition and Dio/ Magica Deluxe Edition

The Smashing Pumpkins/The Aeroplane Flies High (Virgin/Universal, 2013)

When Billy Corgan goes in, he goes large. Case in point this deluxe edition 6 CD/1 DVD box set. The original 1996 five CD box set was the after party to 1995's double album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I bought every one of the singles for that album for the B-sides...then the UK ones which had more songs...then the box set which had even MORE songs. Pumpkins fans have never had a shortage of music to listen to, that's for sure. The 28 non-LP tracks that adorned the original release are bolstered by an additional demos, unreleased songs, live songs, and the first official CD release of the song Infinite Sadness, previously only available on the original 3-LP version of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

The band could have cobbled an album out of the 28 B-sides from the original 1996 box set and it would have helped to cement their fan base in terms of popularity. It might have made the transition to Adore a little easier for the fans as well. Oh well, hindsight and all that jazz, right? On to the bonus tracks!

Disc 1- The bonus tracks are all instrumental sketches from the Gravity Demos bootleg. I was an avid bootleg trader in the Internet stone age, prior to torrents when you either bought commercial CDs or traded burned CDs through the mail. I've had these for years but am thrilled to have officially mastered and authorized versions. A/Ab/E/B/F# became Endless Summer during the Zwan era. Ugly is way punchier than the B-side version, a quiet-loud hybrid of the acoustic demo found on last year's MCIS box set.

Disc 2- The bonus tracks are assorted demos and alternate takes from the MCIS album. Marquis In Spades (8-Track Demo) (Demo Version) is acoustic, being even better than the electric version. Take Me Down (Instrumental) sounds like early Pink Floyd with the bongos and stuff.

Discs 3 and 4- Bonus tracks culled from the band's four night stand at the Double Door in Chicago in February of 1995 prior to entering the studio for MCIS. I have an audience recording bootleg of at least one of the shows and loved it, but this is mindblowing in “high res”.

Disc 5– A maddening 34:48 live version of Silverfuck recorded in 1996. I saw them do an equally long, nauseating version for an encore in Toledo, OH in January of 1997. Jammy and trippy and aimless, it was an encore and left the audience begging for mercy, not screaming for more. At least at the show we had the giant video screens with all of the crazy imagery. On CD it's just long-winded and boring.

Disc 6- Live Inside The Dark Globe is the band's first fully live album. The Earphoria promo CD (and subsequent 2002 commercial release) had a few studio tracks on it, so it doesn't count as a proper live album in my opinion. Your mileage may vary. This disc is compiled from multiple shows. The band changed their setlists nightly in this era, focusing mostly on the then-new Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album. There is only one non-MCIS song here. I saw them do all of these live at the shows I caught on this tour except Lily (My One And Only) and Bodies, the latter which was almost never done live. Philadelphians in 1996 have no idea how fortunate they were!

As for the DVD...yeah, I haven't watched any of the DVDs that have come with any of the other reissue box sets, either. Hell, I've never watched the DVD that came with the Zwan album. I just don't watch DVDs or TV unless my kids have it on. I read comic books, go online, and go to concerts or movies, none of which is a judgment against anyone who does watch TV or DVDs, I'm just making a point of reference as to how I waste my free time and explaining why I am not commenting on the DVD portion of this box set.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- For those of you who just walked in, this portion of the review is restricted to commentary on packaging. Here I nitpick the materials and tactile sensations of physical media. The box features the original design on a foil-wrapped box similar in size to the rest of the non-MCIS reissues. The 7 discs are all in digipak sleeves, and all have individual designs. The 6 audio CD sleeves have a reflective foil design while the DVD has a printed design. The booklet features lyrics as well as in depth, song by song commentary by Billy Corgan.

Dio/ Magica Deluxe Edition (Niji, 2013)

This 2 disc re-release of the 2000 album contains 2 bonus studio tracks, Annica (from the Japanese pressing) and Electra (from the Tournado box set and The Very Beast Of Dio Vol. 2), which was the final song that Dio completed before passing away. The album has been remastered, which always boggles my mind when an album was originally mixed and mastered for the CD format like this one was. The six bonus live songs have marginal sound quality but are good listens. Challis has always been a cheesy rip-off of Cat Scratch Fever and I have always felt that the song was beneath Dio's dignity. This is a middle-of-the-pack Dio album but is worth owning.

The OCD zone- The 2 CD set has a gatefold digipak cover. There's a decent booklet and a list of “all” of the tour dates, which omits the first leg of the tour. I caught the band in Cleveland on Easter Sunday in 2000 at The Odeon, and that date is not listed. The sample setlist also features more songs than the band did on either of the dates that I caught them on for this tour.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Review- REVIVAL VOL. 2: LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT

REVIVAL VOL. 2: LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT (Image, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Revival Nos. 6-11 (cover dates January- June, 2013)

Writer: Tim Seeley

Artist: Mike Norton

Colorist: Mark Englert

I found myself smiling and shaking my head over how clever this series is after reading the second trade paperback in the series. This reads like a television series, with each issue being an episode while building into an overall narrative like American Horror Story. Like that series, things are dropped at the end every time that seem to up the stakes, making you hope that they have the road mapped out or else the wreckage will be gruesome. 

It's difficult for me to comment on exactly what I liked about this because pretty much everything will be a reveal. Since this blog is more about the joy of discovery for you and me rather than one of those glorified synopsis review type blogs, I'll say no more. Just buy it! Trust me...

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Image makes good quality trade paperbacks.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Two pages of character sketches.

Paper rating: 4.5 out of 5. This book has a nice thick coated stock paper.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 4.25 out of 5. The cardstock has a dull matte finish coating which has a very different feel to it. I like it. It is not as easily scuffable as many dull matte/ coated cardstock covers. It's not my preference (I prefer laminated cardstock cover) but it seems durable enough.

Buy REVIVAL VOL. 2: LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT TP at InStockTrades!

Review- Logan's Run Nos. 1-7

Logan's Run Nos. 1-7 (Marvel, cover dates January- July, 1977)

Writers: Gerry Conway (No. 1), David Kraft (Nos. 2-5), David Zelag Goodman (motion picture screenwriter issues 1-5 adapted from), George C. Johnson and William F. Nolan (co-writers, original novel), John Warner (Nos. 6, 7), and Scott Edelman (Thanos back-up story from No. 6)

Artists: George Perez (Penciler, Nos. 1-5), Klaus Janson (Inker, Nos. 1-5, 7), Tom Sutton (Penciler Nos. 6, 7), Terry Austin (Inker, No. 6), Mike Zeck (Thanos back-up story from No. 6)

I recently celebrated my 40^th birthday. Most folks throw huge bashes, take a trip or have a midlife crisis. I had a monstrous slab of my Avengers cake, went on a long bike ride, and read all seven issues of Marvel's adaptation of Logan's Run in one sitting. I haven't read these comics since the '80s. I've been holding out for a hardcover or trade paperback collection but realize that it will likely never happen. While Bluewater Comics currently holds the rights to the title, those rights only include the book version and not the movie version. They currently don't have the rights to reprint these comic books, unfortunately.

Gerry Conway nails the script in the first issue. He tells his history with the book on the page that would become the letters page. I was shocked to see him replaced with David Kraft with issue 2. John Warner scripts the issues of new material which took place after the original movie. The movie adaptation lasted five issues. 

The artwork is great. George Perez and Klaus Janson would go on to great acclaim, but here they were both in their “salad days”. Issue 6 was the first one that I bought, a quarter box find circa 1983. I read that issues tons of times and was pleasantly surprised this past week to see the artwork by the team of Tom Sutton and Terry Austin. Those two names meant nothing to me as a 9-10 year old but as an adult I know them well. Tom Sutton did tons of quality work for the Warren Magazines (Creepy, Eerie, etc.) and Terry Austin did a legendary run on Uncanny X-Men.

Old school science fiction purists hated this movie since it was a liberal adaptation of the original novel. I like the Hollywood take as it taps into the zeitgeist of 1976. Shopping malls were the future back then, being a dominant social meeting place for youngsters until the Internet killed the real world by the turn of the 21^st century. So the idea that we would live in a dome shaped mall world because of a nuclear war (this was during the Cold War and such anxieties ran high) was pretty cool. The whole life must end at 30 angle played right into the baby boomer mantra of “Don't trust anybody over 30”. The Availability circuit, where swinging singles could scan channels and pick a mate for the night predicted and predated the Internet and chatrooms and dating sites by decades. I love the movie and these comic books. 

This is a solid, flawless adaptation (except for Kraft's misspelling of cacophony) of the 1976 classic. I watched this on reruns on second string channels like 20 or 50 in Detroit, as they seemed to play this often in the late '70s and early '80s. Issues 6 and 7 take place after the movie. Issue 6 is only 12 pages long due to Marvel having to clear what they could and could not do per their licensing agreement with MGM. The issue is bolstered by a 5 page Thanos and Drax the Destroyer story. Of note is the early Mike Zeck artwork and the fact that it is the first Thanos “solo” story. This particular issue is skyrocketing in value as the emphasis on the character Thanos is increasing since he will be the featured villain in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

One of the interesting things about the two post-movie stories is that Logan retrieves his gun which functions as the one in the original novel did, with six different types of bullets. Judge Dredd swiped that one from there for sure. MGM never made movies to either sequel of the book, and there was a short-lived television series in the late '70s that I can barely remember watching. The comic series had the plug pulled in the middle of an arc and we were all left hanging. I have found no information online as to why this series was cancelled, so one must assume that it was obviously due to low sales. There have been rumors of artwork for an issue 9 surfacing, but I have spent an unhealthy amount of time online trying to find it for myself. Would love to read even the raw or unfinished numbers 8 and 9. I need closure, man! 

All in all, this was a blast to go back and re-read these classics. They hold up pretty well over 35 years after their original publication. I would still buy a collected edition of this stuff in a heartbeat.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Man, the print quality and paper used on old comic books sucks. I have become so accustomed to high quality collected editions that anomalies like line bleed and off register printing become glaringly obvious. I shuddered at printing press errors like random specs of black ink which yanked me out of the reading experience. While it is cool holding something that is an artifact from the era rather than a facsimile, it is like watching a VHS in an era of Blu-Rays: worn out and tired looking. On the plus side, all colors and linework are correct, so there's that.

Review- BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/ RORSHACH

BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/ RORSHACH (DC, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Before Watchmen: Comedian Nos. 1-6 and Before Watchmen: Rorschach Nos. 1-4 (cover dates August, 2012- June, 2013)

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artists: J.G. Jones (Before Watchmen: Comedian) and Lee Bermejo (Before Watchmen: Rorschach)

Colorists: Alex Sinclair (Before Watchmen: Comedian Nos. 1-6), Tony Avina (Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 3), Lee Loughridge (Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 6), and Barbara Ciardo (Before Watchmen: Rorschach)

The Before Watchmen: Comedian mini-series is pretty lame. I am not familiar with Azzarello's writing, but this particular run seems like nostalgia porn. The Comedian in inserted into way too many historical scenarios for my tastes. Couple that with the fact The Comedian is an unlikable son of a bitch and you have an underwhelming read.

Azzarello also pens the Before Watchmen: Rorschach mini-series, and that one is a much better read. I could read a hundred prequel issues of Rorschach and never get tired of it. The character is the main reason I bought the Action Heroes DC Archives which collect Steve Ditko's the Question, whom Rorschach was based on.

We see Rorschach's sanity begin to crack, hinting at what was coming in the flashback sequences of the original series. I find the character to be the most interesting because there is a lot of nuance under his seemingly two-dimensional exterior. It's his ticks and convictions that always draw me back to him. Whether or not you agree with him or his motives is irrelevant. 

I'm not sure if the thrill of reading more Watchmen stories is wearing off or if the Comedian mini-series was just so uninspired that it left me cold. I actually put this book down 4 issues into the Comedian and picked up something else to read. Three down, one more hardcover to go.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Aside from the warped paper (see below), these DC Deluxe Edition hardcovers are really nice. The image is printed on the hardback itself, with no dustjacket included.

DVD-style Extras included in this book:

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 1 Eduardo Risso variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 2 Tim Bradstreet variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 3 John Paul Leon variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 4 Brian Stelfreeze variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 5 Gary Frank and Brad Anderson variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 6 Rafael Albuquerque variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 1 Jim Steranko variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 2 Jock variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 3 Chip Kidd variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 4 Ivan Reis and Joe Prado with Rod Reis variant cover

Rorschach statue design by Lee Bermejo

Before Watchmen promotional poster art by Lee Bermejo (2 pages)

Cover sketch to Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 1 by Lee Bermejo

Cover sketch to Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 4 by J.G. Jones

Comedian statue designs by J.G. Jones

Comedian statue designs by J.G. Jones with Alex Sinclair

Paper rating: 4 out of 5. This book is made in the United States, which is a huge part of the problem. I'd love to see everything made in the USA once again if the products are as good as what we get from the Chinese sweatshop printing presses. US paper mills use trees which are not allowed to cure properly once cut, which means that the trees are green when they are made into paper. The result is shitty, warped paper like the stuff found in this book. My books are all stored in a climate controlled environment, and yet this one has warped paper all over. Books made in China from virgin Amazon rainforest trees do not have this problem.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding in hardcovers this thin is not a deal breaker. The book lays reasonably flat.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. This has a super thick waxlike coating which is impervious to damage when handled as the product is intended. The black Beyond Watchmen band, spine, and section of equal measure on the rear cover have a different, dull texture which is really nice.

Buy BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/ RORSHACH HC at InStockTrades!