H.N.Y!

Just like to wish all the readers a Happy New Year. As we welcome in a new year, we have to think about all of the things we have done wrong in the past twelve months, and how we can improve them for the upcoming year. But then again we'll just end up making more mistakes. So scratch my last sentence. And just have fuck-loads of fun!! Just like Woody.

Wrath - Part 2

I'm about to send my Xbox off to get it repaired and I've got to put it in a box for it to be collected. I look around my house for a suitable box. Not finding one I return to my room, only to see the perfect box sitting on the top of my cupboard.

So I'm sending my Xbox to get repaired.....In my old PS2 box. Irony at it's best I believe.

Gluttony

For this sin there have been two instances on my part since and during Christmas. The first is the basic, it's Christmas day, a time where pick 'n mix sweets are breakfast and you, well I defiantly do, eat about 3 different meals for lunch. It's the meal to end all meals, I once heard someone say that “if the roast dinner is the king of dinners then the Christmas dinner is the king of roast dinners”, that is exactly what it is and that's the reason every year, everyone who eats it, has to commit the sin of Gluttony. Them's the rules.

The second count, on my behalf, was today when I went out to check the post-Xmas sales. Usually I'm like every other patron that walks into a store with a 10ft “SALE” sign, just buying anything that I may use some time in the near future. But unlike most years I was quite reserved, that is until I got to the comic shops at the end of Oxford St. Having not spent a lot of money on the way, only buy a few DVDs, I had quite a bit left and if I'm let into a comic shop with cash to spend you can almost guarantee that I'm not going to be coming out with that money. Them's some more rules.
Almost halfway now. Only four sins left.

Wrath

I've had my Xbox 360 for over a year now, and have been a very loyal Xboxer since I got it. Showing and convincing others of it superiority over Nintendo Wii and PS3 especially, which didn't seem hard as from what I can see it is a superior console. Ok, so Microsoft backed the wrong format but that's only one aspect where it does not surpass PS3, but on the whole, the controllers, the game quality and choice have and are still all better than the alternatives. And until this day I believed I was safe from the dreaded “Red Rings of Death” but I was sorely mistaken. After hearing that not one, not two, but three of my fellow Xboxers had experienced some problems with their own console, I began to fear a bit for my Xbox's safety. But I thought it would never happen to me, but it did. And it couldn't have happened at a worse time, over fucking Christmas. When I have more time and games to play is when my Xbox decides it's time to break down. Not only that but over the holidays I will not be able to fix it as everything will be closed, including the couriers and help lines. So instead I've emailed them, and now lie in wait of their response. All I can do is rant about how much this has pissed me off. Fucking Microsoft!!

I never thought I'd say this but this may just be the tipping point that leads me back to Sony. Come the January sales PS3 will most likely have some good deals one and if I've got nothing to play I might just have to get one. That'll be my revenge for Xbox fucking me over like that.

Envy

While out on a regular trip to pick up this weeks comics, I noticed a real life model in the window of a lingerie shop, and I wasn't the only one. A man in front of me noticed and look at her while his wife, who was... to put it nicely.... short and stout, obviously did not approve. She gave the model one look and then turned her head and whispered “Slag” as she walked her husband away. Thinking she had gotten away with it made it all the more funnier, but with her build I wasn't going to be the one to say anything to her. But I'm sure what she meant to say was, “why can't I ever look that good?” and could then proceed to call the young lady a slag. Not that I approve of or agree with her.

Now as I haven't had anything to write about for a while I've decided the best way to sort this is by choosing a theme. My theme will be the seven sins. Today's entry obviously centered on Envy. One down six to go.

R.I.P Batman...

The death of Batman is something that even the newspapers have been following, similar to the death of Superman in the Doomsday arc back in 1992 and the death of Captain America in Civil War not too long ago. Written by Grant Morrison, Batman R.I.P is the story that has been leading up to this point. As much as I liked the arc overall, then ending was a bit of an anti-climax and therefore slightly disappointing. I don't think it was fully the books fault though as there has been a lot of hype and build up to this issue that it should have lived up to but just didn't. His actually death is dealt in a sloppy way as you see the helicopter he is hanging on to explode but no bodies are found in the river below. A predictable and easy to use ending, which the rest of the arc has not been. Morrison's writing has kept me reading, and trying to figure out what will happen next and nearly always being wrong.
Although the end was a bit disappointing the rest of the story has been very good, not the best Batman story ever but defiantly a good one, very well written with excellent art to keep the story visually interesting.

There were two parts of the story that I enjoyed most and they were both the appearance of characters really, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and Nightwing. Although I've never really been a big Nightwing fan, not because I dislike the character but because I've never really read any of it, his portrayal in R.I.P was excellent and what I thought was a nice touch was when all of Batman's allies were coming to help towards the end, he was the first to arrive and even Batman recognised this. Something I think Dick Grayson really deserves. A excellent example of his significance is a single page spread where Nightwing is shown, away from the others, after Batman's “death” holding the cape and cowl. Could this suggest that he is the one who will pick up the mantel and become Batman? A nice lead up to the upcoming arc “Battle for the Cowl” that will follow R.I.P.

The idea behind Batman of Zur-En-Arrh was something that really interested me, the ability to have a back up personality that comes into action once you lose your mind. As well as the idea, his costume was something that has stuck with me. In comparison to the dark colours of the normal Batman's costume this one is quite bright but very effective and still quite scary and menacing. Just because there are lighter colours does not mean he has a lighter mood or demeanour. The return of the Bat-Mite was a nice little extra too. To me these were the two best characters in the story, not to say the others weren't any good, but these two were defiantly my favourites.

Overall I really liked this issue and Grant Morrison has done a very good job with the series, in my eyes. His material is also very quotable which is something I enjoy. And the epilogue at the end of Batman 681 was very cool, showing young Bruce's fascination with Zorro the masked vigilante and his fathers belief that “The sad thing is that they’d probably throw someone like Zorro in Arkham”.

A (Suit)Case of Art Imitating Life....

A few days ago the 2006 Sci-Fi film Ultraviolet was on TV. Luckily I didn't catch much of it as I have only ever heard bad things about it and from what I saw those views were right. But the small section I saw brought back some of my own childhood memories. The main character (Milla Jovovich) is in a elevator with a futuristic and thin suitcase. Being the curious character she is, she looks inside it only to find a child and if that wasn't enough said child was floating in what looked like a swimming pool.

Now as I watched this I thought of a story that my mother insists on telling everyone she meets, it's like one of those classic and embarrassing stories your parents tell except this one is 100% true. I must have been about four years old, I had never been on holiday before and my mother and I were about to take a trip to visit relatives in Australia. So about a week or so before we were going to leave she comes into my room and asks me to come into the hallway for a minute, I do and there, in the middle of the hallway is an open and empty suitcase. She looks into it and then looks up at me and says “I have to see if you'll fit”. I look at her confused and then she goes on to explain to me that this is how children travel on plans, in a suitcase. So, as I had never been on holiday before and becauce at this point in my life I believed everything my mother told me, I foolishly got into the suitcase, to “see if I would fit”.
To this day I have regretted that choice but there's a small part of me that's glad she did it because not only did it teach me never to trust what my mother said from then on but also there was something that I could do to my kids one day that I know will make me laugh for a long time.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno...

Ever since I heard that Kevin Smith was making another movie, many months ago, I've been waiting to see it. Slowly but surely the pieces seemed to be put in place..first a name, then cast and so on. But when I heard who was cast I was slightly unsure about the film. Now I have nothing against who he cast and the film overall was very good, but when the news was new to me I questioned it. Seth Rogan is a good actor and so are the rest of the cast in Zack and Miri but to begin with I felt that what was happening was that Kevin Smith was being taken over by the new school of the male rom-com. And as much as I like Judd Apatow and his frequently similar cast I think of him as a rival to Kevin Smith, not so much as they should be fighting it out but in movies all good things seem to come in pairs but there always seems to be a clear winner. So combining two elements, where as now sounds like the perfect idea, did not appeal to me at first.

But none the less I still couldn't wait to see it and I finally found someone to come with me seeing as most of my friends don't look over about 12 it was a bit of a struggle but I managed it and last weekend went to see the flick. And I was not disappointed in fact I was pleased and enjoyed the film very much. There was a good mix of Smith's written humour and the cast's improv throughout the film, and it even had it's own “I'm disgusted and repulsed yet I can't look away” moment, that I won't spoil for any of you. Another pleasure was seeing Jason Mewes in a new role, and as much as I loved the character of Jay it was refreshing to see what else he can do, and as Lester was quite a step from Jay I enjoyed the result. I can saw the same about Jeff Anderson.
And if you're turned off by the title, don't know how you would be, then the dialogue is where the 18 rating comes from, and like every other Kevin Smith film what is said is where the, excellent, vulgarity comes from. For his second venture out of his own View Askew universe I believe he has god very well and hope his next film is at least as good as this if not better.

Yesterday's news...

On the 20th November (Yesterday) I was 18, now a lot of people have said that everything changes at this age but so far I can't really tell the difference. I guess like every other year you have to wait to reap the benefits to feel the change. But anyway back to yesterday, so after having an inset day on Wednesday I went to school on Thursday happy to have at least one day off around my birthday. But on my arrival I was met with hordes of friends wishing me a happy birthday and telling me that for the next two days there is no school due to a broken heater. Now what I've realised is that I have never been to school on my birthday, up until this year there were usually two inset days on or around my birthday, depending on what day of the week it was. Maybe it's fate or maybe it's that knife I keeping digging into the school heaters...I guess we'll never know.

What Exactly Do All These Children Need?

On Friday it seemed like everyone was “celebrating” Children In Need. At my school we had 6^th formers dressing up and collecting money, BBC dedicated their night to it and there was even a bit of daylight robbery, all in the name of Children In Need that is.

While on the train, happily listening to music and waiting for my stop, I noticed a mother and daughter get on dressed as a baby and Tinkerbell respectively, both had buckets with the CIN logo plastered on the sides. They head towards my end of the carriage and I’m hoping to myself that they don’t pass me but if they do then the suitable alternative would be someone else not dropping money into their buckets so I won’t be alone. They get closer and closer and everyone has dug into their pockets and given them some change, I now feel obliged to comply with their demands and drop some money in myself. They get off at the next stop and move onto the next carriage.

I feel glad that I’ve got it over and done with and now won’t feel bad when I walk past the rest of the beggars in disguise later. Although this thought is soon to be crushed. As I get off and change trains I see the same two dressed up collectors get on the same train and even the same carriage. But surely I’m fine, I’ve already given them money. They wouldn’t ask me twice would they?

Little did I know, like on the previous train I would have no say in the matter. So they walk up and down the carriage and just like before everyone on the train puts something into their buckets. Hoping they’ll recognise me I sit down, headphones in and wait for them to pass me. But when Tinkerbell is in front of me she stops, I look up and wait for her to realise I gave her money on the previous train and she does I can see it in her eyes but she proceeds to stand in front of me shaking her bucket. Other passengers start to look and I can feel that if I don’t pay then a scene will arise. So unwillingly I put my hand into my pocket and drag out the remainder of my change and drop it in her bucket. She thanks me and smiles, but not because she has raised money for CIN but because she’s forced me to pay twice.

I get off and think about what’s happened, then I realise I’ve basically just been robbed at wand point. Damn Tinkerbell, there’s only one way to deal with this; “I don’t believe in fairies.”

Comic Fashion...

As you can tell from the tile of this blog I am an avid comic reader, and if you didn’t get that…well now you know, but anyway as such a big comic fan there’s one thing that annoys me to the core and will forever. And that is the way that people who don’t even read comics go around wearing clothes with certain superhero insignia. Now I understand that a lot of comics have become big box office movies but that’s not a good enough excuse because the majority if not all of the fans of the movie are the ones who read the comics in the first place. And I’m not talking about the little kids with superheroes on their clothes or even the clothes of a superhero, because I used to be one of those kids, the cartoons was what originally got me interested in reading comics. But the kind of people I’m talking about are the ones who haven’t even stepped a single foot inside a comic shop in their life. Where as every comic junkie wears their favourite hero’s insignia with pride these people wear them as a new fashion. It’s not that I have anything against comics going mainstream because that’s inevitable and I’ve accepted it but to wear it just because others are it just not something I want to hear. Sometimes even I don’t want to get a certain t-shirt or jumper because the streets are filled with people wearing exactly the same thing. I would just love to go up to one of these people and say “ahhh man I love your Kal-El shirt”, just to hear the response I know is coming “this is a superman t-shirt”. It just seems to be that something many people like myself would be ridiculed for not but a few years ago has become popular amongst the “enemy”.

Where’s Adams?

Last Sunday a mate and I went to see the new shopping center, Westfield. Overall the place is really only useful for clothes shopping and not much else. Although when the massive 14 screen cinema opens it’ll be a quick and routine journey for me to get my fix of the latest films. But anyway back to my initial trip, so as I said my mate and I went there to check it out and while we were there we saw the new and great technology they have used for the floor maps. Basically a large but creatively designed brink set at an angle in the middle of the long corridors of shops, they are a touch screen version of the, now primitive, paper maps. So we head over to one of these and there’s a line, we wait behind a man holding an Apple bag, which got me thinking that we had completely missed the shop and I wanted a look around it. In the middle of our convocation about going to the Apple shop after we’ve had a look at the futuristic maps, the guy in front turns to me and says “if you want I can tell you where it is.” I politely refuse as I don’t like taking directions from people as they are nearly always in some way wrong, ignoring my response he goes on to tell us it’s on the first floor around the corner. I thank him for the information I didn’t want and he goes back to looking at the map. Then his wife/girlfriend comes over to him and he proceeds to ask her where the shop Adams is? Confused my friend and I look at each other and then directly in front of us and what do we see…A shop with that exact name, and not only is it in front of them but it is also bright orange and almost impossible to miss. Not able to hold it in any longer, we both burst out laughing. Now our laughing must have disturbed the couple as they quickly departed unfortunately for them it was in the wrong direction. A part of me felt like I should tell him but the other part reminded me that he didn’t take notice of what I had said before so why should try again.

Brightest Day and Blackest Night....

Welcome and thank you for visiting my new blog. I had one previous to this but after about a year of no posts I felt it was time to start fresh. The blog I had before was just about reviewing movies & TV shows and although I enjoyed writing it, it seemed to be lacking something so this time I will still have some reviews it will mostly be my random ramblings or things that've happened to me during the week.
Hope you like it and continue to read.

Oh and if you didn't get the reference in the title, it's from the Green Lantern Oath
"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power.. Green Lantern's light!"
And if you don't know who Green Lantern is then...well there's nothing I can do to help you now.