A special treat this week; since we had to players participating, we have responses from each! An overview and decklist from Aaron, and a full breakdown of the three matches from Adam!

Aaron's Summary

The thing you need to understand is, I wasn't lazy. I was simply, in a competitive mood. So instead of building a deck that found a way to cater to all 3 cards that needed to be played to win, I built a deck that I felt could win consistently and still find ways to play the cards required to win.

So with that in mind, I immediately looked at speed first. My first draft focused on a shield based multi-team-up approch that looked to use thunderbolt mountain for a potential turn 3 aggro burn win. Then i realised Arms deal was only during the build and therefore couldn`t abuse the mountain.

Second, I looked into a green-lantern based build with a VU early curve but without doctor light (the original cool) it just felt lacking in... substance.

Finally I took note of latveria. An mor classic that lead to the old-school `Gamma Doom" Build that all you older players either recall with fondness, or recall with absolute detest. (it seems there is no in-between on this!) This build used Latveria alongside of MOR's Beast to execute a turn 7 bomb and force the game into the deck's remarkably capable late game. Usually apoc or the like. Personally I am a fan of Anti-Monitor.

The perfect follow-up to apocalypse's resource destruction, yes?

I decided to look into it. With 3 cards that I could essentially play for no effect from the hand, and acces to an underdropping stall with access to boris. The deck pretty much constructed itself from the annals of my memory in a way to include the prerequisite cards needed for the win. Anti-monitor proved to be essential in game 1 where we reached double-digit turns (where i'm sure Flash was wondering why on earth I continued to play after missing my Emerald city on 3 and 4. With his remarkable draw, I realised he would run out of deck before he could overcome my stall tactics. after wich point, anti-monitor would capitalise on his inability to play a resource, drop me down to 3-4 resources and swing for game.

After that long drawn-out episode, He played much more agressively, but an early gamma bomb on 7 and the ability to contunie to drop it all game long, he drew out his deck again, and it was over. It is worth noting a reality gem against a deck that draws out is flat-out resource koing. A pleasant surprise and a very interesting new idea for me to play with.

Did I play any of the required cards to any substantial effect?

Absolutely not.

But hey, it worked, didn't it? And making things work is kind-of what I do.

With nostalgia, I present:

DOOM BOOM

CHARACTERS (26)
1x Haywire, Suicidal Lover
1x Count Vertigo
1x Ape X, Xina
4x Boris, Personal Servant of Doom
1x Crime Doctor, Bradford Thorne
3x Beast, Dr. henry McCoy
1x Dr. Polaris, Force of Nature
1x Moonglow, Melissa Hanover
4x Dr. Doom, Richards' Rival
4x Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius
1x Amphibian, Kingsley Rice
1x Robot Destroyer
1x Sub-Mariner, Atlantean Monarch
1x Dr. Doom, Latverian Monarch
1x Anti-Monitor, Architect of Destruction

PLOT TWISTS (23)
1x Political Pressure
2x Faces of Doom
4x Enemy of my Enemy
1x Arms Deal*
2x Emerald City*
2x Peace in our Time*
3x Gamma Bomb
4x Mystical Paralysis
4x Reign of Terror

LOCATIONS (9)
2x Slaughter Swamp
3x Latveria
4x Doomstat

EQUIPMENT (2)
Ego Gem
Reality Gem

Adam's Summary

The first thing you need to understand is, that when I take on a challenge, I take it head on. I'm a linear thinker, and when I'm given a set of guidlines and rules to operate by, I work tightly within those guidelines. The three cards we were given didn't have a lot in common, but they did have a workability amongst them, so I built a deck that I felt could win by using the three cards to get that win.

With those three cards in mind, I looked directly at the three teams that I would be forced to play with: Villains United, Green Lantern, and Squadron Supreme.

Villains was an old favorite of mine, both in comics and in the game, and I with Arms Deal requiring a lot of "in hand" cards to go off with the biggest punch, I looked into as many break-even or +1 value cards as I could, such as Alexander Luthor on turns 4 and 6, The Calculator for bounce and team-up search, Talia for recursion of discarded low drops, and even Crime Doctor, who offers a 2-for-1 trade when stall is necessary. Looking at the maximum cost of Arms Deal (8 cards - 6 discards, Arms Deal itself, and the actual character I'd be dropping), I figured I'd have an empty hand right after playing it, which led me directly into the next team - Squadron Supreme.

So, with an easy team-up, thanks to Coercion, Squadron Supreme opens itself up to work with Arms Deal, giving us a free beatstick in the form of Albert Gaines <> Nuke, who would almost always be at max. stats after tossing the whole hand to Arms Deal. Aside from him, I looked into some more +1 value cards from this team as well, including the ever-present Ape X (who opened up room for a couple of Infinity Gems in my deck), Amphibian for important recursion, and Moonglow for a secondary team-up search and to fill the weak 3-drop slot.

Finally, I glanced at the Green Lanterns. While I never had any intention of playing Emerald City properly (too much cost, for too little benefit), I did include a few Lanterns in the build, who would actually help my gameplay, such as the Construct-searching Kyle Rayner, the anything-searching Hal Jordan, and the defensive powerhouse Sinestro.

Outside of my characters and the mandatory cards for the challenge, my support suite consisted of a lot of card draw and search to make the curve work as smoothly as possible, while maintaining a beefy hand size.

So, did I follow the rules and play all the cards required to the best of their effects?

Absolutely.

And it worked. I didn't win, but I consistently managed to get massive hands and deal the beats to my opponent. And that's what I was going for.

With pride, I present:

The GL-UV-SS are Off

3x Ape X, Xina
3x The Calculator, Noah Kuttler
2x Crime Doctor, Bradford Thorne
4x Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern
3x Moonglow, Melissa Hanover
2x Hal Jordan, Founding Member
2x Alexander Luthor, Insidious Imposter
3x Amphibian, Kingsley Rice
3x Albert Gaines <> Nuke, Atomic Powerhouse
1x Talia, Daughter of Madness
2x Alexander Luthor, Diabolical Double
1x Sinestro, Green Lantern of Korugar
1x Arcanna, Arcanna Jones

2x The Science Spire

2x Ego Gem
1x Mind Gem

3x Emerald City*
3x Arms Deal*
3x Peace in our Time
4x Invasion Plans
3x Baddest of the Bad
3x Enemy of my Enemy
4x Coercion
2x High Society

Adam's Match Reports

Game 1

Onyx wins inits; Evens

Turn 1
Flash pass, Onxy recruits Boris and EgoGem, to draw during combat. Next.
F:50, O:50

Turn 2
Onyx pass, Flash recruits Kyle Rayner to get Emerald City, and plays Ego Gem. Noth players pass combat to draw with gem.
F:50, O:50

Turn 3
Flash recruits Hal in front of Kyle. Onxy pass. Kyle into Boris, Ego with Boris to draw, boris stuns. Exhaus Hal to Invasion Plan to draw, Boris recovers.
F:50, O:48

Turn 4
Onxy sets and flips classic Doomstadt, activating Boris to grab Faces of Doom, plays it to grab and drop Dr. Doom, Flash recruits Amphibian and puts a Mind Gem on him to draw and discard an unneeded Emerald City, before flipping Peace in Our Time. Doom into Amphibian, Flash flips HIgh Society to force a dual stun. Kyle exhaust to draw from Gem, and Hal Exhausts to another Invasion Plans. BEfore recovery, Onxy plays two Reign of Terror's from his hand to bounce Hal and Kyle.
F:46, O:44

Turn 5
Flash recruts Talia, and puts a Mind Gem on Amphibian, discardng Kyle Rayner, who hits the field due to Talia's effect, and gets another Emerald City, and a fresh Ego Gem on top of him, Onxy drops Moonglow with an Ego Gem, and puts a Realisty Gem on Doom to replace Coercion (in a Calculator, how ironic). Amphibian into Moonglow, not legal, Mystical PAralysis to exhaust Amphibian. Talia into Moonglow, who draws with Ego, before stunning. Kyle draws with Ego. Recovery has Flash discard to Peace in our Time for dealing breakthrough.
F:46, Onxy:37

Turn 6
Onyx plays Sub-Mariner from the MFF set to exhaust Talia, and puts a fresh Ego Gem on Moonglow, Flash flips Science Spire, and recruits Alexander Luthor to draw two, then bounces the exhausted Talia to his hand with Spire to mill 5 cards before playing Arms Deal (completing his 3-card requirement) and putting Talia back into play for free. For combat, Moonglow draws for Ego, Sub-Mariner swings at Amphibian, who powers-up to trade stuns. Luthor swings at Doom, who gains reinforcement from Latveria. Talia takes down Moonglow, and Kyledraws a card with Ego Gem. both players toss a card to Peace in Our Time, and Onyx recovers Sub-Mariner.
F:41, O:21

Turn 7
Flash plays EoME, tossing Alexander Luthor to grab Hal Jordan, and recruits Arcanna and puts Mind Gem on Amphibian to draw and toss Ape X, Onyx puts Reality Gem on Sub-Mariner, and chains with a zero-discard Arms Deal from his row, to KO it to the Gem, in a last ditch attempt to hit something usable, which he manages to do, putting a Faces of Doom in his row, which grabs him 3-drop Doom, and he instead recruits 4-drop doom, who turns down Paralysis, which jumps back up to exhaust Arcanna. Doom says goodbye to be replaced by his smaller counterpart, who plops another Paralysis on top of his deck. Luthor attacks Sub-Mariner fora one-sided stun, and Amphibian attacks Doom, who KO's Sub-Mariner to put Paralysis into his row. The attack is legal, and Paralysis flips up to exhaust Talia, who is exhausted to an Invasion Plans instead, and Doom stuns. Kyle exhausts to draw a card, and a team-up with Cocion bounces him to the hand to mill 2 cards. Flash discards to PIOT, and Onxy recovers Doom.
F:41, O:11

Turn 8
Onyx plays EoME, tossing Amphibian tograb Boris, then KO's Doom to himself to replace his old Faces. 4-drop Doom hits the field, flipping down Paralysis, and Boris sits in front of Doom; Flash teams up Squadron with VU to get his whole field working together, before boosting a new Alexander Luthor into play, and putting Moonglow and Hal Jordan into play for free. During combat, Boris activates to get Gamma Bomb, which is played for one less thanks to Latveria. Flash bounces Talia with Spire, Luthor with Baddest of the Bad, removes Hal to his effect to grab another Baddest, which bounces Arcanna, before letting the Bomb KO the remaining characters, and moving to turn 9.
F:41, O:11

Turn 9
Flash boosts Luthor into play, drawing the last card of his deck ad getting Crime Doctor and Kyle Rayner into play for free, and then plays Calculator and Ape X to round out his points; Onyx plays 4-drop Doom, and grabs Boris with EoME, who drops along with an Ego Gem on Doom, and Boris activates to grab Gamma Bomb. During Combat, Doom activates to draw, before dopping another Bomb. Baddest returns Lex and Spire returns Crime Doctor before it goes off, and they move on to the next turn.
F:41, O:11

Turn 10
Onyx drops Boris to grab EoME, which grabs 8-drop Doom, who turns EoME face down; Flash drops Sinestro and Alexander Luthor in front of him. Slaughter Swamp grabs Ape X from Onyx's KO'd pile before Doom swings into Luthor, which allows him to recur Bomb from his KO'd pile for another turn of KOing.
F:41, O:11

Turn 11
Flash recruitsArcanna and Crime Doctor form his row, not replacing them; Onxy flips EoME, tossing Doom to get Haywire who is dropped along with Ape X, Boris, and Anti-Monitor. At teh start fo Combat, Onyx KO's everythign but 3 resources and Anti-Monitor, to nuke Flash's field, and allow him to flip Emerald City, and force a concession from Flash.
F:0, O:11

Game 2
Flash takes evens.

Turn 1
Onyx and Flash pass.
F:50, O:50

Turn 2
Flash drops Crime Doctor and puts an Ego gem on him; Onxy passes and Flash swings for 2.
F:50, O:48

Turn 3
Onxy drops Doom, and puts Gamma Bomb on top of his deck; Flash drops Moonglow in front of Crime Doctor. Doom attacks Moonglow and flips Doomstadt for a one-sided stun. Crime Doctor draws a card with Ego Gem before going to turn 4.
F:47, O:48

Turn 4
Flash plays Emerald City from his hand to get it out of the way, before dropping Alex Luthor and drawing a free card; Onxy plays Emerald City as well, and flips EoME, tossing 8-drop Doom to get Amphibian in front of Doom. Moonglow and Crime Doctor team attack into Amphibian, and a High Society on Crime Doctor allows for a Dual stun and bounce. Luthor swings into Doom, and a SS/VU team up allows for two discards to pump Luthor up to 10/7, but Latveria prevents any breakthrough.
F:44. O:41

Turn 5
Onyx flips EoME, tossing his bounced Amphibian to grab Sub-Mariner, who exhausts Luthor; Lash recruits Talia and protects Moonglow with Luthor. Sub-Mariner attacks Luthor, who pitches Crime Doctor and Albert Gaines to get +4 and a free Crime Doctor to the field with Talia, before trading stuns. Doom attacks Moonglow for a one-sided stun, but Talia swings back to stun Doom. Moonglow bounces to the hand with Science Spire to mill 3, and Crime Doctor exhausts to Invasion plans to draw 2. Onyx loses a card to PIOT dung recovery, and KO's his Doom to keep Sub-Mariner.
F:35, O:33

Turn 6
Before dropping a resource, Flash bounces Luthor with Spire to mill 4, (getting a free Ape X with Talia, who gets a free Mind Gem, which drops on Ape X.)
6-drop Alexand Luthor hits the field, drawing 2 cards, and a 5-discard Arms Deal gets Amphibian out for free, as well as an Ego Gem on Crime Doctor, leaving Flash witha full field and an empty hand; Onyx drop 4-drop Doom to turn an EoME down and puts Doom up front. Flash swings Talia into Doom, and Mystical Paralysis exhausts Doom and Luthor before stunning/ Ape X and Amphibian team into Sub-Mariner, trading stuns between the two fish-men. Crime Doctor draws a card with Gem. Doom is KO'd to recovery.
F:31, O:24

Turn 7
Onxy drops 2-drop Beast, and passes; Flash sees the Bomb coming and doesn't recruit anyone. Onyx plays Gamma Bomb, and Flash bounces Luthor with Baddest of the Bad, getting Hal Jordan, Talia with Science Spire to mill five, and activates Crime Doctor to draw with Ego Gem before the bomb resolves.
F:31, O:24

Turn 8
Flash plays EoME to grab Moonglow, and boosts Alexander Luthor into play, to draw 2, and drop Hal Jordan and Moonglow for free; ONyx plays Faces to get 4-drop doom, who hits the field and turns Gamma Bomb face-down. Gamma Bomb is flipped face up at the start of combat, and Flash plays two Invasion plans to draw 4 cards, then removes Hal ordan from play to get Baddest of the Bad, which bounces Lex Luthor to grab Amphibian, and finally Moonglow is bounced with Science Spire to mill for 3, leaving Doom to be KO'd by himself.
F:31, O:24

Turn 9
Onyx plays a 0-discard Arms Deal, then flips EoME, tossing Ape X to get 4-drop Doom, who turns over Gamma Bomb again, and then drops Haywire in order to play PIOT to fulfill his 3-card requirement, despite not using any of the cards for their effect; Flash drops Luthor again to draw 2, and passes. Haywire bounces with Reign of Terror, and Onyx passes. Alex attacks Doom, and Onyx allows it to be legal this time, taking 4 and moving to the next turn.
F:31, O:20

Turn 10
Flash scoops, with no way to win.

Part 1: Marvel Heroes | Part 2: Marvel Teams | Part 3: Marvel Villains | Part 4: DC Heroes | Part 5: DC Teams | Part 6: DC Villains | Part 7: Miscellaneous

THE JOKER

Portrayed by: Cesar Romero [Batman TV Series, Batman The Movie (1966)]; Jack Nicholson [Batman (1989)]; Andrew Koenig [Batman Dead End (2003)]; Heath Ledger [The Dark Knight (2008)]

There's no question about it, Heath Ledger breathed new life into this character with his portrayal in The Dark Knight. I happen to think that Jack Nicholson's Joker was beautifully faithful to the comics at the time. It was the Joker I knew as that was the time I was collecting every single Batman title that came out. To be fair Cesar Romero played the Joker just like his 60's campy counterpart. Walter Koenig and the Batman Dead End film makers on the other hand decided to make the Joker more akin to the Arkham Asylum version which wasn't a bad idea, but I just didn't like Koenig's over the top acting.

CATWOMAN

Portrayed by: Julie Newmar [Batman TV Series, Batman The Movie (1966)]; Michelle Pfeiffer [Batman Returns (1992)]; Halle Berry [Catwoman (2004)]

There's something really hot about the 60's look to me. Playboy Playmates from this era are PHWOAR! So yes I think Julie Newmar was yummy as Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer on the other hand was the creepy version of the character but still that costume was perfect. Now for the 'other' Catwoman, Halle Berry. I included her here only because of the moniker similarity but as far as I know the Catwoman in her film wasn't even Selena Kyle.

THE PENGUIN

Portrayed by: Burgess Meredith [Batman TV Series, Batman The Movie (1966)]; Danny DeVito [Batman Returns (1992)]

Who can forget The Penguin's trademark laugh from the TV series (HUAKK! HUAKK! HUAKK!)? Burgess Meredith certainly looked like The Penguin in the comics. A lot of folks were disturbed by Danny DeVito's deformed Penguin though, but I thought it was a great version of the character, not so much a criminal mastermind but a bully, mob-boss type out for revenge on society.

TWO-FACE

Portrayed by: Tommy Lee Jones [Batman Forever (1995)]; Aaron Eckhart [The Dark Knight (2008)]

Tommy Lee Jones is usually a great character actor so I would like to think that his version of Two-Face was a result of bad direction from Joel Schumacher. It was totally wrong and was more like a Joker-type psychotic character. TDK's Harvey Two-Face on the other hand is very similar to the Two-Face written by Jeph Loeb in The Long Halloween and Dark Victory which happen to be brilliant titles. And I can't say enough about the oh so disgustingly real make-up effects.

THE RIDDLER

Portrayed by: Frank Gorshin [Batman TV Series, Batman The Movie (1966)]; Jim Carey [Batman Forever (1995)]

The Riddler just isn't that interesting of a character in my opinion. I guess Frank Gorshin was ok but to me The Riddler was just a Joker knock-off so I thought the same about his portrayal. Jim Carey just strengthened my belief with this kooky, zany, wacky version.

POISON IVY

Portrayed by: Uma Thurman [Batman & Robin (1997)]

Again I put the blame on Joel Schumacher for this version of Poison Ivy. She really could've worked but again I'm guessing Mr. Schumacher turned the "FASTER. MORE CAMP" signs on and Uma Thurman was forced to ham it up. Still, she had the perfect physique for the role.

MR. FREEZE

Portrayed by: Arnold Schwarzenegger [Batman & Robin (1997)]

If Arnie didn't have to deliver those god-awful lines of dialogue I think he would've pulled it off. The costume was ridiculous but worked for character. I happen to like the Mr. Freeze character especially with the origin story written by Paul Dini and somewhat used in the film. He's a tragic character like Bruce Wayne but one who decided to take his vengeance out on society instead.

BANE

Portrayed by: Jeep Swenson [Batman & Robin (1997)]

I hate this character. Ok its an uninformed decision since I never read the Knightfall storyline but I hated the idea of Batman being beaten by brute force. Anyway at least the movie version looked pretty damn close to the comics. And since they used a body-builder for the role I guess it was a good idea to let him have one line in the whole film, "BANE!!!"

THE SCARECROW

Portrayed by: Cillian Murphy [Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008)]

I thought Cillian Murphy was a bit too good looking for the creepy character, The Scarecrow. Admittedly, Cillian has a bit of a dark strange side but i guess I'm just used to the Scarecrow of the comics and Animated Series where he's shown as a really twisted, demented, unattractive man. In the comics of course Jonathan Crane was a bit loopy right from the get-go meanwhile the movie version lost his marbles due to inhaling his own "fear toxin".

LEX LUTHOR

Portrayed by: Gene Hackman [Superman (1978), Superman II (1982)]; Michael Rosenbaum [Smallville (2001)]; Kevin Spacey [Superman Returns (2006)]; 

The Lex Luthor character has gone through numerous changes but the one I grew up with was the Gene Hackman version which closely resembled the comics character although Mr. Hackman's version was a lot more comical. I had high hopes for Kevin Spacey but I think because Superman Returns was supposed to be a spiritual sequel to the original movies, he decided to emulate Gene Hackman's performance a bit too much. There's special mention here of Lionel Luthor (John Glover) who is Lex's dad in the Smallville series because the look of the character was obviously based on one of the recent versions of Lex Luthor in the comics where we find him younger, buff, and with long red wavy hair. If I recall correctly he was supposed to be Lex's son but was really his clone. Or something to that effect...

Not only is Lex Luthor to be the villain in the next Superman movie yet again, but Kevin Spacey has said that he'll be playing him (and getting paid mega bucks to do so). Why? Lex Luthor has been in all 5 previous Superman movies and Kevin Spacey was crap at playing him.

Hopefully this rumour will be dispelled next week and not followed by an article about Bryan Singer once again captaining the great ship Superman.

found via comicbookmovie

Morrison does not make this mistake. Morrison addresses all those psychological aspects that make Superman super, none of which have anything to do with the ability to leap a tall building in a single bound.

However, Morrison also brings us those undeniably fun qualities of Superman that existed in the Silver Age and mixes them with a 2007 mentality, giving us a hybrid of quirkiness and depth that only a mad scientist like Morrison could achieve. His Lex Luthor, for example, is a combination of everything in the past that has worked well for the character, but he still manages to give us something fresh.

In other words, he's giving us the best of two worlds (pun totally intended) with the Superman mythos. Furthermore, I love this collection because each issue basically can stand alone, yet they also blend together to form a unified whole as well.

Let's talk about the art! Quitely is simply an artist in the truest sense of the word. Every single panel is a joy to behold. I love the way he took Superman's costume and really made it otherworldly with the slightest of adjustments. By shortening the cape and elongated the trunks just a bit, I no longer see a big man wearing his underwear on the outside. It looks like some sort of space-man outfit, which, remember, is exactly what Superman is--a space man. Oh, and by the way, I don't mean to sound weird or whatever, but Quitely draws the cutest Lois Lane I've ever seen. He manages to convey her strength and self-reliance while still making her attractive. For some reason in the past, artists have had trouble blending the two.

If you're a die-hard Superman fan, you'll love this collection. If you're like me and you were more engrossed with the creative team than the character, you'll still love it. And if you don't even like comic books, you'll still love this one. This is truly the super work of some all stars.

Lex Luthor, Smallville

It was 2005 when I decided to paint my walls ASS pink and give up dope.

I was a smug bastard about it too.

I think the catalyst for it had something to do with a very nasty bout of cannabis fuelled morbid self-analysis, which saw me pacing my then matchbox of a bedroom, backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, for at least half an hour, in an attempt to disperse the soul-shredding anxiety and paranoia, through, if anyone should have really been spying on me via evil satellite link, embarrassing levels of exercise. Thankfully the munchies eventually kicked in, the clouds lifted and I decided enough was enough. It would be the last time I raided the fridge for Ryvita and sweetcorn relish (anything tastes good when your in the throws of, as my Mum's friend put it, 'the delicious eating') at four in the morning, and it would be the last time I performed like a crazy monkey-man for the entertainment of the evil bastard demons plaguing my befuddled noggin.

After that everything shifted.

*[audio http://mindlessones.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/a1_the_distant_message_by_bogdan-irkuk-aka-bulgari_rollerboysrecordings_011.mp3|leftbg=0xD11B00|lefticon=0xFFFFFF|righticon=0xD11B00|rightbg=0xFFFFFF|loader=0xD11B00|slider=0xFFFFFF|rightbghover=0xD11B00|righticonhover=0xFFFFFF]

My room, which had up until that point shared more in common with a bin than a sleeping space, became as tidy as Trevor in his special Topman shirt out on the town on the Friday razz. Overnight I actually started to give a shit about my living space. And that's when the pink happened. And the orange duvet. And the Japanese toys. And the superhero blow-ups adorning the walls. And the 1950's wind up robots. Everything went dayglo, and, while it might sound horrendously garish, there was something so light and vibrant about that space, and somehow I think it worked.

A bit like Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant's colour scheme for All Star Superman. In fact, now I look back at my room, it reminds me more and more of a real world extension of that fictional space.

So don't worry, Mindless Ones hasn't shifted its remit from men-in-pants to interior design - we'll get back to all things Krypton in just a moment.

The point is, everything started to feel illuminated and energized: music, people, parties, my head. Life went from being a dirge to the best it had been in years, and it took a matter of weeks. It was a magical period. Soft. Fairytale. Permeable. Malleable. Mine. I was in love with the world again. It felt like being rescued.

Corny? Lame? Heart on sleeve crap? Sure. But this post is about fucking Superman, mate. Superman isn't afraid to give a shit. And while the Apollonian sphere might be all about maths and logic, it's also about our bloody souls. And just about the time Supes floated dreamily onto my radar on that cotton wool cloud, things really started to shine. It was like someone had turned the Sun on in my heart. The book's beautiful, candybox-pastel sheen seemed to reflect something of where my life was at the point. No... more than that, there was a rainbow flavoured feedback loop crisscrossing between the two. ASS was an integral part of the architecture of that very special time, and to this day it feels as though the spell wouldn't have been complete without it, one of the central glyphs.

I know we often bore with autobiographical preamble here at Mindless central, but this time it seems so appropriate to do so. Superman is, I think, such a personal superhero. He's the source of them all, the guy that will save everyone, and as such we depend on him. Basically, he's all about THE LOVE. And up until the point Grant, Frank and co. released their building bounding baby on greyfaced fandom, I think we all missed him just a little bit. Because where had superhero comics been up until that time? Down and dirty in the trenches of the realistic, pitches for blockbuster movies that would never (?) happen, analogues for last night's events on CNN. Frankly, I can't think of a great deal of stuff that was fun about caped crusaders at that time. The children of Miller had grown up and the market reflected that. Sure, there was always the odd bout of craziness like Jack Staff, but, really, everything was still dominated by the sadistic gruntings of Mark Millar and the curmudgeonly scowling of Warren Ellis. Fuck - Ellis! It's unbelievable, but before the mid zeros superhero comics were in the hands of at least one top creator who actually HATED them. Jeez, give me Geoff Johns over that guy any day. No, when Superman returned to comicdom he brought a whole lot of the good stuff back with him. ASS was the anti-Dark Knight.

SUPERMAN SAYS "STOP THE VIOLENCE!"

To begin with, there's the colour scheme. It's almost a direct answer to DKR - It could even be subtly mocking it. There's the muted shades, sure, but this time, rather than blues and browns and greys, everything's in Technicolor. Sometimes it dares to border on garish and lurid, but it doesn't give a fuck about that. Jamie Grant's pallete celebrates colour. Like the book itself, it's life affirming and conclusive in stark contrast to DKR's fearful 80's uncertainties. The art is playful, amusing and cartoony, as opposed to the scratchy, gritty expressionism Miller favoured, and the bunched up, claustrophobic panels that inform his Gotham open out into the wider, expansive, hopeful vistas of Quitely's zeppelin canopied Metropolis. In fact I would go even further and argue that ASS is a pointed refutation of the entire ultra-realist project unwittingly begun by Mazzuchelli and Miller in the mid 80's, all the way through to the black guttered storyboards of Bryan Hitch's Ultimates, and by virtue of this a massive two fingered salute to everything those books stand for. ASS really represents an entirely different aesthetic to most of the guff crowding out the stands, and with it an entirely different attitude.

We have so much to thank it for.

To start with ASS is definitely Morrison's most balls to the wall romantic work. All of his stuff contains *moments* - it's one of the elements that makes his work so good, above and beyond the far-out SF concepts and head-mangling conceits - but largely he saves this stuff till the end of the story. Not so with Supes. I mean, it's almost incredible just how many people, completely independently of each other, agree on 6 and 10 being the best issues of the book, and those issues are full of it: Clark and Krypto playing in outer space; Pa Kent's funeral; Superman's future self presenting him with the golden rose from New Krypton; the image of our hero by his father's grave; carrying the school bus; the rescue of the goth girl; the title banner 'FOREVER' beneath Siegel's first mock up.... the Kandorians flying from his hand (that one always gets me). If that seemed like a list, then it was. I want to underline just how many touching, emotionally stirring moving parts this 12 issue mega-story contains. And then there's all the other stuff: Jimmy cradling a broken Superman in his arms; Lois being carried to bed; that kiss on the moon; Robot 7 wandering back into the darkness of the Fortress of Solitude.... And in the end when Morrison makes good on the promise of the book's title and our wannabe Sun God truly becomes one with a star. It just doesn't stop. Grant wants us to care, and it's testimony to his skills as a writer that he succeeds every time. Anyway, that's Superman's aura right there. He cares. A Superbook without that - one that fails to bring about those feelings in the reader - misses the whole point.

All Star was a one book rebuttal to the snidey, mean superheroics that preceded it. Can you imagine Morrison's Superman dropped into any of Millar's Marvel books, with all those vicious one-liners as superfriend electro-fries alleged superfriend's brain? He wouldn't know where the fuck he was, but he'd damn well know who the baddies were. All that cynicism, sarcasm and playground homophobia? That shit's for snotty teenagers. The latent anger, fear and generally scaled down expectation that characterises those "heroes" and those books? Shut up! Dare to dream! Dare to believe! Look the world in the face and imagine... Sure, Kal-El couldn't keep up with all the snappy name dropping and movie referencing, but he couldn't give a shit. Superman isn't cool. He doesn't give a shit for cool. Real grown ups just don't care about that crap. Anyway, Superman pwns the cool kids. The man has style, a whole aesthetic, an entire history - indeed, an entire culture - that pours out of him like radiation from a star; and Morrison knows this. Superman's for kids? Well, as my old Nanny Sandy used to say 'Confident adults don't worry about playing around and looking silly - anyone who uses the word 'immature' too often probably better take a good look at their own self esteem issues'. Anyway, we've been mature readers for so long now, even the 8 year olds are forced to grow beards before picking up their first Spidey book. Maybe it's time to reappraise the stuff that we dumped around the same time I bashed up my Transformers collection. We might learn something new.

Everything in ASS is a toy - just check out Jamie's play school dipped paintbrush and the legion of fun, collect-em-all characters. There's the ones that cameo but never speak, such as the future Supergirl in issue 10. There's the one issue supporting cast - the Superman from the 5th dimension (complete with whirling cloud action!) and Cal Kent (see his eyes glow white with super-telepathy when you hit the button on his back!), all the way through to the Mr Quintums of the piece (collect all five of his outfits! Coat of many colours comes with swirling hologram effect!). There's a wide range of accessories too, and the most expensive thing in the entire range, coming in at around £50, the Fortress of Solitude! Morrison and co. seem to be deliberately referencing our yesteryears with every panel. This is a world to be enjoyed, to kick about in, not to be scared of. I think the Supercar in 12 sums it up the best. This is a serious fucking scene, where Superman has to conquer the Bardo itself, flooded with the pink light of generation and rebirth, but somehow, inspite of all the brooding portent and imminent apocalypse, Morrison uses this sequence to make sense of the most stupid supertoy imaginable. What on Earth does Superman need a car for? Well now you know. This is such an effortless reappropriation of our childhood playthings, and embodied right here is the idea that this is really a bedtime story for grown ups. Things are getting heavy but there's always a big smile beneath the piece. Sod off, Gaiman. I think it's important to the function of the book that it brings out the wide-eyed kid in all of us, that it reimagines the reader as child, because Superman sees us that way, he's the Ultra-Dad, and we have to acknowledge the vulnerable, expansive aspects of ourselves if we're going to be saved.

Continuing the theme....

Gone are the movie sets in favour of a modern day, 2D, comic book playset, possessed of such tangible verisimilitude we could almost reach into it....if we weren't scared of our fingers getting burned by Doomsday's heat rays. Because in ASS the action figures have a life of their own. Quitely's art is like a window into a gorgeous homunculus mini-universe, a la Qwerq, where on the surface of things - at a glance - everything seems simpler and less dense, but then one's eye gets drawn in, closer, by subtle nuances of gesture and facial expression, and closer still by the freeze framed trajectory of tiny dented bullets as they bounce off steel hard super-skin, and still deeper, into and across the suburbs, satellite towns, far away villages and mountain ranges of shrunken Kandor, and out... until we're lost in the burning, lonely pink wastes and skeletal mining farms of doomed Krypton. Imagine the Kenner plastic Hoth set of your childhood sprouting the kind of fractal complexity necessary to transform it into a fully functional world - a real war zone, where the Force is a living thing and goodies and baddies really duke it out for the future of the universe and the heart of an alien princess. Imagine the functions your imagination performed every day as a child. That's what Quitely, Grant and Morrison conjure here. That's what this work reminds us of. We really feel, reading ASS, that we're sand-pitting in an utterly immersive and convincing fictional world. The walls are solid, but the emotions are grander, more mythic primal and dreamlike. The impossible can happen and the laws of physics are shunted just a a little bit to the left. I mean, who could resist vacationing in a space like the Underverse, or PROJECT's moonbase or the Daily Planet once every couple of months?

And Superman is playing too. Sure, there's drama and narrow escapes, but the indestructible body can accommodate any environment, any wonder - it's built to withstand the twin pressures of novelty and imagination - the sci-fi writer's palette - and more than anything else, even when things get a bit tense, we understand we're just exploring. We can go anywhere with him, even to the edge of death itself. Let's get this straight - this is not a combat based narrative. Because we're safe with Superman we're allowed to be curious and open-minded, we're allowed to care about the villains of the piece, we don't have to view things through a thick shield of irony. And of course this is another of the book's selling points. As I mentioned above, Superman is unashamed, and ASS likewise. Obviously this makes ASS rather hard to sell to your non-comics reading friends, but that's just cause we're living in a culture where Batman's all R & D and where Harry Potter books have to sport special covers to make them attractive to an adult audience. We're supposed to have put aside fairytales, aren't we?

Well, perhaps until our lives turn into one.

SUPERMAN SAYS "NO!" TO WATER COOLER CULTURE

Most of us, if we're lucky, will experience a time in the future, perhaps an extended time, maybe a moment or two, when we're really taken out of ourselves. When the grey scales fall off our eyes. It could be at our child's birth, it could be falling in love, it could just smack us in the ennui one day when we're walking down the street, and this is the atmosphere, the internal environment, that All Star Superman is trying to reflect and catalyse in us - the best days of our lives (as THE ADAMS sang), when, as I said above, everything's soft (because the boundaries between things needn't be so rigid anymore), fairytale (because everything seems primal, mythic and illuminated with significance), permeable (because we want to interrogate, explore and know more) and malleable (because we're an integral part of the whole thing). With this in mind, have a look at the landscape of ASS again. It's all those things: Bric-a-brac colour schemes that lap at the eye; balloon-skin thin line work; an illustrative style that summons up bedtime and "Nan, can I see the picture...?!?", a gentle three dimensionality rotating softly within and around itself. If Morrison's preceding works have aggressively shoved the reader towards the kind of...err... magickal awareness he wants to provoke, then All Star Superman is a far subtler beast. It doesn't rely solely on didactic screeds, or narrative thrust, or belligerently zany page layouts to make its point - it's all just loaded into every panel, the mise-en-scene, the general tone. Superman's got there already, and all he wants us to do is catch up, because sometimes it's lonely on that cloud. The book is truly a collaborative effort. I've made every effort to include the artists in this little eulogy as much as I've included Grant, because everyone working on it contributes to the fiery nimbus that surrounds the piece, either by accident or design. It doesn't matter. The spell just worked.

Sometimes it comes steam engines. Sometimes it comes All Star Superman time.

What a brilliant book.

I love you Superman!

Epilogue - a second synchronicity to finish with: The lovely woman I met at the beginning of this little..umm.. reminiscence recently disappeared from my life, just prior to the last issue coming out. It's been a difficult break up and there's been lots of mutual anger, pain and shouting between us, which I know we both regret enormously. The last such bout, and probably the worst occurred last week (I won't go into details here, for obvious reasons), but on the morning 12 came out in the UK we made up, and she said something I've been waiting a very long time to hear her say. Something I needed to hear a great deal. And just to make sure I'd got the message she presented me with a present.

And, no, she had no idea that ASS was waiting for me at Dave's Comics that day.

*That mighty piece of scene shifting, cheesy space electro was brought to you by the insanely good

                                

Mark Sumner has written a well-documented analysis of how the Federal government has brought the U.S. to this financial crisis. Three Times is Enemy Action tells a 25 year story of governmental deregulation that led to the Savings & Loan crisis of the late 1980s, the Enron-created rolling blackouts in California in 2000 and 2001, and today's destruction of the U.S. mortgage market and near collapse of Wall Street. The one constant in all of this? Phil Gramm, the former senator from Texas.

Bringing California to its knees by forcing it to buy energy at astronomical prices and undermining the foundation of Wall Street and the U.S. housing market seem like classic storylines for a super villian like Lex Luthor. So, is Phil Gramm an evil genius? More pertinent is that Phil Gramm is now John McCain's chief economic advisor. Not surprisingly, McCain voted for all the legislation mentioned in the article. Sumner's article is on Daily Kos. Oviously, it is written to put McCain in the worst possible light.

Since, this is a business blog, not a political blog, I will not dwell on McCain, and let you come to your own conclusions on that.

More important to ETF investors is that Sumner explains in detail how credit default swaps work. This is relevant to the conversation because equity swaps, a cousin of credit swaps, are the main asset held by the ProShares short ETFs which came under serious duress on Friday.

The two take-aways here are this article explains in detail the Congressional actions that led us to this financial disaster. I have not been able to find a piece anywhere else in the financial news media that has been able to adequately tie together all the pieces of how we got here.

Second, Sumner presents us with the possibility that Congress getting involved again will only bring more trouble. Will this new government bailout truly help the small investors on Wall Street or will we see more scary days on Wall Street in the coming weeks?

Smallville's Season 8 Premier just aired. I'm rewatching it as I type this and I can't wait to talk about this episode. Its very exciting. What a great show! What a great episode. Beware of SPOILERS after the jump...

- SPOILER ALERT -

SMALLVILLE SEASON 8

Episode 8.01 - "Odyssey"

This episode helped take away any doubts I may have had about this season. It looks like the whole show is finally taking a turn that has been long over due, and it was done very well. It felt like a natural progression. Like now that Lana's gone, and Clark has lost so much, he really has no other choice than to accept his destiny and move forward. This is a different Clark we're being treated to. Not in a sense that doesn't fit what he's been before. He just seems more mature, more determined, and more sure of himself than ever before. There are several moments in the episode I'll point out as the recap goes on where the look of confidence on his face, and the sound of his voice are clear signals that Clark is ready and willing.

The episode opens up with Tess arriving at the sight of Lex and Clark's disappearance. The crew is hard at work looking for Lex. Regan's at the sight, and Ms. Tess Mercer shows up to take command away from him. She's determined to find Lex. Just when they think they've found something deep in the snow, a familiar green hooded archer shows up. The Green Arrow, sporting all his ultra cool high-tech gadgets starts shooting out equipment and taking down Mercer's henchmen. Accompanying Green Arrow is the beautiful Dinah Lance; The Black Canary, whose sonic canary cry disables more of their equipment. And just when Regan thinks he's got the drop on Arrow, Aquaman springs through the snow and takes him out. They find Clark's famous red jacket, but no sign of Clark himself.

It was an action packed opening to the season, leading into the new opening credits. It was pretty sad not seeing Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor in the opening credits. Also absent from the credits, of course, is John Glover as Lionel Luthor, who died last season. When you consider that we've also lost Annette O'tool and John Schneider, the credits can be pretty jarring. But its so good to see so many new faces. Tess Mercer, Doomsday, and Green Arrow have all been added as permanent cast members for the new season. Justin Hartley as the Green Arrow is a welcome addition in my opinion. He was one of the best parts of season 6, and its good to have him back in a more consistent position.

When we return from commercials, we find Lois in a really sexy french made costume, poking around the Luthor Mansion, looking for any clues and info on the whereabouts of her cousin Chloe. Its so great to see Lois using her skills as a reporter to accomplish what she needs. Lois is one hard piece of candy. Her interaction with Tess is a great scene. Tess is obviously going to be a great villain. While I already miss Rosenbaum as Lex, I think Tess will do just fine.

We find Chloe hooked up to a machine, being shown images on a screen in rapid flashes. It turns out our favorite blond hacker has a new ability. Super brainy abilities. Her captors are doing these little tests and experiments on her because they need her to do their dirty work later in the episode. Any time Chloe is in a scene, its a good one. Even when its basically set-up for a later scene, like this one.

Now we're at the Isis Foundation. Lana's high-tech "Lana Cave," as us Smallville Geeks have come to call it. The Justice League, sans Impulse and Cyborg are using it to try to find Clark. So far they've got no leads, but Olliver refuses to give up on him. Dinah is looking pretty foxy, I might add. Love that wig...

Finally, we're taken to Russia, and given our first look at Clark, powerless, in a work camp, being forced to do manual labor. How much bigger can Tom Welling possibly get? The guy is huge! He's a beast! Anyway, he tries to make a get-a-way but fails. He gets the snot beat out of him by some old Russian guy. Not very Superman to get your butt kicked by a senior citizen, but it is very Superman to stand up to him the way he did, despite being powerless.

There's Regan again, trying to act like Lex. Its ironic because he's not Lex's replacement. Tess is. She gives me a very Shirley Manson on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles vibe.

Chloe's captors finally ask her to do what they want. Find 3 phone numbers that'll lead them to the capture of a terrorist group. Little does she know, at first, she's handing over the Justice League. When she recognizes Olliver's phone number, she figures out these people are not the DDS. They're Luthor's men, and they're using her to find and capture her friends.

Clark comes to and gives escape another try. But wait... Olliver's here! How'd he find Clark? He picks a fight with Clark as a ruse. The two exchange blows in an actual bare knuckle fight. I don't think I've ever seen Clark fight like that on the show before. He's always so much more powerful than his opponents so he holds back. The best part about it: As they're finally walking away Clark says to Olliver, "What took you so long?" That line is so incredibly simple, but the way he said it was our first real look at this "new" Clark. He's not a whiny, worried, or overly polite farm boy anymore. This guys been places, and he's seen things. There's growth there. There was no sentimental "Thank you Olliver. I'm so glad you came for me." No. "What took you so long?" Classic.

On the Queen Jet they discuss the events of Arctic. Lex knows Clark's secret, and he's out there somewhere. Clark survived without his powers, its plausible Lex survived aswell. I'm praying and holding out hope that Rosenbaum will maybe an appearance this season. At least in the season finale. PLEASE! Moving on, they discuss Chloe. They've looked everywhere for her. There's only one Luthorcorp facility left unchecked, so that's where she must be. But Dinah and AC have both been captured, and Clark is powerless. Green Arrow can't do it alone, can he?

In Montana, at the Luthorcorp facility, Dinah and AC are strung up, with their powers suppressed. Clark and Green Arrow arrive and split up to look for their friends. Clark discovers... LOIS? Deep undercover, as usual. They take out a few guards with some clever one liners and punch-lines. Did I mention this is a new Clark?

Back to Chloe. Her mom had an ability too. Mind control. They used her mother's DNA to create a mind control serum and used it on Chloe to force her to give her that last phone number, revealing Olliver's location to them. Of course, he's in the building. He finds Dinah and AC, but it doesn't take long for the bad guys to stick that mind control serum in his neck and make him go after Clark and Chloe and find Lex. Clark and Lois find Chloe and set her free. Well, Clark does. Lois gets knocked out. (They can't COMPLETELY change the show. There's gotta be some sense of normalcy. Lois getting knocked out is a staple of the show.)

Green Arrow and Clark cross paths and in a surprising scene, Green Arrow actually fires one into Clark! Right next to his heart! Clark's mortal now, that's gotta sting! Clark doesn't know where Lex is. The second arrow shoots right through this chest and out the window. They added a slow-mo effect to give us false hope that Clark's powers would suddenly reappear and he'd evade the arrow... but nope! It hit him. He's dying and Ollie snaps out of it just in time to cry and watch Clark move closer to death. Chloe tries to save him but her healing ability is gone, replaced by her super brain, I assume. Justin Hartley was awesome in this scene. He's a great actor. How he doesn't get more work is beyond me.

The Martian Manhunter arrives! He picks Clark up and flies up into the sun. This character hasn't been used to his full potential yet.

When we return. Clark wakes up in the barn. Good as new. He's healed and his powers are restored. Manhunter, however, is now powerless. Here's hoping that's just temporary. This scene was my favorite of the episode, dialogue-wise. Manhunter points out that Clark has the powers of a god, yet lives among humans. Clark comes back with "Sometimes I feel like I need to be two separate people." That line was well placed, and its about time! Things are finally looking forward. Clark isn't afraid of his destiny anymore. And this looks like the beginning of him developing a secret identity. The fortress is gone, and with it, so is Jor-El. Clark's adoptive parents are gone. He has no family or life left on that farm. He announces he's leaving that life behind, and starting a new one. Again, I say, its about time.

Tess, in the solitude of the Mansion, has a look of wonder, curiosity, and possible fear regarding her new role as CEO of Luthorcorp, and her task of finding Lex. In the presence of her lackey's, however, she's hard as nails and fearless. Her people found a footprint in the arctic that didn't belong to Luthor. And what's worse: She has the Crystal used to create the fortress. She's on to Clark, and its only a matter of time.

Chloe gets the overdue visit from Jimmy, and he retracts his proposal placed in the season 7 finale. But Chloe knows what she wants. She wants that little goofball to marry her. So she says yes anyways and now, they're engaged! That's a little weird, but I can get used to that. That explains the upcoming wedding episode.

Finally, the Justice League meets back up to discuss their problems. Lex's people are on to him, but they can't find Lex. They decide to split up, lay low, and try to find Lex. Clark, in not so many words, practically joined the League right then and there. With triumphant music playing in the background.

The final scene finds Lois in the Daily Planet, being annoyed by Clark, who apparently just got a job at the paper! The show's title needs to get changed to "Metropolis." And Lois looked pretty surprised that her farmboy friend is going to be at the desk in front of hers. But surprised in a good way. Looks like somebody's got a crush. The show wouldn't be Smallville without a new shipper.

In closing, this was one great episode. Its still Smallville, but there's lots of new stuff going on. Lots of new cast members. A new attitude for Clark. The beginning stages of his double life. The seeds of a romance with Lois have been planted. Chloe's got a new ability. Manhunter is powerless, and the Justice League has disbanded. Things really got shook up in this episode. But while all the new stuff makes it feel like a new version of the show... it really is still the same Smallville we've come to love. Just a little updated. It looks like we may actually get a "Meteor-Freak of the Week" episode next Thursday. Now if that's not old-school Smallville, I don't know what is.

The effects were pretty great and the score and sound effects were as good as ever. I'll admit, I was worried about season 8. But this premier has put those worries to rest and now I'm just super excited about the rest of the season.

Enjoy Smallville.

The A-Train's Smallville Season 8 Premier Rating: 4 out of 5 crystals.

This is the picture perfect ending to what has become a legendary run. All Star Superman will be missed immensely now that it's over, and I can say with certainty that reader appreciation will grow as the years pass. DC has stated that the series will return soon, but whomever takes the writing helm will have his or her work cut out for them.

Superman, on the brink of death (he's suffering from radiation poisoning), manages to muster the will to fight Lex Luthor one last time - all while keeping his identity secret from his co-workers at the Daily Planet. It's exciting, gripping, and hilarious all at the same time, and the nod to Silver Age ridiculousness is nothing but fun. Superman proves that he can beat Luthor in every way, and it's somewhat sad, yet gratifying to see Luthor finally accept his fate knowing that no matter what, he cannot and will not ever defeat Superman.

The action is perfectly illustrated by Frank Quitely's skillful hand, who has done nothing but impress issue after issue. Here, he illustrates the brutal showdown between Supes and Luthor - their final confrontation which, when stripped away, is nothing more than a street fight between two men. It's a fitting climax and when all's said and done, our hero flies off one last time in a selfless act to save humanity. And the last two pages? Brilliant.

I'm so sad this one's over. It's not just one of the greatest Superman stories ever told, it's one of the greatest superhero tales of our time. (Grade: A+)

- J. Montes

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That is the name of my band. We thought about going with The Sun Never Shone On TV, but we all like living in the present, despairing in the now. Our famousest incarnation was as St. Canard -- we were unstoppable. Unfortunately, dissension in the ranks -- and the hate of the Red Ring of Death -- had us regrouping as The Griefgod Inscrutable. To a much lesser extent, we were the one-off No Seas Maje. We were also part of the second lineup of The Strikebeards, but that one went the way of the Padron. (F your i, I'm a pretty entertaining-slash-outrageous lead singer.)

When I say "we," I speak, of course, of my brother and me, and I, of course, speak of Rock Band Rock Band 2.

Released on Sunday, we got on that and we immediately tackled Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf," among others I'm sure. Then I scratched the disk the disk got scratched and I demanded the Best Buy associate for a new copy. She knew what was up, but The Sun Never Shines On TV found itself jamming to Squeeze last night. Our session came to an abrupt end when Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles came up in the form of Season 2, Episode 2. Helluva segue...

Fall is here, and after the TV lull of Summer (Mad Men, Phelps, Liukin, and Johnson notwithstanding), I am more than ready to become the braindead couch potato I was born to be. (I used to be a bed potato, but our HDTV is in the living room.) This blog will be dedicated to the wonderful programming that awaits us all in NTSC land (soon to be ATSC). For all of my international friends, I'm sorry I cannot cover the goings-on of PAL, but I'm sure you can catch Smallville sometime...

Mondays

Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles (8:00, FOX)

Save the outcast boy, save the world. We all know the premise of the Terminator franchise -- Austrian neo-Nazi becomes governor of a liberal state as a Republican and James Cameron gets slightly richer. The second Terminator is still a fun movie to watch, so how could a FOX serial ever live up to that? Well, instead of having Robocop from the future as the omen of cybernetic doom, you have a luscious apparatus in the form of wooden Summer Glau as Cameron (snicker, snicker), the not-quite-human piece of ass ready to kill either other Terminators or the boy who she was sent to protect (by the boy himself, in the future). Throw in a MILF, a useless savior, going-nowhere subplots, a Beverly Hills 90210 alum, and the impending Judgment Day, and you've got a decent sci-fier.

My main concern with this show is, what can possibly be their endgame? We know Skynet wins, so, what, the puny humans are just gonna keep pushing it back? Christian Bale trades in his cape and cowl next year for brooding freedom fighter fatigues in next year's Terminator future perfect blockbuster, so until then, we can only hope that the robot and mom will make out in this TV show. Or that FOX won't ax it because of its costly special effects. (There's a liquid-cool Alex Mack Capri-Sun T-1000 on the show now!)

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The Big Bang Theory (8:00, CBS)

Ah, the comedy tailored for geeks and the people who make fun of them. For one such as me, jokes about The Flash, Halo 3, and not getting the girl are awesome (sad?) to digest, and for your everyday Other, it's a hilarious way to see how that growing sect of people in society behave. Really, I don't know anyone who's not a geek. Except maybe Carol, but she's a dork, anyway. The overarching premise of this hit show (besides Star Wars allusions) is nerdcore Leonard is trying to get with the show's eye candy, the I've-wanted-her-for-years Kaley Cuoco. I can make a joke about her last name, but I'm too lost in her hips to attempt anything. So to speak.

☼

How I Met Your Mother (8:30, CBS)

(If you're wondering, I manage conflicting schedules by catching repeats down the road.) How are people not watching this great little show about five New York compadres? It's constantly on the verge of cancellation, and it's a real pity considering the talent and creativity this gem brings every week. The cast of characters? Ted, the wistful every-buddy determined to find the love of his life -- and he did (who is the titular mama?), since the show is narrated by himself 30 years into the future, as Bob Saget. (SAGET!!!!!) You have Lily and Marshall, the cutesy-awesome couple with a slanted apartment. There's Robyn, the hott news reporter who was once a late-'80s tween pop sensation in Canada (think Canuck Debbie Gibson). Lastly, we come to awesome incarnate with NPH's Barney, that hellacious chick-plower whose catchphrases are as a LEGENDARY as his suits. Did I mention his father may be Bob Barker? No? Well, I shouldn't. You ought be watching, anyway.

☼

Heroes (9:00, NBC)

Season Two of Heroes was lackluster. I'm being generous. Peter didn't know who he was, Hiro was in feudal Japan, Sylar was chilling with would-be immigrants, and they still gave Nikki face time. The best part of the short-lived series? Kristen Bell, the randy sexpot. It's been over nine months since I last got to see Claire, the cheerleader that was saved for the sake of the world, and that is a crime against humanity. (I represent humanity as a whole.) This third season will get us back on track, they say, and things look promising since this story arc has been labeled "Villains."

☼

Tuesdays

Fringe (9:00, FOX)

This X-Files meets LOST thriller (forged by the latter's exec producer) only premiered last week, but it seems really promising. You have the makings of a good suspenseful show -- real-world echoes, mysterious evil organization, interesting characters you hope will evolve, and the kook who played Denethor in The Lord of the Rings. Also, you got the kid from Dawson's Creek The Mighty Ducks and Keen Eddie...Bring back Keen Eddie!

☼

Eli Stone (10:00, ABC)

How many prophets of God will invade TV to champion the religious right and propel Amber Tamblyn to our consciousness? Not enough! Eli Stone is such a show. I was actually really worried that they would drop the guillotine on this one. Ratings were criminally low last season, but lucky for us Eli Stone fans (all seven of us), the ABC suits adore the show, and so it stayed. (A similar sitch occurred with Gilligan's Island -- network exec's wife liked Bonanza better, and bye-bye, Skipper.) Starring one of the droogs from Trainspotting, it is a heartwarming tale of a wealthy lawyer knocked down by a life-threatening aneurysm. Is he hallucinating or receiving divine inspiration? Whatever you may think, you cannot deny how beautiful Maggie is. Who the hell is Maggie, you ask? Only the cutest thing to hit TV since Pam Beesley!

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Wednesdays

Pushing Daisies (8:00, ABC)

I have no idea where this idyllic Tim Burton-esque dramedy left off last season. A writer's strike will do that to one's memory. From what I can gather, the show was never as great as its pilot, but it was still very entertaining. How can a pie maker who can bring people back from the dead (with consequences!) not be entertaining? There's also his irrepressible love interest, Chuck, the would-be GF were it not for her one-touch-away-from-death plot twist  (bad pie maker, bad!). Cutesy Chuck's darling outlook is almost as eye-catching as Kristin Chenoweth's guilty performance. All in all, a winning who-dun-it caper with a charming, whimsical, rainbowy background. The fever, catch it!

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South Park (10:00, Comedy Central)

It's South Park! Cartman will feed you your parents in a bowl! Cartman's hand will "make out" with Ben Affleck's pants! BUTTERS!!!!!!

In Spring, we get LOST in this timeslot, so for now, the waiting game we must play. Poor, poor Jeremy Bentham...

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Thursdays

Smallville (8:00, The CW)

Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, and Supergirl are gone. What the hell? Look how many people they've offed. Only THREE regulars remain. From what I can tell, this eighth season will see the rise in "friendship" between Lois Lane and Clark Kent (finally). Did I want to know that? No. You try ignoring TVGuide.com's daily newsletters. Like termites, they is! Beyond that, same ol', same ol' with The Man Of Tomorrow. After so many years (I began watching it on premiere night in the 10th grade), you would think it would have lost its luster, but no, it only gets better. However, I did lose my wish to marry Chloe. Only slightly, only slightly.

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My Name Is Earl (8:00, NBC)

More often than not, I miss Earl and the gang, but when I do catch him, it's good stuff. Except when he's in jail. Or in a coma. Get back on track, guys. Oh, and give the Yes, Dear alums more face time. It's what Crab Man would want.

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Kath & Kim (8:30, NBC)

It's part of NBC's comedy block, so I'ma catch it in spite of knowing zilch about it. The clincher? Selma Blair's stomach.

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The Office (9:00, NBC)

Everyone watches The Office, so why delve into the nuances of TV's most visible comedy? (Two and a Half Men is still TV's most watched sitcom, I don't know why...) It's still funny, in spite of reaching LCD viewers. (Don't know what LCD stands for? Thanks for proving my point.) In spite of cast shakeups, it's still the same at its core: Dwight is Dwight, Michael is the boss I dearly wish I could have, and Jim is still shrugging every two minutes. Sure, Jam (Jim + Pam) have become a "couple," ugh, as of late, forfeiting the show's emotional core, but they're still good. I guess...I wish they would bring back Rashida Jones. She was sex on sticks.

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30 Rock (9:30, NBC)

TV's huzzah laffer, 30 Rock is the show you wish you could be a part of. The cast seems so cohesive, and yet so disjointed. Tina Fey is the coolest lady on TV (sorry, Ms. Arnett), and she demonstrated that she is a lot more than just one of the many Weekend Update anchors (in yo' mouf, Norm McDonald!). How can people not be watching this celebrated nonsense? You have Alec Baldwin and his irreverent smirk; Katrina Bowden's occasional smoldering appearances; Kenneth the slapjaw bumpkin; Jane Krakowski's prima donna fluffiness (she was hott as Betty in the second Flintstones flick); a veritable host of cartoony guest stars; and Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, the wackiest caricature on primetime since Steven Q. Urkel...maybe. Hey, he did "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" -- boys becoming men, men becoming wolves! Choke on that link alone, slapnuts.

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It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (10:00, FX)

Without a doubt, the sunniest funniest show on TV. The premise is gold: four friends and a dysfunky father (Danny DeVito!) own a bar in the home of my Philly Cheesesteak. That's it. That is all you need for the funniest thing since Arrested Development. In its fourth season, this politically maladjusted riot always finds a way to poke fun of the most taboo of things. Raped by a gay black man? Only in the pilot. Take advantage of pro life manifestations to get with a hott right-winger? Why not! Find a baby in the dumpster and utilize it to make big bucks? Do it! Serve high schoolers alcohol, crash their parties, and show up to their prom? I would, too! Afraid of the phrase "Jew"? I know I am -- it is a hard J.

Last season's epic epitome of awesomeness occurred when the gang made a band. Naturally, Charlie "penned" his lyrics about getting raped by Night Man. And then came New Wave-tinged "Day Man": "Day Man, uh-ah-ahh! Fighter of the Night Man, uh-ah-ahh! Champion of the sun, uh-ah-ahh! Master of karate and friendship for everyone!" Synchronised clapping and glam-Bowie duds? Only in a show where DeVito lays your lifelong crush. If you are ready to experience sexual magic, then click on LINK and LINK.

What's the deal with Fridays and Saturdays? You have SNL. Maybe.

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Sundays

The Simpsons (8:00, FOX)

Twenty seasons later, the yellow clan keeps on trucking (as if they would ever want to stop trucking). Will it ever find its series finale? Well, Matt Groening was thinking about adding a seventh helipad to his puppy's house...

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King of the Hill (8:30, FOX)

So is Sunday the end of the week or the beginning? I hate Sundays. The day of foreboding...KotH has amazing longevity. I can't figure out what's keeping this seldom mentioned animated comedy alive, but it's a sure bet that it's people like me who enjoy a pleasant, under-the-radar satire. Also, there's a half-hour wait between The Simpsons and Family Guy...

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Family Guy (9:00, FOX)

Lucky there's a family guy -- or else Seth MacFarlane wouldn't have $100 million to spend on covering up all of the hooker deaths he's caused. Did you know that MacFarlane (creator, voice of Peter, Brian, and Stewie) was supposed to be on one of the planes that crashed on 9/11? Pretty surreal to think that alcoholism could save a life. As for the show itself, it still gets by on zany manatee gags and references to 1980s pop culture. This season should give us the sequel to "Blue Harvest" -- just think, an hourlong Empire Strikes Back parody with Ernie the Giant Chicken as Boba Fett and Ollie Williams as Lando Calrissian ("Cloud City's pretty!").

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American Dad (9:30, FOX)

Family Guy's unfunny step-brother. Oh, and there's an effeminate alien. Voila! A nutshell!

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Entourage (10:00, HBO)

I don't have HBO anymore, but when I do catch the Jersey boys in their fifth season OnDemand, it's sure to be a fun ride teeming with envy and more envy. I so wish I could be those guys. You have Vince Chase, the nascent, somewhat vapid ex-Aquaman in groovy search for Hollywood immortality. He's in bed with a different girl every night, and when it's Mandy Moore or Carla Gugino (ahem), well, one can only take notice. His second is Erik (or E), a no-nonsense manager with a firm grasp on reality, even though he can never get his love life in check. Turtle is the crew's driver, a Jersey boy in big clothes with questionable baggies full of fun. Johnny Drama is Vinnie's older washed-up actor of a brother, and his antics are just awesomeness with a goatee. Lastly, you have Jeremy Piven as the riotous agent Ari Gold, the foulest mouth on TV today. When he's not telling E to go downtown on himself, he's chastising his whimsically gay assistant to...well, you get the idea. Entourage is not heavy on the funny, but it does bring entertainment by the assload. It's only a plus when you see Harvey Weinstein going off about mutilating wee Erik. My wish for this season? Keep eccentric director Walsh around. He made a film that bombed at Cannes -- will he kill himself? Or just Erik?

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So there you is, jerkwads and homeboys, my flimsy excuse to post images of gorgeous women tentative Fall schedule. The midseason slate should inject some fresh blood into the sked with Joss Whedon's Dollhouse (Eliza Dushku was brewed in a sex cauldron). We also wait patiently for LOST, the greatest drama in the history of TV (after all, it gave us beachside Evangeline Lily). That show always manages to blow your mind every two seconds. I've literally screamed out in astonishment while watching it. Lastly, I alone shall anticipate the devilish return of Reaper, which was this close to getting the ax last season. It's a very decent show about the nerdy boyfriend from Grounded For Life acting as Satan's bounty hunter. Michael Ian Black as a gay demon? All bets are off!

Too bad I already featured a-ha's "The Sun Always Shines On TV" some weeks ago...

Oh, wait! There's always 2oo3's "The Sun Always Shines On TV (Live)" from the live album How Can I Sleep With Your Voice In My Head! I is a genius!

How Can I Sleep With Your Voice In My Head was actually the first a-ha anything I ever purchased. 2oo3 was when I became an aficionado, so serendipitous FTWs all around. The live highlights include the "Did Anyone Approach You," the awesomely-extended "Take On Me," the sing-alongs in "Hunting High And Low" and "The Living Daylights," and this little number, the live version of what is arguably a-ha's greatest effort. "The Sun Always Shines On TV" -- doesn't get any much better than that, folks.

Well, this is some B.S. Again. The music video is online, but no embedding allowed. I mean, what the hell's the damn point, then? Whatever, I wanted you all to experience sexual magic this awfully good musvid, so I took the liberty of uploading it myself. Go on. I even edited to my own liking (I am a professional video editor, after all*), so if you're not even an a-ha fan (wtf), you should watch it anyway. It's de butters. Your applause and admiration is most welcome.

*You can sample a bit of my work at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-S-4i5aM-Y -- I make a cameo somewhere, starting at the eight-minute mark!

So here it is, the live music video (that I uploaded, modified) of the song U2 ripped off. I honored it with my band name, so it must be resplendent. Greatest. Song. Evar.

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@(^.^)@
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Tess Mercer will come into the picture, into the Metorpolis as the new head of the LuthorCorp and head as well of the Daily Planet. Cassidy Freeman plays Tess Mercer on the show. Now that I am missing Smallville, I will start watching this show again..when my writing gig is slowing down or if I don't have that much projects to do. Which means I will not be watching this show this month...Next month, we will meet once again Lois Lane, Ka-lel.

... and bells on his toes, Aaron shall have music wherever he goes! This week, Aaron was challenged to build a deck abusing the Mandarin. Now, Mandarin fits two themes - he rallies for equipment, and he has an out-of-combat stun effect if you can meet the hefty discard cost. Here's where Aaron's mind went.
- Gday

Now for the Mandarin challenge, my first instincts were pretty straightforward. I looked into a Fantastic Four version, and a Marvel Knights version, since both have favorable interactions with extensive equipment love. But in the end i kept finding a late game activation of Mandarin that was forced. It just felt un-needed. Since the premise of this challenge was to find a home for Mandarin where he can consistently see some use, i decided to instead look into modern age decks that were best able to load up the hand.

It was, more or less, poetic that my answer was also one of my favorite characters:

-Lex Luthor.

With access to criminal mastermind I decided to simply focus on draw. No team has it more plentiful than the Injustice Gang. Wanting to go the extra mile and secure multiple Mandarin stuns in one game, my primary 4 drop became the captain, often imitating magneto for the maximum draw potential from Genosha. In the end, the deck is quite simple. Draw cards. Draw LOTS of cards.

MANDARIN MOGUL

CHARACTERS: (31)

4x The Penguin, Gentleman of crime
3x Catwoman, cat o'Nine Tails

4x Superwoman, Earth 3
3x Johnny Quick, Earth 3

4x Mandarin, Tem Borjigen
2x Black Manta, Deepwater Denizen

4x The Captain, Can't Remember his Real Name
2x Ultraman, Earth 3

3x Lex Luthor, Metropolis Mogul
1x Circe, Evil Enchantress

PLOT TWISTS (24)

4x Criminal Mastermind
4x Evil Genius
4x Secret Files
4x Gang-Up, Team-Up
2x Underground Movement
4x All Too Easy
4x Savage Beatdown

LOCATIONS (4)

4x Genosha

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. There are no equips in this build. This deck draws and it draws FAST. On 4 your ideal turn involves the captain calling Lex and exhausting for mutual draw. then on 5 you want to have him call Magneto and throwdown multiple genoshas for some stun-o-rama mandarin style, and then some MONSTER direct swings for game. (in a pinch, mandarin is often online for a turn 4 stun as well, but I only recommend using it if you are going to lose board presence.

I encourage you guys to try this build out. While these lists i post are only the results of a single week of brainstorming, I'm sure some dedicated time can really give some of these builds a razor's edge in competitive play.

Once again, Enjoy!

-Onyx

Segue a Página da notícia!

Let's get something straight: Superman is, by nature of his super powers, always in danger of being utterly boring.  Everyone likes Superman, but few people think he's terribly interesting.  Let's face it, how much suspense can a Superman story have when the guy can lift mountains and get shot in the eye with bullets and be fine?  So, if you're going to jumpstart a Superman movie franchise, you'd better bring something different to the table.

And Bryan Singer, the director of Superman Returns, has done just that.

You all know the premise of the story for Superman Returns.  It takes place five years after the events of Superman I and II from the late seventies and early eighties (but pretend those movies only happened five years ago).  Superman III and IV have been erased from existence.  

Superman left Earth five years ago and has returned to a world that has moved on without him.  The love of his life, Lois Lane, is engaged and has a small child.  In fact, she has won a Pulitzer for writing an article about just how little Superman matters.  Of course, the heart of this story deals with Superman trying to adapt to the changes that have occurred with the woman he loves.  Does he respect her new life, or does he try to win her back?  This is truly a fight that Superman's powers will not give him an advantage with.

Now, does that mean that Superman Returns is just a sappy love story?  Not at all.  There is action to spare in this film, and finally, finally, technology has caught up to what we all want to see from Superman.  You will believe a man can fly.  You will be cheering from your seat.

I thought our newest Superman, Brandon Routh, did just fine.  Yes, Singer is paying homage to Superman I and II, but I didn't see Routh as simply imitating the iconic Christopher Reeve.  There were consistencies with the character of Clark Kent and Superman between the two actors, and I think that is done to satisfy the audience who enjoyed the previous films.  But let's understand something: Superman is a big, dark-haired, blue-eyed, square-jawed guy.  Of course Routh and Reeve are going to look similar!  They both played Superman!  Their both big, dark-haired, square-jawed guys!

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was great.  He harnessed the comedic timing of Gene Hackman from Superman I and II, but he also brought some real danger to the character.  At times I laughed hysterically at Spacey, and at other times he gave me nervous chills, and I had no problem with that.

Kate Bosworth was not given a fair shake as Lois Lane.  With the small possibility of spoiling a small part of the film, Lois sucks as a mother.  Seriously, she's got to be the worst mother of all time.  My wife and I both walked out of that film saying, "Wow, they really painted Lois Lane in a poor light, didn't they?"  I think Bosworth is a decent enough actress, she just didn't have a great depiction of character to work with. 

I took slight issue with a major component of the film that presents itself near the end, and I won't spoil it, but it certainly rubbed me a bit wrong.  However, I understand this is a Superman for 2006 and they are desperately trying to make him a character in need of emotional resolution, so I'm not going to make a big stink of it.  I'd rather have a Superman with change I don't care for than the same old stereotypical Superman that everyone would get tired of after a few movies. 

There were also many, many plot holes, but as my old Shakespeare professor use to say, "We must employ the suspension of disbelief."  In other words, don't think about things too hard, just enjoy the show!

I'll tell you this, the music made the film magical.  The intro was just like the intro to Superman I and II, and that was a perfect touch.  I literally had goose bumps as that wonderful John Williams' theme song started up with some updating by composer John Ottman.   

In other words, for me, this movie worked, despite some early concerns.  The special effects were magnificent, the costume and the small "s" shield were just fine, the acting was more than adequate, and the movie had real heart, especially because it embraced the Superman movies that came before it. 

It definitely lived up to my expectations and then some.

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Desde hace unos meses, se está especulando en gran cantidad de medios de comunicación sobre la posibilidad de que el funcionamiento del LHC (Gran Colisionador de Hadrones) acabe con la Tierra, y quizás con gran parte del universo. 

La base de todas estas ideas catastrofistas apareció cuando dos científicos denunciaron ante un tribunal la puesta en marcha del LHC porque según ellos, existía un 75% de probabilidades de que la Tierra se extinguiera.

Como era de esperar, no se ha paralizado nada, y el día 10 se harán circular los primeros haces por todo el circuito. Las primeras colisiones tendrán lugar el día 21 de septiembre, fecha de la inauguración.

El problema de toda esta historia está en que la denuncia ha sido realizada por un científico, y ha aportado datos. Y cuando una persona con estudios aporta datos, la gran mayoría de la gente no se preocupa ni en contrastarlos, ya sea porque lo creen cual divinidad celestial, o sencillamente porque no son expertos en el tema.

Debido a esto, un grupo de expertos sobre seguridad del LHC (el grupo LSAG) ha realizado un comunicado donde nos explica de una forma muy sencilla las probabilidades de que el acelerador acabe con nuestro querido planeta.

¿Por qué no se ha dado tanto show a esta información como se ha hecho con todas las noticias sobre el fin del mundo?

Bueno, es lógico. ¿Qué vende más, el fin del mundo o la noticia de que todo seguirá igual? Aunque de hecho, los descubrimientos que se pueden realizar gracias a esta tecnología pueden dar un increíble salto en la física.

Pero claro, la física sólo interesa a los físicos, a no ser que acabe con la existencia del mundo en el que vivimos.

Para terminar voy a mencionar los nombres de los científicos detrás de este proyecto (y otras personalidades que lo apoyan), garantizándo que no existe razón de qué preocuparnos:

• Dr. Doom
• Agente Smith
• Lex Luthor
• Dr. Evil
• Al Gore
• Dr. Octopus
• Ra’s al Ghul
• Emperador Palpatine
• Galactus
• Barack Obama
• John McCain
• Darkseid

I always can't help but smile when I see an Enjoi ad. I love their stuff! So Enjoi just whipped up a Fall '08 catalog online. I wonder if people fifty years ago ever imagined being able to read and flip pages of books online . . . Anyways, click on the picture above to view this sweet new catalog, and make sure to look for the videos hiding on some of the pages.

1) http://www.the-crow.co.uk/history.html - This long lost web-page seems to contain information on the early stages in the development of The Crow - and does it contain his real name?? Or is it just more smoke and mirrors?

2) http://www.pointless.net/pipermail/manchesterwireless/2005-November.txt - Why was Goot the Crow getting involved in wireless networking? Was he trying to create a SkyNet style system capable of enslaving the world? It seems far-fetched but we can only assume that he was.

3) Crowfoot Movers. Our spies were carrying out surveillance on a suspected Crow hideout when they spotted this van:

Is it too much of a coincidence for The Crow not to be involved? We certainly think so. What is the significance of the name "Crowfoot"? Is it a cover for a more sinister purpose? If you have any information PLEASE let us know.

The hunt continues, stay tuned....

A week has passed and in Superman v2 #76, the members of the JLA read Superman’s fan mail and decide to do some good in honor of his death and the Kents travel to Metropolis to comfort Lois. I must admit that this short story element feels a bit overdramatic, but the cheesy moment passes