Derek Brink - Empty Checking

Sorry Sorry Sorry!

2011-10-03T00:33:00.001-05:00

What can I say? The weekends are just so damned SHORT. I'll record a new one for you next weekend. I've got plenty to talk about. Here's a list of stuff I've bought that you can expect me to at least mention...

How I Met Your Mother - Season 6
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Wilco - The Whole Love
Comic Books:

iZombie
Brilliant
Batman
Deadman
Superman
The Unwritten

Beers:

Unibroue Terrible
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
Guinness Black Lager
Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale
Schlafly Imperial Stout
Stone Pale Ale
Wexford Irish Cream Ale
Murphy's Irish Stout

(New) TV Watched

How I Met Your Mother
Big Bang Theory
Person of Interest
How to be a Gentleman
Doctor Who

Concert attended: Foo Fighters; St. Louis, MO

...I'll probably touch on most of that. Should be a fun one!

Probably not this week...

2011-09-09T23:30:00.001-05:00

I'm unlikely to record a podcast this week. I have a toothache that is causing my gums to swell and talking isn't much fun right now. So I'll do some write-ups over the next couple of days, and barring any further oral disturbances, I'll record one NEXT week.

Thanks for your understanding.

Until I can do the full write-ups, here's a list of comic books I bought this week...

Morning Glories - Issue #12
Justice League International #1
Detective Comics #1
iZombie - "uVampire" trade
Brightest Day hardcover

...expensive week!

Empty Checking Season Two: The Quickening - Episode 1

2011-09-05T02:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to the world of me saying shit into a microphone! Click the player below to listen in the window, or download at the download link. Sorry I don't have any pics...batteries are dead in my camera. Mostly it's just good to be back!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Or press play to listen in your browser.

Incomplete list of topics discussed...

Music

Imelda May
CAKE
Centro-Matic
Old 97s
Flogging Molly
Dropkick Murphys
Foo Fighters
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Iron & Wine
Drive-By Truckers
My Morning Jacket
Hayes Carll
Wanda Jackson
Over the Rhine
Get Up Kids

Book - Nichole Krauss - "Great House"

TV

Doctor Who
Deadliest Catch

Comic Books

Flashpoint
Fear Itself
Batman
Justice League
DC Reboot

Other

U2 Concert

...and probably some other stuff. It went about 50 minutes. I can't remember all that! :)

Returning shortly!

2011-09-03T22:55:00.002-05:00

The podcast will be returning sometime within the next 24-36 hours! I'm recording it tomorrow afternoon, and it'll go online sometime Sunday night/Monday morning, as time (and possibly a little nap) permits. Yay!

Recent Purchases

2011-08-31T15:45:00.001-05:00

THE PODCAST RETURNS THIS WEEKEND.

Here's a list of some stuff I've recently purchased (and by "recently," I mean, "since June"). Some of this stuff may make the podcast this weekend...some of it definitely won't...but here's a big-assed list of stuff I spent money on.

Music:

Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson - Storytellers
Solomon Burke - The Very Best of Solomon Burke
Centro-matic - Candidate Waltz
U2 - No Line on the Horizon
Old 97s - Grand Theatre, Vol. 2
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Tao of the Dead
Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
Drive-By Truckers - Go Go Boots (Don't think I've reviewed this here yet)
Flogging Molly - Speed of Darkness
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Grace Basement - New Sense
Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Steve Martin - Rare Bird Alert
Tom Waits - Bad As Me (Pre-order, comes out in October)

Books:

Nicole Krauss - Great House
Kurt Vonnegut - While Mortals Sleep

Comic Books: (Not comprehensive, but a few of the things I've been keeping up with)

Flashpoint -- Main title, and several side-titles
Fear Itself - Main title only
Batman Detective Comics
X-Men: Schism
Morning Glories
The Unwritten
Justice League
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom
Finally catching up on Brightest Day
Gladstone's School for World Conquerors

Food:

Five Guy's Hamburgers
Blueberry Hill Burgers
A lot of Pabst Blue Ribbon, for some reason
A really great dish of Kung Pao Shrimp from a Chinese place by my brother's house. (Seriously...you don't even fucking KNOW!)
Free Quarter Pounder from McDonald's. :)

TV I've been keeping up with...

House
How I Met Your Mother
Doctor Who
Deadliest Catch
Monday Night Raw (With some shame...)
Futurama
Simpsons
Family Guy
American Dad

Other Stuff:

I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel that's moving kinda slowly (but for good reasons).
Speaker stands.
A bunch of Moleskine journals.

New Beginnings...

2011-08-31T15:12:00.000-05:00

First things first...

THE PODCAST RETURNS THIS WEEKEND.

Okay...now that that's out of the way...

I'm going to be doing a hybrid of the two formats I've been using up to this point, moving forward. I'm going to randomly post lists of things I've bought and maybe some in-progress thoughts in written form...but I'll also be recording podcasts again to talk about the stuff I'm ready and/or excited to talk about. The podcast may happen weekly, every other week, or just when ever I feel like it. I am presently thinking of the re-launch of the podcasting part as "Empty Checking: Season Two--The Quickening." But you can call it whatever you like.

Either way... Looking forward to it. Hope you are too.

Sorry I disappeared for a couple of months. I'll try not to let that happen again.

Quick Updates...

2011-06-01T00:37:00.000-05:00

Sorry I went away (again). I've got three posts semi-finished that may be put off a little longer. I was writing up a Doctor Who post...but with the halfway point in the season soon coming up (along with its infuriating, accompanying hiatus), I think I'll just wait for the break and do a "season so far" thing.

Got a comic book post coming soon. Realized I didn't even list what I bought last week. Oops... I'll cover it in a big post later this week, since new comics day is tomorrow anyway.

Also been catching up on some new music thanks to my birthday last week. Got the new Foo Fighters, the new Mr. Big, Steve Martin's bluegrass record, Queen's remastered "A Night at the Opera," and the Pearl Jam remasters of Vitalogy and Vs. Big week for music listening!

So...recaps/reviews coming soon. Sorry for the delay. I started writing stuff and got distracted. My intentions were good...my timing just sucks. If you want to see something I update daily, check out my Tumblr page. It's hopping right now!

Deadliest Catch and the Captains (a long overdue, long post)

2011-05-19T01:52:00.002-05:00

If you somehow missed it, Deadliest Catch is one of my favorite things ~~on television~~ in life. It's as close to a "reality show" as I get. (And I maintain that there is a BIG difference between "reality shows" and documentary shows, in that the documentaries are not being done with the promise of any prize or contest-winner and are also ACTUALLY real, as opposed to the scripted "reality" forced on us by the networks.)

The fishermen on the Bering Strait have easily one of the top five most dangerous jobs in the world. (Or at least top five that aren't related to the military in some way.) I don't even try to pretend I could do what they do for five minutes. I'd be too scared to get near the water and too sick to step on the boat. But I love this show, and the personalities on it. (Well...I really can't stand ONE of the personalities, most of the time...but we'll get to that.)

This post happens in two parts from here on out... First part deals with the show this season. Second part deals with the Captains Tour, which I went to see with my dad last week.

Part One: The Show

There's a lot to dig into on a show like this...but in the wake of the death of F/V Cornelia Marie Captain Phil Harris, one of the main things people started tuning in for this year was to see how his sons (now part owners of the boat) and Capt Derrick (his replacement) are getting along. The answer? Not well.

Captain Derrick decided to go after blue crab this season. In the entire run of the show, I'm not sure I've ever seen ANYONE have a strong blue crab season, and it seems like going after them is a fool's gamble and NOT the way to start your first run on a new vessel. The numbers have been laughably bad and disputes between the Captain and the Harris Brothers have been deeply personal and mean. Last week's episode ended with both Harris brothers turning their backs and walking away from Derrick and him thinking they're full of shit crybabies who need to grow up. Looking at the show's Facebook page, it seems like most people are siding with the Harris Brothers. Me? I'm not sure.

Don't get me wrong. Captain Derrick is proving to be a little bit of a jerk. Every other word out of his mouth seems to be "Phil's dead" like the boys need to be reminded of it, and he comes off as a know-it-all who knows everything except where the blue crab are. That last part isn't necessarily his fault, and I agree with his assessment stated in the last show that they shouldn't have given up on the hunt after only 8 days...but the guy could have been a little bit softer with the crew coming in.

However, he's in a no-win situation. He's not going to be loved as much as Phil by the audience or the crew, and he knows it. He knew it from the moment Steve (the engineer, and a little bit of a dickbag) came onto the boat screaming at him and pushing his way past him (after being 2 hours late, no less). Even if he were the nicest guy in the world and he were hitting on GOLDEN numbers, he still wouldn't be Phil. He's still be the crew's re-bound Captain and he'd be gone in a season (or perhaps less, as last night's episode would seem to indicate).

And it's not like the Harris Boys are the Golden Gods of Crab Fishing. Neither of them is fit to be a Captain. They're both great deckhands, and I like both guys (I'm even coming around on Jake), but they're short-tempered and they don't even know the boat very well. At the Captains Tour show I went to, Sig even pointed that out to the audience. He noted that even the best deckhand, if he doesn't know the engine room, can't ever be a Captain and shouldn't think he knows much about how to run a boat, and he noted that they boys to NO fault of their own, just never were shown the engine room. Yet they come into the wheel-house (a MAJOR trespass on any other boat) and constantly have screaming matches with the Captain of the boat. Maybe that's why deckhands shouldn't be owners...I don't know... It seemed like even Freddy (sp?), a long time Cornelia Marie deckhand and close friend to Phil, was trying to settle the boys down only to be told that they have pretty much already made their decisions. It's just not a good situation working for them, but also trying to be their boss.

So there are a couple of sides to that story...and in the end, I guess it boils down to the fact that I LIKE the boys better, but I think they're too dismissive of Captain Derrick's years in the wheelhouse.

Hey...at least he's not as big a dick as Captain Keith, right?

Keith is my least favorite Captain on the show. He screams at people for no reason and wants respect while showing little to anyone else. His practices on the ocean are questionable, or even sleazy sometimes. We've seen on the show that he frequently sets his strings very close (sometimes right NEXT) to the strings of fellow Captains. He's tried to steal deckhands from other crews. He accuses other members of the fleet of nepotism, yet employs his own brother (on boat) and wife (off-boat). (Not to mention that he doesn't take into consideration that though the Hillstrand Brothers are the sons of a crab fisherman, they also did not speak to their father for a decade, had to pay for the boat themselves, and risk their lives just as often as he does.) He's just generally not my type of guy.

...but he's slowly growing on me.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the death of Phil Harris did something to Keith. When Phil died, he and Keith were not the best of friends. Keith was the only one of the main Captains shown on screen visibly and audibly in tears over Phil's death. He followed it by dumping a FULL crab pot (the pot itself being probably a $1000 cost, and the crab inside worth more than that) over the side in Phil's memory and letting it sink to the bottom so that Phil would "always have a full one to come home to." And this year he's been somehow more human than in previous seasons.

In the last episode, we saw Keith wake up crew member Lynn, who had fallen asleep in the Captain's chair while steering the boat as the rest of the crew slept. I was expecting a MAJOR explosion from Keith, but he mostly just told Lynn to go to bed then calmly explained to the cameraman how bad that could have been. Later in the episode Lynn came into the wheelhouse to apologize (and it was evident that this was not just a move to protect his career, but that he really felt horrible about putting LIVES at risk). I again expected Keith the berate and humiliate the guy...but he was almost encouraging. I may eat my words on this, but it seems like Keith is trying to become a better person...maybe he doesn't want anyone else to die without knowing he made the effort to be good to them. I don't know... It pisses me off a little bit that I'm cooling off about him...but he's become not only tolerable, but almost--shudder--likable this year.

Keith's main rivals on the ocean (in word and deed) have been The Hillstrands, co-captains of the F/V Time Bandit. I like the Hillstrands a lot, and that's probably for the best because if you don't, there's at least a small chance that they might shoot you. (Seriously...they carry AK-47s on board.) They haven't been as present on the show this season, but when they have been, it's been fun. Whether shooting at a "cursed" buoy (seriously) or mocking one another for their low numbers (which turned around in the last episode or two), they show the signs of two guys who like working together, like working with their crew, and like their job. And that's about as much as I have to say about them in this section.

The show has two new boats in The Seabrooke and The Ramblin' Rose this year. (The Ramblin Rose is BRAND new--entirely new, unseasoned crew and Captain.) So far, I think the guy on the Rose tries too hard, but means well...and I like the Seabrooke a lot, except I think the old guy on the boat's a dick and needs to take it easy on the younger crowd. He could try helping them become better rather than just telling them that they're terrible.

We've seen a lot less of Wild Bill and Sig this year than I'd like--though both have had explosive, fascinating moments on the last two shows, so I shouldn't complain...and I've seen a lot of Sig elsewhere lately...so let's just move on and talk about...

Part Two: The Captains

I heard (via Facebook) that the Captains Tour featuring the Hillstrand Brothers and Sig Hansen was coming to St. Louis and thought, "That'd be fun...but I don't think I'll make it..." I mentioned it to my dad (also a fan of the show) and he thought it sounded like fun too. So the short version is he wanted to go and I wanted to go, so we went.

The show was a lot of fun. They sat in chairs being interviewed by one of the guys from a St. Louis bullshit country radio station. (We don't have a GOOD country station in St. Louis.) The venue didn't allow you to bring drinks into the room unless you were one of the people who paid for the $100+ tickets--which is BULLSHIT since they have a full bar in the lobby right outside of the entry doors...but otherwise, it was a nice venue for the show and it was pretty damn close to full.

The Captains were incredibly entertaining, despite Captain Johnathan being very obviously sick. At one point, he even took some cold medicine while on stage...and I think it made him a little delirious. Toward the end of the night, he stopped caring what questions he was being asked and just started telling whatever story he wanted to, and never mind if anyone knew what he was talking about! It was pretty funny, but I also felt bad for the guy. Sucks to have to perform when you're sick...but it's probably better than crab fishing while you're sick, I guess.

One of my (and everyone else's) favorite parts of the night was that we got a sneak preview of Captain Sig's big-screen premier as the F/V "Crabby" in the upcoming "Cars 2." I have absolutely no desire to see this movie...so I'm glad they showed Sig's scene. I've now seen the only part of the movie worth seeing. :)

...but if they make this into a toy, I have to buy it:

The show followed a basic question and answer format for a lot of it. There was lots of Keith bashing (seems like NO ONE likes that guy!) They discussed everyone's favorite curse word, including a very hilarious, yet difficult to recount in text story from Sig about using a semi-offensive-to-gay-guys word all season long, only to find out that the cameraman who'd been filming him all year is gay. There were plenty of stories about the guys' most dangerous moments at sea, and some footage to go with it of Rogue Waves. (Rogues are basically waves that come out of nowhere and blindside you...and they tend to be about 100+ feet tall.) The largest any of them reported seeing was about a 120 foot wave. By way of comparison the Statue of Liberty (minus base/pedestal) is 151 feet tall...and usually it's not rushing at you at 10-knots.

There was a touching moment when Andy (Hillstrand) plugged in his guitar and played a song he wrote in tribute to Phil Harris. The other guys left the stage with Sig commenting, "I don't like to watch this part." It was a nice little moment, and I'm glad I heard his acoustic version before I listened to the full track online. It was better coming from just Andy.

...and of course, I bought the obligatory t-shirt, which I'll hopefully post a picture of sometime...but I don't have one on file and it's too wrinkled from being cast into the laundry bin to take one now.

So the Captains Tour is a good time...and everyone should go see it if it comes to your town.

And I'm going to stop now. This is a really long post, and God bless you if you're still reading! In summary, if you're not already watching Deadliest Catch, you really should. It's one of the best hours on television.

Up next: A review of Doctor Who...but that'll take me a couple of days, probably. :)

Comic Books Purchased May 18, 2011 (or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Remember When Batman was Good")

2011-05-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

Big day on the comic stands today! Lots of stuff came out and I'm really excited about some of it.

I even took a picture! Look! Picture!!!

In case you can't make it out and clicking the picture somehow doesn't make it bigger for you...here's the list...

Darkwing Duck -- Issue #12
Sigil -- Issue #3
X-Men: Prelude to Schism -- Issue #2 of 4
Generation Hope -- Issue #7
Gates of Gotham -- Issue #1 of 5
Rocketeer Adventures -- Issue #1
Batman -- 100-Page Spectacular: Dark Knight, Dark City

I haven't done any reading yet (with one exception)...but my anticipation level is high. DW's always good. Sigil is growing on me. Prelude to Schism was really good in the first issue, and I have good hopes for the series. Generation Hope is my favorite X-Men title possibly EVER. Gates of Gotham, though a modern day Bat title is supposed to be really good and isn't helmed by Morrison, so I'm giving it a shot. Rocketeer was kind of a spur-of-the-moment purchase, as Mike at the store assured me that "we all just discovered that this is awesome" and Shelby immediately echoed him...and I kind of liked The Rocketeer, so I'm giving it a chance. And then there's the 100 pager...

100 Page issues are typically older stories from issues gone by. Usually they're ten years old or so, or are from a series that was under appreciated (or sometimes EXTREMELY appreciated), but not lengthy enough to warrant a full Trade. (This, by the way, is something I only recently figured out...because I'm an idiot.) The Dark Night, Dark City story is a three part story (and they supplemented it with another story from a different issue to fill the pages). It's spooky and weird, and it's one I remember from a long while ago.

The original issues came out in 1990. (Holy shit...make that 20 years ago!) I remember getting the first issue and reading it in my Grandma's house. My family's air conditioner had broken down and we were staying with her for a few days. I got to the end of the issue and was a little creeped out and wanted to know the end of the story. It was the first time I'd ever read a comic that was that DARK and spooky. It centers heavily around the occult and demonic ritual, delving deep into Gotham's history, and the history of the nation itself. There's blood, gore, death, Satanic evil...and at one point Batman even slits the throat of a fucking BABY! (Okay...it's revealed that it's a tracheotomy because it was choking...but still!)

Then I had to wait a MONTH for the next issue...and when I bought it, I was in Arkansas, visiting my mom's half of the family. So I read that one in Goobertown (real place!) and had to wait ANOTHER month to read the ending at home, in my basement.

I remember it vividly. This is the story that made me love Batman. (And not the Tim Burton Batman of the same era...but the Batman that actually existed IN THE COMICS.) This is the story that made me realize what comics CAN be--they can be dark, scary, gripping, and moving. This was the issue that forever made the goddamn RIDDLER my all-time favorite Batman villain. (That's right. Riddler...not Joker.)

A few years ago, when I started getting back into comics, I tracked down the issues on E-Bay. They were just as good as I remembered. And now that I have them in one bound issue that'll outlast even my carelessness, I'm very much looking forward to putting my feet up and remembering a time when Batman was awesome, the world was young, and the Gulf War was an interesting headline and not just something we'd accepted as a part of every day life.

And then I remember than Grant Morrison's name is appearing on the title now, and its turned into something I no longer recognize or even understand. And I sometimes can't believe how little all of that seems to matter to the present franchise.

Oh well...comics are awesome and even Batman could be salvaged if they do it soon. It's a good week to be a fanboy. I won't let the failures of one series ruin it for me. I'll just stick to the good stuff.

Reviews coming shortly.

Two Weeks of Comic Book Reviews

2011-05-17T01:23:00.001-05:00

Okay. Now that we're back up and running, let's talk about the last two weeks in comics. Or at least the comics I bought anyway...

Ratings are from 1 to 5 stars. Five stars = Awesome as that scene in "Last Temptation of Christ" where Jesus shows up and is like, "I used to believe in peace, but now I believe in this" and he has a fucking axe! One star = Worse than that scene in "Dark Angel" where Dolph Lundgren almost robotically describes the space-alien/villain as "Some asshole from outerspace."

Comics Purchased 5/4/11:

Fear Itself -- Book Two
Good Lord is Marvel WINNING with this one! I have my reservations about any Marvel "summer event" ever since Civil War blew so blowfully, so I was hesitant going into Fear Itself. Particularly adding to my hesitation was that it's based mostly on Thor, and I've always kept a working knowledge of Thor, but never read the book religiously. So I wasn't sure I'd grasp this one...but they're doing a great job sucking in even the most reluctant fan. They're delivering on making the vibe creepy and dangerous. They're drawing lines in the sand and making the reader choose sides in a way that is MUCH more effective than what they did with Civil War. Book Two was a little bit less fulfilling than Book One, mostly because this issue mainly just deal with people finding their respective hammers to gain their God-like powers...but it's a necessary part of the story. (Thankfully, they're splitting some of the hammer quests out and dealing with them in side issues rather than making those of us who deal with only the main title deal with all of it.) It was a slow down, but not in a bad way. Book One was so good Book Two would have to be a soft-ball just to keep us reading. From peak to valley, and all that...but even the valley is a fun, exciting, "oh no, don't let it end there!" place to be.
Rating: ****
Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth -- Issue #3 of 3
Axe Cop is some of the most fun on stands. Written by a six year old. Drawn by his 30 year old brother. It makes absolutely no sense and is insane, and I don't know why they don't let MORE six year olds write comics! This was the final issue of this title, and it just kept getting weirder and weirder. At one point, Dinosaur Soldier started getting splattered with the blood of (and/or eating) other characters and taking on their attributes. My personal favorite incarnation of the character was when he became President Zombie Bear Cop (complete with Roosevelt's mustache). If you are confused and don't know what the hell I'm talking about--neither do I. And that's why I loved it.
Rating: *****
X-Men: Prelude to Schism -- Issue #1 of 4
I'm going into Schism almost as reluctantly as I did Fear Itself, and I'm hoping it'll be just as good a payoff. I've lost track of the X-Men. I barely recognize the franchise anymore. It's gotten so muddy and overflowing with characters (some of whom are laughably poorly developed) that for someone who has been away since House of M, it's almost impossible to get back into it, unless you start at an "issue one" of a new series (like Generation Hope--and even for that, you needed background info from the main title). However, Schism sounds like it might be kind of good. In this issue, Cyclops is pretty much staring off into the distance, preparing for war, and he receives consultation, mentoring, and understanding from Professor Xavier (who they have just pretty much made look exactly like Patrick Stewart now--not a bad thing). The main thing I appreciated about the way they did this issue is that it gives people like me a little bit of the back-story leading up to Schism and serves as a good reorientation into the universe. Hopefully the "Prelude" will continue on that route and get me primed for Schism to the point that I'm raving about it. But for now, I just consider this a "well played" moment. Marvel seems to know what they're doing on this one.
Rating: *** -- with a bullet.
Batman Beyond -- Issue #5
I'm struggling a little bit to remember what happened in this issue...something with Terry's girlfriend...and they broke up...and Wayne Industries workers are rioting...and the guy who went radioactive (Powers) in the animated show shows up again to be a bad guy for an issue or two moving forward. It's foggy, but I enjoyed it at the time. My only real issue with this one is that you need to have a working knowledge of the cartoon show to understand the villain. I have that knowledge, so I'm cool with it...but a lot of people might not, and that's a major disadvantage. The fact that I can't remember all of it is probably largely my own fault...but it doesn't necessarily say much for the writing either, I guess. Still, I like this title best of the current mess they're calling "Batman." At least it's not TOO wrapped up in this "Incorporated" nonsense (though they have referenced it). I mean...the present "Incorporated" mystery is "Who is Emoticon Man?" Ugh... Here's an emoticon for you... :( But I digress...at least "Beyond" is basically recognizable, and I appreciate that since we long-time Bat-fans are presently wandering in the desert.
Rating: Either **.5 or ***, I guess...
Gladstone's School for World Conquerors
This was fun. I wish we'd spent more time with the title character before he was just turned into a statue on the lawn, but that'll probably pay off down the road, and it served their purpose nicely. If you haven't read it, basically it chronicles the day-to-day work of a school for super villains. It's sort of like the goofy version of Morning Glories or something (though not near than layered and amazing). I could see really liking this one over time...but as it is now, this was a first issue. It was a good one, but I don't want to get too excited about it. Yet.
Rating: ***

Comics Purchased 5/11:

The Flash - Issue #12
This is the final issue in the current Flash series (at least up until the end of Flashpoint). It worked fine as a final issue...despite the weaknesses in the last couple of issues. The intervention in issue #11 was stupid. The sudden, unexplained resolution between Flash and Kid Flash in this issue was JUST as stupid. The sexual tension in the issue was unnecessary and even if it HAD been a good idea, they pretty much abandoned it as soon as they started it. It seems like the last couple of issues were written just before they found out they were cancelling the series and starting up Flashpoint, and the writers decided to just deal with everything they WOULD'VE taken a few issues to work out if they'd had the time. So it was kind of crappy and slapped together...but it still kind of worked too, because y'know...fuck you, it's the FLASH! The MAIN story was still strong, and while not essential for Flashpoint, I did feel like it led into it well, mainly in reintroducing us to Reverse Flash who will no doubt be a MAJOR factor in Flashpoint.
Rating: ***
Flashpoint - Issue #1 of 5
I've been looking forward to Flashpoint since I hear about it, and issue #1 did NOT disappoint. We're in an alternate timeline. Barry Allen is somehow NOT the Flash, and he doesn't know why. It's like he's living in one of those nightmares we all have where everything about the universe is wrong, and we're the only ones who know it. Of course, in Barry's world, it's actuall happening that way and it's all the Reverse Flash's fault. Barry seeks help from an old friend and shows up at the Batcave, hoping to enlist Batman to his effort. The Batman of this universe is, as we've seen throughout the issue, a more violent, disturbed, dark person than the Batman we've always known. He's more anti-hero than ever--and it may be going too far to call him a hero at all. He's basically just a bully who runs a casino by day and kicks asses by night (even KILLING the bad guys!). At the end of the issue, Barry confronts Batman, calling him by the name he's always known him, "Bruce." Then we get a super-damn-cool reveal as Batman informs Barry that Bruce Wayne is dead, "I watched him die." And Barry puts the pieces together, telling us--holy shit!--"You're THOMAS WAYNE!" Mind = Blown. Some of the best writing I've seen out of DC in a long, long time.
Rating: *****
The Flash - 100-Page Spectacular (One-Shot)
I'll keep it short...the 100-page issues are old issues presented in bound editions that are nicer than the comics you bought 10 years ago. The concept should work better than it does---and I LOVE the Batman 100-pagers every time...but leaves me feeling flat. It's not bad, but it isn't awesome either...but maybe I should've just read it before I read Flashpoint...oh well...can't win 'em all.
Rating: **
Black Panther - Issue #516-518
I looked through my archive and FOUND issue #516, so now I'm all caught up. Yay! Panther's great. I love the Vlad character--one of the few fully developed bad guys in a long while. However, I felt like they went a little too far in making him ultimately the kind of guy who'll murder his own son to advance his own goals...but I guess I should've seen that coming. The reveals throughout the series have been well done, and they're doing a great job of building Panther to be a Batman-ish/Daredevil-ish character that is not super-powered, but is still doing the right thing because he HAS to. It's a great series, and this was a great arc. I hope we see a lot more of Vlad as time goes by, and I KNOW I'll be seeing a lot more of the Panther.
Rating (overall): ****
The Unwritten - Issue #25
Tom Taylor reenters the world! He's been stuck in novel-hell for a few issues, but is back in real life, and real life's insane. The group is trying to steal some of the journals of Wilson Taylor (Tom's dad) that might just explain everything that's going on in their lives. The books are on auction, what with Wilson being dead and all, and they're sneaking in to the auction house, which is (of course) extremely tightly secured. I don't know how to explain some of what went on without giving you 25 issues worth of back-story...but suffice to say it's getting REALLY interesting as we're getting closer and closer to discovering Tom's true nature. I love this book and I can't wait for #26!
Rating: *****

And that's it for the comics. It's later at night than I wanted it to be when I started writing...so I'm stopping for now. I'll post some TV reviews and a review of the Captains Tour tomorrow.

Hey Cool...It's Working!

2011-05-16T00:29:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted reviews yet. For the past few days, I've had trouble getting into my Blogger account. Don't know if it was on their end or mine, but at least it's working now, so that's cool.

I'll post some new reviews tomorrow. I probably should've written them up and saved them so I could just copy/paste...but hindsight is 20/20. Thanks for waiting!

Comics Purchased 5/11/11 - The Captains - And An Update

2011-05-11T21:55:00.000-05:00

Working on the write up from last week (as we speak, actually...well kind of...I'm working on THIS right now, but only because I'm on break from working on the other thing...you know what? Forget I said anything.) The next post will cover comics from last week and I'm also doing a post all about seeing the Captains Tour (three of the guys from "Deadliest Catch") last night. But wanted to post my list of comics from today, just in case I get distracted and don't finish the write-ups until tomorrow.

Comics purchased today:

The Flash - Issue #12
Flashpoint - Issue #1 of 5
The Flash - 100-Page Spectacular (One-Shot)
Black Panther - Issue #518 --- And for some reason I STILL forgot to buy issue #516! Dammit!
The Unwritten - Issue #25

Keep an eye out for new posts...and also hopefully I'll actually return to PODCASTING soon---which was kind of the point of this blog in the first place!

Comic Books Purchased 5/4/11

2011-05-05T01:23:00.000-05:00

Reviews to come shortly...

Here's what I bought:

Fear Itself -- Book Two
Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth -- Issue #3 of 3
X-Men: Prelude to Schism -- Issue #1 of 4
Batman Beyond -- Issue #5
Gladstone's School for World Conquerors

Catching Up with Stuff I Should've Covered By Now (LONG post!)

2011-05-02T23:34:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been a good blogger lately. Life's been busy. So let's get caught up with the stuff I said I'd talk about last time and also some new stuff purchased since then.

Ratings are from 1 to 5 stars. Five stars = As good a speaker as Obama. One star = Worse than being the wife/human shield of Osama.

Comic Books Purchased 4/20/11 (to be reviewed soon):

The Sixth Gun - Issue #11 - I've been enjoying The Sixth Gun, and this issue was no exception. I like the hints and glimpses we get into a much more sprawling story that's just barely under the surface and that could explode at any moment. I like that we're settling into who our heroes and villains are and the lines of good and evil are becoming if not clearer, then at least more influential. Also, I liked the reveal of the guns being hidden in the guy made of clay (name escapes me at the moment).
Rating: ****
Sigil - Issue #2 - I think I like this series more than I'm presently admitting to myself. It's got a little bit of a Bone meets Degrassi vibe to it that I dig. I need to give it a few more issues before I decide if I'll stay with it...but hey, that's better than knowing I'm done with it now, right? :)
Rating: ***1/2 (with a bullet)
Generation Hope - Issue #6 - This is presently the only X-Men related title I'm reading. There's a reason why. The X-Men main title has become so muddy and confusing with plots, people, and concepts that I no longer understand that it's virtually unreadable to those who haven't been fans for multiple years. (I call it the Batman Syndrome.) But in trying to get back into the main title, I did gravitate toward the story of Hope, and when she got her own title, I signed on right away. The series has yet to let me down and always leaves me wanting more. I'm loving the bg reveal at the end of this issue, that the new "light" that they're chasing is an unborn infant with an almost Lovcraftian power of mind control. How pimp is THAT going to be?!?
Rating: ****1/2 (Almost 5.)
Darkwing Duck - Issue #11 - Always fun and funny. I like the rise of Duckthulhu and I look forward to seeing how funny and ridiculous they can get within the confines of the Mythos. I look forward to each issue.
Rating: ****

Comic Books Purchased 4/27/11:

Morning Glories - Issue # 9 - Gripping and LOSTian, even though I was several pages ahead of the big reveal. Jun is probably the character I care least about out of the group, but they managed to sustain a really good issue focused entirely on him. So good for them!
Rating: *****
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #24 - A fitting, albeit difficult to swallow ending to the story. Max Lord both won and lost at the same time. He got slapped down, but he has a new empire...on YouTube, apparently. (Yes, you read that right.) But the big reveal that we will soon be reading the continuing stories of this team, reunited under the "Unlimited" title is pretty exciting to me. So I'm happy.
Rating: ****1/2
Captain America - Issue #617 - I like how we're not just flat-out abandoning Bucky, but man...let's get Steve Rogers back under that mask already! I like following Bucky around in the Gulag, but I feel like those segments are either too dense with old references the newer fans won't get or too glossed over not giving us enough information about what's going on. But...it's still Cap, it's still good, and I know it's heading somewhere. But it's weird that this is one of the lowest rated things on the page...
Rating: ***
The Flash - Issue #11 - This was probably the quickest turnaround from one issue of The Flash to the next in the history of the present run! And it's good, no less! We're getting closer and closer to Flashpoint, closer and closer to knowing who's killing Masks (and why?), and closer and closer to...a third thing. Sorry... Ran out of points. Reverse Flash is involved, Kid Flash is a whiny little bitch...things are getting insane and awesome, and I can't wait for Flashpoint!
Rating: *****
FF - Issue #2 - I like it, but I'm not sure I like it enough. I don't care for the slightly lighthearted thing they're trying to accomplish with it. I don't like that Doctor Doom has been reduced to comic relief. But I do like the tension and the relationships we're exploring. I'm going to give it one more issue...but I think I feel like there's too much going on here and not enough of a foundation for it.
Rating: **1/2

Also, I know I said I'd review the Arkham 100-pager and Black Panther. But honestly, I haven't returned to Arkham for some reason (but I will) and when I sat down to read Panther, I realized that I missed the issue before and will need to find it before reading this one. So there ya' go.

TV/DVDs Watched:

Deadliest Catch - People are too hard on Derrick, the new captain of the Cornelia Marie. He's a little too concerned with reminding people that Captain Phil is dead...that's true... But he's in a very difficult position and he's doing the best he can. (Plus, Jake Harris IS a fuck-up and a drug addict. He's right not to trust him before he's proven himself trustworthy.) It's been a rough season for the whole fleet, except for one of the new guys. The numbers are bad all over the fleet, and things are getting tense. The new guys on the show are okay...but I feel like they're trying too hard to prove themselves...and I miss Wild Bill. He hasn't been on much this season (yet?)... But it's pretty much my favorite thing on TV and I can't get enough of it. I look forward to what the rest of the season brings...I just hope it brings SOMEONE some damn crab!
Rating: *****
Doctor Who - Stellar opening to the series that might just give you nightmares. The Doctor has been delivering GOLD for years, and it just keeps getting darker, deeper, and more thrilling. I have nothing to say but positives about the current run, and the current Doctor. My hierarchy of Doctors now goes like this: Favorite - Tennant; Runner up - Smith; Third - Baker. And Tennant may be in danger of demotion if Smith keeps delivering on the level he did in the premier.
Rating: ***** and I wish I had a few more stars to tag on there. Oh hell with it! **
Big Bang Theory - Getting a little more run-of-the-mill sitcom and not as unique as it used to be. Part of the charm of the show was that it made nerdy/geeky jokes that no other show would touch. Then it gained a little steam and the humor became a lot more formulaic and relationship-based. (Plus, Sheldon seems to have gotten a LOT dumber lately.) Still, it makes me laugh and that's pretty much all I can ask. Plus, Kaley Cuoco's hot.
Rating: ***
Conan - I watched Will Ferril shave Conan's beard tonight. That sucked. I liked Conan's beard and I think ditching it is the wrong way to go. The show's great and Conan's the funniest guy in the late-night crowd (with the best musical guests)...but the guy needs a beard.
Rating for the show: *****; Rating for the loss of Conan's beard - no stars at all.

Books:

Kurt Vonnegut - "While Mortals Sleep" - Presently unread. Been busy and haven't had time to read it with the focus I'd want.

Music:

"Newsense" by Grace Basement - I went to high school with Kevin Buckley, the mastermind behind the music. This thing's great. I can't stop listening to it. Looking forward to picking up his follow-up to this record soon!
Rating: *****
"North American Travelogue" by Crowded House - (Presently on loan from my brother, but I'll buy it soon enough.) I never knew how much I liked Crowded House! there are some really amazing songs on here and they certainly don't begin and end with "Don't Dream It's Over." This is a great collection that's an excellent entry-point to the band. My only criticism is that the third disk seems to be about 40% "audience participation" segments, where they say, "Okay now you sing this part" and stuff like that. Stretches out the record for too long and breaks the flow of the songs I was otherwise enjoying...but in all, it's only really dominant on that third disc, so if you put it all on your iPod and press "shuffle" it's not as tedious. All in all, totally awesome listen that I'm glad Dave handed me.
Rating: ***1/2 (would've been 4 if not for Disc 3)

Other:

Pickle's Deli - Reuben sandwich - I've raved about their Reubens before. I stopped by on my way home from work last week and picked one up...then got stuck in a major traffic delay that kept me from eating it in a reasonable time-frame... But as it turns out, it's still just as good after a 45 minute wait! Pickle's just can't fail!
Rating: *****

And that's it for now. I'll be picking up some comics and hopefully some music this week. I'll try to get better about telling you about it. :)

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Please note that I will RETURN to podcasting in time. For the moment, I am writing individual posts reviewing recent purchases/watches/whatever. I'll be posting a few at a time, divided by subject. It should be set up so that everything viewable on this page is from the same day.

Comics Purchased and Future Reviews

2011-04-20T23:13:00.000-05:00

Picked up some new comics today (of course). Also I'm going to be writing up some other stuff very soon, and I wanted to list that here as well, so I wouldn't lose track of it. :)

Comic Books Purchased 4/20/11 (to be reviewed soon):

The Sixth Gun - Issue #11
Sigil - Issue #2
Generation Hope - Issue #6
Darkwing Duck - Issue #11

Other Stuff to Be Reviewed Soon:

First couple of episodes of this season's "Deadliest Catch"
Doctor Who (Season Premier this weekend!)
Record Store Day (this past Saturday) Purchases

"Will the Circle Be Unbroken" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
"My Old Cottage Home" - ORIGINAL Carter Family
"Newsense" - Grace Basement
"Broke Up Man" 6" Single - Grace Basement
Johnny Cash T-Shirt
Velvet Underground T-Shirt

"While Mortals Sleep" (Book) - Kurt Vonnegut
And I'll catch up on reviewing the "Arkham" 100-Pager from last week, as well as Black Panther.

...and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting...

Full reviews of the above coming probably this weekend.

Catching Up (Comics from the Last Two Weeks)

2011-04-20T00:58:00.001-05:00

(Marvel’s) Fear Itself – Book 1 (of 7)

Damn this is going to be a good series. The frame where Odin thwarts Thor (an alliteration I've been waiting to use for years!) by simply saying, "Mjolnir, drop" is one of the best moments I've seen in comics in YEARS. The mystique. The mythology. The depth. The payoff for YEARS of reading, paralleled against the entry-level explanation for those who've drifted away. This issue did NOTHING wrong. Can't wait for issue two.
Rating - *****

Batman Beyond – Issue #4

I've been enjoying "Beyond" mostly because it hadn't been forcing in any of the "Incorporated" garbage that's going on in most of the other Bat-Titles lately...but they did in this issue. In fact it's kind of central. The Batman franchise in comics is barely recognizable to the average fan anymore. (Thanks to Wil Wheaton for putting that into the right terminology for me in one of his recent posts.) I don't know who the hell most of these people are. The "Incorporated" thing is flawed on almost every level. Bruce Wayne has been stripped of all of his depth and torment. The stories are so confusingly and sparsely written that I need to go to Wikipedia afterward just to understand what the hell HAPPENED in an arc. There's just nothing good about the Morrison-helmed Batman...and now it's even bleeding into stuff that is shouldn't affect (effect?). "Beyond" was great, and to be fair the present story is still pretty good. But Grant Morrison has been a cancer to the franchise, and now his bullshit is ruining one of the few things in the Batman world I could still enjoy. Thanks for that, Grant. At least you're saving me money by putting out unreadable shit I refuse to buy.
Rating Overall ***1/2.
Rating if it hadn't brought in "Incorporated" as a plot element - ****

Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth – Issue #2 of 3

Axe Cop is ridiculously fun. Written by a six-year-old, drawn by his 30-year-old brother. It makes absolutely no sense, is absurd, and is absolutely insane...and it's perfect. I love it. I couldn't really remember what happened in issue 1 when I cracked open issue 2...then about half a page in, I realized it didn't matter...this was STILL going to be a fun read that made me laugh. And I was right. Can't wait for issue 3, and I hope this kid never grows up (I mean that in the good "young at heart" way, not in the horrific "I hope he dies" way) so his writing can always be this off-the-wall and fun. No complaints... Only thing wrong with Axe Cop is that there isn't more of it.
Rating - *****

iZombie: Dead to the World (Trade #1)

I knew I'd enjoy iZombie when I heard about it...but that was about three issues in, so I waited for the trade. I was not disappointed. It's got lots of laughs and fun, but also some dark, moody, almost disturbing concepts floating right beneath the surface--I mean, it's about a zombie, after all. I need to unpack it a little and write a fuller review...but for the moment, I'll just leave it at "awesome" and say that I'm definitely going box-diving to find the issues I've missed very, very soon.
Rating - *****

Comics Bought on April 13:

Batman: Arkham (100-Page Spectacular/One-Shot)

Only part-way through it. I'll do a full review later. But I've enjoyed it so far. The 100-pagers are old-issues in new wrappers...so they're fine. Morrison doesn't touch them. This is REAL Batman, and it's perfectly enjoyable.
Rating So Far - *** and growing...

The Flash - Issue #10 (Road to Flashpoint)

I'm almost as excited about Flashpoint as I am Fear Itself. In this issue, the Flash is trying to figure out if the future/parallel him is really...well...him. And someone's killing capes, to boot. Great issue, building toward the mini-series wonderfully...can't wait to see where it's headed.
Rating ***1/2 (Would be four, but it just takes so long for them to produce an issue that it's too slow a burn.)

The Unwritten – Issue #24

I love this book. It's so literate and fun. But...issues like these irritate me a little. At the end of a given "chapter" in the series, they do an issue that isn't really related to the overall story. In this case, rejoining a foul-mouthed, exiled bunny who's mad at the Taylor Family on his quest for vengeance. It was entertaining enough...but I'd rather be reading about Tom. My only real fear is that this bunny's going to end up in the proper story and we're going to have to take him seriously...and I don't want that. I want this to stay as gritty and people-based as it can, even though there are some GIANT leaps you've got to take in the "suspension of disbelief" department. Up until now, though, it's been phenomenally well-written and I have no complaints. I just hope they stay the course.
Rating - *** (But the series overall is a 5.)

Justice League: Generation Lost – Issue #23

Only problem I have with this book is that it's going to end. This has been the best written Justice League title in recent memory, and I've loved every page. All the benefits of the "Brightest Day" story with none of the main-title confusion. (No offense to the main title though.) Things are clearly winding down and we're heading toward out final fight with Max Lord. Booster Gold has really come into his own over the course of this series to become so much more than the one-dimensional, joke-cracking, self-promotion whore he used to be. He's a real leader now, and I CARE what happens to him and his team. I just hope the ending is as well done as the rest of the series. I have NO disappointments for sticking with this one for 23 issues!
Rating - ****

Black Panther – Issue #517

Presently unread. Will review at a later date.

CarbonGrey – Issue #2

This story is becoming clearer...but the crux of the story is flawed. The inherent mystery to the siblings in the story is that "one of the twins is the thirteenth, magical, crazy-ass child...but which one?!?!?!?!?!?" Umm... The one that was born first. They weren't ripped out of the womb at the exact same second. One was born first and is #13. That's basic biology. But otherwise, I like the vibe of this book. It's got a "historical epic meets steam-punk" thing going on that is visually spectacular, and the story is otherwise strong.
Rating - *** (Probably going to get better once we really know what the hell's going on.)

Buying more tomorrow (or later today, I guess!). I'll write more frequently, I promise!

Comic Books Purchased 4/6/11

2011-04-07T01:10:00.002-05:00

(Marvel's) Fear Itself - Book 1 (of 7)
Batman Beyond - Issue #4
Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth - Issue #2 of 3
iZombie: Dead to the World (Trade #1)

Reviews forthcoming.

And be sure to check out the last few posts from yesterday, where I review some comics, TV shows, and music. I've actually been working on this thing this week! :)

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Please note that I will RETURN to podcasting in time. For the moment, I am writing individual posts reviewing recent purchases/watches/whatever. I'll be posting a few at a time, divided by subject. It should be set up so that everything viewable on this page is from the same day.

Recent TV Watching

2011-04-06T00:43:00.000-05:00

Alan Moore's Neonomicon - Series Review

2011-04-06T00:38:00.003-05:00

Recent Comic Book Reading

2011-04-06T00:32:00.001-05:00

Please note that I will RETURN to podcasting in time. For the moment, I am writing individual posts reviewing recent purchases/watches/whatever. I'll be posting a few at a time, divided by subject. It should be set up so that everything viewable on this page is from the same day.

Following are a couple of reviews of some comic books I've recently purchased. Rating system is out of five-stars, with five being GREAT, and zero being worse than "The Chevy Chase Show."

Gotham Central

I had my doubts about this book. I bought it on a week where I think there was only one or two issues on the stands that caught my attention. A couple of the guys at the store recommended it, with one of the clerks telling me he was so confident in it that if I didn't like it, he'd buy it back. Didn't have anything to lose, so I picked it up.

It's a Batman book that isn't about Batman. It explores the inner-working of the Gotham City PD. There is a plot of one of the characters being "outed" to her coworkers as a lesbian that I felt was tact on and pandering. (I'm cool with it if someone wants to be gay, and I'm cool with a gay character in comics...but it just felt inorganic.) But otherwise, this was a shockingly good read, and I think I'd pick up another book if they choose to explore the world a little bit deeper. I like the concept of the cops trying to out-do Batman (which, let's be fair, in the age of Batman International, that shouldn't be too hard to do--I mean...I don't even RECOGNIZE the Batman series anymore, and I LOVE Batman...it's sad). I grew to care about the characters, and even found myself laughing along with them on their inside jokes. It was very well done.

Rating: ****

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FF

The aftermath of the Fantastic Four's loss of the Human Torch has produced the Future Foundation (FF). I haven't regularly been reading the Four, but I did pick up the "death" issue. The death of the Human Torch was really, really poorly done with it not even really looking like he was killed (the actual death happened out of frame and of course, there was no chance of recovering the body...so he'll be back in like a year or two). Still, I wanted to know what happened afterward, so I picked up FF #1.

Now... There are a BUNCH of characters I don't know. I don't understand what's going on. Spiderman is there for some reason (even though we're now leading up to the Death of Spiderman...but whatever, I guess). Doctor Doom has been invited to live on the compound. Things are confusing and apparently poorly organized with too many plot-lines crammed into a limited space... But I wasn't disappointed. It was pretty well written and DOES have possibilities, even though I felt like a comic outsider picking up a random issue, instead of a comic FAN picking up an issue-one.

All said, I'm going to give it another 3-5 issues...let it get through its first arc, and see how I like it. I might end up raving about how great it is. For now, it got my attention, and that's good enough.

Rating : ***

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Justice League: Generation Lost

Easily the best "League" title to come out in YEARS. There's a definite "Brightest Day" tie-in, but it's also built its own world. I really like this series. But the last two issues have been a little bit "fool-me-once"-ish. They have killed and resurrected the Blue Beetle (again) over the past few issues, and it just felt a little bit cheesy...but that does not diminish the series overall. It's a great read, and a great accompaniment to the "Brightest Day" arc, and I recommend that everyone pick this thing up in the trades. I really hope it keeps going on WAY past "Brightest Day" (don't know if there are plans for that or not).

Rating: ****1/2

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Darkwing Duck

DW has been one of the most entertaining reads on my list since it launched last year. It's funny. It's a cartoon-book for grown-ups, but would still play to kids. It's nostalgic for those of us who grew up watching that show (and Duck-Tales, for that matter), and it makes me laugh time and time again. Right now, DW is preparing to fight the conjured spirit of--are you ready?--Duck-thulhu! That's right! The Lovecraft Mythos is being honored in the pages of Disney. And I love it. (And so far, it's more appropriately and more honorably done than Alan Moore's "Neonomicon"--see a different post for that). Fun, silly, yet still engaging...one of my favorites on stands.

Rating: **** +1/2

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Caligula

From the same people that brought us "Neonomicon" we have a re-telling of the Caligula story. It's done as a true horror story. Caligula is an unstoppable, apparently immortal monster of a man, and his debauchery knows apparently no limits. It's a creepy, creepy read, but so far not horrifying. A little gory. A little gruesome. A little naked (though in a completely un-arousing way). All in all, I'm interested to see where it goes. I'm not totally engaged yet...but I might get there. This could be fun. Or it could be wholly disturbing and cringe inducing in both the good and bad way at the same time. Either way, I'm at least giving it another couple of issues. (I think it's a six-issue run, I'll know if I'm "in" by issue 3, I'm sure.)

Rating: So far, **1/2 as a series (because I'm being careful). But ***1/2 as an ISSUE.

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Sigil

It's one of those "This girl's in high school, but there's more to her than anyone knows, including herself!" things... I like it...but I think I'm more interested in the high-school story than I am in the mythological, fantasy part. There's only been one issue, and I DID like it...but it sort of feels like something that might've been better done as a trade/graphic novel. Still...good read, and I'm going to be picking up the next issue.

Rating: ***

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Morning Glories

The BEST thing on stands. Pretty much always tops my list every issue. The last issue left us knowing that Jun's twin brother is on campus, raising hell. There have been creepy murders. We're digging deeper into the characters, deeper into the surrounding mythology, and getting weirder and weirder. (And also, there was a NICE "LOST" reference in the last one!) No complaints about Glories. Pick up the trades, get caught up and start collecting. It's gold, gold, GOLD.

Rating: *****

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Scarlet

I like Scarlet a lot. It's about a girl who is shot by a dirty cop, who is out for something not wholly dissimilar to revenge...but rather than wanting classic "revenge" (which she DOES get), she wants to change the world...and she just might do it. It's a wonderful, engaging read...but I do have some issues with both the series and especially the most recent issue (#5).

The series just plain takes too damn long to come out. There's a two-month wait between issues. That's forever in comic-book terms. I don't know if anything can maintain much interest with that LONG a gap between issues...especially with issues like this last one. The last one was HORRIBLE. It was an "ending" to the story so-far...like the end of a chapter in a book, or the end of the first trade in the series... On that level it kind of worked... But after a TWO MONTH wait after issue four, then paying $3.95 for the issue, (whereas DC Comics is doing us all the favor of stopping their prices at $2.99) I expected a FULL issue. I didn't get that. I got about half an issue of story, then half an issue of letters and ads. Seriously. There are about 40 pages in the book 24 of those were the actual comic story! Several of THOSE were the lazy full-page frames that are used for dramatic purposes, but frankly take up a full page for what could have been done in one FRAME. Then the remaining pages were taken up with letters to/from the writer (mainly pimping his OTHER projects and not the book at hand) and ads.

That's just shit. I waited two months and paid double the price of a good DC issue for THAT. Not. Worth. It. that sucked so bad, I don't even know if I'm going to keep reading it...I don't want to get screwed every time I pick up an issue.

Rating: Series - ****; ISSUE #5 - *

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Captain America - 70th Anniversary

Friends of the Podcast know that Captain America is one of those things I never THOUGHT I'd read, but that I now love. The 70th Anniversary issue celebrates the history of the character, gives us a taste of some of what may be on the horizon, and in general provides a fun, different, wholly enjoyable read of several different stories, with a little something for everyone. (Personally, I found one of the stories really cheesy, but I actually think that was sort of the goal.) It was a fun look at the character through the eyes of multiple writers, and left me wanting to move ahead with the stories of both Bucky and Steve Rogers. Well done. Probably the best thing coming out of the "Big Two" (DC/Marvel) these days, and I can't wait to see what the next 70 years brings!

Rating: *****

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Fear Itself - Prologue

With the first issue of "Fear Itself" coming out tomorrow, I just re-read the prologue that came out a couple of weeks ago. It's great. I'm almost jittery with anticipation for the event. I decided to go into it blind and didn't even read what it was going to be about. At the end of the prologue, we find out that it is apparently less about Captain America as it is about Thor (and the other Gods?). I've always had a special place in my heart for Thor, even though I don't actively read the book. I'm looking forward to spending the summer immersed in some Norse mischief with this story. The prologue was a PERFECT lead-in to what looks like an EPIC story.

Rating: *****

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Flashpoint

This is DC's answer to the "Summer Story" that Marvel's doing with "Fear Itself." Now...this seems like it will be less interesting and less gripping that "Fear Itself," but frankly maybe it NEEDS to be. Some people don't like epic tales with winding back-stories. Some people like the Flash. (Of course, the Flash has his own back-story and is capable of maintaining the "epic" thing as well as anyone...but he's no Norse God.) From what little I've seen of Flashpoint so far, it looks like it could go anywhere. It looks like there are a bunch of story threads out there... In fact it looks a little muddy... But, hopefully, that's leading toward all of the strands coming together--though to the cynical eye it just looks like it might fall apart. I have high hopes for this story. I like the Flash, and I like fun reads just as much as I like epic ones. Plus, I TRUST DC and I like what they do to reward long-time readers...and I really like their prices ("Drawing the line at $2.99!"). So this has potential. And based on the prologue, it looks like that potential could be LOADS of fun.

Rating: **** -- with anticipation!

Recent Music Purchases

2011-04-06T00:20:00.001-05:00

I'm just going to WRITE it...

2011-03-31T00:03:00.000-05:00

Been having some trouble finding time to adequately do a podcast. I've been busy, and when I've been working with audio-files, they've been files for my band (Two Hangmen) and not podcast files. (Priorities, y'all.) The time I have to sit and do a podcast right now seems to be the wee-hours...and I don't want to do that. No one wants to podcast at 3 a.m. Sorry.

When I started this thing, I said I wanted to do it because I missed working with audio files and playing around with my recording equipment. In the past couple of months, I've been in and out of the recording stuff REGULARLY, so I guess I'm just not feeling that need right now. I'll get back to it. I will. I promise. But, for the moment, I'm kind of content not to...

However, I like the "reviews" thing, and I've got a HUGE backlog of stuff to talk about... So rather than do a really lengthy podcast, sometime over the next couple of days, I'm just going to WRITE some reviews and post them here. I don't mind doing THAT at 3 a.m. for some reason.

So, sorry about the lack of activity...but I'll start posting here again, even if not in the intended format. I'll get back to the actual podcast thing soon enough. The EP recording can't go on forever. But come back by tomorrow or Friday or something and read some reviews. At least that's better than nothing.

Thanks for putting up with me.

I'm a damn, dirty liar!

2011-03-26T13:29:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed that I didn't post anything mid-week, as I promised I would. In my defense, I had an exhausting week at work. But still...broke a promise, and I apologize. But I AM recording one this weekend, and it'll be a good one. Thanks for your continued patience with my lack of effort.

Stuff I'll probably talk about this week:

Comics:

Alan Moore's "Neonomicon" (Last issue/series review)\
Gotham Central
FF
Justice League: Generation Lost
Darkwing Duck
Sigil
Morning Glories
Etc...

Music:

Over the Rhine - "The Long Surrender"
Dropkick Murphys - "Going Out in Style"
Probably My Morning Jacket's - "Evil Urges" even though it's not new.

TV:

House
Deadliest Catch
How I Met Your Mother

Other Stuff:

St. Patrick's Day Wrap-Up
My new banjo! (Yay!)

See you soon!

Okay...this time it's MY fault...

2011-03-21T01:23:00.000-05:00

I think I might have deleted the podcast I recorded this weekend. I got rid of a folder I didn't think I need, but I may have saved the podcast in there by accident. I'm still looking, but I think it's gone forever. If I don't find it, I'll try to record something else and get it online by Wednesday-ish. Sorry for the delay. My fault this time. Check back mid-week to see if I've followed through or not. :)

Not Enough

2011-03-13T14:21:00.001-05:00

Sorry. Didn't buy enough to justify a podcast this week. I even ran low at the comic book store! I'll be back next week with a decent report on music, comics, and a full St. Patrick's Day write-up.

Until then...here's a clip of William Shatner singing "Fuck You."

(Link working at time of upload. Sorry if it's gone in the wonderful world of The Future.)

Empty Checking #21 -- THE RETURN!

2011-03-06T20:48:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone.

It feels so, so good to be back. I'm not even going to waste your time with rambling about it. Here's the player and link...

Click play to listen in this window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

My camera's batteries died, so no pics for the moment, but I wanted to get this online anyway, since it's been so long.

Topics discussed (not in this order...sorry):

MUSIC:

CAKE - Showroom of Compassion
Wanda Jackson - The Party Ain't Over
Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots
Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Tao of the Dead
Get Up Kids - There Are Rules
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

COMICS:

AXE COP
Justice League: Generation Lost
Captain America
Sixth Gun
Morning Glories
Fantastic Four
I think another one or two, I don't really recall...but I did also say RIP to Dwayne McDuffie.

BOOKS:

Nick Hornby - About a Boy
Joe Hill - Horns

OTHER STUFF:

The Dentist
Maggiano's

Thanks so much for your patience and I've been working to get up and running again. Not sure if I'll buy much in this coming week...hoping to take it easy for a little bit...but I'll at least get some comics, I'm sure...so I'll probably be back next week with a new one! Yay! :)

Re-launching...10...9...8...

2011-02-20T02:47:00.000-06:00

As those who have been followers of the podcast know, I've been having significant trouble getting things to upload and STAY uploaded. Well, I think I know what's wrong AND how to fix it. So that's good. But I want to do a couple of test runs and make sure it's idiot proof... So I'll be back...but not today. Which leads to the part where I use big, bold-face text to say:

Empty Checking will re-launch in March.

Probably the first weekend.

Sorry for the delays upon delays. They will soon end. Thank you very, very much for your patience!

-Derek

I Hate Technology

2011-02-02T23:15:00.001-06:00

I've had a really fun edition of "Empty Checking" sitting on my laptop for almost two weeks. For some reason, the software I use to upload the MP3s isn't working. It's getting to 100% then freezing, and then nothing uploads. It sucks. I'm trying to get it working, and I'll keep you posted on how it's going. Please be patient. I'm sorry to go so long without posting, but believe me, I'm trying...

In the meantime, I changed the background. So enjoy that.

MIA - Sorry!

2011-01-19T00:29:00.000-06:00

Sorry I've been away since the start of the new year. I've been busy and not buying much. I *should* be back this weekend though, with a decent-sized report. I actually tried recording one, but crapped out after about 5 minutes, because I just hadn't bought that much! Again, sorry about the down time...but know that I still love you.

Empty Checking #19 and #20 - Two for the price of one! Everything must go!!!

2011-01-02T20:12:00.000-06:00

I recorded two different podcasts this week. One is a "Christmas Wrap-Up" thing, just going over what I got for Christmas, as well as a few comic books. The other is a run-down of my top ten records of 2010 (plus about 11 more!). You know the drill by now...so let's go.

Press Play to listen to the one where I talk about Christmas:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

------------

Press play to listen to the one where I run down my top ten of 2010:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

Stuff I got for Christmas.

Comic books also reviewed in the Christmas Wrap-Up.

All the music I discussed in one big-assed pile.

The Top 10! (Which you math whizzes might notice is really 11!)

Empty Checking #18 - December 18, 2010

2010-12-24T01:52:00.000-06:00

Okay, here we go! I'm a day later than I said I'd be in the podcast, but at least it's up before Christmas!

I didn't bother taking pictures, because it's a small list...but expect a lot of pics and a lengthy chat about all the forthcoming Christmas swag!

Until then...

Press the play button to listen in the browser window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

Subjects discussed (in order):

An endorsement of online Christmas shopping.

RIP Captain Beefheart

Restaurant: Texas Roadhouse

Television:

Conan / Pierre Bernard
Big Bang Theory
Doctor Who
24 Hours of "A Christmas Story"

Comic Books:

Black Panther - Issue #513 - UNREAD
Darkwing Duck - Issue #7
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #15
Batman 100-page Spectacular #3

A Florissant, MO Mayoral endorsement.
------------

Fair warning, it's unlikely that I'll record a podcast this weekend, what with Christmas Day actually falling on Saturday. So I'll see you in the New Year, probably!

Empty Checking #17 - December 11, 2010

2010-12-18T19:39:00.002-06:00

Well...better late than never. Here's the podcast I did LAST week (12/11/10). I'll be recording a new one tonight, and it'll be up by Wednesday. Wanted to give you a few days with this one, since it's going up so late.

Press play to listen in the window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Topics Discussed (in order):

Pappy's Smokehouse

TV:

The Walking Dead
Conan -- also Cake (band), briefly
The Venture Bros.

Comic Books:

The Traveller - Issue #1
Morning Glories - Issue #4
Generation Hope - Issue #2
Batman - Incorporatd, etc.

Concert: Zappa Plays Zappa/Frank Zappa

GRRRRR!

2010-12-15T01:38:00.000-06:00

Okay. This time it isn't Blogger that's the problem. The program I'm using for uploading keeps timing out. I'll get this working BEFORE I record the next one this weekend, I promise.

I'm updating!

2010-12-12T23:01:00.000-06:00

I actually managed to record a podcast this week, and it'll be up sometime between now and late Monday/early Tuesday.

I PROMISE!

LAST. TRY.

2010-11-21T15:55:00.000-06:00

I've been trying all week to get a post to stay up. For some reason, they keep disappearing, and as a result I'm thinking of moving this whole damn thing to Tumblr. But let's give it ONE more try first.

I'm posting two weeks in this post. One is from the 6th. The other from the 13th. I didn't do one this week, because I'm not sure I can get the posts to stay up. (This has been very frustrating and caused much swearing.) So look for two links, two players, etc, etc...

Keep your fingers crossed.

------------

Press the play button to listen to the podcast from 11/6/10:

or click here to download it.

Subjects covered: (Comic Books:) Scarlet #3, Avengers #6, Red Hood: The Lost Days #6 of 6, Uncanny X-Men #529, Generation Hope #1; (Restaurant:) Pickles Deli; (TV/Movies:) The Walking Dead, Rocky Horror Picture Show/Potential Remake/Glee RHPS "Tribute."

------------

Press THIS play button to listen to the podcast from 11/13/10:

or click here to download it.

Subjects covered: St. Louis Banjo Club, Conan, Fistful of Mercy, House MD, Big Bang Theory, Wil Wheaton, Punch Brothers, Antifogmatic; Comic Books: Return of Bruce Wayne #6, Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, New Avengers #6, Justice League Generation Lost #13, The Unwritten #19, Locke & Key Crown of Shadows; Veteran's Day.

Sorry...no pics. Not worth the effort until I know this is staying.

Holy Crap!

2010-11-16T23:19:00.000-06:00

I just logged in to apologize for not having this week's podcast up yet...and I found that the one from 11/6 has disappeared as well! I know it WAS here, but now I can't find it! I don't know what happened, and I'm working to identify the problem. I'll have at least SOMETHING posted tomorrow night...hopefully both of the missing entries. Sorry about the mess. I'll get it sorted out in the next day-ish.

Uploading Tomorrow

2010-11-08T00:14:00.000-06:00

Got this week's podcast mostly ready to go. I had to do a little bit of editing this week. I went on a couple of rants and they got a little repetitive. I cut out some of the stuff where I'm just repeating myself and it just took longer than I thought it would to edit it down. I've still got to do the upload, which will take 30-45 minutes...and frankly, right now I just want to go to bed. So I'll do it tomorrow. Check back in the evening/late night. Got some stuff I'm hoping to do after work tomorrow, so I probably won't have time to get to it until afterward. Sorry for the delay...but thanks for your understanding.

See you tomorrow!

Empty Checking # 14 - October 30, 2010

2010-11-04T22:31:00.001-05:00

EDIT: Oops...sorry...I hit "save" instead of "post." :)

Sorry this one's coming so late into the week. As you'll notice, I don't have any pictures attached, and that's the main reason for the delay. Batteries are dead in my camera and I didn't want to post this without pics...but here we are.

I' making a slight shift in how I post these things. To help out those of you who might want to scan through some parts of the podcast (maybe you don't like comics or maybe you don't care what I think about a movie you liked, but want to know how a new CD is, or whatever...), I'm going to post what I talk about IN ORDER in the notes below. Hope that helps.

Anyway...with no further ado...here you go!

Click play to listen in the browser:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

[Pictures would go here if I had them...]

Event: St. Louis Banjo Club Meeting (Check them out at http://www.stlouisbanjoclub.org/)

Beer: Schlafly Stout (discussed in the middle of the review of the Banjo Club thing)

DVD: Venture Bros. - Season 4 Volume 1

Comic Books:

Avengers #6 (unread)
X-Men 529 (unread)
The Sixth Gun #5
Darkwing Duck #5
Batman Detective Comics #870
Brief segue into talking about the Tim Burton Batman movies
Avengers: Infinity Gauntlet Issue 3 of 4
Generation Lost #12
Captain America #611

Short restaurant review (on the way out in the music): Best Steak House

Forecast:
Actually, since I'm posting this so late in the week, I can tell you fairly definitively. :) I've got only a few comic books to talk about and I'm also going to talk about one of my favorite movies. I won't tell you which one yet...I'll let you live in anticipation for a while. :)

On the way...

2010-11-03T00:44:00.002-05:00

I swear I DID record a new podcast on Saturday! I apologize for taking so long to upload it. Just been a little pressed for time and haven't mixed it yet. I plan on posting it tomorrow (Wednesday). Sorry, sorry, sorry! I'm on it. I promise.

Empty Checking #13 - 10/23/10

2010-10-25T01:08:00.000-05:00

Here you go! I managed to upload a podcast two weeks in a row! Could this be the start of a whole new era of responsibility and effort in my life?

No. It's a pleasant mishap.

Anyway...this is a long one and I talk about a lot of stuff. So block out about 40 minutes for this one. Sorry about that.

Click play to listen in the window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

Didn't actually discuss THAT Drive-By Truckers record...but I talked about them and needed something, so I used "The Big To-Do" since it's their current record.

Comic Books Discussed:

Morning Glories - Issue #3
Bruce Wayne: The Road Home - Catwoman
Bruce Wayne: The Road Home - Commissioner Gordon
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #11
New Avengers - Issue #5
Darkwing Duck - Issue #5 (Unread at the time of recording)
The Sixth Gun - Issue #5 (Unread at the time of recording)
The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles - Issue #4
Steve Rogers: Super Soldier - Issue #4 of 4
Batman Beyond - Issue #5 of 6

Books Discussed:

Kurt Vonnegut - "Jailbird"
Michael Scott - "The Necromancer"

CDs/Music Discussed:

Leonard Cohen - "Songs from the Road"
The Henry Clay People - "Somewhere on the Golden Coast"
Legendary Shack Shakers - "Agri-dustrial"
Drive-By Truckers - Assorted Live Downloads...

Forecast:

I don't have a lot in mind for this week, but it seems like I say that every week. I know I'll be buying some comic books. Also, Season 4.1 of the Venture Bros. comes out on Tuesday, and if I can find it, I'll buy it. (Best Buy has become unreliable, ever since Blu-Ray started to tightened its grip on America's nutsack. Those of us who are sticking with DVD until we can't fight it anymore are cheated out of good stuff...as are the suckers who've gone to entirely Blu-Ray. Fortunately, in this case, the Venture Bros. is coming out ONLY on DVD for now...so suck on THAT Blu-Ray.) Also, I may or may not be going to a bar to see a friend play next weekend...if I do, I'll talk about it. If not, I won't. :)

Promise Keeper...

2010-10-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be a promise keeper this week--and I don't mean I'm going to be hanging out with some wacko religious semi-cult that has skewed ideas about the value of women. I mean I'll be posting Empty Checking #13 sometime tonight. I've got it recorded and mixed. I just have to do the upload and take the pictures for the write-up. So hang tight. Might be kinda late tonight/early morning hours tomorrow...but it'll go up within the next 12 hours.

Yay!

Empty Checking #12 - October 16, 2010

2010-10-17T02:14:00.000-05:00

Here we go. Turns out I sometimes keep my promises!

I say a number of curse words in this one. Sorry to the kids...but I've warned you all time and again. Otherwise, it's pretty much par for the course...though a little bit long.

Have fun!

Press play to listen in the window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Apparently, this is all the stuff I bought...in fact, it's missing a few things noted below! And I wonder why I'm always broke...

Just the stuff I focused on...

Comic Books Discussed (Some are very brief, or were not yet read. Ones I spent particular time with are bolded.):

Locke & Key (as a series)
The Unwritten - Issue #18 (unread)
The New Avengers - Issue #5 (unread)
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #11 (unread)
The Return of Bruce Wayne - Issue #5 of 6
Bruce Wayne: The Road Home - Series of "one-shot" books for Batman & Robin, Batgirl, Red Robin, and The Outsiders.
Neonomicon - Issue #2 of 4
Red Hood: The Lost Days - Issue #5 of 6
The Avengers - Issues #4 and 5
Uncanny X-Force #1

Music review:

Old 97s - "The Grand Theatre"

Book/Author Review:

"Heart Shaped Box" by Joe Hill

Forecast:
Not expecting to buy much. Definitely some comic books...but I think I'm presently caught up on music/movies/etc. I did forget that I picked up Michael Scott's book, "The Necromancer" from the "Nicholas Flamel" series, that I've been enjoying so much for a while now. I'll probably talk about that next week. Also forgot that I'd picked up Leonard Cohen's "Songs from the Road" last week. Planning on talking about that too. I think I *might* try to grab a copy of something by the Henry Clay People, who I saw with the Drive-By Truckers at the start of the month...but that will be hard to find, so I'm not 100% on it. We'll see...

Sorry About Last Week

2010-10-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

This week's podcast will be up in the wee-hours. It's all recorded and whatnot. Just have to upload it, and at the file size I use that's kind of time-consuming.

As for last week's... My apologies. I just never got around to re-recording it. By the time I remembered, I figured it'd do just as well to combine last week and this week into one (slightly too long) effort. We're checking in over 30 minutes this week, thanks to that...but I think you'll enjoy it. It's a nice long rant.

Check back sometime when it's officially "Sunday." Though it'll technically still be "Saturday" to me. :) Thanks for your patience on me missing last week. I'll try to actually do another one NEXT week and get two in a row for once!

See you again shortly...

Might Need a Re-do

2010-10-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

Greetings to the one of you that listens. Normally, I would have either posted the podcast by now, would be preparing it for upload by now, or would have given you some excuse by now.

Presently, we're at the latter.

I've got it all recorded and whatnot...but there's this weird buzz I can't seem to get rid of throughout the track. I'm still trying a few things to clean it up, but I might need to just re-record it (which is a shame, because I think I actually attained "funny" once or twice on this one!). If I do need to re-do it, expect to see it uploaded sometime between now and Tuesday, with my apologies. I'll wear headphones during the recordings from now on so I'll know if it's happening and can fix it before I even start.

But...to whet your appetite, let me just give you two words to summarize one of the main talking points this week...

Joe Hill.

Talk to you soon.

Empty Checking #11 - October 3, 2010

2010-10-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

Okay...here we go. Got a lot of ground to cover in this one. Discussed all the stuff I listed on last-week's non-cast, plus a bunch of new stuff. Hope you enjoy it. Plus...lots of swear words! :)

Took a bunch of extra pictures for some reason. So there's a bunch of them after the link. I'm captioning them too, just for the fun of it.

Enjoy!

Press play to listen in the window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

Click any of the below pictures to embiggen. (You really might need to on the fourth one.)

Assorted stuff I bought about two weeks ago.

THIS week's assorted stuff. Except that copy of "The Great Race" isn't new...just needed it there since I mentioned it.

Merch from the Drive-By Truckers show. As a side note, the Henry Clay People were great, too!

Shots from the DBT show, from my phone. Left -- Patterson Hood. Middle -- One of my beers. I threw down THREE of those. Right -- Patterson and Mike Cooley.

Stuff in my bathroom. Left to right, from top to bottom: My awesome towels, the shower enclosure, my mirror, my bathmat and floor tiles, my awesome shelf that I installed myself, and an awesome picture of wine in an awesome frame.

Comic Books Reviewed:

The Avengers - Issue #5
1MONTH2LIVE - Issues #4 and 5 of 5
Darkwing Duck - Issue #4
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #10 (Brightest Day Tie-In)
Uncanny X-Men - Issue #528
The Unwritten - Issue #17
Captain America - Issue #610
Batman: Detective Comics - Issue #869

Movies/TV Reviewed:

How I Met Your Mother - Season 5 DVD
The Great Race

Music Reviewed:

Awesome Drive-By Truckers concert in St. Louis, MO
Neil Young - "Le Noise"

Other Stuff:

RIP to Tony Curtis and Greg Giraldo
Maker's Mark Whisky
Stuff I bought at the DBT show
Avocados
Stuff in my bathroom

Forecast:

Hoping to keep in a light week. Gonna be some comic books...but otherwise, I know I've got a Leonard Cohen CD coming in the mail, and I think I'm going to pick up a book...but that'll probably be it. And honestly, I should really count some of that on THIS week's podcast since it's already in the mail. :)

Working on it...

2010-10-03T16:44:00.000-05:00

Got the podcast recorded and the pictures taken. Knew I'd be doing it on Sunday this week, as I mentioned previously. Got a lot in this one. I'm mixing it now and I'll have to do some minor "clean-up" stuff... But it'll go up either later tonight or tomorrow after work. Thanks for understanding the day's delay so I could report on the AWESOME Drive-By Truckers show last night. :)

So, come back a little later to check and see if it's up yet. If it's not, check again later...again... If it IS, then enjoy! :)

I Don't Think I Bought Enough

2010-09-26T18:11:00.000-05:00

Tried to do a recording last night. Only filled up 7 minutes. So, we're going to wait until next week, when I've got a few more purchases under my belt.

But here's what I DID buy...

Comic Books:

The Avengers - Issue #5
1MONTH2LIVE - Issue #4 of 5
Darkwing Duck - Issue #4
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #10 (Brightest Day Tie-In)
Uncanny X-Men - Issue #528
The Unwritten - Issue #17

DVD:

How I Met Your Mother - Season 5

Stuff for my Bathroom:

Towels
Bathmat
Picture Frame

Other Stuff:

A Bottle of Maker's Mark Whisky
Avocados

Forecast:
Gonna buy some more comics...
Drive-By Truckers show on the 2nd (so I'll probably record the podcast on Sunday next week).
Hoping to buy drapes.

Should have plenty to talk about next week. Sorry I crapped out this week...I really did try! :)

Empty Checking #10 - September 19, 2010 - FINALLY! :)

2010-09-22T23:10:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delays...but here is this week's "Empty Checking." I recorded it on Sunday night, but only just got everything working. Lots and lots of stuff in this one...so we're a little longer at 31-ish minutes. Also I swear a lot. Hope you enjoy that.

Incidentally, it's come to my attention that the player isn't fitting in everyone's window. Looks fine in mine and on a couple others I've looked at it on. If anyone's still having problems, could someone please give me some details about what browers/screen specs you use and I'll try to get something that works on all platforms? I want to be as eye-pleasing as I can while my voice assaults your ears. :)

Press play to listen in the window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Please note that I used the "Season 1" Venture Bros DVD cover, because I love that logo. :)

Comic Books Reviewed:

The Avengers: The Infinity Gauntlet – Issues # 1 and 2 (of 4)
1MONTH2LIVE – Issues #2 and 3 (of 5)
Batman Beyond – Issue #4 (of 6)
Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier – Issue #3 (of 4)
CBGB – Issue #3
Morning Glories – Issue #2
Batman - Issue #703
The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles - Issue #3
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #9
The Sixth Gun - Issue #4
The New Avengers - Issue #4

DVD/Movie Reviews:

Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek

TV Review:

Venture Bros.

Forecast:
Bought some comic books I'm excited about today (though nothing excites me more than "Morning Glories," which is in the above posted review). Also should be picking up the Season 5 DVD of "How I Met Your Mother" and maybe some stuff for the house. So the one I'm recording on Saturday (and will be up NO LATER than Sunday, if I have anything to say about it!) should be an interesting one.

Delayed...

2010-09-21T00:32:00.000-05:00

I've tried to edit this week's podcast twice and the damn program keeps freezing on me. I'll get it worked out and I'll post it sometime this week. Really, really sorry for the delay. Should've just done this on Saturday. My apologies. If I were the type to say, "Mea Culpa," I'd do it here. But people who say that are idiots who are trying to sound smart. So there.

Working on it...

2010-09-18T18:44:00.003-05:00

EDIT - Recorded the podcast just a little bit ago. Presently exactly midnight, and officially 9/20/10. Still need to mix and whatnot...so we'll get this thing posted sometime after work on Monday. Sorry for the delay. The weekend got weird.

Thanks for your patience.

Calling In Sick...

2010-09-11T14:59:00.000-05:00

I'm taking this week off from podcasting. I've been sick all week and my throat's pretty sore. Talking for 20-30 minutes in a row would probably just make it worse...so I'm making this a light week.

But here's the short version...

Bought the following comic books:

Batman - Issue #703
1Month2Live - Issue #2 of 5
The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles - Issue #3
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #9
The Sixth Gun - Issue #4
The New Avengers - Issue #4

I'll hold off on publishing any thoughts on them because there are a couple I haven't read yet and also because I might want to talk about them on the podcast next week, in addition to my other purchases...we'll see.

Anyway...sorry for the week off. Thanks for your understanding.

Empty Checking #9 - September 5, 2010

2010-09-05T19:12:00.000-05:00

Thanks for stopping by again. Lighter wek this week. I'd be hard pressed to spend as much as last week two weeks in a row. :) But I also included an appeal on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, with their annual telethon happening this weekend. Please visit http://www.mda.org/, if you get the chance and consider making a gift. Otherwise...hope you enjoy this week's installment. I have cleaned up some of the digital static that has been plaguing the podcast to date, and I think you'll have a much better listen than ever before.

Press the play button to listen in the window:

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

Comic Book Purchased:

1Month2Live - Issue #1 of 5
Red Hood: The Lost Days - Issue #4 of 6
Scarlet - Issues #1 and 2

Music Purchases:

Drive-By Truckers - "Your Woman is a Living Thing" EP - ON VINYL
The Who - "Quadrophenia" - ON VINYL

Forecast:
Should be a pretty heavy week for comic books, since this week was so light--that's how it goes. Also hoping against hope to find a copy of Th' Legendary Shack Shakers new one that I've been wanting to hear for a couple of months... We'll see...

Pending...

2010-09-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

I usually record my podcasts on Saturdays...but this week, I'm recording it on Sunday. So hang tight. I'll have something up in time for your day off on Monday...assuming you have one...

Empty Checking #8 - August 28, 2010

2010-08-28T20:33:00.002-05:00

Hello again. Spent a ridiculous amount of money this week. Good for the 'cast...bad for the wallet. Oh well. Hopefully you'll enjoy it, at least. And just FYI, at least as of present, I seem to have stopped caring how frequently I swear on these things...so be advised, those with virgin ears.

Hee, hee... I said "virgin."

Click the play button to listen in the window.

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

Comic Books Reviewed:

Captain America - Issue #609
The Last Phantom - Issue #1
Batman: Detective Comics - Issue #868
Batman - Issue #702
Captain America: "The 1940s Newspaper Strip" - Issue #3 of 3
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #8

Other stuff reviewed:

Rush concert in St. Louis on August 22, 2010.
LOST: The Complete Series Box Set.

Forecast:

Going to try to keep it light this upcoming week...but I'm definitely going to buy some comic books...but otherwise I'm hoping to not spend a ton of money. However, I will be contributing to the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon over Labor Day weekend, and I'm probably going to spend a good amount of time promoting that cause on the next podcast.

Empty Checking #7 - August 21, 2010

2010-08-22T00:20:00.000-05:00

Okay... After some difficulties, I finally managed to get this week's podcast online! Be forewarned, this one works a little harder to earn its "PG-13" rating, as I was in a bad mood when I recorded it and I swore a little more than usual. My apologies to the elderly women who listen to my podcast. This was a big week, but I think this was my SHORTEST podcast yet! Only 20:56! Wow!

Press the play button to listen in the window.

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Comic Books Purchased/Reviewed:

Uncanny X-Men - Issue # 527
Darkwing Duck - Issue #3
The New Avengers (Heroic Age Tie In) - Issue #3
CBGB -Issue #2
Batman Beyond - Issue #3 of 6
The Sixth Gun - Issue #3

Music Bought/Reviewed:

John Mellencamp - "No Better Than This"
Iron Maiden - "The Final Frontier"
Iron and Wine - "Around the Well"

Also talked about:

Bushmill's Black Bush Irish Whiskey
Home Depot

Forecast:

Seeing RUSH this weekend (in fact, in under 24hours!). Should be exciting...and I swear to GOD I'm going to watch some movies one of these days!

Upload Pending...

2010-08-21T21:41:00.002-05:00

I'm having some trouble getting this week's podcast to upload. Don't know why. It's getting to 100%, but then not completing. Weird.

...so as soon as that's fixed, I'll have this week's installment up and running.

Empty Checking #6 - August 14, 2010

2010-08-14T23:51:00.000-05:00

Got a weird one this week. I only bought five comic books. So with the time after the reviews, I speak about why I think comic books are important and why I personally read them. Thought that might be a good topic, seeing as a lot of people that I know aren't interested in comic books and might wonder just why I am. Hope you enjoy it. I had fun talking about it!

Press the play button to listen.

OR CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Comic books purchased:

Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #7
Steve Rogers: Super Soldier - Issue #2 of 4
The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles - Issue #2
The Unwritten - Issue #16
Morning Glories - Issue #1 (Which, I'll say it again, is AMAZING!)

Forecast:

I'll get to those movies I talked about last week sooner or later!
Iron Maiden - "Final Frontier"
John Mellencamp - "No Better Than This"
...and more comics...

Empty Checking #5 - August 7, 2010

2010-08-08T01:24:00.010-05:00

First of all, I hope you like the new blog background. I like it...but I am still trying to figure out a way to tweak a few things...but in all, I'm kind of liking this...

Anyway...

Jam-packed edition this week. After the unexpected week-off, we've got a lot of ground to cover. Talked about some food, some comic books, and some music. Even though there's a TON of stuff, this one only weighs in at 31 minutes. I think I must've done it all in one breath! :)

Click the play button to listen:

Or click here to download.

Comic Books Purchased and Reviewed:

Batman Odyssey - Issue #2
Captain America - Issue #608
Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #6
Darkwing Duck - Issue #2
Batman: Detective Comics - Issue #867
Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne - Issue #4 of 6
Red Hood: Lost Days - Issue #3 of 6
Captain America: The 1940s Newspaper Strip - Issue #2 of 3
Uncanny X-Men: Issue #526

Music Reviews:

Band of Horses - "Infinite Arms" (again)
Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Beat the Devil's Tattoo"
Black Keys - "Brothers"
Squeeze - "Spot the Difference"
And a run down of how awesome 2010 has been for music.

Other Stuff Mentioned:

Syberg's shark steaks.
Wing Stop's fries and rolls.
Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

Forecast:
Hoping to review "Crazy Heart" and "Inglourious Basterds" next week---both of which I somehow haven't seen yet! Almost certainly some new comic books. And so on...

I lied...Sorry.

2010-08-05T22:51:00.002-05:00

When I wrote earlier that I was going to do a podcast mid week then one on the weekend, I had EVERY intention of making it happen. However, between the time when I made that promise and the time when I actually had a window open to do the recording mid-week, my computer was attacked by really malicious, brutal malware. It took DAYS to get rid of, and I'm STILL dealing with some of the after-effects. I finally have my recording software working again and will be able to record over the weekend, but it's Thursday night now and it'd be silly to do one now and one on Saturday...so we're just doing a MEGASIZED, ultra-packed edition on Saturday.

So turn in Saturday, when I plan on talking about at least four CDs and at least NINE comic books. I promise I'll spend longer on the music than the comics...some of the comic book reviews are simple "like/don't like" comments without much to add.

So come on back in a couple of days. My apologies for the unexpected vacation.

------------

In other news, I am thinking of finding a different background for the blog. I like the white-theme...it's fairly easy on the eyes...but it's a little "blah" too. I'm not sure if I'll actually do anything with it yet, because most of what I'm finding doesn't *QUITE* make me as happy as what I've got now...but it may be forthcoming.

Also, to whoever keeps trying to post spam in my comments in Japanese. Take the hint. Your comments and porn links will NOT be posted. Just stop it.

This Week's Podcast Will Be Late

2010-07-31T22:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry folks...I'm a little busy this weekend and I haven't had time to sit down and record a podcast yet. It'll be coming this week though. I'm hoping to do it tomorrow (Sunday), but it might pop up in mid-week or something instead. Either way, I promise I'll throw something up here for you soon!

Sorry for the delay.

-db

Empty Checking #4 - July 24, 2010

2010-07-24T21:11:00.005-05:00

EDIT: After continuing errors from our host, we tried a complete re-upload. Hoping it works this time. Thanks for your patience.

This was a big week. Trip to Chicago. Some new music purchases. A few comic books... All that and I managed to get in a gig last night, too! This week's podcast also comes with a goofy little song I wrote, and contains only one swear-word... You'll have to listen to find out which one! :)

Click the play button to listen:

Or click here to download.

Concert/Road Trip Review:

Iron Maiden
Chicago - First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre, July 18, 2010
Opening Act: Dream Theater

Comic Books Purchased:

Avengers (Heroic Age Tie-In) - Issue #3
New Avengers (Heroic Age Tie-In) - Issue #2
Batman Beyond - Issue #2 of 6
CBGB - Issue #1
Neonomicon - Issue #1

Comic Books Read:

Batman Beyond
CBGB
Neonomicon

TV Shows Reviewed:

Deadliest Catch
Futurama
Doctor Who
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Music Reviews:

Band of Horses - "Infinite Arms"
Shooter Jennings - "Black Ribbons"

Misc. Stuff Mentioned:

Correction on how to pronounce the name "Urbaniak."
Woofies Hot Dogs
Parking Tickets
Student Loans
Harvey Pekar (again)

Forecast:

Should be a DVD or two coming into my life very soon.
I keep forgetting to mention "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club...so I'll probably talk about that next week.

Empty Checking #3 - July 16, 2010 - A Tribute to Harvey Pekar

2010-07-16T22:45:00.004-05:00

This week's podcast is 99% devoted to one topic only. I do give quick, one-sentence(ish) reviews of some comic books I picked up this week...but mostly, it's a tribute to the creator of "American Splendor," and a personal hero of mine, Harvey Pekar. Harvey died on July 12, and a tribute on my podcast is the LEAST I can do to honor someone whose work has meant so much to me. Sit back, relax, grab yourself some orange soda (Harvey's favorite) and enjoy.

Oh...and I'd rate this one PG-13. I warned you in advance, so no blogger break-up letters, okay f-word Nazis?

Plus -- Check it out! New audio player, right here on the page!

Or here's a download link, if the player doesn't work.

(Most of) My Harvey Pekar collection:

Comics also read/reviewed (VERY briefly):

Justice League: Generation Lost - Issue #5
Batman - Issue 701
The Unwritten - Issue #15
The Sixth Gun - Issues 1 & 2
The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles
The Uncanny X-Men - "One Shot" Heroic Age tie-in

Forecast:
I'll get back to proper reviews next week. Going to Chicago to see Iron Maiden and Dream Theater this week, so expect a full review of that. Might pick up a thing or two, as well...we'll see. :)

But for now, I mostly just wanted to say goodbye to a grumpy, grumpy, awesome man.

(Above image lifted from here, with text added by yours truly.)

A Week Off

2010-07-10T13:55:00.003-05:00

Sorry listeners (if any). I'm taking a week off from the podcast. I usually record these things on Saturdays and I've got a REALLY full day today, as I've got a gig tonight (see my actual blog for details). Sorry. I'll make next week's extra awesome for you to make up for it.

See you next week. I promise.

Empty Checking #2 - July 3, 2010

2010-07-04T00:30:00.001-05:00

This week's podcast deals less with comic books and more with other media. (Yay!) I also go into detail about how maybe spending money on crap that you may or may not like 5 years from now isn't the BEST use of your funds...and I give an extensive rant on the power of music. Plus, I swear once...or twice, depending on how you look at it...but they're both words you can hear on prime-time TV. So it's not like I said one of Carlin's "seven-words." :)

Enjoy.

DOWNLOAD: Empty Checking - July 3, 2010

DVD Purchased:

Rush: Behind the Lighted Stage

Music Reviews (neither "technically" purchased this week):

Johnny Cash - American VI
Iron Maiden - "El Dorado"

TV Watched:

Futurama
WWE Wrestling in general, with particular attention given to Bret Hart.

Comic Books Purchased:

Captain America - Issue #607
Captain America: The 1940s Newspaper Strip
Batman Beyond - Issue #1
Joker's Asylum: Clayface

Comic Books Read:

All of the above.
Also Neil Young's "Greendale" adaptation.

Forecast:

Should be a few more comic books...but it doesn't look like a really heavy week.
There are some DVDs out that I've been meaning to pick up.
A BUNCH of music has come out recently and I think there's some new stuff this week I should get excited about.

Empty Checking #1 - June 26, 2010

2010-06-26T21:35:00.012-05:00

This week's podcast serves as an introduction to the series. In addition to the actual purchases, I discuss some of my vision for the podcast and some other things that are on my mind including some quick music and TV reviews. Should be plenty for everyone to dig into...but the purchases are exclusively comic books. And I managed to do ALL of this first post without saying any swear words! :)

DOWNLOAD: Empty Checking - June 26, 2010

Comic Books Purchased:

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne – Issue #3 of 6
Sam & Twitch: The Writer – Issue #4 of 4
Batman: Detective Comics – Issue #866
Joker’s Asylum: Killer Croc
(Heroic Age) Avengers – Issue #2
Justice League: Generation Lost – Issue #4
The Unwritten – Issue #6 (YAY!)
Neil Young’s Greendale

Comic Books Read:

Everything but "Greendale."
Also, I'm BEHIND on "The Unwritten" and I'll talk about that, too.

Music Reviews:

Drive-By Truckers - "The Big To-Do"
The Hold Steady - "Heaven is Whenever"
Hank Williams III - "Rebel Within"
Willie Nelson - "Country Music"
Rufus Wainwright - "All Days Are Nights/Songs for Lulu"

TV Reviews:

Lost
Doctor Who
House
Big Bang Theory
Deadliest Catch

Forecast:

Next week should prove interesting. There are some DVDs out that I've been meaning to pick up that should find their way onto the blog. But the comics are likely to be a little thin next week. Doesn't look like there's a ton coming out that I want to pick up. So if comic books aren't your thing, then next week might be a more interesting listen for you than this week was.
Plus...I can't BELIEVE I forgot to talk about the RETURN of Futurama in the podcast! (It was awesome.)

------------
EDIT - There's been an issue with some disappearing, reappearing empty space at the bottom of the post(s). Hopefully it's not there while you're reading this...but if it is, please know that I'm aware of it and it bugs me too--probably more than it bugs you. I'm working on it.

What's going on?!?

2010-06-26T15:35:00.001-05:00

This blog has been just SITTING here since 2008. It had a complete archive of my blogging up until that point...but that archive is available at my regular blog at Wordpress, so it seemed silly to just have this one here hosting what is hosted elsewhere (and I've deleted it from here, as a result). I decided that I either needed to delete it or DO SOMETHING with it. So, here's what I'm going to do.

In recent weeks, I've decided to start up a (weekly?) podcast where I sit and babble about recent purchases I've made. I've got a page for it on my Wordpress blog, but I'm also going to be posting it here. The posts here will have a little bit more "visual" information (text and pics) and I'm going to try to come up with some other stuff to make coming to this site a little bit more interesting...maybe some posts about stuff that's coming out that I'm excited about or posts about stuff I'm buying that don't fit into the "entertainment" category.

So...basically, you can consider this the FULL version of "Empty Checking." It also exists at Wordpress, but Wordpress has proven themselves to be kind of limiting in recent days...and also, I've got so much on that page, it's looking a little cluttered.

...and that's what's going on.