The Real Fantastic Four (or Here’s something to read that will be better than the movie they are going to screw up)

The Fantastic Four are not the most popular heroes on the planet. Superman, Batman, Wolverine, and Spiderman get more press but the Fantastic Four are some of the best characters ever.

Mr. Fantastic :– Reed Richards
The brains of the family. In fact, he is the most intelligent scientist in the world. The problem: every two bit megalomaniac attacks the FF in hopes of proving themselves against Mr. Fantastic. He is a loving husband and devoted father, but very absent minded.

Mr. Fantastic can stretch his body like very pliable rubber. Under the best of conditions he can change his body to nearly consistency of liquid.

The Invisible Girl/Woman : Susan Richards
The Invisible Woman has gone through the most changes in the group. Historically, she has been the one most likely to be taken hostage, but has evolved into the most powerful member of the group. She is a devoted wife and mother to her children: Franklin and Valeria.

The Invisible Woman can warp light to make anything invisible and create force fields.

The Human Torch : Johnny Storm

The Human Torch can both create and control flame (Important: some characters can only do one). He can use his powers to fly, create walls of fire, and even lower temperature by absorbing the heat from an object. Johnny is Susan’s younger brother and the youngest member of the group.

The Thing : Benjamin J. Grimm

The ever loving blued Thing is the group's powerhouse. His body and muscles are super dense and can withstand great pressure. His body is covered in scales (like dinosaurs) giving him a rocky appearance. The Thing is the only member not related by blood or marriage. He is super strong.

Now that I know the characters, how are they going to screw up the movie?

There are main character points in the Fantastic Four. They don'’t have to use every one, but they will either try to squeeze all of them in or worse, use none of them.

1. Reed's guilt: The FF have great powers, but because of Reed's arrogance Ben is trapped the body of a monster.
2. Ben's pain: In a world where all the other super strong heroes are pretty (Thor, the Submariner, She-Hulk, Colossus, and in some ways the Hulk), this means a lot. The Thing's hide is so thick, he can't feel anything or any one toughing him. He has a blind girlfriend, but he feels she deserves better than him.
3. Sue's having to mother them all: breaking up fights, reminding Reed of appointments, etc.
4. Reed's intelligence: Seriously, whenever anyone needs help: Spiderman's turning into a spider, Captain America breaking his unbreakable shield, a big alien showing up to eat the planet, they call Reed. His whole existence as a character is to fix our problems with science.
5. Reed versus Doctor Doom: They were friends. Reed attempted to warn Doom of a miscalculation in an experiment. And of course Doom did not listen. The experiment blows up in Doom's face. Doom blames Reed for the failure.
6. Johnny and Ben's constant squabbling.
7. Johnny's practical jokes, especially on Spiderman.

Let us just suffice to say that this movie will take extremely rich characters and flatten them into cookie cutter heroes with no purpose.

If you want to read a tale that does this group justice, click the link below.

The Dark Knight

Batman is not for little kids.

Even as a kid, I knew it. Any Batman for kids is not Batman. It's Batman Lite or Batman Free. It doesn’t matter if it is the 1960’s television show or the Superfriends. In fact, any non-comic book portrayal of Batman is wrong expect for: The Batman the animated series, the JLA cartoon, Batman Begins, and Batman (1989). I can assure you everything else misses what is an easy mark to hit.

Think about it. If your loving parents were killed in a useless mugging and you vowed as an adult to avenge not only their deaths but you will avenge the crime and corruption that goes on in your city, would you smile? Would you dress in tights or would you wear bullet proof armor? Would you wear purple or would you wear black? Would you laugh and giggle as you patrol rooftops or would you use a voice that sounds like something from a nightmare.

As I said not for kids.

Basically, this book is the event that made Batman into the cold hard bastard his is today and put a grave stone on the Adam West “golly gee” era.

What is it about?
Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent and all your favorite super friends have retired from public service. People no longer want heroes, even though they need them. Much time has passed, yet Bruce Wayne can not let go of his demons. He returns as Batman to face a street gang, Two Face, the Joker and square off against Superman.

The other heroes have super powers and super weapons, bodies that can level mountains, rings that can move planets, flight, super speed, and wings. Batman only has his aged human body…that and an iron will.

Why should I buy this?
This book redefined Batman. He is gritty, focus and driven. A bit psychotic for my tastes, but the perfect version of an imperfect character.

Get this book. Read it and enjoy. I promise you will not regret it.

Who wrote it?
Frank Miller both wrote and drew the Dark Knight Returns. He has also created such critically acclaimed works as The 300 and The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

Midnight Nation by J. Michael Straczynski

So what's it about?
Detective David Gray is an Los Angeles cop. On a routine drug bust, he is attacked by creatures that steal his soul.

He slips into a world beneath the one we know: a world of the homeless and disenfranchised. He becomes a ghost of a person. He is there, but not really there.

He finds out that he has one year to get his soul back and our story begins...

What's so good about it?

At 288 pages, this book is a bargain at almost any price. J. Michael Straczynski creates a well constructed world with believable characters (including one hot angel), and great plot twists.

Imagine the best mystery/adventure you've read. Now, make some very pretty pictures to help tell tell the story. Now you have this book.

Ok tough guy, tell me something that will make me really want to read this book.

Remember in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back when that silly green annoying little creature throws off his deception and said, "I cannot teach him. He has no patience." And exactly 3 seconds later you realize, "What the? My God. That's Yoda the Jedi Master!"

This book is full of those moments.

Who wrote it?

J. Michael Straczynski has written both comic books and television. He created the Babylon 5 television series. In addition, he as written for Amazing Spiderman.

Sin City

If you haven't read Sin City, you should. This series has no capes, no aliens, and no super powered, testoterone enhanced super heroes. Still, it is some of the best crime/mystery/noir that you will ever read.

So why should you care?

Though some installments are stronger than others, Frank Miller (both writer and artist) has created a series of books is rich with its own history, but each book can stand alone. In other words, you can start where ever (or is it whenever?) you want to.

So what is it about?

Sin City Vol 1. The Hard Goodbye Marv is an over-muscled ex-con with nothing to show for his life but one night with a stranger. Her name was Goldie. But when someone murders Goldie and frames Marv for it.... Well, let's just say things really pickup from there.

Sin City Vol 2. A Dame to Kill For Dwight McCarthy has a past. But he put that all behind him now. You guess it. A woman from his past comes knocking on his door needing a favor. A damsel in distress story with a little more fire than usual.

Sin City Vol 3. The Big Fat Kill Crooked cops, the mob, unionized prostitutes, an uneasy truce that's about to collapse, and our hero in the middle of it all. Add Miho both the hottest and coldest little number on the planet and you have a decent tale in Sin City's Old Town section.

Sin City Vol 4. That Yellow Bastard I know that a cop's last day on the job is a cliche, but this is by far my favorite Sin City tale. If you spent your life protecting the innocent, would you give up everything to protect that last person, an 11 year old girl?

Sin City Vol 5. Family Values Frank Miller returns to Old Town. A mob war threatens the prostitutes. Blood soaked mayhem ensues.

Sin City Vol 6. Booze, Broads, and Bullets This issue features several shorts that link various characters and fills the gaps between stories. Includes a Marv story (The Hard Goodbye), tales starring Delia, and a very satisfying Dwight story (The Babe Wore Red). This is a good point for new readers.

Who's it for?

Men in general and geeks in particular. Women may tire of the over the top ultra-violence and "dames ain't nothing but trouble" theme. Children should steer clear of this series. This is definately NC-17.

About the creator: Frank Miller is best known for his work on Marvel's DareDevil and a DC's The Dark Knight Returns. Both books will be reviewed here.

What if... Part I

The best comics are based on a simple comcept: "What if..."

No, I am not talking about the "Twilight Zone" books Marvel does. When a good writer takes a "What if..." to its most logical conclusion, the writer creates magic. For example:

"What if you served you country honorably for most of your adult life. Unlike many of your comrades, you return to your loving spouse and young children in one piece and you are thankful. What if while you were hiking through jungles and swamps that you only thought was to go to park for a picnic with you family. And what if on that day, a bunch of Tony Soprano wannabe's decide to shoot up the park.

What if your family was caught in the cross fire. What if you watched your wife and children suffer and could do nothing. What would you, an ex-soldier and ex-father, do to those men? What if you had found your true calling, punishing the wicked? Would you stop....ever?

Does it sound PG-13 to you? I imagine not. That is why the Punisher movies were awful. They did not take the character to his logical conclusion.

Welcome to comics, comics, and comics

Thank your for taking the time to visit my blog. This site is dedicated to reviewing only the best comics and graphic novels available. In other words, if it is listed here, you will not regret reading it.

I have been collecting comics since 1979. Instead of boring you with: "this was my first comic" and "look how the industry has changed", I will sort through all the silt and give you the gold.

Feel free to make suggestions and post comments.