Hammer of the Gods

Random Thor cover

spencerd — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 03:44:17 +0000

Been awhile since I posted an awesome Thor cover. Even tho’ I’m pretty partial to the Kirby/Buscema silver and bronze age issues, this one is pretty cool…….

The Boys

spencerd — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:10:07 +0000

all i can say is, “wow!” I’ve been a fan of Ennis since his Hellblazer days. wow, is this guy over the top. I’ve just finished book #3, and even tho it’s over the top, it’s probably as close to what it would be like with real superheroes this side of Watchmen.

Nook (ie) time

spencerd — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:17:45 +0000

nah, not talking about the female of the species, just I’ve finally decided on getting the Nook e-book reader. I’ve been holding off, and glad I did. Price cuts, new features, and figuring out that the Ipad wasn’t going to do it for me (still getting one, just not so much for e-reading)

I’m gonna get the 3 g model for $199. Why the nook and not the kindle?

1. software is android-based. could be good for the future.

2. web browser is supposed to be a bit better.

3. I like the color touchscreen nav area as opposed to the button keyboard on the kindle.

4. I live near a barnes and noble, and visit there often.

The Religion

spencerd — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 02:23:09 +0000

after catching wind of this book on a blog (The Cimmerian), I ordered it on Amazon. I’m about 1/2 way through it, and it lives up to it’s billing. It uses Turkish siege of Malta in 1565 as it’s backdrop, but it’s really a swashbuckling tale of adventure, albeit in a real historical setting. It’s also another timely reminder of just how insidious religion has been, and continues to be, to the souls of men and women.

Judas Priest – British Steel 30th anniversary

spencerd — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:45:43 +0000

Just got this from amazon the other day. I normally don’t buy the “remastered” stuff that I already have, but this one is an exception.

One, it is quite possible the best heavy metal album of all time (and I don’t say that lightly)>

Two, it comes with a dvd of a live performance of the entire album, + some screaming for vengeance stuff.

Yeah, I know I could have downloaded it, and nobody would be the wiser, but I guess I’m still old-school enough to think that I should pay for at least some stuff that I really like

Iron Man 2

spencerd — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:10:47 +0000

Hey, along with a zillion other people I have to post my opinion:

I loved it! I thought it was great. Imagine, a movie that my ten-yr old son and I both really enjoyed. How cool is that?

And the Thor easter egg, that was really cool. A lot of my hs students thought that there wasn’t enough fighting, and I can see that as a valid criticism, seeing that whiplash was defeated pretty quickly. But the groundwork being laid, and all the little things, like cap’s shield, etc., are a fanboys’ dream. Congrats to the filmmakers, they, along with the batman franchise, have gotten comic movies right.

Kick-Ass

spencerd — Mon, 03 May 2010 00:09:17 +0000

Finally went and saw it, (with about 10 other people in the theater, just like I like it). Outstanding. A great adaptation, very well done. Yes, Hit-Girls steals the show, (just like she does in the comic), but Cage’s Big Daddy was just excellent. His whole nod to Adam West’s Batman was great, not too over the top where the young kids will get it, but just enough for us old-time fans. Some of the sequences were just brutal, and not just the shooting/knifing sequences, but the whole collision-type of special effects were…startling, and actually make you wince and even jump a bit out of your seat. Bravo to everyone involved. Watch how many copies this sells on dvd. I’d bet it will be a big seller.

Saxon Tales

spencerd — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:05:12 +0000

Bernard Cornwell is my fav historical fiction author. Did the best King Arthur ever, and his saxon tales of alfred the great and uhtred is outstanding. I did a little tribute page here.

Vikings are cool.

C2E2

spencerd — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:11:32 +0000

Went to my first comic convention in a long time…back from when before they weren’t just a bunch of dealers in a warehouse. I always said I was going to get to one of the big ones, but California is a bit far away…anyway, I took my wife and son to Chicago for the weekend to check out the C2E2 convention at the McCormick Place. I enjoyed myself immensely, and so did my son. Big mistake bringing the wife. After 2 hrs she was done with it. I wish I could have had another day. Picked up a couple of posters (Thor and a cool copy of Spidey #122), two t-shirts, Thing and Thor, a couple of graphic novels (Crecy by warren ellis, and First Class x-men book), and a few other trinkets. I wanted to get a new statue, but didn’t really run across anything in my price range that I really wanted. Saw a new Marvel Select Thing figure that I will be pre-ordering.

I’m not big on autographs, but I did consider getting in line for Garth Ennis, one of the craziest and best writers out there. Only thought about it for a moment, however, especially after I looked at the line. I didn’t go to any of the panels, that’s another thing I’ll be doing the next time I’m at one of these (by myself?).

One of the main reasons I really wanted to go to this one was that it was a real COMIC-BOOK convention, not a hollywood-type thing. Lots of dealers on hand with lots of long boxes to investigate. Only thing I bought was a Fine copy of Thor 177, a book I fondly remember from another lifetime ago.

in fact, that will make a fine Random Thor cover:

Book of Eli

spencerd — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:28:58 +0000

I went and saw this in the theater the other day, (we have a cheap theater that shows moves that have been out for a few months, usually ones that didn’t do that great at the box office) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A post-apocalyptic flick centering on a lonely stranger walking across the blasted landscape dealing with the typical cannibals and associated road warrior-types, who happens to run afoul of a bad guy who wants what he’s got. In this case, it’s supposedly the last copy of the bible.

What I really liked: the main idea that the bible is a powerful tool, whether you want to enslave mankind, or free it.

What I really disliked: getting shot in the gut, and being able to survive for days? Then again, maybe you have to look at it as the lead character being a mythic creature, on a mission from God?

Regardless, it is a good flick, very entertaining. Denzel does his usual excellent job, and the chick from “That 70”s show” does alright also. Gary Oldman is, as always, a great bad guy.