FANBOY CATNIP

Geoff Johns knows how to write for DC fanboys in their mid-30s, probably because he is one himself (I think he's a couple years younger than I am). His latest issue of Booster Gold (#8, with co-writer Jeff Katz and the usual art team of Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund) finds Booster and Blue Beetle in an timeline that's been twisted so that Max Lord is overrunning most heroes with OMACs and the two heroes have joined with a disparate band of heroes that features....Wild Dog! Not only that, but Pantha and Anthro too. And what fun it is amidst all the danger and drama and the sinisters machinations of a villainous cabal. The issue also ends with a promise of trying to get the old Justice League International team back together again to fight back against Lord, who was their benefactor and friend. Fanboy catnip, indeed.

The other comic I picked up last week was also written by Johns, Justice Society of America #14. It continues the "Thy Kingdom Come" storyline with the arrival and confrontation with Gog. Along the way, there are nice character bits (like a nice opening with Sandy and Power Girl) and some humor as all the heroes try to pile around the table (also, there's a printing snafu on one page but it is still readable). Of course, all that gives way to the fight in the second half of the book and nice cliffhanger ending. I'm ready for more.

Zack Snyder has found a new way to build interest in his upcoming Watchmen adaptation - a set of 12 production videos that will debut around the web on the 6th of every month (which means that final one will arrive the same day as the movie opens next year). The first video deals with the set-building and creating of New York circa 1985, Watchmen-style. Watch it here.

ONE YEAR

One year from today Watchmen will hit theaters. I'm excited. Yes, it's a great comic book story, one of the greatest in the history of the genre. And yes, it will be difficult to pack all of the nuance and layering into a two hour movie. However, I have high hopes that Zack Snyder can pull it off; his adaptation of 300 was very well-done and visually stunning. To get a taste of what Watchmen will look like, you can check out the production blog here. Yes, a year is a long time but it's cool to have something to anticipate that far ahead.

DVD DUO

Over the weekend Grant and I finally finished our run through Batman: The Animated Series Vol. 2. It took us at least two months to watch all 28 episodes, maybe more. Of course, we also watched all the features and commentaries available...no skimping on the DVD experience for us.

I think it's one of the best cartoons ever and this volume has a number of the very best episodes of the series - the adaptation of the classic "The Laughing Fish"; the villains trading stories of how they "Almost Got 'Im"; Batman meeting up with an old friend in "Zatanna"; and the team-up of "Harley and Ivy." Watch any one of them and you'll be hooked on the series. Of course, not every episode is as high quality as those but most are still very very good. The best part? We still have two more volumes to watch!

Jill and I just took two nights to watch 300 (sometimes life gets in the way of DVDs). I had wanted to see it in theaters but it just never worked out. I'd read some mixed reviews but wanted to make up my own mind, as I read the Frank Miller comic books series as it came out a number of years ago. I liked it quite a bit back then. And I liked this movie quite a bit too.

First of all, the movie is visually stunning. Yes, much of it looks like it came off the pages of the comic but that's not a bad thing in this case. It is highly stylized and wonderfully colored and is a feast for the eyes. I thought the performances complemented those visuals very well. It was a different time and a different people and an epic tale - the acting should be heightened and can be done so without scenery chewing. I believed that's what Spartans were like, even with the pounding rock soundtrack. Gerard Butler was great as King Leonidas and David Wenham was perfect as the narrator (I forget his character name). Dominic West and Lena Headey and all the rest...it just worked very well.

After seeing this movie, I have hopes that Zack Snyder will pull off Watchmen, which he is going to start shooting soon. His visuals will definitely be up to the task. Now, Watchmen is a much different story so a lot will come down to the script; his cast looks like it will be up to the task. I'll be there opening weekend without a doubt.