The End...?

Though I plan to keep this page around as an archive, I'm pretty sure this is the end of this incarnation of Aquaman is Watching You. I know my promises to blog regularly have gone unfulfilled, but that doesn't mean I don't love you!

Though the blog is done for now, there is a silver lining! In recent months, all of my creative juices have been poured into the creation of a new webcomic that I've created with my friends Matt and Dave.


As of about an hour and a half ago, the first installment of the comic has gone live on the site...Good Plus is born!!!


"What is Good Plus" you may be wondering. I'm so glad you asked! Good Plus is a twice-weekly webcomic, updating on Tuesdays and Thursdays, that presents the ridiculous adventures of three comic shop clerks.

Many, if not all, of the stories will be drawn from our 100% "accurate" recollections of "actual" events! Good Plus will be "ripped from the headlines," just like that one show about that thing!

This endeavor takes up so much more time than I can realistically give. I've had to make up new days of the week just to stay caught up! (T.G.I.Raccoonsday, am I right?) As a result, the blog as a separate site will cease.

However! Aquaman is Watching You will continue on as part of the new Good Plus website, so this isn't really the end. Follow me over to http://www.goodplusonline.com/. The hilarity begins now!

Fractured Fairy Tales

Welcome back, Faithful Readers! (Insert standard lateness apology here.) School has been draining every ounce of my free time, but I'm coming to the end of the current quarter--there will be another update with some proper comic reviews sooner rather than later. In the meantime, here is a recent review I wrote of Fables Vol. 1: Legends In Exile for my English Composition class. For credit! Any day I can write about comics for class is a good day... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FABLES VOL. 1: LEGENDS IN EXILE
WRITER: BILL WILLINGHAM
PENCILLER: LAN MEDINA
INKERS: STEVE LEIALOHA & CRAIG HAMILTON
COVER BY JAMES JEAN
DC COMICS/VERTIGO $9.99

Prince Charming saved Snow White with a kiss. The Big, Bad Wolf terrorized the Three Little Pigs. Pinocchio was granted his wish to become a real boy. Beauty saw through the Beast's monstrous exterior to find the noble heart within. These characters and their stories are familiar to all of us. We've heard them hundreds of times in dozens of different forms. But what if our favorite fairy tale characters were living among us? What if there was far more to the stories than what we've been told? This is the premise of Fables, the long-running comic book series published by Vertigo/DC Comics.

“Once upon a time, in a fictional land called New York City.” With this clever opening line, writer Bill Willingham begins to set the scene for his tale. The first volume in the ongoing Fables saga, titled “Legends In Exile,” introduces the reader to the book's cast and shows just how different these characters are from the versions we remember.

Hundreds of years ago, sometime after the events of the tales we know, an unknown adversary rampaged through the kingdoms of the Fable homelands. One by one, the Fables, a nickname adopted by the main characters, were driven from their homes and forced to flee to the Mundane world, our world. To ensure their continued survival, the remaining Fables banded together to form a community. Land was purchased in what would eventually become New York City, and Fabletown was born.

In this new environment, these familiar characters are thrust into unfamiliar roles. Old King Cole presides over Fabletown as its Mayor, but everyone knows that Snow White, Cole's deputy, is really running the show. Snow is a no-nonsense leader, dealing with each day's trials with efficiency and professionalism. Boy Blue is her right-hand man. The Big, Bad Wolf, now called “Bigby,” has reformed, and, after being pardoned for his past crimes, serves Fabletown's sheriff. Fables that can't pass for human and can't afford magical disguises (talking animals, giants, trolls, and the like) are forced to live on The Farm, an vast stretch of land in upstate New York. This restriction doesn't stop one of the Three Little Pigs from sneaking to the city to crash on Bigby's couch, however.

As Willingham sets the scene and introduces the cast, the plot of “Legends In Exile” takes shape. Rose Red, Snow White's lesser-known sister, is missing. Her apartment appears as though a massacre has taken place within. The ominous words “No More Happily Ever After” are found scrawled in blood upon the living room walls. Jack Horner, Rose's deadbeat boyfriend is the prime suspect, but Bigby's instincts lead him to believe that all is not as it seems.

In the pages of “Legends In Exile,” Willingham delivers an interesting murder mystery in the midst of what is an already fascinating tale. The story of the Fables' journey to the world of the “Mundys,” the examination of these time-worn characters in this unique situation, this would have made the book compelling enough to recommend. Instead, Willingham builds his take on the cast within the frame of an irresistible “whodunit.”

As the mystery progresses, Willingham offers hints that these characters' stories may not be as familiar as we think. Prince Charming, the handsome nobleman that rescued Snow White, is revealed to be the same Prince that played a part in the lives of other famous damsels in distress; Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. In the world of Fables, the consummate hero is recast as a sleazy womanizer with a string of disgruntled exes. Snow White's famous adventure with the Seven Dwarves is best forgotten. “NEVER mention the dwarves,” warns Boy Blue as Beauty and Beast are quickly ejected from Snow's office .

Though the principal cast of the mystery plot is relatively small, Fables is filled with dozens of background characters both familiar and less so. The Frog Prince, lovingly called “Flycatcher,” serves as a janitor. Cinderella takes fencing lessons from Bluebeard. The witch that tempted Hansel and Gretel appears as an elderly woman that passes the time by knitting in her rocking chair.

Willingham's scripts are beautifully rendered by the art of Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, and Craig Hamilton. Each character's design is unique, yet instantly recognizable. Snow White's jet-black hair and good looks remind us of the images burned into our memories by Walt Disney. Bigby Wolf, though he appears human, retains his hairy, animalistic nature. Prince Charming is almost impossibly handsome. And Old King Cole indeed looks like a “merry old soul.”

This volume of Fables, the first of many, is affordably priced at $9.99, a less expensive price point than other graphic novels of comparable length. It reprints the first five issues of the monthly series in a convenient format. In addition to the main story, this volume features an eight page prose story written, and illustrated by Willingham himself, called “A Wolf In the Fold.” This short story presents the tale of Bigby's first meeting with Snow White, and his decision to leave behind his predatory ways. At 128 pages of story and art for less than ten dollars, “Legends In Exile” provides an excellent value.

No, Fables isn't for everyone. Though it may appear so at first glance, with its colorful cast of fairy tale characters, this book is most definitely not for children. It features mature themes (Pinocchio's decidedly adult concerns about being stuck as a child, for example), harsh language, and some violence, which make it the equivalent of an R-rated movie. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to any grownup interested in a new spin on the tales of their youth.

Fables: Legends In Exile offers an excellent mystery yarn, complete with a twist ending, and introduces a vast world that promises so much more. With a compelling plot, well-developed characters, and low introductory price point, the first volume of Fables is a book that every adult, comic book fan or not, should add to their library.

Feeling Wordy...

Hey, everyone! Sorry for my absence lately...School has kicked into high gear and I'm drowning in homework. Speaking of, here is a short essay I wrote about my the comic shop where I work. It's part of an assignment on Show Vs. Tell language in writing. Comments and critiques are welcome!

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All is quiet at Legend Comics on this sunny Thursday afternoon. The radio is silent, allowing the dull roar of Leavenworth Street traffic to radiate through the large bay windows. I enjoy working on Thursdays. They don't have the chaotic pace of a New Comic Wednesday, but there's enough going on that the day goes by without dragging. As I walk around the shop, my senses drink in the space around me.

The front of the store is a bit cluttered. A rack of family friendly comics sits at an angle, its contents in a disarray from the attention of eager children. As I organize the display, the brightly colored covers fight for attention. Betty and Veronica mingle with the Muppets while Sonic the Hedgehog tries to steal Billy Batson's spot in the front. Nearby, a broken Captain America and the Avengers arcade machine gathers dust. The monitor tube blew out months ago, so the cabinet sits silently, the artwork on its side panels painting a picture of the potential fun trapped within.

Next to the game, a series of black shelves are bracketed to the wall. The wiry metal platforms are lined with prose by authors that I've always wanted to read but never have. Slaughterhouse Five and Breakfast of Champions call out to me. Hunter S. Thompson falls into place on the shelf below Ayn Rand. Classic pulp stories featuring Doc Savage and the Shadow share prominence with C.S. Lewis's complete Narnia epic.

A row of jet black bookcases lines the crimson wall. The shelves sag under the weight of the stories contained within the volumes. The spines weave a rainbow pattern of bright colors. Red bleeds into green bleeds into blue bleeds into yellow. The tales told in these pages represents decades of fiction and would take years to absorb.

In the rear corner of the store, near a rack of out of print, cult classic DVDs, sit two tables lined with boxes. Contained within are discounted comics –marked down due to poor condition or lack of commercial interest. The tables' legs bow in protest under the weight of the thousands of issues. The musty smell of old newsprint takes me back to a simpler time. My childhood is in these boxes.

On the opposite wall, the new comics section spans half the length of the store. More wire racks stretch across the area. New and recent releases, titles two months old or less, litter the shelves. The books are divided by company. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman keep to themselves while Captain America, Spider-Man, and the X-Men huddle together. The pamphlets shine in the light, beams from above reflecting off of their high gloss covers. They have no scent. The aroma I remember so fondly has been traded away in favor of slick paper and state of the art printing. Next to the new release wall rest a series of back issue bins. These massive containers house comics that have been removed from the wall to make way for new product. Each compartment is full to bursting with comics. The section needs to be expanded, but nearly every inch of the store is spoken for. I see this as a sign that Legend is starting to outgrow its current location.

On my way back to the store's entrance, I pass two glass cases. One case stores an array of vintage toys. G.I. Joe and Star Wars figures and vehicles lie locked away from the hands of excited children. The case makes the figures look more like museum pieces, rather than the beloved playthings they once were. The other case holds older, more valuable comics. These issues date back to the 1940s and 50s and have the same terrible, wonderful odor as the comics from my own youth. Many of these fragile things are as brittle as dry leaves due to decades of exposure to various environments. Similar comics fill a short wooden rack attached to the wall behind the glass display.

As I leave, I pass by two small tables. New graphic novels look up at me, begging to be taken home. I take a moment to straighten the books, restoring the tables' clean and orderly appearance. Before long, these books will be filed into the row of bookcases, leaving room for new titles. I ignore their pleas and head out the door. There will be time for reading later. For now, I have a paper to write.

What I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging...

I've been working on a Jack Knight Starman painting! This is a digital version (still in progress) of said painting, and I'll share both version once they're finished. Click the image to embiggen!

Happy Valentimes Day!

Here is the first of what I hope to be many samples of my artwork. This is a scan of the painting I made for my special lady for Valentine's Day--acrylic paint on canvas board.

I Never Want To Stop Playing Mass Effect 2.

I bought the first Mass Effect game when it was released in 2007. For reasons that I have completely forgotten, I never progressed past the first mission, my poor Commander Shepard wandering the halls of the Citadel without my guidance. Two years passed, and I never entertained the notion of giving the game a second chance.

I didn't pay too much attention when the Hype Machine for Mass Effect 2 first fired up, but the multiple trailers, developer interviews, and Internet chatter slowly started to get to me. Then, I started seeing these ads in my comic books every week:

If you read this blog, then you've probably seen them. There are five different ads, each featuring a different character, and they've been running in the pages of nearly every DC comic for the past several weeks. Finally, I read the Joystiq.com review of the game, which hailed it as "the best game BioWare has ever made and the best action RPG in history." The bastards had me.

I'm psychologically incapable of jumping into a new entertainment franchise without starting at the beginning, so I borrowed the first Mass Effect from my friend Chris and started playing through it. I very quickly made my way past the point where I stalled two years ago, and spent the next two weeks immersing myself in the Mass Effect universe. This past Thursday, I sat in the ridiculous leather lawyer's chair that I use for my desk and played for six hours straight. I finished the game, put on some proper pants, and drove straight to Nebraska Furniture Mart to pick up the sequel. It was as though I had been ensorceled.

Many of the original Mass Effect's gameplay mechanics have either been completely overhauled or removed entirely. Your character's move from a standstill to taking cover to springing into action is seamless. The annoying weapon overheating has been replaced by a much less annoying ammo system. The talent tree has been boiled down to the essential abilities. I don't have to obsess over whether I should use the assault rifle that does 10% more damage but is 20% less accurate or the one that does 10% LESS damage but is 20% MORE accurate. As far as I'm concerned, everything "wrong" with the first game has been tweaked for the better. And the story... Good Lord, the story... There was an unexpected moment in the first FIVE MINUTES of the game that literally took my breath away, and it just got better from there.

I'm not too far into the game, and I'm probably still riding high from my Mass Effect 1 marathon, so I don't know if I'll still be as impressed when I'm 40+ hours in. Right now, though...I'm hooked. I only have a single complaint so far: the on-screen text is too small to read on my standard definition TV. There's really only one logical fix for that, right? Unfortunately, me buying a giant HD-TV is a very long way away.

If you are interested in video games at all, even if you didn't like the first installment in the franchise, you should buy this game. Soon. I made it through the game's prologue and haven't touched it since. I think not being able to play may actually be killing me. I guess what I'm trying to say, in my typical, long-winded way, is that Mass Effect 2 is probably something that you should make happen in your life.

(Dialogue Tree artwork copyright 2010 Penny Arcade)

The Losers

For those not in the know, The Losers was an excellent Vertigo series by Andy Diggle (Daredevil, Hellblazer) and Jock (Green Arrow: Year One, Detective Comics). The series is about a group of CIA operatives that are betrayed and left for dead by their handler and their quest to get revenge and reclaim their lives. The series is awesome, and I highly recommend it.

Somebody had the great idea to make a movie based on the series starring Johnny Storm and Lt. Uhura. I've been hearing about it for a while now, but had no idea how far along it was until I saw this:



I am very excited...