Dread

Such sad news. I was thinking just the other day about how he'd be my pick to be High Evolutionary in the MCU.

So, I've since watched the first three seasons of SLASHER on Netflix (season 4 debuting now on Shudder but for some reason I can't access the videos). I've rewatched all of SEINFELD. It doesn't entirely hold up, but it is basically a snapshot of the 90s. That all said: Dreyfus, Alexander and Richards are three of the greatest comedic actors of all-time. They're amazing on that show. I watched season two of Making a Murderer. I don't know exactly what to think, but I do know that if I'm ever imprisoned for a crime I didn't commit, I'd want Zellner helping me. Let's not fool anybody, if I go to jail it's because I definitely did the crime. I also watched all of Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. which was delightfully stupid. One of my favourite Marvel shows. Maybe the best of all the Disney ones. What If? is something I'm watching as it releases and I have enjoyed each episode to a degree, but I haven't seen anything that really captures the spirit of WI? yet. I think that catches me up on everything.

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American:An outdoor comedy special filmed during COVID. He's funny. It gets a little old near the end seeing as every story is structured the same. I wish there were some "jokes," TBH. Still good. The Guest: rewatched a favourite with my girlfriend tonight. This is one of my top 50. The script, the pacing, the camera movement, the score, the acting, the bald brutality. An absolute banger. Untold: Malice at the Palace: this is a new Netflix sports docuseries of films. I couldn't give a shit about sports, but I can eat sports docs all day long. I almost did it today! This one is fantastic. Great compelling interviews and shocking footage that has never been shown in its entirety. Good shit. Untold: Crimes and penalties: It's funny, I'd heard ALL about Jimmy Galante in a bunch of true crime I've read and watched over the years, but I had ZERO idea that he owned a minor hockey team. What a bunch of fucking goombas in this. Compelling watching as well. Almost the complete opposite of MITP because you basically hate everyone interviewed in this one. Kid 90: Soleil Moon Frye apparently documented her entire teenagehood. It's wild to watch. I really relate to this. There's probably hours of footage of me just like this shit out there. I hope it's destroyed. But still. Teared up by the end of this one. Contender for the end of the year list. Time to watch the Val Kilmer one next. Features: 91 Shorts: 0 Documentaries: 17 Rewatches: 1

The first 19 pages are fully coloured, and then the rest is basically black and white with single accents and the occasional single coloured PANEL. It's very odd. No story reason why, either.

Fallen World #1: I'm digging this. Guardians of the Galaxy #4: really good still. Savage Dragon #258, 259: it's in a bit of a transition phase right now, but damn, I want to write North Force. Sunstone Mercy Vol 7: one of the more, ahem, graphic, of volumes. Still so great. Dega: a short graphic novel I kickstarted from Dan McDaid It's petty good. Only partially coloured. I don't quite get that. Issues: 235 Trades: 14 Omnibus: 14 Graphic Novel: 14

The Sandlot: I watch this every couple years because the kids like it. It's also my dad's favourite movie. Amazing Spider-man: not as bad as it gets painted. Even the Lizard stuff is great up to the final act. Name a superhero movie that doesn't go to shit in the third act. There's very few of them. Features: 90 Shorts: 0 Documentaries: 13 Rewatches: 1

Hmmm...I totally thought I'd added a bunch I clearly did not. I think I'm forgetting one. The Suicide Squad: I thought this was excellent. I think it could have been a perfect film if they cut about fifteen minutes from the middle. This managed to have the feel of the original title dripping from it. I hope Gunn makes another of these, but I'm currently excited for the Peacemaker series. Chyna: If you don't know, A manager and documentary crew were filming a doc about bringing Chyna back to America and prominence, but really they just turned out to be exploitative, manipulative enabling scumbags. Someone else has managed to get all that footage and sprinkle it with interviews (her mother, her sister, Billy Gunn and Mick Foley) that tell the story of her life. It paints her as a very tragic figure, and she is. But a lot of it is really hard to watch. Superdeep/Mystics in Bali/Inhuman Kiss/Junkrat Train/Blood Red Sky/HP Lovecraft's The Unnamable: reviews forthcoming Features: 88 Shorts: 0 Documentaries: 13 Rewatches: 1

So the Punisher season 2 finale is a piece of work. It's almost essentially 50-odd minutes fight scenes and killing. It's what one expects of Punisher. That said, it feels a lot more like an edgy Person of Interest spinoff (which I thought in season one, but season two quickly and shortly introduces a white supremacist character played by a main actor from POI). I'm not a super macho nut job, but Punisher DOES NOT CRY. Punisher DOES NOT BANG SINGLE MOMS. Punisher is NOT HAUNTED BY BAD DREAMS. This show gets so much of the character wrong, but it does because it's nigh-impossible to do a 13 episode season of a character who is built solely for movies. That all said: Billy Russo is one of the MCU's best villains. To refrain from spoilers, I just wish he looked different in season two. Oh yeah, I feel like it isn't a spoiler to say that the final image and dedication of the finale made me laugh out loud. It's the most crazy-ass looking Punisher moment of the entire series. Just Punisher gunning dudes down and giving a war cry (I also don't think Punisher gives a war cry). Cut to black screen: "In Loving Memory of Stan Lee." Fucking hilarious.

First episode of season 2 of The Punisher and he's boning a single mom. *eye roll* Still, Shooter Jennings appears and performs like six almost full songs.

The Forgotten Queen #1: Goddamn. Valiant really likes to tell the kind of stories I like to tell. The Life and Death of Toyo Harada #1: I guess, see above. The Punisher #9: still so great. Uncanny X-Men Winter's End #1: I did not like the art in this. The story was inconsequential but fine. Cruel Summer & Bad Weekend: Look, I don't dig the new branding of Criminal at Image. Can we please AT LEAST have "Criminal vol #: Cool Name?" Uncanny X-Men #14:wow...while Age of X is going on the flagship title is going through some Chuck Austen shit... Vampirella Vs. Re-Animator #3: this is pretty bad Wolverine Infinity Watch #2: this is really fun Wolverine The Long Night #3: this is fucking great. Wyrd #2: just not engaged here. I'm out. X-23 #10: I like the characters. The plot is pretty decent. I just can't get past the art. I know there's only two more issues in this run left, but I can't be bothered. Just looks like something a teenager draws when they should be paying attention in class. X-Force #3, 4: This is a fun and interesting arc. Great cliffhanger. Infinity Gauntlet: This still has to be the best "event comic." Six issues, self-contained, spanning the entire universe and separate pantheons and pretty much every popular hero at the time dies in the fourth issue. Imagine someone like George Perez drawing three issues of a series and having someone finishing the other three for him today! Imagine the controversy! Imagine it's even better looking. Man, Ron Lim is a champion. Daredevil #3: this is fucking great. I didn't see that end coming. Im intrigued. But it definitely needs to end properly and I don't think Marvel has the balls to do it right. Dial H For Hero #1: pass. Fantastic Four #8: I mean, this may as well be a Doctor Doom series but I'm loving it. Freedom Fighters #4: I gave this a long rope because I love this property and the premise, but it just refuses to stop being so so mediocre. GI Joe Sierra Muerte #2: do I need an early 2000s homage to 80s indie comic art version of GI Joe? Turns out, no. Heroes in Crisis #7: as of everything, I'm of two minds on this series. I'll explain when I've finished. Hulkverines #2: fucking great. Ice Cream Man #11: this was nice and fucked up. Age of X-Man Prisoner X #2: still good. Bronze Age Boogie #1: very fun backup story, but the main story was terrible. Captain America #9:liking the story but not the art. Conan the Barbarian #5: this was excellent. Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History #2: too goofy. I'm out. Major X #1: Jesus Christ Rob Liefeld! His art CAN be great. His up close work on faces, I kind of enjoy at times. I really enjoy the classic Cable look he gives him here. He tries his best two write Deadpool(s) and it isn't good. I like his lean short Wolverine even though he draws him as an atrocity on the cover for the next issue. For that reason, I'm out. Marvel Comics Presents #3: not the best. Marvel Team Up #1: I have yet to read a Ms. Marvel story I like. And I don't like this treatment on Spider-Man or the storytelling here. I'm out. Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1: not for me. Snap Flash Hustle #2: yeah, the shine is off. Stone Star #1: not for me. Suicide Squad Black Files #6: same story for the whole series. The Katana story sucks (because Katana sucks) but the magical one is great. I'd love to write Suicide Squad Black. Superior Spider-Man #4: I am really enjoying this. The Forgotten Queen #2: fun. The Punisher #10: still so damned good. Uncanny X-Men #15: ok, I haven't been enjoying this arc up until now. Robinsonia: an erotic european redo of Robinson Crusoe. It's particularly racist. another addition: War of the Realms #1: ok, this is fucking fun. War of the Realms Journey into Mystery #1: also fun to slightly lesser extent. X-Force #5: the quality is slipping here. Age of X-Man Next Gen #3: look, in this kind of story, the biggest cliche is the "guy who knows how the world should be," but as cliched as that idea is, this series is pulling it off really well. Age of X-Man The Amazing Nightcrawler #3: still fun. Assassin Nation #2: I mean, I'll give it one more. Daredevil #4: I'm such a mark for Punisher and Daredevil stories. Hard Time: The Complete Series: Brian Hurtt's art is fantastic. One of Steve Gerber's final works in the industry. Mostly written from outlines by Mary Skrenes as he was too ill. A lovely story that they had to sum up 49 years of in the final issue which works at least better than that final issue of Y The Last Man. Nailbiter Returns: great! Love this series. Glad it's continuing Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics: nothing in here that isn't better covered in Evanier's book, but If you need more pictures to read, this will do. Avengers/Defenders Tarot: when I heard Alan Davis was involved, I jumped immediately I wasn't aware he was writing and not drawing. The art is ok, but you can really tell it was written by Davis, because it has the feels of something he'd really want to draw. Lots of hero cameos, obscure villains and a fun alternate reality character design. Captain America Epic Collection Monsters and Men: I'm glad they turned Scarecrow into a more sadistic villain. A bankroller with his gimmick is stupid. First Jack Monroe as Nomad here, sci that's kind of fun. DeMatteis' run is fun but holds no candle to Gruenwald's. Lots of great Zeck covers. But his interiors make Cap look like a big doofus. Like Moose from Archie. Blacksad: I'd read two of these stories when they first came out. Only one of them was in english. These were hard to find back in the day, but they are beautiful. Issues: 231 Trades: 13 Omnibus: 14 Graphic Novel: 13

The Rental: what is two acts of a kind-of compelling psychosexual thriller devolves into a third rate slasher. Girlfriend also like Dan Stevens, so we're going to watch The Guest next. \m/ Features: 81 Shorts: 0 Documentaries: 12 Rewatches: 1

I never mentioned I finished Preacher. It's top 5 comic-themed TV shows EASILY. I have watched THE WIRE all the way through for the first time. I thought it lived up to the hype. The acting, directing, writing and tone was consistent almost completely. Every season a slowly-ratcheting tension machine. It gave game a new favourite actor/character combo in Clarke Peters' Lester Freamon. Amazing. Unfortunately, it's a little soured by a ridiculous main plot device in the final season that it kind of sours it for me a bit. Just started rewatching SEINFELD because the son who recommended it and no longer wants to watch it has me too impatient to wait. I've seen every episode several times, but I didn't realize the first season was only four episodes. They made those episodes with NBC's late night summer special series funding that they had no ideas for. It was on the chopping black for three seasons. I'm almost on season three now. I watched season one of THE PUNISHER. It outlines how much the character is better suited to film. Honestly, a genuine complaint about season 2 of Daredevil is that it felt like half a season of a Punisher show. This show didn't feel like a Punisher story for the first eight episodes. It's good, but it's not a great Punisher story. Bernthal's great, but there's too much of him in this show. There's a lot of The Punisher having feelings and complicated half romantic relationships with fragile women and not a lot of him belaying down the side of a building and bazooka-ing a mob meeting. I love the Homeland Security lead. "Deborah Ann Woll looks so beautiful when she's crying" is probably the next opening line to my therapist, but goddammit, it's true. The last few episodes are great. I'm hoping season two is a little more balls to the wall. Stacy and I had drinks and watched SEXY BEASTS on netflix. A fucking stupid dating show where all the contestants ware in weird heavy make-up (a demon, a robot, a scarecrow, a dolphin, a panda, an alien, etc. It was relatively harmless.

It's in my queue. That should tell you how far behind I am. I'm trying to streamline by not reading stuff that isn't super enjoyable. It's a process.

Skull: The Mask: I have a podcast recording today and while I watched this a few weeks ago, I had almost entirely forgot about it. Rewatch #1 of the year. Freaky: wow! What a dumb kids movie premise perfectly transported to the horror genre and carried by two amazing lead performances. Great movie. I'm a simple man, but Vince Vaughn running like a teenage girl made me laugh every fucking time. A Quiet Place Part II: a lot of people are gushing over how this is better than the first. I don't see it. It's good, but it's just...more of the same. Also: what the fuck did Djimon Hounsou do to get relegated away from consequential roles in films? He's amazing and Hollywood needs to learn that. Fatherhood: I very much dislike Kevin Hart's standup, but I'll be damned if he isn't one of the more naturally funny comedic actors with a shit-ton of charisma. A sweet movie. This is basically a black version of Jersey Girl, but better. Woodstock 99: Peace Love and Rage: I'm of two minds here. It was an interesting look back. But it is wholly incomplete. There were hardly no artists in this doc who actually performed there. My count is Jewel, Dave Mustaine and Scott Stapp. I might be missing one. I get that Metallica won't show up for a documentary that isn't centered around them, but the doc is hollow without Limp Bizkit or RHCP (two shitty bands) offering their perspective seeing as they were blamed (rightfully so in a lot of ways) for how it went to shit. The promoter is a fucking scumbag. Like, punch in the face if I ever see him in person scumbag. Features: 80 Shorts: 0 Documentaries: 12 Rewatches: 1

Fear Street Part Three 1666: what an interesting little series. It works as an homage to several things, but manages to be its own kind of animal. A slasher movie really hits differently when you give a shit about the characters is the real lesson this trilogy brings me. Features: 77 Shorts: 0 Documentaries: 11 Rewatches: 0

Yeah, it's rough. But I'll watch Tiny Lister in anything.

The Gift: I had never seen this before, and Stacy and I wanted something light to watch in the hotel room. Edgerton (who directs, writes and produces this as well) is compelling as the creepy stalker. Jason Bateman is good too. Solid thriller. Get Out: Oldest wanted to rewatch this with me when his brother was at work so we did. Still a great movie, but it shows its cracks a little in the rewatches. US is still a far better film. Predator: watched this with the boys. They both fell asleep. Losers. This is both a pretty great action movie and a pretty great monster movie. It's a unique experience. The last act is incredible. Fear Street Part One: 1994: I guess it's time for my 90s nostalgia coming of age horror story. Fear Street Part Two 1978: a wonderful homage of the summer camp horror subgenre. Plenty of Sleepaway Camp and Friday the 13th (especially part 2 of both of those...huh...just realized that). Can't wait to watch the third one. Andre The Giant: finally watched this HBO doc. It was really well-done. Focused on his career because it was the sports division of HBO that put this together and I'm glad. Man, seeing Andre in the 70s is a sight to behold. Features: 76 Shorts: 0 Documentaries: 11 Rewatches: 0

I'm watching it on Prime.

I quit watching Preacher after season 1 because I didn't have cable. I've since watched all of season 2 and a chunk of season 3 in the past ten days and am loving it.

Black Hammer '45 #1: I was really interested in checking this out, but the lettering is so precious and ridiculous that it's hard to read. I'm 41. I can't do the whole writing in upper and lower case with loopy stylized writing thing even with glasses. It's a bummer, because... Black Hammer Age of Doom #8,9: This universe is great and I love exploring it. Black Widow #3: ehhh...it's alright. Sarvane: the Secret of Gor: the second volume of Sarvane by Trillo and Bernet. It's a better story for sure than the first one. Calamity Kate #1: Definitely not my bag Captain America #8: Coates' story is unfolding SUPER SLOWLY. There are elements I enjoy, but they're few and far between. I'll give it another issue or two. Conan The Barbarian #4: the best issue of the series thus far. I love the episodic nature of this. And I have always loved the idea of King Conan. Very Odyssean. Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History #1: not bad Criminal #3: Loving this. Daredevil #2: Thankfully I haven't been spoiled on this, but I really hope that they don't swerve this. This is a story that needs to be told straight. DD is the perfect character to go through it. Dark Red #1: interesting political horror. I'll try more. Dead Man Logan #5: this is great Doomsday Clock #9: this is the first issue that felt like filler. Though there was a JLI vibe in it that I appreciated. How often do you get to see Guy Gardner in the greater DCU let alone the tentpole multiverse things? Fantastic Four #7: So many writers slip into "Dr. Doom is the fucking greatest" when doing their FF runs. Who can blame them? I'd do it too. It's true. Freedom Fighters #3: ooh, this kind of sucked. I'll give it one more to get back on track. GI Joe Silent Option #4: this was an ok miniseries, but when you go for a small Joe team it feels really weird to include both Snake Eyes. Guardians of the Galaxy #3: still really good. I missed the thing where the Sh'iar are a cult now, but whatever. Heroes In Crisis #6: This was a dud Ice Cream Man #10: the first one of these I've been ho-hum about. Incursion #2: Here we go! This is fucking rad. Invaders #2: another bit of a dud. Justice League Dark #9: was I in a really bad mood when I read these? Little Birds #1: not my thing. Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1: I've liked this character in Champions, but this isn't for me. Marvel Comics Presents #2: the Wolverine story is pretty great. The Mr. Fantastic Story is entirely forgettable. The Gorilla Man one wasn't great, but I enjoyed it. Marvels Annotated #2: Look, this was alright, but I don't know if it deserves all the kudos it gets. Meet the Skulls #1, 2: not a bad little side chunk of the MCU. I dug these. Morning In America #1: I couldn't tell you word one about this book. Not good. Completely forgettable. Murder Falcon #6: it's a bit bullshit to introduce a cool new character and kill him in the next, but I love this series. Obey Me #0: almost unreadable. Old Man Quill #3: still really fun. Loving the art in this. Peter Cannon Thunderbolt #2: a character with HUGE potential that is not done well here. Prison Witch #1: Not for me Stronghold #2: this was quite cool. I dug it. This is sci fi, so I'm not entirely anti-sci-fi comics! Suicide Squad Black Files #5: the Katana story is still boring AF to me. I used Kobra way better in my fan-fi! Haha! The second feature is still great. Superior Spider-Man #3: not bad. I liked it. The Batman Who Laughs The Grim Knight #1: not bad. Swamp Thing by Nancy A. Collins Omnibus: for such a relatively obscure character, Swamp Thing is maybe second to only Daredevil for creator runs that can be considered definitive. Wein/Wrightson, Moore/Bissette, Morrison/Millar/Hester and Collins/Eaton. The wildness calms in a way from the Millar Hester stuff and settles into a Southern Bayou Gothic story that slowly ratchets up the insanity. Great stuff. Issues: 188 Trades: 8 Omnibus: 12 Graphic Novel: 10

True Detective season 3 WRECKED me. Wow. It's easily the best season of the show. Mahershala Ali is incredible. So is Dorff, Scoot McNairy and Carmen Ejogo (who I've never seen before and was completely enchanted by).

Thanks! It's on my list!

Loki is easily the worst of the MCU TV stuff. Ugh.

M.O.D.O.K. is super fun.

The Punisher #8: still great. Uncanny X-Men #12: this is a weird issue. Not sure what's going on here other than everybody else being in an alternate reality. Wolverine Infinity Watch #1: this was fun. Wonder Twins #1: hard pass. Zodiac #1: a hero inside the GFT universe. Not great but decent. I'll pass on the rest. Age of Conan: Belit, Queen of the Black Coast #1: I probably wouldn't follow through on this, but I'll keep reading as a WIP I'm doing is a woman pirate. Age of X-Man Apocalypse and the X-Tracts #1: this is pretty fun. For some reason this reality shuns love and physical contact, so the ultimate villain is a hippie Apocalypse who preaches love and acceptance. Age of X-Man: Next Gen #2: pretty good. A bit of a slip from the first issue. Age of X-Man Prisoner X #1: Bishop in jail. Decent first issue. Age of X-Man: The Amazing Nightcrawler #2: a definite slip from the first issue. Age of X-Man: The Marvellous X-Men #2: the other side of the Apocalypse debate. I really have no idea what's going on here, but I kind of love it. Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists #1, 2: this one I'm not the biggest fan of. Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep #2:this is pretty bland. I'm gonna pass on the rest. Asgardians fo the Galaxy #7: this was fun. Assassin Nation #1: decent first issue. Issues: 148 Trades: 8 Omnibus: 11 Graphic Novel: 9