Escaping reality

Post-apocalyptic Lego at BrickFair 2011 — Legopocalypse!

Although I’ve had difficulty posting to this blog regularly lately, being busy with work and travel is nothing in comparison with what some friends have been dealing with lately: David I.S. getting mugged in Rochester, N.Y.; Corbin A.Y. and Ron J.K.‘s ailing family members; and riots in the Middle East and London, as well as economic and political struggles worldwide.

On a lighter note, after considering controversies, cartoons, and live-action promotions around this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, it’s time to look at toys and games. I’m typically more interested in role-playing games (RPGs) and action figures than in video games. Fortunately, there was something for everyone, with some Web sites providing galleries to rival the numerous ones for costumed fans.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that toys based on the animated Justice League Unlimited continue to be made, even if they’re hard to come by. We’ll see how the latest costume variations from DC Comics’ September renumbering look in plastic, but I suspect that the classic superheroes will remain popular.

I was also pleased to learn that Lego has won the rights to characters from both the Marvel and DC universes (it previously sold only Batman sets). As a longtime collector of minifigures and comic books, I think this is a match made in heaven!

On a related note, while visiting my family in Virginia this past weekend, Janice and I went with my brother Peter and our nieces to the fan-run Lego BrickFair in Chantilly, Virginia. We saw many impressive models and dioramas created by fans of the Danish building blocks, including train sets, replicas of world landmarks, towering cranes, and multimedia tie-ins.

Unfortunately, the festival was crowded, so I didn’t get to see college chum Ben P.S. and his son Finley, who were among the exhibitors. I haven’t had time to check out the Lego Universe massively multiplayer online game (MMO), and it would be cool if Lego came out with a Justice League vs. Avengers game!

I’m still digesting the news from Gen Con, but I plan to blog soon about various RPGs, my travels, and food and drink!

Cowboys & Aliens review

Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig — Indy and Bond

On Sunday, 31 July 2011, Janice and I met Josh C., Thomas K.Y., and Thomas’ girlfriend Kai Yin at the Showcase Cinemas at Legacy Place in Dedham, Massachusetts, for Cowboys & Aliens. Jon Favreau’s western/science fiction mashup was fun, if not especially original.

Loosely based on an independent comic book, Cowboys & Aliens follows amnesiac Jake Lonergan as he finds himself caught between a small-town sheriff, an angry cattle baron, and his former band of bandits. Complicating matters is a mysterious woman who seems to know more about a manacle on his wrist than he does, a gold mine, hostile Indians, and unearthly kidnappers!

James Bond’s Daniel Craig is the laconic Lonergan, and he is supported by an all-star cast, including Keith Carradine as Sheriff Taggart, Harrison Ford as cattle baron Col. Woodrow Dolarhyde, and Tron Legacy‘s Olivia Wilde as the alluring Ella Swenson. Highlander and Superman: the Animated Series‘ Clancy Brown is preacher Meacham, Moon and Iron Man 2‘s Sam Rockwell is barkeep Doc, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee‘s Adam Beach is Native American scout Nat.

These actors elevate the film from a mere shoot-’em-up to a full-blown popcorn flick (if not at the box office, where Cowboys & Aliens tied with the unnecessary Smurfs movie). I enjoyed seeing Indiana Jones face off with James Bond and the cast and crew’s obvious enjoyment in riding horseback and blowing up alien invaders.

Just as Thor substituted Norse deities for Stargate‘s Egyptian ones, so too does Cowboys & Aliens tap into District 9‘s aliens and body horror, Unforgiven‘s gritty West, and Stargate‘s sense of adventure. Like this past spring’s Rango, which combined computer-animated talking animals with western tropes, Cowboys & Aliens is an alternate-history romp that manages to avoid the steampunk excesses of Wild, Wild West or Jonah Hex, even as it draws on the same clichés.

I’d give Cowboys & Aliens, which is rated PG-13 for violence, three out of five stars, a “B+,” or 7.5 out of 10. After his successes with Iron Man, Favreau continues to inspire confidence with his choice of workmanlike direction rather than the quirky stylings of Burton, Tarantino, del Toro, or Rodriguez. That said, the extended trailer for the sword-and-sorcery Conan the Barbarian was the only preview that was memorable.

Cowboys & Aliens reminded me of my favorite sessions of Boot Hill, Tim M.B.‘s GURPS “Arth,” Castle Falkenstein, Deadlands (arguably the best fit), and my own GURPS Steampunk/D20 Etherscope: “Gaslight Grimoire.” Back in grad school, I also ran a scenario for GURPS 3e Supers: “Visor and the Seer” using GURPS Old West involving time travel.

Coming soon: More Comic-Con roundups, games, and travel!

Comics and race: Can’t we all just get along?

A plea for peaceful coexistence — A plea for peace beyond boundaries

I was going to blog later about the recent controversies over race and comic books, but I’ll weigh in here while the news is still relatively fresh. Warner Bros./DC Comics announced that Laurence Fishbourne has been cast as Daily Planet editor Perry White, and Disney/Marvel revealed that after Peter Parker was killed in Ultimate Spider-Man (in one alternate continuity), the new Spidey is Miles Morales, an African-American/Hispanic youth.

I can understand that many fans will have negative reactions to any changes to well-known characters, from Samuel L. Jackson playing Col. Nick Fury to Jaime Reyes becoming the Blue Beetle. However, I’m distressed by the amount of invective spewed by ignorant people who see such changes as tantamount to destruction of the American way.

I don’t want to return to the “good old days” of the 1950s, when Caucasian males called the shots for much of the world, Jim Crow was still part of the U.S. legal system, and miscegenation (marriage of people of different ethnic backgrounds, of which I’m a product) was still frowned upon at best.

Yes, every ethnic and religious group has been guilty of crimes against humanity, but for the past few centuries, Europeans have shared their culture — and their hang-ups and wars — with the world. I’m not saying that anyone else would be better, but I do think the majority (if only 50%, if one combines people of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent) should be mindful of the socioeconomic hurdles that minorities have faced and often still face. Is casting white actors as people of color more offensive than trying for more diverse depictions in fiction?

English settlers discriminated against Irish immigrants, the Irish against Italians, and they all sometimes banded against former slaves. Now, gay marriage is used as a wedge issue while potential federal default, wars overseas, and other more pressing issues are debated without the benefit of a well-informed public or reason and courtesy.

Women still earn less money than men on average for equivalent positions, even after factoring in delays because of childbearing. Comic book fans should be sensitive to Superman‘s “never-ending fight for truth, justice, and the American way.”

I hope that sanity and comity prevail, and several of the articles I’ve linked to above demonstrate patience and tolerance, even as they report about disheartening bigotry that persists among what I hope is only a loudmouthed few. My favorite superheroes, including Superman, Captain America, Batman, and Wonder Woman, have all been depicted with blue eyes, but real-world heroes come in all colors, faiths, and shapes.

Coming soon: More Comic-Con roundups, Cowboys & Aliens, and travel!

Thundercats and other toons

Cartoon Network's new Thundercats — Thundercats, ho!

On Friday, 29 July 2011, I watched the premieres of a few new animated television shows. I especially liked the latest incarnation of Thundercats, which was among the shows previewed at San Diego Comic-Con, on the Cartoon Network.

As with G.I. Joe: Renegades, Transformers: Prime, and the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, intellectual properties from the 1980s are being revived, with more modern production values and writing. Although I’m a bit too old to have childhood nostalgia for the originals of these series, I applaud this trend, mainly because of the rare improvement in quality.

The one-hour premiere of Thundercats was faithful enough to the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, but it has a lot in common with recent animation as well. Our favorite felines inhabit a more populated Third Earth than their predecessors, and their (over-)reliance on agrarian civilization and royal magic in contrast to the technology of their foes is reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings.

The well-designed city of Thundera, varied character archetypes, and new conflict among the Thundercats also reminded me favorably of Avatar: the Last Airbender, which will soon be getting a sequel of its own in Nickelodeon’s Legend of Korra (also previewed at Comic-Con). I liked how Lion-o’s father the king isn’t infallible, not all reptile folk are evil, and even that sidekick Snarf can’t talk.

Thundercats is worth watching for fans of fantasy and related role-playing games, and I’ll definitely be adding Thundercats to my summer TV viewing schedule! We’ll see whether the Kung-Fu Panda series can keep the eastern-flavored martial arts action going and if it’s faithful to the popular Dreamworks movies, which I liked more than the Shrek franchise (the Puss in Boots spin-off does look amusing).

I wish I could say that the other cartoons were as promising as the fantasy Thundercats, Legend of Korra, or Kung-Fu Panda. It was nice to hear Heroes‘ Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia as a smarmy Tony Stark/Iron Man and a youthful Logan/Wolverine in Marvel’s first anime-style series on G4.

As I told Steve M.R., I thought both characters were a good fit for Japanese adventures, with Iron Man‘s technocratic interests and the classic storyline in which Wolverine follows lost love Mariko to Japan. However, I found myself already missing the energy of the computer-animated Iron Man: Armored Adventures and the cleaner lines of X-Men: Evolution, not to mention MTV’s Spider-Man and the fun Spectacular Spider-Man.

I’ll keep watching for a little while in the hope that the latest Iron Man and Wolverine cartoons approach the level of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (not to be confused with the kid-oriented Super Hero Squad). Marvel also has Blade, X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man (whose print equivalent has replaced Peter Parker in the tights), and Hulk and the Agents of SMASH shows in the works. The direct-to-video Thor: Tales of Asgard was apparently successful enough for a sequel: Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers.

On the DC side of Comic-Con and genre TV news, I’m still looking forward to the return of Young Justice, the premiere of Bruce Timm’s Green Lantern: the Animated Series, and the next inevitable Batman series. I’ve already mentioned the Batman: Year One and Dark Knight Returns releases, and more adaptations are planned, including Justice League: Doom, Superman vs. the Elite, and Batman: the Killing Joke.

Janice and I have been enjoying the Seinfeld-inspired Looney Toons Show, and I hope to catch the dieselpunk War of the Worlds: Goliath, which features the cast of Highlander: the Series, whenever it’s released in the U.S. (thanks to Heavy Metal magazine for the previews).

Coming soon: Toys and games at Comic-Con, Cowboys & Aliens review, and more food and travel!

Live action at Comic-Con 2011

Fans in costumes at San Diego Comic-Con 2011 — Justice League fans in costume

Continuing my look at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, as in recent years, movie and television adaptations dominated news from the genre entertainment convention. Although I read lots of print comic books and graphic novels, I have to admit that the show is an opportunity to get a glimpse of numerous upcoming projects.

In the past few years, flicks such as Watchmen, Sucker Punch, and Green Hornet were heavily promoted but did poorly at the box office, even though some critics and fans liked them. As a result, it’s no surprise that two of next year’s biggest superhero movies, The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, didn’t have full panels at Comic-Con. Warner Brothers/DC and Disney/Marvel did release previews to coincide with the convention, however.

I read more DC Comics titles than Marvel ones, but I’m more excited by Joss Whedon’s Avengers team-up than the conclusion to Chris Nolan and Christian Bale’s dour Batman trilogy. After Captain America, I’m hoping for more four-color heroics rather than more angst in an era already dominated with real-world news of wars, natural and manmade disasters, economic recession, and political stalemate. I also think that the upcoming animated Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns are a better way of exorcising Frank Miller’s influential stories than turning them into live action.

Of the other comic book movies, I’m curious about Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, even though I don’t see a need for a reboot (still with Nicholas Cage) after the first film. I found it more entertaining than Ang Lee’s Hulk, which deserved a reboot, and not every superhero adaptation needs to be as seriously highbrow as The Dark Knight.

I had strong reservations after seeing the first still photos of lanky Andrew Garfield in costume for The Amazing Spider-Man, but the latest previews are more promising. It may be a bit soon for a restart of Sony’s franchise, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a fresh director and cast taking a crack at Peter Parker’s misadventures, and I like Emma Stone, who’ll be playing love interest Gwen Stacy.

Fright Night looks like an amusing horror/comedy remake, and Knights of Badassdom should appeal to fans of Your Highness and various live-action role-playing docudramas. I’m more interested in Aardman’s The Pirates! Band of Misfits than Arthur Christmas (technically animation, I know, but it’s fantasy/comedy of a sort).

We’ll see how closely Alien prequel Prometheus and Rise of the Planet of the Apes tie in with their respective science fiction/horror series. I’ll also be curious to see if the Total Recall remake is closer to Philip K. Dick’s writing than Paul Verhoven and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s version. I’ll likely skip the latest sequels for Final Destination, Jurassic Park, Twilight, and Underworld, but I might see The Raven (not to be confused with ABC’s Poe TV series).

Speaking of Twilight or Red Riding Hood, I’m not the target audience of teenage girls for Snow White and the Huntsman, The Hunger Games, and assorted Wizard of Oz features, anymore than I’m the audience of tween boys for the techno brawlers Transformers or Real Steel. On the other hand, I might see the similarly mythic Immortals and Wrath of the Titans.

I’ve always been more interested in science fiction than horror. Doctor Who and Torchwood: Miracle Day had a strong presence at this year’s Comic-Con, including the stars in attendance and many participants in a Doctor Who lookalike contest. I don’t yet have a Blu-Ray player, so I’ll have to wait for the extended version of the original Star Wars trilogy.

I’ve been enjoying the latest episodes of SyFy’s Warehouse 13, and I hope that Alphas, the latest attempt to deal with metahumans like NBC’s late, lamented Heroes, does better than its predecessors. I’d put Castle with slightly more realistic procedurals such as Leverage and White Collar, and stars Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic have some geek credits.

I’ll blog about animation, toys, and more separately.