Yep, he sure did have a problem! And you know what it really was? He (and his buddies) wore the exact same clothes every day!
The actual final panel ought to go like this:
Yep, that's the name "Hube" on top of that taxi! The [main] panel is 'ol Tony Stark introducing one his many squeezes to secretary Virginia "Pepper" Potts (who was played by Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie). I said "unbeknownst to me" because I never noticed it when I first read the issue. It wasn't until I received an e-mail from Sean asking me "what I thought of that taxi" that I realized what Chen had did!
In a word or two, how cool is that?
(A slightly modified version of this post appeared at The Colossus of Rhodey about a year ago.)
Look, when I buy a comics info mag, why the hell would I want to constantly see highlighted the guy I didn't vote for for president? Comics are supposed to be about a reality break. Wizard #211 and #212 both feature the CiC on their covers -- #211 a pic of Barack and Michelle Obama (from a comic, I assume) doing their "fist bump" and mentioning how the couple "rule" comics, toys and more. Uh-huh. Right. #212 highlights the FREE! Obama Topps [trading] card that's inside the issue. I'm sure kids are going wild trading the things that in a few months will be absolutely worthless. Much like the over-hyped comics editions that featured the prez.
#211 features a two-page spread on all the Obama "collectibles" available. Call me cynical, but isn't that John K. Limited Edition 9" Barack Obama on page 17 (see below) just a little ... offensive?
In this month's top five, the quickest way to make the moolah should be
pretty obvious -- slap a president with a 63 percent approval rating in the
book.
Is that right? George W. Bush actually had a higher rating than that after his first 100 days in office; where were all the guest appearances by him in comics in early 2001? Cheeyeah, right. A conservative Republican endorsed by modern comics writers? HA! And c'mon -- $200 freakin' dollars for Savage Dragon #137 -- just 'cuz Obama's on the cover? Outrageous. What makes that so laughable is that nobody even freakin' reads Savage Dragon.
#212 also has an entire page devoted to those Topps trading cards. Aww ... isn't this one sweet?
Then there's the advertisement for the President Obama issue of ToyFare (#143):
Dude, fix that friggin' collar, will'ya?
#211 has the "25 Reasons J.J. Abrams' New 'Star Trek' Film Will Live Long and Prosper." Now, the one thing that gets me about Wizard, perhaps above all else, is that its writers come off as omniscient "experts" on not just comics, but popular culture in general. And there's nothing more annoying about supposed experts just outright blowing simple facts. They did this in #209 when "informing" us about Iron Man; they do it again here with "Trek." With #8 on their list they get right an obscure fact -- that supposed Enterprise captain Robert April is "non-canonical" (Trek author Michael Okuda patterned April after "Trek" founder Gene Roddenberry) -- but in #15 they write the following:
Despite being the birthplace of arguably the series' most beloved character,
we've spent little actual time on Spock's homeworld, Vulcan (aside from the
"Amok Time" OS episode and a few scenes in "The Voyage Home").
But that's far from accurate. The prequel series "Enterprise" featured several episodes that highlighted Vulcan, including a two-parter that was almost entirely on the planet. What -- is "Enterprise" not treated as canon, too?
In addition, #23 states (regarding Starfleet Academy) "The breeding ground of Starfleet's elite has often been alluded to, but we've never really been allowed into the much-vaunted halls of Starfleet Academy." Really? Tell that to "Next Generation's" "The First Duty" which took place almost entirely on the Academy's campus! (This was the episode where Wesley Crusher, while at the Academy, got into some hot water hotdogging it up with some pals in their fighter craft, and it led to a fellow recruit's death.)
How is that a 30-footer?? Look where he's jumping from! He's almost right next to the key, for cripe's sake!! A 30-footer is almost a half-court shot straight away from the basket! Check out professional court dimensions here. But hey, given the previous panel where 'ol Doc slams the balls home, they hadda make poor Rick look good somehow! (Full disclosure: I live near Philly and am a lifelong Dr. J. fan. Met him and got his autograph back in 1980.)
Then I noticed this ad after pulling that pic of Count Nefaria (from Avengers #165) for my Adamantium post:
OK, why would someone want a gag severed finger ... as a keychain?? And what "quality parts" does this "Finger Factory" use in their ... ingredients?? And last but not least, who would even fall for this??Lastly, while combing through Deadman #1 (1985) there was this (very tiny) ad:
Twenty-four years ago and a tiny, barely noticeable ad wants $5.00 for ... magic spells. Call me crazy but it's this sort of ad that kinda makes wonder if $5.00 might actually be worth it ... !!
Just got back a little while ago (yesterday now, by the time I'm getting this post up) from seeing "Wolverine" (hope you don't me not using the unnecessarily long "X-Men Origins: Wolverine") and without going into an in-depth review, I'd like to add a few thoughts for your more in-the-know [Marvel] comics fan.
First, I'd give the movie a "B-," meaning it was simply good. The action is great as are the F/X, but the backstory is skimpy enough and has enough "WTFs" in it that it prevents anything more. The beginning is well done in that it, a la "Watchmen," shows in flashbacks Wolverine ("James" or "Jimmy," as brother Sabretooth calls him, as in James Howlett from "Origin") and Sabretooth from their beginnings as young boys (in the mid-1800s!!) through the 1970s. Wolvie and 'Tooth take part in every major conflict from the American Civil War through Vietnam. During 'Nam, William Stryker (from "X-Men 2" infamy) pops up to recruit the mutant brothers to his special task force. Wolvie doesn't much like the killing that goes on, so he ups and leaves after a few missions.
Ha.
Stryker and the force keep tabs on him during Wolvie's "normal" life as a lumberjack(!), eventually "inducing" him to come back through deception.
Here are some of the more notable "WTF" moments, big and small. Or, as my teaching colleague, good friend and comics aficionado Brent would say, "COME ON!! moments":
Liev Schreiber ("The Manchurian Candidate"), who plays Sabretooth, is by far the best of the cast. His lust for blood and killing are aptly portrayed. And the chick who plays Logan's squeeze (Lynn Collins)? YOWSAH!!