Comic Book Coffee Break #39

No coffee today. We swung into Tim Horton's and I don't love their coffee so I got tea, which I do like. XL, 4 sugars.

Let's talk comic books. 

DC Comics

So in the last issue I said I was planning to re-read the Superman Truth arc from the New 52. As I was looking for the right place to start I decided to just do a whole reread of New 52 Superman.  This era of Superman has a pretty notorious rep and I hadn't read it since it dropped the first time and I really couldn't remember. I started with Grant Morrison's Action Comics Omnibus. This comprises the first 18 issues plus an annual and a #0.  The art is primarily by Rags Morales. Right away were are off to a weird start.  As I recall the lead up to the New 52 was a streamlined, back to basics kind of take on DC Comics. If that's really the goal, who in the world thought Grant Morrison was the one? I do have to admit the first 5 or so issues where we have t-shirt Superman doing some street level stuff, I was a pretty in. But then that vanishes and we go on the typical trippy, Quaalude-fueled ride that is a Grant Morrison story.  And there's no transition.  It's just suddenly aliens and demons and time travel and Mxyzptlk. I don't get it. 

Then there's the art. I guess that's a place where I would have gone with a classic, shiny, spit-curled kind of vibe.  Instead it feels very loose and inconsistent. Superman is unrecognizable from panel to panel.  It's weird and I found it to be very unpleasant. What's more, nothing from this run made any lasting impact on the character.

Over on the mainline title we have two volumes, Superman: What Price Tomorrow? and Secrets and Lies. While the art feels better and the clear shake up in status quo with Lois, Clark and Jimmy is there, nothing feels fresh about it. Again, if you are going for a shiny, modern take why dust off old guard writers like George Perez and Dan Jurgens. I don't say that to throw shade, it's just an odd choice, one that doesn't pay off.  Neither lasts long and I think that's for the best. My estimation of these volumes hasn't changed with this reread.  They are utterly skippable and ultimately inconsequential, but the art in Secrets and Lies is pretty great.

Next comes the big H'El on Earth storyline which features crossover issues from the Superboy (just awful) and Supergirl (my favorite of the New 52) series.

Marvel Comics

Over in Marvel, I finally sat down and read the two issues that make up X-Men: Days of Future Past.  I feel like this is one of those rare situations where the later adaptations really make the story. I found these two issues to be relatively brief and not particularly exciting. I am, of course, familiar with the animated adaption from the 90s and the later Fox film (Rogue Cut, all the way), but for whatever reason I had never read this. I'm a sucker for time travel and those adaptations were some of my favorites from their respective series. 

Next, I read Daredevil: Noir by Alex Irvine in preparation for my upcoming interview. My first experience with the Noir line came a few years ago when I was prepping to interview author Fred van Lente. He had written X-Men: Noir and while I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Fred, I can't say the same for X-Men Noir.  More recently I read Luke Cage: Noir and that was a real standout. I think Cage just works in that setting and the same is true for Daredevil. 

It makes sense that this would be a good spotlight for the character. Saying Daredevil: Noir is practically redundant. I haven't read a ton of Daredevil comics, but I recognized the changes from the source and found it worked really well in this standalone story.

This is cheating because it isn't a comic, but I read the prose novel Generation X. What a weird one this was. I loved the old X-Men prose novels and typically enjoy the writing of Elliot S! Maggin and Scott Lobdell.  This was a little wacky though. They did a good job of establishing this team as connected, but separate from the X-Men proper. It didn't have that feel of X-Men without the X-Men as these types of things so often do. It also made me want to read the Generation X comics, so that's a win all around. 

 (Fun fact: I interviewed author Elliot S! Maggin over on the All the Books Show.)

Everything Else

Finally, I read The Comic Book Story of Baseball, also by Alex Irvine. I likely wouldn't have picked this up had it not been for my upcoming interview with the author, but I'm glad I did. It was an incredibly thorough history, but still managed to be fun and engaging. I learned a lot and it made me want to pick up some more Baseball books.  We'll see.

For next time, I'm planning to pick up Alex Irvine's Iron Man run, continue my New 52 Superman re-read and maybe pick up an X-Men book. I'm in the mood.

P.S. Another feature of the video version of Comic Book Coffee Break was the Quarter Bin segment.  Each week I would drag a random issue out of my childhood longbox and revisit. Look for that dropping on Wednesday. 

______________________

You can find back issues of the video version of Comic Book Coffee Break here.

The audio version of Comic Book Coffee Break is over there. 

You can find me as the co-host of 9021 Here We G0: A 90210 Rewatch Podcast for the Radio Meanwhile Network. 

I also host Howe's Things, the podcast and radio show of the David A. Howe Public Library.

Comic Book Coffee Break #38

 For 37 weeks I co-hosted Comic Book Coffee Break with Eric Mikols for the Radio Meanwhile Network.

You can find the early video episodes here and the 37th and final episode here.  While that version of the show came to a restful end, I'm still reading comic books.  So welcome to Comic Book Coffee Break: The Text Adventure. 

Let's talk comic books. 

First off, my coffee today was Blue Mountain Blend Medium roast. I had it with some creamer and a little Torani Irish Cream syrup. It was a good start.

First, Archie Comics.  

Over on my podcast, Howe's Things, I recently did an interview with Jamie Lee Rotante about her Betty & Veronica books, my favorite of which was Betty & Veronica: Senior Year. It works because it updates the characters while staying true to the classic roots. Talking Archie got me in the mood to revisit some of my old favorites so got a month of Archie Unlimited.

I started with Little Archie v.1 by Bob Bolling. This was not the Little Archie I was expecting. Typically when these stories pop up in a digest they tend to stick to the Archie pattern only from a different angle since the gang is younger.  This collection was more about outlandish Archie adventures with pirates, aliens and Mad Doctor Doom. While it was interesting to see them take Archie in a completely different direction, it rarely felt like I was reading the Archie Andrews I know. This could have been any little red-head and for that it didn't really work for me.  There is a volume 2 and I will likely read it because I'm a completist, but this was not my jam.

Marvel Comics

Over in the World of Marvel, I read volumes 2 & 3 of New Mutants Classics as research for my guest-hosting gig on the New Mutants episode of Previously on X-Men.  I had read the first volume years ago and tapped out because I just found it dull. It felt liked the Saved by the Bell: The New Class of the X-Men franchise and I was not all about it. I was glad that I continued on because things heat up when Chris Claremont teams up with artist Bill Sienkiewicz.  The art takes on a scratchy, abstract vibe and the story gets weird. This section includes the Demon Bear Saga which is a major basis for the 20th Century movie. While it didn't make me a New Mutants convert, I did appreciate it taking on it's own identity. It's worth reading once.

Elsewhere in Marvel, I read the final volume of Red-She Hulk, Route 616.  This collection concludes the Red Hulk run that began with the Ed McGuiness/Jeph Loeb stories.  For whatever reason I got really in to these back in 2012 and finishing this story was my reason for signing up with Marvel Unlimited. While I don't think these last two volumes where Betty takes over as protagonist really work, this run will always have a special place in my heart. It was colorful and big, and at times downright nonsensical, but that's how I like my Hulk. 

DC Comics

On the DC horizon I finished the mostly uncollected Firestorm series featuring Jason Rusch as the lead. While this story started with a pretty interesting hook, it devolved into a mess of crossovers and an overcrowded narrative. I feel the character deserves better, though he'll likely never see it.  I still don't get why they created an original character to take the Firestorm mantle for Legends of Tomorrow. Jason was right here waiting!

I've also been reading a lot of Rebirth Flash lately, so I picked up the out-of-continuity collection Flash: United They Fall by Gail Simone and Clayton Henry.  While the art feels modern and jazzy, the stories felt mostly like a waste of time.  They were fine, but nothing I would pull out and recommend to someone. Oh well.

Speaking of things that were fine, I read Batman V.6 Bride or Burglar by Tom King. This was the ultimate in wheel spinning.  Sometimes that's okay, but I just found these dull. Just get on with the wedding (that will definitely happen for sure) already.

Everything Else

Finally, I read an interesting little graphic novel called Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11's Third Man by Alex Irvine and Ben Bishop.  I'm in research mode because I'm set to interview Alex Irvine for Howe's Things in a couple of weeks. This was a cool story about Michael Collins, the astronaut who gets the least amount of credit for Apollo 11. It was fascinating because I know nothing about this man and have never heard his name before this. The book is well done and informative. It made me want to pick up Collins' biography. I'm looking forward to the interview with Alex.

That's it for this week.  Next, I'm planning to reread the Truth arc from New 52 Superman and probably dig further into Alex Irvine's back catalogue.  See you then.

______________________

You can find back issues of the video version of Comic Book Coffee Break here.

The audio version of Comic Book Coffee Break is over there. 

You can find me as the co-host of 9021 Here We G0: A 90210 Rewatch Podcast for the Radio Meanwhile Network. 

I also host Howe's Things, the podcast and radio show of the David A. Howe Public Library.

Dragnet II - The Big Small: Debrief

 This year, the pandemic squashed any plans to have a live show, but Valley Theatre has never missed a year since we started in 2008. My brain would have broken if he hadn't found a way to make it happen. Early in March we started talking about ways to collaborate with the library for a show. I toyed with writing a new short play or even repurposing one I wrote back in the HMAC days.  That didn't seem quite right so I started looking into adapting and old radio play. 

Back in 2010, I had directed a production of Dragnet for Houghton College and we'd been joking about doing a sequel since then. With Eric & Kendra Mikols moving to North Carolina, I wasn't sure if he'd be up for reprising his role of Frank Smith from the earlier production so I started looking at scripts featuring different partners. I finally settled on The Big Small because the cast breakdown worked for what I wanted and I thought the plot would still be relevant. Luckily, Eric was down to play Frank again, only no mustache this time. Michael Blankenship was on board to reprise his role as Joe Friday, and Ben Layman (who had played Brad Roney in 2010) came on as a new character, Harry Allison. I voiced the announcer with my brother Stephen VanValkenburg as Bert Halstead and Kendra Mikols as Peggy Smalls, both had been involved in my most recent production (Write Me a Murder).  Rounding out the cast was my wife Hilary (who hadn't been in one of my mysteries since Guilty Conscience) as Ethel Parkinson and Jessica Wiezszcyk from the library as Halstead's assistant. 

We recorded in a few separate chunks, all over Skype. We'd do a basic read through with me giving notes along the way, then when we were ready, we'd try to lay down complete scenes in one take so that it would feel seamless. We would occasionally have to roll back and try again, but for the most part the scenes stayed in tact. 

Dragnet has such a weird tone that it took some practice to get back into the swing of it.  The banter between Frank and Joe is particularly tricky, and unless you're hitting it just right it feels lifeless.  After a few readings Eric and Michael popped back in to character and we were doing Dragnet again. I particularly enjoyed the scene with Eric, Michael and Ben all reading together, each in a different state.  Their camaraderie and natural chemistry came through even via Skype. 

The editing process was more involved than I thought. The first pass was all about tightening the flow an deciding which take to use.  I occasionally went back to the recording of the dry read and used some sections because it felt more realistic. Next came the sound effects.  I hadn't done anything like this and it was a lot of fun trying to find the right balance of background noise so as to make it feel full and alive, but not overpowering. It's amazing what things like footsteps, chatter and rustling paper adds.  Some of the effects I got online, but many we just made by recording doors closing, going through files, clomping around, picking up the receiver on an old phone, etc.

Once the basics were down, I did a third pass adding in more flavor.  For the scene where Friday and Smith interview Harry Allison (Ben's character), I added ambient diner noise, but also included segments from a podcast I'd recorded with the library staff. Then my five-year old son and I got plates and silverware and had a fake conversation about a fishing trip.  Later I added in some dialogue for Halstead's assistant and a conversation with a distraught landlady played by Debbie Young to run under a Friday monologue. 

Once it was set we publicized in the local papers and set a digital premiere on YouTube.  The video version included stills from the original production, when possible, as well as black and white stills from other productions that had the right look. Hilary's came mostly from a production of You Can't Take it With You and Kendra's were from Spinoff. (I also used some images of Eric and Ben from Spinoff as well.) Steve's came from our recent production of Write Me a Murder. The aesthetics of the various shows blended well making the video a pretty solid representation of what a staged version might have looked like. The audio aired on WRAQ 92.7 FM and as a special episode of The All the Books Show. 

We got a lot of nice feedback on the production and we all had a fun time working on it.  I'm a sucker for sequels, so it's hard to believe this is the first time I've worked on one. Aside from that, It was just nice to have part of the old gang working together again. 

Maybe someday we will complete the trilogy.

Press Release: Dragnet II - The Big Small

 The David A. Howe Public Library will be presenting a special audio drama based on the classic 1950s radio program Dragnet.

	Premiering April 30th at 7pm on the library's YouTube page and podcast feed, the Valley Theatre will be performing the episode The Big Small written by John Robinson and originally airing January 11, 1953. The cast includes Michael Blankenship as Sgt. Joe Friday and David A. Howe Public Library's own Eric Mikols as Officer Frank Smith. The two are returning to characters they played in a stage version of Dragnet for a 2010 production from Houghton College, directed by Nic Gunning. 
	The episode will be available through the library's YouTube page as well as in a special episode of the library's podcast The All the Books Show, available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Write Me a Murder: Director's Note

I have this reputation of only doing murder mysteries, but when you look at my back catalogue, I’ve only done four.  The last one was Dial M for Murder (which coincidentally was also written by Frederick Knott), and that was in 2012! While this may be an unearned reputation, it’s not an unfair one.   Because, truth be told, I always want to do a murder mystery. I love them.  Challenge me to a Columbo trivia contest; you lose every time.  Think you’ve read more Murder, She Wrote books than me?  You haven’t.

So here we are again. Murder is in the air. Now, I love a traditional drawing room mystery.  You’ve got your eccentric cast of characters with a devious murderer tossed in, you’ve got your brilliant detective, and they all end up in a room where our hero drops some knowledge on us.  Case closed, right?  Good times.  But Frederick Knott will have none of that.  He lulls you into a smug feeling that you’ve figured it out. You can see it coming a mile away.  But can you? Now you’re not so sure. Wait, that wasn’t supposed to happen. Then you’re going down a new path.  The road forks and you find an unexpected way forward.  Now you see it, but just as it comes into focus, the curtains swing closed.  Frederick Knott gets us again.

You know what, maybe I’ll just lean in to it.  Seven years is too long between murder mysteries.      -NG

Press Release: Write Me a Murder

The Valley Theatre returns with a staging of Frederick Knott’s twisty mystery Write Me a Murder directed by Nic Gunning.  Performances are set for Saturday, October 27, at 7pm and Sunday, October 28, at 2pm in the Nancy Howe Auditorium of the David A. Howe Public Library.

Frederick Knott, the author of the Hitchcock classic Dial M for Murder and the thrilling Wait Until Dark, was adept at taking the audience for an unexpected ride. In Write Me a Murder, the death of the Rodingham patriarch stirs conflict between two estranged brothers, one a playboy (Jeff Babbitt) and the other a successful author (Stephen VanValkenburg) called home by the family doctor (Alison Reusser). Sensing discord, an opportunistic businessman (Christopher Tetta) with designs on the family estate makes the Rodinghams an offer they can’t refuse. However, things become complicated when a story written by the younger Rodingham and the businessman’s wife (Joanna Bates) plants the seed for the perfect murder. If the would-be killer puts the story to practical use, they put everything at risk and will need to make sure they stay one step ahead of the cops (Christopher Winkens and Hannah Mills Woolsey) at all times. So, the question becomes… is there such a thing as the perfect crime?

Find out on Saturday, October 26, at 7pm and Sunday, October 27, at 2pm in the Nancy Howe Auditorium of the David A. Howe Public Library (155 N. Main Street, Wellsville, NY).  The performances are sponsored by the Friends of the Library and will be presented free of charge.

Joanna Bates sat down for an interview on the All the Books Show to discuss her experience playing Julie Sturrock.  Find it here: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/off-the-books-write-me-a-murder

Book Review: Batman Nightwalker: The Graphic Novel

Batman Nightwalker: The Graphic Novel
*****

Thanks to my peeps at NetGallery for giving me a sneak peek.

Young Bruce Wayne hits 18 and suddenly he's a billionaire and everybody wants to piece.  While trying to navigate that he also gets pulled in to a mystery with an enigmatic lady and doesn't know who he can trust.
I haven't read the book this was based on, but I thought this story was great.  The art looks cool and they actually manage to pull of the whole superhero-before-he's-a-superhero story.  I've read enough of those to know that's not easy. Seems most fall into one of two pits.:  they either lean to hard and everything becomes a "get it? GET IT?!" moment or they go so far in the other director that the characters become unrecognizable.  I'm impressed with the authors ability to lead you along a familiar path while making everything new.  Well done.