Defenders (2005 Limited Series) [COMICS]

Marvel seems to try and bring back the Defenders as a viable property every few years, and every few years it doesn't seem to really go anywhere. In 2005, the Defenders were presented in an intentionally light-hearted & silly light, as comic trio Giffen, DeMatteis, & Maquire were given the reigns for a 5-issue limited series. When I first got into comics in the mid-to-late 1980s, I soon stumbled on that creative team's Justice League International and I was immediately hooked--I found it absolutely hilarious, thought Blue and Gold (Blue Beetle & Booster Gold) and Fire & Ice (Fire and Icemaiden) were great characters, and collected the title diligently for years. Unfortunately, what worked so well with then-third string characters fails pretty badly with some of Marvel's biggest guns with long legacies of being serious characters, like Dr. Strange, Namor, the Hulk, and the Silver Surfer. There's a few good jokes and funny faces in the the 2005 Defenders, but although a text page says everything is in continuity and the characters will be treated with their established personalities intact, the characterization of the main heroes and the main villain (Dormammu) is far removed from any portrayal we've seen before. I'm probably being a bit curmudgeonly, but in a shared universe it's important to try to keep a reasonable amount of consistency with the portrayal of core characters, and that certainly wasn't the case here. That, and the jokes probably just weren't as funny to me as a guy in his thirties as they were when I was thirteen . . .

NFL 2011 Playoffs Round 2 Predictions

Seven games left, and The Wife and I are still tied . . .

Saints @ 49ers

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The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints (I just need to see more of Alex Smith before I put big game faith in him to get it done against what is arguably the best offense in NFL history . . .)

Steve: Saints ("I'd love for SF to prove me wrong but I don't think they will.")

Broncos @ Patriots

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The Wife: Broncos

Me: Broncos (I remember back when the pundits were confident Tebow would play for one or two games before John Fox would sit him for the rest of the season; I remember when the pundits said there was no way Tebow could beat the Jets because Rex Ryan had literally written the book on stopping option offenses; I remember how the pundits said there was no way the Broncos would make it past the Steelers and their stifling defense; so hell, I'm picking Tebow!)

Steve: Patriots ("No way, NO way, I see Denver getting past New England.")

Texans @ Ravens

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The Wife: Ravens

Me: Ravens (Flacco has more experience than Yates, and, exactly contrary to what I said above, I foresee a Ravens/Patriots AFC Championship game that should be a fun one to watch)

Steve: Ravens ("This is the one this week where I went back and forth before deciding on my pick")

Giants @ Packers

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The Wife: Packers

Me: Giants (feelin' an upset comin' on!)

Steve: Packers ("Green Bay's offense is just too much to handle... ")

Doom [Comics]

I'm not one to pass up $ 1.99 trade paperbacks in the bargain bin, and Dr. Doom is one of favorite villains, so . . . Doom! Collecting two three-issue limited series, Doom is overall pretty poor. The first limited series is set on Counter-Earth (a duplicate Earth created/maintained by Franklin Richards) and sees Doom traveling across Mad-Max style wastelands in order to get back to New York where his assistant Lancer is trying to maintain control for him. It's okay, and Lancer is actually fairly interesting. The second limited series is worse by far, as it's a confusing, often nonsensical account of Doom's battles with Franklin Richards over the fate of his (Doom's) mother. I'm a big fan of continuity, but in each case these two limited series have high learning curves that don't seem worth the trouble.

The Buffy Comic Project: "Lost and Found"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 31

Dark Horse (Vol. 1, 1998-2003)

Creators: Tom Fassbender & Jim Pascoe (writers); Cliff Richards (penciller); Joe Pimentel (inker)

Setting: Season Four

T.V. Character Appearances: Buffy, Giles, Joyce, Riley, Willow, Xander, Anya,

Major Original Characters: Rebecca Stansberry (librarian); Cole (Initiative member); Ghost of Homeless Man (unnamed)

Summary: Buffy, bored during summer vacation, asks Giles for advice on suitable hobbies but to no avail. Sometime later, two vampires kill a homeless man and take a gold ring from the corpse. That same night, Giles is approached by a fan after one of his guitar/singing performances at the Espresso Pump. The fan, a librarian named Rebecca Stansberry, hits it off with Giles and the two arrange a date. A week later, Riley and a fellow member of the Initiative named Cole walk down an alleyway and are assailed by a ghost moaning "Give it back . . ." The ghost grasps Riley, and he collapses into a coma. Later, Willow's research uncovers a pattern of ghostly hauntings in that same alleyway. Buffy and Willow travel to the scene and rescue Xander and Anya from a vampire attack. The ghost manifests and gives Buffy some clues, which she combines with information beaten out of a bartender and from another vampire to track down the vampire which stole the homeless man's ring. Buffy slays the vampire easily and returns the ring to the alleyway, where the ghost manifests, takes the ring, and disappears. Meanwhile, Giles date has gone swimmingly, as it has ended in a kiss and a promise for future dates. Rebecca, however, wears a necklace with an insect in amber, an insect-shaped shadow seems to follow Giles, and the next morning a strange humanoid-insect creature is discovered by boys playing baseball.

Review: The A-plot, involving the ghost of the homeless man, is simply pretty dumb; we don't know anything about this guy, what the ring meant to him, why he's manifesting as a ghost to get it back, etc. The subplot, on the other hand, is far more fun, as Giles doesn't get a lot of action in the dating scene and it's fun to see him in romantic situations--even if clues indicate it may not last long. The artwork overall remains quite strong, and the likenesses of the characters are easy to recognize--a big improvement over some early issues of the series.

Notes

* Riley, you poor sap--making the cover and then getting knocked out in two pages.

* In the letters' page, editor Scott Allie promises "an even higher level of connection between the show and the comics, beginning with this story, set immediately after Season Four." I remain skeptical, but willing to wait and see . . .

* Here's Giles, getting his groove back.

Next Issue

NFL 2012 Playoffs Round One Round-Up

The Wife steals a game this week due to Tebow pulling another miracle, and ties things up with me.

Bengals @ Texans

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The Wife: Bengals

Me: Bengals

Steve: Texans

WINNER: Texans (solid if unspectacular QB play by Yates and an awesome Arian Foster makes for a good offense)

Lions @ Saints

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The Wife: Saints

Me: Saints

Steve: Saints

WINNER: Saints (for all the hype, Lions D-Line couldn't get any pressure on Brees)

Falcons @ Giants

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The Wife: Giants

Me: Giants

Steve: Giants

WINNER: Giants (a lot of people made fun before this season for Eli saying he was an "elite" QB, but he's played some of the best football of his career this season . . .)

Steelers @ Broncos

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The Wife: Broncos

Me: Steelers

Steve: Steelers

WINNER: Broncos (gotta admit, that was a damned exciting ending and I was jumping up and down and cheering--and I don't even *like* the Broncos!)

THIS WEEK

The Wife: 3-1

Me: 2-2

Steve: 3-1

CUMULATIVE

The Wife: 156-107

Me: 156-107

Steve: 168-95

Tyrone Drake, An American Star! [RPG]

Tyrone Drake was a character I created to run in occasional one-shots using the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG. Coming off a couple successful "seasons" of running the game in a very serious tone, it was great fun to play a character in an intentionally more light-hearted type of "series." Tyrone Drake is the host of a late-night cable horror movie show, much in the vein of Elvira, though his more direct inspiration was the character played by Roddy McDowall in Fright Night. Presented as an affable, somewhat dim showman with a good heart and little real knowledge of the occult, Tyrone Drake manages to get by with the help of his assistant, the buxom and vapid Delores. After having played him in a couple of adventures, I went on a cruise with The Wife and saw a delightfully earnest and incredibly cheesy performer who fit exactly the persona I'd been trying for with Tyrone Drake. I went on that performer's real-life website and slightly modified the main-page to create the attached advertisement for Tyrone's fictional program, "Midnight Showing". I only run the character once every year or so, but it's always a blast when I do--and word on the street is that The Wife is planning another adventure soon!

EPISODES of "MIDNIGHT SHOWING"

Curse of the Desperate Dame (Pilot): Tyrone Drake investigates a haunted house with the help of Delores and Stanley, a production assistant from his show. One thing leads to another, and Tyrone uncovers an ancient mystery involving ghosts, vampires, and even a vengeance demon!

Swamp Bling: Rival horror movie host Edward Johnston is climbing in popularity, and Tyrone has to scramble to stay on top. Investigating secret tunnels dating back to Prohibition at the old Hiram Walker plant, Tyrone finds himself on the trail of murder, mobsters, and rock-like Midas Demons!

The House on Flaunted Hill: Tyrone is invited to stay at Bingham Mansion along with fellow guest stars Jeffrey Weber and Ilia. Before the party can start, the bodies start dropping, and the guests have to team up to solve the murders. Secret passages, demons, and mystic incantations provide a whirlwind of entertainment!

The Headless Sportsmen of Piccadilly Falls: Tyrone arrives in Piccadilly Falls as the honorary judge of the annual Harvest Queen Pageant. When the contestants begin getting bumped off, it's up to Tyrone and special guest stars Jasper Morgan and Jeffrey Weber to discover the culprit. Headless zombies, hellhounds, and vampires make for a festival no one will soon forget!

House of Slacks Tyrone teams up with special guest star techno-pagan Brandon Gallowsong-Smith to help find a missing girl. When the trail leads to a pants store, Tyrone and Brandon think they have everything in hand--until Drusilla turns up!

Curse of the Mumsy  Special guest star Marcus, a man with many secrets, aids Tyrone in uncovering a poltergeist inhabiting the Prohibition display at the Windsor museum.  With a ghost, a vampire, and perhaps even a mummy, trouble abounds; and that doesn't even include interruptions from Tyrone's mum!

Curse of the Wolf-Van  Tyrone teams up with both Marcus and Brandon Gallowsong-Smith as a terror-fighting trio!  Hired to judge a supernatural-themed "Battle of the Bands", Tyrone and his guest stars come upon a mystery involving murder, werewolves, and maybe even vampires!  It's a plot full of red herrings and misleads, but somehow the heroes stumble to victory.

Nightmare on Helm Street  A psychedelic foray into the innermost recesses of Tyrone's mind!  Joined with Brandon Gallowsong-Smith, Tyrone has to escape a world that exists in only his thoughts, but where failure has very real consequences.  Tyrone and Brandon manage to make their escape in always dramatic fashion, ending with Tyrone's touching line "Brandon, you're no longer my sidekick.  I consider you my partner.  My junior partner."

Polter-Heist  A special two-part episode sees Tyrone and Brandon infiltrating Wolfram & Hart's Toronto headquarters!  On the trail of a stolen mystical book, the heist doesn't go exactly according to plan, but the stars have great success nonetheless.  But a real cliffhanger awaits them:  Delores announces she plans to marry Frankie at Niagara Falls!  Can Tyrone stop the wedding in time?

The Bride of Frank N. Stein  Guest stars galore join Tyrone Drake in Niagara Falls as he tries to find Delores before she celebrates nuptial bliss!  Along with Brandon Gallowsong-Smith, the mysterious vampire hunter Mr. Arbalest, and the bookish Chris, Tyrone's efforts are hindered by the presence of the mysterious Dandy Men and their ability to transform people into dolls for their mysterious mistress!  Tyrone and company reach Delores in time for him to profess his love (of her skills as an assistant) and she rejoins the fold.  But what menace has been awakened by the Dandy Men?

Fish Food  The members of Team Tyrone (Brandon, Arbalest, Chris, and Delores) join their leader on a trip to Lake Okanagan in search of the mysterious Ogopogo monster!  Tyrone's become an ironic darling of the hipster crowd, and his role as judge of a mullet contest can only increase his popularity.  Vampires, fish-men, and the Canadian version of the Loch Ness Monster combine into some water-logged fun.

Tyrone Drake, An American Star!

Appearing Fridays on the WGBS "Midnight Showing"

Type: Investigator

Real Name: Hyram Lipschitz

Life Points: 38

Drama Points: 6

Experience Points: 2

Initiative: +3

Perception: d10+7

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Constitution 2, Intelligence 4, Perception 4, Willpower 4 (-1 to resist emotionality)

Skills: Artist (Actor) 3, Occultism 6, Driving 3, Getting Medieval 5, Influence 2 (+2 to influence or persuade), Notice 3, Doctor 1, Knowledge (Science) 2, Mr. Fix-It 1, Knowledge (Movies) 2

Qualities: Artist: Actor, Attractive, Contacts (National Inquirer), Occult Investigator, Good Library, Hard to Kill (x4), Good Luck (x2)

Drawbacks: Adversary (rival: Edward Johnston), Dependent (Momsy), Unrequited Love (Delores), Obligation (Weekly TV Show), Gullible, Showoff

Combat: Cross +8 d. 2+success; Holy Water +7 d. 5+success, Stake +8 d. 4+success (x2 slash, x5 heart), Pistol Crossbow +8 d. 10+success (x2 slash), Dodge +5 (-2 vs. ranged), Parry +8 (-2 vs. Thrown, -6 vs. arrows)

Fantasy Football 2011 Playoffs Round 2

Me against The Wife in a head-to-head match-up in the final round of the playoffs--couldn't have been any better unless we were vying for the league championship instead of the # 3 spot in the final rankings. Still, it turned out to be a great match-up that came down to the final game of the season with one of my wideouts (Victor Cruz) going head-to-head with one of her wideouts (Hakeem Nicks). Cruz got it done and carried me to a 1 point victory, which is a damned slim margin for a two-week playoff game. I left week 1 with a sizable 97-73 lead, but The Wife came back strong in week two, scoring 114 to my 91. I was lucky to hold on!

The win left me # 3 in the league overall, which is my strongest finish in my three years of fantasy football so far. Good stuff, but somewhat disappointing after a 12-1 regular season finish that left me the # 1 seed and in the driver's seat for the playoffs.

ULTIMATE SUN RUNNERS

WEEK 16 (97 Points)

QB T. Tebow: 12

RB A. Foster: 22

RB D. Sproles: 14

RB/WR T. Smith: 3

WR V. Cruz: 22

WR A. Brown: 3

TE R. Gronkowski: 7

D/ST Texans: 5

K S. Janikowski: 97

WEEK 17 (91 Points)

QB T. Tebow: -1

RB A. Foster: 0

RB D. Sproles: 12

RB/WR K. Bell: 5

WR V. Cruz: 23

WR A. Brown: 9

TE R. Gronkowski: 22

D/ST Texans: 4

K S. Janikowski: 17

I'M WITH BOOMER

WEEK 16 (73 Points)

QB M. Vick: 20

RB P. Thomas: 11

RB D. McCluster: 9

RB/WR S. Holmes: 5

WR H. Nicks: 2

WR V. Jackson: 4

TE J. Graham: 10

D/ST Bears: -3

K D. Akers: 15

WEEK 17 (114 Points)

QB M. Vick: 21

RB P. Thomas: 6

RB D. McCluster: 14

RB/WR S. Holmes: 0

WR H. Nicks: 13

WR V. Jackson: 12

TE J. Graham: 15

D/ST Bears: 19

K D. Akers: 14