So, last night, I downloaded the Watchmen: Justice Is Coming game for the iPhone. It's purported to be an MMO, with customisable characters, etc.

I'm so fucking glad I spent $1.20 on this piece of shit. Seriously. First ten minutes I was playing? It locked up and rebooted to the iPhone's main screen *four times*. Once because my *character's name* was a character too long. As in, "type type type type REBOOT".

Did I mention the shockingly jerky fight animation? Or how after each fight, it goes back to the "loading city" screen.. which takes about two minutes? It's even the exact same scripted pan down the street every fucking time.

"Customisable characters"? Well, you start in jeans, a jacket and sneakers. So far I've found some different coloured jeans and jackets, and a baseball cap. Not QUITE the urban vigilante look I'm after, more of the "guy who totally wandered into the wrong side of town oh god I'm gonna get raped or something" style. (Actually, one jacket looks like Marty McFly's, so there's a slight nod to the 80s, I guess).

There's also about one piece of music in the game, which is looped.

I seriously have had MORE fun playing the Double Dragon style beat-em-up flash game on the movie's official website.

Below the cut

( MONSTER RAGING GEEKERY )

Literally just got in from seeing Iron Man. Nothing like opening night with a theatre full of geeks, applauding and cheering.

( SPOILERS )

A great comic film through and through. 8 out of 10.

Using Lex Luthor as my base point, and from data in the DC Comics Encyclopaedia, I worked out what scale Heroclix figures are.

1:52.

*52*.

*52*

Folks, this is a departure from the norm. I'm not going to include my scans under a cut this time, because some of the scans I have collected are WAY too big to set up here. So by clicking on the face below, I whisk you away to a different time and place, to the world of BRITISH COMICS. Yes, on the other side of the pond, things were quite different.



As a kid growing up in Tasmania in the 80s, I had access to a large collection of British material, brought over by my Welsh grandparents when they emigrated with my mother in the 50s. Old annuals of collected stories were a staple, and many of these things I'd forgotten.. until now. I found the book, "Great British Comics" at my local library, and many memories, buried deep in the mind, were uncovered. I think I know how Alan Moore felt a bit when dredging up characters for LoEG - there's stuff here I would be quite surprised if anyone else on S_D had read before, and I REALLY want to share it

Compare the art styles in the 60s, for instance. Double page spreads, and all *painted*. Instead of singular comics about one character, you'd also get a comic with about 20 short strips in them. It was a very different history, running parallel to that of the US. You'll see men using elephants to stop Nazi subs; Mekons, the good Doctor of Gallifrey, Billy Bunter, Tiger Tim, Robot Archie, and more.

Anyway, I really hope you folks enjoy, as much as I have in scanning these in for you.

(cross posted to scans_daily)

From the wikipedia entry:

Wolverine's intended origin

Co-creator Len Wein originally intended for Logan to be a mutated wolverine cub, evolved to humanoid form by the High Evolutionary.^[10] In X-Men #98, a biological analysis of Wolverine suggests that he is not a full-fledged mutant, and in X-Men #103, Wolverine says he doesn't believe in leprechauns, to which the leprechaun replies, "Maybe leprechauns don't believe in talkin' wolverines, either."^[11] (an oblique reference to the dialog between the Hunter and the talking Unicorn in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass)

In a reprint of Hulk #180-181, titled Incredible Hulk and Wolverine,an interview with Cockrum supports the claim Wolverine was intended tobe a mutated wolverine. Cockrum said he considered having the HighEvolutionary play a vital role in making Wolverine a human. He wantedWolverine to be the age of a young adult, with superhuman strength andagility similar to Spider-Man.This changed when Cockrum saw John Romita Sr. draw a mask-lessWolverine as a hairy 40-year-old. Len Wein originally intended theclaws to be retractable and part of Wolverine's gloves, and both glovesand claws would be made of adamantium.^[12]This idea was later nixed by Claremont because he believed anyone couldthen become Wolverine by wearing the gloves. The claws are firstrevealed to be part of Wolverine's anatomy in X-Men #98. Shortly after this, it was revealed Spider-Woman was a spider evolved to human form by the High Evolutionary. Publisher Stan Lee was disgusted with the interpretation of the character and insisted her origin be changed.^{[citation needed]} Lee's strong reaction and subsequent demand for a retcon convinced Cockrum and Claremont they could never get away with introducing Logan as a mutated wolverine.

Huh. Someone on a chan raised an interesting point on a big battle.

Who WOULD win between Dr. Doom, and Batman?

This is so incredibly awesome.

Your results:
You are Dr. Doom

Dr. Doom 68% Riddler 54% Magneto 53% The Joker 52% Apocalypse 48% Lex Luthor 47% Poison Ivy 44% Green Goblin 36% Dark Phoenix 35% Mystique 32% Mr. Freeze 32% Two-Face 28% Venom 27% Catwoman 26% Juggernaut 20% Kingpin 16%

Blessed with smarts and power but burdened by vanity.

Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz

Avias - it was www.aibq.com for the DC scans.

MOTHERFUCKIN' METAL MEN

I just discovered a major assessment (eg worth 60% of the semester mark) is due in two weeks, instead of four.

FLAGHBLAGHGRAGHSNARGH

In other news, I got the comics I won on eBay. Ambush Bug 1-4, and 5-6 of Son of Ambush Bug.



I'm gonna be scanning the HELL out of these.

Also, just wanted to point out this icon I got via scans_daily. I really need to be reading Nextwave.

Just links to a couple of Transformers scans I've put up.

Beast Wars #3.

Promotional stuff from the Free Comic Book day Transformers book, for "Hearts of Steel" - Transformers Elseworlds, basically.

So, in addition to my teens-grown-up Justice League Beta (that is, Tim Drake/Blackbird, Lagoon Boy/Kraken, Maxine Baker/Animax), I just thought of a new one.

Tim Hunter, as the new Dr. Fate.

Ugh. Way to go, DC.

Apparently, they've killed off another interesting aspect of a character I like.

( Below the cut lurks... SPOILERS )

I really don't know why I'm bothering with comics anymore.

Of corse, the one morning I would get a chance to sleep in... my mother wakes me at 4am because "the fishtank is leaking". No, turns out the filter is just spraying a little to the side, splashing the edge of the tank..

But I DID dream about a Blue Beetle tv show. I turn on, to see the second episode, "The Awakening Pt 2". Of course, I go nuts trying to find out more. Anyway, here's the notes because I just woke up and I'm brain dead.

It was about the new Blue Beetle, the Mexican kid. Only instead of Jaime whatever, it's now "Billy Baxton".

There were four henchmen for the villain, played by Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, etc. They were cowboys.

So, I track down where they're making it - they're having trials for new villains, and for some reason, a lot of the tryouts are dressed as.. well, either Joker, or the Titans member, "Joker's Daughter".

I run into the guy making the show - Joss Whedon. He's really nice, but assumes I'm just trying for a role, and more or less says no thanks.

Then someone tells him, "No, you want to hire this guy..." and out steps my friend LiquidVelcro. Apparently, he's an assistant to Whedon/righthand man sort of position. So now I'm working for Joss Whedon, with LV. Whedon even gets me my own shirt

Then I was running around wardrobe, to find a booth or something I can get changed in

At one point, Bruce Campbell came in, demanding a role.

Awesome, no?

Tee hee.

"I shot magic into their chromosomes until they turned inside out. Evolution is my bitch.

Things that are good:

getting a heap of stuff printed out for an assessment this week

getting some more work done in general

new comics

specifically, stumbling on the second compilation of Animal Man

Things that suck:

about to head to your lunchbreak, finding out instead of an hour, it's now thirty minutes*

and thus having to entirely reorganise your plans

not actually getting any lunch, because it took you twelve minutes just to walk to the one store

not getting the chance to go buy colour laser overhead sheets to print on while at work

finding out online it's $60 for 50 (ouch)

But, hey. Buddy Baker. Expensive, but I've wanted this a long time.

Oh, and I got a new printer (mum bought it), since whatever was wrong with the old one was just stopping us getting anything done (eg scanning for me, printing bank stuff for mum). It refused to work initially, giving me the same sorts of problems. But I tried a different USB cable (which I DID try on the old one - it's the same pair as before), and then it worked. Not actually USED it for anything yet though.


* This DOES mean they end up having to pay me even more, since I'm a casual. For every half hour extra I'm at work, they have to have over more cash.