The Ettatorial for the Week of 6-25-08
By Etta | June 29, 2008
A huge week of releases this week, the biggest I’ve had in probably a year. The oddest part-most were Marvel’s books, with the company releasing every Avengers title the same week (this one) and a bunch of other great books. I only purchased two DC books (Trinity-good, but not enough for a pick of the week yet, and Final Crisis-good, but confusing, and lacking the punch the first issue had) and a book that was sold out last week (Anna Mercury-and since that was last week’s book, it’s not eligible for pick of the week). But enough of all that, on to the picks of the week.
The first pick this week is Avengers The Initiative #14. I know it’s a perennial pick here, but the book is just that good, by far the best Avengers release this week. Not only do you get treated here to a grand tour of the Marvel Universe with locales including Hawaii, but you get to see how far reaching the Skrull Secret Invasion reaches in the Initiative itself. The Skrull Hank Pym gets attention here, showing just how he has managed to not only survive being amongst the heroes of the Initiative, but thrive and gain their confidence. Then we’re also treated to seeing some more of the new recruits and recent grads of the program, and just how they’ll be taking their new positions. All and all, a perfect read for the week, and one I highly suggest you pick up.
The second pick this week is Young Avengers Presents #6 (Hawkeye). This is the last issue of the stand alone mini series, focusing as the title shows, the new Hawkeye. Rising star Matt Fraction’s script mixed with veteran Alan Davis’ pencils is perfect, making me wish it was possible to see more from the two. Fraction manages to convincingly write teenagers, something that most writers seem to fall flat at. Hawkeye’s desire to be respected and liked shine through, and her drive to live up to her namesake is spot on. All that, plus I love Fraction’s take on Clint Barton, the original Hawkeye. This was a great one off story, and one I think non Avenger fans could really enjoy, not to mention the devoted fan like myself.
And finally, the last pick this week is Thunderbolts #121. The final issue of Ellis and Deodato’s run, and a dozzy at that. All the T-Bolts are given time here, and it’s nice to see the heroic figures of Songbird and even Penance given consideration even with all the crazy figures like Osborn and Bullseye. Every bit of dialogue just sings, showing just how perfect Ellis was for the title. And accompanying him with some lovely photo realistic art was Deodato Jr. I’m going to miss both of them here, as the title really returned (or even surpassed itself) to greatness.
There you go, your picks for the week. Forgive the brevity of some of the reviews, as I have my wife’s baby shower to consider (can’t be here for that one, can I folks). Hopefully they were still enough to give you a taste of what the picks were like, and enough to encourage you to get them.
Also, excuse the day’s delay, as when I was going to have this up, my internet was down.
There you are folks, we’ll see you back here next week, same time, same channel.
Topics: Comics, The Ettatorial | No Comments »
Tags: avengers the initiative | thunderbolts | young avengers presents.
Project Silence Podcast 25: Podcast Smash
By Jay Alan | June 26, 2008
The Project Silence Podcast reaches the milestone 25th episode with a review of The Incredible Hulk, the death of a comic legend and a spacecraft that will travel to the sun. So join us, for all of this and more.
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RIP George Carlin
By Etta | June 23, 2008
A true comedic legend has passed, as George Carlin passed away Sunday evening, June 22.
A true genius in the world of comedy, with insightful and edgy material that most comedians today are too afraid or ignorant to write, Carlin was a giant in his field. He will be missed.
Read the New York Times remembrance here.
Topics: Comedy, News | 2 Comments »
Tags: george carlin.
The Ettatorial for the Week of 6-18-08
By Etta | June 21, 2008
A medium sized week of releases this week, and while I initially thought I wouldn’t be able to get to them due to the floods last week, fortune smiled on me. So instead of having to do a trade paperback or graphic novel pick, I was able to keep my regular review schedule.
The pick this week is Amazing Spider-Man #563. While it’s taken a while for the series to really start hitting on all cylinders, it seems that lately that has been the case. Now with writer Bob Gale (of Back to the Future fame) and Mike McKone on art for this mini arc, it seems that the trend continues. Regular readers of the Ettatorial will remember that my review of Slott and Martin’s arc from a few weeks back praised their work (still my favorite of memory), and while this one isn’t as great, it’s still hugely entertaining and a perfect “Spidey” story. Gale’s use of humor serves him well here, as the story’s more light-hearted and “fun” qualities really shine a light to Spider-Man’s trademark humor. And while the humor does take center stage here, it’s not heavy handed and instead works in the context of where the story leads. I personally love the scenes in the “Bar with No Name”, and I think that even though they seem mis-characterized from recent Daredevil appearances, the Enforcers were pretty fun as well. I think that Spider-Man works in many situations, and while recently he’s not exactly been known for it, his role as an outlaw and funny quipster are qualities I’ve missed and enjoy seeing again here again. Kudo’s also to Mr. McKone, as his art is always a treat, and something I’ve missed seeing. I enjoy his sense of movement and his layouts, and I really love how his characters are built and move. He seems to be an artist more focused on telling a story than just making the “cool shot”, and I for one appreciate that.
Well, there you go folks, your pick for the week. We’ll see you back here next week, same time, same channel.
Topics: Comics, The Ettatorial | No Comments »
Tags: amazing spider-man.
Iowa Flooding
By Jay Alan | June 19, 2008
This is some footage I took today of remaining flood waters in Palisades Kepler State Park in Eastern Iowa, just outside Cedar Rapids. Waters have receded quite a bit, no longer threatening cities, but even still you can see how bad it was, and continues to be. I went to a rural setting for this footage, as the city’s are still largely congested with no electricity in downtown Cedar Rapids to control traffic lights, hundreds of clean up crews trying to work with spectators just getting in the way. I didn’t want to be another one of those people in the way, so here’s a look at the Iowa countryside.This is just a quick bit of footage I took this morning, thrown together quickly in iMovie. It’s been a while since I’ve done this sort of thing and I wanted to do a quick refresher, as I plan to do more in the future. Also this is my first post to Vimeo, to test the quality of my HD camera. Thanks for viewing.
Topics: Movies, Project Silence Films, Viral Videos | No Comments »
Project Silence Podcast 24: The Flood of 08
By Jay Alan | June 19, 2008
Since ProjectSilence.com is written and the Project Silence Podcast is recorded in Cedar Rapids, Ia, we would be negligent if we didn’t share some of our experiences over the extraordinary events of the past week. But, we also continue with tradition of the Project Silence Podcast, and we certainly hope you enjoy this summer movie centric episode.
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Tags: cedar rapids | flood | hulk | ia | indiana jones | iron man.
The Ettatorial for the Week of 6-11-08
By Etta | June 14, 2008
Well, a decent week of releases this week, made difficult for yours truly to obtain due to the massive flooding taking place in Iowa. As a matter of fact, Cedar Rapids is basically cut in half, with no real way to get across town, and for a city with a population of 150,000, thats pretty bad. At the time I was trying to get my books, the city was in the process of being totally shut down. But I persevered, and managed to brave people fleeing the floods, and got across the city (that is not recommended people-I did it just for you). So enjoy these picks people, because while I managed to brave the floods once, this upcoming week’s books probably won’t be gotten by yours truly, as as of now, the floods have turned a 15 minute drive into a 5 hour drive fraught with peril.
The first pick this week is Secret Invasion: Who Do you Trust. The book is filled with multiple stories from multiple creative teams, all of which are taken in the larger context of a massive crossover. Hearing that, I would have said the book would suck, because books like it always do, with the creative teams phoning it in and the stories not mattering or even belonging in the first place. That is all changed here, as every story here is great, and three of which deserve to get the creative teams books. The stories here follow: Agent Brand, Wonder Man and the Beast, Marvel Boy, Agents of Atlas, and Captain Marvel. The three that really got my attention were the Wonder Man and the Beast, Marvel Boy, and the Agents of Atlas stories. I don’t really want to give away their contents, just know that the stories are great (along with the art), they matter, and that this book is truly worth your money.
The other pick this week is Doktor Sleepless#7. This is a book that was initially billed as a thematic follow-up to Warren Ellis’ Transmetropolitan (a personal favorite of mine). Now while I have enjoyed this book, the series hasn’t had enough for me to recommend it to others. That changes this issue, as a more coherent focus starts to come into view. Now a person can start reading and feel they’re building toward something bigger. And while I love that, the real reason I am recommending the book is the main character’s monologue herein. Hearing another person put into words why the future matters, and yet how it sucks and disappoints as elegantly and beautifully as Ellis does here is reason enough to buy the book. Add to that the mad science and big ideas Ellis excels at (as a futurist researcher, Ellis deserves some real credit) and you’ve got a winner.
Well, there you have it folks, your picks for this week. Barring a miracle, next week’s Ettatorial will probably be a graphic novel choice, as the flooding is actually managing to keep me from my comics for a week. So, we’ll see you here next week, and we’ll see just what your picks will look like.
Topics: Comics, The Ettatorial | 2 Comments »
Tags: cedar rapids iowa | doktor sleepless | midwest floods | secret invasion who do you trust.
Project Silence Podcast 23: Podcast 2001
By Jay Alan | June 12, 2008
Welcome to Episode 23. Better, faster, smarter, funnier and more awesomer than any Podcast you will listen to this year. A revamped and updated setup for the new millennium you are sure to love, a true voyage into the unknowns of internet radio. So sit back, relax, and let Jay & Jason take you on the Podcast ride of your life.
Topics: Project Silence Podcast | 2 Comments »
The 2008 Floods
By Etta | June 11, 2008
Usually, we here at ProjectSilence don’t talk too much about our base of operations. Situated in the heart of Iowa, Cedar Rapids is a fair sized city, with a population of 125,000-that, coupled with surrounding areas that are near enough to be considered part of Cedar Rapids put the population at around 150,000. The University of Iowa is 30 miles away, nestled in Iowa City. The area is a mix of urban, suburban, and farmland. We have the Cedar River that divides Cedar Rapids and flows north to south. Our courthouse is situated on an island in the middle of that river, making it famous for being one of the only two courthouses of it’s kind with Paris, France. All that aside, we are currently being threatened by the worst flooding the mid-west has ever seen, already surpassing the damage of the floods of 1993. Above I’ve posted a few pictures of the Cedar Rapids courthouse being threatened by the flooding, and encourage people with stories or pictures of the events to share them in our comments section. I would like to think that our audience would be interested to learn more, and encourage them to read ABC news article here.
Topics: News | No Comments »
Tags: cedar rapids | evacuation | iowa | midwest floods.
Brick Sandwich
By Jay Alan | June 11, 2008
Don’t try and break bullet proof glass with a rock, this could happen.
Topics: Comedy, Viral Videos, YouTube | No Comments »