I started reading FreakAngels a few months ago, I thought Neil Gaiman mentioned it somewhere (but at this point I can’t find the reference), and if Neil mentions it, I’ve at least got to take a look at it. It’s a good series, it’s from the UK and feels like it. Lots of pages with just artwork, no people and no dialog, and it’s not just that the artwork is great (it is great!) but the pictures tell a story to. It makes me want more, so I’m always left wanting.

The whole series, all five volumes (so far) is on line, they release about six pages a week on Friday (about every 3 or 4 weeks it seems like they skip a week) and you can read the whole series from the beginning on-line. I found it a when I was home sick for a few days in a row and read most of it. Just make sure you read Freak Angels from the beginning, if you just go to the main site http://www.freakangels.com/ you start with this weeks’s story.

It’s the story of a bunch of kids, born at the same time on the same day and they’re “connected” but it’s more of a (present day?) post-apocalyptical society where they are trying to make things better; they have abilities / powers to help, but that’s not the only ways they help (they’ve takes a group of regular people to take care of and defend). It’s more complicated than that, but I don’t want to give anything away (there are a few flashbacks and I don’t want to speak out of order).

Sidebar: Reading this series made me think the UK series Misfits, they’re very different story-lines, but the buildings and the accents made me go back and watch both seasons of that series again (they only do six episodes a season).

But I’ve liked the series and sometimes Friday mornings it’s the first thing that I do, see this week’s episode, I’m pretty bummed when it turns out to be a skip week.

They’re winding the last story down, I’m not sure if there is only a week left or only a week left in this volume (I’m going to guess former). I have so many books, I wish there was a universal way of buying these digitally that would always be forward compatible. I think I’ll buy one of the shirts (I just never wear t-shits very often, but it’s the same ones some of the characters wear) or just see if there is a donate button.

I did order a graphic novel that one of the artists colorists did called “Fish and Chocolate” by Kate Brown, I’m enjoying that story so far; I’m savoring it slowly since it was pretty pricey shipped from the UK and was self-published.

So it’s an interesting story, but it’s post-disaster, it’s not a happy-go-lucky story, but there is a nice moment or two. The characters are interesting, but sometimes I got them confused with each other. Otherwise, it’s one of the better graphic novels I’ve read in a long time.

Wow, I just saw this list today for the first time, and it’s got some amazing tidbits from the past. I was suprised I’ve read most of them, in their original form or in reprints.

Today is the last day to vote, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look at the list.

I voted for number 28 which from the Sandman Preludes and Nocturnes story, where he does a “verbal” battle to retrieve an item from hell.

My second choice was moment 43 from a short story “Luthor is a big, fat jerk” where is offer a country girl $1,000,000 to come be his “assistant” for a year, and gives her 10 minutes, basically just to screw with her mind.

My third was moment 88 where from Season of Mists where Lucifer (after kicking everyone out of Hell) gives the key to Hell (the largest piece of “psychic real estate”) to the Sandman and pretty much says “deal with it”.

And my fourth (and last for this list) moment is 88 (which might also have been a short story) where Lex Luthor refuses to believe Superman is Clark Kent. Maybe not as significant in the DC universe as some others, but when he realizes he missed his chance…

While my two Sandman choices are from the DC universe, it’s not from the popular DC universe. I predict the death of SuperGirl will rank high, as with the death of the Joker and another scene or two from the Dark Knight returns.

Actually, I’ve got another pick, moment 10 when John Constantine (from Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits) giving the finger to the triumvirate that rules Hell because he manages to sell his soul to all three of the demons (to cure his cancer) and knows while they all want him dead, the battle that will ensue since all three want him, they likely won’t do anything to hasten his death…

For the effects I give it a big WOW! THe effects were amazing. Where were these movies when we were kids? We would have gone nuts over them. Now most comic story-lines are so complicated, you could never make a movie out of them.

The story-line was great but they had this constant sub-story line of stupid jokes and their powers bouncing back and forth which was just a waste in my humble opinion. Reed working around the wedding plans trying to save the world was interesting. And it was a lot faster moving than the first movie, IMHO. There was something odd about Jessica Alba, was it just that she was a blonde or was there too much make-up or what?

We lost power just before the end of the movie so a few of us were debating if it was going to end in a few minutes or if it was ‘to be continued’, I was for the latter, I felt that way before going to see the movie.

They had a bit of product placement, mostly by joking about sponsors for the team, which I enjoyed. And over at Population Statistic, Costa noticed that the name of the catering company was Edible Planet.

Being a comic fan when I was a kid I really enjoyed this movie movie even with the above comments. Just remember it’s a movie, not a comic and they take some liberties.Did the girl named Frankie have the last name of Ray? Doesn’t she eventually become a herald of Galactus?

I was very excited when I looked at the Sunday funnies today, Calvin and Hobbes was right there with a big color strip above the fold! It was a pretty generic entry, it had today’s date on it but with a little surfing I found out it’s reruns.

It’s interesting because it’s supposedly out just to get people hyped about the three volume $150 collection that’s coming out in a month (only $94.50 at Amazon). But Bill Watterson has never really been to interested in marketing, according to the Detroit Free Press

There never was an officially licensed Hobbes, nor was there any genuine “Calvin and Hobbes” product other than the strips or the books in which they’re collected.

Now I don’t know how much money the guy has made on C & H but all he has to do is say the word and he could have many millions more (at least I’d guess so). And probably a few more if they let them do a TV show/movies/video…

Have you seen HULK’S DIARY THAT IS ON THE INTERNET? It’s one of the best blogs out there… It’s written as if the Hulk actually writes it. If you’ve ever read Hulk comics as a kid, it’s hysterical.

“Other Hulk” is his reflection, but he doesn’t get it (that’s why he’s Hulk and not the Incredible Brain)…