Bryant Dillon (330)
Favorite TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Buffy writing staff has been trying to cure Spike of his Buffy-love and let him stand on his own for some time now. Angel Season 5 moved the bar a bit. Brian Lynch’s time with the platinum blonde vamp in comic form also proved to help him step out of the shadows and into a leading man role. Still, despite these advancements, Spike’s slayer-shaped heartache is still around. Well, blondie bear is back at it again, with writer Victor Gischler taking the vamp with a soul - version 2.0 on a cosmic quest to tackle his demons.
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Satanic Hell #2 continues the story of a death metal band cutting their way through their own personal Hell: an uber-exaggerated, super right-wing and ultra-religious Texas! While writer Grigoris Douros has some really interesting and creative elements in his story, certain elements of the premise doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny. Satanic Hell operates best when it’s viewed as the sequential art equivalent of an inspired, yet rough, cut of a B-movie - just hold on for the ride and don’t ask too many questions.
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In my experience, there’s a strange phenomenon surrounding official movie novelizations. If they’re well written, they can actually exceed the quality of the film itself. (Don’t believe me? Check out the official movie novelizations of the Star Wars prequels!) This usually has to do with the talent of the writer and their ability to enhance characters and a story that comes attached to numerous limitations. Novelist Greg Cox may be slightly hampered by some of the unrepairable plot holes in his official adaption of The Dark Knight Rises, he but still manages to enhance the plot of Nolan’s final Batman chapter to a level that is sure to thrill and satisfy fans of the recently released film.
With the The Dark Knight Rises now in theaters, Batman is, once again, nearly unescapable, whether via television promos, billboards, or movie tie-ins. Obviously, this also means that the brooding Christian Bale, this generation's Bruce Wayne, is just as present and may have many geeks out there wondering what it takes to portray Wayne, what Bale is like in person, and how he rose to the level where he was chosen to play one of the most iconic and recognized superheroes of all time. If you find yourself wondering about the Bale behind the Batman, I suggest you check out BenBella Books’ Christian Bale: The Inside Story of the Darkest Batman by Harrison Cheung and Nicola Pittam, which tells the story of Cheung’s exciting and disturbing adventure during the years he spent as Bale’s publicist, marketer, and personal assistant. While Cheung’s account may leave Bale fans (the proper term is “Baleheads” - thanks, Harrison!) unsure how they feel about their beloved movie star, I can assure you that this book will shock you, make you laugh out loud, and forever change the way you view Hollywood, celebrities, and Mr. Bale himself.
In the following audio blog, Fanboy Comics staffers Bryant Dillon, Sam Rhodes, and Ben Rhodes proceed through one of Comic-Con 2012’s most thrilling attractions, The Walking Dead Escape! Held inside Petco Park and based on the uber-popular comic book series and television show, The Walking Dead Escape is an event like no other at the convention where participants enter a ball park infested with zombies and have to run, climb, crawl, hide, and slide their way to safety. Participants also had the option to experience the event as a “zombie” volunteer, but team FBC decided to take on the “survivor” option and make a run for it through the walker-infested stadium. You’ll have to listen to hear the final outcome, but we will let you know that you don’t go through events like this without a few unfortunate “casualties.”
Satanic Hell from Zeno Telos Press may not be the best book for the Texan in your life, but for those that feel that a trip to the Lone Star state is the equivalent of entering an alien society, Satanic Hell is sure to confirm all of your worst fears. Building on a love for industrial metal, writer Grigoris Douros delivers a story about metal bands, persecution, and the horrors of religion and privatization!
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In the following audio commentary, Fanboy Comics staffers Bryant Dillon, Sam Rhodes, and Barbra Dillon and FBC Contributor Tony Caballero discuss their impressions of L.A. Theatre Works and National Theatre Live’s screening of playwright Nick Dear's adaptation of Frankenstein, directed by Danny Boyle and co-starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller!
MINOR SPOILERS
Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter from Viper Comics is a quirky, bloody tale of a boy and the voice in his head. The complex, labyrinthine script written by Russell Nohelty works well with the dark, yet cartoony, art of Renzo Podestá and is sure to be a worthwhile read for any self-admitted comic book sniffer!
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The comic book event of the summer is nigh! Before Watchmen, the much-anticipated prequel series to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen, will consist of seven limited series and an epilogue one-shot. Stay tuned, as the Fanboy Comics crew will be reviewing each title as it is released. Hurm.
While there are many good reasons for a comic book sniffer to be skeptical regarding DC’s Before Watchmen event and how it will contradict and cannibalize the parent text, most can still agree that there are two characters that should still have adventures to share in sequential art form: Rorschach and The Comedian. This week, The Comedian #1, written by Brian Azzarello and featuring art by J.G. Jones, hit comic stands with a bang and shattered the expectations of this eagerly awaiting fanboy like a lone gunman’s lucky shot.
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Writers Andrew Chambliss and Scott Allie wrap up the latest story arc, “Apart (of me),” and Buffy’s time as a one-armed robot in Issue #10 of Buffy: Season 9. While the issue features a couple of great scenes and the arc wraps up leaving us wondering what’s to come next, the end of this chapter of Season 9 seems to lack the “omph!” that is desperately desired.
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