By Michael Fitzgerald Troy
What should you be reading? The Ladies' Home Journal? (Probably.) You'll just have to settle for my latest commentary on ABC's delicious new "Soap Opera in the skies," Pan Am.
Kennedy is in town and he likes stewardesses; we're going to a party. That could easily sum up the entire episode, but I'd like to look a little closer at the extra smokehouse almonds we were treated to this flight.
The hits just keep on coming with the latest issue of Pariah from creator/writer Aron Warner, writer Phil Gelatt, and artist Brett Weldele. We learn the history of the socially deficient Franklin Hyde and why he needs all the “Vitros” to be gathered together. We learn why he’s so darn odd and what his parents are like. We learn what he wants and what he’s willing to do to get it. We learn all this, but, by the conclusion of the issue, we haven’t learned all we really want to know, which is: when can I get Issue #5?!
Dear Fanboy Comics Readers:
Our friends at Comikaze Expo are at it again, as they continue to impress with an all-star line-up for their November 5th and 6th show at the L.A. Convention Center. (Even Harry Potter himself wants you to attend!)
Comikaze's most recent announcement offers fans the chance to play old school video games like Super Mario Brothers and Mario Kart, with the opportunity to win a Comikaze Expo Grabbag valued at $200!
By Michael Fitzgerald Troy
Huntress is one of those characters that I could go either way on. It seems like many a fanboy are ravenous for the raven-haired, Batman family black sheep. Like Donna Troy and Power Girl (Hey! Where the hell did they land in this messy game of 52 pick up?) I've enjoyed her in the past: Infinity Inc. - yes, I'm dating myself - hey, when I grow up, I want to be an old woman! (Thanks, Michelle Shocked.) And, I also enjoyed Gail Simone's portrayal of Helena Bertinelli over in the pre-52 Nu DC U in Birds of Prey. Hey, now that Valerie Bertinelli has managed to keep off the 50 lbs. of baby fat from 30 years ago due to Jenny Craig, can she be the new Huntress? Flying around Italy in designer outfits by day, pigging out on slimming frozen entrees ,loaded with god-only-knows-what unnatural ingredients by night. Geez! No wonder Batman never cared for "Hunty" that much. Throw in the fact that she has been known to shidazzle Bats' favorite boy toy, Dick Grayson, every now and again, and I'm not surprised she has a big bat symbol on her big, greasy Guidette forehead.
"Understanding is Honoring the Truth Beneath the Surface"
No Obi-Wan again? You're killing me, guys! C-3PO and R2-D2 are in the spotlight this time around, which led to a pretty fun episode.
It was interesting to see The Aleena. The only other time we ever saw them was in The Phantom Menace with the one Aleena crashing his pod racer with what was probably the most hilarious death scream ever captured on film. The Aleena are a strange looking bunch, but you can't help but think how adorable they are in their speaeh and mannerisms. Not too cutesy, but we're bordering on Ewoks, here. That's not a complaint, because they did actually make me laugh quite a few times. Especially at the very beginning with an Aleena flying up next to Commander Wollfe's ship, speaking in hilarious jibberish, and Wollfe stating, "Great. It's gonna be one of THOSE planets." I was cracking up.
One of the disadvantages of writing about video games is that, in general, most sales happen in the first week. Further compounding that is the huge number of sales that happen on the first day. So, in order for a video game review to be relevant, it has to feature games that haven’t come out yet, or games that weren’t too popular and might have been missed by a large potential audience. This is just one of the odd and slightly broken things about this hobby of mine.
Just to complicate things more for our dear reviewers, only the largest publications get early access to video games. As a writer about video games for a smaller website (I love you guys!), my MO is usually to focus on those smaller games. I thought I’d try something new this week.
By Michael Fitzgerald Troy
I want to go where the people dance. I want some Action. I want to live. Action, I got so much to give. I want to give. I want to give it. I want to get some, too.
Alicia Bridges, I love the nightlife.
Forgive my flaming opening, but when in doubt, disco. The Superman "S" is one of the most recognizable symbols on the planet (if not the universe, if my superstitions are correct.). I don't think there is a male alive that didn't make a makeshift cape of some sort to emulate the man of steel. So what if mine looked more like Mr. Furley's ascot? Who hasn't slept to dream, per chance to fly? There is nothing more exhilarating than dreaming you can fly and nothing more disappointing than waking up and realizing you can't. When I was little, my uncle Mike, whom I was NOT named after... that honor goes to Michael Corleone from The Godfather, capice? Like many wide-eyed little boys, I did believe a man could fly. Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman. I was heartbroken when he passed. Obviously, Margot Kidder is my Lois Lance, hence my YouTube tribute to her, A Minute with Margot. Superman speaks to the child in all of us that still believes anything is possible. Superman is a symbol, a reminder that anything IS possible.
With an awesome episode title like "Shadow Warrior" and having seen a clip ahead of time with Anakin and Dooku going head to head, I can honestly say the last thing I was expecting was more Gungans! I was kinda hoping that, after dedicating several episodes to Gungans already, the writers got them out of their system already. Apparently not. But, it did (kind of) answer a question I had in the previous episodes. Where the hell is Boss Nass?? We have a new Boss by the name of Boss Lyonie. Maybe Nass is on holiday, or getting the liposuction he so desperately needs. Why does Boss Nass looks nothing like the other Gungans? He doesn’t even look like an overweight Gungan either, more like a toad. But, I digress. I could go on about Nass for hours. Lyonie is obviously in these episodes, so that he can bring in the comedic stylings of Jar Jar Binks in a sort of Prince and the Pauper meets Intergalactic Civil War.
By Michael Fitzgerald Troy
Certain people felt the 1st week of Pan Am lacked substance. I, for one, saw this as a bonus and knew full well that the characters would draw us in more as the weeks progressed. Week 2 did that with a vengeance.
This week's Pan Am gave us a smorgasbord board of juicy intrigue and satisfaction, voyeuristically peering into the lives of the scandalous sixties' stewardesses with hearts of gold.
By Michael Fitzgerald Troy
Okay, I can admit I may be a bit partial (let's leave the unbiased journalism to the likes of televangelist Nancy Grace). Aside from being a screaming queen- I have a special, vested interest in Charlie's Angels, and I shall reveal such interests here for the first time. And, it goes something like this: