All New Showcase Episode 292: San Diego Comic-Con 2013

This week, Blake decides it’s high time the Showcase got a new coat of paint, a slightly amended format, and a much snazzier archive page. Welcome to the first episode of the All New Showcase! In this episode, Blake explains the reasons for the change before sitting down with Kenny and Erin to talk about all the news from this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International. Witchblade Vs. the Darkness, the Simpsons meeting the Griffins and the Planet Express crew, Riverdale swaming with zombies, JMS taking on the Twilight Zone, new series for Harley Quinn, the return of Nightcrawler, Avengers 2 gets a title and Man of Steel 2 gets a guest-star! This and much, much more in the first All New Showcase! Contact us with comments, suggestions, or anything else at Showcase@CXPulp.com!

And what’s cool this week? For Kenny, it’s Pacific Rim, for Erin it’s the works of the late Richard Matheson, and for Blake it’s The Argonauts!

Music provided by Music Alley from Mevio.

All New Showcase #292: San Diego 2013

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 230: San Diego and Captain America

Another San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, and this week Blake and Erin get together and talk about the big anouncements from this year’s show: crossovers between Star Trek and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Archie and KISS, the new Fables spin-off, the upcoming relaunch of the Defenders, and much more! They also give their review of Captain America: The First Avenger, do a Rampant Speculation on the upcoming Suicide Squad, and give a few picks. Erin has discovered Tim O’Brien‘s The Things They Carried, and Blake doubles up with Sergio Aragones Funnies #1 and Locke and Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft. Contact us with comments, suggestions, or anything else at Showcase@CXPulp.com!

Music provided by Music Alley from Mevio.

Episode 230: San Diego and Captain America

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 174: Greetings From Pittsburgh

Blake and Erin get on the microphone together for another of their epic visits together. The two of them discuss their adventures seeking out new comic book stores, how Blake was worried about defending the honor of the New Orleans Saints in the midst of Steeler nation, the glory of Bacon Night, and what they thought of the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. In the picks, Erin digs Power Girl: A New Beginning, and Blake was a fan of Young Allies #1. Contact us with comments, suggestions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com!

Music provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network.

Episode 174: Greetings From Pittsburgh
Inside This Episode:

Toy Stories: Nola Comic-Con 2010

You didn’t think I was done with posts about Nola Comic-Con, did you? Aside from meeting pros and fellow fans, the best thing about a comic convention is trying to get your hands on some sweet deals. In my case, that meant some miniature plastic buddies that I’d like to share with you guys now…

To boldly go... into three different time periods at once, evidently...

First up, I got my hands on three separate Star Trek Mini-Mates Series 4 packages, each with a couple of figures from three different time periods in the Star Trek universe. From the left you see a Borg Drone and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Admiral James T. Kirk and “Duty Uniform” Scotty from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Dr. Leonard McCoy and Nurse Christine Chapel circa Star Trek: The Original Series. These guys will look just dandy next to the Star Trek Mini-Mates I’ve already got.

But were those the only Mini-Mates I got? Don’t be ridiculous…

"So, guys, do you think they're gonna bust us?"

This creepy quartet comes courtesy of the Ghostbusters Mini-Mate line, and I believe the four ghosts you see here were all bad guys from the Real Ghostbusters cartoon show. Here we see Chef DeMassi, Alzetor, the Architect and a Black Slime Monster. These guys are just waiting for the boys to come in and bust ’em up.

"Just smile, boys. Nobody knows who we are now, but wait until May 7..."

These three guys, each sold separately, are part of the line for the upcoming Iron Man 2 film. In the center we have arms dealer Justin Hammer, bane of Tony Stark. To his left is a battle-damaged Hammer Drone, to the right a Tactical Assault Drone. Hammer is big on drones, you see.

"Slashie slashie!" "..."

And finally, for me at least, it’s our old pals Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, courtesy of the “Cinema of Fear” toy line. The line also features Leatherface, from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but as I’ve never really been a fan of that series, I passed on his figure. These two figures, in my beloved 3.75-inch scale, look really good, but they do illustrate something toymakers really need to consider. Accessories are awesome, but they have to be practical. Jason’s hands are unsuitable to hold either his axe or machete, and Freddy’s garbage can lid is just pointless.

Also at the con, I got some reading material. The entire run of the Power of the Atom series for a dollar each, several issues of Marvel’s old humor magazine Not Brand Ecch, Essential volumes of Marvel Two-In-One, Nova and X-Men, and a little goodie for Erin that I’m not prepared to show anybody yet, because her birthday is coming up. I did, however, get one thing for her that I am willing to share:

"Hiya, puddin'!"

Erin loves collecting original sketches from comic artists she likes, so she commissioned me to get a sketch for her from Chew artist Rob Guillory. As I didn’t know what character she wanted, I went with her favorite, Harley Quinn.

So the Nola-Comic Con was great. What’s next?

Why FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, of course! It’s the ninth annual Free Comic Book Day, tomorrow, May 1, and the 2 in 1 Showcase crew will be at BSI Comics in Metairie, Louisiana all day. If you’re in southern Louisiana, drop on by to chat with us, meet the rest of BSI’s awesome panel of guests, and get your hands on some free comics. If you’re not in southern Louisiana, then find a store in your own area that’s participating. Don’t know where any local comic shops are? We’ve got you covered. Go to www.freecomicbookday.com and use the free comic shop locator service. Just punch in your ZIP code and the locator will give you a list of participating stores in your area.

And one last plea, friends — the comic books are free to the reader, but not to the retailer. So while you’re out there tomorrow getting your goodies, please, find something to buy, too. It’s the least you can do.

Photos from Nola Comic-Con 2010

I’m in kind of a time crunch today — working on a short story that I’m having some trouble piecing together. So I thought I’d give you guys some pictures to gaze upon. These were taken last weekend at the second annual Nola Comic-Con by myself, Mike “Technodunce” Bellamy, and Mike’s girlfriend Nicole…

Blake, Daniel, and Mike displaying the sort of professionalism the 2 in 1 Showcase podcast is known for.

The Harley and the Ivy.

Cooooo-braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Mike on a Mission

Nicole meets Our Favorite Sithlord.

BSI's Monty draws him some Deadpool.

Bet you never saw THIS come out of the Tardis before...

Best quote of the convention: when I heard this dad telling his kid, "No, you can't hold a lightsaber like that! You'll lose your hand!"

Ready to join... THE FRAY? (Man, I hope someone out there is nerdy enough to get that joke.)

Want to see more? Of course you do. You can view all of the pictures from Nola Comic-Con 2010 at my Flickr Album!

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 159: Viva Las Vegas

Back in Vegas together, Blake and Erin get together for this week’s episode of the Showcase! The happy couple reviews a pair of new movies, including The Wolfman and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, visit a trio of Vegas-area comic shops, and answer your questions about what there is to do in Vegas if you’re a geek like us! In the picks, Erin liked the novel Star Wars: Death Troopers and Blake gives a thumbs-up to Batgirl #7. Contact us with comments, suggestions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com!

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 159: Viva Las Vegas
Inside This Episode:

What I’m Reading: Catwoman #83 & Power of Shazam! #48

All this month, DC Comics is bringing back canceled titles “from the dead” for one-issue Blackest Night tie-ins, and we got two more of them this week.

Catwoman #83: Although Selina Kyle still stars in a monthly book, Gotham City Sirens, she’s the co-star of that title along with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. When I heard that her now-defunct solo series was one of the books that was coming back, I figured we’d get a solo story to go with it. I was surprised, but not unpleasantly.

Writer Tony Bedard brings back the late Black Mask, once the top crime overlord in Gotham City, until he pushed Catwoman one step too far and she put a bullet in his skull. (Catwoman, it should be noted, may be a thief, but she’s no killer. It took an awful lot for her to get to that point.) When he rises from the dead as a Black Lantern, he decides to torture Selina for a while before taking her heart, and how better to do that than make her watch while he tortures her beloved sister? To save Maggie Kyle, Selina, Ivy, and Harley take off to face off against an undead menace.

This was actually a really good issue, although it could have fit in pretty easily as an issue of Gotham City Sirens. The girls are all in character, and Black Mask’s scheme is just sadistic enough to work, if that makes any sense. The book even lays out a plot thread that could easily be picked up by another writer later (or Bedard himself if he does more work with these characters). There are four different artists on this book, and while it is a bit noticeable when the styles shift, it’s not so bad as to ruin the book. And DC gets bonus cool points for getting original series cover artist Adam Hughes back to handle the cover of this one.

Rating: 8/10

The Power of Shazam! #48: I’ve always been a big fan of Captain Marvel and the Marvel family, and when I heard their title was coming back as part of this event, I had two reactions:

1. Woo-hoo!

2. Wait, why isn’t Jerry Ordway doing the book?

Not that I’ve got anything against Eric Wallace and Don Kramer, but Ordway made that book what it was. Not having his involvement in this new issue didn’t feel right, and as it turns out, neither did this issue. It wasn’t a bad story, exactly, but it didn’t really feel like it deserved the title Power of Shazam. Billy and Mary Batson, currently powerless in the DCU, make only a cameo appearance. Instead, the book focuses on Osiris, one of Black Adam’s own “Marvel Family” that was murdered back in 52. Osiris and his murderer, Sobek, have both risen as Black Lanterns, but something about the magic of Shazam seems to maintain the connection between Osiris’s body and his soul. While most of the Black Lanterns are dead bodies being manipulated by rings that have “downloaded” the memories of the host, Osiris seems to be the real thing riding shotgun in his Black Lantern body — and that means he’s going to want to come gunning for Sobek. It’s an interesting conceit, and it helps set this title apart. It’s not just another “heroes face the corpses of their loved ones” story like many of the tie-ins to this series have been. At the same tie, I miss the Marvel Family. I suppose when DC inevitably brings them back, they’re not going to want to do it in a one-shot tie in (that would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it, bringing back Captain Marvel in a one-shot that’s only vaguely related to the event whose title it bears?), but somehow, I just feel this book should have had a different title. I dunno, I’m probably just nit-picking. Never mind me.

Rating: 7/10

Also this week…

Secret Six #17 is part two of the three-part story begun in last week’s Suicide Squad #67. I gave this particular book the full review treatment over at Comixtreme.com, so I won’t duplicate my efforts here. You can click on over there to see my full thoughts about the issue. And while you’re there, hunt around the website. There’s plenty of cool stuff there. Besides my own Everything But Imaginary columns and 2 in 1 Showcase podcasts, CX is the home to some of the best commentary, humor, reviews, and forums on the web. Chat about current comic and pop culture events, argue who would win in a fight between Galactus and Ms. Lion, sign up to join in a Mafia game — there’s a lot of cool stuff over there, and I don’t think I give the site enough props around here.

Toy Stories: A Vinyl Avalanche

It’s been some time since I gave you folks a Toy Stories update here at the ‘Realms. Both before Christmas and for Christmas, I got a lot of new figures to show off here, so I thought I’d get started with all the Disney Vinylmation toys that have come into my possession since then.

July Fourth, St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, and... er... Chinese New Year

The first three figures in this grouping all came from the first “Holiday” set of the toys. Unlike most lines, which now use the word “Holiday” as a catch-all for the December festivities, Vinylmation’s Holiday set actually included toys from events throughout the year. I presented several of them to you, in fact, during the Halloween Party. This foursome includes the figures called American Flag, Leprechaun, and Melty the Snowman. All of these names are unofficial, by the way. For some reason, Disney doesn’t actually name any of the designs, but somehow the collectors manage to find out the names used internally in the design department, and the labels stick. The fourth figure here isn’t from the Holiday set, it’s from second “Urban” series, which is sort of a catch-all for designs that don’t fit anywhere else. This guy, “Chinese Writing” by name, is included with the others mostly because I got him at about the same time, a few months back.

Three stages of Animation... then let's go to outer space?

Two of this group also came from the Urban #2 set. On the far left we have “Paint By Numbers.” It’s hard to tell from the photo, but each segment of Mickey’s body there has a number, and on the back of his head there’s a corresponding color to paint. If you followed the chart, you could have a classic Mickey. Or you could get a blank and paint that as a classic Mickey, leaving PBN undisturbed. In yellow we have “Mickey Cartoon,” a figure that represents the classic opening sequence of the old-school Mickey Mouse cartoons. The other two figures come from Park Series #3, which is dedicated to figures based on attractions in the various Disney theme parks. In brown we have “Animation,” which is a very cool representation of the animating process. I suppose that’s supposed to connect to the Animation tour they used to offer. And on the end is “Mission Spacesuit,” based on the Mission: Space ride.

"We're gonna sit in a box until next Thanksgiving! YAY!"

Not all of the Vinylmation figures are released as part of a set. Several of them have been crafted as standalone collectibles and released at certain events or times, usually in an added collectible — their own tin. When my brother went to Disney World at the beginning of December, he got two each of the above figures and gave them to my sister and I as Christmas presents. And despite the snarkiness of the caption, these are really cool. From left, we’ve got “Holidays Around the World” from Epcot Center (naturally), “Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights” (named after one of the most amazing lighting displays on the Disney property) and “Very Merry Gingerbread” (which isn’t keyed to anything in particular as far as I know, but c’mon… id’n he CUTE?)

Finally, as I’ve mentioned before, you can also buy blank figures to customize yourself. Fans have been incredibly creative with these, posting their own Vinyls online. The VinylNation forum the sibs and I belong to has a gallery of over 100 different designs and growing, which you can view right here. But for Christmas this year, my sister Heather crafted the following three Mickeys as gifts:

Supermouse, on the left, was a Christmas present for me. Heather did a great job with this one, down to the spit-curl on his forehead and the real cloth cape, which is better than most of the “official” action figures you get these days. I love this dude, and some day I want an entire Disney Justice League to stand next to him. Next to Supes is a vinyl version of Harley Quinn, my girlfriend Erin’s favorite comic book character. I commissioned this one from HT, and again, she outdid herself. The little pom-poms superglued on her costume were the best touch. Finally, on the end is her gift for our brother Kerry, an old-school Louisiana State University Tiger. Kerry’s an alumni of LSU’s business school, and a huge fan of the school in general. For me, the little hat makes the figure.

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 106: The Batman Family

With Bruce Wayne MIA (as opposed to RIP), Gotham City is descending into chaos. Soon, the Sons of the Bat will go head-to-head for the right to claim his mantle. Before that happens, though, Blake and Chase break down the Batman Family — the four sons, the assorted daughters, the fathers, the lovers, and the assorted hangers-on. The guys also discuss the eight Batman-family comics recently announced beginning after Battle For the Cowl ends, and they place their bets on who will be wearing each costume. But what are the stakes of their wager? That, friends, is where you come in. Also, in the picks this week, Blake bids farewell to Fables cover artist James Jean, and Chase is all about G.I. Joe #1. Write us with comments, suggestions, picks of the week, “Ask Chase Anything” questions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com!

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 106: The Batman Family
Inside This Episode

PLUS: In your Week in Geek, the boys get together just seconds after the credits roll to discuss LOST episode 5-5: This Place is Death! Then they chat about recent episodes of Heroes and Battlestar Galactica, and talk over some recent announcements from the New York City Con, including Vertigo‘s $1 first issues and Brett Ratner‘s Youngblood: The Movie! (And why is Blake not as disgusted by the idea as you would think?)

Week in Geek #10: Lost, Heroes, Vertigo’s $1 #1s, and Youngblood: The Movie

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 92: March of the Villains

From Suicide Squad to the Secret Six, Thunderbolts and Venom, over the years a lot of super-villains have broken free from their heroic nemesis and starred in series of their own. This week, the Showcase boys talk about some of the villains who have become stars in their own right, why some villain series work better than others, what makes a good villain comic, and which heroes they think could star in a title of their own. In the picks this week, Chase has found the Marvel Comics Guide to New York City and She-Hulk #34, while Blake was pleasantly surprised by the first issue of the Terra miniseries! E-mail us with your comments, “Ask Chase Anything” questions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com!

Episode 92: March of the Villains
Inside This Episode: