Babylon 5 - series 5 and other bits

Babylon 5

Each evening for the last week or so I've managed to watch an episode from season 5 of Babylon 5. I think this is only the second time that I've watched these, the first being when they were first broadcast back on Channel 4. The motivation to watch them was brought on by the imminent UK release of a new B5 dvd. It's on my Amazon wish list already!

Needless to say, I'm really enjoying them. I'm still not particularly fond of Byron. Perhaps it's the actor, but he sure doesn't appear to be a charismatic leader for the telepaths. So it's a pity as the conflict with Psi-Corps and the resolution of the telepaths story involves Byron a great deal. Minor quibbles aside, it's still a great series. The quality shines through on each episode.

I'm on episode 10 out of 22 so should finish the series within the next fortnight.

The Da Vinci Code

The one evening when I didn't watch B5 I watched the movie of the Da Vinci Code. The book was great - the film wasn't. Enough said.

New Comics in August

My latest trip to Forbidden Planet resulted in the following comic purchases:

Powers Vol. 2 25
Hulk 108
Hulk 109
Wolverine (2003) 54
Wolverine:Origins 16
World War Hulk 3
Amazing Spider-man 542
Mighty Avengers 4
New Avengers:Illuminati (2006) 4
She-Hulk 20
Fantastic Four 548
New Avengers 33
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man 23
Captain America (2005) 29
Highwaymen 3
Batman And Robin 6
Grendel: Behold The Devil 0

Lots to read, after I've read some of the Annihiltion cross-over that I've just borrowed.

Holiday Fun

I've just spent a week on leave which has been spent gaming with friends and family plus we did lots of other stuff.

Most of our time was spent playing Castles and Crusades - a basic version of Dungeons and Dragons.

My character sheet>

During our adventures in Freeport we managed to save a kidnapped librarian and unearth an ancient evil plotting to take over the world. Exciting stuff.

We had lots of laughs and hope to continue with our characters as soon as we can.

We also got time to watch "Superman Returns". Pretty good. I especially liked the beginning and Kevin Spacy as Lex Luthor.

In between I read Runaways Vol 3 which was the final 12 issues by Brian K. Vaughen and Adrian Alphona. This was excellent (as was the previous two volumes). It's a shame that I'll have to wait some time now before the next volume is released containing the Joss Whedon issues.

It was certainly a good week off.

King Kong

I made time to watch the "regular" version of King Kong a couple of days ago. All 3 hours of it.

Really, it was too long. The middle section on Skull Island was great but the film took too long getting there and amazingly, when they got back to New York, you didn't get to see the reaction of all the people Jack Black's character had pissed off. I would have like to see that.

Great special effects and there were some trademark sweeping panoramic shots by Jackson. I half expected the camera to land in Isengard!

Rating 7/10. Mainly for the Skull Island bit.

Eisner Award Winning Ed Brubaker trades

In a timely coincidence, just as Ed Brubaker was picking Eisner Awards for his work on "Criminal", "Captain America" and "Daredevil" I was reading some trade paperbacks of his work.

Daredevil "The Devil, Inside and Out" was brilliant. I think I probably preferred Volume 1 where Matt is in prison to Vol 2 where he's in Europe looking for Foggy's killers but it was all good really.

I was surprised in Vol 2 that things were cleared up at the end. It felt quite quick considering it took years of stories to get Matt into that position. The ending was good, the person responsible acceptable - but it just felt a little quick.

The Captain America trade of the "Civil War" crossover comics was a mixed bunch. Cap was hardly in them, but Brubakers developed a large enough supporting cast that you don't really notice. I know that someday when I go back and re-read the whole story it will all make sense but at the moment the tension is mounting. We now know of course that the Red Skull will arrange for Cap to be assassinated but at the time these were originally published we weren't to know.

Brubaker is certainly a worthy winner of the Eisner Award for best writer.

What to do with those old vinyl LPs

Besides having a top HD telly - our friends that we stayed with also had a nice bit of hardware which was basically a record player linked to the PC via a USB.

Using this kit and appropriate software it's possible to convert old vinyl to audio CDs.

I'd brought along a few albums to try out. I choose a few which I'd been struggling to get on CD. The software was a little tricky to use and I probably needed longer to get things perfect to take out various bits of noise and make sure the gaps in between songs were short etc.

After recording the album (in real time - how frustrating!) I learnt how to separate each track and label it after doing a bit of editing. I then exported the files to the hard disc before using Roxio to create a music CD.

I then had to rip the CD back onto the hard disc for Windows Media Player to work as it didn't recognise the exported files. It was a bit of a lengthy process but ultimately worthwhile. The sound quality is good too.

I've only completed one CD so far, "The Pack" by Alaska but I've got the exported files for "Land of the Gun" by Legs Diamond and "Blue Murder" by Blue Murder. All obscure albums which Amazon and like don't sell.

Speaking of which, my latest CD purchase arrived on Friday "Humanity Hour 1" by the Scorpions. I've listened to it a couple of times now and its quite good. I suspect it will grow on me as well.

Terminator in 5.1 surround sound

We stayed at Friends over the weekend and whilst the girls were out the boys watched the first Terminator movie.

Although I've watched the film a few times before, what made this slightly different was that it was on a large HD television with 5.1 surround sound. Very snazzy!

I think it will a few years yet before I get a HD telly - but I'm looking forward to it!

More July Comic Reviews

New Avengers #32 by Bendis and Yu. Bit of a bizarre issue this one. Following on from the revelation last issue that the Elektra leading The Hand was a skrull - the New Avengers head back to the US and contemplate this news.

Nobody trusts each other and they can't agree with what to do with the body.

The dialogue was alright but I'm really not enjoying the art. It might suit a gritty book like DD but it's really not the right style for a big team book in my opinion. This pulls down the quality of the book by some degree.

Rating 5/10

This comic on the other hand was a refreshing change and an enjoyable read. It was like going back in time and reading those Justice League International specials from the 1980's. Good witty dialogue by both Dan Slott and Fabian Nicieza. I think it would have been even funnier if I'd been more familiar with the characters especially Deadpool.

Still a good recommendation from the "Buy Pile" column on CBR.

Rating 8/10


This was another recommendation from the Buy Pile. The Highwaymen is written by Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman with art by Lee Garbett.

I picked-up both issues 1 and 2 and it's certainly a frenetic read with some witty and sharp dialogue. The plots not tremendously original but I'll keep with it for a while longer. Hopefully, it will go in some new and original directions!

Rating 7.5/10

The final comic is Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-man # 22 by Peter David and Todd Nauck.

Although packaged between a pretty boring cover the story had some nice ideas but the best was left to the end. Pete is going to have it out with JJJ. I can't wait.

I've a sneaking feeling that Peter David has been looking forward to writing it too. I hope he doesn't disappoint.

Rating 7.5/10

New Comics Reviews

I've been having a real go at getting up-to-date with all my new comics and graphic novels that I've got over the last few months. There is a lot to get through (which is nice).

Comics first anyway.

Captain America #28 by Brubaker and Epting is made up of several different sections each revealing what each of the large cast is getting up to. You can tell it's all building upto something but maybe the pacing isn't quite right for a monthly book - I think it would read extremely well in the trade when it comes out. Still enjoyable.

Good art and cover by Steve Epting

Rating 7.5/10

I didn't get a great out of Captain America ;Fallen son #5 Iron Man by Jeph Loeb and John Cassaday except the sensational splash pages which demonstrate how good an artist John Cassaday is. The story was very lame really.


Rating 5/10 for the story and 8/10 for the art.


John Romita Jnr's art was amazing as well in World War Hulk #2. It was basically one big fight as first She-Hulk, then various members of the Fantastic Four try to bring down the Hulk. No chance!

So what hope does Thunderbolt Ross have? By the way, I thought he was dead!?

Rating 7/10

Avengers: The Initiative #4 by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli has a loose connection to WWH as the trainees are sent to New York to help evacuate and keep order.

It wasn't a great issue as I think it was let down by some sloppy art. There are lots of sub-plots and some of the dialogue is good but I was certainly distracted by the art.

Rating 6/10

I thought this annual was great. Lovely art by Kaare Andrews and an interesting story. Woverine's background is starting to make more sense to me. For instance, I hadn't realised when originally reading his first solo title that the stories were set in the past - around WW I time! Things are becoming clearer now.

A good read. Rating 8/10