MILD SPOILERS AHEAD

The truth of the matter is that comic publishing today at the big two companies is lousy with large event crossovers.  These events are over-promoted and over-hyped while more often than not turn out in a wholly unsatisfying manner.  Recent examples include Marvel's Civil War and World War Hulk.  Both started strong, but finished with a "meh."

DC Comics got it right with their 11-part Sinestro Corps War (SCW) in the Green Lantern books.

It started strong, improved throughout the run, and finished HUGE.  There have been few instances in the last few year where I have been so entertained, so jazzed, so impressed by a comic book story arc.  Green Lantern #25 is an explosive "super-sized finale" to the war story expertly spun by Geoff Johns.

The Sinestro Corps is the evil opposite to the Green Lantern Corps.  Led by Sinestro, a former Green Lantern of note, the Sinestro Corps is comprised of many bad guys including Hank Henshaw (The Cyborg Superman from Reign of the Supermen who destroyed Coast City) and my favorite villain from Infinite Crisis, Superman Prime.  

Whereas the Green Lantern Corps utilizes willpower to anchor their power rings, the Sinestro Corps utilizes fear.  In fact, the ability to "instill great fear" is the requisite to join the SC.  Bunch of terrible bastards those guys  wearing the yellow.

Unlike some of the other big events in comics this year, the SCW truly was a must read.  I hadn't been picking up the current run of Green Lantern, yet the hype succeeded in grabbing my attention and here I am picking up all three GL books now:  Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and - if it goes to regular series - Ion.  If every "event story" could be this good, you'd never hear me complain about them ever again.

GL #25 is chock full of amazing splash pages. 

One thing I don't fully understand about Superman Prime (seen above handing Supes his ass) is why he is so much more powerful than Superman.  Is it that SP is a nut-job and our Kal-El restrains himself too much?  There really is somethin' cool about a Superman who cuts loose, y'know, and tears people's arms off.  Man, if our Superman would do that from time-to-time, I bet he'd have less trouble from that bald nuissance Lex Luthor.

One terrific moment in the book is when the citizens of the rebuilt Coast City decline evacuation and stand with their Green Lantern as he faces down Sinestro himself.  In a show of solidarity, the entire town flashes green flash lights into the sky.  Having been around for the murder of Coast City's seven million residents in the 90's, the city's support of Hal Jordan moved me.

Green Lantern #25 ends the Sinestro Corp War for now, but like the first World War the SCW is really a precursor to the next, much larger conflict.  It ain't over yet.

A beat that World War Hulk and Civil War really missed is the aftermath of the conflict.  Civil War just came to a crashing end and really, who gave a crap by the time WWH ended?

In the pages of Green Lantern #25, we are provided with a wonderful two pages of postwar life in Coast City with Hal's family.

This book sets up a lot of stuff for the next two years in the DC Universe.  Unlike Marvel whose books are important only because they say-so, GL #25 is a must-read because it is truly meaningful to current and future events the DCU. 

The aftermath of the war continues in Green Lantern Corps #19 in which our heroes get some time to chillax.  This is my favorite kind of comic book, the ones where there's not a lot of fighting.  The heroes just get a chance to be.  I like those little moments of mundanity.

We also are provided with the origin story of the newest member of the Sinestro Corps.  I can't wait to see this guy bustin' up the 'verse with his new powers...

One last thing, we now know via the pages of the Sinestro Corps War that the zombie apocalypse is coming in 2009, and these zombies are wearing jewelry!

Great stories were told this year in the pages of the Green Lantern books.  I can't wait for the rest of these tales to be told.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 9:28 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 24 December 2007 1:19 PM CST

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Of Gods and Men is possibly the most ambitious of the independent Star Trek productions to date. It has been in the making for 2 years and has a number of Trek veterans both in front of and behind the camera. Designed as a 3 part mini-series, OGaM aspires to tell an epic tale in the Trek universe that both ties up some future history arcs while trying to play social commentary on our times.

For a project with so much talent involved, I was a bit disappointed at how poorly it is directed and edited.  There's not much dynamic energy, the transitions from scene-to-scene suck the life out of it.

Still, it is enjoyable and a lot of fun to see all those folks together again. 

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 9:15 AM CST

Updated: Sunday, 23 December 2007 9:16 AM CST

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I was going through some old picture files today and found lots of Xmas images.  I thought I'd share... 

Going through these pics I realized how many of those imaged are no longer with us.  Above is Taylor.  Part Sheltie, part cocker spaniel, she was my 21st birthday gift.  She died two years ago.

Those Wise Men you see under the tree behind Taylor were handmade by my Grandmother. 

Posted by Aron Head at 12:00 AM CST

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Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
 

Posted by Aron Head at 3:21 PM CST

Updated: Saturday, 22 December 2007 3:24 PM CST

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New pics of the dogs have been uploaded to my Flickr account. 

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 8:46 AM CST

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It is official.  I will be attending Fear the Con in beautiful, scenic St Charles, Mo on March 8, 2008 where I will be playing in a couple of wonderful games and even running my own.

Fear the Con is coordinated by the boys from Fear The Boot, simply the best RPG podcast around.

I'll be arriving on Friday night so that I can participate in World Wide Wing Night, then on Saturday I will be GMing an All Flesh Must Be Eaten game at the con.  I've never run a game at a convention before.  This should be fun. 

I'll be covering the pre-con announcements here on the blog and will be blogging from St Charles during the event.  So bookmark the 'Bastard for updates!

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 11:13 PM CST

Updated: Friday, 21 December 2007 11:33 PM CST

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This week it was revealed to the world that in keeping with the Christmas tradition, a young, unwed girl was knocked up by someone much older.  Rather than the Lord of Hosts though, Jamie Lynn Spears bumped uglies with 19 year-old boyfriend Casey Aldridge.  Spears, star of Nickelodeon's Zoey 101, is 16.

Really, I could care less about this situation - but I do keep hearing the Spears girl quoted and her quote irritates the hell out of me.

Offering advice on pre-marital sex, Spears says:

"I definitely don't think it's something you should do; it's better to wait."

You know, for once I'd like a person in this situation to be honest and say something like:

"Sex totally rocks!  We just completely go to town all hot and sweaty.  I like to be tied up!  And spanked!  And wow, a little attention to my backside goes a long way.  Really, ain't nothin' like gettin' your nut! 

"...Probably should use a condo condom, though."

There's a reason why teens have sex.  It feels good.  Many parents may have forgotten this.

I wish we could all be honest about that. 

Hey, Jamie Lynn, you might be interested putting your newly discovered happy place to use in some social activism.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net

Posted by Aron Head at 8:29 AM CST

Updated: Friday, 21 December 2007 9:05 AM CST

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I was a busy boy on Thursday.

I started the day off by heading over to the Honda dealership to get my car its regular service.  It'd been about three months since the last time I was at the dealership and in that time they have remodeled the customer waiting area to look a lot like a Starbucks complete with full service coffee bar and pastries and what all.  

They also had massage chairs.  Y'know the ones that work your shoulders, upper and lower back as well as your legs?  I've never been so satisfied by a chair before!  The gentleman watching Good Morning America several paces away seemed rather put off by my frequent exclaimations of "Yes!" and one particularly throaty "Oh God!"

I probably should have wiped the chair down once it was finished with me.

Each wall in the customer waiting area was kitted out with a flat screen television.  How odd and futuristic the room would have appeared to us thirty years ago.  I pondered this listening to Xmas music on my iPod and taking the occasional call on my flip-open cell phone.  Like something out of Star Trek, man.

I drive a 12 year old Honda Accord and have absolutely no desire to replace ity.  She's reliable as all get out, comfortable, and hauls ass.  Today, I asked the hard question of our service manager.  How much longer does she have?

"You're religious about service," He said.  "Car's running great.  I don't see any reason why you can't get another 100k or more out of her."

He then went on to tell me that they have a customer whose Honda has 600,000 miles and is still running like a champ.  Exactly what I wanted to hear!  Me happy.

They pulled the car up into the car port after the service was complete. 

Now, I'm one of those guys who believes that before shifting your vehicle into drive, you should take care of the essentials such as seat belt, mirror placement, and music setting rather than doing it in motion.  The car had been serviced and cleaned, so there were some things I needed to put right before driving off.  I hadn't been in my car more than two minutes when the woman in the van behind me honks.

Stunned, I looked into the rear view mirror.  She couldn't have been honking at me...

She did it again.  This time she added a gesture of exasperation.

And I stepped out of my car.

Crossing to the van, I called out to her: "I'M SORRY.  WERE YOU TRYING TO COMMUNICATE SOMETHING?  DID YOU WANT ME TO HURRY?  HOW'D THAT WORK FOR YOU?!?"

The service manager stared on in horror.

As did the woman.

Now, it wasn't my intention to frighten her and mindful of that, I never got closer to her than her front bumper.  I just wanted her to understand how ridiculous she was.  And perhaps in the process let her know how ridiculous I am.

I returned to my own ride and finished getting my crap together and drove on.  I observed that she waited awhile before following me out.

Unlike my last road rage incident, I didn't leave with a cracked windshield.  Remind me to tell you about that some time. 

On another note, I think I may have finished my Christmas shopping.  I just need to do a quick inventory before I call it done. 

I have definitely made my last visit to the post office this holiday season.  All my packages are mailed and the cards went out this evening.  I didn't even have any weird meetings with people whose names I don't know because I've never met them. 

As I write this I am listening to "Impressions of the Season" by the Raleigh Ringers (I'm also drinking a pumpkin ale). Just downloaded it from iTunes for Suzanne (the music, not the ale).  They're a professional hanbell choir with mad skills.   They have a special on PBS called The Raleigh Ringers: One Winter Evening at Meymandi.  TIVO's grabbing it for us on Sunday morning, December 23rd.  Check your local listings!

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 12:01 AM CST

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