Back to Sunnydale

OK so thanksgiving is long gone and the x-mas season is just getting started so that also means that some of the best football is coming up. Now that we are deep into the NFL season and approaching the bowl games in the NCAA, the hitting gets harder and the players take it up a notch. I love this time of year.

I'm going to be bold and make some predictions right now. In the college game, if USC wins on saturday against UCLA they will play on Jan. 8 in the championship game against Ohio State. Even though I hate picking against them, the Bruins aren't strong enough to prevent this but I predict that my beloved Buckeyes will win the title outright.

The NFL is harder to get a lock on but now that Shawn Merriman has served his league imposed 4 game suspension, the Chargers' defense has been solidified and I think they will run the table, win the AFC West crown and bolt all the way into the AFC title game. The Chargers were a terror on offense averaging 38 points a game and became the only team in history to come back from consecutive 17+ point defecits.

Some people think that the Indianapolis Colts will win the AFC title, but given their weak defense against the run, I think that the Chargers are capable of running on them and beating them like they did last season. What about the NFC? Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys are looking awfully good right now. I have to predict San Diego vs. Dallas in the Super Bowl. 

You will have to consult my friends over at the Tribune's prep department for High School football predictions, since my assignment covering HS games ended about two weeks ago, they are in a better position to make the call on those games.

Over at FOX sports, the Simpsons' characters have been making predictions all season long (Homer and Chief Wiggins seem to be the most savvy with the two best records thus far) and this week, have some fun reading Lisa's predictions.

 An older Kitty Pryde from the future fuses with her younger self in the past to prevent an apocalyptic future where Sentinels rule the planet and most of the X-Men and superheroes have been exterminated. Kitty (or Kate as she is referred to in her adult state) has to travel to the future in 2013 to warn the X-Men of their inpending fate and of the Earth's eminent destruction at the hands of the Sentinels while trying to prevent the assasination of senator Robert Kelly which will set off a chain reaction of events which will lead to the incarceration and destruction of all mutants.

It's surprising how John Byrne and Chris Claremont's "Days of Future Past" storyline stands up 26 years later. Its influence in the pop culture landscape is undeniable. In the inagural episode of the T.V. series Heroes, the character of Hiro Nakamura credits Kitty's travelling through time as teaching him about the concepts of time while mistakenly citing the issue number as X-Men #143.

I re-read the issues once more and though I found a few editorial hiccups which should have been caught by Marvel's editors, the story still rings true and feels fresh after all this time. Byrne's visuals of a frightening reality in which the Sentinels have erected concentration camps to incarcerate all surviving mutants and Claremont's brilliant plot with its crisp action panels and a tense but action packed confrontation with the new brotherhood of evil mutants make this an instant classic.

I also found a correlation with Terminator 2: Judgement Day.  Both sci-fi vehicles but with similar plot elements. In the future, John Connor sends a T-800 back in time, just like the X-Men send one of their members back in time to prevent the future. Sarah Connor is kept locked up the same way the mutants are incarcerated. After breaking Sarah out of prison, the Terminator and John set out to change one event which will alter the time line: the destruction of Skynet which is creating a computer system that will take over the planet. The X-Men set out to prevent an assasination which will lead to the Sentinels taking over the planet.

The difference? Terminator 2 was made in 1991, 11 years after the release of X-Men #141. I think that Mr. Cameron is indebted to Claremont and company for providing some undeniable influences to his blockbuster movie franchise. Wether the screenwriter read the comic and the story crept into his subconscious, or wether the movie is a bit of a rip-off of the comic, is anyone's guess. What I do know is that this storyline is a bona fide masterpiece.

In evaluating Civil War #5 in particular and the entire series in general, I had to consider whether I believed it a success or a failure. The answer is a little bit of both, which is frustrating to long time Marvel readers given the fact as much as we might hate the premise, Millars' writing is still compelling enough to want to read the next installment. CW is definitely a commercial success for Marvel but it has been rebuked by some critics and fans.
 The events from this issue pick up from other tie-ins, most notably Amazing Spider-Man #535 in which the ideological rift between Iron Man and Peter  first surfaced. (which some internet critics saw coming from the distance of the proverbial mile.) This comic suffers from the same flaw: bad characterization. Tony Stark continues to act more like a dictatorial goon than the dashing hero we've come to know and respect.
 The Spider-Man being pummeled by the Jester and Jack O'Lantern hardly resembles the webslinger I know and love. He doesn't quip, he doesn't fight back, he just mumbles inanities and takes a beating, though he was allegedly stoned from an exploding gas bomb.
 While reading this scene I was flashing back to ASM #279 in which Jack O'Lantern chides his henchmen for taking a potential battle with the webslinger lightly. "I have battled Spider-Man before, he's no spring weekend" he tells them. This scene serves to illustrate what a formidable impression Spidey once made on his enemies when donning the mask. Now that he's unmasked and being taunted for being puny, it seems that this mystique has been cheapened.
 There is also some puzzling logic to some of the statements in Millars' script. Crime is at an all time low? Given S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are busy aprehending rogue superheroes and non-registrants, one would think that super villains that are not already in the employ of the government like the T-bolts would espouse the "divide and conquer" mentality and strike at the heroes while they are busy battling each other, thereby causing crime to rise.
 There are also inconsistencies between the dialogue in this comic and the story in ASM #535. In the latter, Peter is appalled by Iron Man's callous attitude toward locking up the anti-registration heroes. "This isn't temporary Peter. This isn't interim. This is permanent," says Tony Stark. Yet, in page 4 of Millars' script, Iron man says, "This is only a temporary measure Peter." You would think the writers could get together and be on the same page.
That said, it's refreshing to see Peter finally come to his senses and throw down with Iron Man as he attempts to escape the clutches of S.H.I.E.L.D.
 Evidently the man running around in a ski mask helping the anti-registration side was none other than the vigilante with the skull on his chest. Since the book was delayed, I had forgotten there was a mystery man running around helping the anti-registration side until I re-read the previous issue.
  Here at least, the Punisher seems to have a purpose in the story: He's never been much of a team player, but when the other side enlists the help of killers and criminals, he has to get involved. Besides determining which side Punisher is on and some full page spreads to show the reader the enormity of the containment unit at Riker's Island which lead to the contrapment built by Mr. Fantastic to imprison superheroes in the negative zone, not much else happens in the third part of the book.
 There are inconsistencies and mischaracterizations throughout this book. However, the same pleasures one derives from reading a "What if?" storyline or a story set in an alternate reality make this series enjoyable or somewhat passable because in the end, it feels so far removed from the mainstream Marvel universe we are accostumed to seeing that it might as well be taking place in an alternate reality, or at the very least in the Ultimate universe. The interesting question will be how will the ramifications of the series will affect the Marvel Universe long-term.
 There isn't much more I can say about McNiven's pencils or the artwork in this book that I haven't touched on in past chapters of CW. I have grown accustumed to his style and he draws some of the best facial expressions on the characters this side of Mark Bagley.
 I would be willing to bet that even those readers who have sworn not to see it through are peeking at some of the latest developments because curiousity gets the best of them. Even though Thor's return was nothing more than a red herring, like all good cliffhangers should, the shockers bookending each chapter have kept us coming back for more. It will be left up to Millars' wrap up of the series to see if it was all worth the effort.
 

When people think of Rod Serling, they inevitably think of Twilight Zone, which is understandable. That was one of the greatest shows in the history of television.

For those of us cable or satellite TV challenged, there exists KDOC-TV Channel 56. Their "endless classics" repertoire of tv classics includes Twilight Zone, Charlie's Angels, The A-Team and a lot many more classics from different eras.

Lately, I have become a huge fan of "Night Gallery" which was another anthology program which Serling made in the 70s, after Twilight Zone. Wheras the former focused more on science fiction, the latter's focus was on the macabre, set in a spooky museum full of ghastly paintings. Serling was again the show's host and introduced every episode, but the Night Gallery would be short lived, airing for only three seasons on NBC. However, most of the series episodes are excellent and featuring adaptations of some of the era's best fiction writers, it's easy to see how this though provoking show made for some groundbreaking television. There was nothing like it in the air at the time. Doing some research online, I found this excellent website which details the show's history and offers a superb episode guide.  

One weird thing about the show as it airs in syndication is that it was combined with another (less successful and extremely inferior) series called The Sixth Sense starring Garry Collins as a paranormal researcher Dr. Michael Rhodes. Universal paid Serling to do introductions for this show, but be warned when viewing the series that these are a lot less interesting than the original episodes. Night Gallery airs at 10:30 PM on weeknights, I usually turn off all the lights to get the full effect.

I finally found some free time to make it out to the comic book store. Picked up five books which I found fun and interesting. So without further ado, I present five books you should read this week:

Ultimate Spider-Man #100 (Marvel)

Though issue #101 is out, I finally picked up a copy of this anniversary issue and so should you. Mark Bagley's run as penciler on USM is coming to an end with issue #110, but before he departs we have 10 more issues to sample his highly emotive and distinctive style. The Clone saga continues in this issue as surprises come at all turns and we are given a plausible explanation for the reappearance of both Richard Parker and Gwen Stacy. Oh yea, and Carnage returns.

I love the fact that Bendis does not shy away from  reinventing one of the most hated and controversial arcs in Spiderman continuity to tell a compelling story in the ultimate universe. As a bonus, readers are treated to sketches of unused covers and a 12 page recap of the USM saga which should catch up any reader interested in sampling the next 100 issues. Still, there's a twinge of sadness to Bagley's departure as the team of Bendis & Bagley on this title were something unique. Nothing gold can stay.

Marvel Adventures: Spiderman #21 (Marvel)

 This "all ages" title of the webcrawler's adventures feels more entertaining and true to the spirit of the books I used to love reading when I was a kid/teen than "Amazing" or any of the other core books. Michael O'Hare's artwork is pretty solid and Fred Van Lente uses some of Spidey's most ridiculous D-List adversaries such as Rocker Racer, Stilt-Man and Leap-Frog to weave a tale of chuckle inducing moments.

The tinkerer's involvement, as well as the reason the tech trio get together in the first place are well thought out. There's a rumor floating through cyberspace that following Civil War, Spiderman will once again don his black costume. If this indeed the case, then it makes sense for this title to follow suit (no pun intended) but no symbiotes are needed to tell the story of how the webcrawler slips into his alternate black garb. Highly entertaining and fun to read.

Ms. Marvel #8 (Marvel)

This one is a civil war tie-in, but you don't have to follow that series to enjoy it, although it is  helpful to understand the events of this comic's latest arc. I always liked Carol Danvers in all her incarnations (including her Binary persona on X-Men) and Reed and De La Torre are doing a great job on this title. Ms. Marvel is a heroine which kicks ass and stands up for what she believes in. A certain X-Man from her past makes an appearance next issue.

Justice League of America #3 (DC)

We've hardly had time to catch our breaths following the events of issues 1-2 and the realignment of the J.L.A. with its roster of new members when Meltzer, Benes and Sandra Hope bring us the conclusion to the opening arc focusing on the Red Tornado. I love the way Meltzer and co. are incorporating both the mainstains in the JLA like Superman and Batman while at the same time using lesser known characters such as Deadman and the Tornado. Also in this issue, the Phantom Stranger! I really don't have the time to read a weekly series like 52, so this series allows me to get my fix of classic superhero fare from D.C.

Also recommended:

The Last Christmas #1 (Image)

About what happens to a suicidal Santa Claus in a post-apocalyptic world following a nuclear holocaust. Written by Gerry Duggan & Brian Posehn
and penciled by one of my all time favorites, Rick Remender, this book is absurd but seasonal fun.
Santa and his elves in the North Pole do what they can to continue the traditions of Christmas. This is the kind of unique premise which makes reading comic books a blast and which make you slap your forehead and say to your youself, "Duh, of course! why couldn't I think of that?" Yet, if you want to pick up a copy, you'd better start scouring the back issue racks, fortunatelly I picked up my copy because I think that #2 is already out this week.

My football assignment with the Pasadena Star News/SGV Tribune is coming to an end as we head into the CIF playoffs. The editors have emailed all the contributors saying that some of us will only get to cover a few more games, while others will be invited to come back and work during the upcoming basketball season. Regardless of whether I get invited back or not, it was a great learning experience for me.

Mostly, I learned to write under very strict deadlines of game nights, and I also learned to economize on words to paint a picture, considering most of our stories were only a few inches in length.  There is also something very intoxicating and beautiful about the high school game. Maybe it's the fact that there are no commercial time outs, no commentators spewing off about "Fantasy" players and stats, no conctract disputes or impending player strikes, just simple competition at its purest form.

I'm going to miss driving out to these games, looking forward to each matchup, watching the mascots, bands and boosters do their thing while standing on the sideline listening to the various sounds and comments made by coaches, players and others associated with each game.

The editors have said there may be some openings coming up in December for a chance to make some extra cash for contributors working in the newsroom and I have already signed up for consideration.

 

 I went to see a college production of Tennessee Williams' little known play "Spring Storm" this weekend at Cal State Fullerton and now I have a strong desire to read plays and watch a few more, maybe even write my own. One of my hobbies is reading screenplays and other published works.

I read in the program that Williams wrote this play while in college in Iowa and was not very satisfied with it, even going as far as calling it "a mess."

I remember sitting there and thinking, "If this is supposed to be bad, then I wonder what bad writing really is" because I thought the conflicts, dialogue and themes were superb.

The action takes place in the south, post antebellum era, during the depression and he focuses on a repressive southern culture with antiquated ideas, especially when it came to expectations for young people and sex. Williams called it a study in sex and how four lives are intertwined and affected by the decisions they make. The young actress playing the lead character Heavenly Critchfield was especially good.

Even though I will probably end up writing a screenplay sooner than anything else, I think that I can write a good play given some training. I have even been looking into the drama department over at Cal Poly because I have a strong feeling that is where I will be getting my degree from.

I have already applied for Spring quarter 2007 admission and am waiting to hear back from them, but they have set up an email account for me.  I can be reached at aocarmona@csupomona.edu.

Hopefully I will get in.

 

Warning: Possible spoilers.

The latest episode of ABC'S Lost was full of the dramatic tension, flashbacks, chracter development and cliffhangers the series is known for.

A delirious Mr. Eko wrestles with past demons; some of the castaways go to the Pearl station to find a computer they can use to locate Jack, Kate and Sawyer. Jack does not know who to trust when two of the Others are at odds with each other. Unfortunatelly for fans, next week's episode will be the last new one for a while.

I almost stopped watching this show when I learned that ABC is stretching out the third season's 22 episodes into what amounts to two seasons of real time. This means that even though the fall TV season barely began, we are getting a "fall season" finale next week and then there won't be another new episode until 2/07/07 when the network will air the other 15 eps. That's three whole months in between new episodes!!

To think I used to complain when the UPN network used to air all the Buffy episodes in a row, then we would have 11 weeks of reruns until we found out the resolution to a cliffhanger or got to see a new show. Compared to this, that seemed like a walk in the beach.

Considering this is one of the alphabet network's blue chip shows, I can see why they would refrain from airing new eps during the holidays, most networks do the same thing, but does this scheduling seem a bit screwed up to anyone else??