No Splash Page This Week

For various reasons, no Splash Page this week. However, in next week's edition, Tim and I will discuss Batman #681, which is the conclusion to "Batman RIP" and is sure to have us excited. In the mean time, I may post some more random things over the weekend, because both the roommate and girlfriend are out of town (no, not together) and I'm not sure what to do with myself beyond read comics and then write stupid things about them online.

I will say this, though, I wish Avatar would published more Warren Ellis Bad Signal collections. I have the first two (along with the first "From the Desk of..." collection--I tried to order the second from Avatar directly a couple of years back and things didn't work for various reasons and I've been too lazy to try again since) and am rereading them and... I still say that Ellis's writing on comics is just as good, if not better, than his actual comic work. I particularly love the manner in which he takes the collective online audience to task for not getting the simplicity that was The Filth #1. I want more, dammit.

Joe Casey Comics Update

Taking a break from our good friend Joe Casey as I decide what's next. Still need a few issues to complete his Adventures of Superman run; would prefer to get some "essential" editions and Earth's Mightiest Heroes II before tackling his "Fill in Stan Lee's plotholes" projects; need the final issue of Infantry; need to buy all of his Kiss and GI Joe work; am waiting for that new collected edition of Codeflesh; have a couple of his works back at my parents' house that I need to get (The Milkman Murders and Full Moon Fever); still need to get a few of his OGNs; and, finally, Automatic Kafka still seems too big for me to tackle just yet. Maybe I'll get into it next, though.

So, get used to some quiet time for now. I'll try and do some lengthier non-Casey posts in the coming weeks.

Later

Week Off (Kinda)

Since I finished up Joe Casey's Wildcats stuff, I want to take a week off of regular posting, so no Raymond Chandler or Joe Casey stuff this week. I'll do my comic review posts, but that's it unless the urge strikes me to comment on stuff (which I should do more of). Regular posting resumes next Sunday with a post applying Raymond Chandler's "Twelve Notes on the Mystery Story" to Watchmen and then my look at Joe Casey's The Intimates three days a week.

Later

A Small Break

Alright, because of various things, I will be putting my look at Joe Casey's Wildcats run on hold for a week or two. Just school and personal stuff, no biggie--I'm just not in the right headspace to do a good enough job. My Sunday reviews will still happen, mostly because I can rant and rave like a lunatic without it affecting quality too much.

Later

Half-Power

For the next few weeks (I'm not sure how long), I'll be cutting back on posting to half what I've been doing, only updating the Wildcats posts and the usual Sunday reviews (although maybe not on Sunday). The reason for this is the drive to finish my Master's thesis (a novel called "Infinite Future") by the middle of April so I can defend it on May 1. I really just need to power through as I have a slightly-too-big-at-this-point chunk left to write along with revisions and the requisite essay examining the thesis.

So, yeah, standard Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday posts will continue per usual, but that should be it for the next few weeks... and, if necessary, those posts will stop, too--but I should be good.

Later

Small Note

I'm heading back to London today for a couple of days, so posts my be late or all posted on one day (that day being Friday). I plan on doing the usual posts while out of town, but since I'm not bringing the issues I'm discussing with me (do you travel with copies of Batman: Tenses #2 and Cable #70 usually?), I may decide to wait until I'm back on Friday. But, if that's the case, I'll try and say some other stuff--maybe discuss a few books I buy early instead of on Sunday. Or maybe I'll just discuss the brilliance of Hawksley Workman, whose concert is the reason I'm taking off in the middle of the week. (And if you're not aware of Mr. Workman... oh, how I pity you.)

Later

A little housekeeping...

Since I've finished my postings of old comic creator interviews, I will be expanding my look at Joe Casey's stuff. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I will discuss smaller projects and some of his early work, mostly one-off stories like Wolverine: Black Rio, Heroes Reborn: Masters of Evil and Captain America annual '99. I looked at the sheer amount of Joe Casey comics there are and realised that doing them issue-by-issue three days a week means I'll be doing this forever (I've still got three weeks of Cable). So, my look at Cable will continue on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, as will the Sunday Open, but the MWF slot will feature smaller works that no one cares about at all. I may mix it up with other stuff, too--but for right now, I'll be doing it this way. Fun.