The Splash Page 40: Batman #681

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss Batman #681, the final part of "Batman R.I.P." How do the two of us, both huge proponents of the book react to the culmination of two years? Do we laugh? Do we cry? Do we swear and go insane? WHO KNOWS! Well, I know and you can know too by reading the column!

All that plus the not-so-secret-origin of how Tim and I met in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 39: Young Liars #9

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss Young Liars #9. During the course of the discussion, Tim puts forth a theory that I immediately jump on as brilliant and then get annoyed with myself for not seeing it sooner. That's always fun.

That, plus us just talking about one of the best books on the shelves right now in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 38: Justice Society of America #20

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss Justice Society of America #20. And porn. We totally discuss porn. Okay, it's "continuity porn," but that's still porn, right? What I don't understand is: how come porn is good (well, to some), while continuity porn isn't (well, to some)? Is it that naked women are much, much better than Silver Age pastiches? Wow, I think I nailed it in one there. My real fear, though? The people who masturbate to continuity porn. Beware anyone who buys two copies of any comic written by Geoff Johns and/or Alex Ross... you just know one is for reading and the other... well...

Yeah, maybe you should ignore this and just go read about continuity porn in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 37: The Boys #24

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss The Boys #24. Okay, this will be the third time you've seen me talk about the book this week and there's an explanation for that: when we decided to do the column on it, I didn't have the reviewer position. But, here's the thing: there's no stuff said. All kinds of new stuff. And not just by Tim! I contribute, like, 37% new ideas in this column. So, the column itself is, what, 68.5% new content! That's not too bad, right? Right?

All that, plus 31.5% old content you've read before, but is still pretty great in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 36: Bendis v. Morrison

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss this week's slew of Final Crisis and Secret Invasion books penned by Grant Morrison and Brian Michael Bendis. Not reading them, but want to know which to read? We tell you! Why? Because we know what is good and what is not. We're that awesomely arrogant. I won't tell you here which one we prefer, but you can probably guess. Maybe. I don't know. If you do guess and your guess is right, feel good about yourself. I don't really know what else to tell you since all of the information is in the column, really.

But, if you want to know who says "Absolutely! And why am I shouting?!? I don't know! But I can't stop! No event fatigue from this guy!" this week, look no further than... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 35: The Cure for the Superhero Blues

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss how to get over mediocre superhero comics that just fucking ruin everything for you. It's a problem I've been having lately, so Tim, like the solid guy he is, decided to help me out with it and work through it. And work through it we do. We discuss great regular superhero books, alternative superhero books and books that have no superheroes. And yet we don't discuss porn comics, which you would think would help get over the superhero blues. Either through naked breasts or showing you that quality can get worse. Huh. How did we miss that?

Anyway, there may be no boob talk, but there is some Glamourpuss talk in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 34: Invincible Iron Man #6

In this week's Splash Page, Tim and I discuss Invincible Iron Man #6. Really, it's Tim trying to talk me down off the ledge as I continue in my crazy rantings concerning the quality of certain superhero comics. Old news for those following this blog, but now I get to infect the larger internet with my crazy ramblings about mediocrity, failed potential and wanting more. Tim pushes the point well and actually gets me to write coherantly about it a bit.

So, if you like me trashing the fuck out of books, you'll love... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 33: The No-Longer-Secret Origins of Tim and Chad

In this week's Splash Page, Tim and I discuss ourselves. How did we begin reading comics? Why have we continued? Why do we write about them? Which comic character would we most like to have sex with? All of these questions are answered! Well, not the comic character sex one, because... well, I don't know why because. I do have an answer to that question, though. In fact, I know which three comic book characters I would like to date, in what order, and why the first two relationships would end. But, I figure I'll keep that little bit of weirdness to myself. Unless people begin begging for that info and then who knows. I've said much weirder and more revealing things online. I've kind of gotten off-topic, haven't I?

Well, if you ever wanted to know how Wildstorm was to me what Vertigo was to Tim, you'll find that and much, much more in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Spash Page 32: All-Star!

In this week's Splash Page, Tim and I discuss DC's two "All-Star" titles and I blow everyone's mind by preferring All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder to All-Star Superman. Because I do. I apologise for nothing. Really, it should come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog regularly, but to those who don't... Man, they must be shitting themselves wondering what kind of idiotic moron I am. See, Tim doesn't wonder that, because he knows me and he knows I have my reasons--he may not see things the same way, but there's respect there. Just as I respect his views. But those strangers? They are some harsh judges and I'm a little worried. Well, not really, because who really cares... Wow, good way to promote the column, eh?

Anyway, if you like seeing Tim and I disagree over comics, then you'll love... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 31: Is Cancellaton Good?

In this week's Splash Page, Tim and I discuss cancellation. I play the role of the wide-eyed optimist while Tim is the hard-nosed cynic... I know, I know, it's weird! Normally, Tim is Mr. "Everything With Comics is Fantastic!" and I'm Mr. "Fuck the World, because it All Sucks Ass!", but not this week. Oh no, dear reader, not this week. Now you have to read the column, because you obviously don't believe what I just told you. But it's the truth. Have I ever lied to you before?

Plus, we discuss even tell you a few books you should buy monthly to avoid cancellation, or else face the wratch of... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 30: Fifty Things We Love about Comics

In this week's Splash Page, Tim and I jump aboard the "50 Things I Love about Comics" list meme that's been going around, but we've put our own spin on it: we didn't say who loved what. We came up with five categories where we each listed five things and just decided that we will speak as one. So, logically, whatever Tim loves, I love, and whatevet I love, Tim loves. However, for fun, you can figured out who really loves what. Some things are pretty easy to figure out, but some may confuse you. Fun! YAY!

How do we love comics? Let us count the ways... in THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 29: Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I continue our quest to discuss every Grant Morrison-penned Final Crisis comic. Sure, there are lots of other tie-in comics for that event, but we don't care about them, because they suck. Well, I don't care. Tim is actually buying, like, all of them, because he loves comics than much more than I do. Really, Geoff Johns comics. I don't really like those, but Tim seems to really like them, especially ones involving the Legion of Superheroes. Tim loves the Legion of Superheroes. He edited a book of essays about it. I haven't read the book, but I'm sure it's pretty good because Tim's first book was a good read. His first book was all about Grant Morrison and that's who wrote the comic book we discuss this week, because we both love Grant Morrison. Unlike that Geoff Johns.

Oh, and what do we think about 3-D comics? Find out in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 28: Watchmen Part Two

This week's Splash Page concludes the discussion of Watchmen between myself, Tim Callahan and Justin Dickinson. We wrote this a couple of weeks ago, so I don't really remember how it goes... I think we discuss techniques and characters and... realism, maybe? Whatever, I don't remember specifics, but I do remember that it's gold. Pure gold.

Also, as a little note: my Raymond Chandler/Watchmen post will go up tomorrow for many reasons... the primary one being that I haven't written it yet. I had a busy weekend full of great things and couldn't find the time. Tomorrow is as good a day to post it, too.

Until then, go read about Watchmen in THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 27: Watchmen Part One

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I welcome a special guest in the form of Justin Dickinson, a former student of Tim's. See, he's just read Watchmen, because, despite the movie being a year away, that trailer has got everyone jacked up about it. Tim and I, on the other hand, have read Watchmen before. Many times. And since we have, we tend to blather on and on for quite a while about it to show off how we've read it and thought about it a whole lot. As such, this is only the first part of the discussion, which Tim cut off at a random point of his choosing. I know what comes after and I'm not sure a second column will finish things up. We may be looking at a three-parter here, people. Tim and I have never done a multi-part column before, so we may as well do it big. It's like how, at the end of the first season of The Newsroom, Ken Finkleman did a three-parter, or, how at the end of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Aaron Sorkin did a five-parter (only three episodes were technically connected by title, but the episodes before and after kind of told the beginning and end of the story, so...). I have no idea where I'm going with this.

I do know that if you love Watchmen (and I know you do) you'll read what we have to say about it in THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 26: Final Crisis #3

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss Final Crisis #3 plus the "director's cut" of the first issue. Yeah, we both spent five bucks on that. We're suckers like that. But, at least this was Tim's first "director's cut" issue. I've gotten three in the past. One out of necessity and two because I felt like it. Wow, I am a sucker for a script, aren't I? Marvel and DC could start rereleasing every comic I've gotten this past year with a script in the back and I'd wind up buying them all most likely. That's sad. What is my obsession with scripts?

But, the more important question: are Tim and I still loving Final Crisis? The answer and much, much more in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 25: San Diego, Baby!

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss last week's San Diego Comic-Con and how none of the news got us excited. But, come on, we're not exactly excitable guys. You know that. We're cynical bastards who just want to read out books, discuss them and move on with our lives. We don't care who does what as long as the people we like keep getting work. We're simple men with simple desires. But, there were a few things of note, so we discussed them.

So, go read all about it in... THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 24: The Ambitious Failure

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss the ambitious failure. Tim likes to think this is because of a post he did on Richard Kelly's Southland Tales, but I was already writing that Deathblow post by that point. It's just that I was very, very slow with that post, so it got posted nearly a week later. How much does that suck? Actually, not that much, since what does it matter? But, then again, I felt the need to bring it up, so it must matter some... gee, I dunno.

Basically, this week, we talk about Deathblow, Southland Tales, Charlatan Ball, Countdown, Raymond Carver versus Philip K. Dick, and how it's all really bullshit. That's right, we get to the end and realise that we're just talking bullshit. Maybe I should give Tim more credit for this one actually...

The Splash Page 23: Authorial Voice

Sorry about last week's lack of Splash Page, but Sequart's site was down. Tim Callahan and I had one all ready to go, but we couldn't get it to you. Very frustrating. But, here it is this week! YAY! We discuss authorial voice, "stewarding" characters, and manage to include references to many of our own little private obsessions. Like Joe Casey and Hellblazer.

So, yeah, go read all about that suff in last week/this week's THE SPLASH PAGE!!!

The Splash Page 22: Vertigo

What do Tim Callahan and I discuss this week's Splash Page? Could it be Vertigo? Why? Why the hell not, sir? Who doesn't love Vertigo? And if you don't, why not? You don't like diverse works of quality that challenge not just the intellects of the readers, but also the boundaries of comic book storytelling? You don't like books that easily compare to the best of television, movies and prose? You're a moron? ...why am I only talking in questions? Does anyone know why I am only talking to questions?

Who knows? THE SPLASH PAGE KNOWS!!!

(Yeah, I have no idea why I wrote that...)

The Splash Page 21: Final Crisis #2

In this week's Splash Page, Tim Callahan and I discuss Final Crisis #2 and I discover that it and Secret Invasion are the same stories. If you don't believe me, go read the column and you'll see that they totally are. Sure, they're told in two completely different ways, but, really, it's the same story. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

All that and more in this week's THE SPLASH PAGE!!!