The Muppets vs Twilight

It's been forever, plus a day, but I'm back. Hopefully we'll start to see some cool geek-related stuff coming for the holidays, etc. so I'll be a bit more inspired to update here than the last few months.

As is the case with these awesome parody posters for the upcoming Muppets movie. In true Gen X fashion, I love me some nostalgia, and the Muppets were always among my favorites. I wasn't too into Fraggle Rock (I think I was too old when that aired) but I was a fan of Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas. Am I dating myself with these references? More than likely.

Anyway, the new Muppet movie (co-starring Jason Segal of How I Met Your Mother) comes out Thanksgiving weekend, right after the new Twilight: Breaking Dawn movie is released (this weekend, I think). So what better way to be relevant to the kids today than a parody of the Twilight saga?

(via Den of Geek):

A "Deadman" TV Show?

I saw this post about Eric Kripke (Supernatural) developing a new TV show based on the comic book Deadman and thought, "Wow! Can they really pull that off?" I had a roommate who loved Deadman comics, so I've read a few storylines over the years. Deadman was a circus performer, murdered and brought back as a ghost that can inhabit bodies to solve crimes. Or something like that. Here:

Deadman is a ghost, formerly a circus trapeze artist named Boston Brand who performed under the name Deadman, a stage persona including a red costume and white corpse makeup. When Brand is murdered during a trapeze performance by a mysterious assailant known only as the Hook (in fact his last words were "Gee, from up here it almost looks like that guy with the hook for a hand has a gun..."), his spirit is given the power to possess any living being by a Hindu goddess (created for the purposes of the story) named Rama Kushna (a corruption of Rama-Krishna), in order to search for his murderer and obtain justice. (Source: Wikipedia)

I don't remember too many particular stories, but I do remember them being fun, and Deadman having a snarky sense of humor that I enjoyed. Maybe I'll have to go dig something up to refresh myself on this one. (The 90's were a long time ago, people.)

I like Supernatural and am a fan of Kripke's work, so I remain hopeful about a Deadman TV show, especially if it goes to CW or F/X type channel. Don't even bother with the big 4 -- the general viewing audience won't "get" Deadman. Although perhaps it will have a bit of a "Quantum Leap" feel -- more jumping bodies, less time jumping -- that regular folk (hey y'all!) would enjoy.

Gratuitous Scott Bakula image:

Now the question is, who plays Deadman? And how do they get that outrageous red circus costume to translate to TV? A little garish for my taste...

Very Cool! Simpsons Skateboards

These new Simpsons skateboard designs from Santa Cruz Skateboards look pretty cool! But...why didn't they come out about 20 years ago? (via Comics Alliance)

When Politics and Geekdom Collide

I feel like there is more discussion of politics in geek culture (via comic books, novels, TV shows, movies) than of geek culture in politics. But occasionally, these two worlds intersect in the political arena.

One of those intersections happened last week with the debt crisis, with politicians drawing allusions to Lord of the Rings. What the what?

Stephen Colbert (a huge LOTR fan) summarizes the craziness best, as always. With "visual aids."

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Republican Ring of Power
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Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Who Doesn't Love a Good Propaganda Poster?

Featured on Laughing Squid, but I love me all kind of retro propaganda posters. Seems appropriate that social media get a propaganda make-over.

Great design by Aaron Wood.

Knights of Badassdom Trailer

Got back from Comic Con a week ago, and totally missed the panel where this trailer was shown. Luckily, Laughing Squid posted it earlier in the week. It looks like such a nerdy, good time! I've never LARPed but now I'd be interested in checking it out. How do I even find such a thing?

Coming to a theater near you (hopefully) in Spring 2012.

w00tstock: Comic Con Edition

One of my top 3 events at Comic Con this year has to be the w00stock 3.0. The Better Half and I saw a w00tstock in Portland last year and it blew my mind -- I had no idea how much live, nerdy goodness could happen in one place in one night.

If you haven't heard about w00tstock yet, the basic idea is 3+ hours of music, stories, and video shorts focused on nerd culture. Musicians Paul & Storm organized this round in the geek capital (for 1 week a year), also starring Wil Wheaton (Eureka, Leverage, The Guild, and of course STNG) and Adam Savage (Mythbusters). Each version of w00tstock mixes up all the other players, sometimes including local/regional performers.

Version 3.0 featured ukulele & YouTube phenom Molly Lewis:

Mike Phirman (of Hard n' Phirm):

And video shorts between acts, like Axe Cop (art by a 29 year-old; story by his 5 year-old brother -- it's awesome):

Others too, but I don't have links or names to all of them.

I laughed my butt off for so long my cheeks hurt when I left.

I've already vowed to the Better Half that if there's a w00tstock to be seen on the West Coast (perhaps further if time/money permits), we're there. In the words of Paul & Storm's classic "Frogger! The Frogger Musical:"

Now that you have got my back
I see a new plan of attack
And suddenly the path is clear
The way to get to there from here

From the turtle to croc to stump
Getting closer with every jump
We reach the end somehow
Then I look in your eyes
And now I’m home…

(Lighter's/cell phones waving in the air)

Happy Guildversary!

At some point I'll write a longer post about my admiration of Felicia Day, Queen of the Geeks, but today is a special anniversary: 4 years ago, the first episode the web series The Guild was released. I wish I could say that I was there when it started, but I'm glad I discovered it last summer. I watched the first 3 seasons before ever playing an MMORPG and thought it was fun and funny. I watched the whole thing again after playing World of Warcraft for about 4 months and loved it.

In hindsight, watching the webisodes may be what finally pushed me into trying an online multi-player game. Cool girls play too! Those look like people I'd want to be in a guild with and maybe even know in real life!

The Guild panel was the only one I made it to at Comic Con over the weekend. We stood in line with several other thousand people. It was totally worth it, technical difficulties and all.

Season 5 started yesterday, and Felicia Day is busier than ever. She's the poster child (no pressure) for illustrating that web-created shows can and do work. Personally, I think The Guild is an even better example of how fan support, crowd-sourced funding, and use of social media tools to market & get the word out can make an incredible difference.

Happy 4th Guildversary!

If you watch the show, check out this behind-the-scenes from design specialist Greg Aronowitz. Great pictures and clips!

And I leave you with this. It's true, my avatar is hotter than reality by far:

Life After Comic Con - Part 1

It's been months since I've been to the blog. I would feel bad, but honestly wasn't too motivated to share anything recently. I even saw X-men: First Class and some other relevant movie that I've already forgotten. I haven't read any comics, watched any geeky TV (well, Fringe, but I think I've espoused on that quite a bit already), gotten involved in any creative projects - crafts or otherwise, or gone to any nerdcentric events. Until now!

As some may recall -- I certainly do -- I missed the annual "Nerd Prom" otherwise known as San Diego Comic Con in 2010 due to conflicting health issues. I couldn't even follow the coverage from the interwebz as it depressed the hell out of me to know I was missing something/everything. So, I was pretty motivated to get back this year.

But here's the thing, over the ~15 years I've been attending, Comic Con has changed a lot. And I suppose so have I too. I could totally fall into the "back in my day" spiel, but that's not really what I want to say (and honestly, others have likely said it better). No, what I found was a more personal reflection on where I am at in my life, and how much I miss the creative/artistic/expressive elements that I find when at events like Comic Con. While no one can accuse me of being an artist, I certainly miss the creative outlets of my past.

When I first attended Comic Con, I thought for sure I'd be working in the industry, or at least industry-adjacent, by now. I worked for years in comic book stores, hanging out with other fans, but also meeting artists, writers, and others who work in some kind of creative industry. I worked for friends with artistic vision on their projects, playing a supporting role but proud to contribute. But as we got busy, and the demand for a more "professional" job emerged, connections to that creative element have largely disappeared. My career lead me down a much more analytic, process-oriented path. And I suppose like many who work in an intellectual field, I feel disconnected from actually producing something. I mean, beyond a PowerPoint report.

Going to Comic Con really called that out for me. Surrounded by tremendous talent, looking at the books produced & art created, hearing about projects initiated & almost complete, watching friends, acquaintances, and strangers push forward their work, their mark on the world left me feeling...meh.

So, dear readers (all 2 of you!), here I am. Promising myself to take some steps to find that creative side and finding new places I can lend my support. And doing my best to share the journey along the way.

For the Little Ones (or Me)

I know a lot of people who have had babies in the last 1-2 years, or are expecting later this year. Might I suggest the following Simpson's Alphabet poster for baby's room? It's both educational AND culturally-relevant(ish). And cute!

For those of you with baby showers yet to attend this year, ahem...see above.

(h/t Laughing Squid)

South Park Does World of Warcraft

I feel like I've fallen into a vortex, and really, I guess I have. I'll try to write more about this soon (as I've wanted to for a while), but needless to say the Better Half & I started playing World of Warcraft (WoW) late last year. And let's just say, it's been a very "immersive" experience.

Anyway, the new season of South Park starts this week, so there was a marathon on Comedy Central over the weekend. I saw this episode before I started playing WoW but had to rewatch it given more recent experience. All I can say about this episode: It. Is. Awesome.

Make Love, Not Warcraft
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

You can see the whole episode on southparkstudios.com and if you play, are a gamer, or know a gamer, check it out.

"This could very well lead to the end of the world (of Warcraft)!"

Crafting Can Be Geeky Too

I've been thinking about getting crafty again. I spent several years trying out crochet, knitting, sewing, making plushies, jewelry, etc. Mostly for myself, but sometimes I'd make something for a friend or family member. I'd put myself firmly in the "novice" camp in crafting capability but I truly love such homemade/handmade projects, especially those that are cute (duh!) and/or geeky.

So you can imagine how timely this post from Comics Alliance was about geeky cross stitch patterns. Designs come from Etsy user weelittlestitches and I love them! Maybe I'll try out cross stitch as my next craft -- who doesn't need a nice throw pillow or hand towel with the JLA or cast of Firefly?

More Batman Casting Revealed

I like directors who find acting partners that they re-use in move after movie. Some of my favorites have employed this practice --Alfred Hitchcock had several actors who showed up in multiple movies (James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Cary Grant). Tim Burton has Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. And now, it seems, Christopher Nolan is repeating the pattern as well.

Over the weekend, it was announced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will appear in the next Batman installment, The Dark Knight Rises. (Recall as well that Tom Hardy (Eames in Inception) has also been cast in Dark Knight Rises, as Bane.) Based on this post from Movie Line, Gordon-Levitt has signed on as Alberto Falcone. This doesn't mean much to non-comic book fans, but for those of us who are, it's pretty exciting. Falcone appeared in a late 90's storyline from Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale, called The Long Halloween. I really enjoyed that story arc, so I can only hope it will influence/inspire the coming movie.

I've followed Gordon-Levitt since his days on 3rd Rock from the Sun and think he is a promising actor. He was a surprising, interesting addition to Nolan's most recent work, Inception.

There's still over a year for the new Batman movie, but I have to say, I'm more excited about it than the upcoming Green Lantern movie. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by it, much like I was with Iron Man. We'll see...

Anyway, here's one more gratuitous photo of Gordon-Levitt, this time from Inception -- I loved the scene with walking on walls.

Wonder Woman Costume Revealed

Thanks to Entertainment Weekly for kicking off Friday afternoon with a bang. Here's your new Wonder Woman:

Now, I've already commented that I think this show is pretty much doomed from the get go. But I had held out hope for some great costuming. I'm sorely disappointed, folks. This looks like a cheap Halloween Costume anyone could pick up from the "slutty superhero" section.

In addition, as many commenters on that post point out, she hardly looks athletic, let alone like a superhero. She doesn't need to be a WWE wrestler, but would a little muscle definition kill anyone?

I'm positive I've seen better, more convincing costumes from enthusiasts and cosplayers at Comic Con. Wow, way to fail.

Off to find something I like to balance the overall negativity of this post.

Fringe: The Best Sci-Fi on TV

With pouring rain most of the weekend, and a near car accident, I decided to forget the movie weekend and instead stayed in the comfort and safety of my apartment. I then had grandiose plans of watching a bunch of movies on Netflix, but after about 20 hours of gaming, I couldn't deal with watching a single 2 hour movie. (This makes no sense since I can sit down and watch 4-8 hours of episodic shows that are about 45 mins a piece, but dedicating 2 hours at one time sounds like such a chore.)

So, instead I caught up on Fringe. God I love this show. I hate that Fox moved it to Fridays to accommodate yet MORE American Idol -- is anyone even watching this now that Simon is gone? I am frustrated that our current system of collecting data on TV watching behaviors depends on an antiquated system that doesn't take into account the whole picture of viewing habits and downgrades those that are becoming more and more common (watching online or on DVR is not equal to watching live broadcast according to advertisers).


It's too bad. Fringe has been a consistently good show, with interesting characters, storylines, and some great acting. It's often compared to X-Files, which I see as a plus. I suppose I should be thankful it's made it through 3 seasons so far -- the amazing Firefly didn't even make it through one season on Fox.

If you like science fiction or stories of the strange & unusual and aren't already watching Fringe, check it out before it's gone. And here's to praying for a Season 4.

Movie Challenge: What to See this Weekend?

I've managed to tweak my neck/back (likely after hours on 3 crappy computer set-ups this week), so will likely not be able to game as much as I'd like this weekend. So, I'm thinking about hitting up a movie -- it's been a slow start to the year for movie releases. Maybe that's fine; I'm pretty much a homebody until Daylight Savings takes effect (Sunday!!).

Anyway, here are my options this weekend:

Rango (animated movie with Johnny Depp as voice of lead character):

Red Riding Hood (loosely based on the fairytale story with Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried as Red):

Side comment: While I love the red hood, am I the only one who thinks everyone in the cast looks just a little too clean and coiffed for a medieval village?

and Battle: Los Angeles (sci-fi action thriller with alien invasion of LA starring Aaron Eckhart):

Pretty sure it's going to come down to Rango (liked by Fans & Critics) or Battle: LA (liked by Fans). I'll keep you posted if it is a "feel-good" or a "blow s**t up" kind of weekend here in PDX.

I Know How You Feel, Stephen Colbert

I don't get to talk about him much here (and maybe I'll change that soon while I wait for the summer movies to start rolling out), but I LOVE Stephen Colbert. I loved him on The Daily Show, I loved him in Amy Sedaris' Strangers with Candy, and I absolutely adore The Colbert Report. I admit that when the show first started in 2005, I didn't get it. But I kept with it, and now it's among my regular favorites.

This week, he covered a very important topic: The release of Apple's iPad 2.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen Wants an iPad 2
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Oh My God, I Need It!

I currently own no Apple products, but I have technology-envy with this one. I have to say, the iPad is pretty sexy and without even seeing it, I'm pretty sure the iPad 2 continues the tradition (despite it's still awful name).

There must be some research need for the iPad 2, right? Let's see if we can come up with one to justify such a purchase...

Hipster Superheroines

And the meme goes on!

This week, Comics Alliance follows-up up the Hipster Disney Princesses with something even better: Hipster Superheroines. There's even an opportunity to clip the images and make your own snarky hipster superhero. I see geeky birthday cards for all my friends!

A few favorites from the CA link:

Zatanna (it was a toss up between this one and the one with the PBR reference)

Wonder Woman:



Power Girl -- this one has a special place in my heart because of the Portland reference. So true, why bother?

Hipster Disney Princesses

Some days, it's like talking to yourself out here in ye' ol' blogosphere. A recent NYT article reflected on the decrease in blogging, especially by Millennials, in favor of "micro-blogging" on sites like Facebook and Twitter. I have a whole argument about why that's not really the same thing, but it's Friday and not sure I care that much to get into it.

So, instead, let's get to why I am here and still love playing with my blog. It's for the fun, ridiculous goings-on in the Geek World. Well, and anything else that amuses me. It may or may not amuse you -- so be it. Where our interests intersect in the great Venn diagram of the world, it's fantastic! Where they don't, we walk alone as pioneers, perhaps sharing the new and ridiculous with others in the world.

Oh, hai -- this is me not ranting or getting tangential. Blame the lack of sleep.

Anyway, I present to you Friday's treasure: Hipster Disney Princesses! (h/t io9) Maybe this is a meme I'm slow to notice, but having them together in the little gallery-type presentation format that io9 uses really drives this one home for me.

Here are my favorites:

This one wasn't in the io9 gallery, but a quick Google search on the topic yielded this awesome Alice:

I love that one of the definitive traits of a Hipster Disney character is the black framed glasses, and of course, a snarky comment.

Now, who is starting the follow-up to this? "Hipster Disney Queens" (I mean the queens, sorceresses and witches of the Disney world. Don't be so obvious.)

Super Heroes and Fashion Week Collide

Kapow! Crash! Bang!

I'm not really sure what to think or say about this, other than "huh." But last week was Fashion Week in New York (not that I follow such things, but I read enough on Twitter, iGoogle, Yahoo!, etc to know this information) and this post from Comics Alliance caught my eye.

Fashion designer Jeremy Scott showed off his 2011 collection, which appears to be largely inspired by the stylings of DC super heroes. While I love me some super hero garb, I'm not sure that I love the couture-ized version of costumes for high-end consumption.

For instance, here are two Superman-inspired designs:

Granted, I'd love for capes to come into style, but sequins? Meh, not so much.

What about these Black Adam-esque fashions?

I think I like these better, perhaps because of the bolts of lightning, and how elongating they are. These also seem to be more casual (no sequins!), which feels a bit more campy and fun.

I wonder if this is the beginning of a new fashion trend?

Dead Island Game Trailer

The Husband suggested I check out the new Dead Island video game trailer, posted all around the inner-tubes yesterday (for me, discovered via friend Winda Benedetti at MSNBC). And the inner-tubes don't lie, people. This is one helluva trailer. Check it out, then let's discuss...

Not only is the animation breathtaking (wow, is it), but there is a story in this 3-minute clip that is dramatic and heart wrenching. I'm no film student, but I really liked the device used of moving time both forward and backward. The music is sedate and melancholy (I didn't even notice it the first time through), in sharp contrast to the gruesomeness of the visuals. And while I didn't cry, the last 15 seconds -- a flashback to happier times -- gave me the chills.

I'm sure like many others today, I can't wait to see the game itself.

This also reminds me to always be prepared for that zombie uprising. **Shudder**

Wonder Woman Announced

(image via Yahoo.com)

I guess the big news this week is the casting of Wonder Woman: Adrianne Palicki. I've never heard of her, but I don't watch Friday Night Lights, which appears to be her big credit to date. Maybe she'll be great! Maybe she'll suck and the only place anyone will ever talk about this show again will be at Comic-Con. We will have to wait and see.

But, let me say, I'm a little more concerned about the latest developments I'm hearing about the story line itself. Over at Comics Alliance, they report that Ms. Palicki will be playing 3 roles:

• The titular crime fighter, "reinvented" here as an LA-based vigilante
• Alter-ego #1: Diana Themyscira, a mega-billionaire CEO
• Alter-ego #2: Diana's "plain Jane" assistant, Diana Prince

We can argue about the setting of Los Angeles for this series (I'm pretty sure I've already argued against this) or that Diana is a 'mega-billionaire CEO' (Is she supposed to be a female Batman??). But I have a big problem with her playing both the CEO AND her own assistant. Why? What is the point in that? Is it credible -- at all -- to think that a CEO/superhero would also be an admin? I barely have enough energy to do one job, let alone 3. Granted, I'm no WW, but come on. Can't Diana have a sidekick or confidante, another female who helps her in her professional role at the minimum?

Well, I hope the show isn't as much of a hot mess as what it sounds like thus far. As iconic a character as she is, Wonder Woman should be a great role in an amazing project. I hate to see the character diminished by producing crap. I'd rather have nothing but the comics than a half-assed project. The concept of the show doesn't strike me as something mainstream, so it would be important to get the geeks behind it. And so far, the geeks aren't too impressed...

UPDATE: I just found this sneak peek (via Sexy Beast) of the pilot. Read it for yourself, but my two cents: Bleck.

Gifties for Your Valentine (or Yourself!)

We're not too big on Valentine's Day in my house, which is fine with me. I don't need the jewelry/flower/chocolate cartels pressuring us to get gifts! But then I see all those ads, and I can't help it -- all I think is "Shiny!!" I like shiny.

But, as a geek girl, married to a geek boy, shiny things really aren't a part of our culture. So instead, I share with you a couple of alternates for your Lovable Geek.

First up - the 8-Bit Flower Bouquet (via ThinkGeek.com). Maybe it's because my husband is a Mario fan, so I always keep an eye out for Mario-themed gifts, but I think these are cute. I would totally put them on my desk, and AND they won't die (this always saddens me with cut flowers)!

Or how about a nice Star Trek themed cologne? I chose to feature "Pon Farr" (for her) from UrbanCollector.com but you might try "Shirtless Kirk" or "Sulu Pour Homme" for the geek guy in your life.

You might prefer a home made touch, so what about some delicious cupcakes? Whether you be gamer geek (h/t Hello Tauren!):

Or Star Wars geek (h/t Geekologie):

Finally, if you still think jewelry is the way to go, consider these nice dog tags, err "necklaces" for all the geek archetypes. Mine, of course, would be the global "Geek Girl," though your girl might prefer "Anime Geek" or "Fiend" instead.

Whatever you end up deciding, Happy Valentine's!

X-men: First Class Trailer

X-men: First Class trailer out now (via CBR's website)!

Probably need to watch this again a time or two, but it looks better than I thought it would. I'm not sure if that means I expected garbage or if it really looks good, but that's how it goes some days. I'm pretty sure this will follow absolutely none of the comic book continuity, but luckily for me, I wasn't a big X-men diehard fan, so I can live with it as long as there is a decent plot and good characters/acting.

I don't know most of the young actors attached to this project, but I am happy to see Kevin Bacon and Ray Wise appearing in the credits. Another generation of folks who can continue the fun of "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon!" Huzzah~

The movie is scheduled for release on June 3rd at about 1,000 theaters near you. I'm sure there will be more to say on this one as summer approaches.

Star Trek + Potatoes = Awesome

Wow, I can't type at all today, so I'll keep this short & sweet. Saw this throw away post on io9 and was mesmerized. The good people over at PPW Toys are making, get this, Star Trek Mr. Potato Heads. The first set will feature Captain Kirk and Klingon nemesis, Kor.

Of course, I'll be holding out for the Mr. Spock. And perhaps a whole STNG set (pretty please with sugar on top!). I am already seeing a display shelf full of Mr. Potato Heads with Worf, Picard, Geordi, and Data.

Anyway, look for the first set of Star Trek Mr. Potato Heads later this summer! Just in time for another adventure with Portland's "Star Trek in the Park!"

Holy Carp - There's a Wonder Woman TV Show in Production??

In one of the more surprising new tidbits over the weekend, NBC has greenlit a David E. Kelley Wonder Woman TV pilot. This is the movie that cannot be made, but somehow they pulled out a TV show possibility? Wow. I don't even know what to say.

I'd love to be more excited about this show -- my admiration of Wonder Woman is right behind my love of Catwoman. But I have to say, I'm worried. As described on Comics Alliance:

Wonder Woman -- AKA Diana Prince -- is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life.

I'm hearing a little too much "hero Ally McBeal" in this paragraph for my liking. I'm not sure I can stand a whiny, self-effacing, damaged heroine. She's an Amazon for goddess sake. And LA? Really? Because there aren't nearly enough shows set in LA. Why can't it be set in a DC-created city like Metropolis? (Though h/t to Clark for suggesting that the Invisible Jet be parked behind the Hollywood sign!) However, I think we (and by "we" I mean Rich & myself) can all agree that, if nothing else, Lynda Carter must play Queen Hipployta, Diana's mother.

There will likely be much debate over who should play WW. My feeling is that it cannot/should not/please god don't let it be Megan Fox. Rumor has it that Eliza Dushku is interested in the role as well. Meh. I like Dushku, but not sure this is a great fit for her. There must be another brunette in LA who can play this role. Let's go for an unknown!

Final suggestion (for now; might be more as more details are released): please use the original costume, not this new costume bulls**t.

It's one thing to create new costumes for the comics books for hype value and to get some media attention, but I think a Wonder Woman TV show will get plenty of attention on it's own.

I'll watch the pilot because I want to support comic book TV & movies. But I'm not dedicated enough to watch badly-made programming, so fingers crossed that this will not suck. It would be great to see an inspiring female character on TV, but here I am getting all optimistic.

Batman Would be the Thing to Pull Me Back In

It's been awhile, I know. I'd like to say I haven't been around because of the holidays, and while that's true, it's not the whole story. In early November, I became one of "those" people, one of the 12 million who plays World of Warcraft, a massively multiplayer online role playing game (or MMORPG for those few of you who don't know already). I'd like to talk more about my experience as a newbie in the WoW universe, since it's about all I've done with my free time these last few months, but this post is really about the newsy bit that brought me BACK to the blog in over 8 weeks.

And that news is the announcement of the two stars added to Christopher Nolan's next Batman installation, The Dark Knight Rises (**snicker** at that title). If your Twitter stream isn't already full of this news, then let me share with you that, drum roll.....

--Anne Hathway will star at Catwoman

--Tom Hardy will star as Bane

You may recall Tom Hardy from Nolan's most recent film, Inception, in which he was awesome.

So let me get my most major complaint out of the way first: The inclusion of Catwoman in the movie in the first place. Now I love Catwoman. I collected Catwoman comic books, toys, and other ephemera for years. I've dressed up as Catwoman for Halloween (years ago, sigh). So trust me, I'm a big fan of Catwoman. But I feel like we've done the Catwoman story already in the Tim Burton movies. Michelle Pfeiffer was a great Catwoman. Remember this scene??

Then, we had that horrible Halle Barry movie, that we shall not speak of again. My point is that Catwoman isn't covering new ground in the Bat-verse. There are other female characters who could be interesting to include, my favorite being Harley Quinn. With Joker's demise in the 2nd movie, seems like an opportune time to bring in his just-as-crazy girlfriend for revenge.

Here's my other problem with Catwoman....Anne Hathaway. I feel bad about this, because I actually like Anne Hathaway, but visually, she seems too pretty, too nice, too clean to be a great Catwoman. I think she is cute & funny, and great on SNL and in romantic comedies. I hear she was great in that drama (Rachel Getting Married? Not totally sure...), but I'm not sure she can play the bitchy, gritty, wrong-side-of-the-tracks version of Catwoman that I grew to love.

Catwoman comes in so many versions, there certainly is room for variation from what I typically consider. And if anyone can do it, Nolan is that guy. So dude, impress me. I really want to be excited about this.

Whew. Catwoman went on longer than I expected. Let's turn to Bane.

The last movie to (briefly) feature Bane, Joel Schumacher's hot mess, Batman and Robin, barely got to Bane at all. He was sidelined as one of Poison Ivy's henchman. A total waste of an otherwise formerly decent villain. In the comics, the guy is a brute, a monster.

I'd like to see a well-developed Bane character in the next movie. He's not a well known enemy, but that also means he hasn't been totally overdone. I was initially doubtful of Tom Hardy in this role based on Inception, but then I came across this:

It's hard for me to even tell that is the same guy! I guess if he can pump up, he's got a shot at a convincing Bane.

My hope is that there is at least a short trailer ready for Comic-Con in July. I'd like to be convinced about the inclusion of Hathaway/Catwoman. I liked the first 2 Nolan Batman's a lot, so, you know, no pressure.