Lacey Fiddlesticks is sick. She was sniffling a little last night, and today when I came home she was lying on my bed wheezing and sneezing and just generally being snuffly. I'm sure it's nothing serious -- seems to just be a cold. I'm holding her, and if she isn't any better by Monday, I'll take her to the vet. And her eighth birthday is this week, too!
Casting rumblings: Green Lantern is currently slated for release on December 17th 2010, and a couple of sites have reported that WB has offered the role of Hal Jordan to Chris Pine. It may or may not be true, and he may or may not take the part, but I have mixed feelings about him as Hal. For one thing, he's going to be playing a young James T. Kirk in Star Trek, which is a pretty similar role to Hal. Think about it -- they're both young, handsome, rebellious men whose fathers died doing something heroic, both end up joining an intergalactic peacekeeping force, both end up taking over when their predecessor dies, and both become big heroes who dig alien chicks. But I think I was hoping for a casting choice that seemed a little less obvious. I don't want people to look at Hal and think Kirk.
And you know, I was already calling those random Green Lanterns who show up in background panels "red shirts" because you just know they're there for cannon fodder. Geoff Johns sure does love to kill him some Lanterns.
I'm dying to find out who gets all the roles, though. Hopefully we'll find out soon, because they're supposed to start filming in September!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Why Hal and Sinestro Should Not Play With Pointy Objects
I am an Ebay fanatic. And I also have a love for knick-knacks and quirky things, and a certain few searches that I do every day. So yeah, I'm one of those strange people who, if I see that someone is selling, say, a Green Lantern shotglass, I will buy it in a heartbeat. (Yes, I have a Green Lantern shotglass. Two different ones, actually.) I like art, too. I go to conventions mostly for the character sketches, and I don't mind if they're done by artists that no one has heard of because I like seeing different interpretations of characters. So when I'm searching for my favorite characters on Ebay and come across art of them that I've never seen before, I usually decide that I have to have it.
I really liked the look of this particular print, so I bid on it and won it a few weeks ago. It's signed by the artist, who is someone I've never heard of, and I was not disappointed by it when I actually got it in the mail. It's beautiful in real life -- the photo doesn't do it justice at all. The colors are gorgeous, the details are much more vivid, and the stars in the background seem to sparkle. I love it and would have gladly paid far more than the mere few dollars that I did.
But you know what I like best about it?
The unintentional homoeroticism.
Observe (and forgive me for using the pic from Ebay -- my scanner isn't working and I don't have a digital camera):
Okay, okay. When you actually see the real print, you realize that they're crossing swords down there, and that Hal's is a simple longsword like something a fantasy knight would use, while Sinestro's is more like a rapier with a complex hilt whose details you can't see in this small picture. I really appreciate those picky details, because those are appropriate sword choices considering the way the two of them think. This whole picture is full of interesting symbolism like that -- from the really obvious choice of bird and snake to the way Hal is bracing himself with his other hand and has taken a defensive posture while Sinestro is having no difficulty attacking while using just one.
But still... every time I look at this, the gutter-minded twelve-year-old deep inside me can't help but giggle.
I really liked the look of this particular print, so I bid on it and won it a few weeks ago. It's signed by the artist, who is someone I've never heard of, and I was not disappointed by it when I actually got it in the mail. It's beautiful in real life -- the photo doesn't do it justice at all. The colors are gorgeous, the details are much more vivid, and the stars in the background seem to sparkle. I love it and would have gladly paid far more than the mere few dollars that I did.
But you know what I like best about it?
The unintentional homoeroticism.
Observe (and forgive me for using the pic from Ebay -- my scanner isn't working and I don't have a digital camera):
Okay, okay. When you actually see the real print, you realize that they're crossing swords down there, and that Hal's is a simple longsword like something a fantasy knight would use, while Sinestro's is more like a rapier with a complex hilt whose details you can't see in this small picture. I really appreciate those picky details, because those are appropriate sword choices considering the way the two of them think. This whole picture is full of interesting symbolism like that -- from the really obvious choice of bird and snake to the way Hal is bracing himself with his other hand and has taken a defensive posture while Sinestro is having no difficulty attacking while using just one.
But still... every time I look at this, the gutter-minded twelve-year-old deep inside me can't help but giggle.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Adventures of Abin Sur and Sinestro
So I'm looking forward to a Sinestro/Abin Sur reunion of some sort, even if Abin has to be a rotting zombie when it happens.
I can't help it. I love it when villains are given some depth, and giving them dead friends is a good way to do it. I like the dynamic Johns has gone for -- Sinestro as Hal's mentor is something, and Abin as Sinestro's mentor is something more to build on. Honestly, can you imagine Sinestro actually respecting someone the way he seems to respect Abin? Or being friendly with someone? He considers (or once did) Hal as his friend, but even when they were getting along Sinestro was barely civil to him. Was it different with Abin? I mean, did they... I dunno, go out and drink beers together, or whatever Korugarians and Ungarans do with their best buds? I guess the "no hanging out in other GLs sectors" thing probably put a damper on that, but they obviously had contact with each other, even if only through their rings.
It begs a few questions. For one, did Abin Sur know how strictly Sinestro was keeping order in his home sector? Sinestro never believed that his way of ruling was wrong, so I can't imagine him keeping it secret when he's talking to someone he considers a friend. You know:
Abin: "Wow, you wouldn't believe the week I've had. Between riots on Flipflop 7 and the evacuation of that unstable planet in the Sparkly System, I've barely had time to take a nap, let alone file a report. So how are things out in 1417?"
Sinestro: "Oh, you know, more of the usual. Some idiot tossed a Jolly Rancher wrapper on my pristine sidewalk, and I had to bitchslap him through a building."
Abin: "..."
Sinestro: "Also, my wife left me. So I decided to outlaw divorce."
Abin: "..."
Sinestro: "She'll be eligible for parole in sixty years."
Abin: "...Did you stop taking your medication again?"
But seriously. I think it's touching that, when Abin is in his ship headed for Earth and is talking to Sinestro, Sinestro offers to come help him even though they both know perfectly well that Abin is doing something that will likely get him kicked out of the Corps if he gets caught at it. Freeing Atrocitus wasn't something the Guardians would look kindly on. And it makes me wonder if the Guardians even realized that Atrocitus was loose because of something Abin did. After all, Abin was dead, Hal was stupid, and Sinestro quite pointedly didn't mention anything about it when explaining what he was doing on Earth. He just said he was helping take Atrocitus back into custody, that's all. And I know the ring is supposed to record everything, but that doesn't always appear to be true (if it even was back then).
You'd think getting killed doing something against the rules, because of a prophecy that he wasn't supposed to talk about let alone act on, would have lost Abin his spot in the GL crypts or something. Sort of a posthumous dishonorable discharge? Or maybe, because he was dead anyway, they didn't think it was worth quibbling over.
And look at the expression on Sinestro's face when his ring makes contact with Hal/Abin's and Abin's image appears to give him his final message. D'aww! He looks like he's going to cry!
One thing I've wondered, though: at the end of Secret Origin, when the Guardians are dressing down Hal and Sinestro for fraternizing, one of them mentions that this is the second time that Sinestro has defied them with a Green Lantern from 2814. So Sinestro and Abin got in trouble together at some point in the past? We know that Sinestro got suspended as a rookie for questioning the Guardians, but he made no mention of Abin Sur being involved in that particular incident. (Maybe that's what got Abin assigned to be his mentor in the first place?) I suppose they could be referring to that, but it seems odd that, if they were, Sinestro didn't say "oh yes, Abin Sur and I got suspended..." when he was telling Hal about the incident.
So what did Abin and Sinestro actually do? What are these shenanigans that we don't know about? And why do I think that I could probably read an entire series of nothing but Abin and rookie Sinestro perpetuating these shenanigans?
I can't help it. I love it when villains are given some depth, and giving them dead friends is a good way to do it. I like the dynamic Johns has gone for -- Sinestro as Hal's mentor is something, and Abin as Sinestro's mentor is something more to build on. Honestly, can you imagine Sinestro actually respecting someone the way he seems to respect Abin? Or being friendly with someone? He considers (or once did) Hal as his friend, but even when they were getting along Sinestro was barely civil to him. Was it different with Abin? I mean, did they... I dunno, go out and drink beers together, or whatever Korugarians and Ungarans do with their best buds? I guess the "no hanging out in other GLs sectors" thing probably put a damper on that, but they obviously had contact with each other, even if only through their rings.
It begs a few questions. For one, did Abin Sur know how strictly Sinestro was keeping order in his home sector? Sinestro never believed that his way of ruling was wrong, so I can't imagine him keeping it secret when he's talking to someone he considers a friend. You know:
Abin: "Wow, you wouldn't believe the week I've had. Between riots on Flipflop 7 and the evacuation of that unstable planet in the Sparkly System, I've barely had time to take a nap, let alone file a report. So how are things out in 1417?"
Sinestro: "Oh, you know, more of the usual. Some idiot tossed a Jolly Rancher wrapper on my pristine sidewalk, and I had to bitchslap him through a building."
Abin: "..."
Sinestro: "Also, my wife left me. So I decided to outlaw divorce."
Abin: "..."
Sinestro: "She'll be eligible for parole in sixty years."
Abin: "...Did you stop taking your medication again?"
But seriously. I think it's touching that, when Abin is in his ship headed for Earth and is talking to Sinestro, Sinestro offers to come help him even though they both know perfectly well that Abin is doing something that will likely get him kicked out of the Corps if he gets caught at it. Freeing Atrocitus wasn't something the Guardians would look kindly on. And it makes me wonder if the Guardians even realized that Atrocitus was loose because of something Abin did. After all, Abin was dead, Hal was stupid, and Sinestro quite pointedly didn't mention anything about it when explaining what he was doing on Earth. He just said he was helping take Atrocitus back into custody, that's all. And I know the ring is supposed to record everything, but that doesn't always appear to be true (if it even was back then).
You'd think getting killed doing something against the rules, because of a prophecy that he wasn't supposed to talk about let alone act on, would have lost Abin his spot in the GL crypts or something. Sort of a posthumous dishonorable discharge? Or maybe, because he was dead anyway, they didn't think it was worth quibbling over.
And look at the expression on Sinestro's face when his ring makes contact with Hal/Abin's and Abin's image appears to give him his final message. D'aww! He looks like he's going to cry!
One thing I've wondered, though: at the end of Secret Origin, when the Guardians are dressing down Hal and Sinestro for fraternizing, one of them mentions that this is the second time that Sinestro has defied them with a Green Lantern from 2814. So Sinestro and Abin got in trouble together at some point in the past? We know that Sinestro got suspended as a rookie for questioning the Guardians, but he made no mention of Abin Sur being involved in that particular incident. (Maybe that's what got Abin assigned to be his mentor in the first place?) I suppose they could be referring to that, but it seems odd that, if they were, Sinestro didn't say "oh yes, Abin Sur and I got suspended..." when he was telling Hal about the incident.
So what did Abin and Sinestro actually do? What are these shenanigans that we don't know about? And why do I think that I could probably read an entire series of nothing but Abin and rookie Sinestro perpetuating these shenanigans?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Blackest Night Predictions
Well, I've been away for the past week -- visited some good friends, saw Elton John and Billy Joel in concert again, saw Watchmen (YAY!), and generally had a good time. It's nice to get away every now and again.
So now that I'm catching up on what I missed while I was gone, the question of individual predictions for The Blackest Night has come up. Here's what I think.
1. We'll see Sinestro as a Green Lantern again. As awesome as I think it would be if he became one permanently, I don't see that happening -- more likely he'll end up sacrificing himself or some other such heroic but sad (to me) thing.
2. Black Lantern Abin Sur's presence will mess with Hal and Sinestro's heads, but he'll end up as a good guy again somehow. Maybe even all the dead GL Black Lanterns will turn against whoever is the power behind the Black Lanterns in the end, thus sacrificing their own "life" (such as it is).
3. Laira will be redeemed somehow (possibly through #2, but Hal will have a hand in it somehow).
4. We've already seen Hal wield multiple rings, but I think he'll end up with most, if not all, of them by the time the whole thing is over and done with.
5. Sinestro will mop the floor with Mongul, but Mongul will remain a player in the storyline somehow. Maybe with another Corps?
6. I'm worried that something bad is going to happen to Guy. There's a little voice in my head that fears the worst, but another part says that they've built up the Guy/Tora thing too much to just kill him off... maybe he'll die but end up alive again by the end of Blackest Night.
7. Hector Hammond = Orange Lantern.
8. Even more obvious than #7 - the Blue Lanterns are going to die.
9. have nothing to support this one, really, but I have this feeling in my gut that something bad is going to happen to Korugar.
10. Nekron. Yeah.
I have a lot of other thoughts rattling around in my head right now so I'll likely post an addendum to this some other day. Probably after GLC this week.
So now that I'm catching up on what I missed while I was gone, the question of individual predictions for The Blackest Night has come up. Here's what I think.
1. We'll see Sinestro as a Green Lantern again. As awesome as I think it would be if he became one permanently, I don't see that happening -- more likely he'll end up sacrificing himself or some other such heroic but sad (to me) thing.
2. Black Lantern Abin Sur's presence will mess with Hal and Sinestro's heads, but he'll end up as a good guy again somehow. Maybe even all the dead GL Black Lanterns will turn against whoever is the power behind the Black Lanterns in the end, thus sacrificing their own "life" (such as it is).
3. Laira will be redeemed somehow (possibly through #2, but Hal will have a hand in it somehow).
4. We've already seen Hal wield multiple rings, but I think he'll end up with most, if not all, of them by the time the whole thing is over and done with.
5. Sinestro will mop the floor with Mongul, but Mongul will remain a player in the storyline somehow. Maybe with another Corps?
6. I'm worried that something bad is going to happen to Guy. There's a little voice in my head that fears the worst, but another part says that they've built up the Guy/Tora thing too much to just kill him off... maybe he'll die but end up alive again by the end of Blackest Night.
7. Hector Hammond = Orange Lantern.
8. Even more obvious than #7 - the Blue Lanterns are going to die.
9. have nothing to support this one, really, but I have this feeling in my gut that something bad is going to happen to Korugar.
10. Nekron. Yeah.
I have a lot of other thoughts rattling around in my head right now so I'll likely post an addendum to this some other day. Probably after GLC this week.
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