Top Ten Favorite Pokemon List!

Taylor and I have been up to our Pokémon ways again, and we have crafted for you our own separate top 10 favorite Pokémon.  We will each give separate lists for you to enjoy.  Some of them are cute, and others are sterling racer dreams-come-true.  I frankly have no idea what I just said! So, let’s dig in!

Elliott’s Top Ten:

1. Absol

A couple of years ago I got back into Pokémon. I had ordered Platinum and played it, but I gave up on it because I was really frustrated. Then, after a couple of months, I gave Pokémon another chance. I went and downloaded the Rom for Emerald and dug into it. Unfortunately, I also gave up on this after I forgot to save the game after beating three gyms in a row. Nevertheless, I got to the point after climbing through Fortree City of where the elusive Absol was. I ran into it right away and instantly KO’d it. I was in love, though. I plodded around in the grass until I ran into it again and caught the sneaky thing. Sure, it has moderate stats and since Ruby/Saphire/Emerald it has become rather common which is a little disappointing since it is kind of a loner. It has all of the makings of being a legendary Pokémon with its sensing disaster and being misunderstood, but, alas, it is not. Absol, however, is a roaming legendary catching beast because it can learn both Mean Look and False Swipe (the only Pokémon that can). I seriously caught Thundurus in 5 minutes because of this wonderful Pokémon. I love the yin-yang design and the balance that it strikes despite being a Dark Pokémon. Overall, Absol and I are BFFs and I have caught one in every game and have quite a collection. (It is also one of the few Pokémon I’ve nicknamed: Aeriemin)

2. Lugia

Lugia is the only legendary that graces this list and with good reason: it is the coolest looking legendary ever. Sure, you’ve got some really cute legendaries and some really complicated ones, but Lugia balances out to be streamlined in design without being too simplistic. Pokémon Silver consumed my life when I was 10 and 11, and finally catching that mascot Pokémon was such an accomplishment that I seriously jumped up and down. I remember sitting on my basketball hoop’s stand out in the cul de sac in the midst of suburbia living my privileged life playing Pokémon. Lugia has a lot of weaknesses but makes up for it in defense and sp. defense with a decent speed stat. Whipping Lugia out against Bruno or Marshal almost makes me cry with pleasure. Plus, Lugia is pretty good against with dragons because of learning some ice moves. My personal favorite is Avalanche which hits with 60 regularly but doubles if you’ve been hit first. Overall, Lugia is an insanely well designed Pokemon and my favorite from Generation II. And yes, I nicknamed mine Iliohn after the fallen city of Troy.

3. Wartortle

I remember popping Pokemon Blue into my Gameboy Color for the first time and being mystified upon getting my very first Pokémon. It was a magical moment in which I knew I would play videogames for a sizeable chunk of my life. It was addictive RPG fun, and I loved it. My first Pokémon was a Squirtle. I worshipped that Pokémon to the fullest extent even including my Mom and me making a Squirtle cake for a silent auction at the Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts. I found that Wartortle, however, surpassed my love for Squirtle. I remember the building celebratory music of evolving my very first Pokémon; I definitely had the shivers. There’s just something classic about the design. I love the unnecessary ear things with the curly tail. Somehow, despite these silly additions to the design, Wartortle managed to be a little badass. It was a shame that it evolved to Blastoise so quickly, but it was always remembered as my shining star. (Wartortle and Pidgey made up quite the formidable pair throughout my mid-game run of Blue).

4. Typhlosion

Typhlosion is a powerhouse. Sure, it has well-rounded stats with Sp. Attack squeeking out so it is hard to exactly train for one thing over another. Nevertheless, it was clearly the best starter of Gen II and it has been, since then, one of the best fire starters in the entire series. Screw all of the Fire/Fighting starters: Typhlosion takes it home with simplicity. Yes, it may take until lvl 74 to get Eruption, but once you get the Eruption/Earthquake combo you can have a formidable Pokémon. Typhlosion just has a really great moveset to pull from. You can add a great deal of variety to its moves while having a great deal of resistances and easy weaknesses to remember. Plus, who can disagree with a Pokémon that has a collar made of fire. Simple in design but a complete killer in battle (if there was such thing as killing in Pokémon). My lvl. 97 female Typhlosion (from Taylor!) and I have been a lot, and it is always my go to Pokémon in the dire need of battle.

5. Garchomp

Okay, I’m probably going to get some people frustrated with this one. Garchomp is such a mega contender that it has been banned from tournaments. Going up against it is basically unfair with its pseudo-legendary skills. Though, if you bring Ice-type to the fight, then the Garchomp is royally screwed. However, it is still crazy strong. It has a phenomenal attack stat with fairly decent speed. Dragon Claw/Dragon Rush/Earthquake/Crunch makes a pretty one-sided match allowing you to breeze through nearly any Elite 4. Plus, it’s a pretty cool looking Pokémon taking note of the Hammer-head shark. I mean, it’s a shark of the air and the land. Of note, I hate its tail. I think it would have been a lot better not to make it look like an actual shark’s tail and instead kept it simple. Whenever I admire my beautiful Garchomp, I pretend that its tail is different and I’m happier for it.

6. Electivire

Gen IV is notable for releasing many third stage evolutions to already cool Pokémon. Magmortar is the counterpart to Electivire and is pretty decent looking itself. Togekiss, as Taylor explains is a pretty neat Pokémon, too. Rhyperior, however, is just really stupid looking. Electivire is a hell of a beast sporting the highest base stat and the highest attack of any Electric Pokémon. Sure, it doesn’t have that many resistances, but it makes up for it in sheer power. I like to specialize in sp. attack and speed like Taylor, but having this attack powerhouse on my hands really saves me in a bind. Unfortunately, a lot of its learned moves focus on sp. attack rather than regular attack so you get the STAB but not the attack. Giga Impact makes up for it in leaps and bounds. When in doubt, Giga Impact will save you. I also just like the design of Electivire; it’s like a yellow yeti that kicks major ass. Like Garchomp, though, I have a thing with its tails – they would be a lot cooler if they came out of its back rather than its butt. Plus, Pokémon has this really strange obsession with giving their little fighting animals two tails. I don’t know why, but it’s a little annoying.

7. Haxorus

Haxorus is, no doubt, the strongest designed Pokémon of Gen V. I still remember it by its Japanese name of Ononokus, but Haxorus is still a pretty awesome English name. Once again, this Pokémon balances out my team with crazy high attack. I love that it actually looks like a phenomenal dragon that doesn’t necessarily need wings. I put a lot of time training my little Axew (kindly traded by Taylor to me) to reach Haxorus. Sure, I still haven’t incorporated it into my team, and it would be nice to have a second type, but it still stands as a figure of monumental achievement by Nintendo to keep designs pumping and staying fresh. When I first saw this Pokémon as Taylor and I texted daily updates on information released for Black and White, I knew it would be one of my favorites.

8. Umbreon

It’s a big toss-up to which Eeveelution would be my favorite, and Umbreon barely squeaked by. This is mostly due to my hacked shiny Umbreon that I received trading online (for a Mudkip, I should have seen it coming). You think the yellow rings look cool? Imagine neon blue. I mostly like Umbreon because it is such a pain in the ass to battle against. It has ridiculously high defense and sp. defense that really prevent you from getting a good hit on it. Plus, if you smack it with a status affecting move, it uses Synchronize as its ability to reflect back upon you that status effect (a trait it shares with Espeon). Unfortunately, it does not learn any good STAB moves leveling up or even through TMs. So, you have to resort to separate types of moves, but there’s a decent selection to choose from.

9. Scizor

Okay, ready for me to geek out? My Mom and Dad really love geocaching. It’s basically where you get your GPS, input coordinates, and discover hidden items ranging in size from a quarter to a large Tupperware container. In the larger caches, items like toys can be put in and you can move these along from cache to cache. One such toy that we put in was a praying mantis figure. We attached a travel bug to it meaning that users on Geocaching can log where they found it and keep track of where it goes. You can check out the geo cache here: http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=2197889&page=1 . As you can see, it has gone to New Mexico and California and will hopefully travel across the states. Well, this travel bug originated while we were camping at Miller Lake in Oregon. We placed three new caches as we went, and my Dad let me name them all. So, I named the first one Scyther Mantis, the second one Metal Coat Mantis, and the last one Scizor mantis. My parents basically allowed me to geek out in the real world. Scizor is just a really cool Pokémon with 9 resistances and unaffected by another one! Sure, there’s 4x with fire, but you can avoid that pretty easily. It has crazy high attack and really rocks the red color. Overall, it may not be the best Pokémon in your party, but it sure as hell is fun to play around with and intimidate other trainers.

10. Gardevoir

Gardevoir is one of the coolest Pokémon to come out of Generation III, and one of the strongest 3 stagers. I find it oddly appropriate that we begin with Gen III and end with it. Sure, it may not be considered the best generation, but I think it’s highly underrated. Nevertheless, Gardevoir is a really elegantly designed Pokémon. It emphasizes simplicity and has a sort of secret strength up its sleeve with all things sp. attack and sp. defense. I clearly associate this Pokémon with a ballroom dancer so it has got to be female. In that case, it’s really weird to get a male Gardevoir and I’m glad they made the distinction to have a male version in Gallade. Sure, Gallade has a neat type combination (and weird hips), but you have got to give it to the original. If Pokémon had sex appeal, this would be the one to have it (that and Jynx).

Those that didn’t make it:

Totally looks like Glaceon!

• Glaceon: I say this all of the time: it is the Zooey Deschanel of Pokémon.
• Froslass: I just love the mythology of the Yuki-onna and the kimono. Just really well thought out.
• Espeon: I’m a big Eeveelution fan, and this one almost made it because it is so good in battle and who doesn’t need a psychic on their team!?
• Shuppet: I just think it’s deathly cute.
• Poliwhirl: First frog Pokémon for me to fall in love with (every frog afterward except maybe Toxicroak has been inferior).

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Taylor’s Top Ten:

Let me preface by saying I am very into Pokemon. Not just that I play the games, but I dedicate months upon months researching movesets, looking up base stats, and customizing the most efficient team possible. As such, my top 10 Pokemon are primarily based on those factors. That being said:

1. Blaziken

Blaziken is a third generation Fire/Fighting-type heavily favored in the competitive battling circuits and with good reason. Blaziken is an incredibly overpowered Pokemon, especially for a starter, which up until then tended to be a little more well-rounded in the way of stats and learned moves. Blaziken is an immaculate specimen specializing in Attack/Sp. Attack and Speed, a combination that brings TEARS TO THINE EYES. As far as natures go, a Jolly-natured Blaziken is godly among hardcore trainers. Especially in addition to it’s Dream World ability Speed Boost, which increases speed one stage each turn. And as far as design goes, Blaziken looks like an ass-kicker. With a specialty in fire, fighting, and flying-type moves it certain holds up.

2. Espeon

Espeon is a second generation “eeveelution” and another Pokemon that’s been coveted among competitive players. Like Blaziken, Espeon specializes in Sp. Attack and Speed (though to a much, much greater extent). I know Espeon’s design is based on a fox, but the shut-in crazy cat lady in me loves Espeon because it looks like my cat (who I refer to as “my baby”, like those crazy ladies who get their own special on TLC). Espeon is really all you could ever ask for in a psychic Pokemon, it’s ability “Synchronize” (passing attained status afflictions to the user) is a godsend, becoming of particular use in the event of paralysis. Espeon’s only downfall (besides a somewhat limited moveset, common among psychic-types) is that it’s strongest move Psychic isn’t learned until level 64, a point at which most trainers have already beaten the Elite Four and moved past the point of shaping their perfect team. But simply because Espeon has such high Sp. Attack, moves like Psybeam can still be made redeemable.

3. Togekiss

Togekiss is a fourth generation Normal/Flying-type who was made to evolve from Togetic. My love for Togekiss stems a lot from my childhood, when I was amazed by the introduction of Togepi during the first generation and as a wide-eyed and impressionable 8 year-old thought “I MUST HAVE ONE”. And sure enough, by the time Pokemon Silver made its way into my anxious little hands, Togetic had become a main fixture on my team as my Flying-type (though I was unable to mask my disappointment that Togepi, who was probably the cutest thing I’d ever seen could evolve into such an awkward, misshapen bird-thing as Togetic). Togekiss is sort of a difficult Pokemon to obtain, but when it is, it’s an easy pick for a flying-type in any game. Togekiss is primarily centered around Sp. Attack and Sp. Defense, with notable base Defense and Speed as well. But what’s most impressive about Togekiss is it’s moveset. It doesn’t learn any moves by leveling up, but has compatibility with an astounding number of TMs and MTs (move tudors), which opens up a world of customization options.

4. Chandelure

The recent fifth generation of Pokemon definitely brought out a lot of outstanding fire-type Pokemon, which made it difficult for me to narrow them down to just one for my team. Though in the end, Chandelure had beaten out contenders such as Darmanitan and Emboar. Chandelure is…interesting, it’s certainly not something one would think of a Pokemon to be based on. I mean, it’s a ghost lamp. But I’m willing to overlook aesthetic oddities for stats like this. Chandelure outshines every non-legendary fire and ghost-type Pokemon with its’ Sp. Attack, with decent markings in Defense, Sp. Defense and Speed as well. Chandelure is also set up for an interesting move combination. One of its special abilities (and probably the most ideal) gives the opponent a 30% of burn upon physical contact. There’s also the option of using a move slot to learn “Will-o-Wisp”, a move with a 75% of inflicting burn. This to be followed up by Chandelure’s base move, ghost-type Hex, which doubles in attack power upon a victim affected by status effects bringing its base power to 100. Needless to say, Chandelure has served me well over the course of Pokemon Black and is definitely a ghost and fire-type Pokemon worth investing in future teams.

5. Ampharos

I’m a sucker for these second generation Pokemon. I’m really inclined to use Pokemon with a 3-step evolution chain, and visually Ampharos is just a really neat-looking Pokemon. The first two generations of Pokemon primarily consisted of hordes of statistically well-rounded Pokemon, and Ampharos fits that mold to a certain extent. Its base HP, Attack, Defense, and Sp. Defense are all moderate and within 15 points of each other. Where Ampharos really excels is Sp. Attack, leaving many electric-type Pokemon of the time in the dust and still continues favor the top-tiers of electric-types. As of the fourth generation, Ampharos became much more beneficial to a well-rounded team with the addition of bug-type Signal Beam, and rock-type Power Gem to its moveset. Ampharos also hosts the ability Static, which has a 30% of inflicting paralysis upon physical contact. All-in-all, Ampharos is a shining example of my childhood nostalgia integrated with my young-adulthood compulsion to raise a perfect Pokemon team.

6. Wailord

Wailord is a third generation water-type Pokemon that strays a bit from my usual trend of attack-inclined Pokemon. Wailord isn’t particularly exceptional in terms of Attack or Sp. Attack, borderline awful in Defense and Sp. Defense, instead favoring an astounding base HP, a stat I usually give low consideration towards. By the time the third generation of Pokemon rolled around, I was just entering middle school, and was convinced that being “cool” had long-term benefits geeky kids like me could only imagine. That being said, I would have been mortified to have been caught playing Pokemon. Convinced my already low social-standings would be compromised, I kept far away from the third generation of Pokemon. Though in my heart, I secretly yearned to once again pick up a Pokedex and set out on a journey across the country, capturing and training, and basking in the glory of the champion title. And for some reason, I was inexplicably drawn to Wailord. I’m not big on water-type Pokemon and yet Wailord was so…daunting. It was absolutely massive compared to every other Pokemon, and laughably impractical for battle in reality. But it was a big divergence from the majority of water-type Pokemon at that point, and I had to pay Wailord some tribute for swimming against the tide (badum-ch).

7. Flygon

Flygon is a third generation dragon/flying-type Pokemon. Though statstically on the average side, Flygon is another Pokemon is quietly ached to own. Despite not ever owning a third generation Pokemon game until well into the fourth generation, I had already made up a team that included Flygon, being of two types I had normally ignored for a more mainstream-typed team. Flygon isn’t a bad Pokemon, nor is it particularly extraordinary, its’ moveset is fine, its’ base stats are fine. But what really sets Flygon apart for me, is that it’s a dragon-type Pokemon that I don’t feel like a dick for owning. Every previously introduced Dragon-type Pokemon and every Dragon-type Pokemon since (exception Druddigon) have been incredibly over-powered and what I consider borderline cheap (case in point, Hydreigon). They tend to have base stat totals well over 500 and harbor resistances to common types such as fire, electric, grass, and water with their only weaknesses being dragon and ice (another two-types I had almost forgot even existed). Flygon really went against the grain of dragon-types and right into my heart.

8. Vanilluxe

Vanilluxe is a fifth generation ice-type Pokemon. As I’ve literally just mentioned, I tend to stray from ice-types. Aside from water/ice-type Walrein, I’d never even considered investing in an ice-type for my team. Ice-types aren’t particularly effective against most types, and have a few too many weaknesses to common elements than my usual preferred types. But playing through Pokemon HeartGold, I quickly realized the importance of having a countermeasure to the dreaded dragon-type, Johto being the home of Dragon Masters Clair and Lance. I struggled against both of them, and when I researched the newly introduced fifth generation dragon-type Pokemon I knew I had to change my ways. I know I’m going to get a lot of flack for praising Vanilluxe, but I have a soft spot in my heart for goofy things and I can’t imagine anything sillier than engaging a trainer in a heated Pokemon battle and throwing out an ice cream cone “Take this, you motherfucker”. Vanilluxe isn’t particularly gifted in comparison to many Pokemon, but as far as ice-types go it’s worth long-term investment. Speed is definitely a stat that needs training with Vanilluxe to go up against dragon-types, but if you work hard enough to build Vanilluxe up to level 67, it learns the 1-hit KO move Sheer Cold. Vanilluxe has certainly served me well over the course of Black, and will likely remain a go-to ice-type for future generations.

9. Chinchou

Chinchou is a water/electric-type introduced in the second generation. I’m not really sure how to explain myself here. Chinchou is by all means a statistically awful Pokemon. The type combination and ability “Volt Absorb” make it worth note, but other than that it defies all criteria I ever held dear to me in a Pokemon. Its moveset isn’t bad, but it’s difficult to invest in since it lacks anything super ordinary in terms of stats. But as a child, I adored Chinchou for a reason that I now fail to grasp. It’s insufferably cute. It’s in my top 10. Deal with it.

10. Wartortle

I don’t really give a lot of love to the first generation of Pokemon. Obviously it came around in my crucial formative years, and heavily impacted the geek I am today. But in comparison to the other generations, it doesn’t house any particular qualities that make it stand above the rest, obviously other than introducing the series as a whole and acting as a trailblazer for the RPG genre, the routes are comparatively short and direct, the majority of the Pokemon don’t have stats particularly of note. But as a kid, I felt like my Pokemon were truly my companions. I pretended they missed me when I was away at school (…I was a lonely child), and that they fervently craved adventure as much as I did. Wartortle really stood out to me back then, typically most 3-Pokemon evolution chains don’t spend a whole lot of time in their second forms and Wartortle isn’t an exception. But as a kid Wartortle, Hypno, and Dugtrio were always on my main team at some point just because I liked them, and no further reason. I knew the basics of type-advantages and weaknesses but I was disinclined to care so long as I had these three. Wartortle always being at my side as I jumped over cliffs, swam through oceans, and trekked through mountains on my way to become the champion.

Those that didn’t make it:

• Dugtrio: Dugtrio’s pretty cool in my opinion. I know Ground Pokemon tend to be pretty powerful, but for some reason they’ve never captivated me except for Ol’ Duggie.
• Hypno: I get it guys, Hypno doesn’t LOOK cool. But I feel a definite kinship towards my long-nosed brethren, and Psychic Pokemon are just fascinating to me.
• Empoleon: Empoleon narrowly missed the cut. It has good stats, good type combination, and an impressively varied moveset (provided you get a little creative with your TMs). Just he’s so overused, I don’t feel right nudging out one of my top 10 for him. MAYBE NEXT TIME.
• Manectric: Playing through Pokemon Emerald would have been impossible for me without Manectric (well…it would be difficult). His stats are nothing to scoff at, and he proved to me that 2-stage evolution chains are people too. Actually, if I wasn’t so nostalgic about Wartortle he’d probably be my 10.
• Typhlosion: Typhlosion doesn’t really stand out much in the way of stats, but him and I have had 300+ hours of bonding time over the course of HeartGold and he never disappointed me. His move list boasts impressive range of physical and sp. attacks. And he’s one of the few Pokemon who can learn the ultimate Fire-type move Eruption.

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Excited about the Pokémon that we love?  How about checking the ones that we hate, as well!  Taylor and I worked hard to figure out our most hated Pokémon and we hope you enjoy basking in our negative glory as much as we did.  You can find our top hated Pokémon here.

If you would like to contribute your own top ten, let me know in the comments section and we can work something out.

Post-Flashpoint Renumbering

Okay, for you comic book fans that have been reading DC for awhile and are not in the loop check out this article.

Is it just me or does Batman have bigger muscles than Superman?

So, in September every single DC Book is going to be renumbered to number one.  This includes the long-running Detective Comics or the recently reaching 900 Action comics and so forth.  Sure, they may return to the legacy numbering on some issues (like the soon approaching 900 in Detective), but it seems like this stuff is going to stick.

Flashpoint will basically become our modern Crisis on Infinite Earths where we start over again.  Continuity will be wiped out (for the most part, I assume) and everything will begin fresh and anew.

There are a couple problems with this:

• With so many #1s in September I frankly have no idea what I’m going to buy.
• I am deathly afraid that they are going to ruin my understanding of some of the characters (i.e. Batman).
• For the next year or so it seems like most of the stories will be origins.
• Will the new characters introduced reflect a greater diversity?
• And, of course, some of my favorite characters (my beloved Tim Drake) will more than likely cease to exist.

Nevertheless, the more I think about it, I believe that this is probably a good idea.  It’s world building and allows for creators to come up with fresh and innovative stories without relying to heavy on the past.  Sure, Batman Inc. will most likely be wiped out and so far it has been genius (I really like Dick and Bruce in the Batman role), but it may be for the best.  Indeed, I was volunteering last Thursday and talking to my co-volunteer which was a guy in his late 40s who was genuinely interested in comics.  I realized that explaining who had been Batgirl and how many Robins there have been was probably very confusing to him.  So, to get new readers in, this may be a wise idea.

Nevertheless, I’m worried.  I feel like starting afresh is a great idea, but what may be so potential downfalls?  If we’re starting the universe over, then I want more female, transgender, gay (the new Batwoman series will launch this fall), African American, and people of all sorts of different cultural backgrounds to take the lead.  However, from what we know of the new Justice League, it seems like they are reinstating the masculine and white paradigm.  So please DC, I agree that – despite my love for some of these characters – it’s probably a good idea to hit reset, but take advantage of the opportunity at hand and DO NOT go back to the same heteronormative stuff that you’ve been shelling out.  Including some of those characters that provide diversity to the line up will gain you many positive approvals from outside the typical male, white, heterosexual audience.  This will perhaps draw in new readers rather than just pissing off old ones.  So, take advantage.

This is actually making me care a little about Flashpoint.  So, good job.

Detective Comics #877: Review!

You know, it’s not too often that I read a comic twice.  Sure, I may go back and re-read issues a year or so later, but when I get a comic I usually read it once, put it in a pile, eventually bag & board it, and set it away in a box.  The only comic I consistently read twice is The Walking Dead.  Well, Scott Snyder and Jock are knocking it out with Detective Comics and caused me to read it twice.

Snyder’s first stint on Detective with Jock was pretty cool, but by now you can tell he’s gotten a handle on the characters.  His voice for Dick is unique but totally fits the character.  I never knew a monologue about Roadrunners could be so damn interesting!  Like the criminals in Gotham, this comic is opening up and setting a menacing tone without being afraid to try new things.  There are some outlandish premises but Snyder reals them in and makes them feel real almost noir.  The dialogue between characters is spot on and thrilling (I loved the banter and playfulness between Dick and Tim).  I feel myself hanging onto every word.  Most of the time when I read comics I do not ascribe a voice to the characters – it’s just one flat monotone voice for everyone – but Snyder is creating voices in my head and that is amazing to me.

Jock’s artwork has also become more detailed and a little less scratchy.  You can tell he’s experimenting a little and the comic is all the better for it.  His designs and characters are dynamic and engrossing.  There is so much movement and flow between panels; they do not feel stagnant or posed.  Basically, Jock makes Snyder’s writing come to life, and you can tell their collaboration is organic and it really pays off.  One person that needs to get a lot of credit is David Baron.  His coloring adds so much mood to Jock’s already thrilling art.  From stark reds to rain blues and then to murky greens, he really adds a lot to the overall feel of the comic.

Detective Comics is by far one of – if not – the best superhero comic DC is producing right now.

Fables #105: Review!

Mister Dark is quite a vile villain.  I suppose what sets him apart from most other villains is that he is truly evil but clever on top of it.  He seems always determined but resourceful.  He knows when to fully attack and when to wait and build up terror.  It’s really extraordinary watching him work against our beloved Fables.  He is the ultimate threat, and he is winning.

This issue is a major game changer.  The outcome of which is neither a surprise or expected.  Nevertheless, it provides a necessary power move to possibly allow Haven to win against Mister Dark.  The grand decision all revolves around a conversation between Bigby and Mr. North (his father).  This is perhaps the most important conversations of the entire series and it shows both the strengths and fallacies of either character.  It’s one of those blurbs of dialogue that you latch out upon.

In that respect you must give Willingham credit.  He has written a brilliant conversation that seems so wonderful that it practically must have written itself.  Overall, he has set the stage for perhaps the biggest battle of the series (even larger than Frau’s final fight with Mister Dark 5 issues previously), and I am all excited for it.  The issue stands alone but it also leads quite nicely into the next one.  The ramifications are huge and the scenario only gets larger.

The art by Buckingham, as always, is enjoyable.  I love his Mr. North.  I love how he flows like the wind and his hair is wild yet controlled.  It’s quite a wonder to look at.

This issue is very important to the series as a whole and it really sums up how good the series is in general.

Ghost Sperm: Football

It seems to me that I am very concerned about what my little Ghost Sperm(ies) do in their free time.  I mean, seriously, they have got to be insanely bored because they failed at the one mission in their life.  THEY COULDN’T IMPREGNATE AN EGG.  Sure, some of them struggled real hard, but, in the end, they failed and died.  So what then do they do to preoccupy themselves?  Well, I would like to imagine that they’re just like humans with their favorite pastimes and what not.  So, here in the states, one of the biggest revenue-generating machines is football.  So, I wanted to see what would happen when a Ghost Sperm played football.  And, well, we discover it’s just not very good at it.

Ghost Sperm: Boat

You know, I have never listened to that “I’m on a Boat” song nor do I intend to.  But, just based upon people’s reactions to it, I can tell that is is utterly, completely, ridiculously stupid.  So, playing off of that, I put the Ghost Sperm on a boat!  Why?  Because I’m hilarious and love to jump right onto current cultural trends (from a couple of years ago, of course).

Originally, I had the water colored blue because I wanted them to be sailing the high seas, but then I realized that they’re dead and inside some testes.  So, I made the color a little bit like semen.  Enjoy!

Oh yes, and sorry for the delay.  Things will be all back on schedule starting this Thursday at Ghost Sperm’s regular time.

Comic Book Cache – Round 3

Sorry for the delay on Comic Book Cache, guys.  I got distracted by school and what not.  Anyway, we return with three more indoctrinations into the world of comic books.  We have some great books up for review by people who typically do not read comics (or, at least, not as many comics as I do).  I hope you enjoy this great experiment and become interested in some diverse and eclectic reading material.  Check out Round 1, Round 2, or the Master List by clicking on the linknames.

Who I am:

I am Beverly Gayle (II) Schlegel. I’m a student at Lane Community college where I earn my meager income as a writing tutor . . . cuz’ I right reel good.
Book: Tales of Woodsman Pete: With Full Particulars by Lilli Carré

My Comic History:

I’ve read a wee bit o’ comic books. The first example that comes to mind is Calvin and Hobbes. Like many of the kids in my generation, Bill Watterson opened the door for me to a mystical realm. Over the years that door musta’ blown shut, but thanks to comic-fanatic friends + the interweb, I’m once again a fairly avid reader/viewer of comics, web comics and graphic novels. I like the format, the combo of words and images. Sometimes, what an author conveys with a single, simple frame cannot be captured in 1000 words –  its like what people say about a photograph. And if you think of how much information is packed in a WHOLE book filled with images, you can see the dimension that illustrations add to written language.

My Selection:

So, Tales of Woodsman Pete. Did you catch the subheading? “With Full Particulars.” Naturally, the darling title combined with homey cover art – a portrait of good ole’ Pete looking like an aloof Santa or a gnome in a hunting cap – drew me to Lille Carre’s book quicker than a hoarder to a junk sale. I’ve enjoyed this quick read several times (estimated time required for completion: 30-60 min.), and I always find myself coming back to the simple, expressive drawings and endearing characters.

Why I dig it:

In its truest essence, Carré’s book is the story of an old man living utterly alone in a cabin in the woods. Yet the absurdity of Pete’s situations, telling campfire stories to a bear rug or picking flowers to spite a tree that fell on his roof, create humor and interest in seemingly dull subject area. This book takes a tough look at perhaps the most painful human condition: loneliness. But it didn’t leave me disinterested or depressed. The delightfully plain illustrations and clever twists of language offer a digestible, though sometimes hard to swallow, reflection on the absurd ways we cope with being alone.

What I do not dig:

To put it simple, I just want MORE. I would love to see a second collection of tales, especially featuring Paul Bunyan and Babe. The few inserted in Tales of Woodsman Pete, perhaps on a whim by the author, deserve more of a spotlight and could be expanded into their own collection. Maybe even a feature length comic book. Yay!

Name: Adriana Flores
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Book: Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai by Stan Sakai

Ever since my junior year of high school I’ve been hooked on Graphic novels. The first graphic novel I ever read was Watchmen, followed by many others such as V for Vendetta, Maus 1 & 2, Owly, Robot Dreams, and Blankets. I love the integration of images and words and their ability to draw the reader into the world of the story, even more so than a regular novel.

When volunteering for this project I told Elliott he could give me any book he wanted; I wanted a surprise and a challenge if I was going to spend time reading outside of my schoolwork. Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai was, in fact, both surprising and challenging! Usagi is an incredibly beautiful book; every page is vibrant and bold. The artistic style is a little different than I’m used to when reading graphic novels but, especially in character depiction and facial expressions, but there is no denying that Stan Sakai worked incredibly hard on this book and it shows. This book, however, was a tad difficult to read. There were many points in the text where Japanese myths or creatures were referenced and I had to look up what they were, which made my reading a bit disjointed. Additionally, although I enjoyed reading the book I was particularly grabbed by the plot; it was interesting but I wasn’t all that invested in the storyline. I’m not sure if this was just because I’m not accustomed to Sakai’s storytelling style or if I was rejecting a type of graphic novel that I wasn’t used to.

Overall, I’m glad that Elliott gave me a type of graphic novel that I wasn’t accustomed to. It’s easy for me to get stuck in my mainstream and cutesy graphic novels and reading Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai was a nice reminder that there are other types of graphic novels out there. The one thing I’ll take away from this experience is the beautiful artwork that Sakai has created; it never ceases to amaze me how truly beautiful graphic novels can be. I hope to read more books like Usagi in the future to expand my knowledge of the world of graphic novels.

Brendan Joanou

Comic Book Review:  Identity Crisis

By:  Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales, and Mike Bair

Let me start this review by saying that I am not by any means an expert or connoisseur of comics.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy reading them.  I know many of the major comic book characters and their groups, but that is about it.  That being said, Identity Crisis tells a story that contains a large amount of DC characters both major and minor.  However, the comic is written and presented in such a way that makes the story entertaining and understandable to readers of any level of superhero know-how.

Identity Crisis revolves around the murder of Sue Dibny (wife of Elongated Man a.k.a Ralph Dibny) and the massive investigation launched to find and punish the killer.  Families of the superheroes are being targeted with little evidence being left at the crime scenes.  Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and other big league DC heroes make their appearances, but most of the story focuses on a faction of the Justice League.  Green Arrow, Elongated Man, Atom Man, and The Flash are especially critical.  These heroes have an especially strong and personal stake in the mission.  After suffering casualties and seemingly exhausting their leads, the person responsible for the crime is finally discovered and apprehended.

While the conclusion of the story was an unexpected twist, it struck me as slightly unsatisfying.  To be fair though, I did appreciate the fact that the ending was not carried out in the grand predictable fashion that is usually seen. The art of Identity Crisis was neither unique nor striking, but it was effective at portraying the characters and critical moments. Crisis also set up too many open-ended plot situations and unnecessary additions (or at least they seemed unnecessary to me).

Despite these draw backs, I found Identity Crisis to be very interesting and entertaining.  The frustration, sadness, and desperation that the characters felt during their investigation were very well conveyed.  Even though the plot followed a pattern of character in danger, trace lead, pummel bad guys, back to searching, the sense of mystery was well maintained.  There were two scenes that I thought were particularly well written.  One was a battle with Deathstroke (Slade) in which he manages to completely trounce the heroes by exploiting their weaknesses in a way that utilized intelligence over super powers. The other was a scene in which Batman and Robin race to save Robin’s father.  This was a particularly emotional scene, and I definitely felt that this scene was the moment when I was most absorbed in the story.

If I were to give this a nominal sort of ranking, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. There were the occasional plot holes and unrealistic moments, but overall I felt that it was a very engaging and interesting read.

Maybe I Should Stick to Prose: 8 – The Heavy

The Heavy

Bones laced through opened skin
rushing the frozen waters
to stream from the fall
ragged threads bound to sweat
still warm.

With burning screams the shadows stand erect,
stretched tall in posed, emptied triumph
and watch with wagging tongue
the painted faces surrounding
as wolves do waiting from far
to tear away marrow with dripping jaws.

Time twisted across the sunken smile
dusted across the softened faces
fallen into an unwakeable slumber
in the boughs of the blood-rusted crook
as they sway beneath the heavy
weightless, tapping wicked trees.

Red Robin #23: Review!

This comic just got really good.  Alright, alright… it was already pretty darn good, but the stakes have been upped in this issue.  There are all of these threads that are culminating into the Assassin’s tournament, and I’m in on the ride.

The comic starts off with a brief update in Tim’s civilian life and relationship with Bruce and then it hits the ground running with Tim meeting up with Lynx again.  She is clearly becoming his Catwoman, and I really enjoy how its a relationship based upon lust rather than actual feeling because it represents Tim not fully growing up yet.  He had something relatively stable with Stephanie for awhile, but now he is doing something rather unexpected for someone who is ridiculously meticulous with his planning.  Plus, I’m surprised that they didn’t chip a tooth or something at a certain point.

Basically, the comic comes around to the Assassin’s tournament by Tim recognizing something’s going on and reacting early to it.  This issue feels like a lead up, but it still leaves you relatively satisfied in terms of story.

Marcus To and Ray McCarthy’s art is highly underrated.  They are a great team.  I really enjoy that To’s characters are never overly-muscled or heavy-breasted.  In a world of superheroes – they look a little bit more realistic.  I especially enjoy their version of Dick’s Batman where he is trim like an acrobat but still highly powerful.  Plus, there is a brief bit where Dick’s freefall mirrors her freefall in the recent Detective Comics.  Completely unplanned but still interesting.

Overall, this book has great things going for it and does not cease to entertain.

Also, I was a little hesitant to DC bringing the letter pages back because such mainstream publishers usually do not print criticisms.  Instead, they wet their own pallet with positive, glowing reviews.  This is sort of happening, but there are some minute criticisms and fan-to-fan combat going on.  So, it seems like DC is trying to include in its two pages of fan letters some discussion rather than just glowing review masturbation.

Batgirl #21: Review!

You know, it’s surprising to think that I’ve followed this series for nearly two years.  For that long, it has been going strongly.  And this issue keeps up the pace.

Now, the series has never been phenomenal, but it’s never been really bad either.  It coasts at a nice even pace that is light-hearted and fun.  There is a bright spot in the Batman universe and that is Stephanie Brown.

In this issue, Bryan Q. Miller puts Batgirl up against another college student member of The Scythe.  The endgame is rather unclear on what The Scythe will do, but we know that they are not out to kill Batgirl.  Instead, they are pursuing their own means for some sort of benefactor.  I find this rather interesting because the goal isn’t necessarily to kill the hero or even hurt them, it’s instead to go about their business and hope for no further interruptions.  But, interruptions they get in the plentiful as Stephanie kicks some ass.

There is also the side plot of Wendy Harris and she makes a decision that will take her out of the immediate picture (I’m sure the side quest will be shown in further issues) which effectively leads Stephanie out on her own.  Overall, there is tight plotting.

However, I can’t help but to think that this series will work so much better as a trade.  I tend to forget exactly what is going on from month to month and it leads me a little confused right at the beginning.  So, this will definitely lead to more re-reads.The inker also has some fun on a couple of panels making things a little muddier and impressionistic.

Overall, interesting story that’s compelling but doesn’t necessarily wow.