JL Flashpoint Paradox is Spittin' Hot Fire Awesome!

I just finished watching, Justice League The Flashpoint Paradox, and let me just take a moment to flip into child mode and speak a million miles too fast and say: 

"whattheheckjusthappenedthatwastotallyamazing-
andihardlytookabreathandwhendidauquamanhaveit-inhimtoeverbeabadguyandhowdidtheyjustgetaway-
withallofthat...andwowohwow!!!!!!"

Whew...ok now back to adult mode. DC animation is in full form with Flashpoint. With a winning production team of Geoff Johns (who wrote the original story), James Krieg (Screenplay), and Andy Kubert (illustration), along with a whole slew of amazing voice talent who you can check out on IMBd, it was bound to be a dang good watch anyway; but I was blown out of the water.  

Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan

In other reviews I have read, there have been many negative connotations regarding this animation. The way I feel about it is this - it does stray from the comic story line a bit, and it is a bit more graphic than your average Saturday morning cartoon genre, hence the PG-14 rating, and it is a bit shocking seeing your favorite Super Heroes in a different personality presence.  

But, isn't that what makes a good story?

Isnt that what constitutes as good art?

When something or someone stirs a passion inside of us or challenges something we were accustomed to believing?

I find a lot of times that the fans in the comic book industry are are a little too strong or critical on the very people who make the industry possible.  It is a very strange catch-22, if you ask me. 

I believe it is 100% ok to have an opinion, to have a voice, and to by all means be an individual...however, I do not believe it is ok to invoke those feelings and beliefs so strongly on others - that it influences the sales or purchases of products within an industry that collectively we are all hoping will thrive. 

With this being said, here is a generic review of Flashpoint Paradox:

WARNING SPOILERS not a lot but some...

While visiting his mother's grave, lamenting his inability to save her when she was killed in a home invasion when he was a child, Barry Allen (the super-speed superhero known as the Flash) is alerted to a break-in at the Flash Museum by Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Heat Wave, Mirror Master, and Top. Defeating the Rogues, he discovers that they have been hired by his arch-enemy Professor Zoom to lure him in as part of a plan to destroy Central City. With the help of his allies in the Justice League of America, Barry foils Zoom's plot. However, Zoom taunts over the death of Barry's mother. Despite Batman's urging not to let Zoom get to him, Barry runs off.

The next day, Barry awakens to discover that the world has radically changed around him: his powers have disappeared, his mother is alive, his wife Iris is married to someone else, and the Justice League does not exist. In this new timeline, Aquaman and his Atlantean forces have sunk most of Western Europe, while Wonder Woman has led the Amazons in conquering Great Britain. The Atlanteans and the Amazons are at war with one another after a failed attempt at peace resulted in Wonder Woman murdering Aquaman's wife Mera. Government agent Cyborg has put together a team to end the war by taking out the two leaders, and approaches Batman to join them, but he refuses, causing the President to abandon the plan. Instead, pilot Hal Jordan is assigned to fly an alienspacecraft in a bombing run on the Atlanteans.

Aquaman is one mean motha!

Barry visits Wayne Manor, but is attacked by Batman, who he realizes is not Bruce Wayne (who died in this reality) but his father Thomas Wayne. Attempting to explain things to an incredulous Thomas, Barry retrieves his Flash costume from the ring in which it is kept, but Professor Zoom's costumes appears in its place, causing Barry to believe Zoom is responsible for changing history. Convinced to help Barry by the knowledge that Bruce lived in the original timeline, Batman helps him recreate the accident that gave him his Flash powers, only for Barry to wind up being severely burned.

In London, Steve Trevor attempts to exfiltrate undercover reporter Lois Lane, but is discovered by the Amazons and killed. With Trevor's information, the Amazons hunt Lane down, but she is rescued by the local resistance and falls in with them. Meanwhile, amongst the remains of Paris, Deathstroke and Lex Luthor are attacked and killed by Aquaman's forces while tracking the energy trail of Aquaman's new superweapon: a captured and weaponized Captain Atom.

Realizing that his memories of the original timeline are fading, the injured Barry insists Batman recreate the accident again, this time resulting in the successful restoration of his powers. Although he regains his powers back, Barry discovers that he is unable to travel through time himself because there is another super-speedster using Speed Force in this timeline, preventing Flash to gather enough energy to break the time barrier.

Oh, it is just all good and fun and a mix of EVIL on the side.

Flash seeks to recruit more allies instead, beginning with Superman, who in this world is a prisoner of the government after his ship crashed into Metropolis, rather than Smallville. With the aid of Batman and Cyborg, they break into the bunker in which the withered Superman is held and liberate him. Empowered by the yellow sun, Superman holds off the government agents who confront the group, but then flies off in fear and confusion. Flash collapses as his memories continues to alter, and is taken to the home of Billy Batson and his foster siblings to recover. Learning of Jordan's failed attack and the beginning of the final battle between the Atlanteans and the Amazons, Flash convinces Batman to join them in an attempt to stop the war.

On board Batman's jet en route to Britain, Batman shows Flash a message intercepted from Lois Lane of a super-speedster she captured an image of, who Flash identifies as Zoom. As they wonder why Zoom would let Lois live if she saw him, the jet is shot down by the Atlantean fleet, and the battle begins. Batson and his siblings combine into Captain Thunder (the Captain Marvel of this world) to fight Wonder Woman, while Flash, Cyborg and Batman occupy Aquaman only for Batman to be gravely wounded. At this point, Zoom reveals himself to Barry and explains it was not he, but Barry himself who was responsible for changing the timeline when he went back in time to save his mother and caused the fabric of reality to fracture. The battle continues around them with Wonder Woman using her lasso to force Captain Thunder back into Batson and killing him, and Superman arriving too late to save Cyborg from Aquaman (culminating in a wounded Aquaman giving the order to trigger the Captain Atom bomb). As the explosion tears across the landscape, Zoom mocks the Flash, when he is suddenly shot through the head and killed by the injured Batman, leaving Flash to be the only user of Speed Force in this timeline. Before dying, Batman urges Barry to fix everything, giving him a letter addressed to his son, Bruce. Barry races back in time, and stops his earlier self from preventing his mother's death.

Barry reawakens at his desk, and finds that everything is back to normal (although all the heroes in this timeline have their costumes slightly altered because this is now The New 52 timestream). He visits Batman to tell him about everything that occurred and gives him the letter from his father, prompting the tearful Batman to tell him: "You're one helluva messenger."

Bats and Flash having a tender New 52 moment.

Now if you need to read "Flashpoint" again or hhhmmm...for the first time, no fear GEEKSELIXIR is here! and well Instocktrades.  These people are just fantastic.  I purchased the whole flashpoint set ( 6 trade paperbacks) for only $55.59 and the shipping is free because my order was over $50! Yes miracles do happen folks.

To read the Flashpoint series in order you need:

* Flashpoint
* Flashpoint: Batman
* Flashpoint: Wonder Woman
* Flashpoint: Superman
* Flashpoint: Green Lantern
* Flashpoint: The Flash

I will be receiving my order any day now to re-read the series and catch up on the ones I missed. I am giddy with excitement! And check out Flashpoint Paradox, I think you will enjoy it.

Reflections on NYCC 2012: The Fix YOU Need!

New York Comic Con 2012 - Is absolutely more than an event, it is an affair.  It is a time where everyone that everyone buys their tickets (and in advance I might add since it sold out this year months before) and puts on their best straight jackets for one heckuva crazy and wild time!

It just does not get better than this! 

While scanning the net for stats and numbers of the final count of attendees it looks as if NYCC is going to explode out at estimations around 115,000 in attendance.  And let me just say with a few times of having to travel and wait in line for broken escalators it felt that way.  However, I do live in denial, a happy place full of sunshine and rainbows so I decided that it was all good! 

When looking back - NYCC started in 2006 and boasted of an attendance of 33,000 the numbers this year choose to stand out at best.  In 2011, NYCC completed a successful year with 105,000 and many pats on the back.  This year as the booths were closing and fans were exiting there were rumors that NYCC might, just might, begin to rival its west coast foe SDCC! A style statement of the comic book world if there ever was one! 

The layout of the show was phenomenal in my opinion. However, I am a bit OCD and I like organization to a "T". Hence my intense love of reading within the gutter! (sorry taking a moment to laugh at my own jokes.) 
First and foremost, I want to address the placement of "Artist Alley".  The alley was a few 1000 square feet shy of an alley at best and was at the opposite end of the first floor of the of the convention center.  Professionally speaking, I believe this was a great decision. There was some hesitation in the air at first, however after the first full day (Friday) when the show floor was so packed that FLASH himself would just give up on speed, the separation was welcomed. 

Artist Alley was a breathe of fresh air - literally! The crowds still thronged however, and when they did, it was with purpose. It was nice to also have all artists and creators in one area. Because lets face it, less is better in what universe?

The show floor...The wonder of wonders. The area where crazy and "can it get any better than this" fall into the same category!  Booths from new literature, showcases for new games from Nintendo, Wii U, Saga, Playstation, Zombie U, New Super Mario Bros., and many more were available. Tomb Raider provided an amazing demo as well as Hitman and Sony provided demos for God of War.  Great comic book icons represented such as Marvel, DC, Vertigo, Image, Dark Horse, IDW and several up and coming.

Cosplay, professional and homemade were all welcome and enjoyed. This is a place were everyone celebrates and enjoys that everyone is insane and we love it!  From Sci-Fi, to gaming, to superheroes, to noir, to horror, to the LEGO's fanatics, to collectors, to action figures galore, there is just something for everyone and we celebrate our love of it.

Unfortunately, I did not get to as many panels as I wanted to, however the panels I did get to go to were fantastic well organized very informative.

All in all, I walked away knowing that cultivating and keeping my inner child alive for so many years has been a good thing.  Comic Cons are good for that.  There are too many serious topics that need immediate addressing on a day to day basis.  It is easy to forget that once in a while to set in the motion the FIX you NEED. To feed your inner child.

Up next...Marketing Tips in the Comic Book Industry - its multidimensional!

Converse Kickin' Conversation: Say What?

Are you feeling lonely?
Are you feeling a lack of friendship in your life? 
Do you feel a shortage of pizazz or razz-a-mi-tazz when you are trying to carry on a conversation with your cat, dog, hamster, or goldfish? 

Well, thankfully DC Comics x Converse Chuck Taylor has come to the rescue putting the KABOOM back into your social game! 

Case in point:
Just the other day I was out and about doing errands, while wearing my Wonder Woman kicks (featured above), and I had been in the store for 1 minute when I was stopped by a young woman.  
She said, "I totally love your shoes, my friends and I are big comic book geeks!" 
Of course I told her that she and her friends were headed down the correct path of life and that they should keep following their heart! We ended up talking about the latest comic books that have come out, comic cons that we have been too, and recommended a few movies to each other. 
A conversation lasting at least 10-15 minutes. (hey- she was an employee we had to cover a lot in little time.)
I walked away feeling like I had met a soul sister and done good in the world! 

My next experience was at another local public establishment. 
I was minding my own business, browsing the long aisles of books and magazines, when a small child came running up to me and was yelling something totally NOT English! I am pretty sure it was Klingon. 
The child was babbling and pointing.  
Finally he/she (still unsure on the gender) just plopped down and pointed to my shoes! It was pretty much the highlight of AWESOME!
The frazzled and embarrassed parent was only 2 steps behind. 
She was spouting apologies, but was explaining that "THE DAD", in a tone that was hilarious, read the baby comics every night!  
I died laughing. 
She did not realize the child, who spoke Klingon, would recognize a comic book character.  We began talking and she was fascinated at how normal I actually was! 
You know with being a comic book geek and a full grown adult and all! 
Once again, I walked away feeling I had done good influencing the world!

And who, or rather what, did I have to thank, well my Chuck Taylors! 

We are all aware of the hype around DC Comic and Converse merging.  It all started in with the first collection released in mid February 2011 to celebrate DC Comics 75th anniversary.  The first collection included Superman, Batman, and Joker in a vintage comic style and was called:
     *DC Heroes Pack Chuck Taylors - 75 Anniversary
After that it becomes a blur....I seriously tried to track down the order in which the shoes came out. I got lost between the 7 different collections and at least 4 exclusives...Including Wonder Woman, Riddler, Killer Crocs, and Batman Dark Knight. Geesh! 

We can all agree that Converse and DC Comics did good!

If you are in the market to get some super fly chucks on your thread barren feet and you are interested in checking out the what Superhero or Villain to choose let me give you a few pointers:

• As I stated before, there have been at least 7 released collections so search under collection names such as:
• DC Comics x Converse Chuck Taylor Collection
• DC Comics x Converse Chuck Taylor All Star HI Collection
• DC Comics x Converse Heroes 
• DC Comics x Converse Spring 2011
• DC Comics x Converse Holiday 2011
• DC Comics x Converse Chuck Taylor Original Artwork Collection
• DC Comics x Converse Spring 2012
• DC Comics x Converse Fall 2012
• Do not just look under the Converse site, check out other shoe sites.
• Use additional key words for search such as:
• All Star
• Sneakers
• Superhero Chucks
• DC Converse exclusive
• DC chucks
• Use the specific shoe style HI and Low
• To convert shoe size from men's to women - just subtract 2. Converse does not work in half size so go up a step. 
• Woman size 8 : Man size 6
• Woman size 9 : Man size 7

If by chance you have been lost to this wonderful world of conversation starters of a new generation and treats for geek feet here are a few pictures to get you going!

                                                                                

however if you are feeling a need to go a different speed:

                              

Favorite Superhero - or Do You Like To Breathe?

When I am asked the question, (innocently), "Who is your favorite Superhero?" 
I panic. I freeze with the fear of a 1000 blazing suns!
My eyes start to twitch and I feel a full system shutdown heading my way.  
I am not one to brag, but I have knowledge.
I know DC characters from Marvel characters.
I can name all the Thundercats, Voltron, Masters of the Universe, Transformers,TMNT and a good portion of GI Joe characters plus villains, not to mention a smattering of other swashbucklers.  So, the task of actually knowing a character and having the data to back it up should be easy. 
Alas, my brain goes to jelly. 

I have come to a couple of conclusions of why this physical comic meltdown seems to occur. Let me make it clear that all my conclusions could fit in a fanny pack and have not aided my dilemma. However, the train wreck in me says keep going...

My first conclusion is this, simply: When the word superhero is typed into google a plethora of hits come up. One exciting tidbit is: The Ultimate List of Superheroes and Villains by Comic Vine. There are literally thousands of superheroes and wonders of the universe listed on this fantastic page. 
Donald Duck is #5.
I do not know if I really need to expand on this much more, expect to say I do admire sassy attitude.

Another conclusion: picking favorites is so overrated.
If I was asked which do you like more, breathing or the use of your brain?  And then told to hurry and pick one! AAAAA...seriously?!?  There is just too much involved. 
There are times I would love to flip the off button for the ole' noggin, but I was never good at holding my breath for very long. 
And if I picked just one does that mean I am judged for still liking the other. 
"Nope sorry - You like breathing so today you have a LOBOTOMY scheduled!"
I guess in comparison, when I finally do come out with an answer and say, "ummm my favorite is well, oh gee, OK - I enjoy Daredevil"
Then I trot off to the comic book store and see said asker, and they see me buying a heaven forbid - Spiderman, Thor, Superman, Wolverine...it is pure confusion, head scratching, stammering - you get the drift. Can't a girl just love the universe? 

Now, getting to the nitty gritty of it all for me, why is it "Who is your favorite Superhero?", not "Who is your favorite Super Villain?" 
Dark Helmet in "Spaceballs" said it best, 

"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb." 

The way I look at it - villains are cool. 
Without our neighborhood villains there would be no need for Superheroes. 
As Vic the Publicist so eloquently states from "Mystery Men":

"VIC THE PUBLICIST:  I think right now we should focus on the positive. Tonight was good.

CAPTAIN AMAZING:  Yeah - you think so? 'Cause I was worried it was, um, I don't know... PATHETIC! "Amazing triumphs at a nursing home"? That's great copy, Vic.

VIC THE PUBLICIST:  Look, I'm a publicist, not a magician. You want big news, you have to have big fights. A superhero needs a super villain. And thanks to you, we've got none left." To sum it up, I have my favorites on certain days. I have the characters that make me laugh - ALWAYS. Then there is the good ole' fashion dose of nostalgia and I will never be able to shake those tried and true characters from my bones. (Note to self - have it written in my will to have He-Man and Lion-O buried with me.) I have my femme-fatal side that rages true and strong and I consider that a class or category of its own! Then I have my all time favorite villains. So I guess the question for ME is not, "Who is your favorite Superhero?" but rather "Who is your favorite comic character TODAY?!?"