So you want to be a geek...

Incorruptible and Irredeemable

MichaelC — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:53:32 +0000

When you think of comic books you most likely associate them with Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Ironman to name a few. And with that you probably also think DC Comics or Marvel Comics. Even if you don't know which is which you've probably heard the words before.
Well there is a world outside of your familiar superheroes. A story I started reading a few months ago by a Comic Company called Boom Studios, written by legendary comic writer Mark Waid (Kingdom Come)
These two books started in April of 2009 with Irredeemable, a story of the world greatest hero turn most evil villain.
This is a really interesting story. I really enjoy the perspective of the characters and watching this "Superman Like" character, the Plutonian, has decided instead of helping the people of Earth, he wishes to bring them pain and destruction. But why? We get glimpses into his past and slowly watch his progression into madness. The writing is smart and quick. You don't expect to read some of things that appear on the page. In addition to that the artwork by Peter Krause is really enjoyable and gives you imagery that will shock and excite you. It is a great read and I recommend picking it up.
Now on the flip side there is there is Incorruptible. This is a story of a man who was a villain named Max Damage(the character name is a little weak), who after seeing the destruction first hand by the Plutonian, he feels the world needs a new hero to protect them.
The only problem is, because he was a villain for so long, everyone is out to get him.
Both stories are great reads. In addition to that, you get sucked in and tend to not be able to put them down. The one problem I have with Incorruptible is that they just changed the artist on the book and really don't like the direction the art has gone. People would say the previous more boxy look isn't right for it but I felt it fits the tone of the story much better and makes it feel more real and less cartoonish. I am hoping at some point the two books will merge so that we can have this constant all out battles between the two characters. The cool thing about Max Damage is his power. If he sleeps his power goes away, the longer he is awake the stronger he becomes. And that is with anything, his skin becomes bulletproof, his strength becomes immeasurable, he can jump super high. It's really a cool idea that when we rests his power goes away.
I hope you enjoy my review.
Check it out.

GEEK OUT!

World of Superman

MichaelC — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:42:01 +0000

For the part of the last year plus Superman has been all over the place in the current DCU continuity. (Please know there are tons of spoilers ahead.) It started out with the Brainiac battle that left Jonathan Kent dead and Superman uncovering a glass bottle city of Kandor, an ancient city of Krypton stolen by Brainiac to be added to his collection. Superman unlocked the bottle city near his Fortress of Solitude and released to the world, Earth, about 100,000 Kryptonians, all with the same powers as Superman. With that we get introduced to Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)'s mother and father who have become the leaders of Kandor.
The people of Earth viewed these new Kryptonians with mixed emotions. Some were excited, most were afraid. The person most against the new Kryptonians was the long thought to be dead, General Lane, Lois Lane's father.
General Lane sought to destroy the Kryptonians, all of them. He devised a plan to force the Kryptonians off of Earth by killing Zor-El, Kara's father. The Kryptonians then lifted the city of Kandor off of Earth and carried it to the opposite side of the Sun forming New Krypton. Superman decided to spend time off of Earth, away from Lois, to watch over New Krypton.This pinned Superman between Earth, his adopted home, and New Krypton, the new home of his people. Superman was forced to join General Zod's Military Guild to teach the Kryptonians how to fight and use their new found powers. This story arc, World of New Krypton went on for a year. It took a bit too long to develop but it was an enjoyable story none the less.
While that was going on, Superman has left Earth to a hero named Mon-El. Mon-El was a Daxamite with similar powers to Superman without the weakness to Kryptonite. The only problem was, Mon-El is weak to Lead and being on Earth was slowly killing him. mon-El was aided by, The Guardian, Cloned soldier who headed the Science Police in Metropolis.
With that, there were two other new heroes who arose from the leaving of Superman, Christopher Kent and Thara, also known as Nightwing and Flamebird. Christopher was the birthed son of Zod and Ursa in the Phantom Zone but adopted by Lois and Clark(see Superman Last Son). Thara was a Kryptonian from Kandor who was the living embodiment of the spirit Flamebird. She believed that Christopher was her destined love Nightwing, and they were to protect Earth from the remaining Kryptonians.
Earth found out they were Kryptonians and sought to destroy them lead by General Lane who eventually revealed himself to the world. They luckily escaped and were forced to fight a mechanized version of their God Rao with the help of the JSA and Wonder Woman.
Lex Luthor, who for the past year was imprisoned by General Lane to study Brainiac had developed his own plan of attack against the Kryptonians. He was able to free himself and Brainiac and waged an attack on New Krypton in an attempt to recapture Kandor for Brainiac's collection of bottle cities.
Lex Luthor had managed to get on the planet of New Krypton to find a prisoner held captive by Alura Zor-El, leader of New Krypton and Supergirl's mother. The prisoner was a villain named Reacton who has a Yellow Kryptonite Heart.
Lex Luthor modified Reacton so that he would basically Supernova, blowing up all of New Krypton in an attempt to kill all of them. Alura saves Supergirl at the last second by putting her in a protective chamber.
General Zod and the Kryptonian Military had already set out to destroy the people of Earth in the start of the War of the Supermen. The only people standing in his way was Superman, Supergirl, and the heroes of Earth.
Lex Luthor had one more trick up his sleeve. The Fake God Rao was converted into a missile destine for the sun. his plan was to fire the missile at the sun and cause the Sun to go from Yellow to Red and therefore negating the Kryptonians powers and killing all of them, Superman included.
Flamebird and Nightwing had evolved to a point where they no longer needed the Yellow Sun to grant them their powers so Thara (Flamebird), threw herself into the Sun to reignite it and make it Yellow again saving the Kryptonians. Unfortunately she could not save all of them and she died in the process leaving Knightwing alone.
Superman had an all out battle with General Zod to save Earth in the 100 Minute War. In that time Mon-El had set out on a quest to save the rest of the bottle cities Brainiac had taken and place them on various planets. What Mon-El did not know was that these bottle cities would tell the story of Mon-El and would eventually form the Legion of Superheroes. When he returned to Earth he was dying and was forced to return to the Phantom Zone to save his life for another time when he could be set free. Superboy was the only one to know this and he used the Phantom Zone Projector to capture as many Kryptonians as possible in the Phantom Zone to save Earth. Superman was going to sacrifice himself in order to keep General Zod in the Phantom Zone but his adopted son Christopher stopped him and vowed to go into the Phantom Zone to protect the world from Zod and the rest of the Kryptonians. He and Mon-El together now are trapped in the Phantom Zone to battle Zod and the Kryptonians. General Lane had given his other daughter a suit that gave her the same powers as the Kryptonians but she died by the mistake of Supergirl and so she became Kryptonian by some strange act of fate and the General used her to help defeat the Kryptonians and capture Lois Lane.General Lane was defeated and committed suicide in front of Lois so that he would not be forced to stand trial for his crimes.
The only problem I have with this story is very simple, There is no way to know if Superboy was able to capture all of the Kryptonians EVERYWHERE in the Phantom Zone and in the Adventure Comics New Krypton Epilogue they say no one in the 21st Century can access the Phantom Zone so it was a bit confusing. All and all it was a good story that brought everything back to some sort of continuity with the rest of the DCU. Now all they need to do is fix the mess that is Batman, who is my favorite character but, that is a story for another day.
Thanks.

Geek Out!

What kind of geek are you?

MikeK — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:27:26 +0000

I figured it would be appropriate that I keep my first article a bit broad. What kind of geek are you? Whether we like to admit it or not, we are all geeks in some aspect of our lives. Whether its a hobby or obsession, I am sure we all have a passion that we tend to devote a decent amount of time to each week. Not only did this mindset help Michael and I to start this site, but we would also like to make mention to The 56 Geeks Project. While this project tends to take the more stereotypical look at geeks, it has been great inspiration to us. Please make sure you take a look at Scott Johnson's flickr page to see the geeks in more detail. We may even be making a geek of our own for this site.

Geek Out!

-Mike

So you want to be a Watchmen geek?

MichaelC — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:22:22 +0000

So you want to be a Watchmen geek? Many people have mixed feelings about superhero push in pop culture, but like it or hate it, it appears they will have to live with it. In that case I say embrace it in all it’s geekdom. Especially since the release of the Watchmen, which has sparked heated debate among the masses because honestly, people just don’t get it. The reason why they don’t get it is due to the fact that they never read the book. That’s okay though, because even if you did read the book you probably wouldn’t get it. In fact, you may not have even understood the book in the first place.

The Watchmen is a very difficult book to grasp even for the seasoned geek like myself. It is the type of story that you just have to go with, and know that everything in the story holds meaning, but the true mystery will not reveal itself until the bitter end. The Watchmen graphic novel differs somewhat from the film. There are a great deal of shots in the film that are panel for panel exactly like the book. The thing about the Watchmen is that if you read the book there are other aspects of the story that won’t make sense and are not in the movie at all so you will be totally lost.

Here’s the honest truth. The Watchmen is not a great book to make as your first sep into comic geekdom. If you ask my opinion, since I have been reading comics for the last twenty years, I would say that The Watchmen should be a book you read as a seasoned comic book reader.

If you are interested in starting to read Graphic Novels, The Watchmen is not a good first choice. Reason being, you won’t understand the characters and you will feel that it is a story that hates superheroes. This is not the case though. In essence The Watchmen is the archetypes of some of the most famous superheroes in history.

The Watchmen characters are based off of, Superman, Captain Atom, Batman, The Question, The Black Canary, and Lex Luthor to name a few. You need to understand the original characters before you may be able to understand the characters and the back-story of the Watchmen.

If you decide to pick up the Watchmen and give it a read here is my best advice. Don’t stop. Don’t put the book down. If you can power through the first five chapters it will suck you in and you will be dying to know what’s next. If you just want to read the comic portion skip the parts of the Black Freighter and the Hollis Mason Story parts. These parts of the story play a very important role in the book but they do slow the story down. Maybe if you read the book through once and want to give it a second read you should go through everything. So enjoy the book and gain a stronger understanding of the movie. See you in geek land.

So you want to be a comic book geek?

MichaelC — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:21:16 +0000

So you want to be a comic book geek? In the last few years the growth of comic book related films and television shows has skyrocketed. You can almost not go a day without hearing a reference to something with superhuman abilities, vigilantes, masked heroes, or just crime fighting. With films like Iron Man, Superman, The Dark Knight, Hellboy, and most recently the Watchmen; people have in one way or another have accepted the concept of superheroes into their lives.

Let’s take a moment to breakdown comic book stories. I need to explain something very important. Most people don’t know the difference between comic book and graphic novel. I will take a moment to explain. A comic book is an individual issue inside a larger story. If you think of it in this context; in the early age of film and cinema the theaters showed “serials.” A serial was a weekly or monthly “episode” of a greater story and you went to the theater to experience it on a Friday night premiere. A comic book is like that. Generally every month a new issue is released as part of a larger story. Then once that story has run it’s course and all of the individual issues have been released the publisher produces a “Graphic Novel.”

The term “Graphic Novel” is generally misunderstood. Most people assume a graphic novel is called that because it may be violent, hence the terminology, graphic. In actuality a graphic novel gets its name because if has images or pictures on the page, which are also known as graphics. The graphics move the story along with the narration and dialogue. Yes much of the stories written in comic form are violent in nature but not all.

Now that I hope to have is clearly explained I will return to our regularly scheduled program. At this point you are probably asking yourself, “What books should I start with oh leader of Comic Geeks?” There are thousands of graphic novels out there that will get your comic geek juices flowing. I will list a few that are great ones to start with. These stories will suck you in and drive you to want more.

First and foremost, the three-part story called “Justice” by Jim Krueger, Alex Ross, and Doug Braithwaite should be on the top of your list. Without question, if you are looking for a modern interpretation of the most famous heroes in the DC Universe then definitely pick up all three volumes of Justice. In addition to that, probably the second most praised graphic novel in history, “Kingdom Come.” Kingdom Come is a story of our favorite heroes in the not so distant future when superheroes have overrun the Earth and Superman has gone into hiding only to return to a world without the same ideals he tried to instill in mankind. This story is by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, and it is a must read for any comic geek enthusiast. “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore, writer of the Watchmen, is probably the closest interpretation to whom the Joker is in any comic ever written. In many ways it was the inspiration to portrayal by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Another extremely well done story that is worth a read is “Green Lantern Rebirth” by Geoff Johns and pencilist Ethan Van Sciver. This book might be confusing to some because of the backstory to how things got to this point but if you enjoy this story, which you will, you will want to read the back story that brought Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, to this point. “Green Arrow, Year One” by Andy Diggle is a fun story that will establish the origin to the legendary character of Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. If you are interested in seeing a team up of the most well known heroes in the history of the world, Superman and Batman, then my advice is to pick up “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies by Mark Verheiden and Ethan Van Sciver. This story was just announced to have a direct to DVD animated movie scheduled for release in December of 2009. So if you want to read it before its release then I definitely say pick it up. Many people will remember the “Justice League” animated show on Cartoon Network from just a few years ago. If you want a powerful story with all of the characters you will recognize then above all you need to pick up “Identity Crisis.” This story is written by Brad Meltzer and is an extremely powerful story that will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page. For all you Buffy, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse fans, there is an introduction from Joss Whedon that will knock you off your feet.

Last but definitely not least, this graphic novel is in a category all on it’s own. The main reason I say this is because it is not conventional by any means. In fact all of the heroes you may know and love don’t even exist in this story. This story is based in present day in our reality, and it is about an ordinary man. The story I am referring to is called “Y: The Last Man.” Y: The Last Man is written by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and Jose Marzan, Jr. This is not like “I Am Legend” where there is no one else alive on Earth. In fact it is quite the opposite. Y: The Last Man, is about the last living man in a world full of women. It is a long story but it is an incredible read that will truly blow your mind in every volume. It is currently in the works to become a movie as well so I would say pick it up before it hits theaters. You won’t be let down.

So that is my little bit of advice for the comic book geek in all of you. If you are interested in reading graphic novels and this article helps push you over the edge to convince you to read them then I did my job. If you do go and pick up a book and read any of the stories I recommended please feel free to let me know what you think. I love to geek out about comics and debate you on what you thought. Or maybe you just have questions about the stories, I would love to help makes things clearer for you.

Michael Cannetti Bio

MichaelC — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:18:49 +0000

For the better part of my life I have always had a love for movies, comics, computers, and anything techy. When Mike and I sat down and started talking about the idea of making a website designed to cultivate our combined passions in a way to relate not only to the hardcore geek but to the geek in all of us I couldn't have been more excited. I have always believed that deep down no matter how "cool" you think you are, there definitely is a little geek in you. I've spent my life watching movies and reading comics but it's not often when I can talk freely about them where people might get it. With So You Want To Be A Geek, we all now have this open forum to geek out as much as we want and communicate with people just like ourselves. Mike and I hope you enjoy our site and visit it often. We will be making updates and constantly changing articles to keep up with our ever evolving world. Feel free to voice your opinions about the site, articles, or just about anything you feel people might find interesting. Talk to you soon. Geek Out!

-Michael

Mike Klemens Bio

MikeK — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:16:56 +0000

Mike needs to put his bio here!

Welcome To So You Want To Be A Geek!

SYWTBAG Admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:41:21 +0000

Have you ever been called a nerd, dork, dweeb, or geek? Maybe years ago this might have been considered an insult, but in todays changing times, to be a geek is to be cool. Very often geeks get put in a certain stereotype that seems further from the truth as culture evolves. While there are always exceptions to the rule, Mike & Michael hope to break that mold, trying to unleash the inner geek in all of us. Even if you are the furthest thing from a geek and just want to learn how to be one or where to start, then this site is for you. Don't worry, hardcore geeks out there, we cater to you as well. Check back for updates on comics, movies, computers, pro audio/video, and anything else we can think of as the word "geek" continues to evolve.

One thing we plan to do differently compared to other blogs is that as information changes and grows, we plan to update our posts with the latest information. Our posts will continue to evolve as we continue to learn. Please check back often for the latest updates on each post of interest. Consider it a wiki/blog mash up. Stay tuned...

Geek Out!

M&M

Hello world!

SYWTBAG Admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:05:08 +0000

Hello World! All great projects start with hello world and ours is no different! Yes, we made this with wordpress and are very proud of that.