Christmas Comes On Cinco de Mayo: Free Comic Book Day 2007

Happy Sunday, Ramblings Readers!

May 5 wasn’t just an important day in Mexican history and an opportunity to go down a few margaritas (which I did), it was also the sixth annual Free Comic Book Day, an event which was inaugurated six years ago on Saturday, May 4^th, 2003. FCBD was created to tie in with the release of a little comic book movie that had debuted the day before: the first Spider-Man film. The basic purpose of FBCD is to get folks who have never read a comic book but who have just finished watching—and hopefully, enjoying—a comic book film adaptation to go to comic shops and pick up a free comic. While they’re there, they’ll hopefully see all the other wonderful titles that are available in the comics medium and decide to buy some.

I have gone to every FBCD with the exception of last year’s event, which I missed because it was my first year as the master of ceremonies for the annual talent show at school.

This year, I was yet again the MC, but made time to get down to my favorite comic shop, Acadiana Comics and Collectibles, to pick up some comics and see what was going on.

Those of you who aren’t comic book readers probably don’t realize that the industry itself is not doing as well as it has in previous years. The industry has always faced the same competition that non-graphic books face, like television, films, video games, the Internent, etc. The difference is, regular books will never go out of style and will always have a readership.

We can’t say the same about comic books. The medium is one that is extremely sophisticated in the hands of some creators and there is no other form of storytelling like comic books. Comic book legend Will Eisner called comic books “sequential art,” and that’s exactly what the medium is. Words and images merge together in carefully crafted sequences to create a story unlike anything in any other storytelling medium.

Yet comic books are still seen as children’s fodder. Hence the industry launched FBCD, and it has been somewhat successful in bringing in new readers.

In my opinion, however, if you’re going to bring in new customers, you have to be ready for them. You must make the comic book specialty shop a place that is welcoming, comfortable, friendly, and inviting.

I’ve been to a lot of comic book shops in my days and plan to go to many more. In the days before it cost fifty bucks to fill up my car, I’d drive to Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lake Charles to look for comic shops. When the family goes on vacation, I use my laptop to check The Master List, a website that lists every comic book shop in the U.S. and then go and visit as many shops as I can. I've even visited shops in Texas, California, and Washington, D.C.

So as I said, I’ve been to a lot of shops. And the one that I think “gets it” the most, the one shop I feel is doing everything it can to help the industry not just survive but also thrive, is Acadiana Comics and Collectibles. I’ve been going to this shop since eighth grade, if you can believe. When I had read all of my brother’s comics at least four thousand times, my mother decided that I was interested in a pretty decent hobby. It involved reading, after all, so what good parent and teacher would deny their child such a hobby? My mom took me to what was then Acadiana Book and Comic Shop, and I met Mrs. Teresa Moran the first time. I’ve been going there ever since, and the reason is not just the comics. Mrs. Teresa and her husband Jerry are two of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet. My mom had also taken me to two other shops at the time to look around, and not only was the selection weak, but the people who worked there didn’t seem all that knowledgeable or interested in being helpful when it came to the comics.

When you visit Mrs. Teresa and Mr. Jerry’s store, now named Acadiana Comic and Collectibles, the first thing you’re greeted with is a welcoming smile from whoever is behind the counter. You will be greeted with a hello and then encouraged to look around and also asked if there’s anything you can be helped with. And whether you’re a neophyte reader or you’re a seasoned comic veteran like myself, Mrs. Teresa or Mr. Jerry can answer all your questions. And what’s best, they’ll do it with friendliness.

And that’s the bottom-line for me. So what does all of this have to do with FCBD? Well, I went to AC&C yesterday for Free Comic Book Day, and was instantly greeted by Mr. Jerry as I walked in with a smile and words of welcome. There was also a gentleman named Mike (I think it’s Mike...I don’t think I’ve ever introduced myself) who was very friendly and who I’ve seen at the shop for years. He was helping out by directing folks not only to the free comics that were available, but also to the free merchandise that AC&C was giving away, like action figures, keychains, pins, and posters. I told Mr. Jerry that it felt less like Cinco de Mayo and more like Christmas, and snagged a very cool Spider-Man keychain (I was just thinking about buying a new one…how cool is that!) and my free comic book. I also browsed and snapped the shots you see below, and generally took in the atmosphere. It was like being in the living room of a friend or relative who also happens to have a bunch of extremely cool comic books and related stuff everywhere in sight.

Mike was helping this young lady and her daughter, who appeared to be taking their first steps into the brave new world of comic books. He was very cordial and helpful, and gave lots of great advice as to what would be age appropriate for the young girl. As a father myself, this is exactly what I want from a business: someone who will shoot me straight about what kind of product is good for my daughter. I was highly impressed with that and could overhear Mr. Jerry also having a similar conversation with other customers about comics.

That’s why I keep going back to AC&C and have for years. The honest truth is that I could get my comics elsewhere from various sources. But I’d miss out on the kindness and the warmth that come with the comics at Acadiana Book and Comics. People are put first there, coupled with an obvious love of the comic book genre.

This is how I think every shop should be operated. In my next entry, I'll discuss what I think are the two fatal flaws of comic specialty shops today, and offer suggestions as to how such flaws can be remedied. Until then, stay strong and do no wrong. And be sure to check out the pics I snapped whilst in Peter Parker mode yesterday!

Here you see Mike helping the lady I told you about and her daughter find age-appropriate reading. How awesome is that! It's a regular occurrence at AC&C. And you get a good look at Mr. Jerry's extremely extensive Star Wars collection...how I envy him!

Remember that "living room" atmosphere I mentioned? Here you can see it even better. There's even a few chairs and a very comfy couch, which I didn't get a shot of but have enjoyed reading in often. This is the section of the store that features the week's new comics. Many folks have asked me how often comics come out. Every Wednesday is for us fans "New Comic Day!"

Here we have Marvel's best free comic book for FCBD...Spider-Man: Swing Shift, an original Spidey story designed to be approachable to new readers interested in the comics after watching Spidey 3. Usually, companies put out reprints of past comics for Free Comic Book Day, but Marvel was one of the few to put out something original. It was a very good, entertaining Spidey adventure, and best of all...it was FREE! Now try beating THAT with a web shooter!

Here we have a few more FCBD selections. One of the titles featured there is a prequel comic to the big Transformers movie coming out this summer. I'll be doing a two-parter on the Transformers release, one talking about my interest in the toys and cartoon as a kid, along with a brief history of the property, and then my opening day review of the film.

Ramblings Spider-Man 3 Coverage: The Review

Well, here we go. As most if not all Spidey fans, I have waited with great anticipation for this film for the last three years.

The only place I can begin is by paraphrasing Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott: “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to put too many villains in a superhero movie.”

This is my main gripe with Spider-Man 3, an entry in a film series that had a very high bar set by its predecessor, Spider-Man 2. SM-2 is damn near perfect, as is the first Spider-Man film. They both have their flaws from comic book fan and movie making standpoints, but they’re excellent films.

Spider-Man 3 doesn’t reach the bar set for it. It’s close, but it just doesn’t make it.

Is Spider-Man 3 a bad movie? A lot of reviewers out there who don’t know the comic source material will say yes. Most reviewers I’ve read/heard are blasting the fact that one key character gets amnesia in the film. They call this “clichéd” and “soap operatic.” What they don’t realize is that this character got amnesia in virtually the same way he does in Spider-Man 3. So if this a person’s criteria for saying this movie’s bad, they need to do their research.

I bring this up to make an important point before I offer my grade of the film: Spider-Man 3, like the films that led up to it, is one of the most faithful comic book adaptations ever made. The spirit of the characters in the Spider-Man mythos, along with many solid plot elements and characters, are taken straight from the pages of Spider-Man comics. The Superman films can’t claim this, the original Batman films can’t claim this, no other series of comic films can claim this.

But the Spidey films can, and they can continue to be lauded as such with the addition of Spider-Man 3.

But to answer that earlier question: is Spider-Man 3 a bad movie? By no means.

But it isn’t a great movie, like the first two films were, despite their flaws.

And that’s what’s most disappointing. SM-3 is just good. And I have to say that as a fan who’s waited for three years for this movie, I wanted more than just good.

On to my review.

The Good

What does work in Spider-Man 3 is everything we’ve come to expect to work from the last two movies. The characterization of the central characters is top notch, as always. These characters are for the most part the characters they are in the comics the movies get their life from.

There’s a moral struggle for Peter Parker, our hero. He’s struggling not just with colorful villains but also with himself. He runs up against the darker side of his human nature in this film and is, like most of us, disgusted by what he sees and tries to overcome it. He struggles for his own redemption and is a means to the redemption of a few other characters. The strong moral aspect of the character and the films thus far are retained here and expanded upon.

Like the previous two films, this film’s got everything a moviegoer could want: action, adventure, romance, drama, thrills, chills, and spills.

The casting is spot on. There are a few new additions to the core cast established in the first film and they blend in seamlessly and are a perfect fit for the characters they play.

Finally, the theme of “with great power comes great responsibility,” which is central to the entire Spider-Man mythos and which is really about who we choose to be and the power of our choices, is explored in depth in new ways that build on the themes in the first two films.

The Bad

Alright, the bad. Since there’s another level below bad, bad isn’t terrible or horrid. It’s just not good.

The number one bad element of the film is its clutter. There are just too many villains, a fact many fans (myself included) have feared since the villain lineup was announced last year. We all remember how the Batman films began to go downhill by adding more than one villain, and we all wondered if this would be the case with SM-3. Sadly, it is. I’ve already discussed the comic back stories of the three villains in a previous entry. If you read that entry, you’ll recall that two of those villains, Harry Osborn as Green Goblin II and Venom, had a lot of history to them. So to try and put those two guys together with yet ANOTHER villain while also juggling the thematic elements of the previous two films is just too much. Spider-Man 3 is a bloated movie because of the villains, and all of them are great characters, but not one gets enough time to develop and grow because there just isn’t time in one movie. In my opinion, the solution would have been to remove Sandman, as much as I love him as a character, and keep the focus on Harry’s feud with Peter and the birth of Venom. The movie would have been much tighter and had a greater emotional impact.

The other bad thing about Spider-Man 3 is that the film is rushed in general. Director Sam Raimi spoiled us with the last two films, which took time to develop and explore characters. Here, new characters are tossed in who are extremely significant in the comics mythos, yet get maybe two or three minutes overall to appear. Even worse is the fact that our main characters don’t really get all the time they should because there’s just too much going on in the film. This fundamental flaw of the film’s pacing and story leads to the final aspect of this review…

The Ugly

Here we go. The first ugly thing about SM-3 is that way back before this film went into post-production, the studio went to Sam Raimi and said, “Hey Sam, the fans really love Venom, you’ve got to use him.” Sam’s initial response was “go away,” because Sam hates the character of Venom and prefers the original 60s villains. But he caved to the folks who cut his very sizable checks. Thus, we have the introduction of a character whose appearance was well-paced in the comic books but who just can’t be given the best treatment in one film.

As a result, too many things have to happen to bring Venom to life later on in the film. Something’s gotta happen so that Spidey can get his black costume, he’s got to loose his black costume, someone else has to find the black costume so they can become Venom. That’s enough for one movie, but probably would have been better stretched out across two. But here we have this entire storyline shoved into a film that’s already got threads to tie up from two other fairly story-heavy films. Because of this, both character and story suffer and in my eyes, that’s just unforgivable.

The last ugly thing about Spider-Man 3 is tied to the other points already brought up: the use of what we call in literature the “Deus ex machina” or “the god from the machine.” This refers to a plot device that is used when a writer has written their characters into a corner and doesn’t know how to get them out. In Greek dramas, a person dressed as a god of myth would be lowered onstage and use their powers to get the characters out of the tight spot they were in.

We see this used in Spider-Man 3 at least twice and it’s downright sickening, because this is not the kind of thing Sam Raimi does. He’s a high-caliber filmmaker and creator, and his last two films had logic and reason as the basis for character development. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see a very knowledgeable butler appear in the film with key knowledge he should’ve shared two movies ago and a TV newscast that is used to convey critical story points. The oldest rule of writing is “show, don’t tell,” and the scene in question breaks it.

There are also some downright cheesy, cringeworthy scenes in this film. Just stupid, poorly-acted, overwrought scenes, which thankfully come from extras in the film and not main characters. But they’re still awful and they succeed in taking you out of the film. The last two films were immersive experiences. You felt you were there with Peter Parker and his world in the last two films, but towards the end of SM-3, you feel a disconnect.

Final Grade

I have to give Spider-Man 3 a B+. I know that sounds like a generous grade given my negative comments, but the fact remains that this movie is a very good movie that could be great and that it continues the legacy of its predecessors as one of the most faithful comic book films of all time. And Spider-Man 3 is a fun and moving film that actually has substance and meaning, unlike a lot of the crap that fill theaters today. With a few changes, this would have been the epic film that the second movie raised the bar for.

So if you love Spider-Man and/or you loved the first two movies and want to enjoy a good movie that will move you and make you think, go see Spider-Man 3. It's a satisfying and worthy addition to the series. And like the last two films, it really does have everything you could want in a movie.

So as Stan Lee is famous for saying, both in the comics and in his cameo in Spider-Man 3, “Nuff said.”

Ramblings Spider-Man 3 Coverage Continues: The Villains of Spider-Man 3

Hello kids, and Happy Spider-Man 3 Day!

I went to an afternoon showing of the film earlier today with Ali and will be writing my review of the film shortly. I wanted to give myself some time to chew on the film, and I still have to help you, the non-comic reader, get prepped for seeing the film.

Spider-Man 3 breaks the convention of the last two films in that it features not one, but three villains. This news was released about a year or so ago, and was met with great hesitance by the comic book fan community. The reason is because we’re still very sore from the fiasco that was 1997’s “Batman and Robin,” a disaster that put a franchise in ICU and featured three villains.

Thankfully, I can attest that Spider-Man 3 is by no means anywhere in the neighborhood of suckitude that is Batman and Robin. But like that hated film, it does feature three baddies for our hero to battle. Just who are they and what should you know about them going in?

The first is a character whose roots stretch back to the beginning of the Spider-Man mythos. The Sandman debuted back in 1964’s Amazing Spider-Man #4. The Sandman was the third real “super-villain” Spidey faced, trailing after The Vulture and Doctor Octopus.

Sandman’s origin is simple in the comics: common thief Flink Marko is on the run from the law’s long arm when he wanders onto an atomic testing field. A bomb is detonated, and its radiation merges Marko’s body with nearby sand. Marko learns he can change his shape at will and uses his newfound abilities to continue his life of crime. Spidey intervenes, and actually gets a pretty bad pounding before using his wits to capture Sandman in an industrial shop vacuum (yeah, I know…but it was 1964). Ol’ Sandy would return again and again to plague Spidey, and even became a hero briefly before returning to crime.

The second villain of SM-3 isn’t really a villain at all as much as a tragic soul close to Peter Parker: his best friend, Harry Osborn, son of Norman Osborn, The Green Goblin.

You’ll recall that Norman’s Green Goblin was the main villain of the first Spider-Man film, and that he died at his own hand at the film’s end. The second film showcased Harry’s degenerating friendship with Peter and his eventual discovery that Norman was the Goblin, by way of a secret stash of weapons and gear.

In the comics, Peter first met Harry when they both started college. Peter and Harry became quick friends, along with Mary Jane. Peter was shocked to learn that Harry’s father Norman was Spider-Man’s deadly foe, the Green Goblin, who also discovered that Peter was Spider-Man. Norman and Peter’s conflict came to a head when Norman tossed Peter’s first true love, Gwen Stacy, off a bridge. Peter used his web in an attempt to save Gwen, but the force of the fall snapped her neck. Enraged, Peter viciously fought Norman, and during the course of the fight, Norman tried to impale Peter with his glider, but ended up killing himself in the process. If this sounds familiar, it’s because much of this storyline was adapted with some changes for the first Spider-Man film.

The stress of dealing with his father’s erratic behavior and lack of approval led Harry to become a drug addict. Harry secretly witnessed the Goblin’s death and hid any evidence that Norman was the villain. Eventually, Harry discovered that Peter was in fact Spider-Man, and decided to become The Green Goblin and enact revenge. Through the course of various events, Harry suffers a concussion and loses his memory that Peter is Spider-Man. However, Harry’s long-suffering mind eventually buckles under the stress, and the taunting of his father’s “ghost” lead him to subject himself to the Green Goblin formula, which drives him completely insane. Harry and Peter fight one last time, and Harry has the upper hand. But the good man that Harry always was wins out, and he saves Peter from death before dying himself from the effects of an overdose of the Goblin formula.

The third and final villain in Spider-Man 3 is a character who entered the Spider-Man mythos later than the previous two, specifically, in the late 1980s. When Spider-Man rejected his alien costume, it appeared to be dead. In truth, it retreated into the church where Spider-Man defeated it and bonded with Eddie Brock. Brock was a one-time reporter who made his name by helping capture a vicious serial killer named The Sin-Eater. Unfortunately for Brock, Spider-Man captured the true killer, and Brock’s name and reputation were destroyed, along with his marriage. Unbeknownst to Peter, Brock was at the same church, praying for mercy and contemplating suicide. The alien costume sensed Brock’s strong emotions and overtook him. Together, Brock and the symbiote became a new villain who called himself Venom.

Not only did Venom have all of Spider-Man’s powers because of the alien’s time with Spider-Man, he also knew that Peter Parker and Spider-Man were one and the same.

Venom revealed himself by first visiting Mary Jane, who initially mistook Venom for Peter. Spider-Man and Venom would do battle many times over the years, and Venom became one of Spider-Man’s most popular and deadly villains, his appeal lying in the fact that he was a dark, twisted version of Spider-Man.

There you have it, folks, the scoop on the three baddies in Spider-Man 3. My next update will be my review of Spider-Man 3, followed by a new discovery I’ve made in another hobby beloved to me: the world of beer.

Ramblings Spider-Man 3 Coverage Begins: Spider-Man's Black Costume

Greetings, Regal Ramblings Readers!

Well, tomorrow’s the big day: the release of Spider-Man 3. The film’s actually already been in release for the last few days around the world and will be premiering in some places at midnight tonight. But tomorrow is the first full day of the film’s release, and most folks will be hitting theaters tomorrow to see the film.

As promised, I thought I’d give you non-comics readers a little background info on some of the elements of SM-3 that have been heavily promoted in the film’s marketing campaign. These three elements are Spider-Man’s “new” black costume and three villains, The Sandman, Green Goblin 2 (“New Goblin” according to the film’s advertising) and the mysterious Venom.

First up, let’s discuss Spidey’s “new” black costume.

While the black costume in the SM-3 is simply a black version of Spider-Man’s costume, it’s inspired by a black costume that Spider-Man originally acquired way back in 1984. During the course of a comic book mini-series entitled "Secret Wars," Spidey and most of the popular Marvel superheroes were transported to a distant planet by an alien being known only as The Beyonder, who wanted to the heroes to engage in combat with the army of supervillains who'd also been "beamed" to the planet. This led to the “Secret Wars,” so named because no one else but the heroes and villains knew that they were happening on this alien planet.

In the eighth issue of the twelve-issue limited series, Spidey’s costume was damaged in battle. He observed other heroes using an alien costume repair machine (I know, convenient) to repair their costumes, so he went up to an alien machine and placed his hand underneath it. A mysterious black ball fell into his hand and then overwhelmed him, removing the tattered remnants of his old costume and replacing them with a brand new, sleek black costume.

Spider-Man eventually returned to Earth with the other Marvel heroes. He quickly learned that the costume, which he assumed was merely advanced alien technology, had a great deal of special abilities: it responded to his mental commands by turning into civilian clothing and creating an opening for Peter’s mouth when he needed to eat. The costume even produced its own webbing, thus freeing Peter from having to rely on his webshooters. Eventually, Peter learns that the costume is in fact a living alien creature, a symbiote that wants to permanently bond with him. Peter discovers that intense sound negatively affects the creature, and heads to a church belltower, where the loud ringing of the massive bells weaken the creature but almost kill Peter. Unable to move on his own, Peter almost succumbs to the bells. But at the last minute, the creature moves Peter out of harm’s way, having learned about compassion from its time with Peter. The creature seemingly dies, and Spider-Man goes back to his old red and blue costume, sometimes alternating it with a cloth version of the alien costume.

The story of the alien didn’t end there, however. It would later resurface in the form of a new villain, whose history I’ll discuss in my next entry.

Until then, ramble on.

Ramblings Returns!

Welcome back, Ramblings Readers!


It's been six months since I last updated my original blog, "Ramblings," which all of you have read from time to time over the last two or three years. It's been a busy six months, between teaching, being in school, and spending time with Ali and Ava.

It should come as no surprise that what brings me back to Ramblings is what I created the blog for to begin with: coverage of new comic book and sci-fi films.

In particular, it's the long-awaited second sequel to the original Spider-Man film, Spider-Man 3, which opens next nationwide Friday, May 4th.

I've had some conversations over the last six months with a few folks about Ramblings, and the consensus seems to be that sometimes, these entries run long, especially when the movie being covered is a lengthy one.

That has indeed been the case, and while it's my blog after all, I don't want to overpower the readership.

Thus, my coverage of Spider-Man 3, which will be extensive and educational for those of you who know nothing about the film so far, will begin with this entry and span at least four more. The final entry will be my review of the film.

So let's begin. Spider-Man 3. Long have we comic fans waited for it's coming. Until director Sam Raimi made the first Spider-Man film, the only other truly accurate comic book films that managed to perfectly capture the heart of a character were the Richard Donner Superman films of the seventies and eighties. The Tim Burton Batman films managed to at least make The Batman dark again, if not giving us a faithful look at the character.

So when Spider-Man debuted back in 2002, it was a mega-event milestone for comic book films in a lot of ways, which I won't get into here. It was faithful to the character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and his unique status as the everyman superhero, a regular guy who struggles to make ends meet while also struggling to land a fist on the jaw of the latest supervillain.

2004's Spider-Man 2 took things to the next level and was an even better film than the first. The fights between Spidey and Doc Ock dropped a lot of jaws, and the story was well-written. Characters actually evolved and were clearly moving from where they'd started in the first film to a clear end point, which is of course, Spider-Man 3.

So to say I'm excited about this flick is like saying Rosie O'Donnell is excited about being obnoxious and inappropriate.

Last week, I purchased tickets to the film. Helping me show them to you are the stars of Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man in his original costume, and Spider-Man in his new black costume.


Not the best picture, I admit. Note that there are two tickets. This indeed means that my blushing bride will be accompanying me to see the first showing of Spider-Man 3 on Friday. There is a geek midnight showing, but I won't be attending that one. There will be a lot of parents taking their kids and letting them stay up late to watch the film and there will be a lot of geeks and freaks. Which I'm not opposed to, as I fall squarely in the middle of both categories. It's just that some of those people will be waiting for the midnight showing longer than even I would. The point is, it's going to "off the hizzy," as the kids say today. I get anxious enough as it is to deal with people more zealous than me. My Superman Returns experience taught me that lesson.

So instead of running the "geek gauntlet again," I've opted to go when there will be a less stressful crowd on opening day itself. I'll be getting to the theater at least two hours before the film as usual, and Ali will be coming to meet me about a half-hour before the film starts.

Alright, that's about all for now. A few folks who don't know a whole lot about Spider-Man from the comics have asked me a lot of questions about all the villains in the film, and why does Spider-Man have this new black costume? I'm going to address the black costume in an entry devoted to its origins in the comics, and then I'll offer another two entries on the villains of the piece. And yes, there are indeed three bad guys in the film.

It's good to be back! Thanks for reading and feel free to post any questions about the film in the comments section.

Chris