Infinity and Beyond

Sneaking some blog time between sleep and work. Got a few things I should write about before I totally forget. Past week was busy as usual. Just taking a breather.

She’s Damn Talented
Last Friday, I attended Isha Abubakar’s EP launch at the Podium. She performed four new, all-original Tagalog compositions. My favorite among them, the title track “Katakataka”, was melodic and heartwarming, and was a solid team effort between her, the band and her backup singers. She did a bunch of awesome covers while playing the keyboard, including “People are People” and “Life in a Northern Town”. I hope to get a copy of the CD soon; I've yet to check if the stores sell it already. Wish I had a camera (yeah, I should save up for one, I know); I can only say so much about how she looked while playing, channeling all that ethereal energy into her lilting voice and her swift, adroit fingers.

Komikon 2005
That’s next Saturday, folks. Confirmed attendees include, aside from yours truly: Arnold Arre (Mythology Class), Leinil Yu (Wolverine), Gerry Alanguilan (Humanis Rex), Budjette Tan (Kid Zeus and Ate Carol), Elbert Or (Cast), Reno Maniquis (Maskarado), Jonas Diego (A Girl’s Story), Jac Ting Lim (Pilya), Marco Dimaano (KIA), Carlo Vergara (Zsazsa Zaturnnah), David Hontiveros (Parman, Craving, Takod), Manix Abrera (Kiko Machine), the event organizers Artist’s Den, and many others. Please click on the Komikon link in the previous post for more information.

Also, for those curious, no, the LNA: Family Album minicomic isn’t a sequel. It’s a small supplement that complements the comic book. I’m hoping that new readers who pick it up will be enticed to get the previously released book. And that those familiar with that will be interested enough to check out the new, non-sequential gathering of snappy snapshots, which further explore the characters and their world. It was a chance for me to revisit the concept, and the different format allowed me to experiment a bit. That was fun to do.

Infinite Crisis
Wow. First issue’s out. The buildup was great; it was spread across five titles (I only read four, so that’s 24 issues). Spoilers! The sequel to DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths sees a fractured Justice League confronting an alliance of Super-Villains, the insane Spectre, the Meta-hunting Sentinels… I mean, OMACs, bloodthirsty Thanagarian forces… and some unknown, otherworldly threats. Important figures from the first Crisis reappear. Twenty years after that unforgettable epic, this series promises to change the status quo again. It’s also heavily tied into last year’s Identity Crisis, so the repercussions are big. The JLA title is a crucial tie-in, too, as some of the team's founders gather a new group. Infinite Crisis is really dark and bloody, so far, and most importantly, fun. I’m a kid again! Can’t wait for the next ish.
Infinite Crisis # 1 (from Newsarama)

House of M
Again, spoiler-ish. By contrast, Marvel’s current big crossover event is almost at an end. It started really slow, but the penultimate issue (# 7) finally reveals the real machinations behind the new reality. This story was brought about by last year’s controversial and somewhat forced disbanding of the Avengers (the title was revamped into New Avengers). Magneto’s insane and powerful daughter, the reality-bending Scarlet Witch, reshapes the world into one where mutants, primarily the House of Magnus, rule the Earth. Like Infinite Crisis, it’s supposed to forge the universe’s new direction. The cliffhanger in # 7: The almost-Beyonder-like Wanda wishes mutants away. The rumor is, the mutant population will be thinned down to a few hundred. Will they be de-powered? We'll see next month. Incidentally, there have been genocidal efforts that significantly removed mutants before (hundreds were killed during the Morlock Massacre, and millions in Genosha’s Sentinel attack) and there was a storyline where the High Evolutionary neutralized millions of mutants' powers for weeks.

Well, I hope the conclusion doesn’t disappoint. That’s been the problem with the Avengers title recently (it's written by the same scribe). Wanda’s rampage last year was stopped by a non-Avenger, Dr. Strange. The first arc of New Avengers ended with the unexpected intervention of SHIELD. Most recently, the Sentry went on a rampage, and the X-Men's Emma Frost saved the day! What gives? Will the Avengers shine and be the real heroes at all in the Ronin arc?

Shadow of the Cat
One of the most memorable New Mutants issues ever, # 45, from 1986. Powerful and relevant. Kitty Pryde speaks about a new friend, Larry Bodine, who killed himself because bullies threatened to expose him as a mutant. They didn't know that he actually was, until it was too late. Click on the panel below.


Will sleep now. I miss my bed and pillows.