Super Books and Flying How’s

I bought the DC Comics Encyclopedia early last year. I haven’t really finished it; companion sourcebooks aren’t really things you read from cover to cover in one sitting. It has hundreds of character entries, which vary in length, depending on significance. Unlike the Essential and All-New Marvel Universe Handbooks, it has more concise data on the company’s decades-old properties. It’s jam-packed with interesting trivia, but it’s far from complete, and there are some big mistakes, most notably in Sue Dibny’s history. Still, the book is handy and comprehensible reading.

As for the current All-New Marvel Universe series, comprehensive info on strength levels and speed have been oversimplified to number ratings (0 to 7), like those of the old superhero trading cards from the early ’90s, presumably to prevent writers from being given constricting limitations. But the thick Essentials, twenty years after the original titles’ publication, still kick ass, as they thoroughly explain the fantastical physics and minutiae of superpowers, weaponry, and related paraphernalia. I’ve also been re-reading my three-year-old copy of the Marv Wolfman-written, George Perez-drawn History of the DC Universe, which beautifully expounds on the restructured post-Crisis DCU about two decades ago.

With massive crossover events currently ongoing at both comic book universes, and their mythologies constantly expanding and metamorphosing, it’s pretty useful to have these character and event bibles that, while far from complete, try to contain available, steadily growing information into organized, fan-pleasing tomes.

Easter Eggheadry

John and I watched the not-totally feelgood doggie flick Eight Below last Saturday, about husky sled dogs that got stranded in Antarctica for several months. It’s a live-action Disney film that was inspired by actual events, so expect equal parts triumph and tragedy. Basta, the dogs were really good actors.

Can’t remember anything important between that and the start of Holy Week; I just stayed home and worked on some articles.

Holy Tuesday evening, though, my editor sent me to cover the taping of two consecutive episodes of Rex Navarrete’s new cable show, Rex in the City, at the Fort-located MTV building. I interviewed the Fil-Am standup comic right after the second taping. The guy’s real smart and speaks eloquently, not surprisingly. He’s entertaining, even behind the scenes. Talked with the show’s producers and director after that, and left 8:50-ish. As I was looking for a cab, I discovered Embassy, the bar that Tim co-owns, I think, just a few meters from the MTV building. Looks swanky. People were outside looking at a photo shoot at the door, or something. Anyway, I got home immediately to transcribe, which felt more exciting than usual. Wrote and sent the article, hours before the deadline my good editor gave me.

Wednesday night, Benedict dropped by with a boxful of Captain Marvel comics by Peter David and Chris Cross, and took pics of my toys, some of which are posted below (click images to enlarge). He also lent me a copy of Donnie Darko, which is one of the weirdest, most pa-existential things I’ve seen so far. It starred young Jake Gyllenhaal, about four years before he Brokebacked. I had to look at FAQ’s of some fan sites to get what some of the scenes meant. The movie makes more sense if you read them, actually. But I still have questions. Hmm.

Black Saturday, I went to the nearby mall in the afternoon, and the food court was packed like it was a regular weekend. I find it a little strange, but good, that some food establishments continue their regular services during the three Catholic holidays. Things have changed since I was a kid; you’d be hard-pressed to find an open store or food place in commercial districts back then.

Plastic Fantastique

To Me, My Academy X

Some of the teachers and students at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, or the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, if you’re being nitpicky. I put Sasquatch there because she’s an Exiles member and that’s sort of an X-team, too. She’s the wife of an alternate reality’s Wolverine. And the Sentinel is Rover, from Grant Morrison and Marc Silvestri’s confusing but cool New X-Men arc “Here Comes Tomorrow”. By the way, Benedict posed Nightcrawler.

Villains United!

Or, Acts of Vengeance! Yeah, they're ultra-hot, looking all mean and deadly together like that. Can’t wait for the Onslaught set (Loki, Blackheart, Lady Deathstrike, Pyro, and Abomination). I want a Kingpin! I hope there’s a cheap loose figure of that (it comes with a DD figure as part of a 2-pack), and Kang (from the FF Classics). Must work more. Waah.