Hey, That’s My Cape!: Stories told by cute mice.

Cute animals wearing capes and wielding swords are pretty much a recipe for "Jill Will Love It" soup. This is why Archaia Comics' Mouse Guard is one of my favorite reads. That, and the story and art by David Peterson are first-rate. So what will I do now that they're letting other fabulous creators take a crack at the tiny warriors? Love it obviousl

While waiting for a new issue of Mouse Guard proper, not hitting stores until September when Mouse Guard Vol. 3: The Black Axe begins, Archaia Entertainment has a fantastic new anthology miniseries to keep us busy: Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard.

Read what it's all about in my weekly column, Hey, That's My Cape! at Heartless Doll.

DoubleDCoverage #52

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

Has Damian made a new best friend? Has Roy fallen off the wagon? Reviews/recaps for Batman: Streets of Gotham #10 and Justice League: Rise of Arsenal #1 are ahead. Also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last week!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #52.

Bobble Island

There are some people and characters who just lend themselves to becoming bobble heads, don't you think? For instance, the Mystic Seer from the Twilight Zone (of which I am a proud owner) is one of those perfectly executed bobbles. Entertainment Earth has found another. I'm talking about Lost's own John Locke.

Last year, Entertainment Earth offered an exclusive Benjamin Linus bobble head for San Diego Comic Con. Needless to say, they were one of the more popular con exclusives and sold out pretty quickly. With Lost's series finale coming at us faster than another time shift, the company that made them, Bif Bang Pow!, was smart enough to spread the love around.

John Locke and everyone's favorite Maybelline user, Richard Alpert, are just the tip of the iceberg. Lovable Daniel Faraday is reading important things about his constant with his pet rat Eloise looking over his shoulder and Dr. Edgar Halliwax (aka Dr. Marvin Candle aka Dr. Mark Wickmund aka Dr. Pierre Chang) is in Dharma Orientation video mode holding white rabbit #15. The only one I'm a little let down by is Hurley. He's imortalized in his Mr. Clucks attire, complete with hat. Come on, Hurley's hair needs to be wild and free!

Richard and Daniel are being released in July while the others will ship in August but they can all be pre-ordered now from Entertainment Earth. I wonder if they're going to get around to making any of the females of the cast into bobble heads. Though the only one I can really see myself wanting is Rousseau. Ooh! Or Crazy Claire!!

Comic Craziness

March Madness? Who needs it? I'd rather take my chances with a comic book bracket any day.

Here I thought I was all cool cooking up a Batgirl versus Supergirl showdown a few weeks ago. Well The Herd on ESPN has put together an epic 32 person bracket consisting of the top superheroes and supervillains today. Thanks for making me look lazy guys. Before we get down to the, ahem, "Fantastic 4," lets see who went down early.

In round one, Superman easily took down Thor and was then pitting against Green Lantern who first drowned Aquaman. He eventually went head-to-head with Wolverine who had taken down Spawn and Spider-Man. But of course Wolvie had nothing on the Big Blue Boy Scout who sits pretty as one of the final four.

Batman was up against Robin, who had no chance of winning whatsoever, then went on to face the Hulk who eventually turned back into Bruce Banner and went home crying. One of only two females on the list, Wonder Woman, was first paired with Daredevil. No contest there really. It was a tough call on who would face her in the next round as Captain America battled Iron Man. Sorry Cap, maybe after your movie comes out you'll do better. Diana and Tony Stark ended with Tony on top, a position he's not used to being in (if-you-know-what-I-mean-and-I-think-you-do). But as usual, Batman was the millionaire of choice in the end, making him our second superhero in the four.

Then came the villains. The Punisher could not punish Lex Luthor who advanced to take on Catwoman, but he already had the cat in the bag. He eventually went up against one of Batman's rogues, The Riddler, who previously beat out Sabretooth and Doctor Octopus. Lex, being a genius, answered every riddle Edward Nigma ever had and took the first villain spot in the four.

A few tough calls in the second supervillain category. The Joker absolutely did not kneel before Zod and continued against the equally poisonous Venom in the next round, who was too confused by all the bright colors and gave up. If you can believe it, Green Goblin beat Two-Face and Doctor Doom beat Brainiac so it was Doctor Doom who finally had the impossible task of taking on the Joker. You know who had the last laugh.

So there you have it. In what won't come as a great shock to anyone, the "Fantastic 4" are Superman versus Batman and Lex Luthor versus the Joker. Who's archenemy is more popular? Will Superman be pitted against the Joker or Batman against Lex? Either way, my money is on Batman. Then again, what do I know about these bracket thingies. I don't watch sports.

5 Minute Marvels

It's well-known that my drawing skills are on par with your average 8-year-old so when I heard about Tim Miner's unique artistic experiment, 5 Minute Marvels, I was really excited to know I wouldn't be made to look too bad if I submitted something. After all, my closest drawing companions are 8 and 4.

Tim, along with his daughters Grace, 6, and Cate, 4, started a nightly tradition. The idea is simple; choose a comic book character and draw them for just five minutes. They do this each night before bed and have compiled quite the impressive portfolio. Volstagg, Big Bear, Dazzler, the Legion of Super-Pets are just some of the characters they've drawn so far.

Now, Tim and his girls want you to join in the fun. Get together with a child in your life and give it a try. You can submit your work to Tim for the blog or just do it for the joy of art and comics. Here are the rules:

#1 – Set the clock for five minutes and stick to it. There’s no huge time commitment here. At just five minutes, it’s easy to find the time to pick a superhero or a supervillain and draw with your child … cousin … neice/nephew … neighbor … student … etc.

#2 Check your self-consciousness at the door. When you’re a kid, you’ll draw for hours with no thought to your skills. You were good. You just knew it. It was all about the joy of drawing and imagining. When you’re an adult … you worry … you fret … you criticize. But, just remember: No matter what … the kid you’re drawing with thinks you’re awesome. Just draw. And, with only five minutes between you … there’s no time to be a perfectionist.

#3 Talk while you draw. Talk about the hero or villain you’re drawing. If you know a lot about comics, share it. If the kid knows more, ask questions. If the only thing you both know is “Spider-Man is cool,” talk about that.

#4 Have fun. Umm … I think I’ll leave this up to you.

#5 Draw tomorrow. The only thing better than sharing the first “5 Minute Marvel” with the child in your life is … the second one.

Tim also runs a comic blog called Marvel Smart Ass where he shares his love of all things Marvel and has gotten a few notable comic folks to get in on the 5 Minute Marvels experiment. Colleen Coover and Jim McCann to name a few. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets more as time goes on, this is a fantastic idea.

I know a lot of my readers have kids and that some of you would be very into this *cough*Randy*cough* so I hope you try it out. The next time I hang with my nieces we are so gonna draw Batman. And Zatanna. And Dex-Starr. And maybe Geoff Johns.

The Wall cast in Green Lantern (Breaking!)

Breaking news from Variety tonight. Angela Bassett has been cast to play none other than Dr. Amanda Waller in Warner Bros.' Green Lantern film.

Not much else to report really except that this is the first I heard The Wall was even going to be included in the movie at all. Bassett, who recently played the tough Dr. Cate Banfield on NBC's ER, should have no trouble stepping into the role. She joins Ryan Reynolds, Peter Sarsgaard and Mark Strong already cast.

Bassett also steps into the ruthless role recently played by Pam Grier on the CW's Smallville. With little known about the Green Lantern script, we'll have to wait and see if she'll be working for the government legitimately or covertly for Checkmate or the Suicide Squad.

Hey, That’s My Cape!: The Night Owls

I've always considered myself a night owl. If you ask me to wake up before noon you'll be met with a hearty grumble or at the very least, a weak sob. More than once I've been compared to a vampire, something I take as a proud compliment even if it wasn't meant as such. Maybe that's why I like The Night Owls Volume 1.

It's the latest release from DC Comics' web imprint Zuda. Written by Peter Timony and illustrated by his twin brother Bobby Timony, the witty web comic follows three members of a detective agency solving supernatural crimes no one else can. Did I mention the series takes place in the roaring twenties and that one of the detectives is a gargoyle?

Read all about it for this week's Hey, That's My Cape! at Heartless Doll.

DoubleDCoverage #51

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

There’s a new kid on the Gotham City block. Literally. Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Guy Gardner is a TREKKIE!! Who would’ve thought? Reviews/recaps for Batman #697 and Green Lantern Corps #46 are ahead. Also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last week!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #51.

BatCat, Arrow Lantern and more!

I had an amazing Sunday. Batman is partially responsible. So are you. First, this must be seen by everyone, everywhere...

I bow down to GorillaSushi's mad photoshop skillz (I seriously thought he got a cat to wear the cowl) and also thank him for combining my two favorite things in the whole wide world - cats and Batman. Speaking of fictional characters I'm in love with...

The night before the MDA Stride & Ride I got an email telling me a "very special guest" would be in attendance, none other than Bruce Wayne himself. Actually, not to blow his secret identity or anything but his name is Detective Genaro Ortiz. He's a police officer from Newark, New Jersey who has been dressing as Batman for years to speak to kids about drugs (with D.A.R.E.) and help out at charity events. He's even got his car done up like a Batmobile.

I went up and told him I loved Batman and was going to ask for some very silly pictures when he pulled out the Christian Bale voice and scared the crap out of me. Not really, but really. He did however, suggest I hold his Batcuffs. ::swoon:: Thankfully I was able to refrain from saying anything perverted to him after that.

And here's my fantastic Stride & Ride team, "The Nerdy Birds." Thanks in a big part to all of you, we were able to raise $2,470 this year!!! The last total I heard for the event overall (and they were still counting when we left) was a whopping $125,000! I'll be sure to edit in the final total once I hear it. Thank you all so much for your support in this, it means a lot.

EDIT: Try $142,000!!

Also, thanks to Eric, the only one of my friends who was willing to wake up before 9 a.m. on a Sunday to walk with my team. He doesn't really like anything nerdy but don't hold that against him. He does make fun of me an awful lot though, so feel free to hold that against him.

After the event we walked around a while in the mall and I came across this oddity at Target. Eric of course, did not understand the significance. I, however, needed to document it. Talk about an Identity Crisis...

Batman would do it.

Donate money to my Muscular Dystrophy Association Stride & Ride that is. Don't you want to be like Batman?

Granted, you can't give me a million dollars like Bruce would (Or can you? I don't know who reads this blog.) but you can give a few bucks. And now's your last chance. The 7th Annual Metro NY/NJ Stride & Ride is THIS SUNDAY at the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack, NY. My team, The Nerdy Birds, now consists of myself, my parents, my friend Eric and possibly my brother and sister-in-law (but I heard they just complained about how early they'd have to get up) and we are raring to go. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read this.

There's going to be teams from all over New Jersey and New York there, I certainly don't want to be the only team not to reach our goal. So, if you haven't donated already, I challenge you to donate $1. That's it. Just $1. If you have more to give, that's great, but I know every one of you can afford $1. Look through your couch cushions if you have to. All my blog readers/fans together can really add up to something big.

Once again, here is the link to donate securely online and if you'd like to learn more about what MDA does, you can check this out. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far, helped me spread the word and just supported me overall. It means more than you can imagine.

How do you say, "Nice ass" in Klingon?

Are you a geek looking for love? Well look no further! No, not at me. At this advertisement for a new geek-dating reality show!

It was bound to happen. Geeks are the new cool kids now. "Casting new Cosplay Dating Show - Looking for Singles in S. California!!! Are you a fan of Ben Bova? Speak Klingon? Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel Comics?" Must be 18 or older. Interested participants should email cosplaydatingshow@yahoo.com very soon as they are looking to start filming right away.

Now, before you get too excited let me just say, I don't know how legitimate this "reality show" really is. I can't find any official site and there's no production company or even a contact NAME listed. If you show up and unwittingly sign an agreement saying you'll be in geek porn, don't blame me. They have a Facebook page though so, you know, totally legit.

I wonder if Geek Love is a working title? I can think of a few others: Looking for...I know, Roll for Charisma, My Lois/My Clark, Pon Farrther for Love, Undateable.

Hey, That’s My Cape!: Batgirl vs. Supergirl

In honor of DC Comics' 75th anniversary this year, Entertainment Weekly decided they were going to end the age-old debate about who was better, Batman or Superman. While there really is no need to pose that question in the first place (Batman is superior to all), they took it deeper than just who would win in a fight. Who's more popular? Who's got the cooler costume? They don't actually give an answer but either way, it really has become an overused debate. So what about their lady counterparts?

Batgirl or Supergirl? Shall we try and settle the debate once and for all? Read this week's Hey, That's My Cape! at Heartless Doll and leave a comment in what's sure to be a very opinionated thread. :)

DoubleDCoverage #50

I'm back with a VERY special anniversary. DoubleDCoverage has hit 50 at the Girls Entertainment Network!

Not only do I have reviews/recaps for Batman and Robin #10 and Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1 and my star ratings for my other pulls from last week BUT I’ve also got some super-duper special exclusive extras for you as well! Well, ok, maybe they’re just special to me but that still makes them pretty rad.

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #50.

I didn't go to ECCC.

As my title states, I didn't go to the Emerald City ComicCon in Seattle, Washington this past weekend. Although, I think everyone else I know did because the internets were empty. Anyway, that doesn't mean I can't tell you all about the exciting news that came out of the DC panels.

Comic Book Resources was there to cover said panels, particularly the DC Nation and Green Lantern: The Future is Bright sessions. Here are the highlights as I see them:

• Green Arrow is going to have a "big" year and Star City "will be one of the greatest cities in the DCU," according to writer James Robinson.
• DC is "seriously planning for" digital distribution says Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler.
• Batman Beyond comic coming in June as well as a Superman Beyond.
• Larfleeze Christmas Special coming this December! I actually know the story behind this one, trust me when I say it's genius.
• Writer Geoff Johns revealed, possibly by mistake, that the JSA would be returning next season on Smallville.
• Robinson is developing a Shade series.
• "Big plans" for the Marvel Family coming up.
• You might have already heard this elsewhere last week but Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Amanda Conner are all leaving Power Girl after issue #12.

The Green Lantern panel did not reveal any real shocking information but that's to be expected I suppose seeing as how Blackest Night has yet to finish up. The gist:

• Next week's Green Lantern Corps might make you angry if you're sensitive about Women In Refrigerators.
• Rage Kitty Dex-Starr will be getting an origin story. "He's actually from Earth," said Johns. This one is going to be a lot of fun too from what I've heard.
• Brightest Day is a story, not just a banner. Johns said it's, "about second chances. Some work out, some don’t."
• Larfleeze's latern oath will be revealed in an upcoming issue of Green Lantern.
• Johns has longer than a 5-year plan for more Green Lantern stories.
• Green Lantern Corps will NOT be getting that second feature that was previously announced.
• Hal Jordan will be having more adventures in the 58th century. This reveal came thanks to Mark Waid who joined the panel later on.
• The deputized Lantern Corps members will revert to their old personas soon but keep "strong ties with" their emotional equals.

And there you have it. That seems to be most of the DC news to come out of ECCC so I guess I don't feel too bad about not flying across the country to hear it in person. :) What do you think?

I recognized your foul stench.

Last Friday I brought you a TARDIS closet. Today I bring you some things to put in that closet. Like Princess Leia sneakers. Slave Leia cosplayers lives just got a whole lot more comfortable.

Oh come on, it's not like I'm telling you to put Star Trek clothes in a Star Wars closet. This is entirely cross-fandom acceptable. These shoes, made by Adidas, were released earlier this year. "Inspired by the metal bikini Leia had to wear while Jabba's captive, the adidas Star Wars Game Mid Princess Leia is a spicy swirl of gold, silver and the signature maroon of the Lashaa silk used in that outfit." Well, certainly seems like they know their stuff.

There's several other sneakers that are/will be available soon including: Millennium Falcon Stan Smith 80s, Storm Trooper Boot, The Force and the appropriately named AT-AT Walker. Also from Adidas, the Star Wars Superstar Track Top Darth Vader with...ahem...optional cape.

According to Adidas it's, "a limited edition design inspired by the overlord's Imperial style." The man did have style, I'll give him that. Take a look at this bad boy's features:

• Front pockets; Full-front zip
• Removable hood; Ribbed cuffs and hem
• Detachable Darth Vader cape with chain; Detachable front breast plate with print and embroidery details
• Darth Vader graphic on reverse

You can peruse the rest of their Star Wars shop or check out fancier shots at StarWars.com. I don't need anymore clothes, I'm think I'll wait until ThinkGeek makes a Ewok sleeping bag.

Last Supper Hero?

Hollywood is going to turn Leonardo da Vinci into an action star. Haha, as if! And Sherlock Holmes is a hot detective who...oh, right.

It's Warner Bros. in particular who is looking to make the famous painter, inventor and mathematician into an action hero of sorts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The studio has picked up a treatment titled 'Leonardo da Vinci and the Soldiers of Forever' from producer Adrian Askarieh, who is teaming with Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison." I hope they work on that title. Lee and Davison previously executive produced Warner Bros. The Departed and Askarieh is currently working on Jonny Quest for the studio.

Askarieh is the one who came up with the idea (so blame him) and Warners is now searching for a writer for, I assure you, a most thrilling plot. "The project re-imagines Da Vinci as a member of a secret society who falls headlong into a supernatural adventure that pits the man against Biblical demons in a story involving secret codes, lost civilizations, hidden fortresses and fallen angels." Can't you just hear the trailer now? I, for one, am in but only if they have da Vinci using one of these on his adventures.

THR says Warners seems eager to make more films involving "a period setting, a historical figure and the fantastical," because of the tremendous success of Sherlock Holmes. Fair enough but I'm a little concerned about their next feature. "Last week, the studio picked up a pitch that has Francis Lawrence attached to direct a supernatural tale featuring explorer Marco Polo."

Marco. Freaking. Polo. Here's how I think it should go: In theaters, Summer 2012, Marco Polo and the Merchant of Venice, where Marco Polo and Kublai Khan go searching for the perfect canoli but wind up getting separated on the water. Khan must shout, "MARCO!" and Polo says, "What?"

Hey, That's My Cape!: Amazon to Geeks, "My bad."

Amazon, I hope you're prepared to fight like the fierce ladies you share a name with because you've just made a butt load of new enemies. You may have heard of them, they're called geeks. Also, nerds, dorks and the people who run the world. Kindle is great and all, but you just screwed yourself.

Amazon had a massive...let's call it "sale"...on a large number of comic book omnibuses (omnibi?), trade paperbacks and other assorted collections over the weekend. I'm talking books that run close to, if not over $100 being offered for $14.99 or less. Comic fans places orders in droves, most purchasing hundreds of dollars in merchandise. And then...

Read what happened to make the geeks so angry at this week's Hey, That's My Cape! over at Heartless Doll.

DoubleDCoverage #49

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

An old foe is back to torment the JSA but one of their youngest saves the day. Sorta. And remember when everyone was up in arms over a little ol’ threesome mentioned in Cry for Justice? Yeaaaaaah. Reviews/recaps for JSA All-Stars #4 and Justice League: Cry for Justice #7 are ahead. Also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last week!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #49.

Aww, Alice!

I have a new hero, her name is Alice.

I've been hearing some negative reviews about Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. Well, I'm here to tell you I thought it was absolutely delightful. That's not to say I didn't have issues with it, just that, as a Lewis Carroll fan I found it as imaginative as the source material. It seems audiences agreed, the film took the number one spot at the box office this past weekend raking in just over $116 million. It actually broke the IMAX weekend gross with $11.9 in just 188 theaters. Does it stick strictly to the original story? Absolutely not but it also doesn't have as many screws loose as Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory did. And that's saying something considering everyone in Wonderland is supposed to be mad.

Let me start out by saying, I love me some anthropomorphic animals. Can't really get enough of them. I wish animals who talked and wore clothing were real. Maybe that's why I love everything relating to Alice In Wonderland so much. Why I loved the film so much is simple - it had a good story. Whereas the books and classic Disney version are, for the most part, one nonsensical scene after another, Alice gives us a whole new plot where anything can happen. Yes, even meek little Alice picking up a sword. I can see how some people are offended by this but it's done in such a way that makes Alice more interesting than ever before. She's older now, the film centers on a second trip to Wonderland, and learns much about destiny and responsibility along the way.

Mia Wasikowska was a great choice for Alice. I didn't know someone could be so demure yet hold such a mighty presence on screen at the same time. Her numerous size-shifting exploits may have had something to do with it. Helena Bonham Carter surprised me as the Red Queen. The abnormally giant head/tiny body thing threw me off in the previews but was quickly forgotten as her bratty, royal behavior took over. It was Anne Hathaway's White Queen who I wound up finding peculiar. She had a very airy quality about her that reminded me a lot of Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz but made me wonder how anything ever got done in her kingdom. Alan Rickman's Blue Caterpillar was spot on as was Michael Sheen's flighty White Rabbit. It was nice seeing George McFly himself, Crispin Glover, starring in such a mainstream film but he didn't come off quite as menacing as I believe he was supposed to. And finally, Matt Lucas has had many unique roles during his career but none have fit him so well as Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

And now to the bad. I hate to say it but Johnny Depp was my least favorite part of the film. Depp is an extremely talented actor, he just needs to stop working for Tim Burton. He also needs to take some time off from the quirky roles he's become so fond of (it was a breath of fresh air seeing him in the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) as he makes much more of an impression playing a regular character. His and Burton's take on the Mad Hatter (and yes, it was both their idea) is strengthened by his extended role but hurt by how it was performed. Let me see if I can explain that better. The role Hatter played in the film was one of greater importance than in other film versions but certain things Depp did with him took me right out of the movie. For example, Hatter is given a Scottish look yet Depp slips into the accent only a handful of times throughout the film. He also delivers the most gag-inducing, corny moment I've seen on film in at least ten years. I'm not exaggerating. The particular scene I'm referring to should be stricken from the DVD or at least replaced with something more fitting of the character and timeframe.

Sadly, there are a few things missing from the original tale or even the Disney version of the story. Some stayed the same while others were added to great effect. For instance, there is no Walrus or Carpenter to be found but you do get a satisfying croquet scene and the Bandersnatch is brought to life with thrilling results. Another gorgeous addition to the film were the costumes, particularly Alice's ever-changing wardrobe. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a plethora of Alice's at this year's Comic Con International. All of her dressed were beautiful but it was her armor that wound up being my favorite.

I'm glad Alice In Wonderland did so well, in my opinion it was deserving of the box office returns. It wasn't as dark as I expected it to be but is still not for the youngins' (we get a few looks at the Red Queen's past beheadings). It's somewhere between Disney's version and American McGee's Alice. Although I thought it had a good message I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than 8, but make sure it's a mature 8 or nightmares will be had.

On a final note, the über talented Stephen Fry's Cheshire Cat warmed my animal-loving heart to bits (come on, it's a talking cat, what did you expect?). I didn't actually like the look of him before I saw the film but his casual kitty mannerisms throughout won me over. But I have to say, he reminded me a lot of someone else. Curiouser and curiouser...

It's bigger on the inside.

A Twitter follower of mine recently asked me what geeky thing I have yet to do that I am dying to. After some careful thought, I answered, "Stand in a TARDIS. Or marry David Tennant. You know, either one." Guess which one I can actually achieve.

I present to you, Doctor Who Tardis Zipperobe. Or, you know, portable fabric closet shaped like a TARDIS. Dalek not included. Curses!

For a hefty £45.99 you too can walk through the double-opening zipped doors and into a very flimsy excuse for a TARDIS. And a closet. Though I have to say, if I were a kid, I'd totally be sleeping in this thing. In my Tauntaun sleeping bag.

While we're at it, why not finish the room with a Dalek rug?

Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

I bought a Marvel comic book today. And I read it. I know, I know. Not only that, it was called Girl Comics. I am SO getting kicked out of the clubhouse for this one.

I jest but you all know I'm a DC fan through and through so this was a big deal for me. To be fair, I did purchase the Marvel Oz books last year so this was not my first Marvel purchase but my first Marvel superhero purchase. And guess what? I didn't like it...I loved it. I'll wait for you to pick yourself up off the floor before I continue.

Better? Ok, so when I first heard about Girl Comics I gagged. Seriously, it's still a horrible name. I get it, it's a comic for women, by women but I felt weird picking it up in the comic shop today in front of all the boys. It's like when you're walking down the feminine hygiene aisle at the super market and throw the first tampons you see into your cart because some guy was walking by. Surprisingly, Girl Comics turned out to be the Tampax Pearl of...girl comics.

Ok, I know I'm getting totally off track and I'm DEFINITELY getting kicked out of the clubhouse now that I've talked about tampons on my blog but I don't care. Girl Comics #1 was great. The best part about the series is it's an anthology. You couldn't have paid me to pick up Marvel Divas, not only because it sounded ridiculous to me but also because it was one story about characters I didn't really know to begin with. Marvel has done themselves and casual fans a great service by producing the book this way. Not only is it easy to jump into and understand, it's giving readers a look at some characters they might want to discover more about.

Contrary to what I had imagined though, Girl Comics isn't exactly an introduction to the Marvel Universe. Half the stories feature notable superheroes; Nightcrawler, Punisher (you'll lol at his dialogue), Cyclops and Jean Grey, while the other three focus more on, for lack of a better term, cute stuff. To my delight the two combined in one story,"Shop Doc" by Lucy Knisley, which featured Doctor Octopus shopping for cereal and was far and away my favorite segment of the book. Seriously, if you were wavering on picking this one up, do it for that short story.

Amanda Conner provided the cover to this first issue and the array of creators involved were, Colleen Coover, G. Willow Wilson, Ming Doyle, Trina Robbins, Stephanie Buscema, Valerie D’Orazio, Nikki Cook, Knisley, Robin Furth, Agnes Garbowska, Kristyn Ferretti, Devin Grayson and Emma Rios. Jill Thompson did the cover to issue #2 while Jo Chen finishes the series up with #3.

I really hope some guys were brave enough to pick up Girl Comics today. It's well worth it and not, as one would imagine, as embarrassing as going to the store to buy tampons for your sister. Sigh. I'll hand in my secret decoder ring at the door...

Hey, That's My Cape!: Resident Shoe Expert

When you think of Cinderella, shoes are probably the first thing that come to mind. She's famous for losing one, after all. (How'd you like that next to your name in the history books?) Next comes pumpkins, fairy godmothers, wicked step-sisters and, of course, Prince Charming. But would it surprise you then to know when I think of Cinderella, all I see is super-duper secret spy? You can thank Vertigo's Fables for that.

I'm currently raving about its first spin-off mini-series, Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love. See why in this week's Hey, That's My Cape! at Heartless Doll.

DoubleDCoverage #48

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

Oliver Queen may be a lying, cheating fool but damn have I missed the bastard. The poor JSA have a bit of an infestation in their temporary headquarters – Nazis. I hate Nazis. Reviews/recaps for Black Lantern Green Arrow #30 and Justice Society of America #36 are ahead. Also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last week!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #48.

10 Things Guys Could Like To Turn Girls On

I stumbled into a bit of controversy last week. "Women reading comics, playing video games, talking tech, or role playing is to geeks what wet t-shirt contests, Hooters girls, and strippers are to Nascar fans." That was an anonymous comment I received from someone who thought some geek girls use sex to exploit themselves, thus gaining popularity. I discussed the comment with the poster on Formspring where it was asked (you'll have to click on 'more' now to find it) but my good friend Geek Girl Diva decided to blog about it and boy, did it ever spark some discussion. You can read her Geek Girls, Like Unicorns, Don't Exist then come back here.

Back? Ok, forgetting the offensive nature of and gross generalizations in the original statement, I understand the underlying concept. Contrary to popular belief, geek girls aren't really a myth or a rarity but to a geek guy, seeing a woman interested in comics or video games must be pretty thrilling. Add to that a girl who doesn't hide her geek nature but rather shouts it from the rooftops and she'll be receiving online marriage proposals monthly. Not that I'd know anything about that...

But what about the non-geek out there? If you think about it, no matter what your interests, it's exciting to find someone who likes the same things you do. And yes, in extension, a turn on. So it got me thinking, what traditionally female interests could a regular Joe be into that would get our hearts going pitter-patter for him? And thus was born my latest list for Heartless Doll - 10 Things Guys Could Like To Turn Girls On.

I'll give you a hint, sports, cars and going to eat at Hooters is not on the list. :P

Caprica Crawls

I started watching Caprica because I wasn't ready to let Battlestar Galactica go. Not yet. BSG was one of those epic shows that stays with you for the rest of your life, like Buffy and Lost. So when I heard they were creating a prequel spinoff I was on board. And then I watched it.

Maybe that sounds a bit harsh. I didn't hate the initial movie and following episodes, it just wasn't at all what I was expecting. I guess what I was mainly looking for were Cylons, and five episodes in, they're in short supply. Caprica is mostly a drama with a touch of sci-fi, significantly less sci-fi than BSG. The premise is fairly simple, two families lives are torn apart when a terrorist blows up a commuter train. One family, the Graystone's, lost their daughter, Zoe, who was actually the girlfriend of the bomber and had no idea what he was planning. The other family was the Adama's. They lost a mother and a daughter, leaving Joseph, the father and William, the son. What happens from here on out will eventually lead to the fall of mankind at the hands of the Cylons.

Zoe Graystone was blessed while she was alive. Not only did she come from a rich family, her father's company invented holobands (a virtual reality program) and the original Cylon shells. She was also a genius. Zoe was in the process of creating an avatar of herself in the virtual world that could exist there without her and now it's all her father Daniel has left. He does a solid for his new friend-in-grief Joseph and recreates Zoe's technology to make an avatar of his daughter Tamara. Joseph never even used a holoband before and becomes understandably freaked out when he sees and feels his daughter in V-World and is told she can't feel her heart beating. He jumps out of the program and both he and Daniel believe her lost forever. In reality, or virtual reality as the case may be, she's trapped there, scared and alone. Zoe on the other hand is a little better off...

She takes being dead fairly well considering, don't you think? Ok, she's not thrilled with being stuck in the body of an 8-foot robot but at least she gets to walk around in the real world. Plus, she finally got to change her dress. She's living in a virtual world for Christ's sake, she could change outfits every two seconds if she wanted to! What was up with that? Geeky sidenote, did you notice the original BSG theme being flipped through on the stereo?
None of this sounds particularly bothersome I guess but the show itself moves at a virtual snail's pace. Coming off of the bing-bam-boom of BSG you can imagine how torturous that can be. Everyone talks and talks and even when you think something awesome is about to happen, like the murder of a main character, it doesn't. I'd like more than one cylon and I want them actually doing stuff. Luckily this past week's episode finally took it up a notch in my opinion and really showed me what this drab follow-up to a stupendous sci-fi giant could turn out to be.
Tamara has been discovered by users of a particular V-World called "New Cap City," that reminds me a lot of Dark City, and drafted into helping them win. In the midst of learning she can be shot in the game, feel pain but not die, she also learns of her real world death. She also discovers she can alter the code at will in V-World. Now, practically invincible, she appears to be turning into the ultimate badass. Wicked.
As if that wasn't a big enough "holy shit" moment, the decision that came later certainly would be. Daniel Graystone has vowed to stop profiting from holobands after pressure from the public who think it's leading to the corruption of their children. Just when his company is about to oust him, he rallies and brings his spectacular Cylon to work. He says they're losing control of the holoband market anyway due to illegal downloads (hint, hint society) and must instead bring the company into a new era - the slave trade. He makes a long speech about how the Cylons are sentient beings then goes on to explain how they can use them for free, endless labor. What Daniel doesn't know is, Zoe is the only reason that Cylon works at all. How will he duplicate the effect? Will he connect the dots and realize a human mind is the only way to get his robot to work? The implications are dangerous at best.
Caprica isn't perfect but now it's getting somewhere.