An All Female X-Men Series by Brian Wood? Sign Me Up!

I am the first one to admit that I am not well versed in the world of X-Men, but when I heard about the upcoming X-Men series which focuses solely on the X-Women, my ears immediately perked up and the excitement level set in.  Most of the reason I became so intrigued by the new series is because it is being penned by Brian Wood.  If there’s one thing I love about Wood, it’s his incredible ability to write captivatingly and accurately about female characters.  His most recent example of this is in the new Star Wars monthly comic that launched a few weeks ago, which is highly Leia-centric.  I also have adored his New York Four and New York Five series that Wood had written for Vertigo.  With the exception of Whedon’s run on Astonishing X-Men, X-Men Season One, and several other collected trades, I haven’t ever delved too far into the world of Mutants.  My initial inclinations were affirmed when I read an interview that USA Today did with Wood in which he was quoted as saying “I feel like as far as the X-Men go, the women are the X-Men. Cyclops and Wolverine are big names, but taken as a whole, the women kind of rule the franchise. If you look at the entire world as a whole, it’s the females that really dominate and are the most interesting and cool to look at.”  He also stated that he’s drawing inspiration for his series from Chris Claremont’s 70’s and 80’s Uncanny X-Men (which I’ve heard nothing but brilliant things about), and Grant Morrison’s 2001 New X-Men. 

Super Villains Comic Book Club!

The events that transpired between Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year were unlike any other I had previously experienced.  We all tend to save up and shop a little more than we probably should during the days following Thanksgiving, but it was a purchase I made this year that quickly snowballed into one of my favorite projects thus far.  One of my best friends, Jen (@jennifermarie), has always had an affinity for Namor, and seeing as how Amazon had some of the trades on sale, I decided to buy two and see what all the fuss about Marvel's Atlantean was all about.  Naturally I texted Jen as soon as I placed my order and she wanted me to let her know what I thought about them when I finished reading.  We had been trying to schedule a Skype date for after the holiday (we're on different coasts) and that's how the ball started rolling.  We thought it would be great to discuss the trade during our chat, which we quickly decided would be made even more fun with the addition of wine.  We joked that it would be like our own little comic book club.  Both of us possess really enthusiastic personalities coupled with a love of comics, so it was only mere minutes before we realized this should be something we do every week.  As we continued to get excited about our new weekly chat, it dawned on us that other people may want to join in the conversation as well! And so, the Super Villains Comic Book Club was born.  I mean, what could be better than attending a weekly book club from the comfort of your own home?  We filmed our first issue last Thursday, based on Namor The First Mutant Volume 1: Curse of the Mutants.  In case you missed the video, you can watch it below or on YouTube.  And you can even subscribe to our channel and take part in upcoming issues!

Why Spider-Man is Amazing & Why You Should Have Faith in Dan Slott

If you follow me on any form of social media or have known me since high school, it's no secret that Spider-Man is by far my favorite superhero (Marvel, DC or otherwise).  Marvel's The Amazing Spider-Man comic series is coming to an end this December with issue #700 which is written not only by one of my favorite Spidey authors, but also one of my close friends, Dan Slott (@DanSlott).  A lot of people have been giving Dan grief online about his new series, Superior Spider-Man, that debuts in January of 2013 and as a longtime reader of his work, it's been driving me nuts.  Personally, I think it's just silly to be questioning Dan's storytelling skills after everything he's written for us so far, so I've decided to compile a list of my favorite issues from his Amazing Spider-Man run as a reminder why you should be looking forward to whatever he has planned for us all!  Don't worry, I haven't included any spoilers, so if you're looking to begin reading Spider-Man, below is a great place for suggestions on where to start!  If you've read #697, the last page should've gotten you PUMPED for the final three issues.  So in conclusion, don't be mean to Dan, or you'll have to face me (and I have a black belt in karate)!

Don't You Know That if a Time Warp Was Open, I'd Stay Right in My Place

Several days ago on Twitter, I asked everyone if they could choose a place, real or imagined, and live there, where it would be.  I was met with an overwhelming number of responses that continued throughout the day and I felt so inspired by everyone's differing opinions that I decided to compile a list of my own fictional places I would love to move to.  The truth is that given the opportunity to move, I would choose to stay where I am, but it's still fun to daydream!  I would create a list of real places too, but as New York is the only real place I would like to live in, the list would be quite short.  I'm sure no one will find it surprising that two of the five places I chose are fictional version of New York =^.^=

5 Comic Book Characters I Relate To Most

Anyone that has known me since I was old enough to write can attest to the fact that I adore making lists.  Whether they be traditional to do lists or grocery shopping lists, New Years Resolutions and goal oriented lists, or simply lists of the next movies, television series, or books I plan to indulge in, I cannot get enough when it comes to list making.  Perhaps it's the accomplished sense I experience when I get to slide my pen across the page and cross off another thing I've completed.  Others may argue that I have OCD, but either way, no one can come between me and my lists.  So for my first list blog post, I decided to layout the top 5 comic book characters I relate to most.  I don't think anyone will be surprised which leading lady comes in at number one but I will spell out exactly why I identify with her so closely.  

My Favorite Moments: New York Comic Con

New York Comic Con is the convention that I look forward to attending every year.  It's local, it's not overwhelmingly crowded and the panels are usually pretty interesting.  That is, until this year.  Don't get me wrong, I had a blast at NYCC, but there is no doubt that the Javits Center severely oversold the event this year.  There was even a point on Saturday when they closed all of the doors and were not admitting any more attendees into the convention because they were over capacity.  I had arrived late that day, but luckily because I had a press badge and Melissa had an exhibitor badge we were permitted to enter anyway.  I had also heard people complaining about the lack of guests and interesting panels.  I disagree with this point.  Last year, the two big panels were The Walking Dead and The Avengers panels.  The Walking Dead returned for a panel again this year, but it wouldn't have made sense for The Avengers to return when their next movie isn't scheduled to be released for a few years.  Plus, Clark Gregg crashed the Marvel TV panel to be there when Joss Whedon and Kevin Fiege's video clips announced that the S.H.I.E.L.D. television series would feature Agent Coulson.  That's pretty darn exciting if you ask me!  Not to mention that Tom Felton, Adam West, Burt Ward, and Stephen Arnell (the new Arrow) were all in attendance.  As for other guests, I was very pleased.  Maybe it's because I love comics, but the main reason that I attend conventions is to see the authors and artists behind each of my favorite series.  I don't get overly excited when I meet movie stars, but place me in front of an author like Neil Gaiman and I'm speechless.  I love getting my books signed and just being able to have a few moments in the presence of someone talented enough to have created a series I respect.