Well, the Ood episode was a lot better than I expected, playing up the mystery behind the Ood's hostility quite well, as well as getting some decent material out of the slavery angle, even though it was a bit heavy-handed. The climax was a bit nutty though.
And the Ood turn out to be less like Cthulhu after all, and a lot more like benign sci fi versions of the Mind Flayers from Dungeons and Dragons.
(My geekery is not quite boundless, but getting there...)
As far as the ongoing mysteries go, there was nothing about the Shadow Proclamation or missing planets this time, but I did spot a reference to "missing bees" (last mentioned in the first episode of series four) and we also saw a repeat of the Donna-and-Doctor-as-deities-slash-legends theme from the Pompeii story. There was also a bit of a nod to the Doctor's "song" (which is more of a meta-reference, really) and a suggestion that Doctor Ten's days might be limited, mirroring the similar (and no doubt similarly misleading) prophecy concerning Rose's demise from the Ood's first appearance.
Regarding those bees, I'm sure we're all assuming that it's something to do with the series arc, but could they also be tying it into the mysterious disappearance of bee colonies in the real world? Ripped from the headlines!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Huh?
Did the brief, fatherly relationship between Tony Stark and Peter Parker still happen post-"One More Day"?
Brevoort: "Yes."
Does Tony Stark know who Peter Parker is?
Brevoort: "No."
So Stark doesn't remember why he invited Peter Parker to live with him or why they formed a father/son relationship?
And presumably he doesn't remember why he designed a suit of spider-armour for Peter, since as far as he knows, there's no connection between Spider-Man and Peter Parker?
Not a messy retcon at all then...
Super Secret Scott Pilgrim
Robbie Williams has packed in the music, grown a beard, and is investigating alien abductions in Nevada.
In other news, those blokes who did that annoying tune for Friends branch out into other, less annoying, TV themes:
I've done quite a bit of preparation work on my Super Secret Personal Project™ now. It is, unsurprisingly perhaps, a comic, and I've got the first ten or so pages laid out and scripted. I've got a bit of a block after that, but I'm confident that in drawing and lettering the first ten, something will come to me. Either that, or it'll be quite a short Super Secret Personal Project™.
But then there's Scott Pilgrim. I'd heard of it, of course, but I hadn't read any until recently, after I'd laid out the aforementioned ten pages. There are some similarities. Not particularly close similarities, but enough that someone could say that I've been borrowing from the considerably more famous and popular Bryan Lee O'Malley. I don't want to change what I've done, because I think I've captured the unique feel I was after in initiating the Super Secret Personal Project™, but it turns out that it's perhaps not as unique as I'd thought.
Bah.
In other news, those blokes who did that annoying tune for Friends branch out into other, less annoying, TV themes:
I've done quite a bit of preparation work on my Super Secret Personal Project™ now. It is, unsurprisingly perhaps, a comic, and I've got the first ten or so pages laid out and scripted. I've got a bit of a block after that, but I'm confident that in drawing and lettering the first ten, something will come to me. Either that, or it'll be quite a short Super Secret Personal Project™.
But then there's Scott Pilgrim. I'd heard of it, of course, but I hadn't read any until recently, after I'd laid out the aforementioned ten pages. There are some similarities. Not particularly close similarities, but enough that someone could say that I've been borrowing from the considerably more famous and popular Bryan Lee O'Malley. I don't want to change what I've done, because I think I've captured the unique feel I was after in initiating the Super Secret Personal Project™, but it turns out that it's perhaps not as unique as I'd thought.
Bah.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
New Who Clues
Well, we're only two episodes into the fourth series so far, but Doctor Who is off to a good start with two very strong episodes. I'm not sure about next week though; while I liked the Cthulhoid Ood back in series two, their return looks a bit like a cheap "aliens attack" story. We shall see.
The new theme tune is great, too. It adds a bounciness to the existing New Who theme, and there's even a sly homage to the Peter Davison-era theme in there.
Anyway, the writers have apparently been seeding this new series with clues as to the big threat coming up in the thus far untitled two-part finale (I hope it's not Davros; I'm bored of Daleks anyway, and they'd long-past exhausted the story potential in Davros by 1985). Here's what I've spotted so far:
The Shadow Proclamation. First mentioned way back in the first Ecclestone episode, and again in Tennant's first full appearance as the Doctor, it's been mentioned once in each of the two episodes so far.
Venus. In the first episode, Donna (Catherine Tate) and her grandfather discussed the planet Venus, and there was some attempt to equate the lone "female" planet with Donna's sense of individualism. In episode two, while dressing up in a Roman toga, Donna jokingly claimed a resemblance to the god Venus.
Missing Planets. The space nanny (yes, really) in the first episode chose Earth as a crèche for her charges because her own "nursery planet" had disappeared. This mysterious disappearance confused the Doctor somewhat. In episode two, the Pyrovillians (really nicely designed magma/rock beasts with a vaguely Roman Legionnaire appearance) were intent on colonising Earth instead of returning home, because their home had also vanished. Again, the Doctor picked up on this baffling occurrence. Planets just don't go missing.
My current pet theory, based on the brief appearance of Rose in the first episode, is that she's using the resources of alternate-Torchwood to try and get back to the Doctor. Back in "Doomsday", the Doctor burned out a sun in order to generate the energy needed to speak to Rose across the dimensional barriers; what if Rose is blinking out whole planets in order to get across? What if Rose is the villain?
What if Rose is Galactus?
Gasp.
Of course, it doesn't really work; why would she be munching up planets on our side of the barrier in order to get through from her side? Wouldn't she already be able to cross over if she could steal planets?
It probably is Davros. Sigh.
EDIT: The Medusa Cascade. I'd overlooked this one originally; the words stood out in the historical Pompeii setting, but I'd put them down to some oblique reference to the petrification effect plaguing Pompeii's soothsayers. It turns out that the Medusa Cascade was mentioned by the Master in last series' finale, "Last of the Time Lords"...
The new theme tune is great, too. It adds a bounciness to the existing New Who theme, and there's even a sly homage to the Peter Davison-era theme in there.
Anyway, the writers have apparently been seeding this new series with clues as to the big threat coming up in the thus far untitled two-part finale (I hope it's not Davros; I'm bored of Daleks anyway, and they'd long-past exhausted the story potential in Davros by 1985). Here's what I've spotted so far:
The Shadow Proclamation. First mentioned way back in the first Ecclestone episode, and again in Tennant's first full appearance as the Doctor, it's been mentioned once in each of the two episodes so far.
Venus. In the first episode, Donna (Catherine Tate) and her grandfather discussed the planet Venus, and there was some attempt to equate the lone "female" planet with Donna's sense of individualism. In episode two, while dressing up in a Roman toga, Donna jokingly claimed a resemblance to the god Venus.
Missing Planets. The space nanny (yes, really) in the first episode chose Earth as a crèche for her charges because her own "nursery planet" had disappeared. This mysterious disappearance confused the Doctor somewhat. In episode two, the Pyrovillians (really nicely designed magma/rock beasts with a vaguely Roman Legionnaire appearance) were intent on colonising Earth instead of returning home, because their home had also vanished. Again, the Doctor picked up on this baffling occurrence. Planets just don't go missing.
My current pet theory, based on the brief appearance of Rose in the first episode, is that she's using the resources of alternate-Torchwood to try and get back to the Doctor. Back in "Doomsday", the Doctor burned out a sun in order to generate the energy needed to speak to Rose across the dimensional barriers; what if Rose is blinking out whole planets in order to get across? What if Rose is the villain?
What if Rose is Galactus?
Gasp.
Of course, it doesn't really work; why would she be munching up planets on our side of the barrier in order to get through from her side? Wouldn't she already be able to cross over if she could steal planets?
It probably is Davros. Sigh.
EDIT: The Medusa Cascade. I'd overlooked this one originally; the words stood out in the historical Pompeii setting, but I'd put them down to some oblique reference to the petrification effect plaguing Pompeii's soothsayers. It turns out that the Medusa Cascade was mentioned by the Master in last series' finale, "Last of the Time Lords"...
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Guh
Why is it that holidays end up tiring you out more than if you'd just stayed at home with a cup of Bovril?
I'm back from a largely uneventful week off in what appeared to be Tory Paradise, from all the Audis, BMWs and Range Rovers that kept attempting to nudge me into dark country ditches. A full report may or may not be forthcoming, depending on the mood of your correspondent.
While I was away, I had two Commodore 64 reviews published at Virtual Console Reviews, and appear to be an official member of the team now, and the latest in my series of "Green Day" articles was posted at Comics Bulletin. Sorry about that last one, Nige.
Oh, and I got a fair bit of work done on my super secret project!
I'm back from a largely uneventful week off in what appeared to be Tory Paradise, from all the Audis, BMWs and Range Rovers that kept attempting to nudge me into dark country ditches. A full report may or may not be forthcoming, depending on the mood of your correspondent.
While I was away, I had two Commodore 64 reviews published at Virtual Console Reviews, and appear to be an official member of the team now, and the latest in my series of "Green Day" articles was posted at Comics Bulletin. Sorry about that last one, Nige.
Oh, and I got a fair bit of work done on my super secret project!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Intelligent News
On the ITN television news this afternoon:
Er...
"Perhaps your power is out, or maybe a tree has fallen and caused damage near you. We want to hear your storm stories, so email the newsroom with your stories and pictures."
Er...
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Gremlins
I finally decided to dump my old bolted together blog template and go with one of the prepared Blogger ones. I don't understand the new template syntax at all, and it appears to have dumped all but six of my links. I'll restore the rest over the next few days, so if you think I've dropped your link for any malevolent reason, don't worry, I haven't.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Un Pot Ter
One of my big problems with the Harry Potter books, aside from the chronically unsympathetic protagonist (really, how do you get your lead so badly wrong?) is that they just don't make any sense. It's as if Rowling came up with some ideas ("Oooh, a dual world of magic and mundanity") without actually thinking any of it through. So there's no attempt to explain how the dual world works, why a school for wizards not only labels a full quarter of the student body as "evil" but actively encourages villainy, and so on. The stories might be good, and the characters (apart from Harry) might be compelling, but the books are just utter nonsense, and they drive me mad.
Un Lun Dun then, is a breath of fresh air (pun intended). One of China Miéville's strengths as a writer has always been his elaborate but thoughtful world-building; sometimes, as in the case of Iron Council, he forgets that we're all here for a story, but the worlds he creates are always interesting. Un Lun Dun has a good old-fashioned (only not) adventure story, a strong cast, including a great "protagonist", and best of all, it all makes wonderful sense. Yes, there's magic, and big slabs of psuedoscience, but there's an internal logic, not only to the ideas, but also to the plotting. It's a bit Neverwhere, a bit Narnia (the good bits), and even a bit Army of Darkness, and it's hugely enjoyable, a book that delights with each new invention or plot development, full of ideas that make me want to stand up and applaud. Great stuff, and I'd be happy to have Miéville write more of these, even if we never see a grown-ups' novel from him ever again.
Un Lun Dun then, is a breath of fresh air (pun intended). One of China Miéville's strengths as a writer has always been his elaborate but thoughtful world-building; sometimes, as in the case of Iron Council, he forgets that we're all here for a story, but the worlds he creates are always interesting. Un Lun Dun has a good old-fashioned (only not) adventure story, a strong cast, including a great "protagonist", and best of all, it all makes wonderful sense. Yes, there's magic, and big slabs of psuedoscience, but there's an internal logic, not only to the ideas, but also to the plotting. It's a bit Neverwhere, a bit Narnia (the good bits), and even a bit Army of Darkness, and it's hugely enjoyable, a book that delights with each new invention or plot development, full of ideas that make me want to stand up and applaud. Great stuff, and I'd be happy to have Miéville write more of these, even if we never see a grown-ups' novel from him ever again.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
Too Hot ta Trot
I'm geeking it up again at the Virtual Console Archive, this time with a feature article on the mighty Commodore 64.
So that's comics and video games; to complete the set, I suppose I'd best start writing about the fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons or something...
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