Shmee.Me

March 11, 2014March 11, 2014

Getting To Know Comixology!

Comixology is a digital comic books seller. I am still not sure how to feel about digital comics. On one hand I love eBooks, and I use my Kindle all the time, but on the other I love to collect comics. I love the feel of glossy pages in my hand, and trying not to rip them as I turn the pages, but having my comics everywhere I go is very handy, and since the people at Comixology are either always having good deals or giving comics away, my digital library is growing.

So far I am using them to try out new series’, or titles that they are giving away for free/cheap, but I may give in and start buying most of my comics this way. It is just so convenient. I feel bad that my local comic book story doesn’t get these sales, but they are so far away, and my Surface is right next to me.

I love turning on my Surface and reading a comic book or two, and the thought of not having to worry about destroying my comic books in a bag while I travel around is great. I know Marvel has started to give away the digital comic book of most of its paper back ones that you buy, and that is great, but I wish that Comixology would do the same thing in reverse and ship me all the paper versions of the digital books that I own. That would be awesome (never going to happen).

They have made owning and buying digital comic books so easy and convenient that I can see them being my comic book future, but I am sure that I will still get the paper copies of the ones I like. If you see a good deal on a book that you want at Comixology, you should give it a try. They are good at what they do, and they might start to win you over too.

March 7, 2014March 7, 2014

Who Should Play The Justice League Dark?

Guillermo Del Toro has been in talks with DC/Warner Brothers to do a Justice League Dark (The Justice League that deals with what goes bump in the night) movie, and if anyone is going to take Vertigo’s characters and make movie out of them it would be him. I, being the ever helpful person that I am, thought I would cast the big five for him.

John Constantine

John is probably the most recognizable JLD character, since his book has been running for what seems like forever, and he is the center of the JLD. I am going to pick Aaron Echkart.

He has got the look, and we saw in the Dark Knight he has no problem bringing comic book characters to life. I think he will also do a good job of mixing the serious with the humor that Constantine needs. Since they are going another way with Batman now, he should be free.

Madame Xanadu

The mystic of the JLD is a good opportunity to work in some young blood. My professional selection is Kerry Washington.

She is such a good actor, so it is time to get her away from Scandal and on to bigger things. I think she would have a lot of fun with this role.

Deadman

Deadman is an interesting one since he would have to be computer animated the whole time, and if you are going to do computer animation there is only one actor you need to call: Andy Serkis.

Andy is a the best at bringing life to CG characters, and he could let his creativity run wild with the poor undead Deadman.

Shade, the Changing Man

Shade would be a good time to use an unknown actor, since he can look like just about anyone, and the public would have no pre-conceived ideas on how he should look, but my job is to cast him, so I went with Cillian Murphy.

I probably should have shied away from another Dark Knight actor, but he is so good at being moody that I couldn’t help myself. He has proven in all his work that he would do a good job, and it would let him be the hero for once.

Zatanna

AKA The other JLD character people might know (but still probably not). Since she is the one that will probably save the day in this flick, I went with someone with a lot of acting experience, and I think she looks a lot like Zatanna as well. Jennifer Connelly.

My friends will probably just think I am picking her because of my long standing crush on her, but no, I think she has what it takes to play the master magician, and would provide a good anchor for this group.

This is my cast for the JLD. I would love to hear your take on the JLD, or even what other characters you would throw in and who you would like to play them. Like who would be Swamp Thing, or Frankenstein’s monster? Leave a comment if you have an idea! Shmee out.

March 6, 2014

Shmee Reads Gilded!

Gilded, the new book by Christina Farley, very much fits the standard YA mold. A young girl becoming a young woman finds out that she is special, and it is up to her to save her family, but despite its standard genre trappings this is a very enjoyable book.

Like I said before: Gilded follows sixteen year old Jae Hwa Lee as she is trying to fit in to her new life in Seoul South Korea. Her dad has moved her there after the death of her mother, so she can meet and be closer to her family. Soon however she is having weird visions and visited by traditional Korean spirits, and her Grandfather thinks the family is cursed. Can she navigate all this craziness, and maybe get a boyfriend out of the deal? Read the story to find out.

Even though the plot is well trod, the change in setting makes all the difference. The Korean folklore and tradition gives this book a good hook, and then Christina’s great writing style kept me reading. I am really impressed that this is Farley’s first novel because she has a real knack for it. I also like that this book, even though it starts a series, is a complete story. So many first books are just intros to the larger story, so it is nice that his book didn’t leave me hanging.

Jae is a fun character. Trying to balance real life and death issues, while also trying to have a social life as well. I like that she is not just mopey like so many other YA heroines. She is very easy to root for.

As you can tell, I think this is a great book, and one you would enjoy reading. As with most of the books I read, you can get this one free on the Kindle Lending Library, but even if you have to pay for it, it is worth it. I look forward to reading more of Jae Hwa Lee’s adventures.

February 20, 2014February 20, 2014

What I Don’t and Do Want From The Fantastic Four!

So Fox has cast its new Fantastic Four film with Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch, Kate Mara as The Invisible Woman, Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, and Jamie Bell as The Thing. It is obvious they are going for a younger crowd with this movie, and that is fine, but I do have some thoughts on how to make their movie better.

I Don’t Want Another Origin Story!

Please don’t make me see these kids hit by gamma radiation, and then learn how to be super heroes. We have seen that like a hundred times now. It would be fun to just have a movie about the Fantastic Four and their amazing adventures.

I Do Want X-Men Crossovers!

If Fox is going to hold on to both the Fantastic Four and X-Men it would be wonderful if they would show up in each other’s movies. Create the Fox-Marvel universe. It would be awesome to have Mr. Fantastic ask for advice from Professor X! Plus any movie is better with Patrick Stewart.

I Don’t Want Anymore Moping!

If any set of superheroes loves their powers it is the Fantastic Four. Sure The Thing has some love-life issues, but it would be great to have some heroes not weighed down by the “burden” of their amazing powers.

I Do Want Some Clobbering Time!

The Thing is supposed to be able to go toe to toe with the Hulk, so I want to see him just destroy some stuff. Maybe like a whole Army base or something. The Thing can literally make or break this film.

I Don’t Want The Characters To Be Dumb!

These guys are super scientists for crying out loud! Please let them make good choices, and at least act like the super smart people they are. Sure Johnny Storm can be a little dumb at times, but the Fantastic Four as a group should be pretty keen.

I Do Want Another Bad Guy Besides Dr. Doom!

Dr. Doom will no doubt be in this movie, but I really am not his biggest fan, so I am hopping that they bring in someone else. I know Marvel is keeping all the best bad guys for themselves, but there are still a bunch of good ones to choose from like Devos the Devastator who wants to bring “peace” to the universe.

That is my basic list, but I would have to say my biggest want is for this just to be a good movie. The last Fantastic Four movies at their best were forgettable, so it would be a nice change of pace for this new movie to not be terrible. Do you guys have anything you want to see from this new F4 film?

February 13, 2014

Shmee Reads Ark Royal!

Being the cheap reader that I am. I browsed the Amazon Kindle Lending Library for something free that interested me, and I ended up with the space opera Ark Royal by Christopher G. Nuttall. The plot is very familiar, but it was well written and worth the time it took to read it.

It follows a drunk Captain of an old out of date ship that is on the verge of being scrapped, but when an unknown enemy starts to destroy human worlds, they may be earth’s only hope.

Like I said in my into paragraph, the story is not completely original, but it is tightly written, and despite being familiar it kept me very entertained. What I appreciated after reading several Honor Harrington books in my life, is that this novel contains a whole story, and the page count isn’t ridiculously high at only 440. That being said there is more then enough room for this to become a series if the author wishes.

I would read more books about the Ark Royal if they are written, and given the extremely affordable price tag of free or three bucks on Amazon. It doesn’t hurt the pocket book either. So if you are in the mood for a fun space opera that is also a fairly quick read, Ark Royal might just be what you are looking for.