Hey all – I wanna get a couple of quick things out of the way before we get going, here – first, I’d like to let any readers in the New York area know that I’ll be participating in a competition run by Next Round Entertainment and COMIX NY called TRIAL BY LAUGHTER. I’d performed in one of these just this past summer, and had a great show – especially considering I told a few jokes that I’d definitely call risky. “Do you think SCHINDLER’S LIST has a gag reel?” There were Israelis in the audience and even they laughed!
So anyway, I decided to give it another go. Here’s how it works: interspersed between four professional comedians will be several newcomers (myself included) who each have 5 minutes to wow the crowd and the judges, and earn money, bookings at other venues in the city and potentially on the road.
But for you the audience, you’re guaranteed a great show featuring seasoned veterans and hungry up-and-comers. On top of that, after the show will be a happy hour with $3 beers afterward.
The show is scheduled for Tuesday, October 28 at 8pm – that’s the week before Election Day – and the club is located at 353 West 14th Street, just east of 9th avenue. You can buy advance tickets by calling the club at (212) 524-2500. Normally tickets cost $15, but if you tell them you’re there to see Greg Manuel specifically, they’re only $10.
Hope to see you there – it’s a great club and a guaranteed fun night to be had!
Also, I wanna thank those of you who’ve been writing in with comments since I’ve started this column, and especially those of you who responded to last week’s entry. Consider the discussion still open though, because I still wanna hear from you, and how you’d end your favorite character’s story.
And now for a little something I’m gonna call KNEE-JERK REACTION THEATRE. So for those of you who were curious about these funky little noirish images that Marvel had been dropping of late…
We finally get the hotly anticipated…erm…kind of anticipated? Well, we get an explanation, that’s the important thing – anyway, it seems that they are part of a new line called MARVEL NOIR, which will star Spider-Man and the X-Men.
MY KNEE-JERK REACTION: That’s a big fat M’eh, good buddy. Probably not something I’m gonna buy, but I bet it’ll be all well and cute, anyhow.
This was one of several announcements to come out of the Diamond Summit in Las Vegas on Monday, where Brian Michael Bendis also announced the next Marvel event following SECRET INVASION…this one is going to be called DARK REIGN, which will “focus on the after-effects” of the Skrull Invasion.
MY KNEE-JERK REACTION: Whatever…just wake me when it’s all done, wouldja please? I can’t be the only one suffering from comic event burnout, at this point. Sheesh, at least DC’s promising to take it easy after FINAL CRISIS.
Among other things announced in Vegas:
“More specifically Bendis went on to say the post-Invasion Marvel Universe will feature a complete change in his Avengers family of titles, including Bendis leaving Mighty Avengers with issue #20 and the launch of a new title Dark Avengers, with art by Mike Deodato.”
MY KNEE-JERK REACTION: Dark Avengers, eh? Yeaaaah, that sounds pretty stupid right there. Like, ’90s stupid. I guess AVENGERS UNPLUGGED is no longer the stupidest spinoff foisted upon a classic Marvel title. No, wait – there was FANTASTIC FORCE, I take it back…I mean, FANTASTIC FORCE? The hell was that about…?
“Ultimate Avengers by Mark Millar, scheduled for an early Marvel 2009 debut. Fans that have been around for a few years may recall that very early on in the development of the Ultimate Universe, the title that would become The Ultimates was originally referred to as ‘Ultimate Avengers’.”
MY KNEE-JERK REACTION: Does that mean Mark Millar’s being removed from the 616 Universe entirely? Don’t tease me like this, Marvel…
“The Amazing Spider-Man #600 creative team was not announced, but promo art shown to retailers apparently featured an image of the “classic” Mary Jane with Peter Parker and a caption asking what “really” happened at Spider-Man’s wedding.”
MY KNEE-JERK REACTION: Yessir – for those of you wondering what urinating on a character’s grave after murdering him thoroughly looks like…you’ve got ten months.
Here’s something that livened up a pretty slow news week – Heidi MacDonald reports on her blog THE BEAT that DC has asked that all copies of ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #10 NOT be placed on the shelves…and I can’t for the life of me figure out why…
If I may paraphrase Elton John, who once spent the entire summer of 1984 eating nothing but bacon: how’s this for a big, fat whoopsie?
NOTE: I have no idea how Elton John spent the summer of 1984, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to make a joke work. Isn’t that right, Brother Eye?
And that brings us to AMBUSH BUG: YEAR NONE #2.
Now, don’t get me wrong…much like the last issue, this was pretty damn funny. Having read Mark Waid’s return to THE FLASH, I enjoyed this little bit:
And Geoff Johns wasn’t above getting a noogie thrown his way, either…
…but can someone tell me what was going on in the overall issue? I felt like there wasn’t even a story – last issue it was about the murder of “Jonni DC” – what was this one about? Has the murder mystery been dropped altogether? Someone help me out here – I’ve read this issue twenty times now, and I still feel like Giffen raided Grant Morrison’s peyote stash or something.
And I think that’s it from me for right now…Keep those comments coming, comic book heads and I’ll hope to see some of you next month for TRIAL BY LAUGHTER. That’s 8pm the Tuesday before Election Day. Speaking of which, not to get all political on you, but…
You didn’t think I wouldn’t be pro-‘Bama all the way, did you?
Just sayin’, is all.
