Powers

Is it just me or has Powers been a bit of a dull read ever since it came to Marvel? It lacks the structure it once had and the Deanna story dragged on for waaaaaaaaaaay too long.
(Can you tell I'm having a comic weekend and I'm moaning a lot lol)

San Fran

When I first heard that they were going to relocate the Xmen to San Fran, it seemed like a good idea, quite fresh.
Oh dear. It just seems like another nail in the coffin really. It just doesn't feel right.
The XBooks are a mess at the moment. X-Factor seems like a sprawling, boring mess. X-Force has a strong concept but is a bit wishy washy and all over the place. Let's not even bother talking about Exiles (cliffhanger to issue one: Rogue falls over). Astonishing is popular with my chums, but I find it over-written and the art is too muddy.
And what the f is going on in Xmen Legacy? As a fan of 20+ years, I am so BORED of this already, and the boring art doesn't help. Over in the other Xmen title, and Greg Land's art really doesn't work. If I see one more over-beaming woman's face I'll just rip my comic up.
I was reading the new Xmen Legacy and they've got a picture from the Xmen when they were in teh Australian outback period - and this is what got me thinking. I mean, the OUtback days were by no means perfect - I'm not entirely sure Claremont knew what he was doing - but it was still compelling. So it just goes to show that a change of location can work, kind of, you just have to back it up with good stories. And who's even in the Xmen at the moment? It seems all over the place. REstore the status quo, redefine the teams, bring back Prof X properly, make it a much stronger concept than it is at the moment. It's just all over the place - I was reading issue 501, thinking who's that girl - Rogue? And you only find out later that it's Karma. Rubbish!
And then bring the Reavers into it to attack Greg Land and do to him what they did to Wolverine all that time ago...

I did some O Men today

Yes it's true - not a dream, not a hoax, I did some O Men today...
Not much... Maybe half a page - but it's more than I've done in a while...
The issue had been going so well, but then those pesky Spandex kids came along...

Music

Is it me or is music improving a little bit? I think I'm vaguely liking some chart music for the first time in a decade or so... Bands might be becoming interesting again...
I have to admit, I buy a scandalous amount of music - now that I buy itunes instead of CDs, it's too damn easy... I think i might have bought about 10 albums so far this month (following the regular monthly vow not to buy any new albums at all). But even further, instead of popping everything on Shuffle, I'm actually listening to my new stuff properly, from start to finish... The new Joan Osborne album (which is of the same good quality as her first album, Relish, after about 4 or 5 very tepid albums), Kings of Leon (nice to hear him not mumbling on the new album), and Jenny Lewis...
A big shout-out to Jenny Lewis... I'm not a huge fan of Rilo Kiley - I found their first few albums a bit too twee... but their last album Under the Backlight was just pure quality. Her first solo album was good - but this new one is astonishing, absolutely love it. I don't even mind Elvis Costello on one of the songs, and I normally loathe him...
(And of course I cracked and bought a couple of Tori 'bootleg' itunes albums, hehe)

My Batman theory...

I haven't told you my theory have I...
No one agrees with me...
But you know in Dark Knight how rachel gets blown up (i'm sure you've all seen it) - well we never see the body...
so i don't think she's dead - i know it's far-fetched but this is a comic book movie we're talking about...
I reckon she got blown free - and I think she could be the new Catwoman! she'd be so cool. maggie gyllenhall is kind of sexy in that way.
throw in harley quinn (making up for the loss of the Joker) and poison ivy (how cool would it be if she wasn't all powered up, but just was kind of noir-y and used the poison of plants to kill) and there we have it! Batman 3.

Spandexxxxxxxxxx

Ha ha look - couldn't resist... My li'l Skrull homage...
Also, I've been working on this cast shot - ALL DAY!!! - and still haven't finished, but here's a sneak peek...

Strictly

It must be one of the coolest jobs in TV - selecting the contestants for Strictly Come Dancing...
So how did they come up with this motley crew???
Seriously, this show just gets bigger and bigger, and they should be inviting a wishlist to sign up, but this lot are a bunch of z-listers!
3 Eastenders (jesse wallace's short hair makes her look fat!), the obligatory BBC drama guy, the obligatory BBC entertainment show gal, several much older people who obviously aren't going to go far so what's the point?
the only innovative choices really are Gary Rhodes and Heather Small, Jodie Kidd too. These people are outside the box.
Can't staaand Lisa Snowden and I hope she goes soon.
And Bruno needs to stop being bitchy for bitchiness' sake...
i'd love to see people like Richard Madely...Vernon Kaye...
And I'm not even a massive STrictly show! I tend to watch it when I go home to see my parents, and I really enjoy it, but I don't really bother when I'm on my own...
Ooh, almost time for X-Factor... Now there's a show... Has me in tears... Cheryl is great! Danni is so redundant now...