*Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics

With everything that has been going on recently (see this week’s WebComic) I haven’t had a chance to chime in on the death of Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA of the Beastie Boys. License to Ill was my first rap cassette and that tape changed my life. For a more complete break down of what that tape and all of the albums released by the Beastie Boys I want to share something I posted last weekend on another site:

Just watched the Rock and Roll HOF induction ceremony on HBO just to see the Beastie Boys.
Today the playlist for my 5k run ended with the Beastie Boys.
The only group I own physical media for all their albums is the Beastie Boys (including License to Ill on Vinyl, Cassette, and CD).
If not for my sister leaving a copy of License to Ill at my house in the mid 80′s I would have never been influenced by on of my favorite group of musicians ever, I would have never knew one of my friends could break dance, and never have memorized the lyrics to Paul Revere with my friends during lunch in 7th grade. Great musicians may pass (R.I.P. MCA), but their music the memories associated with it will motivate and move us forever.

I wanted to make a post about the passing of MCA, but I felt that I waited too long until last week when I came across an old live mix I made back in 2005. In the late 90′s and early 2000′s I used to make mixe tapes (mp3 and CD) that feature segments of songs blended or scratched together to make a continuous mix.  I stopped making mixes in 2002 and had the itch to make a new one in 05. Instead of reloading all of my music I pulled out just the Beastie Boys stuff and made a live mix.  When I used to make a mix I would get an idea of what songs I want to use and then wing it and record that continuous live mix. After the live mix was complete I usually listen to it to determine what songs worked, which ones didn’t work, and which blends needed to be cleaner. I never finished my Beastie Boys mix, but I would like to share with you the rough mix that I created back in 2005 in honor of MCA’s passing.

Because of all that I have been doing, and we have another space simulation mission this Friday, I have been swamped with work, exhausted, and have only been hanging out with my kids two nights both this and last week. Yesterday I had my track banquet in the evening and didn’t have time to make a comic strip, so I decided I would make one today. I sat down tonight and couldn’t come up with anything… then R Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” popped into my head.

I haven’t heard that song in years and have no idea why it popped in my head, but it made me laugh. Since it made me laugh I decided to use it for this week’s comic strip. The finished strip made me laugh too. You may not think it’s funny, but after the last two weeks I have had, I’ll take any laugh I can get.

Check out this week’s comic strip where a random song pops into the Booger’s head: http://www.spacebooger.com/spacebooger-comic-strip/?comicID=252

The Winner of Round 10 Is:

Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!

(click the image to view the whole fight)

FNF: “Maxim” Round 11 Rules

Please Note: I will be at work again this Friday and will not be able to view most participant’s sites through our internet content filter. If possible please include the name of the character who wins your entered fight in your entry email. If all participants can include this information I can post the fight around 9pm.
Thanks,
Fred

To participate in the Friday Night Fights send an email to fnf [at] spacebooger.com no earlier than Tuesday at 6PM, and no later than Friday 6PM (Eastern Time)! In the email make sure to include the url and winner of your fight. A direct link to your post or include a link to your homepage – I will check at 8PM on Friday to find the exact url. Every entry needs to include the following:

• a fight scene from a comic between two or more characters
• the entry should be one consecutive fight scene
• the entry should not appear, or be posted, until after noon on Friday
• an image from a book that is at least six-months old
• title and number of the issue featured (writer and artists would also be nice)
• a direct link to the fight with or without a “VOTE” image (large 400px, medium 300px, small 150px):
  http://www.spacebooger.com/2012/05/18/friday-night-fights-%E2%80%9Cmaxim%E2%80%9D-round-11/
  (note – the link will not work until 4PM (EST) on Friday, and the official fight will post around 11PM)
• Come back after the fight is posted and before Sunday at 11PM (EST) and cast your vote for the winner of the round!

Friday Night Fights: “Maxim” Round 11 May 11th at 18PM!!

Reviewed this week: Batgirl #9, Batman #9, and Batman and Robin #9.

Batman took on the Court of Owls solo and now the whole group is out for revenge on him and all those who hold power in Gotham. To reclaim “their” city the Court has sent out their army of almost indestructible undead, reanimated, assassins known as Talons. The Talons take on Bruce Wayne in his home while the rest of the Batfamily try to protect those who the Court of Owls have targeted for assassination.

Batgirl #9

5 Word Review: Two Backstories For One Assassin?
Story: Gail Simone
Art: Ardian Sya & Vincente Cifuentes

Batgirl is sent by Alfred to protect her father, Police Commissioner Gordon, from the Courts only female assassin. In this issue, we see one of the men behind the Court of Owls directly recruit a young Talon from Haley’s Circus in the 1940’s only to see him again in the present warning the Commissioner. The fact that one of the important members of the Court of Owls does not look as if he aged may be a clue as to what is going on in this super secret society.

It seems as if every assassin has some personal attachment in a historical way to their target except for the one Batgirl takes down. The story starts off with a little girl in Japan making paper balloons to carry bombs across the ocean to attack the US. Then the story shifts over to a young girl scared beyond recognition by one of the balloons that made it across the ocean. Mr. Haley refers to the little girl as being a survivor of the balloon bomb that hit a farm in Oregon but also hints that she may be the little Japanese girl who created the bomb. Having a back story for the Talon is not necessary but does make a compelling story, but having a back story this confusing is more distracting and ruins the issue.

Batgirl #9 gets a score of:

2 out of 5

Batman #9

5 Word Review: War Moving To Enemy Ground
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Greg Capullo & Johnathan Glapton

Bruce wearing his RoboCop/Dark Knight Returns armor is almost killed by a large group of Talons before the bats in the cave he makes the base of his operation comes to his rescue again. At the end of the last issue I loved how Bruce and Alfred planned on using the cold to slow down the assassin’s healing ability, but that strategy played a minimal role in this battle. The cold did save the day though by drawing the bats from the deepest coldest parts of the cave which gave Bruce the advantage he needed. The one thing I don’t get is why the Court of Owls sent an army after Bruce, but only one assassin after each of the other targets including the Police Commissioner and an high ranking military figure. Looks as if the Wayne family has more connections to the Court of Owls than I originally thought.

Since this crossover event started in this book it is only natural that the story progresses within it’s pages. At the end of the story, Bruce is able to get a list of those who make up the current Court of Owls and swears revenge.

Batman #9 gets a score of:

5 out of 5

Batman and Robin #9

5 Word Review: A Deadly Robin Can Work
Story: Peter Tomasi
Art: Lee Garbet, Andy Clarke, Keith Champagne, and Ray McCarthy

The best part of the first storyline in this series was that Damian, as much as he wants to impress his father, does not play by the rules that the Batman follows. In this issue, Damian, like all others in the Batfamily, are sent out to protect someone on the Talon’s hit list. Damian is assigned to protect a military figurehead. In a military environment Damian lets his instincts go and takes control of the unit and orders them as well or even better than high ranking military officials would. This strategy buys him enough time to strike in a way that his father would not approve of if the enemy wasn’t a reanimated dead assassin.

I loved the old DCU incarnation of Damian Wayne who was an assassin with a sense of humor, in relation to his view of his father’s methods and wasn’t the biggest fan of the new incarnation that cant focus on anything but death and violence. Allowing Damian a solo mission in an issue like this allowed me a chance to really get to know this similar yet new take on the character. Seeing Damian work alone showed that he indeed has the same goals as his father even if his methods are not the same, and most importantly this issue showed that Damian does not kill for fun, he views his war on crime just that – a war.

Batman and Robin #9 gets a score of:

4 out of 5

Nothing Beats a Classic!

FNF: “Maxim” Round 10

Ted Grant  (SpaceBooger)

Rarebit Fiend (Hero Sandwich)

Superboy (Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep)

Shockwave  (ShadowWing Tronix)

Superman (Stars And Garters)

Make sure you vote for the winner!

view results

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite fight by Monday @ 11PM.

All votes will be considered, but in the end I will have the final say. The winner will be announced next Tuesday!
Visitors and guests – please cast your vote too!

Justice Society of America #6
Len Strazewski – Story
Mike Parobeck & Mike Machlan  - Art

This week’s comic strip honors those who are there for us through potty training, nightmares, boo-boos, our first break-up, and for those of us who have kids she is there to laugh at our karma. BarryFly and I realize the importance of recognizing these everyday heroes, while the Booger is all about the “Yo Momma!” jokes.

Check out this week’s Mother’s Day themed comic strip here: http://www.spacebooger.com/spacebooger-comic-strip/?comicID=251

Reviewed this week: Action Comics #9, Amazing Spider-Man #685,
Detective Comics #9, and X-O Manowar #1.

Action Comics #9

5 Word Review: A New and Inspirational Superman
Story: Grant Morrision
Art: Gene Ha

I don’t really understand the purpose of introducing an alternate Earth’s Superman when the one that is normally featured in this book has barely been introduced. I’m not quite sure if it is because the book reads like an Elseworld issue or if it is because I am still confused by what old continuity still exists for these “New 52” heroes, but this book was quite enjoyable.

Not only did this book feature a Superman of a different race, but it also featured one who was the president. By being the most powerful man in the free world in both the physical and political realm, this new Superman of earth 23 seems to instill the idea of “truth, justice, and the American way” as much as the character did in the 1940’s. This modeling of the morals and hope inspired by Superman is much stronger than his current counterpart’s during the last couple of decades..

Action Comics #9 gets a score of:

4 out of 5

Amazing Spider-Man #685

5 Word Review: Finally A Sense of Danger
Story: Dan Slott
Art: Humberto Ramos & Victor Olazaba

Finally the good guys are going to fight against an evil scientist who executes his plan. Up until this issue, Spider-Man and his gang were fighting against a “what if.” Doctor Octopus convinced the world that he would cure it of global warming, but Spidey never believed him. After multiple issues of the hero fighting alongside a hunch, Doc Ock took out half of the Earth. With the evil plan in motion, I hope that the comic moves at a faster more action packed pace featuring meaningful battles between heroes and villains.

Amazing Spider-Man #685 gets a score of:

3.5 out of 5

Detective Comics #9

5 Word Review: A Confusing Stand Alone Issue
Story: Tony Daniel
Art: Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea

This book had two good things going for it and one that was not so good. The first thing that it did right was tie into the Court of Owls storyline semi seamlessly. The second thing that it did right was that the issue was a complete story, or a “one and done” book. The bad part of the book was the weak plot and even weaker detail regarding the characters.

Over in the main Batman book, Batman is standing his ground to protect his home while wearing a RoboBatCop suit. I can buy that this book takes place after that fight finishes, but I don’t understand what is up with Jeremiah Arkham and the Black Mask. The last time I read about the Black Mask it was revealed that Jeremiah Arkham was filling in for the once dead mobster. After reading this issue I can’t tell if the Black Mask is alive in this new continuity or if Arkham still has the split personality and moonlights as the leader of the False Faces.

The art was well done and the invasion of the Asylum is a good idea for a story, but the confusion regarding the characters ruined this book. I will give Tony Daniel credit for one thing – he did peak my interest in both Jeremiah Arkham and the Black Mask again.

Detective Comics #9 gets a score of:

1.5 out of 5

X-O Manowar #1

5 Word Review: Nothing But Nostalgia and Awesomeness
Story: Robert Venditti
Art: Cary Nord & Stefano Gaudino

I have been excited for the return of the Valiant universe for a long time. During the 90’s I landed a good job and could afford to buy my own comics around the time Valiant was becoming popular. Falling victim to the marketing craze of the 90’s I purchased every new Valiant book up, not realizing how good they really were until it was too late. After the comic company went bankrupt, I started to really appreciate the stories and characters, especially the original ones that will be returning this summer.

This new take on X-O is close to the original, close enough to not turn me off of the character and this book. The fact that the book feels like it belongs to the old Valiant Universe isn’t what makes this book great, this book really excels in terms of character development and detail. When first flipping through the book I was disappointed to not see the hero donning the armor, but after reading the issue I am glad he didn’t. In this issue we see the true Aric in his natural environment. We also see the aliens who he steals the armor from while being introduced to their evil deeds. This comfortability along with the detail and care put into the story and characters makes this everything I expected and then some. If you love comics, or just enjoy well written science fiction, you need to give this book and the first story arc a chance.

X-O Manowar #1 gets a score of:

5 out of 5

The Winner of Round 9 Is:

ShadowWing Tronix!

(click the image to view the whole fight)

FNF: “Maxim” Round 10 Rules

To participate in the Friday Night Fights send an email to fnf [at] spacebooger.com no earlier than Tuesday at 6PM, and no later than Friday 6PM (Eastern Time)! In the email make sure to include the url of your fight. A direct link to your post or include a link to your homepage – I will check at 8PM on Friday to find the exact url. Every entry needs to include the following:

• a fight scene from a comic between two or more characters
• the entry should be one consecutive fight scene
• the entry should not appear, or be posted, until after noon on Friday
• an image from a book that is at least six-months old
• title and number of the issue featured (writer and artists would also be nice)
• a direct link to the fight with or without a “VOTE” image (large 400px, medium 300px, small 150px):
  http://www.spacebooger.com/2012/05/11/friday-night-fights-“maxim”-round-10
  (note – the link will not work until 4PM (EST) on Friday, and the official fight will post around 11PM)
• Come back after the fight is posted and before Sunday at 11PM (EST) and cast your vote for the winner of the round!

Friday Night Fights: “Maxim” Round 10 May 11th at 11PM!!

Ultimates… Avengers… Same Thing.

FNF: “Maxim” Round 9

Captain America  (SpaceBooger)

Batgirl (Hero Sandwich)

Superman (Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep)

Hawkeye and the Blonde Phantom (ShadowWing Tronix)

Matt Murdock (Stars And Garters)

Make sure you vote for the winner!

view results

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite fight by Monday @ 11PM.

All votes will be considered, but in the end I will have the final say. The winner will be announced next Tuesday!
Visitors and guests – please cast your vote too!

Ultimates #12
Mark Millar – Story
Bryan Hitch & Paul Neary  - Art

As a teacher this week is one of my favorite weeks of the year – Teacher Appreciation Week. I don’t get gifts or anything like that but sometimes parents and students go out of their way to say “thanks”. In a field where test scores are focused on more than anything else, sometimes it’s nice to hear a real voice acknowledge your efforts. On the other hand, while this week is Teacher Appreciation week, it is also the week that all teacher’s who are not being retained for the next year are given their “pink slip”. Yes, contrary to popular belief, bad teachers are indeed fired. Unfortunately most of the teachers who will not be returning to classrooms next year in my state are considered “bad teachers” it’s because of financial issues and state funding.

Economically, times are tough. To help ease the burden of a bad economy, the Booger has decided to sacrifice for the enjoyment of the readers.

Check out the Booger’s idea of how to help readers save in today’s economy by reading the comic strip here: http://www.spacebooger.com/spacebooger-comic-strip/?comicID=250