Monday Morning Commute: Stay on Target
After I punch out on December 23rd, I’m going to have the luxury of not returning to work for ten days. By my calculations, that’s nearly a week and a half. Do you know many comics will be read, movies watched, beers imbibed, and high-fives delivered in that time? Certainly enough to keep my face smile-plastered and spirit sky-bound.
Needless to say, I’m champing at the bit.
But alas, I must first survive a treacherous two-week stint of work. Additionally, these workweeks happen to fall on the end of the month, which is always the most hectic time around the `ole office. Tack on the various projects I’ve undertaken, and I’m bound to be one busy little prole-monkey rummaging about the engine room of Spaceship Earth’s compartment of Consumer-Cultures.
Fortunately, the Omnidimensional Creator has been kind enough to allow me to guide you through the MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE! Join me as I display the various bits of art and mind-rot I’ll be using to prevent a total mental meltdown. After you feast your eyes on what I’ll be entertaining myself with, hit up the comments section and share your ideas of a fun time.
Okay, hide the women and children — it’s time to summon the Entertainment Daemons!
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Sneak Peekin’/The Dark Knight Rises Prologue
As both a comic book nerd and an appreciator of quality cinema, I’ve been absolutely losing my mind thinking about The Dark Knight Rises. I’ve been resisting every urge to check out spoilers, managing to curb this monstrous appetite by snacking on the Christopher Nolan-approved bits of information, which’ve been few and far between. What I do know is that Christopher Nolan’s Bat-trilogy has the potential to be the second wholly amazing trilogy released in my lifetime.
Goddamn, July 20th can’t come soon enough.
Luckily, this week sees the IMAX release of Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol, which includes a prologue for The Dark Knight Rises (just as I Am Legend came packaged with the opening bank robbery from The Dark Knight). For this, all of us comics-lovin’ dweebies must praise Xenu for granting Tommy “The Color of Money” Cruise the altruism to let another movie’s scene be shown before his newest cinematic masterpiece. He is — in short — the only one who can really help.
In addition to Xenu and Tom Cruise, I must also thank Caffeine Powered. As my older brother, he has helped steer towards a lifetime of nerdcore reverie, showing me how to celebrate paneled pages and progressive metal and video juegos on a daily basis. However, Caff-Pow’s gifts hardly ended, as I found out this weekend.
The dude scored me a ticket to see The Dark Knight Rises Prologue on Tuesday nite.
That’s right, by some Festivus miracle, I’m going to roll up to the IMAX tomorrow nite for the sole purpose of watching a scene from the newest Nolan flick. Oh man, I have no clue what I’m going to see, but I bet it’s going to rule!
BATMAN? BANE? BALE? SELINA KYLE? ALFRED? THE TUMBLER? MORGAN FREEMAN? THE PENGUIN?!
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Rockin’/30th Anniversary Footage (Metallica)
While I’ve come to disregard almost everything the band does, there was a time in my life which I wore a Metallica shirt every day and could rifle off the most obscure factoids. I bled, sweat, and cried Metallica at every opportunity, whether it meant defending terrible albums or trying to learn their songs on the drums. In truth, without Metallica I may have never been ushered through the metal threshold.
Last weekend saw Metallica wrapping up what was a four-show sequence to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Although I initially scoffed at the idea, my heart began to warm up when I started reading reviews. Not only did the band reach into the furthest depths of their catalog for these shows, they also invited a slew of guests to join them on stage, honoring not only their inspirations but former members as well.
Jason Newsted. Ozzy. King Diamond and Merciful Fate. Geezer Butler. Diamond Head. Dave Mustaine. Even Lloyd fuckin’ Grant. They all got their chance to tear it up with the Four Horsemen.
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age, but watching these videos does nothing but make me smile. It might just be a sense of nostalgia creeping into my brain-bone. Maybe it’s the holiday spirit painting everything a pleasant shade of cheer. Whatever the case, I’m finally glad that Metallica is still around.
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Lovin’/The Defenders (Fraction & Dodsons)
What happens when Marvel gives Matt Fraction the freedom to write a super-team of his choosing? Well, apparently you get The Defenders. The first issue of this book came out last week, and it really won me over. The first storyline sees the Hulk assembling a team of heroes to try to fix a major problem he’s created.
Of course, since Fraction penning the script, the team is composed of true characters — Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Namor, Red She-Hulk, and the Silver Surfer. Before the issue’s end, the team has traveled the globe, been blown up, and come across the mythological Prester John.
Moveover, Terry and Rachel Dodson do a fantastic job of injecting some real style into the comic. While I’m not the biggest fan of their artwork, the layout and design of the comic is simply fantastic, summoning the spirit of the digital realm.
Or something. Just trust me, it’s really good.
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So there’s my week — comics and metal and movies as a defense against work-induced brain-paralysis.
What’s your week lookin’ like?