I LOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVEVEEEEEEEEEEEE this audio book!. I’ve had the audio cassette for years and ripped my copy to cd so I can listen to it when in my car going to/from work, etc. I Loved the graphic novel so much that when I heard about the audio book, I just had to have it.
And this audio book, actually does what I thought was impossible. it makes the graphic novel, which I consider a masterpiece and one of my favorite books, even richer and more beloved.
That said it has been a good couple years since I have found these CDs and revisited this audio book. I listened to them this week…. and it still hits me the same…. my goodness I LOVE this audio book.
And I know Mark Waid the scripter is not a fan of this audio book, but I adore it. And what gets lost about KINGDOM COME, the graphic novel that inspires this audio book, when discussing it, is it is Alex Ross’ KINGDOM COME.
Click the image above to own the ABSOLUTE KINGDOM COME while it is still in print. A must own.
Alex Ross was not just the artist on the book, KINGDOM COME, it was his brain-child, he conceived it, this was and is very much Alex Ross’ story that he brought to DC, this idea of the Twilight of the Gods, even to having his Dad in the book as a central character, and DC paired him with Mark Waid to flesh out the story and create the script and structure.
And all due respect to Mark Waid (you can’t have a much better scripter/writer to flesh out your ideas, and make your concept better, especially when it comes to DC Characters and history and imbuing it with a sense of the iconic and the nostalgic); but I do think we need to give due respect to Alex Ross, and start giving him his due praise for the story even existing, and its romantic, and even spiritual nature… giving us the gist of this story about — faith rewarded.
And here another great writer and lover of all things DC, Elliot S. Maggin, takes the Graphic Novel and adapts it for the novel and the audio book, I think with faithful and momentous and heartfelt results.
“5.0 out of 5 stars Read the comic, then read this exceptional novelization
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
The best novelization of a comic I’ve ever read, hands down. In fact, this is better than any novelization of a film I’ve ever read, either. From Elliot S! Maggin comes an adaptation that matches the iconic, mythic feel and grandeur of the original story. He adds such rich detail and additional story that I tend to tell people that it’s not enough to just read the comic anymore, that a full appreciation for and understanding of the story requires also reading this novelization. I give it an enthusiastic recommendation”–Amazon.com Reviewer
Moments in this audio book never fail to give me chills or make me teary eyed or make me inspired. The audio eliciting memories of Alex Ross’ stunning iconic painted moments. So yes, you very much need to have read the Graphic Novel first, to appreciate the audio book.
I’ll post links to both items, and more, throughout this post.
“And fingers that can fuse coal into diamond, crawl across human bone. And in the hush, ears that can hear a cell divide, pick out with chilling ease, the scream of human rage.”
Holy Effing Crap.
I think the performers with one or two brief exceptions for the bit players, are all fantastic. The main characters, Superman, Batman, WonderWoman, Magog, Norman McKay, Wesley Dodds, Spectre, many more— are all picture perfect.
Alex Ross meets Mark Waid meet Elliott Maggin— all add up to the best DC adaptation ever made.
The cassettes have dried up, but sometimes you can catch one popping up from time to time. And hopefully one day they will release the CD (but wouldn’t hold my breath, considering it has been over 20 years since the Audio Book was released). However, if you can snag a copy, it is worth having.
Many Youtube channels, From Comic books related ones to Toy ones to Statue themed channels to Video Game channels to even Movie channels, are poised to get shutdown at the end of the year, due to Draconian Youtube and FTC mandates.
The channels below, briefly go into it a lot more succinctly than I can.
Check the links below (while you can):
Looking at the issue it appears to actually have very little to do with protecting kids from unsolicited advertising, (like the FTC has done anything about kids being exposed to unsolicited ads on regular television. 🙂 )
No this has nothing to do with ‘protecting kids’, and has everything to do with closing the wild west freedoms of the internet, and reinstating gate keeping. They want an end to the little guy having an unregulated voice, plain and simple.
They (big business, and their appointed political yes men) want an end to a level playing field, an end to individuals having a voice potentially just as potent and as far reaching… as businesses and advertisers.
So they pull out the tired refrain of ‘protecting our children’, that every tyrant has used to mask their true agenda… of power and subjugation.
So what is the answer?
If I’m one of these channels, I am exploring the following:
one/ a lot of your audience, that reached you thru streaming platforms like Roku, is not going to reach out to you via comments, or Instagram. If you want to get feedback from this population before your channel goes dark, provide your email address so they can reach you.
Two/check with other channels you are friendly with and discuss moving your videos to Vimeo or Archive.org till you can determine a valid new home for your content. Should moving be necessary. Reach out to alternative sites, avoiding the racist ones.
Three/consider an old fashion BBS model, round robin model, till an alternative can be put in place. Worse comes to worse, many of you guys have loyal viewers, who will pay to get your content. Whether that is going back to an old fashioned bbs model, every week 5 or 7 channels submit their content to a central hub that than edits together the various segments/channels into that week’s show, and that gets offered as a downloadable or burnable iso, or sent as a DVD. Members signup to get the content every week. Whether that is a download or a disk in the mail. Revenue generated by this is split between the 5 or 7 or 10 channels on a weekly basis. No advertisers. No gatekeepers. No masters, and no slaves. From content provider to subscriber. And no bs overlord threatening to demonetize you, or fine you into the poorhouse, for the sin of making them rich.
Now that is just one crazy idea, it may be feasible, or it may not. But it is thinking out of the box, rather than running.
Chaos is also an opportunity for profit. You just have to be the one not knee-jerk reacting, and being herded like sheep (“oh let me delete all my videos!!”) and instead be a builder or instigator of a workaround for the issue.
I have never liked Youtube, the content creators on Youtube is what makes an otherwise despicably run organization, profitable.
It is you the little guy, that Youtube and the FTC now seek to give the shaft to (FOR ADVERTISING MISTAKES MADE BY YOUTUBE CORPORATE), that make Youtube a money making company. If you guys could take that valuable content to another platform, less insidiously run than Youtube, Youtube will be the poorer.
Four/ So going along with number three, Network, support each other. And be innovators in this time of change and challenge, rather than stampeded sheep. You have over a month to work this out, and find alternatives.
Let us not panic, and get to the solving.
Anyone who is affected by this, leave me a comment with your email address (it will not be posted) and I’ll reach out to you and be happy to work with you to assist in finding alternatives.
And let me say something, if you are not a paying member of the EFF, issues like this is exactly why you need to be.They are here to defend your digital rights in an increasingly politically and corporately venal environment.
Use the link below to subscribe to them (and no I’m not getting paid to say that), I’ve been a member for years and just think they do FANTASTIC and desperately NEEDED work. But that work like everything, needs funds to keep going.
If this post has been useful, this blog likewise needs support. Please use the link below, purchases through the Bonanza store generates needed pennies for this Blog:
Long before strong female leads were the norm, Steven Grant in 1983 with Rich Larson created a standout heroine in… WHISPER. A great 2 issue run for short lived publisher Capital Comics. Three years later the property would rise from the dead for publisher First Comics, and go on to a compelling 37 issue run. It is a run that can be had cheap currently, and is strongly recommended. especially the first two capital issues, should be considered must own books.
Use the below links to purchase. You get great books, and the links earn a few, much appreciated, referral pennies for this site.:
I love the Denny O’Neil Leisure Suit era of WONDER WOMAN. Those issues are the most sought after of WONDER WOMAN’s first run, and two of the best issues, and the most beautiful WONDER WOMAN covers of all time are issues 199 and 200. These issues are starting to really heat up. Fantastic 1970s Covers by the great Jeff Jones.
SILVER AGED DAVE – This gentleman has single handedly spurred me to spend a couple hundred dollars on Treasury Editions. Which is actually good, as I bought at a good time and have bought all the great ones I wanted and fondly remembered; as well as some new to me, most at very reasonable prices. SILVER AGED I like your wall, and am definitely looking forward to your Treasury episode. Also a show on your favorite westerns and war books, or favorite covers; would be great as well.
KEY COMICS MARKET WATCH – very informed regarding the price variants of the 70s and 80s. And direct vs newstand. It doesn’t make a difference to me as I don’t care about such things. Just give me a comic in great condition. But really enjoy his hauls and shout outs of channels deserving of more attention. His recent four part haul video spurred me to pick up the complete 1970s Marvel DOC SAVAGE run.
BATAVENGER- KEY COMICS MARKET WATCH put BATAVENGER on my radar. And KEY was right. I went thru and watched his videos. GREAT stuff. He just put up a video about his year long test of 3 comics left in sunlight for a year. One raw, one in a poly bag, one in a mylite. I am very intrigued. He likes VALIANT comics, I find i haven’t been able to get into them. But people do speak highly of the books. I would start with his SUPER SONS coverage from a year ao. He show s a lot of great books in that video. I always like to watch someone’s first video , their most recent video, and a video in their list that grabs my attention. It is a pretty well rounded way to guage if a channel is for me. And he loves George Perez. Smart and he has great taste! This channel is for me. 🙂 Also very nice opening/production values.
If you are not watching Youtube channel COMICTOM101, and are a fan of this niche hobby called comic/comic books, you may want to start.
Like I mentioned in previous posts I find myself watching Youtube channels courtesy of streaming platforms like Roku or Amazon Fire, more than I watch regular broadcast or cable programming. And while I watch a variety of topics and channels, from nature shows to woodworking to short films to cooking shows, the number one tyoe of channels I watch is the comic related ones.
This week’s 15 best channels, have changed a tad from my previous posting.
A mainstay WE LOVE COMICS, that has some good advice and tips on his channel, has been bumped because of his antics in PGXgate. As a channel that goes out of his way to speak about integrity, I think his very selective defense of his sponsor PGX is suspect. As is his silence on the subject in light of the questions COMICTOM101 brings to light.
PGX is a certification company that has been involved in suspect story, after suspect story, from (per Bleeding Cool) certifying fradulent copies of Walking Dead as a rare collectible, to the well known grading issue stories, to the most recent claim of an ex-employee, of plans by the company to sell graded comics under a shill account.
It is that last story, that any user of PGX would be concerned about, that WE LOVE COMICS completely failed to address when bringing into question the claims, of a ‘possibly disgruntled’ employee.
Especially when WE LOVE COMICS goes out of his way to say he talks to the owner over the phone, and not to address that issue and other issues, such as the WALKING DEAD fiasco, has to call into question any claims of impartiality.
And look, I don’t really have a dog in the certification fight.
While a long time comic book fan, I’ve always looked at slabbing of books (encasing them in plastic once graded) very skeptically, regardless of the company.
Only this year, 2018, have I really decided that for me, for select books that I already have in either a collected or reprint format, that having the original issue of a select, upwardly mobile, original bronze or silver or golden age comic, can be a smart addition to a long term collection or investment.
I still think slabbing modern day comics is suspect at best. But that is an argument for another day,
Anyhow, So from 0 certified comics at the beginning of 2018, I now have 10 of them. So still a very modest graded collection. Nine CGC titles and 1 CBCS title.
I went with CGC because of its long standing history, and the fact that the books are easily bought and sold on Ebay and other channels. Also because of their reputation.
Because especially when it comes to trusting someone to grade your comics, reputation is everything. CGC is not perfect, it has issues, as does CBCS. I prefer to just buy already certified books, than goes through the delay and cost of sending my own books in. A smart shopper can get a slabbed book at a very affordable price on the secondary market.
I’ve bought a total of eleven books, one I had to return for a refund, for obvious pressing issues visible from outside of the slabbed book. Pressing is another practice I have issues with, as it damages the comic long term, to get it to get a higher grade in the short term. That is also an argument for another day.
Back on track, the ten books i have that are graded with none of the books costing me over a $110 in already certified condition, is not a bad deal at all.
Now, the one company I actually sent books to, via a convention was CBCS, and I ended up canceling that order, because of the delay time, and was charged $28 to get my books back, and received one of them back water damaged. Possibly not innocently so.
And again I researched all 3 of the certifying companies, CGC, CBCS, and PGX, not content to listen to just rumors.
But yes from personal experience I have no plans to go through the hassle of getting anything certified via CBCS. If i get it via the secondary market fine, but me dealing with that process, not so much.
PGX from research one, had a lot of shady stories attached to their name, but they were older stories. That maybe you could chalk up to growing pains. But years into their business model and new stories of concern pop up to add to the existing story.
I recently just came across the Walking Dead story, and to follow that up with these pretty damning accusations of a ‘let go’ employee, is cause for questions. Especially when you see the questions the company should be answering they are avoiding.And i saw that video from WE LOVE COMICS where he did hint at drug use being the reason a PGX employee was let go.
And for WE LOVE COMIS and PGX to now backtrack from that when called on it by COMICTOM101, does not fill one with confidence in either the company PGX, or their ‘impartial’ spokesperson WE LOVE COMICS.
Based on CoMICTOM101’s great reporting, for me the PGX question is answered in regards to the question of whether graded items from them should be avoided.
Now can they right the ship? Absolutely.. But it would seem it would need to be an overhaul and transparency from top to bottom. With the leadership paying to staff the company with recognized and respected graders. Once that A team of great vetted graders is in place, and an established perhaps third party inspection of their grading and database process is in place, you do the hard part of restoring your name. You own up to perhaps not doing it right in the first place, and not planning it right in the present. But a willingness to correct it in the future. To own up to any incidents that could be perceived, rightly or wrongly, as an attempt to scam people. If the employee in question who was let go was correct, hire him (or them, since it sounds like it was more than one let go) back.
And the number one thing you to to restore your reputation, and this is going to hurt, you offer a recall and free regrading of every PGX book out there in the wild. Yes it is expensive, yes it is going to require real graders, yes you are going to put yourself in the red in the short term. And yes it is absolutely the right thing to do, to restore customer confidence.
Do i expect PGX to do that? Based on their history, absolutely not. I expect them to continue doing what they have been, making income where they can, however given the prevalence and the increasing number of negative stories around PGX’s name, it is not a path I see as sustainable for them.
I, to speak for myself, as i said the verdict is in. I’ll not be buying any PGX books or their sertification process. And I find any channel that advertises sending your books to PGX without addressing the issues, is not impartial, and has to be viewed as a paid commercial for the company, rather than anyone with any real concern for the comic book community.
I would like to be wrong in that assumption, but given how the ground currently lays, I do not see it.
That’s all for now, and come back tomorrow for my installment on this week’s recommendations of the TOP 15 Youtube Comic Book Channels!
G.I. JOE RETALIATION- A good, if flawed popcorn flick. A brisk running time, and strong action sequences makes up for haphazard plot, script, and largely half baked performances.
Not giving you time to ponder too long the film’s shortcomings (the whole Storm Shadow and RZA subplot is so under-written/poorly written it seems almost to belong to a different, unfinished movie) is a definite strength of this film. Taken at speed, and not too seriously, it’s a fun and at times adrenalin inducing 90minutes, and one of the few films to do a good job of utilizing REAL 3D.
Usually not a fan of 3D, however this time a combination of good theater, and I think a well converted 3D film, makes for a film that is fun to see in 3D, rather than a chore. Dwayne Johnson largely carries the film, being the most likeable and engaging actor in the movie. GRADE: B! Enjoy!
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Heroic Times 