damn, but this stuff is good.

What Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN is for fantasy, what FABLES is for fairy tales, James Robinson's STARMAN is for superheroes.

I just had no idea until this past week.

It was probably a foolish thing to buy the entire series without having really read it before. I thought it would be important for my collection, especially considering I want to build my collection around having good and important stories to lend to people like spacechild, and it's a pretty beloved and raved-about comic. But of course, that latter part means nothing. Some extremely popular books are either total crap claptrap to me (see most of Jeph Loeb) or are completely lost on me (I do not understand the appeal of SCOTT PILGRIM... it reads like a lame webcomic).

And let's not forget, this is James Robinson. The dude wrote the screenplays for LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN and COMIC BOOK VILLIANS, but to mention the abysmal "Face the Face" Batman story recently. And yet, I blindly bought (or rather, had Dad buy for me for Christmas) the entire run of STARMAN. And thank god I did.

I'm only halfway through the series right now, so of course I worry about it petering out. I still haven't gotten over what happened with DARK TOWER, the resentment of which grows the more I think about it. But so far, it's absolutely wonderful, a nostalgic love letter to classic superheroes. Not superpowered superheroes, but rather the mystery men of the 1940's, normal guys with no superhuman powers of their own who throw on a colorful costume or a fedora and trench coat and fight crime and nazis.

And at the same time, it's very much its own thing, firmly establishing the unique nature of Starman, his enemies, and his city. It's not about one single superhero, but rather about the generations of people and families tied together by Opal City and the protectors who, for one reason or another, called themselves "Starman." The characters are all rich, complex, and rather delightful in their ways, and a literate sense of wonderment pervades all ten books of the entire STARMAN saga.

But at this point, I doubt I'm converting much anyone who hasn't already long ago read these books. It's a shame. No, scratch that. The real shame is that several volumes of this series seem to be out of print, including volume 3, "A Wicked Inclination," which includes the lovely and moving "Sand and Stars" story. If all the volumes were currently available, I'd be pushing STARMAN right alongside my top recommendations: THE WALKING DEAD, Y-THE LAST MAN, EX MACHINA, INVINCIBLE, PUNISHER (MAX), and Alan Moore's SWAMP THING.

Ah well. At least what I can do is lend the books to friends.

I think a pattern's starting to develop here...

I never thought Rosario Dawson was anything to write home about especially. I mean, I loved SIN CITY, and yeah, she was fine in that leather/fishnet getup, I've no complaints. But then I saw CLERKS 2 (a sadly under-appreciated movie that I hope will get more love with the passage of time) where she played the down-to-earth, closet-romantic manager of Mooby's fast food. And holy crap was she hot. And then I found out she was a total comic-loving geek girl, and that just sealed the deal.

Similarly, Maggie Gyllenhaal. Now, I always thought she was cute anyway, but with the possible exception of her small role in DONNIE DARKO, I had never seen her in a movie where I thought she notably hot. Now many of you may bring of SECRETARY, to which I must confess, I hated, hated, hated that movie. Besides the subject matter and the unlikeable (to me) characters, her voice seemed unnaturally nasally and annoying. So strong was my dislike for that movie that it honestly kept me from appreciating Maggie on her own. Then I saw STRANGER THAN FICTION, where she plays a free-spirited anarchist baker. And dear lord, she was so damn cute.

So I think the pattern I'm seeing is that when it comes to women, I'll take smart, sassy, funny cute gals over leather-and-fishnet gun-toting dominatrix types and masochists who will wear a horse saddle for my pleasure.

Perhaps it's not the most profound personal revelation, but it certainly couldn't hurt to keep it in mind. Then again, if I don't, perhaps I'll have better stories. I may be a quivering mess, curled into a ball and hiding in the closet, but I'll have good stories nonetheless!



Incidentally, I'm definitely gonna write a full review of STRANGER THAN FICTION later. Who here's already seen it? I want to discuss the ending, but if no one cares, what's the point?