The Sword and Laser discussion

Kdawg91 wrote: "So, I am asking, what this past month or two, have you watched or read or whatever that completely made you happy? What hit all your fanboy/fangirl buttons all in a row?

What did you love or looking forward to and don't care who knows it? "

I finally got around to watching my disc of Gravity. I was afraid it wouldn't be as spectacular as I recalled from my two screenings in the theatre, but it totally was. And the extra stuff on the disc is superb.

Got my copy of Captain America: The Winter Soldier Tuesday and watched it twice, then listened to the excellent commentary by the two directors and two writers. (Somewhat disappointed that there's no Marvel One Shot included, as I really enjoy those, but overall the disc is good.)

I discovered the first two seasons of the BBC superhero show Misfits is available from Netflix and I got all the discs. Loved it. Very much looking forward to the next seasons when they become available.

I got a free copy of War Stories: New Military Science Fiction from a Goodreads giveaway I'd forgotten I'd entered. Very much looking forward to reading that next!

sounds like a winner Trike! Man, I would love stuff in the mail :)

Count of Monte Cristo was really awesome, and unexpectedly so. I usually force myself to read a classic once in a while, but this one was great.

Among things I can always read: Walt Simonson's run on Thor, especially the section with Skurge's sacrifice. He held the bridge at Gjallerbru...

Jim Starlin's The Price, from the Dreadstar series, is also awesome in a dark way.

I've read both within the past year and pick them up again regularly.

I can't wait til Zero Theorem hits the theaters here in the States. I could watch it via streaming rental, but I want to see it on the big screen first.

Ben wrote: "I can't wait til Zero Theorem hits the theaters here in the States. I could watch it via streaming rental, but I want to see it on the big screen first."

Looks good!

I started watching Farscape over the weekend. I can't get enough of it!

Wastrel wrote: "... And I'm starting to watch Deep Space 9. Promising early on, but have rapidly become bogged down in nothing-wrong-with-them-but-nothing-right formulaic episodes. Will keep on, though, since there's enough there to suggest I may like it (and people generally say it gets better).
..."
DS9 really does improve from season to season. But even in its best years, there are some dud episodes. Even with the duds, on the whole, I preferred it very much to Next Generation.

John wrote: "...Jim Starlin's The Price, from the Dreadstar series, is also awesome in a dark way..."

I loved that comic. "But you see... belief is also very fragile. A word can kill it."

I love DS9, but I started re watching and was surprised about a few duds.

My thoughts is that you'll like DS9 if you like continuing story and TNG if you prefer more one off episodes. Both are great though for different reasons.

Kdawg91 wrote: "does anybody besides me think the new Thor might be Carol Danvers? just how many people even in comics are just walking around on the moon?

(yes that was off topic)"

It's not Danvers, she's off planet, giving the Guarduians of the Galaxy a run for their money

speaking of: The thing that I read that just made me happy is Marvel's Captain Marvel story line, and reading that it's getting a 7th issue. The story telling in that series is just great. I'm getting the trade paper just so I can put some of the individual issues on the wall in my office.

There's a new Vlad Taltos book coming out from Steven Brust next month! Woot! We're up to the Hawk clan.

And I'm still happy that Ann Leckie won the Hugo, and her second book is coming out soon.

How good are the Steven Brust books? seriously..is it worth jumping off into them.

There was a TV series a few years ago about an immortal NYC cop that I loved called New Amsterdam. I was saddened by its early cancellation. It starred the actor who plays Jamie Lannister in Game of Thrones, which was my first exposure to him, and I really liked it.

As the saying goes, history repeats, and someone has resurrected New Amsterdam and paired it with Sherlock Holmes. It's called Forever, and it stars Ioan Gruffudd (using his real accent this time around) as an immortal NYC medical examiner.

I've missed New Amsterdam so much that I ain't even mad they've lifted entire character bits from that show.

I'm sure the Sherlock Holmes stuff is added because Holmes is just the flavor of the moment, but no matter which iteration he's in, the character still satisfies. Some people may look at Dr. Henry Morgan and instead shout, "But that's Dr. House!" Of course it is. House was originally supposed to be Holmes until they realized how litigious the people squabbling over the rights to the character are, and simply changed his name slightly and his profession. ("House calls." Get it?) So Sherlock Holmes becomes Gregory House, John Watson becomes James Wilson, cocaine addiction becomes Vicodin addiction and no one gets sued.

Same with Forever, although so far Morgan doesn't have an addiction. He DOES, however, have a Moriarty, who is manipulating people and engaging in wholesale murder behind the scenes, apparently just for fun, because he's even older than Dr. Morgan, claiming to be over 2,000 years old and calling himself "Adam." This bit reminds me of the movie Unbreakable, except this show is more lively.

Only two episodes have aired (both this week) so jump onto the ground floor.

Brust's books are good, but he's having an issue with his old agent (according to his website) and so the first books in his series are not available as ebooks, if that matters to you.

My recent funny moment was Emma Newman's Tea and Jeopardy podcast (Episode 13) First Birthday Podcast. I was on the London Underground Travelling home on a packed tube. The outakes were just so funny. I was roaring with laughter, tears streaming down my face, while a carriage of onlookers looked on...some starting to laugh at me, others grinning and some just looking confused. Captain Nemo's Willie...brilliant.

really dug the new Thor, was the first issue I read this week.

You mean the female Thor that doesn't really appear?

yup. still good set up

I am not a Tolkien fan, but the shadow of mordor game is kinda awesome so far, and Image comics is killing it across the board lately,

Yes the creators at Image are nailing it. The handful of people who make up the office of Image comics do such a good job of allowing talented folks to do what they want, and maintain ownership of it. It trully is a meritocracy, and under it we are getting some awesome comics.

I mean to think, Saga has no editor of any real sort. It is all Brian and Fiona with a little help on font. No direction from up high saying you can't kill this character, or let's see more of this one. And they are nailing it every issue.

Totally agree on Shadow of Mordor. Great fun game.

I am a Tolkien fan, and I am amazed at how fun the game is, and also what they based the story off. It is really one of those throw away things in the Silmarillion and Appedices that they expanded into a great story.

The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs, is one of the best things I have read this year, yes...it made me happy :)

The Flash TV series. Lots of fun.

They are completely echoing the Smallville model, except right out of the gate it's already 100 times better. And the liberal sprinkling of Easter eggs from the comics (a smashed cage with the name "Grodd" on it, the use of Ferris Air) is a lot of fun.

I've seen and read a lot of stuff that had something like "In the tradition of Honor Harrington" emblazoned on it. So for the first time, I've started reading the Honor Harrington books. I'm part way through the second one now and loving it. :)

Melanie wrote: "Guardians of the Galaxy made me happy in a way I haven't been since I was a teen and watched the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I've seen it 3 times already and plan on more."

Guardians was awesome! I was so much more thrilled with that movie than I thought I was going to be.

And I'm also currently reading The Left Hand of Darkness and being only part way through it, I immediately knew this is gonna be a 5-Star read. It's just wonderful.

Is anyone else on here loving the Constantine series?!! Amazing first ep, and the second, though it seemed to be struggling a little harder to find its feet, was still pretty darned good. I think Matt Ryan is the perfect man for the title role - completely believe him, even if his accent DOES sound more Welsh than Liverpudlian to me. Really excited for the next episode.

it is as good a show as they could do on network tv, and being a redblooded man GOOD LORD Zed is hot. that is all :)

Flash has really hit my geek button hard. I picked up the Reverse Flash even before the yellow blur. Nice fanservice with Grodd's cage and the Kanhdaq exhibit. It's nicely done. Even down to the throwaway lines, like when Felicity says "if he runs really fast, will he just turn into...dust in a red suit?" Which is exactly what happens in the Crisis. Good work.

i kinda have a idea about reverse flash, but im probably wrong LOL

You know what I also like about these DC shows is the little tricks they use to make it seem like the budget is bigger than it is.

The last Flash episode with Felicity is a great example. They spent money doing the "running on a treadmill" bit to establish that's what he was doing, and then they turned away from him to focus on the four people having a conversation about him.

Felicity delivers her line about him turning to dust (which I did not know was from Crisis because I don't read too many DC books, thanks John, although now that you mention it I know I've seen that panel somewhere) and then we hear Barry say from offscreen, "Hey, want to see how fast I can run backwards?" then the crash and groan as the camera holds on their reactions and the woman says, "Don't worry, he heals really fast, too."

Very funny moment, but they make you imagine it rather than show it. It's a creative way to save money.

On last season's Arrow there was a fight in a warehouse that culminated in Arrow grabbing Black Canary and shooting a rappelling arrow through a skylight and then up they go. But the skylight was merely implied via sound effect, and when they zoomed past the camera, a grip simply threw a bunch of sugar-glass at the ground.

It happens right around the 1:50 moment in this video.

It's such a cheap way to get production value by using creative filmmaking. That's something I really appreciate beyond just the fun stories.

I completely agree with you, Trike. I think sometimes a problem for big budgets is that it removes the need to sit down and creatively think of ways to get the shot on a budget and still make it awesome. Sometimes a cheap trick is way more effective than a shiny expensive effect. Hurrah for creative problem solving. I never noticed these shows were lacking any budget. I was only seeing awesome.

Ruth wrote: "Is anyone else on here loving the Constantine series?!! Amazing first ep, and the second, though it seemed to be struggling a little harder to find its feet, was still pretty darned good. I think M..."

Yes! The first show: Amazing! Second show: almost as good. I am well aware that if I like a show, it will probably be cancelled, so I'm enjoying it while I can. As soon as they start monkeying with the time slots they lose me.

Been reading skulduggery pleasant which is a middle grade book that's filled with sarcasm, villains who don't know how to be villains, action and Ireland.

Tokio wrote: "Been reading skulduggery pleasant which is a middle grade book that's filled with sarcasm, villains who don't know how to be villains, action and Ireland."

Love that series!

Stephanie wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Is anyone else on here loving the Constantine series?!! Amazing first ep, and the second, though it seemed to be struggling a little harder to find its feet, was still pretty darned go..."

I've also been watching and enjoying Constantine and so glad to see it being discussed in the group. I wonder if I enjoy it just because the actor is SUCH a dead ringer for John Constantine. Beyond the visual similarity, he even sounds exactly the way I imagined Constantine to sound.

As for the rest of the show, I hope they make it creepier by showing us less, particularly the main demon adversaries, and get more creative a la the discussion upthread about Flash and Arrow.

As for Constantine, so far I like it quite a lot. I'm hoping they tie the stories together rather than have it just be a typical procedural.

They have also done a really masterful job at implying his smoking. It's really rather clever how they've done it, where you'll see him walking away in a cloud of smoke, but you never actually see the cigarette.

It's a terrific way to get around the fact that they can't show smoking on the network, while honoring how the character's ultimate fate depends on the lung cancer he gets from cigarettes.

Trike wrote: "As for Constantine, so far I like it quite a lot. I'm hoping they tie the stories together rather than have it just be a typical procedural.

They have also done a really masterful job at implying ..."

They will tie things together- I heard the girl he couldn't save will be back.