New To Comics: So… I Guess Hawkeye Drives A Yaris?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Crisis On Infinite Midlives is proud to introduce our newest contributor: Pixiestyx. Pixiestyx is relatively new to reading comics, and therefore brings a different perspective to the comics world then Amanda and myself, who have been around the block enough to know who to curse at by name and general description. She’s been leaving great, interesting comments recently, and we’re glad to add her to the Crisis On Infinite Midlives team!

Does the comic industry really want to bring in new readers? If they did, one would think that the publishers would want to make it as easy as possible for a new reader to find a storyline that interests them, as well as figure out where to begin following that storyline. I have been an occasional comic reader for just over two years, yet when it comes to much of the comic world, I feel very much like Hal Jordan, having been told to speak the oath of the Green Lanterns without knowing what that oath is – completely lost.

I know how to do research; how to comparison shop, read reviews, and decide what to buy. However, most of the publishers’ websites have not been very helpful. They are good at listing the new books for this week and what’s coming out next week; but other than great cover art images, they do a very poor job of drawing me in and telling me why I should begin reading a series. They tend to have a busy layout and are unintuitive if you don’t already know what you are looking for. The UserWiki on Marvel’s site offers series background information, but the volume of information is inconsistent – a page and a half on some, non-existent on others. It appears that Marvel’s primary focus is on getting visitors to buy a Toyota Yaris instead of their comics anyway.

Brain Bleach – Clown Car Edition

I was going to write a little something about this scene from the latest Suicide Squad #3, but Laura Hudson at Comics Alliance beat me to it:

Congratulations, Floyd - you've just had sex with The Joker by proxy.

Clown car, eh? That’s a hell of a euphemism, Harley.

Something Here Is Made Of Steel

It's probably not her telepathy that's turned you into a drooling vegetable.

Who knew that Emma Frost was actually being fashion forward and not a ginormous slut in her everyday battle wear of corsets and hooker boots? While plenty of super heroines have been outfitted, charitably, in questionable attire, outside of your typical convention cosplay and Halloween we don’t generally find super hero couture to be at the forefront of cutting edge fashion.

Until now.

Superhero couture will come to television on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10pm (Eastern) on CBS.

Oooo, exciting!

Aren’t you excited?

You’re not excited.

Why aren’t you excited?

I can keep doing this, you know.

Real, live semi naked ladies with spandex and wings after the jump!

DC Universe Online – Good, Evil, and the Politics of Ass Kicking

It’s time for my bi-fortnightly contribution to the site.   I just recently learned that bi-fortnightly actually means “every four weeks”, not “bisexual night in Rob’s blanket fort” as I was originally told.  Rob and I will be speaking further about this discovery and its implications. – Lance

So DC Comics’ MMORPG, DC Universe Online went free to play earlier in the month.  Thinking, “the price is right!” I grabbed my mouse, put on my Batman Underoos and dove right in.  And waited.  After about five days, DC got their hardware issues unscrewed and I was off to the races with PunchKicker, a Community-inspired hero.  I have to say, in terms of atmospherics DC really gets it right.  Metropolis feels like Metropolis.  It’s sunny, optimistic and full of life.  Gotham City, in turn, feels like the last gasping breath of a dying wino.  Seriously, it’s eerie how close they got on that one.  Come to Rob and Amanda’s house on Club-a-Wino-to-Death night and you’ll see.

Aardman Animation Takes On Batman; My Brain Explodes. Film At 11.

You know, sometimes when I’m watching Cartoon Network, usually, but not always, during Adult Swim, I think, “Am I drunk?” However, watching this trailer for the proposed DC Nation block of programming, set to air on Cartoon Network next year, I find myself thinking, “Am I drunk enough?”  The following video and programming info comes via Bleeding Cool. Go pour yourself a couple fingers of brain-be-gone, come back and hit play.

That Yellow Bastard – Why Occupy Wall Street Is Pikachu’s Fault

Frank Miller really shouldn’t be getting his panties in so much of a bunch about what he thinks Occupy Wall Street is all about anyway. If he’d just check out Bleeding Cool, he’d find out that Occupy Wall Street isn’t a bunch of dirty hippies trying to engage in anarchy and promote terrorism. He’d find out that their agenda is far more sinister.

You see, it’s all about Pokémon.

Hide the women and children. Battle monsters are coming and it’s all President Obama’s fault. You have been warned. Frank Miller, I know you’ve already tried to once but – do you dare to write about the real yellow bastard?

Tomorrow, Same Bat Time…

Due to circumstances beyond our control (Damn you, party liquor!), our content is obviously a little light today, and for that we apologize.

We hope to get right back into the swing of things tomorrow morning, with a fresh pair of eyes, a renewed sense of purpose, and an ability to stray more than 17 feet from a toilet, trash barrel or neighbor kid.

(Seriously, though: Amanda’s review of House of Night, the Dark Horse Comics adaptation of the P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast series of novels for people who love Twilight but can’t afford hardcover books, will be up first thing in the morning.)

In the meantime, by way of apology, please accept our humble offering of the 1966 Batman television show animated opening credits. If that show were directed by Christopher Nolan. You can find it right after the jump,

Muppet Vindaloo – No, Wait, There’s *Another* Muppet Movie Trailer

Ok, ok. I know that just two weeks ago I posted about what was supposed to be the final trailer for The Muppets before the movie is released a mere two weeks from today on November 23. However according to Bleeding Cool, in the UK the movie won’t be released until sometime next February – so they got an exclusive trailer in UK theaters (which is now on YouTube as of this past Nov. 7 – exclusive is relative in the age of the Internet, I guess).

…That Thing That Makes You Feel Like A God: Whedon on Wonder Woman

We’re gonna gamble on the giant longshot that there’s any interest whatsoever about Joss Whedon on the Internet and point out that he just did a reasonably extensive interview online (No, not with us. The only way Joss Whedon would answer any of our questions would be if the first one was, “Do you want to see your dog alive again?”).

Most of the interview centers around his upcoming quickie release of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, but he also drops a few tidbits about what his long-gestating and ultimately doomed movie adaptation of Wonder Woman might have been like:

She was very powerful and very naïve about people, and the fact that she was a goddess was how I eventually found my in to her humanity and vulnerability…

Hmm… did I accidentally dial up an interview with Ted Bundy?

Brain Bleach – Furby Edition

Ok, so I meant to actually write a couple reviews and post them in a somewhat timely fashion today. Clearly, that didn’t happen. I could blame the change back to Standard Time, my vodka induced hangover from last night or my generally poor work ethic, but…meh. Hopefully, I’ll be less damaged and more productive tomorrow. In the meantime, via The Laughing Squid, here’s a Furby trying to make itself understood by Siri. Now, I’m going to go kill this vodka hangover with Scotch.