First Post by The Other Guy

Hello Blogosphere,

My name is O. Hoch and I'm the second contributor (hopefully there are more to follow) of this humble little pop culture blog. Maybe I'll get into my life story and the why's and how's I'm obsessed with pop culture - but that's for a later day. This isn't about me, it's about all of the stuff going on in the world!

Stuff I'm excited about?

Today's Toys: Blackest Night Wave 2

Now I'm sorta cheating since this is four figures and not one singular figure, but they're a set so it's okay.

While I'm among the multitude of throngs championing this series, Geoff Johns' latest epic The Blackest Night is single handedly one of the most concise and well executed multi book crossover stories in quite some time. It dispenses with the literal pretension espoused in last year's Grant Morrisson penned Final Crisis. While FC had alot of great moments, it tended to fall beneath its own weight in both its ambition and its myriad of dangling plots. I love 'event' books, however I don't want to buy other titles in order to fully 'get' what's trying to be done. With FC I had to read Superman: 3D to understand the final enemy and well, as a Batman fan I wasn't too fond of Bruce dying at the end of the R.I.P. at the end of his own books only to have Morrisson and the brass at DC go "sike! to see Bruce's death, tune into issue 6 of the Crisis!" No good.

With The Blackest Night, Geoff John spins a yarn that can stay self contained and allow you to fully understand the weight and the gravity of the plot without having to go buy other books to get the full scope. His writing over in the monthly Green Lantern title along with his corresponding pivot work with Peter Tomasi whose handling The Green Lantern Corps is mindblowing, but again you don't need to read the titles in order to get what's going on in the main book. If however you like to see layers pealed back, then perusal of these titles along with the corresponding minis (might I suggest the Batman: Blackest Night 3 parter where Bats Dick Grayson is joined by Boston Brand (aka The Dead Man - one the DCU's coolest mystical properties)) is highly recommended.

The toy line courtesy of DC Direct in correspondence with the series has been top notch. The first Wave featured a Black Lantern Earth 2 Superman along with now roboticized Alpha Lantern Boodika. The set was rounded out with Red Lantern leader Atrocitus (sporting a good inch or two more of height then the other figures making his presence the most massive) and Blue Lantern Saint Walker. This wave features the leader of the Indigo Tribe, Black Lantern J'onn Jonz (The Martian Manhunter returned after a fitful burial on Mars), the murderous Sinestro Corps member Kryb (not a top pick due to her massive ugliness, I would have far preferred an Amon Sur figure to represent the Sinestro Corps) and is rounded out by Green Lantern John Stewart. While I like this wave over all, I'm not too thrilled with Stewart's inclusion due to his being featured in rival company Mattel's DCUC Wave 11 series (which in itself is impressive as it boosts figures of fallen GL Katma Tui as well as the Vic Sage era The Question and a quite emaciated looking Deadman.) however I suppose I can't quibble with it since they are afterall two separate companies releasing two separate lines.

This wave of the Blackest Night line releases on Wednesday and I already have my set on order so that they'll be on my shelves by Tuesday night (the advantages of working at a comic shop once a week? You get everything a day early!)

In my next post, I'll discuss my thoughts on the death of Honor GL Kyle Rayner in the pages of GL Corps #42 and pontificate on why I'm the only one who cares AT ALL about DCD's upcoming Blammoids line!

Until then, go listen to the new Gaga record and show yr teeth!

Ciao!